New Endowed Faculty Appointments for Five Women Professors

Barbara Stranger has been named the Lyda M. Ludeman Endowed Chair in Bioinformatics in Women’s Health Research at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She comes to her new role from Northwestern University, where she served as an associate professor in the Feinberg School of Medicine for five years. Her research investigates the ways sex influences the genetic architecture of complex traits and diseases.

Dr. Stranger holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Montana.

Eurina Cha has been appointed as the inaugural Luce and Ernst Nursing Director in the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing at California State University, Los Angeles. Most recently, she served as department chair of the upper-division transfer program and associate professor in the School of Nursing at Azusa Pacific University in California. In addition to her academic background, she has over two decades of extensive clinical experience.

Dr. Cha received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Hawai’i Pacific University. She holds a master’s degree in nursing and a Ph.D. in public health from Walden University.

Kimberly Ellis has been named to the W.S. “Pete” White Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. She is an associate professor of industrial and systems engineering in Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering. Her research focuses on design and analysis of production and logistics systems.

Dr. Ellis earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Tennessee. She holds a Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Shawnta Friday-Stroud has been appointed as the Sybil Collins Mobley Endowed Chair in the School of Business and Industry at Florida A&M University. She will also serve as executive director for strategic partnerships and business development. She previously served as the business school’s dean for 14 years.

Dr. Friday-Stroud received her bachelor’s degree and MBA from Florida A&M University. She holds a doctorate in business administration from Florida International University.

Salimah H. Meghani has been appointed the Carol E. Ware Professor in Mental Health Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. A full professor of nursing and palliative care, she focuses her research on the social determinants of health. She serves as a senior fellow with the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and director of the palliative care minor and certificate programs.

Dr. Meghani received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the Aga Khan University in Pakistan. She holds a master’s degree in nursing, a master’s degree in bioethics, and a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.