Faculty named to guide transdisciplinary areas of excellence

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Donald Nieman announced the faculty who will serve on the steering committees to guide the five transdisciplinary areas of excellence that will become foci of research and scholarship at Binghamton University. 

The University already has substantial faculty expertise and significant visibility in research in each of the five areas, said Nieman. “By making a significant investment in hiring new faculty who will work with existing faculty in these areas, we hope to foster collaboration, increase research and scholarship, and establish Binghamton University as a leader in areas that are critical to future of the planet,” he said.

Steering committees composed of faculty who represent Binghamton’s scholarly expertise in the five areas will guide each area. Each committee will be responsible for defining the direction of their area; play an important role in hiring new faculty to strengthen their area; facilitate collaboration among existing and newly hired faculty; and develop conferences, symposia, and other programs to highlight new developments in their area.  Each committee will have a budget provided by the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Research to support its work.

Committee members were identified by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, Nieman and Vice President for Research Bahgat Sammakia.
“In creating the steering committees we are drawing on a tremendous reservoir of talent in the Binghamton University faculty,” said Nieman. “They will provide the leadership necessary to make the transdisciplinary areas of excellence the driving force in enhancing Binghamton’s strength and visibility in the world of research and scholarship.”

The members of the steering committees include the following:

Bat Ami Bar-On (Philosophy/Judaic Studies/IASH) - chair
Doug Bradburn (History)
Dave Clark (Political Science)
Lubna Chaudry (Human Development)
David Cingranelli (Political Science)
John Frazier (Geography)
Douglas Holmes (Anthropology)
Joe Keith (English)
Ricardo Larémont (Political Science and Sociology)
Solomon Polachek (Economics)
Nadia Rubaii (Public Administration)
Jean Quataert (History)

Susan Bane (Chemistry)
Chris Bishop (Psychology)
Terry Deak (Psychology) - chair
Pamela Stewart Fahs (DSON)
Gary James (DSON)
Mohammad Khasawneh (SSIE)
Ronald Miles (Mechanical engineering)
Christine Reiber (Anthropology)
Karin Sauer (Biology)
Linda Spear (Psychology)
Francis Yammarino (Management)

Nancy Appelbaum (History)
Ariana Gerstein (Cinema)
Tom McDonough (Art History) - chair
Randy McGuire (Anthropology)
Monika Mehta (English)
Andrew Scholtz (Classical and Near Eastern Studies)
Pamela Smart (Anthropology, Art History)
Jennifer Stoever-Ackerman (English)
Dale Tomich (Sociology)

Peter Borgesen (SSIE)
Rachel Coker (Division of Research)
Mary Beth Curtin (Division of Research)
Kanad Ghose (Computer Science)
Wayne Jones (Chemistry) - chair
David Klotzkin (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Bruce Murray (Mechanical Engineering)
Lewis Piper (Physics)
Oumwumni Sadik (Chemistry)
Roger Westgate (Electrical Engineering)
Bruce White (Physics)
Stan Whittingham (Chemistry)

Laura Bronstein (Social Work)
Shelley Dionne (Management)
Joseph Graney (Geology)
Siobhan Hart (Anthropology)
Adam Laats (Education)
Florence Margai (Geography)
Pamela Mischen (MPA) - chair
Christopher Morgan-Knapp (Philosophy)
Gale Spencer (Nursing)
David Sloan Wilson (Biology)