Kansas State University Promotes 11 Women to Full Professor

Kansas State University has announced the promotion of 24 faculty members to the rank of full professor. The promotions are effective on June 8. Eleven of these promotions went to women.

(L to R) Top row: Patricia Ackerman, Geraldine Craig, Sunanda Dissanayake, Stacy L. Hutchinson, and Rhonda Janke. Bottom row: Kimberly Kramer, Melody LeHew, A. Lorena Passarelli, Alysia Starkey, and Anna Zolkiewska.

Patricia Ackerman was promoted to professor of language arts. She is a graduate of Marymount College, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree from Fort Hays State University in Kansas and a doctorate in language arts curriculum and instruction from Kansas State University.

Kathy Brockway was appointed full professor  of business. She has been on the faculty at Kansas State since 1994. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Kansas State University.

Geraldine Craig was named full professor of art. She has chaired the art department of the university since 2007. Previously, she served as assistant director for academic programs at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield, Michigan. Professor Craig is a graduate of the University of Kansas where she double majored in the history of art and textile design. After studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, she earned a master of fine arts degree at the Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Sunanda Dissanayake will be a full professor of civil engineering. She specializes in traffic control systems. Dr. Dissanayake is a graduate of the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka. She holds a master’s degree from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Stacy L. Hutchinson was promoted to professor of biological and agricultural engineering. She specializes in storm water runoff systems and the remediation of contaminated soil and water. Dr. Hutchinson is a graduate of Montana State University. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Kansas State University.

Rhonda Janke was named a full professor of horticulture, forestry, and recreation resources. She is a graduate of Kansas State University and holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in horticulture from Cornell University.

Kimberly Kramer was appointed full professor of architectural engineering and construction science. She specializes in concrete structural system design. A graduate of Kansas State University, Professor Kramer holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Melody LeHew will be a full professor of apparel, textile, and interior design. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in textiles and clothing from Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in retail and consumer sciences from the University of Tennessee.

A. Lorena Passarelli was promoted to a full professor of biology. She also serves as associate director for student development at the university. Dr. Passarelli specializes in the molecular biology of baculoviruses. She holds a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Georgia.

Alysia Starkey was appointed professor of library sciences at the Salina campus of Kansas State University. She joined the staff at the university in 2002. Dr. Starkey is  graduate of Fort Hays State University in Kansas. She holds a master of library science degree from the University of North Texas in Denton and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Kansas State University.

Anna Zolkiewska was named a full professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics. Her laboratory is focused on breast cancer research. Dr. Zolkiewska holds a master’s degree from the University of Warsaw in Poland and a Ph.D. from the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw, Poland.