Teaching and Research in Primarily Undergraduate Institutions
Monday, February 26th, 2024, 5:30 – 6:30 PM CST (Virtual)
Are you interested in pursuing an academic career at a primarily undergraduate institution? Join the upcoming “What Can I Do with my PhD?” panel discussion featuring academics with expertise in biological and physical sciences, and molecular engineering. Our panelists will share insights into what motivated their decision to pursue this career path, discuss their responsibilities and institutional expectations, and highlight the competencies required for success in this path.
Whitney Fowler, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Engineering, Harvey Mudd
Dr. Whitney Fowler received her Ph.D. in Molecular Engineering from the University of Chicago in 2022 under the co-advisement of Matthew Tirrell and Juan de Pablo, where she was a Senior Fellow for the Chicago Center for Teaching and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. She then began her role as an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Harvey Mudd College. Prof. Fowler and her undergraduate research students design bio-inspired materials to detect emerging contaminants in water, and she has enjoyed teaching classes like Introduction to Environmental Engineering, Introduction to Engineering Design and Manufacturing, and Experimental Engineering.
Nicole James, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Reed College
Dr. James received her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Chicago, where she focused on the role of surface chemistry in dense suspensions with Prof. Heinrich Jaeger. This experience motivated her to investigate how students use their chemistry coursework to address problems in interdisciplinary contexts such as materials science. She completed postdoctoral training in Chemistry Education Research at Northern Illinois University, after which she joined Reed College as a Visiting Assistant Professor. She is now an Assistant Professor at Reed College, where she teaches general and physical chemistry and leads an active chemistry education research group.
Shubhik DebBurman
Professor of Biology, Lake Forest College
Shubhik DebBurman is the Disque D. and Carol Gram Deane Professor of Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Neuroscience at Lake Forest College (Illinois), where he also served as the college’s Senior Director of Science Partnerships, creating the Health Professions Program in 2020, Nursing Pathways Program in 2022, and developed 16 dual-degree pathways for the college by partnering with Chicago area graduate institutions. He received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Northwestern University in 1996, did postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago (1996-1998) as an HHMI/LSRF Fellow, and completed a visiting professorship at Kalamazoo College, Michigan (1998-2001) before joining Lake Forest College in 2001. As a cell biologist, he specifically studies the molecular bases of synucleinopathies using yeast systems and has trained over 100 undergraduates who have headed for post-graduate STEM careers. He was the President of the Chicago Society for Neuroscience from 2013-2015 and the National Council of Nu Rho Psi (the national Neuroscience Honor Society) from 2017-2019 and directed the Chicago Brain Bee from 2016-2022. He has received Career Achievement Awards from the Chicago Society for Neuroscience in 2018, the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN), and Wittenberg University in 2019, and most recently the Distinguished Mentor Award in 2023 from FUN.