Mechthild Tegeder has been granted the title of Regents Professor at Washington State University. A professor of biological sciences, Dr. Tegeder is a leading authority in the field of plant biology. Her research focuses on developing strategies to improve crop productivity in service of meeting the world’s food supply and alternative energy source needs.
Dr. Tegeder earned her Ph.D. from the University of Göttingen in Germany and did her
postdoctoral research at the University of Newcastle in Australia.
María P. Aranda has been named a Distinguished Professor of Social Work at the University of Southern California. She currently serves as the Margaret W. Driscoll/Louise M. Clevenger Professor of Social Policy and Administration and executive director of the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging. A social worker snd sociobehavioral scholar, Dr. Aranda is known for her expertise in the fields of social work, geriatrics, and gerontology.
Dr. Aranda is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles, where she earned her bachelor of social work degree. She holds a master of social work degree, a master of public administration degree, and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.
Andrea Hohmann has been granted the title of Distinguished Professor at Indiana University. Dr. Hohmann, the Linda and Jack Gill Chair of Neuroscience and a professor of psychological and brain sciences, is known for her research on cannabinoid and endocannabinoid mechanisms, which has advanced non-opioid, non-addictive strategies for pain relief. Her work has demonstrated how neuropathic pain can be suppressed without developing tolerance, dependence, or debilitating side effects.
Dr. Hohmann received her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Karin Öberg is the new senior vice provost for faculty at Harvard University. Dr. Öberg, the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Natural Sciences and a professor of astronomy, has been a member of the Harvard community since 2009. She previously served as director of undergraduate studies for the department of astronomy. As a scholar, Dr. Öberg studies how chemistry influences the formation and composition of young planets that are taking shape in the swirling disks of dust and gas around young stars.
Dr. Öberg earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology and her Ph.D. in astronomy from Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Rupali Chandar has been granted the title of Distinguished University Professor at the University of Toledo in Ohio. A faculty member for nearly two decades, Dr. Chandar currently serves as the Helen Luedtke Brooks Endowed Professor of Astronomy and associate chair of the department of physics and astronomy. Her research uses observational astronomy measurements obtained from the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and other facilities to better understand how galaxies evolve.
A graduate of Haverford College in Pennsylvania, Dr. Chandar holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Carnegie Observatories.
Tonya L. Peeples has been named a special adviser to the executive vice president and provost at Pennsylvania State University. She will be stepping down from her current role as the Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering in Penn State’s College of Engineering to help shape the creation of the university’s new office of student success. A professor of chemical engineering, Dr. Peeples previously served as the College of Engineering’s inaugural associate dean for equity and inclusion.
Dr. Peeples received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University and her doctorate in the same discipline from Johns Hopkins University.