Heather Parsons, associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, has been named the Maudslien Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Precision Oncology Research at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, an independent nonprofit that serves as the cancer program for UW Medicine. A medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer, Dr. Parsons has conducted extensive research on new ways to test a person’s blood for signs of cancer.
A graduate of Dartmouth College, Dr. Parsons earned her master of public health degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and her medical degree from Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Esther Duflo is slated to join the faculty of the University of Zurich in Switzerland in 2026 as a Lemann Foundation Professor of Economics. As part of her new faculty position, she will co-lead the university’s Lemann Centre for Development, Education, and Public Policy. Currently, Dr. Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She will continue to hold a part-time appointment at MIT while working full-time at the University of Zurich.
A graduate of École Normale Supérieure, Paris in France, Dr. Duflo earned her Ph.D. in economics from MIT.
JoAnna Leyenaar is the new Paul Batalden Chair for Clinical Improvement and Professional Development in the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. A full professor of pediatrics, she currently serves as vice chair of research for the department of pediatrics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Her work centers on improving the quality of healthcare provided to children, particularly those who are vulnerable and underserved.
Dr. Leyenaar earned her medical degree from McMaster University in Canada. She holds a master of public health degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Tufts University in Boston.
Pam Taub is the inaugural holder of the Step Family Foundation Endowed Director’s Chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Wellness at the University of California, San Diego. An expert in cardiometabolic disease, she currently serves the university as a professor of medicine, director of preventative cardiology, and founding director of the Step Family Foundation Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.
Dr. Taub earned her medical degree from Boston University. She completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center and a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at UC San Diego.
Liz Arnold has joined the Syracuse University faculty as the Cramer Family Foundation Professor of Practice in Community Impact in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She has extensive experience in leadership development, entrepreneurship, consulting, and community engagement, including past positions with Cornell University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard Kennedy School.
Professor Arnold holds an MBA from the University of Geneva.
Mary Rose Papandrea has been named the inaugural Burchfield Professor of First Amendment and Free Speech Law at George Washington University. Earlier in her career, she taught at Boston College Law School and the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she was associate dean for academic affairs. Her scholarly expertise centers on free speech and media law.
Professor Papandrea holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities from Yale University and a juris doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School.