New Faculty Positions for Ten Women Scholars

Angela Laird has been named a distinguished university professor of physics in the College of Arts, Sciences, & Education at Florida International University. She first joined the FIU faculty in 2012. Currently, she directs the university’s multidisciplinary Center for Imaging Science.

Dr. Laird is a graduate of Florida State University, where she majored in physics. She holds a Ph.D in physics and medical physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Chira Salemi has joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley as an assistant professor of physics. She has conducted extensive research on dark matter, specifically a theoretical dark matter particle known as the axion.

Dr. Salemi is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel hill, where she double-majored in physics and math. She received her doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Hasma Balakrishnan has been named associate dean of the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. An MIT faculty member for the past 17 years, she currently holds the title of William E. Leonard (1940) Professor in the department of aeronautics and astronautics.

Dr. Balakrishnan completed her undergraduate education at the Indian Institute of Technology at Madras. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Stanford University.

Mandy Jarriel has been selected to serve as interim associate provost for academic affairs and director of the Graduate School at Georgia College. A college faculty member for nearly two decades, she currently serves as a professor of athletic training and the assistant director of the School of Health and Human Performance.

Dr. Jarriel holds a Ph.D from the University of Georgia.

Daria “Dasha” Goncharova has joined the faculty of Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia as an assistant professor of English. She recently completed her doctoral degree at the University of Kentucky, where she received numerous awards for excellence in teaching.

Dr. Goncharova is a summa cum laude graduate of Southern Federal University in Russia, where she majored in linguistics. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in English from the University of Kentucky.

Colleen P. Jones has been named an associate research professor in the department of plants, soils, and climate at Utah State University Uintah Basin and the Bingham Research Center. She has been member of the Utah State University community for over two decades.

Dr. Jones completed her bachelor’s degree in secondary science education from Utah State University. She received her master’s degree in zoology from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, before returning to Utah State University to earn her Ph.D. in ecology.

Brinley Stringer has been appointed director of the Math Learning Center at Boise State University in Idaho. She comes to her new role from San Diego State University, where she has served as a graduate research assistant for the past four years.

Dr. Stringer holds a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in math and science education from the University of California, San Diego.

Mary C. Murphy has been named director of the Boston College Irish Institute. She most recently served as head of the department of government and politics at University College Cork in Ireland. She has published extensively on the complex relationship between Ireland, Northern Ireland, and England, including A Troubled Constitutional Future: Northern Ireland After Brexit (Agenda Publishing, 2022).

Dr. Murphy received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Limerick. She holds a master’s degree and doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast.

Kristen Cuthrell has been named chair of the department of education and human development in the College of Education at Clemson University in South Carolina. She comes to her new role from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where she directed the Rural Education Institute. She also served as a professor in the university’s department of elementary education and middle grades education.

Dr. Cuthrell holds a doctor of education degree.

Jillian Wood has been named associate dean of academic affairs in the Attallah College of Educational Studies at Chapman University in California. Currently, she serves as the college’s director of undergraduate education. Prior to her tenure with Chapman University, she taught at California State University, Fullerton.

Dr. Wood received her bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University, master’s degree in communication management from the University of Southern California, and Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in leadership studies from Chapman University.