Lydia E. Kavraki has been named a university professor at Rice University in Houston, Texas. The title is the university’s highest faculty distinction. Dr. Kavraki is one of 11 professors and the third woman to earn the title. An expert on robotics, AI, and computational biomedicine, she currently serves as the Kenneth and Audrey Kennedy Professor of Computing and director of the Ken Kennedy Institute.
Dr. Kavraki holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Crete in Greece and a Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University in California.
Laura Vogel has earned the distinction of university professor at Illinois State University. She has been a faculty member in the university’s School of Biological Sciences for over 25 years. For the past three years, she has been associate dean for research, facilities, and technology in the College of Arts and Sciences. In her research, she studies immune regulation.
Dr. Vogel earned her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Miami University in Ohio and her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Toledo.
Daphne Greenberg has earned been appointed as a Regents Professor at Georgia State University. The title is the highest academic rank within the University System of Georgia. Dr. Greenberg is a full professor of learning sciences and director of the Adult Literacy Research Center. Her current research focuses determining the best instructional approaches for adults who read below the eighth-grade level.
Dr. Greenberg received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, her master’s degree in general psychology from Yeshiva University in New York, and her Ph.D. in educational psychology from the City University of New York.
Qing-Xiang Sang has been granted the title of distinguished research professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Florida State University. A faculty member since 1993, she currently serves as the Diane & Michael Bruton Professor for Cancer Research. As a biochemist, she studies cell development to advance the understanding of cancer formation and treatment.
Dr. Sang holds a Ph.D. from Georgetown University Medical Center.
Julie Collins-Dogrul has been promoted from associate professor to full professor of sociology at Whittier College in California. A faculty member since 2008, she currently holds the C. Wright Mills Endowed Chair in Sociology. She is also affiliated with Whittier’s Center for Engagement and Communities, where she connects undergraduates researchers with local organizations. Her scholarship focuses on U.S.-Mexico border issues, inter-organizational cooperation and governance, and health disparities.
Dr. Collins-Dogrul holds a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis.