Linda Henkel is the new Elizabeth DeCamp McInerney Chair in Health Sciences at Fairfield University in Connecticut. In her research, she seeks to understand how memories shape the way we experience life. She explores how recollection is not a perfect recording of the past, but a reconstructive process that influences well-being, social connection, and meaning in life. Dr. Henkel holds a Ph.D. from Stony Brook University in New York.
Susan Klinedinst has been named the Dr. Demmie G. Mayfield Endowed Chair in Science and Undergraduate Research at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. A molecular and developmental biologist, she currently holds the rank of associate professor of biology. In addition to her own scholarship, she has mentored more than 50 undergraduate student researchers throughout her career. Dr. Klinedinst holds a Ph.D. and has been on the Schreiner faculty for the past 12 years.
Stephanie Boddie was recently named The Fuller Family Endowed Chair for Social Justice in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University in Texas. A Baylor faculty member since 2017, she studies issues like food insecurity, poverty and social services, and how churches meet the needs around them. Before her current appointment, she was an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Dr. Boddie earned her master of social work degree and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Bonnie Bassler has been named the inaugural Andrew K. Golden University Professor at Princeton University. The University Professor designation is the Ivy League institution’s highest faculty honor. Currently serving as the Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology, Dr. Bassler is known for her research in quorum sensing, a process that allows bacteria to communicate using secreted chemical signaling molecules called autoinducers. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Davis and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.
Martha Placeres is the new Wilhelmina MacDonald Endowed Faculty Chair in Music at Florida Southern College. She first joined the college’s faculty in 2019 and currently serves as chair of the music department and director of orchestra and string studies. Alongside her work as an educator, she has performed with numerous orchestras around the world. Dr. Placeres holds a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the Puebla State Conservatory of Music in Mexico, a master’s degree in music education from the University of Texas at Brownsville, and a doctorate in orchestral conducting from Texas Tech University.
Laura Olson has been named the Herman Brown Chair of Political Science in the AddRan College of Liberal Arts at Texas Christian University. Her scholarship centers on the intersections of contemporary religion and politics, with an emphasis on public opinion and civic engagement. She has published nine books, most recently Religion and Politics in America: Faith, Culture, and Strategic Choices (Routledge, 2018). After completing her bachelor’s degree in political science from Northwestern University, Dr. Olson earned her master’s degree and doctorate in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.