Staff

Activities

• Oversees admissions, administration, curriculum, and student initiatives of the Molecular Biology, Cancer and Genetics Track of the Newark Biomedical Sciences Multidisciplinary Ph.D. Program
• Advises students in the Medical Scholars Track of the Newark Masters in Biomedical Sciences program
• Oversees admissions and administration of the Biomedical Research Scholars Track of the Newark Masters in Biomedical Sciences program
• Develops new curricula and programs and assists with student affairs
• Recruits new students to the Newark Biomedical Sciences programs

Activities

• Administration and assessment of professional development and cross-disciplinary activities for the entire graduate community in areas such as scientific communication, ethics and responsible research, mentoring, outreach, and preparation for jobs and careers
• Manage collaborations and partnerships with individual graduate programs and with internally and externally funded programs

Activities

• Founding director of GradFund, which provides Fellowship Advising through peer mentoring to graduate students applying for honorific, extramural fellowships, and grants to support graduate work
• Manages the development and curation of the GradFund digital platform and knowledgebase
• Coordinates SGS managed fellowship competitions including: Fulbright IIE, Fulbright Hays, DAAD, PEO Scholars Award, Boren Fellowship

Research

Cellular and molecular mechanisms in traumatic brain injury

Activities

• Coordinates iJOBS career development program for biomedical PhD students and postdoctoral fellows
• Oversees academic enrichment initiatives for biomedical PhD students including training in Responsible Conduct of Research, Rigor and Reproducibility, Individual Development Plans, and Communicating Science
• Assists with Student Affairs for biomedical PhD students and postdoctoral researchers
• Organizes STEM community outreach and summer undergraduate research program activities

Activities

• Recruits prospective graduate students and develops initiatives to promote successful transition from undergraduate to graduate to career
• Oversees SGS fellowships for incoming PhD students, including Dean's Fellowships to Broaden Participation, SUPER-Grad, and Masters/PhD Bridge
• Manages external fellowships that promote diversity in STEM, including the National GEM Consortium and supplements to faculty NSF and NIH grants
• Directs RISE at Rutgers (Research Intensive Summer Experience), a pathway program for high-achieving undergraduates planning graduate education
• Leads SGS participation in multi-institutional consortia with shared focus on inclusion and equity, including the the Big Ten Academic Alliance, the National Name Exchange, the NSF Northeast AGEP
• Directs mentor-training programs for students and faculty
• Supports education, outreach, and broader impact sections of faculty training and research grants
• Serves as SGS Equity Advisor and provides strategic direction

Research

Use of human and mouse genetics to understand the biological basis of human disorders such as autism and neural tube defects (NTDs)