Betty Kim has been named a core faculty member at the James P. Allison Institute at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she currently teaches as a professor of neurosurgery. Dr. Kim also holds a dual appointment as a professor of neurosurgery at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. In her lab, she studies immune-based therapeutic strategies for brain tumors, with a focus on glioblastoma.
Dr. Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in anatomy and cell biology from McGill University in Montreal, a medical degree from McMaster University in Ontario, and a Ph.D. in biomaterials and biomedical engineering from the University of Toronto.
Stacey Connaughton was appointed vice chair of the Purdue@DC Council. In this role, she will develop long-term strategic planning for Purdue University’s presence in the nation’s capital. A Purdue faculty member for over two decades, Dr. Connaughton serves as a professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication and director of the Purdue Policy Research Institute. Her primary research interests are leadership, political violence prevention, and policy.
Dr. Connaughton is a graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jennifer Vonk has been promoted to the rank of distinguished professor at Oakland University in Michigan. The title is the university’s highest faculty honor. Dr. Vonk, a professor of psychology, studies the evolutionary foundations of cognition across species. Her more recent research has focused on examining the effects of religiosity, attachment, and perspective-taking on human decision-making processes.
Dr. Vonk holds a bachelor’s degree from McMaster University, a master’s degree from Wilfred Laurier University and a Ph.D. from York University, all in Ontario, Canada.
Sheila Browne has joined the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music as a professor of viola. She most recently served as a distinguished artist-in-residence at Lynn Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida. Her other experience in academia includes teaching positions with the Tianjin Juilliard School, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of Delaware, the University of Tennessee, Duke University in North Carolina, and New York University.
Professor Browne received her bachelor’s degree from the Juilliard School and her master’s degree from Rice University in Houston, Texas.
Amy Grunden is associate dean for research and director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University. A faculty member since 2000, Dr. Grunden currently holds the title of William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the department of plant and microbial biology. Her research centers on beneficial microorganisms and their applications in crop improvement, soil health, carbon capture, and sustainable agriculture.
Dr. Grunden earned her bachelor’s degree and doctorate in microbiology and cell sciences from the University of Florida.