|
Speaker Bios
Kathryn Chaloner, PhD
 Kathryn Chaloner completed an undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Oxford University, a Masters in Statistics at University College London and a PhD in Statistics at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 1982. From 1982 she held a faculty position at the University of Minnesota, in the School of Statistics, and then moved to the University of Iowa in 2002. For the past seven years, she has served as Head of the Department of Biostatistics in the College of Public Health. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Statistical Association. She is the author of numerous scientific papers and reviews and has served as an associate editor of the journals Biometrics, Journal of the American Statistical Association, Technometrics, and the Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference. Her research has been supported by the NSF and NSA. She also serves on the NIH/NIAID study section for the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Research Review Committee (AIDSRRC) and serves on data safety and monitoring boards. She currently holds a NIH/NIGMS T32 predoctoral training grant to integrate training in biostatistics with training in microbiology, infectious diseases and bioinformatics.
Her statistical research interests include using Bayesian decision theory and Bayesian statistics for the design of experiments and design of clinical trials. She also collaborates on research in HIV/AIDS and in clinical studies of islet cell transplants in people with Type I diabetes. She has taught a variety of courses to undergraduates, graduates and professional students. She is also a mentor in the NSF National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Sciences, a consortium whose goals include encouraging minority undergraduates to pursue graduate degrees in the mathematical sciences.
Martin M. Chemers, Ph.D.
 Martin M. Chemers is Professor and Vice-Provost at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Chemers came to UC Santa Cruz in 1995 from Claremont McKenna College to accept an appointment as the Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of Psychology. At UC Santa Cruz, he also served as Interim Executive Vice-Chancellor and Provost (December, 2003-April, 2004) and as Acting Chancellor (April, 2004-February, 2005). Prior to his tenure at UC Santa Cruz, he was the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology and Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College. He was previously on the faculties of the Universities of Illinois, Delaware, Washington, and Utah where he was chair of the Department of Psychology.
Since receiving his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Illinois in 1968, he has been an active researcher in the areas of leadership, culture and organizational diversity. His current research is focused on psychological factors that affect the commitment and success of underrepresented minority students in science.
Alison K. Hall, Ph.D.
 Dr. Hall earned her B.A. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego and then a Ph.D. in Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University, working on brain development with Dr. Urs Rutishauser. Dr. Hall was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health to work with Dr. Story Landis at CWRU, and became a faculty member at CWRU Neurosciences in 1992. Dr. Hall is an active researcher in the field of neuroscience and has published many research articles on the nerve cells that sense pain, as well as new stroke therapies. Her work has been awarded grants from National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, March of Dimes and the National Science Foundation.
Her national professional affiliations include service on the Association for Neuroscience Departments and Programs where she is past-President, and membership in both the Finance and and Governmental Affairs Committees for the Society for Neurosciences. She has served as a panel member on national grant review study sections including those at the National Science Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and National Institutes of Health. Dr. Hall is currently a panel member of BRT-A (NIGMS) and the T32 study section for NINDS.
David Jones
In 1986, Dr. David Jones earned his B.Sc. in chemistry at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. He later earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Cambridge. Following postdoctoral work at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Jones joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Chicago. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Jones moved to the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, where he is also a member of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, the Medical Scientist Training Program, and the Program in Biomolecular Structure, as well as the Co-director of the Rocky Mountain Regional High Field NMR Facility.
Dr. Jones’s research involves the molecular mechanism of alcohols and anesthetic actions; structure and function of biomolecules; NMR spectroscopy, x-ray crystallography, biophysics and molecular biology. Recent investigations include the structure of odorant binding proteins in Drosophila and Anopheles gambiae. In addition to serving on several grant review and journal editing panels, Dr. Jones serves on many administrative and advisory committees within the UCD Health Sciences Center; and devotes a large measure of his time to mentoring pre- and postdoctoral trainees.
Maria Lima, Ph.D.
 Maria F. Lima is the current Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research at Meharry Medical College. She obtained her Ph.D. degree in Microbiology and Public Health at Michigan State University, and continued her post-doctoral education at Meharry Medical College in the area of Molecular Parasitology. She has attained the rank of Professor.
Her research is in tropical diseases; specifically in the area of host-parasite relationships. She studies growth factor regulation of trypanosome proliferation. Since she joined the institution, Dr. Lima has authored many peer-reviewed manuscripts in this area and has continually been funded been for her research from the National Institutes of Health.
As the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, she has secured several grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation to enhance graduate training at Meharry Medical College. Dr. Lima is intimately involved in outreach of minority students, especially at the high school and college levels, who are interested in perusing a career in science. Her goal is to increase the number of underrepresented students that pursue a career in biomedical research. She serves as consultant and advisor to the National Institutes of Health and was the immediate past chair of the Minority Access Research Careers Study Session (MARC) at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. She is currently a Member of the Genome Research Study Section, National Human Genome Research Institute.
Sharon Milgram, Ph.D
 Dr. Milgram received a BS degree in Physical Therapy from Temple University in 1984 and worked in strike rehabilitation for two years before returning to graduate school in 1986. She received a PhD in Cell Biology from Emory University in 1991 where she developed an interest in endocrine hormones. She completed additional research training in a postdoctoral fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University before joining the faculty at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994. At UNC Dr. Milgram rose to the rank of Full Professor with Tenure in the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology. Her research focuses the cell biology of airway and kidney diseases and has been published in journals including Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Her research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the American Heart Association.
Dr. Milgram held a number of administrative positions at UNC including the Associate Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Director of the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, and the Director of the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience. She founded and advised the UNC Office of Postdoctoral Services and served on the advisory committee of the Signal Xi National Postdoc Survey. Dr. Milgram served as Principle Investigator on a number of nationally-funded training grants including an NSF-funded program for undergraduate students, and NIH grants to support predoctoral students in cell & molecular biology as well as an Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity grant spanning the Schools of Medicine and Public Health at UNC. In 2007 Dr. Milgram joined the NIH Office of the Director as the Director of the Office of Intramural Training and Education. She is also Senior Scientist in the National Heart Lung and Blood institute and an Adjunct Investigator in the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Seana Moran, Ed.D.
 Seana Moran is a researcher at the Stanford Center on Adolescence, examining how young people age 12-26 develop purpose in their lives. Her research interests address how people use their resources, such as intelligences, interests, and social networks, to contribute to their communities in positive ways. She has written several papers addressing extraordinary achievements, creativity, commitment, purpose, self-regulation, and multiple intelligences. This spring, the volume Multiple Intelligences around the World, which she edited with Jie-Qi Chen and Howard Gardner, will be released. Her work has been supported by the Arete Initiative/Templeton Foundation, Spencer Foundation, American Association of University Women, and Harvard University. She earned her doctorate in human development and psychology from Harvard University, and also holds a master of education and a master of business administration.
Paul Andrew Sheehy, Ph.D.
 Paul Sheehy is Deputy Associate Director for Extramural Activities in the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIGMS administers a program of over $1.9 billion, funding research and training in programs such as biophysics, genetics, chemistry and physiology. His principal responsibility is to advise Institute staff on administrative, policy and management matters relevant to the conduct of the Institute's mission. He also oversees the development of the Institute’s scientific initiatives and coordinates them with other NIH Institutes and Centers. Dr. Sheehy received his Ph.D. in Physiology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 1985. He also holds a M.S. in Biophysics from the University of Maryland and a Sc.B. in Biophysics from Brown University. Dr. Sheehy also serves or has served on a broad range of working groups concerned with organizational structure and function, information management, personnel management and continuing education for staff. Prior to NIGMS, Dr. Sheehy worked at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) as a Program Director responsible for research on adult onset neurodegenerative disorders; as a Scientific Review Administrator, responsible for the technical merit review of extramural research; and as a Senior Staff Fellow in the NINDS intramural research program investigating signaling mechanisms in neuronal, immune, and endocrine cells.
Antoinette Torres
Antoinette Torres currently serves as the Associate Vice-Provost at Drexel University with responsibility for the quality of academic advising in the University’s colleges and schools; academic policy development and operations; retention analysis , programming and academic planning; and diversity with oversight of the learning center, supplemental curriculum in mathematics and physics, and federally and state funded educational programs. Ms. Torres has recently absorbed retention analysis for Drexel’s Online programs as well as development of a Transfer Center.
Ms. Torres was recruited to Drexel University from the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc (NACME) where she held the position of Vice President for Education Strategies, developing scholarship management protocols and analysis for national programs piloted at NASA, the Department of Energy and the Sloan Foundation. While at NACME she developed a National demonstration program in which she developed an assessment protocol to mitigate over-reliance on SAT in the admission processes at 12 research intensive universities; and best practices to promote minority student retention and scholarship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Her early years were spent at the University of California, Berkeley where she directed the Minority Engineering Program and developed projects aimed at understanding the cultural and social factors impacting student achievement in science and mathematics.
Ms. Torres’ many accomplishments include: Selection as a National Hispana Leadership Institute Fellow; Guidance to the Urban League and Gates Foundation in the development of the Gates Millenium Scholars program; Guidance to the Houston School District to develop model curriculum in science; and Guidance to the California Statewide MESA program to develop science and teacher training curriculum. In addition, Ms. Torres has sat on various committees at Berkeley’s Professional Development Program; the National Academy of Engineering; and most recently, the Council for Opportunities in Education and Louis Stokes Institute for STEM.
Peter J. Bruns, Ph.D.
Peter J. Bruns is Vice President for Grants and Special Programs at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Bruns received an A.B. in Zoology (1964) from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology (1969) from the University of Illinois. He held the following positions at Cornell University, starting in 1969: Assistant, Associate, Full and Emeritus Professor of Genetics, Faculty Fellow, Chairman of the Section of Genetics and Development, Associate Director of the Cornell Biotechnology Program, Director of the Division of Biological Sciences and Director of the Cornell Presidential Research Scholars. He was a visiting scientist at the Biological Institute of the Carlsberg Foundation in Copenhagen where he was a Guggenheim fellow. He currently serves on the External Advisory Committee of the Vermont Genetics Network, the Board of Directors of the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and the International Advisory Committee of the Rotman Institute of Science and Values, Canada.
In addition to grants in support of his research, he obtained several HHMI and NSF grants for educational efforts, including outreach efforts by the Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers, which he founded. His research was concerned with molecular and transmission genetics of the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, with special interests in genetic organization. His research group pioneered methods to genetically manipulate and transduce new genes into the separate somatic and germinal nuclei of Tetrahymena. At HHMI, he oversees design, implementation and administration of one of the nation’s largest private funds in support of science education from precollege through graduate, with goals to develop the next generation of scientists and educators, and improve science literacy. In addition he directs an active international research program. Since its inception in 1988, HHMI has invested over $1.5 billion in support of these activities.
Juliana M. Blome, Ph.D.
 Dr. Juliana M. Blome was appointed Chief of the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) in December 2007. In this position, Dr. Blome is involved in program planning, analysis and evaluation across all of the Institutes divisions. Dr. Blome, who has a background in social science, also manages two grant programs: institutional training at the interface of the biomedical and behavioral sciences (T32) and research on the career patterns of women in science (R01). Prior to joining NIGMS, Dr. Blome served as Acting Chief of the Evaluation Branch in the NIH Office of the Director. As Acting Chief of the Evaluation Branch, she oversaw the administration of the NIH Evaluation Set-Aside Program and provided technical guidance and support for evaluation activities across all of NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers as well as for initiatives funded under the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research.
Prior to this appointment, she worked as a Senior Health Research Evaluator focusing primarily on the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. In 2005, she received the NIH Director’s Award recognizing her contributions to the Roadmap.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Blome worked in Columbia University’s Department of Epidemiology studying risky health behaviors in adolescents and HIV/AIDS among Latino males. She also conducted research on youth violence prevention, post-traumatic stress disorder in children exposed to violence, and child abuse and neglect. While at Columbia University, Dr. Blome received an M.P.H. in sociomedical sciences, an M.S. in social work, and a Ph.D. in sociology. Prior to that, she worked in the U.S. Senate managing junior legislative staff and following health care and social security issues for Senator Lautenberg of New Jersey.
Speaker Bios
Kathryn Chaloner, PhD
Kathryn Chaloner completed an undergraduate degree in Mathematics at Oxford University, a Masters in Statistics at University College London and a PhD in Statistics at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 1982. From 1982 she held a faculty position at the University of Minnesota, in the School of Statistics, and then moved to the University of Iowa in 2002. For the past seven years, she has served as Head of the Department of Biostatistics in the College of Public Health. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Statistical Association. She is the author of numerous scientific papers and reviews and has served as an associate editor of the journals Biometrics, Journal of the American Statistical Association, Technometrics, and the Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference. Her research has been supported by the NSF and NSA. She also serves on the NIH/NIAID study section for the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Research Review Committee (AIDSRRC) and serves on data safety and monitoring boards. She currently holds a NIH/NIGMS T32 predoctoral training grant to integrate training in biostatistics with training in microbiology, infectious diseases and bioinformatics.
Her statistical research interests include using Bayesian decision theory and Bayesian statistics for the design of experiments and design of clinical trials. She also collaborates on research in HIV/AIDS and in clinical studies of islet cell transplants in people with Type I diabetes. She has taught a variety of courses to undergraduates, graduates and professional students. She is also a mentor in the NSF National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Sciences, a consortium whose goals include encouraging minority undergraduates to pursue graduate degrees in the mathematical sciences.
Martin M. Chemers, Ph.D.
Martin M. Chemers is Professor and Vice-Provost at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Chemers came to UC Santa Cruz in 1995 from Claremont McKenna College to accept an appointment as the Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of Psychology. At UC Santa Cruz, he also served as Interim Executive Vice-Chancellor and Provost (December, 2003-April, 2004) and as Acting Chancellor (April, 2004-February, 2005). Prior to his tenure at UC Santa Cruz, he was the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology and Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College. He was previously on the faculties of the Universities of Illinois, Delaware, Washington, and Utah where he was chair of the Department of Psychology.
Since receiving his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Illinois in 1968, he has been an active researcher in the areas of leadership, culture and organizational diversity. His current research is focused on psychological factors that affect the commitment and success of underrepresented minority students in science.
Alison K. Hall, Ph.D.
Dr. Hall earned her B.A. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego and then a Ph.D. in Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University, working on brain development with Dr. Urs Rutishauser. Dr. Hall was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health to work with Dr. Story Landis at CWRU, and became a faculty member at CWRU Neurosciences in 1992. Dr. Hall is an active researcher in the field of neuroscience and has published many research articles on the nerve cells that sense pain, as well as new stroke therapies. Her work has been awarded grants from National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, March of Dimes and the National Science Foundation.
Her national professional affiliations include service on the Association for Neuroscience Departments and Programs where she is past-President, and membership in both the Finance and and Governmental Affairs Committees for the Society for Neurosciences. She has served as a panel member on national grant review study sections including those at the National Science Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and National Institutes of Health. Dr. Hall is currently a panel member of BRT-A (NIGMS) and the T32 study section for NINDS.
David Jones
In 1986, Dr. David Jones earned his B.Sc. in chemistry at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. He later earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Cambridge. Following postdoctoral work at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Jones joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Chicago. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Jones moved to the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, where he is also a member of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, the Medical Scientist Training Program, and the Program in Biomolecular Structure, as well as the Co-director of the Rocky Mountain Regional High Field NMR Facility.
Dr. Jones’s research involves the molecular mechanism of alcohols and anesthetic actions; structure and function of biomolecules; NMR spectroscopy, x-ray crystallography, biophysics and molecular biology. Recent investigations include the structure of odorant binding proteins in Drosophila and Anopheles gambiae. In addition to serving on several grant review and journal editing panels, Dr. Jones serves on many administrative and advisory committees within the UCD Health Sciences Center; and devotes a large measure of his time to mentoring pre- and postdoctoral trainees.
Maria Lima, Ph.D.
Maria F. Lima is the current Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research at Meharry Medical College. She obtained her Ph.D. degree in Microbiology and Public Health at Michigan State University, and continued her post-doctoral education at Meharry Medical College in the area of Molecular Parasitology. She has attained the rank of Professor.
Her research is in tropical diseases; specifically in the area of host-parasite relationships. She studies growth factor regulation of trypanosome proliferation. Since she joined the institution, Dr. Lima has authored many peer-reviewed manuscripts in this area and has continually been funded been for her research from the National Institutes of Health.
As the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, she has secured several grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation to enhance graduate training at Meharry Medical College. Dr. Lima is intimately involved in outreach of minority students, especially at the high school and college levels, who are interested in perusing a career in science. Her goal is to increase the number of underrepresented students that pursue a career in biomedical research. She serves as consultant and advisor to the National Institutes of Health and was the immediate past chair of the Minority Access Research Careers Study Session (MARC) at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. She is currently a Member of the Genome Research Study Section, National Human Genome Research Institute.
Sharon Milgram, Ph.D
Dr. Milgram received a BS degree in Physical Therapy from Temple University in 1984 and worked in strike rehabilitation for two years before returning to graduate school in 1986. She received a PhD in Cell Biology from Emory University in 1991 where she developed an interest in endocrine hormones. She completed additional research training in a postdoctoral fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University before joining the faculty at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994. At UNC Dr. Milgram rose to the rank of Full Professor with Tenure in the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology. Her research focuses the cell biology of airway and kidney diseases and has been published in journals including Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Her research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the American Heart Association.
Dr. Milgram held a number of administrative positions at UNC including the Associate Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Director of the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, and the Director of the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience. She founded and advised the UNC Office of Postdoctoral Services and served on the advisory committee of the Signal Xi National Postdoc Survey. Dr. Milgram served as Principle Investigator on a number of nationally-funded training grants including an NSF-funded program for undergraduate students, and NIH grants to support predoctoral students in cell & molecular biology as well as an Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity grant spanning the Schools of Medicine and Public Health at UNC. In 2007 Dr. Milgram joined the NIH Office of the Director as the Director of the Office of Intramural Training and Education. She is also Senior Scientist in the National Heart Lung and Blood institute and an Adjunct Investigator in the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Seana Moran, Ed.D.
Seana Moran is a researcher at the Stanford Center on Adolescence, examining how young people age 12-26 develop purpose in their lives. Her research interests address how people use their resources, such as intelligences, interests, and social networks, to contribute to their communities in positive ways. She has written several papers addressing extraordinary achievements, creativity, commitment, purpose, self-regulation, and multiple intelligences. This spring, the volume Multiple Intelligences around the World, which she edited with Jie-Qi Chen and Howard Gardner, will be released. Her work has been supported by the Arete Initiative/Templeton Foundation, Spencer Foundation, American Association of University Women, and Harvard University. She earned her doctorate in human development and psychology from Harvard University, and also holds a master of education and a master of business administration.
Paul Andrew Sheehy, Ph.D.
Paul Sheehy is Deputy Associate Director for Extramural Activities in the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIGMS administers a program of over $1.9 billion, funding research and training in programs such as biophysics, genetics, chemistry and physiology. His principal responsibility is to advise Institute staff on administrative, policy and management matters relevant to the conduct of the Institute's mission. He also oversees the development of the Institute’s scientific initiatives and coordinates them with other NIH Institutes and Centers. Dr. Sheehy received his Ph.D. in Physiology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 1985. He also holds a M.S. in Biophysics from the University of Maryland and a Sc.B. in Biophysics from Brown University. Dr. Sheehy also serves or has served on a broad range of working groups concerned with organizational structure and function, information management, personnel management and continuing education for staff. Prior to NIGMS, Dr. Sheehy worked at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) as a Program Director responsible for research on adult onset neurodegenerative disorders; as a Scientific Review Administrator, responsible for the technical merit review of extramural research; and as a Senior Staff Fellow in the NINDS intramural research program investigating signaling mechanisms in neuronal, immune, and endocrine cells.
Antoinette Torres
Antoinette Torres currently serves as the Associate Vice-Provost at Drexel University with responsibility for the quality of academic advising in the University’s colleges and schools; academic policy development and operations; retention analysis , programming and academic planning; and diversity with oversight of the learning center, supplemental curriculum in mathematics and physics, and federally and state funded educational programs. Ms. Torres has recently absorbed retention analysis for Drexel’s Online programs as well as development of a Transfer Center.
Ms. Torres was recruited to Drexel University from the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc (NACME) where she held the position of Vice President for Education Strategies, developing scholarship management protocols and analysis for national programs piloted at NASA, the Department of Energy and the Sloan Foundation. While at NACME she developed a National demonstration program in which she developed an assessment protocol to mitigate over-reliance on SAT in the admission processes at 12 research intensive universities; and best practices to promote minority student retention and scholarship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Her early years were spent at the University of California, Berkeley where she directed the Minority Engineering Program and developed projects aimed at understanding the cultural and social factors impacting student achievement in science and mathematics.
Ms. Torres’ many accomplishments include: Selection as a National Hispana Leadership Institute Fellow; Guidance to the Urban League and Gates Foundation in the development of the Gates Millenium Scholars program; Guidance to the Houston School District to develop model curriculum in science; and Guidance to the California Statewide MESA program to develop science and teacher training curriculum. In addition, Ms. Torres has sat on various committees at Berkeley’s Professional Development Program; the National Academy of Engineering; and most recently, the Council for Opportunities in Education and Louis Stokes Institute for STEM.
Peter J. Bruns, Ph.D.
Peter J. Bruns is Vice President for Grants and Special Programs at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Bruns received an A.B. in Zoology (1964) from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in Cell Biology (1969) from the University of Illinois. He held the following positions at Cornell University, starting in 1969: Assistant, Associate, Full and Emeritus Professor of Genetics, Faculty Fellow, Chairman of the Section of Genetics and Development, Associate Director of the Cornell Biotechnology Program, Director of the Division of Biological Sciences and Director of the Cornell Presidential Research Scholars. He was a visiting scientist at the Biological Institute of the Carlsberg Foundation in Copenhagen where he was a Guggenheim fellow. He currently serves on the External Advisory Committee of the Vermont Genetics Network, the Board of Directors of the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and the International Advisory Committee of the Rotman Institute of Science and Values, Canada.
In addition to grants in support of his research, he obtained several HHMI and NSF grants for educational efforts, including outreach efforts by the Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers, which he founded. His research was concerned with molecular and transmission genetics of the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, with special interests in genetic organization. His research group pioneered methods to genetically manipulate and transduce new genes into the separate somatic and germinal nuclei of Tetrahymena. At HHMI, he oversees design, implementation and administration of one of the nation’s largest private funds in support of science education from precollege through graduate, with goals to develop the next generation of scientists and educators, and improve science literacy. In addition he directs an active international research program. Since its inception in 1988, HHMI has invested over $1.5 billion in support of these activities.
Juliana M. Blome, Ph.D.
Dr. Juliana M. Blome was appointed Chief of the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) in December 2007. In this position, Dr. Blome is involved in program planning, analysis and evaluation across all of the Institutes divisions. Dr. Blome, who has a background in social science, also manages two grant programs: institutional training at the interface of the biomedical and behavioral sciences (T32) and research on the career patterns of women in science (R01).
Prior to joining NIGMS, Dr. Blome served as Acting Chief of the Evaluation Branch in the NIH Office of the Director. As Acting Chief of the Evaluation Branch, she oversaw the administration of the NIH Evaluation Set-Aside Program and provided technical guidance and support for evaluation activities across all of NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers as well as for initiatives funded under the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research.
Prior to this appointment, she worked as a Senior Health Research Evaluator focusing primarily on the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. In 2005, she received the NIH Director’s Award recognizing her contributions to the Roadmap.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Blome worked in Columbia University’s Department of Epidemiology studying risky health behaviors in adolescents and HIV/AIDS among Latino males. She also conducted research on youth violence prevention, post-traumatic stress disorder in children exposed to violence, and child abuse and neglect. While at Columbia University, Dr. Blome received an M.P.H. in sociomedical sciences, an M.S. in social work, and a Ph.D. in sociology. Prior to that, she worked in the U.S. Senate managing junior legislative staff and following health care and social security issues for Senator Lautenberg of New Jersey.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Helpful
Links
Speaker Bios
Helpful
Links
Speaker Bios
|