Career Development Professorships

Overview

Each year, Boston University recognizes a handful of talented early career educators emerging as future leaders within their respective fields through the award of Career Development Professorships. Made possible by the generous support of distinguished donors, alumni, and BU’s Office of Technology Development, these professorships highlight the caliber, potential, and continued vitality of Boston University’s diverse faculty.

Awards, nominating procedures, and selection vary based on the professorship and the unit administering the honor.  All awards are three years in length and include support for the recipients’ salaries and/or research and scholarly work.

Current Career Development Professors

2025-2028

Cecile K. Dalton Career Development Professorship

Hongwan Liu

Assistant Professor of Physics, College of Arts & Sciences

Hongwan Liu’s work addresses fundamental questions at the intersection of cosmology, astro-particle physics, and high-energy physics, developing computational strategies to analyze large data sets that provide insights into the universe. He received a PhD in physics from MIT and holds undergraduate degrees in physics and mathematics from Cornell University.

Moorman-Simon Interdisciplinary Career Development Professorships

Sophie Hao

Assistant Professor of Linguistics and Computer Science, College of Arts & Sciences

Sophie Hao’s research applies theoretical and empirical methods from linguistics, computer science, cognitive science, and philosophy to analyze, evaluate, and explain the linguistic capabilities and limitations of language learning models. She holds a PhD in linguistics and computer science from Yale University and a BA from the University of Chicago in linguistics and mathematics.

Deepti Ghadiyaram

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts & Sciences

Deepti Ghadiyaram is developing language modeling and artificial intelligence (AI) systems for sign language recognition in collaboration with faculty from across the Charles River and Medical Campuses. She holds a PhD in computer science from the University of Texas and a Bachelor of Technology in computer science from the International Institute of Information Technology.

Morgan Weiland

Assistant Professor of Communication Law, College of Communication

Morgan Weiland’s scholarship draws on methodologies from sciences and technology studies, communication and media studies, and legal analysis to describe the social construction of technology law, tracing the process by which various actors transformed the internet into a speech system protected by the First Amendment. She received a PhD in communication and a JD from Stanford University, and undergraduate degrees in political science and cinema and media studies from Carleton College. 

Ralph Edwards Career Development Professorship

Travis Rotterman

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biophysics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Travis Rotterman uses models of nerve and spinal cord injuries to understand the implications of neurological damage on sensory processing and motor output, broadening our understanding of diseases, injuries, and severe neurological disorders. He holds a PhD in neuroscience from Emory University and a BS in biological sciences from Wright State University.

Peter J. Levine Career Development Professorship

Wei-Lun (Harry) Chao

Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Engineering

Wei-Lun (Harry) Chao’s research spans the fields of machine learning, computer vision, autonomous driving, and healthcare AI, and addresses fundamental challenges at the intersection of machine learning and real-world applications. He received his PhD in computer science from the University of Southern California, and holds an MS degree in communication engineering from National Taiwan University, and a BS degree in communication engineering from National Chiao Tung University.

Isabel Anderson Career Development Professorship

Emma Wiles

Assistant Professor of Information Systems, Questrom School of Business

Emma Wiles researches the effects of artificial intelligence on labor markets and online employment platforms, delving into the ways in which AI is changing the way we apply, hire, and compensate people for their work in a changing market. She holds a PhD in management science and a MS in management research from MIT, and received a BA in mathematics and economics from the University of Washington.

2024-2027

Shibulal Family Career Development Professor

Brian Cleary

Assistant Professor of Computing & Data Sciences, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences

Brian Cleary’s research in computational biology applies algorithmic learning and experimental lab methods to better understand molecular, cellular, and tissue processes, including gene expression – work with potential to address fundamental problems associated with human disease. He holds additional appointments in the Departments of Biology and Biomedical Engineering and has been supported by substantial grants from the National Institutes of Health and BU’s Kilachand Fund for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering. He received his PhD in computational and systems biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and holds a BS in biology and in business, economics, and management from California Institute of Technology.

Peter J. Levine Career Development Professorship

Tianyu Wang

Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computing Engineering, College of Engineering

Tianyu Wang combines physics-inspired computing, biomedical optics, and AI to develop faster, more efficient photonic-based computing and sensing technologies capable of delivering highly detailed deep-tissue imaging, including of the human brain. He holds a patent and recently received a major grant from the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative to support his research with quantum-inspired light sources. He received a PhD in applied and engineering physics and a BS in biological engineering from Cornell University, where he also completed his postdoctoral work.

Wetherill-Bloom Career Development Professor in the Humanities

Catalina Rodriguez

Assistant Professor of Romance Studies, College of Arts & Sciences

Catalina Rodríguez is a scholar of Latin American literature and culture from the 19^th century forward, whose writings focus on gender and sexuality studies, women’s literature, theories of authorship, ecofeminism, and queer literature. She has published multiple book chapters, peer-reviewed articles, and reviews and is at work on her first book, Writing Like a Woman: Gendered Pseudonyms in Nineteenth Century. She holds a PhD in Spanish and Portuguese from Northwestern University and a BA in Hispanic and Latin literature from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia.

East Asia Studies Career Development Professor

Daigengna Duoer

Assistant Professor of Religion, College of Arts & Sciences

Daigengna Duoer is a historian who explores religion and politics at the intersection of the Chinese, Japanese, and Russian empires, with particular focus on transnational Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism in the 20^th century. Her research has been supported by the American Council of Learned Societies, the Association for Asian Studies, and the Mongolia Foundation, and she is at work on a forthcoming book, Buddhism Beyond the Nation and the Empire: Transnational Buddhists in Modern East and Inner Asia. She holds a PhD in religious studies from University of California, Santa Barbara and a MA and HBA in Buddhist studies from University of Toronto.

Innovation Career Development Professor

Joseph Derosa

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences

Joseph Derosa is forging new ground at the interface of metal catalysis and organic synthesis, leveraging voltage-controlled electrolysis as a tool with great translational potential in the development of new drugs and chemical processes. He has published 23 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals including Nature and the Journal of the American Chemical Society and, prior to joining BU, received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship. He holds a PhD in chemistry from the Scripps Research Institute and a BS in biochemistry from the Macaulay Honors College at the City College of New York.

2023-2026

Peter Paul Career Development Professor

Philipp Mews

Assistant Professor of Physiology & Biophysics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Philipp Mews studies metabolic and epigenetic processes that underlie brain plasticity, working to develop novel therapeutic strategies for treating neuropsychiatric disorders, including PTSD and substance abuse. He received his PhD in cell and molecular biology and a BS in molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a BS in biology from Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

Reidy Family Career Development Professor

Leroy Gonsalves

Assistant Professor of Management & Organizations, Questrom School of Business

Leroy Gonsalves uses qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate how technological change affects the future of work – in particular, how management practices including remote work, activity-based offices, and algorithmic valuation change employees’ experience of autonomy and their meaning of work. He holds a PhD in organizational behavior from Harvard Business School, AM and MA degrees in sociology from Harvard University and the University of Toronto, respectively, and a bachelor’s in business administration from York University in Toronto.

David R. Dalton Career Development Professor

Minjung Son

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences

Minjung Son is an expert in energy production and transfer and utilizes ultrafast optical spectroscopy and microscopy to better understand the photophysical mechanisms governing energy and charge flow in molecular, materials, and biological systems. She received her PhD in chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in chemistry from Yonsei University in South Korea. She completed her postdoctoral research at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Global Business Career Development Professorship

Luis Ballesteros

Assistant Professor of Strategy & Innovation, Questrom School of Business

Luis Ballesteros studies the impact of systemic shocks (social and environmental) on the decision making and corporate success of international businesses, and particularly the innovations and resulting efficiency gains and social value – including philanthropy – created in the aftermath of such disruptions. He holds a PhD in applied economics and management from The Wharton School, a master’s degree in international development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and bachelor’s degrees in business and economics from Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico.

Innovation Career Development Professor

Sabrina Neuman

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts & Sciences

Sabrina Neuman has helped pioneer the concept of “robomorphic computing,” designing special-purpose hardware and accelerators for robotic processing tasks to achieve far quicker performance than off-the-shelf solutions – technology with potential to improve human well-being, including in assisted living and elder care settings. She earned her PhD and master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she also received a bachelor’s degree in electrical science and engineering.

Past Awardees