This fall, 18 faculty on the Charles River Campus have been promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure. Photo by Cydney Scott

FACULTY PROMOTIONS

Meet the 18 Charles River Campus Faculty Promoted to Associate Professor

CAS, ENG, Questrom, Sargent, and Wheelock represented

To get a sense of both the depth and breadth of scholarship being conducted by BU faculty, one has only to look at the list of the 18 scholars who have been promoted this year to the rank of associate professor with tenure. Their research is addressing critical issues like climate change, leading to new understandings of human cognition, and deepening our understanding of space.

“Great faculty form the core of an institution. We are proud of what these talented colleagues have been able to accomplish as innovators and leaders across so many fields, bringing fresh ideas and approaches to their research, producing writings and scholarship that are helping to change the way we view ourselves and the world around us, and excelling as committed teachers in their classrooms, labs, and studios,” says Jean Morrison, University provost and chief academic officer. “They have worked hard to reach this next step in their careers, and we are excited to see what success the future holds for them at Boston University.”

Faculty promoted to associate professor with tenure:

Jennifer Bhatnagar (CAS’04)
College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of biology

Jennifer Bhatnagar is a microbial ecologist who uses biochemical analysis and sequencing technologies to investigate how climate warming, pollution, and changes in land use affect soil microbial communities and the resulting impact on terrestrial ecosystems’ productivity and carbon-storage capacity. Supported through major grants from the US Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation (NSF), she is a previous Peter Paul Career Development Professor, a recipient of the CAS Patricia McLellan Leavitt Research Award, and past chair of the Microbial Ecology Section of the Ecological Society of America. She has coedited a laboratory manual and published a book chapter and over three dozen articles in leading science journals, including Research.

Solesne Bourguin
CAS associate professor of mathematics and statistics

Solesne Bourguin uses method development and analysis to research the central limits, dynamic behavior, convergence, distributional properties, and estimators of many types of random variables and stochastic systems—work with broad, practical applications in cosmology, data science, machine learning, and econometrics. He is the principal investigator on a current Simons Foundation Research Award and a frequently invited conference presenter. He has published two book chapters and over two dozen widely cited articles in premier mathematical journals, including Annals of Probability.

Alina Ene
CAS associate professor of computer science

Alina Ene studies the design and analysis of algorithms, the mathematical aspects of combinatorial optimization topics (such as submodularity and graphs), and their applications to machine learning and computer vision. She is a NSF CAREER Award winner and a recent recipient of a Sloan Research Fellowship in computer science. A frequently invited lecturer, she has published 7 articles in premier journals and over 40 refereed conference articles at algorithmic and machine learning venues, including the Symposium on Theory of Computing and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.

Carolyn Hodges-Simeon
CAS associate professor of anthropology

Carolyn Hodges-Simeon bridges the fields of evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, and biomedical anthropology to investigate the evolutionary origins of gender differences and how environmental inputs during puberty and adolescence shape the development of boys and girls. Her research, which explores the relationship of attributes like voice, physical condition, and testosterone levels, combines lab-based experiments with fieldwork in Central America and is supported by multiple NSF awards. She has presented extensively at national conferences and colloquia, and has coauthored a book chapter and over 25 articles in leading science publications, including Scientific Reports.

April Hughes
CAS associate professor of religion

April Hughes is a scholar of medieval Chinese Buddhism whose work uses lenses of history, politics, and art—including Chinese Buddhist manuscripts and mural paintings—to understand religion within broader cultural and social contexts. A past recipient of BU’s East Asia Studies Career Development Professorship, she has authored a recent book, Worldly Saviors and Imperial Authority in Medieval Chinese Buddhism (University of Hawai‘i Press, 2021), as well as articles in leading Asian art journals. She is her department’s director of undergraduate studies, an active member of the Association for Asian Studies and the American Academy of Religion, and a frequent presenter at national conferences on issues of art and religion.

Melissa Kibbe
CAS associate professor of psychological and brain sciences

Melissa Kibbe explores the basic building blocks of cognition, using experiments and computational modeling to better understand how children and adults store, organize, and represent information, how they use those representations to guide behavior, and how cognitive systems interact during complex tasks. A frequent conference presenter, she is supported by grants from the NSF and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has published over two dozen articles in top psychology journals, including Cognition and Developmental Psychology. She is additionally a past recipient of the CAS Templeton Award for Excellence in Student Advising & Mentoring.

Dan Li
CAS associate professor of earth and environment

Dan Li is an expert in environmental fluid mechanics, using a range of tools, including multiscale numerical modeling, high-resolution simulations, and satellite remote sensing to assist in climate modeling and to better understand land-atmosphere interactions and the impact of climate change on urban areas. Supported by numerous grants from the DOE, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and NSF, he is a past recipient of the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers. He has presented at dozens of national and international conferences and authored or coauthored over 90 articles in leading science publications, including the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology.

Wen LiCAS associate professor of astronomy

Wen Li studies space plasma waves around earth, employing satellite observations and computational modeling to create simulations that test notions of wave generation, propagation, and particle interaction. Her recent research has used modeling and simulations to explore the nature of the aurora around Jupiter. She is an NSF CAREER Award winner, an American Geophysical Union Fellow, and a past Sloan Research Fellow in physics, and her work is supported by major grants from NASA and NSF. She has delivered dozens of invited talks at national and international conferences and published eight book chapters and nearly 200 refereed articles in her field’s leading publications, including Geophysical Research Letters.

Kristin LongCAS associate professor of psychological and brain sciences

Kristin Long focuses on the cultural and family aspects of childhood illness and disability and on health disparities in autism diagnosis and treatment. She has additionally worked to expand family-based psychosocial care for children with chronic illnesses to include their siblings. Supported by multiple major grants from the NIH, she received the Society of Pediatric Psychology’s Donald K. Routh Early Career Award last year and was the inaugural recipient of BU’s Graduate Women in Science & Engineering Mentor of the Year award. She has delivered over 60 conference presentations and published over 40 scholarly papers in prestigious psychology journals, including the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

Alexander SushkovCAS associate professor of physics

Alexander Sushkov is a scholar of experimental physics, developing new quantum tools for precision measurements and employing them to address key problems in fundamental and applied science. His additional research utilizes nuclear magnetic resonance techniques in the search for dark matter. A past Sloan Research Fellow, he is PI or co-PI on several major grant awards from the Department of Energy, NSF (including a CAREER Award), and the Templeton Foundation. He is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences and has published a book and over 50 refereed articles in premier journals, including Science and Nature Physics.

Keith BrownCollege of Engineering associate professor of mechanical engineering

Keith Brown is an expert in manufacture and transport processes at the nanoscale, focusing his multidisciplinary research on soft materials—liquids, polymers, emulsions, and gels—and how their makeup affects the way light, heat, electrons, and molecules can move through a system. He is a past recipient of the Moorman-Simon Interdisciplinary Career Development Professorship, his department’s professor of the year award, and the Frontiers of Materials Award from the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. Supported through major grants from the US Department of Defense and the NSF, he holds six patents and has published 2 book chapters and over 80 articles in leading science and engineering publications.

Brian Walsh (GRS’09,’12)ENG associate professor of mechanical engineering

Brian Walsh studies space and plasma dynamics in planetary space environments, focusing specifically on the plasma interactions in the near-earth environment and the coupling of energy from the sun into Earth’s magnetic field—activity believed to be responsible for the space weather that impacts communications and GPS satellites. His research, which seeks to better predict and prepare for space weather disruptions, like solar flares and auroras, is sponsored by significant NASA and NSF grants, and he is involved in several ongoing spacecraft missions. He is a past recipient of NASA’s Achievement Award, holds one patent, and has published 2 book chapters and over 60 refereed journal articles.

Daniella KuporQuestrom School of Business associate professor of marketing

Daniella Kupor studies areas of decision-making and consumer persuasion, investigating how external factors—including interruptions, messaging, and other situational variables—help to shape choices and risk judgments. She is a past Peter Paul Career Development Professor and has received Questrom’s Broderick Award for Excellence in Research, the Society for Consumer Psychology’s Early Career Award, and a New Investigator Award from the Behavioral Science & Policy Association. She has published a book chapter and over 20 articles in top field journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, and her research has been featured in major outlets, including Bloomberg Business News, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

Daniel FulfordCollege of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College associate professor of occupational therapy

Daniel Fulford is a clinical psychologist who examines social function in people with serious mental illness (including schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder), developing behavioral interventions to help increase patients’ motivations to self-manage and to set and accomplish goals. He is a principal investigator on three major NIH awards and has received a Visionary Grant from the American Psychological Foundation and a Face of the Future award from the Society for Research in Psychopathology. He sits on numerous editorial boards, including the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and has published 10 book chapters and 60 articles in leading mental health journals.

Elizabeth BettiniWheelock College of Education & Human Development associate professor of teaching and learning

Elizabeth Bettini examines the factors shaping the special education teacher workforce—particularly how working conditions contribute to the shortage of skilled special education teachers for students in marginalized communities. Her current work, supported through the US Department of Education, focuses on potential interventions to improve conditions and eliminate inequities. A frequent national conference presenter, she is a past winner of the Lives of Teachers Best Paper Award from the American Educational Research Association and has published 12 book chapters and over 50 articles in top-tier education journals.

Katherine FrankelWheelock associate professor of language and literacy education

Katherine Frankel focuses on the experiences of struggling high school readers (particularly in disadvantaged communities) who are often subject to remediation, working to create interventions and practices that both affirm their knowledge and identities and are meaningful to them. She is a co–principal investigator on a major NSF grant exploring STEM literacies and is a past recipient of the Alan C. Purves Award for Research in the Teaching of English from the National Council of Teachers of English. She is a regular conference presenter and has published extensively in her field’s top journals, including Research in the Teaching of English and the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.

Amy LiebermanWheelock associate professor of language and literacy education

Amy Lieberman is a leading scholar in the acquisition and processing of American Sign Language (ASL) in deaf individuals and the development of visual attention in deaf children. Her research, which is supported by significant grants from the NIH, has led to numerous advances, including a novel eye-tracking paradigm to investigate real-time processing of ASL in deaf children and adults. She has presented and published extensively, authoring or coauthoring five book chapters and dozens of articles in high-impact field journals, including Developmental Science and Language and Learning.

Eve ManzWheelock associate professor of teaching and learning

Eve Manz works to design learning environments and practices that engage elementary-level science students in activities—from modeling to experiments and argumentation—that are meaningful and useful to them. She has received significant grant support for her research from the NSF, including a CAREER Award, is a past recipient of the Early Career Research Award from the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, and serves on the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Enhancing Science and Engineering in Prekindergarten through Fifth Grade. She has presented at dozens of national conferences and published a book chapter and 10 articles in top education journals, including the Review of Educational Research.

In addition to these faculty promotions, the University recently announced the promotion of 18 faculty to the rank of master lecturer; 24 to senior lecturer; one to research professor; 3 to research associate professor; and 2 each to clinical professor and clinical associate professor. View the list of those faculty here.