Cornell University Adds 34 Women to Its Faculty

Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, has added 34 women to its faculty. Here are brief biographical sketches of the new hires.

(L to R) Top row: Esra Akcan, Rachel Aleks, Rebecca J. Barthelmie, Vanessa K. Bohns, Julieta Caunedo, Naminata Diabate, and Julia Finkelstein. Second row: Chiara Formichi, Jill Frank, Denise Green, Anna R. Haskins, Kelly Hume, Jennifer Ifft, and Lisa Kaltenegger. Third row: Soo Kim, Athena Kirk, Julia Markovits, Carmen Enid Martinez, Jessica McAr, and Angela L. McCleary-Wheeler. Fourth row: Katja C. Nowack, Kyla Ortved, Eleonora Patacchini, Jamie L. Perry, Sarah Pethybridge, Sara C. Pryor, and Kristina Rennekamp. Bottom row: Kristy L. Richards, Mardelle Shepley, Rebecca Slayton, Suyoung Son, Jeongmin Song, Amy L. Williams, and Kristina M. Workman.

Esra Akcan is a new associate professor of the history of architecture. She was an associate professor of art history at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Akcan holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. She earned a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University in New York.

Rachel Aleks is a new assistant professor of labor relations. She was an instructor at the University of Toronto in Canada. Dr. Aleks is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, where she majored in labor relations. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto.

Rebecca J. Barthelmie was hired as a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. She was a professor of atmospheric science and sustainability at Indiana University in Bloomington. Professor Barthelmie’s research is focused on wind energy resources. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of East Anglia.

Vanessa K. Bohns is a new assistant professor of organizational behavior. Since 2011, she was an assistant professor of management sciences at the University of Waterloo in Canada. Dr. Bohns is a graduate of Brown University, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in social psychology from Columbia University.

Julieta Caunedo was appointed an assistant professor of economics. She is a former research analyst for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and a former research assistant for the International Monetary Fund. Dr. Caunedo holds a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis.

Naminata Diabate is an assistant professor of comparative literature. She was a postdoctoral associate in comparative literature at Cornell University. Dr. Diabate earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Cote D’Ivoire. She earned a second master’s degree and a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Texas at Austin.

Julia Finkelstein was named assistant professor of epidemiology and nutrition. Since 2011, she has been serving as a research scientist in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell. Dr. Finkelstein is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal. She earned a master of public health degree from Brown University and a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in nutritional epidemiology from Harvard University.

Chiara Formichi is an assistant professor of Asian studies. She was an assistant professor of history and religion at the City University of Hong Kong. Dr. Formichi is a graduate of the University of Rome. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Southeast Asian history from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, England.

Jill Frank was appointed associate professor of government. Since 1999, she has served as a member of the faculty in political science at the University of South Carolina. Earlier, she taught at Harvard University. Dr. Frank holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from McGill University in Montreal. She earned a Ph.D. in jurisprudence and social policy at the University of California, Berkeley.

Denise Green is a new assistant professor of fiber science and apparel design. Since 2009, she has been a graduate research assistant in the department of anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Green is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a master’s degree in textiles from the University of California, Davis and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of British Columbia.

Anna R. Haskins was named an assistant professor of sociology. She was a postdoctoral research scientist at the School of Social Work at Columbia University. Dr. Haskins is a graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin.

Kelly Hume is an assistant professor of oncology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She is also serving as an adjunct assistant professor in the department of biomedical sciences. Dr. Hume is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where she majored in international agriculture and natural resources. She earned a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Auburn University in Alabama.

Jennifer Ifft was appointed assistant professor of agribusiness and farm management. Since 2011, she was a an economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Ifft is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She holds a master’s degree in land economy from the University of Cambridge in England and a Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Lisa Kaltenegger is a new associate professor of astronomy. Since 2010, she was a research associate with the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Dr. Kaltenegger holds a master’s degree in biophysics from the University of Technology in Austria and a second master’s degree and a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Karl Franzens University in Austria.

Soo Kim was named an assistant professor of marketing in the university’s Graduate School of Management. She was a teaching assistant in the MBA program at Northwestern University. Dr. Kim is a graduate of Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, South Korea. She holds a master’s degree in communication from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in marketing from Northwestern University.

Athena Kirk was appointed assistant professor of classics. Her research focuses on Greek literature. She was an assistant professor of classical studies at Indiana University in Bloomington. Dr. Kirk is a graduate of Harvard University. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Julia Markovits was named associate professor of philosophy. She was an associate professor of philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Markovits is a graduate of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. She earned master’s and doctoral degrees in philosophy from the University of Oxford in England.

Carmen Enid Martinez is an associate professor of soil and environmental chemistry. From 2002 to 2013, she was an associate professor at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Martinez is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, where she majored in chemistry. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in soil chemistry from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Jessica McArt is a new assistant professor of ambulatory and production medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She was an assistant professor of livestock medicine and population health at Colorado State University. Dr. McArt is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where she majored in biochemistry and molecular biology. She holds a doctor of veterinary medicine degree and a Ph.D. in comparative biomedical sciences from Cornell University.

Angela L. McCleary-Wheeler is a new assistant professor of medical oncology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She was a small animal medicine and surgery intern at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Dr. McCleary-Wheeler holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural biochemistry and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Iowa State University. She earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Katja C. Nowack is an assistant professor of physics. She was a postdoctoral researcher in the department of applied physics at Stanford University in California. Dr. Nowack holds a Ph.D. in physics from the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands.

Kyla Ortved is a new clinical assistant professor of equine surgery in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Her research focuses on using gene therapy to enhance cartilage repair. Dr. Ortved is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, where she majored in animal biology. She holds a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of Guelph in Ontario and a Ph.D. in comparative biomedical sciences from Cornell University.

Eleonora Patacchini was appointed an associate professor of economics. Since 2012, she has served as an associate professor of economics at Syracuse University. Dr. Patacchini holds a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in methodological statistics from Sapienza University of Rome. She holds a master’s degree from the University Pompeu Fabra in Spain and a second Ph.D. in economics from the University of Southampton in England.

Jamie L. Perry is a new assistant professor of human resources management in the School of Hotel Administration. Dr. Perry is a graduate of the University of Houston, where she majored in psychology and sociology. She holds a master’s degree in psychology and a Ph.D. in organization management from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Sarah Pethybridge was named an assistant professor of vegetable pathology in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. She was a science group leader at the New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research. Dr. Pethybridge holds a bachelor’s degree in plant pathology and a Ph.D. in disease epidemiology from the University of Tasmania in Australia.

Sara C. Pryor was hired as a professor and chair of the department of earth and atmospheric sciences. She was a professor of geological sciences at Indiana University in Bloomington. Her research focuses on climate change. Professor Pryor holds a Ph.D. from the University of East Anglia in Britain.

Kristina Rennekamp is a new assistant professor of accounting. Since 2011, she has been an assistant professor of accountancy at the University of Illinois. Dr. Rennekamp holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA from the University of Iowa. She earned a master’s degree in management and a Ph.D. in accounting from Cornell University.

Kristy L. Richards was named an assistant professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. She was an assistant professor of medicine and genetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Richards is a graduate of Cornell University, where she majored in biology. She holds a medical degree and a Ph.D. in genetics from Stanford University.

Mardelle Shepley was appointed professor of design and environmental analysis. Since 1993 she was a professor of architecture and director of the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University. Professor Shepley holds a bachelor’s degree in art history and a master of architecture degree from Columbia University in New York. She earned a master’s degree in psychology and a doctorate in architecture from the University of Michigan.

Rebecca Slayton is a new assistant professor of science and technology studies. She was a lecturer at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. Dr. Slayton is a graduate of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Harvard University.

Suyoung Son was appointed an assistant professor of Asian studies. Since 2011, she was an assistant professor of Asian languages and civilizations at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Son holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. She holds a second master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in East Asian languages and civilizations from the University of Chicago.

Jeongmin Song is an assistant professor of bacterial pathogenesis in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Since 2009, she has been conducting postdoctoral research in the department of microbial pathogenesis at Yale University. Dr. Song is graduate of Hannam University in South Korea. She earned a master’s degree at Yonsei University in South Korea and a Ph.D. at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Amy L. Williams was appointed an assistant professor of biological statistics and computational biology. She was a postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia University. Dr. Williams is a graduate of the University of Utah where she majored in mathematics and computer science. She earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Kristina M. Workman was named assistant professor of management and organizational behavior in the School of Hotel Administration. Dr. Workman recently earned her Ph.D. in management and organizations at the University of Michigan. She holds a bachelor’s degree in management and psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.