Colby College, the highly rated liberal arts educational institution in Waterville, Maine, has announced that it has promoted seven scholars to associate professor. The seven faculty members were also awarded tenure.
“Each of these faculty members is a dedicated and inspiring teacher, a scholar of influence in their discipline, and a generous contributor to the Colby community,” said Provost Denise Breueswitz, the Clara C. Piper Professor of Environmental Studies. “They each bring a distinctive approach to their work, but they all exemplify the best of our academic community. I am thrilled to welcome them to the senior faculty at Colby. We are fortunate to have such exceptional colleagues and wonderful people as members of our faculty.”
Four of these scholars who received a promotion and tenure are women.
Alison Bates is an associate professor of environmental studies. She is interested in how local communities view and shape sustainability and renewable-energy practices. Her interdisciplinary scholarship explores the intersection of energy policy and sustainability transitions, with a specific focus on offshore wind. Dr. Bates earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. She holds a Ph.D. in marine policy from the University of Delaware.
Stacy Doore was promoted to associate professor of computer science. Her research focuses on spatial information systems and multimodal information access of spatial information, contributing to the development of emerging assistive technologies. Dr. Doore’s focus is on technology that solves real-world problems by increasing access to information and removing barriers for vulnerable and underserved communities. Dr. Doore holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. in spatial information systems and engineering, all from the University of Maine.
Erin Giffin is an associate professor of economics who joined the college’s faculty in 2018. Her work focuses on how risks and incentives, identity, and individual beliefs shape human behavior and decision-making. Her work integrates psychological findings into formal economic models, specifically focusing on the causes and consequences of biased beliefs. Dr. Giffin is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, where she majored in economics and psychology. She earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, San Diego.
Lindsey Madison joined the chemistry department faculty in 2018. She is a theoretical chemist interested in how intermolecular interactions manifest in vibrational spectroscopy. Using theoretical and computational chemistry, she also explores the properties of clathrate hydrates, semi-stable crystalline phases of water with structures that entrap greenhouse gas molecules. Dr. Madison received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. She earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Northwestern University and then conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Washington.