Promotions and Appointments for Seven Women Faculty Members at Colleges and Universities

Priscilla Meléndez was named a professor of language and culture at Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut. She also was granted tenure. Professor Meléndez previously was a non-tenured professor of the practice in language and culture studies at the college. She has served as co-director of Trinity’s Center for Caribbean Studies.

Professor Meléndez holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. She earned a Ph.D. in romance studies and Hispanic literature from Cornell University.

Rachel E. Bernard was appointed an assistant professor of geology at Amherst College in Massachusetts. She has spent the last two academic years as a visiting assistant professor at Amherst.

Dr. Bernard is a graduate of Princeton University, where she majored in civil and environmental engineering. She earned a Ph.D. in geological sciences at the University of Texas at Austin.

Ashli Brown, a professor in the department of biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology, and plant pathology, has been named associate vice president of Mississippi State University’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. Much of Professor Brown’s research focuses on the use of analytical techniques to improve conservation efforts, food safety, and regulatory science.

Dr. Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a Ph.D. in chemistry/biochemistry from the University of South Florida.

Lauren Clare joins the faculty at the University of Arkansas as an instructor of music after serving one year as an adjunct professor in the department. A native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, Clare began her professional career as a vocalist in 2001.

Clare holds a bachelor of music degree in vocal performance from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She earned a master’s degree in vocal performance at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University.

Elsa A. Olivetti was promoted to associate professor and granted tenure in the department of materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Olivetti focuses her research on sustainable and scalable materials design, manufacturing, and end-of-life recovery within the larger context in which materials are used.

Dr. Olivetta earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from the University of Virginia. She holds a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from MIT.

Mari Ostendorf, the System Design Methodologies Professor at the University of Washington, was appointed vice provost for research at the university, effective September 1. Dr. Ostendorf has been serving as associate vice provost for research in the Office of Research since 2017. She joined the faculty at the University of Washington in 1999 after several years as an electrical and computer engineering faculty member at Boston University.

Professor Ostendorf earned her doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

Eugenia L. Weiss was recently hired as an associate professor for the School of Social Work at the University of Nevada Reno. She will be the director of the master of social work program. Prior to coming to the university, Dr. Weiss worked as a licensed clinical social worker and licensed psychologist serving Latinx clients and working with military veterans and their families.

Dr. Weiss is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. She earned a master of social work degree from the University of Southern California. Dr. Weiss holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from Alliant International University and a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in education from Claremont Graduate University.