Three Women Who Have Been Appointed Chairs of Their Academic Departments

Mari Chinn was named chair of the department of biosystems and agricultural engineering at Oklahoma State University, effective January 1. Dr. Chinn has served on the faculty at North Carolina State University since 2003.

Dr. Chinn earned a bachelor’s degree in biological systems engineering from the University of California, Davis. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in biosystems engineering from the University of Kentucky.

Laurie Gutmann was appointed chair for the department of neurology at the Indiana School of Medicine. She will serve as co-director of the Neuroscience Institute. She was vice chair of clinical research and director of the Neurology Office of Clinical Trials for the department of neurology at the University of Iowa.

Dr. Gutmann earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Oberlin College in Ohio and her medical degree from West Virginia University Medical School.

Kathy Nugent was named chair of the department of clinical and diagnostic sciences in the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Since 2014, Dr. Nugent has been associate vice president and executive director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the university.

Dr. Nugent earned a Ph.D. in biopsychology at the City University of New York. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pharmacology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.