Four Women Scholars Appointed to New Faculty Positions

Alexis Johnson has named the community oral historian and project coordinator for the College of Charleston Libraries in South Carolina. She will also teach in the department of history. Prior to her current role, she served as associate director of teachers for the Movement Oral History Project at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Johnson is a graduate of Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree in Pan-African studies from the University of Louisville and a Ph.D. in the social foundations of education from the University of Virginia.

Colby Tofel-Grehl has joined the faculty at Columbia University’s Teachers College as an associate professor of science education and vice dean for teacher education and school and community partnerships. She comes to her new role from Utah State University, where she was an associate professor of STEM education in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership. She is also the founding director of the CHAOS (Culture, History, and Art Originating in STEM) Learning Lab.

Dr. Tofel-Grehl received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology, archaeology, and primatology from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, and Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Virginia.

Michelle H. DiBenedetto has joined the faculty at Princeton University as an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. She most recently served as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on fundamental fluid mechanics with applications towards oceanography, biology, environmental contaminants, and renewable energy

Dr. DiBenedetto is a graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she majored in environmental engineering. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University.

Elizabeth Freimuth has been appointed professor of horn in the Shepard School of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas. She brings over 25 years of experience in orchestral music to her new role. Since 2006, she has served as principal horn with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Her academic background includes service as an adjunct horn instructor with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Indiana University, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Dr. Freimuth earned her bachelor’s degree in French horn and music education from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New York. She holds a master of music degree from Rice University.