Plenary Speakers and Panelists (Confirmed)
Stephanie J. Bird
Ethics Consultant
Stephanie J. Bird is a laboratory-trained neuroscientist whose professional interests are two-fold: the ethical, legal and social policy implications of scientific research, especially neuroscience; and education in the responsible conduct of research and engineering, and the professional responsibilities of scientists and engineers more generally. As an independent consultant, she works with institutions of higher learning, professional societies, government agencies, and law firms in the US and other countries. In addition, Dr. Bird is a founding editor and former Editor-in-Chief of Science and Engineering Ethics, an international publication that explores ethical issues of concern to scientists and engineers.
Now officially retired from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Bird was formerly Special Assistant to both the Provost and Vice President for Research. There she worked on the development of educational programs and courses that address ethical issues in research and engineering. She also taught in her areas of expertise including both courses in the responsible conduct of research, and those that consider the ethical and social policy implications of science and technology.
Audrey Birgin
Research Integrity Coordinator
University of Maryland, College Park
Audrey Birgin is the Research Integrity Coordinator at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). In this role, she assists with the handling of research misconduct matters and other research integrity issues, and has been instrumental in the development of new Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) programming for UMD. Audrey has leveraged her research experience – supplemented by independent research and engagement in professional training and development activities – to inform her creation of comprehensive RCR programming and related educational materials for the university’s research community.
Prior to this position, Audrey studied Public Health Science, with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics, graduating with her B.S. in 2022. Throughout her schooling, she worked as a research fellow in UMD’s Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, where she primarily studied the stigma/stress/substance use pathway in young adults from minority communities.
Melissa Edwards
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Melissa Edwards leads Research Development and Research Communications activities for the Office for the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She connects scholars with opportunities to advance their research; sharing information about research-related policies, guidelines, and regulations; and telling stories of innovation and impact. Melissa has a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Karla Galaviz
Assistant Professor, School of Public Health
Indiana University Bloomington
Karla Galaviz is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at Indiana University Bloomington where she is an implementation scientist working at the intersection of lifestyle medicine and chronic conditions. Her work focuses on testing implementation strategies to integrate proven health interventions and practices in real-world settings. She also works to build implementation research capacity in low- and middle-income countries as an Associate Program Director for the NIH-funded COllaborative research, implementation, And LEadership training to address chronic Conditions across the lifecoursE (COALESCE). Dr. Galaviz completed her undergraduate training in Mexico, her graduate training in Canada, and her post-doctoral training in the US.
Gates Garrity-Rokous
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, Office of University Compliance and Integrity
The Ohio State University
Gates Garrity-Rokous serves as Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for the Office of University Compliance and Integrity at The Ohio State University.
Prior to joining Ohio State in 2012, Gates served as Chief Compliance Officer for GE Capital where he oversaw GE’s regulatory compliance and integrity program. Gates has spent more than 17 years developing, assessing and managing ethics for large, complex institutions with a broad expertise in the healthcare and financial services industries. Before that, he was a Partner for Wiggin & Dana, LLP advising corporate clients on compliance issues. He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and supervising health-care fraud enforcement officer with the Department of Justice. Gates also clerked in the United States District Court of Connecticut and the United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, New York.
Ben Griffiths
Senior University Legal Counsel
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Ben Griffiths is Senior University Legal Counsel at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He provides legal advice in the areas of sponsored research contracting, policy and compliance, export control, and transactional matters. He serves on a variety of University committees, including the Biosecurity Task Force, the Executive Radiation Safety Committee, and the Research Vehicle Safety Oversight Committee. Prior to joining the Office of Legal Affairs in 1993, Ben served as legal counsel to a small business and worked at a public interest law firm. Ben has a B.A. in Political Science from Miami University (Ohio), and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Mohammad Hosseini
Postdoctoral Scholar, Galter Health Sciences Library & Learning Center; Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern University
Dr. Hosseini is based at Galter Health Sciences Library in Northwestern University’s Chicago campus and collaborates with the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) and the Institute for Augmented Intelligence in Medicine (I.AIM). He is also a guest lecturer of research ethics, an associate editor of the journal of Accountability in Research and a member of the Global Young Academy. Dr. Hosseini holds a BA in Business Management (2013, Eindhoven, The Netherlands), an MA in Applied Ethics (2016, Utrecht, The Netherlands) and a PhD in Research Ethics and Integrity (2021, Dublin, Ireland).
Jacqueline S. Jeruss
Associate Vice President for Research; Associate Dean, Regulatory Affairs; Director, Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship; Professor, Departments of Surgery, Pathology, and Biomedical Engineering
University of Michigan
As associate dean, Dr. Jeruss assists faculty and staff in understanding relevant regulations, institutional policies, and other professionally accepted standards that impact the activities and reputation of the Medical School. Further, she works with faculty to address concerns in the regulatory realm, mitigate noncompliance risks and resolve noncompliance when it occurs, and bring faculty/staff authorship and research grant disputes to resolution.
Her experiences as a surgeon, scientist, and educator have provided Dr. Jeruss with unique insight into regulatory issues associated with research compliance and the scrutiny of policies linked to laboratory management, federal grant funding, FDA oversight, and protected health information. Additionally, she has a longstanding commitment to medical ethics education, professionalism and conflict resolution, and a broad understanding of issues related to conflict of interest, and both clinical and basic research integrity.
Dr. Jeruss earned her undergraduate degree in neuroscience and history from Brandeis University and her medical degree from the University of Vermont. She completed her general surgery residency training at Northwestern University and holds a Ph.D. from that institution, with her dissertation in the field of breast cancer biology. She completed a fellowship in breast surgical oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 2006, and returned to Northwestern, in the Division of Breast Surgery, before joining the University of Michigan faculty in 2014.
Her clinical and basic research program has been supported by the NIH for more than two decades. Her research interests are focused on novel therapeutics for aggressive breast cancer subtypes, new approaches to manage cancer metastasis, incorporation of fertility preservation into the care of young patients with cancer, and surgical ethics. Through her basic science and clinical career, she has served in leadership roles on several national committees, and has been actively involved in the education of students at all levels of training. She also has published numerous manuscripts and book chapters, and received many awards for teaching and research excellence.
Rebecca Keiser,
Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy
National Science Foundation
Rebecca Keiser is the Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy (CORSSP) and head of the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Since 2015, she has been leading the OISE. She became the first CORSSP in March 2020. This position is to provide security on federally funded research throughout international collaboration. Keiser also gives the NSF director policy advice on all elements of research security strategy.
Before NSF, Keiser worked as a special advisor for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and as an executive in-residence at American University. At NASA she also worked as associate deputy administrator for strategy and policy, associate deputy administrator for policy integration, and executive officer to the deputy administrator. Keiser served as an assistant to the director for international relations at the White House Office of Science and Technology policy. She was responsible for policy direction to the President’s science advisor.
Keiser is a board member of Women in Aerospace and member of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College in Japanese Studies, her master’s degree from London School of Economics in politics of the world, and her doctorate from University of South Carolina in international studies.
Gaetano R. Lotrecchiano,
Associate Professor, Clinical Research and Leadership and of Pediatrics
George Washington University
Gaetano R. Lotrecchiano, Ed.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership and of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at George Washington University (GW). His area of expertise is in team science which is the study of team dynamic in science teams. He focuses on motivation in knowledge-producing teams, complexity leadership, and transdisciplinary theory and learning.
In addition to his publishing and editorial record, Gaetano recently published a book entitled Communication in Transdisciplinary Teams and is preparing a manual of learning interventions to accompany his psychometric assessment tool, the Motivation Assessment for Team Readiness Integration and Collaboration (MATRICx).
Gaetano graduated from GW’s Graduate School for Education and Human Development in 2012 and was granted a degree from the Executive Leadership Program in the Human and Organizational Learning department.
Susan Martinis
Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation; Stephen G. Sligar Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Susan Martinis is Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she provides leadership for the campus-wide interdisciplinary research institutes, promotes new research initiatives, and oversees the administrative and business processes that ensure the safe, ethical, and productive conduct of research at Illinois.
Dr. Martinis, the Stephen G. Sligar Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, studies the mechanisms, evolution, and biomedical applications of protein synthesis and RNA-protein interactions. She is a successful researcher, engaged in entrepreneurial and corporate partnerships, a committed educator, and an experienced administrator.
Heather McFadden (she/her/hers) Conference Planning Committee
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Heather Mc Fadden works at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education and coordinates RCR mandates. In this role, she has developed and implemented curriculum responsive to federal agency mandates, actively participated in policy analysis and development, and has worked with colleagues at peer institutions to foster an increased understanding of RCR. She also staffs the Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee, Research Vehicle Safety Oversight Committee, and other committees as needed.
James M
ohler – Conference Planning Committee
Research Integrity Officer & Associate Dean of the Graduate School
Purdue University
James L. Mohler is professor of Computer Graphics Technology (CGT). He is currently serving as Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Research Integrity Officer. Dr. Mohler is a Faculty Scholar, a member of the Purdue University Teaching Academy and a past faculty fellow for the Discovery Learning Center. Dr. Mohler is a member of Purdue’s ADVANCE team and has served as a Diversity Catalyst. Dr. Mohler has authored, co-authored, or contributed to over 21 texts related to computer graphics and media development and over 71 articles for refereed, reviewed, or trade publications. He has been the recipient of 1.5 million dollars in grants.
Lisa Nichols
Executive Director of Research Security
University of Michigan
Lisa Nichols, who has more than 25 years of experience working in federal, nonprofit and academic research environments, joined the University of Michigan as its Executive Director of Research Security. Lisa oversees several important compliance functions, while playing a lead role in supporting U-M faculty with international research and other sponsored activities.
She provides administrative oversight of the following units and activities: Conflict of Interest, Export Controls, Research Information Security and U-M’s facility security/classified program. Lisa also works closely with U-M leaders to coordinate university-wide efforts around promoting international research collaborations in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws, regulations, policies and guidance.
Lisa received a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Purdue University, and she previously served as the Senior Director of Sponsored Research Programs and Research Security at the University of Pennsylvania.
Susannah Paletz
Associate Professor, College of Information Studies
University of Maryland
Susannah Paletz’s main research topics involve teams, culture, creativity, and/or applied psychology in the national interest, such as emotions in social media. She both studies and leads multidisciplinary teams, having received funding from NSF, the Army Research Office, the Minerva Research Initiative/Office of Naval Research, and others. She received her PhD in social/personality psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Past positions include being a Research Psychologist at NASA Ames Research Center and a Research Scientist at the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Study of Language. She uses a variety of research methods, analyzing data from surveys, experiments, interviews, archives, social media, audio, and video, including from multiple countries.
Shashank Priya
Vice President for Research
University of Minnesota
Shashank Priya is the vice president for research at the University of Minnesota (UMN), where he oversees a $1+ billion research enterprise across five campuses. At UMN he has created the International Institute for Biosensing, a research planning initiative called Research 2030 and the UMN National Security Research Institute Task Force. He previously served as associate vice president for research and director of strategic initiatives, and a professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State. His research focus is the conversion of one form of energy into another with three topical emphases: multifunctional materials, energy harvesting, and bio-inspired robotics.
Dr. Priya earned the D.T. Rankin Award and the Richard M. Fulrath Award from the American Ceramic Society and was a COR Research Leader Fellow with the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities and is the founder of the Annual Energy Harvesting Meeting. He has published over 450 articles in academic journals, given more than 290 conference presentations and invited lectures, and holds 12 patents. Dr. Priya previously held professorships at the University of Texas at Arlington and Virginia Tech. He earned his BS from Allahabad University, his ME from the Indian Institute of Science, and his PhD in materials engineering from Penn State, where he was part of their Materials Research Laboratory.
Naomi Schrag
Vice President for Research Compliance, Training, and Policy
Columbia University
Naomi Schrag is the Vice President for Research Compliance, Training, and Policy in the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research at Columbia University, and the University’s Research Integrity Officer (RIO). She oversees work on issues such as research misconduct, conflict-of-interest and international research compliance, and collaborates closely with other offices across the University to develop integrated approaches to compliance and training.
Before joining Columbia in January 2006, Ms. Schrag practiced law for nine years, focusing on regulatory compliance and litigation involving biomedical research, with clients including pharmaceutical companies and not-for-profit organizations. Ms. Schrag also clerked in the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Ms. Schrag graduated from New York University School of Law in 1995. Before entering law school, she worked on an oral history of the Holocaust for the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
Melissa Thompson
Research Integrity Officer
University of Maryland, College Park
Melissa Thompson is the Research Integrity Officer for the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). In addition to handling cases of research and scholarly misconduct, she coordinates with various institutional offices and committees on other efforts related to fostering research integrity at UMD, including the identification of associated policy and program needs, and is actively involved in the development of UMD’s responsible conduct of research (RCR) programming. Melissa previously served as the Director of Research Integrity at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, handling cases of both research and professional misconduct and overseeing the RCR program, and the Assistant Director of Outside Interests, working on issues related to conflicts of interest in research. Prior to joining JHU, Melissa practiced law with a general litigation firm in Maryland. She received her juris doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law, along with a certificate in health law.
Yaqiu Wang
Research Director for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
Freedom House
Yaqiu Wang is Research Director for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan at Freedom House, leading the organization’s research on human rights issues within China and the Chinese government’s global influence.
Prior to joining Freedom House, Wang was Senior China Researcher at Human Rights Watch, working on issues including internet censorship, protection of human rights defenders, and women’s rights. She has also written extensively on the Chinese government’s role in undermining human rights globally and multinational corporations’ complicity in human rights violations in China. Before Human Rights Watch, Wang worked on press freedom issues in China and other Asian countries for the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Wang was born and grew up in China, and has a MA degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. She has testified before US Congress, and is frequently quoted by major news outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian, and appeared on CNN, NBC, NPR, and BBC.
Amy Weber
Senior Director of Export Controls and International Compliance
Northwestern University
Amy Weber is Northwestern University’s Senior Director of the Export Control and International Compliance office. Amy served as a career analyst with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in various leadership roles – including leading the FBI’s Counterintelligence Analysis Section in Washington, D.C. – overseeing the FBI’s national counter-intelligence analysis, including countering undue foreign influence. Amy’s team was responsible for briefing federal policymakers and strengthening the research enterprise while engaging in international partnerships. She holds a Master of Legal Studies degree from the University of Arizona.
Kristen West
Director of Research Ethics & Compliance
Council on Government Relations (COGR)
Kris West is the Director for Research Compliance and Ethics at the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR). COGR is an association of research-intensive universities, colleges, independent research institutions, and health care institutions that supports its members in the areas of research administration, compliance, financial oversight, and intellectual property.
Prior to joining COGR, Ms. West worked for Emory University, first as Senior Associate General Counsel and later as Chief Compliance Officer. At Emory she provided compliance guidance and oversight for research and non-research areas. She also served as Emory University’s Privacy Officer and Research Integrity Officer.
Ms. West is an active member of the Georgia Bar. She attended the University of Maryland and Mercer University School of Law and also holds a M.S. degree in drug regulatory affairs from the University of Florida.
Facilitators
Mariah Bauer – Conference Planning Committee
Director of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Programming
University of Maryland
Dr. Mariah Bauer has been at UMD since 1999 and has had broad experience working at the college level, at the department level, in the Division of Research, and in Academic Affairs. She works closely with the Provost and the Provost’s senior staff on myriad strategic business, research, and academic development initiatives. Mariah was recently asked to serve as the inaugural Director of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) programming at the University of Maryland, a mission critical function to develop a novel and holistic program and frame the infrastructure necessary to generate and disseminate knowledge with integrity and rigor.
Sean Courtney – Conference Planning Committee
Senior Compliance Officer – Responsible Conduct of Research
Purdue University
Dr. Sean Courtney holds a joint appointment at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN within the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships and the Office of the Provost. His primary responsibilities include directing research compliance and field-specific training. He has 15+ years of experience conducting biomedical research in the areas of genetics and cancer genomics. Dr. Courtney is currently utilizing his skills and professional experiences to foster an ethical research environment through developing, implementing, and evaluating innovative policies and standards.
In his current role as the Research Compliance Manager, Sean ensures all researchers comply with responsible conduct of research regulations from federal, state, local, and university levels. He primarily trains and mentors researchers–at all career stages–in the areas of integrity, ethics, and reproducibility, which incorporates experimental design, data collection, analysis, and reporting results in a clear and ethical manner. Dr. Courtney also assists with investigations involving Research Integrity and Misconduct allegations within the Purdue University system and represents the University on the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
Prior to his current role, Sean was affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine as an Assistant Research Professor and completed two postdoctoral scholar positions at the Medical University of South Carolina. His doctoral degree was conferred by Texas A&M University.
Becca Hopson – Conference Planning Committee
Assistant Director of Education and Outreach
Indiana University
Becca Hopson serves in the Office of Research Compliance through the Vice President for Research promoting research integrity through education, training and outreach for Indiana University.
Alison Kerr – Conference Planning Committee
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering
Purdue University
Dr. Kerr completed her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She also has a M.A. degree in industrial-organizational psychology from The University of Tulsa and a B.A. degree in psychology from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. Her dissertation research was a comprehensive evaluation of a professional ethics training program which utilizes expert-witness role-play for engineering education. Her research interests include training development and evaluation as explored across a variety of academic disciplines and organizational settings. Her most recent projects have focused on developing engineering and science students’ relevant non-technical professional skills including leadership, creativity and ethical practice and presentation.
Glenn Krell (he/him/his) Conference Planning Committee
Director of Research Integrity
Rutgers University
Glenn Krell is Director of Research Integrity in the Office of Research and Economic Development at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Glenn was the Founding Coordinator of the Big Ten Academic Alliance – Responsible Conduct of Research (BTAA-RCR) Collaborative. The group has held monthly conference calls on RCR topics since 2018 and has hosted discussions with thought leaders in RCR. At Rutgers Glenn is responsible for research misconduct investigations; the financial conflict of interest disclosure program for researchers, and coordination of the RCR education program. Glenn has a master’s in public administration and more than 20 years’ experience as a university research administrator, including working with research faculty at the University of California Berkeley and UCSF.
Christopher Lehmann (he/him/his) Conference Planning Committee
Research Integrity Officer
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Chris Lehmann serves as the Research Integrity Officer within the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He coordinates campus-level Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) education. He is a Clinical Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and a Research Affiliate with the Illinois State Water Survey in the Prairie Research Institute. His expertise is in air pollution, drinking water testing, and laboratory quality management.
Chris received his BS in Civil Engineering from Valparaiso University, and his MS and PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Chris serves as the current Coordinator of the Big Ten Academic Alliance – Responsible Conduct of Research (BTAA-RCR) Collaborative. He is a member of the Association of Research Integrity Officers (ARIO).
Kristen Pecanac – Conference Planning Committee
Assistant Professor of Nursing
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Pecanac’s research explores interactions among health care practitioners, patients and family members when making decisions related to treatment in the hospital setting. Her intent is to identify communicative practices that promote patient and family participation in decision-making and incorporate these practices into an intervention. The ultimate goal of this research is to facilitate engagement in productive conversations that will lead to reduced stress and suffering for patients and their family members.
Lauran Qualkenbush (she/her) – Conference Planning Committee
Senior Director for Research Integrity and Training
Research Integrity Officer
Northwestern University
Lauran Qualkenbush is the Senior Director for Research Integrity and Training and the Research Integrity Officer at Northwestern University. She is responsible for promoting the responsible conduct and appropriate administration of University research and is involved in Responsible Conduct of Research education across the University and coordination of the University’s RCR plan. She oversees the Office for Research Integrity which responds to allegations of research misconduct as well as other types of research non-compliance and the newly created Office for Research training unit which is involved in the development of comprehensive research-related training. She has been in this role and engaged in RCR and research integrity for over 18 years. Prior to that, Lauran worked as a clinical research coordinator and in Northwestern’s IRB Office. She also is a founding member and the current President of the Association for Research Integrity Officers (ARIO). She has been a teaching RIO for the HHS ORI RIO boot camps and has served on multiple HHS ORI grant review panels.
Sheila Borges Rajguru – Conference Planning Committee
Director for Research Development & Strategy
Rutgers – New Brunswick
Dr. Sheila Borges Rajguru supports the Senior Vice Provost for Research and works closely with Rutgers–New Brunswick research deans from key academic units, center/institute directors, liaising with senior leadership in the Office for Research, University Equity and Inclusion, EVPAA, Vice Chancellor for Research Offices across Rutgers Health, Rutgers–Camden and Rutgers–Newark chancellor-led units (CLUs), and Rutgers University Foundation to develop synergistic programming and initiatives at the nexus of research and academic affairs.
Danielle Rintala (she/her) Conference Planning Committee
Director – Research Intelligence and Compliance Team
University of Minnesota
Danielle directs the Risk Intelligence and Compliance Team (RIACT) in OVPR. RIACT serves as the “eyes and ears” of the VPR by monitoring near- and long-term research risks, conducting compliance investigations, ensuring compliance in research-associated financial transactions and research registries, and managing Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training and the Certified Approver program. Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Danielle was the associate director of research compliance and biosafety officer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she developed and managed the biosafety program. She was also responsible for the oversight of human subjects research, animal research, and radiation safety. Prior to research compliance, Danielle was an instructor and program director for 10 years in higher education, with teaching experience in microbiology, anatomy & physiology, biochemistry, and pathophysiology.
Greg Swain – Conference Planning Committee
Professor of Chemistry and Neuroscience Program Member
Michigan State University
Dr. Greg Swain is a Professor of chemistry and a member of the Neuroscience Program at Michigan State University. In addition to his academic appointments, Dr. Swain serves as the Neuroscience Graduate Program Director and as the Responsible Conduct of Research Education Coordinator for The Graduate School. He directs an interdisciplinary research program focused on understanding structure-property relationships of different carbon electrode materials (e.g., conducting diamond and tetrahedral amorphous carbon), as studied by electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical methods, and tailoring the properties of these electrodes for application as chemical and biochemical sensors for health and the environment, and as microelectrodes for neuroanalytical chemistry. He has served or serves in various leadership positions at the national level including as a former Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal, Diamond and Related Materials (Elsevier, 2009-2014), a former member of the Committee for Professional Training (American Chemical Society, 2015-2019), and current Editor for the journal, Electroanalysis (Wiley). At the university level, he served as an At-large Member of the University’s Steering Committee and Faculty Senate (MSU, 2017-2019) and as an Academic Advancement Network Fellow (MSU, 2018-2019). He is a Fulbright Fellowship recipient and a member of the American Chemical Society, Electrochemical Society, International Society of Electrochemistry, and National Association of Corrosion Engineers.