Meet the 19 Charles River Campus Faculty Promoted to Full Professorship – BU Today

To get a sense of the breadth and depth of Boston Universitys faculty, one has only to look at the 19 faculty who have just been promoted to the rank of full professor on the Charles River Campus. Their disciplines range from anthropology to business, child health to marine sciences, music performance to speech, and language to hearing sciences.

BU has managed to come out of a very challenging year having made remarkable gains in research, teaching, and innovation. The faculty members we recognize with these promotions are at the heart of that progress, says Jean Morrison, University provost and chief academic officer. These colleagues are excelling and leading. They are discovering solutions to pressing societal challenges, opening entirely new fields of inquiry, and training and inspiring new generations of scholars and rising professionals. We are proud of their accomplishments and excited to support their continued success.

Margaret Beck, College of Arts & Sciences professor of mathematics and statistics, specializes in partial differential equations and dynamical systems, working to develop theoretical tools for understanding the longtime behavior of solutions to such systems. This includes analyzing the existence, bifurcation, and stability of nonlinear waves and coherent structures. She is a past Sloan Research Fellow and 2019 winner of the J. D. Crawford Prize, the premier international award for rising researchers in nonlinear science. Supported by an active grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), she has presented at two of the worlds top conferences on dynamical systems theory and has authored numerous articles in leading mathematical publications.

David Carballo, CAS professor of archaeology, anthropology, and Latin American studies, is a scholar of Mesoamerican archaeology, focusing specifically on the pre-Hispanic civilizations of central Mexico. His current projects at the ancient city of Teotihuacan seek to better understand urbanization, neighborhood organization, the daily life of commoners, and the citys political economy. In addition to his professorial work, he serves as the Universitys assistant provost for general education, overseeing the BU Hub. He has authored three booksincluding, most recently, Collision of Worlds: A Deep History of the Fall of Aztec Mexico and the Forging of New Spain (Oxford University Press, 2020)edited three others, and published dozens of book chapters and articles in leading archaeological reviews.

Michael Dietze, CAS professor of earth and environment, develops methods for better understanding and predicting ecological systems, studying the ways in which iterative forecasts can improve and accelerate basic environmental science, while at the same time making that science more directly relevant to society. He is the author of Ecological Forecasting (Princeton University Press, 2017), the only existing book exploring this topic, and has received numerous major grants from NASA and NSF, among others, to support his research. He is a past NSF Distinguished Lecturer and has written dozens of articles and peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific publications.

Robinson Wally Fulweiler, CAS professor of earth and environment and of biology, is a marine geochemist who explores the impact of human activity on marine systems, including questions about energy flow and biogeochemical cycling of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica), carbon, and oxygen in a variety of environments. She was among the first Sloan Fellows in ocean science, is a past winner of BUs Metcalf Cup and Prize and the CAS Neu Family Award for Excellence in Teaching, and has received numerous grants for research on climate change and evolving ecosystems. A frequent conference presenter, she has published five book chapters and dozens of widely cited papers and articles in top scientific journals.

Shahla Haeri, CAS professor of anthropology, is a scholar of Iranian anthropology who addresses questions of gender, marriage, religion, and womens authority in the Muslim world. Recognized among the pioneers in her field, she has produced cutting-edge ethnographies throughout her career exploring Iranian and Pakistani culture. She has published three books, including The Unforgettable Queens of Islam: Succession, Authority, Gender (Cambridge University Press, 2020), which examines the lives and legacies of Muslim women sovereigns throughout history. She is a past director of the CAS Womens, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program, and in addition to her books, has authored 11 book chapters and numerous journal articles and media productions on gender relations in Muslim societies.

Lucy Hutyra, CAS professor of earth and environment, specializes in terrestrial ecology, with particular focus on the impact of humans on the carbon cycle. A recognized leader in the fields of urban carbon ecology and carbon cycle science, she has garnered significant support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, US Department of Agriculture, and NSF (including a CAREER Award) for uniquely innovative approaches that integrate atmospheric, biometric, and climatological information to produce new findings. She is a past National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellow and winner of the CAS Templeton Award for Excellence in Student Advising. She has delivered dozens of invited presentations and published extensively in leading journals, including Science.

Samuel Isaacson, CAS professor of mathematics and statistics, specializes in mathematical biology, numerical analysis, and mathematical physics, developing computational and mathematical approaches to address problems in molecular cell biology. His recent research has focused on the modeling of biochemical systems at the scale of a single biological cell. Regarded among the top innovators in his field, he is a past Simons Foundation Fellow of the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, has published dozens of articles in top journals, and has garnered considerable grant funding, including an NSF CAREER Award, to support his research in biophysical modeling.

Paul Katsafanas, CAS professor of philosophy, is a scholar of Friedrich Nietzsche, applying the 19th-century German philosophers thinking to contemporary examinations of agency and metaethics, moral psychology, and the conception of the self. Recent work explores Nietzsches view on the connection between sacred values, nihilism, and happiness, as well as roots of fanaticism in psychological and evaluative fragility. He has published three acclaimed books, including The Nietzschean Self: Moral Psychology, Agency, and the Unconscious (Oxford University Press, 2016), along with 17 book chapters, and serves on both the executive committee of the North American Nietzsche Society and the editorial board of the History of Philosophy Quarterly.

Pankaj Mehta, CAS professor of physics, is a theoretical physicist whose research seeks to understand how large-scale, collective behaviors of biological systems emerge from the interaction of many individual componentswork that has applications to biology, data science/machine learning, and quantum optimization. A founding member of BUs Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, he has published extensively in top scientific journals and is a past Sloan Research Fellow in physics, a Simons Investigator in the Simons Foundations Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems program, and corecipient of BUs first Gitner Family Award for Innovation in Teaching with Technology. He additionally serves as an active member of the BU Bioinformatics Program, and BUs Center for Regenerative Medicine and Biological Design Center.

Donna Pincus, CAS professor of psychological and brain sciences, specializes in the development of effective, evidence-based treatments for anxiety and related disorders in children and adolescents. A nationally recognized leader in child and family therapy, she is director of the Child and Adolescent Fear and Anxiety Treatment Program at BUs Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders and a 2020 recipient of the American Psychological Associations Florence Halpern Award for distinguished contributions to clinical psychology. She has secured considerable grant support to advance her clinical and home-based research, has authored 5 books, 21 book chapters, and over 90 widely cited articles in top journals, and has presented at dozens of national and international conferences.

Ayse Coskun, College of Engineering professor of electrical and computer engineering, specializes in computer systemsfrom chip to data center designand the development of novel methods to increase energy efficiency, power, and temperature management. She is recognized internationally for algorithmic advances that synchronize software performance, hardware activity, and thermal balance to optimize system performance. A past NSF CAREER Award winner and recipient of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Ernest S. Kuh Early Career Award, she is PI or co-PI on three major ongoing NSF and Sandia National Laboratories grants. She holds six patents, has edited a book, and has authored five book chapters and dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceeding publications.

James Galagan, ENG and School of Medicine professor of biomedical engineering and of microbiology, develops computational and experimental methods to better understand the systems biology of microbial organismsknowledge that is then translated into biomedical applications, including biosensors and wearables. In addition to his professorial work, he is associate director for systems biology at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) and associate director of BUs Precision Diagnostics Center. A past ENG Distinguished Faculty Fellow, he is PI or co-PI on several major ongoing grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the US Department of Defense and has published 2 book chapters and nearly 100 journal articles and papers on genomics, molecular and computational biology, electrical engineering, and technology development.

Lucia Lin, College of Fine Arts professor of violin, is a concert violinist of the highest rank among her peers and a past concertmaster with the London Symphony Orchestra. As an artist-teacher at BU, she blends studio teaching with current literature and repertoires of orchestral performance in the training of rising orchestral musicians. She is a past winner of the Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition (considered the Nobel Prize of music) and recipient of three Grammy Awards for recordings produced with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO). Her 2020 recording with Gloria Dei Cantores of Stabat Mater by Arvo Prt debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Classical Albums Chart. At BU, she is a regular performer with the Muir String Quartet and continues to play with the BSO.

Irena Vodenska, Metropolitan College professor of administrative sciences, is an expert in network theory and complexity science in macroeconomics, using quantitative approaches to model and better understand the dynamics of financial networks and predict market volatility. Recognized as a trailblazer in the use of artificial intelligenceincluding neural networks and deep learning methodologies for natural language processingto analyze corporate performance and global economic trends, she has secured interdisciplinary grants from the European Union, the US Army Research Office, and the NSF to support her research. She has published a book and a book chapter, written extensively in top economic and scientific journals, and is a regularly invited speaker at international conferences.

Michel Anteby, Questrom School of Business professor of management and organizations, examines how individuals relate to their occupations and the organizations to which they belong, with particular focus on how work practices help or hamper efforts to sustain their chosen cultures or identities. He has gained international recognition for his theoretical contributions and field-based studies, is a past Questrom Deans Scholar, and winner of the Academy of Management Annals best paper award. A frequent conference presenter, he has published 2 books, including Manufacturing Morals: The Values of Silence in Business School Education (University of Chicago Press, 2013), as well as 4 book chapters and over 25 articles in respected academic journals.

Paul Carlile, Questrom professor of information systems, explores the relationship between knowledge and innovation in organizations, particularly on breaking down boundaries between areas of expertise to enhance collaboration and innovation. Recognized among the worlds leading experts in this space, he has partnered extensively with the private sector to deliver workplace solutions in the automotive, software, aerospace, and pharmaceutical industries. He is Questroms senior associate dean for online learning and is a past winner of the schools Allen and Kelli Questrom Award for Institutional Leadership. He has published 3 books, including Reimagining Business Education: Insights and Actions from the Business Education Jam (Emerald Publishing, 2016), along with 15 book chapters, and numerous articles in premier business journals.

Cara Stepp, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences, specializes in the treatment of voice, speech, and swallowing disorders, integrating speech science, computer science, and engineeringamong several other disciplinesto improve diagnosis and rehabilitation of communication-based challenges. A fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, she is editor of the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, and in 2019 received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. She is a past Peter Paul Career Development Professor and NSF CAREER Award recipient, with multiple active federal grants supporting her research. A frequent presenter at conferences, she has published 2 book chapters and 88 articles in science and health journals.

Hyeouk Chris Hahm, School of Social Work professor of social research, bridges epidemiology, theory building, intervention development, and testing to help better understand the causes of depression, self-harm, and suicidal behaviors among Asian American women. A fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research and a member of several editorial boards, she is the chair of her department and has earned national recognition for developing the Asian Womens Action for Resilience and Empowerment (AWARE) program to test interventions and reduce mental health problems in nonclinical populations. She has received major grants from NIH and NSF to support her research, has coedited a book, Asian American Parenting: Family Process and Intervention (Springer, 2017) and over 50 journal articles, and is a past winner of the Outstanding Mentor Award from BUs Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.

Kathleen Corriveau, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development professor of applied human development, specializes in early childhood learning, focusing on childrens cognitive and social development and how they discern trustworthy sources of information. A past NSF CAREER Award winner and Peter Paul Career Development Professor, among other honors, she is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, which named her a Rising Star in 2015. Her research has received extensive national media coverage, and she is a PI or co-PI on several major grants from the NSF and the John Templeton Foundation. She coedited the book The Questioning Child: Insights from Psychology and Education (Cambridge University Press, 2020) and has additionally published 11 book chapters and nearly 70 articles in child psychology and development journals.

See more here:

Meet the 19 Charles River Campus Faculty Promoted to Full Professorship - BU Today