To help introduce new members of the university's faculty to the Cornell community, the Cornell Chronicle is publishing brief new-faculty profiles through December.

Bento

Birnholtz

Bowman

Byrne

Caudill

Daniel

Dowell

Duhamel

Enns

Ernste

Freedman

Gaur

Griffith

Grossman

Hanrath

Ho

Hua

Koch

Koutsourelakis

Lohman

Mahowald

Matsudaira

Mattson

McAllister

Mete

Mettler

Mollenkamp

Molnar

Moore

Narayan

Owens

Patel

Pritchard

Qi

Rubineau

Shaw

Soule

Shen

Suh

Tang

Tsyrennikov

Van Boven

Zayas

Antonio Bento, associate professor, applied economics and management
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Academic focus: Land use and climate and energy policies such as the costs and benefits of the Clean Air Act amendments, anti-sprawl policies and the effects of sprawl on travel demand. More recently, the costs of reforming corporate fuel economy standards and of alternative biofuel policies and on designing a market for switchgrass in New York state.
Previous positions: Assistant professor, Maryland School of Public Policy and the National Center for Smart Growth, University of Maryland, 2004-07; assistant professor, Donald Bren School of Environmental Sciences and Management and Department of Economics, University of California-Santa Barbara, 2000-04.
Academic background: B.A., economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, 1996; Ph.D., agricultural and resource economics, University of Maryland, 2000.
Last book read: "Bowling Alone" by Robert Putnam.
In his own time: Hiking and traveling overseas.

Jeremy Birnholtz, assistant professor, communication
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Academic focus: Improving Internet-based communication and collaboration tools through the application of empirical research techniques and theory from the social sciences.
Previous position: Postdoctoral fellow, Knowledge Media Design Institute, University of Toronto, 2005-07.
Academic background: B.A., radio/TV/film production, Northwestern University, 1996; M.S., 2001, and Ph.D., 2005, both from the School of Information, University of Michigan.
Last book read: "A Spot of Bother" by Mark Haddon.
In his own time: Cycling, cooking, sailing and travel.

Cynthia Bowman, professor of law and Dorothea S. Clarke, professor of Feminist Jurisprudence
College: Law School
Academic focus: Law and women; women in the legal profession, sexual harassment and legal remedies for adult survivors of childhood sex abuse.
Previous position: Professor of law and of gender studies, Northwestern University School of Law, 2000-06.
Academic background: B.A., Swarthmore College, 1966; Ph.D., political science, Columbia University, 1972; J.D., Northwestern University School of Law, 1982.
Last book read: "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk.
In her own time: Reading, swimming, travel, hiking.

Sahara Byrne, assistant professor, communication
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Academic focus: The intersection of media effects, strategic communication and cognitive development. Byrne examines the viability of strategies that attempt to reduce the negative effects of the media on individuals, particularly those intending to protect children and why some strategies are ineffective.
Previous positions: Director of development for Playboy Entertainment, 1996-2000; wrote children's movie, "The Legend of Gator Face," for Showtime Networks, 1996.
Academic background: B.F.A., film and television, New York University, 1993; M.A., 2004, and Ph.D., 2007, both in communication, University of California-Santa Barbara.
Last book read: "Talk Talk" by T.C. Boyle.
In her own time: Getting to know Ithaca, being a fun wife and mother, watching hockey and the Red Sox.

Marie A. Caudill, associate professor, nutritional sciences
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Academic focus: The roles of folate and choline in health and disease, specifi cally, the influence of common genetic variants on folate/choline/homocysteine metabolism in humans; adequacy of folate and choline recommended intakes for humans differing in genetic variants; and interrelationship between choline and folate.
Previous positions: Associate professor (2002-06) and assistant professor (1997-2002), human nutrition and food science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Calif.
Academic background: B.A., physical education, 1990; B.S., health science, 1992; M.S., health science, 1993, all at the University of North Florida; R.D., Emory University Hospital, 1994; Ph.D., food science and human nutrition, University of Florida, 1997.
Last book read: A "Cam Jansen" mystery "that only 5- to 10-year-olds would appreciate."
In her own time: To get outside and exercise (jog, walk) at least once every weekend.

Susan Daniel, assistant professor, chemical and biomolecular engineering
College: Engineering
Academic focus: Daniel's research focuses on bioseparations in cell membrane mimics and understanding chemical and physical effects on molecules in these environments.
Previous position: Postdoctoral research associate, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, 2005-07.
Academic background: B.S. chemical engineering, Lehigh University, 1999; M.S. chemical engineering, Lehigh University, 2001; Ph.D. Lehigh University, 2005.
Last book read: "Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood," by Oliver Sacks.
In her own time: Hiking with her Jack Russell terrier, skiing, boating.

Glen Dowell, assistant professor of management and organizations and Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise
College: Johnson School
Academic focus: The interaction of organizations with their market, social and physical environments.
Previous position: Assistant professor of management, Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame, 2001-07.
Academic background: B. Commerce, University of Alberta, 1989; MBA, McGill University, 1995; Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2000.
Last book read: "The Blind Side" and "Liar's Poker," both by Michael Lewis.
In his own time: Reading, running, playing with my three kids and, hopefully soon, back to hockey.

Gerald Duhamel, professor, biomedical sciences
College: Veterinary Medicine
Academic focus: Understanding basic mechanisms of intestinal microbial infections in humans and animals, particularly within the context of animal models of colitis.
Previous position: Assistant professor, associate professor and professor of comparative pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1986-2007.
Academic background: B.S., College Ahuntsic, Montreal, Canada, 1975; D.V.M, University of California-Davis, 1980; Residency in veterinary anatomic pathology followed by a Ph.D. in comparative pathology, University of California-Davis, 1986.
Last book read: "Cellist" by Gregor Piatigorsky.
In his own time: Spending time with my wife and three sons, ages 11, 15 and 20, swimming, canoeing, bird watching, playing badminton, tennis and soccer or just having fun together.

Peter Enns, assistant professor, government
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: American politics with a focus on public opinion, representation, and quantitative research methods and how different segments of the population, particularly different education and income groups, update their political attitudes.
Previous position: Instructor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2007.
Academic background: B.A., Colorado College, 1998; Ph.D., political science, University of North Carolina, 2007.
Last book read: "A Different Drummer" by William M. Kelley.
In his own time: Playing soccer, reading and spending time with family and friends.

Kevin Ernste, assistant professor of music; director, Cornell Electroacoustic Music Center
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: Music composition and electronic music.
Previous position: Acting director, Eastman Computer Music Center.
Academic background: University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.M., 1997); Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, M.A., 2004; Ph.D., 2006.
Last book read: "The Last Man Who Knew Everything: Thomas Young, the Anonymous Genius Who Proved Newton Wrong and Deciphered the Rosetta Stone, Among Other Surprising Feats" by Andrew Robinson.
In his own time: Family, photography, hiking/camping, free/open source software and the politics of emerging technologies.

Matthew Freedman, assistant professor, labor economics
College: ILR
Academic focus: Job and income mobility and their relationship with geography and urban structure; how suburban sprawl, industrial clustering and commuting patterns bear on labor market dynamics.
Previous positions: Statistician, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Program, U.S. Census Bureau.
Academic background: B.A., English and economics (double major), Emory University, 2000, M.A., 2004, and Ph.D., 2007, both in economics, University of Maryland-College Park.
Last book read: "Gallimaufry: A Hodge-Podge of Words Vanishing from Our Vocabulary" by Michael Quinion.
In his own time: Cycling, watching movies and documentaries.

Vishal Gaur, associate professor, operations management
College: Johnson School
Academic focus: Inventory management and logistics problems in supply chains and retailing, and their impact on the financial performance of firms.
Previous position: Assistant professor, Stern School of Business, New York University, 2001-07.
Academic background: B.Tech., computer science and engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India, 1993; M.B.A., Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India, 1995; Ph.D., operations management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 2001.
Last book read: "Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production" by Taiichi Ohno.
In his own time: Playing with my two kids.

Kate Griffith, assistant professor, collective bargaining, Labor Law and Labor History Department
College: ILR
Academic focus: International, comparative and domestic labor and employment law affecting low-wage workers in the United States; the intersection of labor and employment law and immigration; the use of foreign labor law in U.S. courts; constitutional issues raised in workplace legal disputes involving immigrant workers.
Previous position: Skadden Fellow, Workers' Rights Law Center of New York Inc., 2005-07
Academic background: B.A., Holy Cross College, 1997; J.D., New York University School of Law, 2004.
Last book read: "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk.
In her own time: Yoga, hiking, puzzling.

Yuval Grossman, associate professor, physics
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: High-energy physics; theoretical high-energy physics: flavor physics (B, Dand kaon), neutrino physics, leptogenesis, LHC physics.
Previous positions: Research associate, Stanford University, 1996-2000; assistant professor of physics, Israel Institute of Technology, 2000-03; associate professor of physics, Israel Institute of Technology, 2003-07.
Academic background: B.S., physics and computer science, Bar-Ilan University, 1990; M.S., theoretical physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 1993; Ph.D., theoretical physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 1996.
In his own time: Water polo.

Tobias Hanrath, assistant professor, chemical and biomolecular engineering
College: Engineering
Academic focus: Utilization of semiconductor nanomaterials for solar energy conversion and storage.
Previous position: Postdoctoral research fellow, Technical University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 2006-07.
Academic background: B.S., chemical engineering and B.S., chemistry, University of Tulsa, 2000; Ph.D. chemical engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2004.
Last book read: "The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman.
In his own time: Cycling and hiking.

Ben Ho, assistant professor, economics
College: Johnson School
Academic focus: Economic approaches such as game theory and laboratory experiments to analyze social institutions. Apologies, fashion and identity and innovation.
Previous positions: Lead economist for energy and transportation at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, 2006-07. Research analyst, Morgan Stanley, 2000-01.
Academic background: B.S., math, B.S., economics, B.S., computer science and M.Eng., electrical engineering/computer science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000; M.A., political science, M.A., education and Ph.D., economics, Stanford University, 2006.
Last book read: "Sandman Vol. 9" by Neil Gaiman and "Gentleman of the Road" by Michael Chabon.
In his own time: Cooking, skiing/snowboarding, travel, photography, art history, roller hockey, poker.

Ying Hua, assistant professor, design and environmental analysis
College: Human Ecology
Academic focus: The economic and human performance associated with sustainable building design, particularly design for human health, comfort and performance; building systems and systems integration for energy effectiveness and environmental sustainability; economic implications of green buildings' triple bottom lines and life cycle assessment; collaborative workplace; and corporation social responsibility for environmental quality and sustainability.
Academic background: B.Arch., Zhejiang University, China, 1998; M.Eng., building science and technology, Zhejiang University, 2001; Ph.D. in building performance, Carnegie Mellon University, 2007.
Last book read: "The World Is Flat" by Thomas Friedman.
In her own time: Traveling. The most memorable trip so far is the one month to Alaska last summer."

Christopher Koch, associate professor, computer science
College: Engineering
Academic focus: Database systems and database theory.
Previous position: Associate professor, Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany.
Academic background: M.S., Vienna University of Technology, 1998; Ph.D., CERN and Vienna University of Technology, 2001.
Last book read: "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut.
In his own time: Karate, skiing, reading Wikipedia.

Steve Koutsourelakis, assistant professor, civil and environmental engineering
College: Engineering
Academic focus: The interface between engineering mechanics, computational statistics and applied probability.
Previous positions: Research scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 2005-07; postdoctoral researcher, Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, Austria, 2002-05.
Academic background: Diploma, civil engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece, 1998; Ph.D., civil engineering, Princeton University, 2002.
Last book read: "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth" by Paul Hoffman.
In his own time: Playing with my daughter.

Rowena Lohman, assistant professor, earth and atmospheric sciences
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences/Arts and Sciences/ Engineering
Academic focus: Analysis of ground deformation observations associated with earthquakes and other parts of the seismic cycle.
Previous positions: Postdoctoral researcher at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Academic background: B.S., geology, California Institute of Technology, 1998; Ph.D., geophysics, California Institute of Technology, 2004.
Last book read: "The Pickup" by Nadine Gordimer.
In her own time: Cycling, knitting and discovering Ithaca.

Natalie Mahowald, assistant professor, earth and atmospheric sciences
College: Engineering
Academic focus: Understanding atmospheric transport of biogeochemically and climatically important gases and aerosols, and how humans are changing their distributions.
Previous position: Postdoctoral fellow, Stockholm University, 1997-98; assistant professor, University of California-Santa Barbara, School of Environmental Science and Management, 1998-2002; scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Sciences, Boulder, Colo., 2002-07.
Academic background: B.S., physics, A.B., German, Washington University in St. Louis, 1988; M.S., natural resource policy, University of Michigan, 1993; Ph.D., meteorology, MIT, 1996.
In her own time: Run and run after two children.

Jordan Matsudaira, assistant professor, policy analysis and management
College: Human Ecology
Academic focus: Labor economics, quantitative methods and public policies surrounding education, health and welfare. Current projects include an exploration of the impact of bilingual education on immigrant children's academic and labor market outcomes, and the extent of monopsony power (a state in which demand comes from one source) in the labor market for nurses.
Previous position: Robert Wood Johnson postdoctoral scholar in health policy research, University of California-Berkeley, 2005-07; research associate, Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University, 1998-2000; economist for Fujitsu Research Institute in Tokyo, 1996-2000.
Academic background: B.A., economics and East Asian studies, Union College, 1993; master's in public policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 1996; Ph.D., economics and public policy, University of Michigan, 2005.
Last book read: "The Emergence of Probability" by Ian Hacking; "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling.
In his own time: Hiking and playing golf, volleyball and guitar.

Neil S. Mattson, assistant professor, horticulture
College: Agriculture and Life Sciences
Academic focus: Plant physiology and development as it relates to ornamental greenhouse crop production; particularly nutrition management including salt stress, nutrient toxicities and strategies to reduce inputs and mitigate runoff from horticultural facilities.
Academic background: B.A., computer science and biology, University of Minnesota-Morris, 2000; M.S., applied plant biology, University of Minnesota-St. Paul, 2002; Ph.D., plant biology, University of California-Davis, 2007.
Last book read: "Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers" by Amy Stewart.
In his own time: Biking, tennis, skiing, reading and getting ready for my first child (due in November).

Liam McAllister, assistant professor, physics
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: String theory and cosmology, focused on using string theory to describe the first fraction of a second of the evolution of the universe.
Previous position: Postdoctoral associate, Princeton University, 2005-07.
Academic background: A.B., physics and mathematics, Harvard University, 2000; Ph.D., physics, Stanford University, 2005.
Last book read: "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson (for the third time).
In his own time: Backpacking, preferably at high altitude; running."

Fatma Mete, associate professor, fiber science and apparel design
College: Human Ecology
Academic focus: Analysis of apparel design and manufacturing processes and strategies, apparel design behavior, concentrating on design inspiration, creative processes and visual analogy reasoning. Development of design skills and creativity. Modeling fabric drape for garment computer-aided design.
Previous positions: Professor (2006-07), associate professor (2000-06), assistant professor (1997-2000) and research and teaching assistant (1987-96) of apparel design, Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey; clothing design and product development director, Batõlõlar Giyim Sanayii ve Tic. A. (menswear apparel manufacturing company), Turkey, 1985-87.
Academic background: B.S., textile engineering, Aegean University, Turkey, 1985; M.S., apparel technology, Aegean University, 1990; Ph.D., clothing technology and design, University of Leeds, 1996.
Last book read: "Understanding Design: 175 Reflections on Being a Designer" by Kees Dorst.
In her own time: Swimming, hiking, observing nature, sewing, cooking.

Suzanne Mettler, professor of government
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: How policies influence citizens' attitudes about government and participation in civic life and politics; analysis of the politics of U.S. social and educational policies.
Previous position: Distinguished professor of political science, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University.
Academic background: B.A., theology, Boston College, 1984; M.A., political science, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, 1989; Ph.D., government, Cornell, 1994.
Last book read: "Lay of the Land" by Richard Ford.
In her own time: Watching my older daughter swim and my younger daughter dance; swimming in Lake Cayuga and in the North Atlantic off of Cape Cod.

John Mollenkamp, associate clinical professor
College: Law School
Academic focus: Legal writing, pretrial litigation, civil rights litigation; how to communicate legal issues objectively and persuasively in representing clients in various nonviolent forms of dispute resolution and negotiation.
Previous position: Associate professor of legal writing, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006-07.
Academic background: B.A., English, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1989; J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 1992.
Last book read: "Horseman, Pass By: A Novel" by Larry McMurtry.
In his own time: Coaching my kids' soccer teams, photography, hiking and exploring Ithaca.

Alyosha Molnar, assistant professor, electrical and computer engineering
College: Engineering
Academic focus: Integrated circuits, retinal neuroscience.
Previous positions: Graduate student researcher, University of California-Berkeley; Lead design engineer, Conexant Systems Inc.
Academic background: B.S. in engineering, Swarthmore College, 1997; M.S., 2003, and Ph.D., 2007, electrical engineering, University of California-Berkeley.
Last book read: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling.
In his own time: Fix my house, play with my daughter. Sleep.

Justin Moore, assistant professor, communication
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: Set theory; in particular, the Ramsey theory and combinatorics of infinite sets, and their use in other areas of mathematics, such as analysis and topology.
Previous positions: Postdoctoral associate, University of East Anglia (Norwich, England), 2000-01; assistant professor, mathematics, Boise State University, 2001-06; associate professor, mathematics, Boise State University, 2006-07.
Academic background: Bachelors' degrees, physics and mathematics, and master's degree, mathematics, Miami University (Ohio), all in 1996; Ph.D., mathematics, University of Toronto, 2000.
Last book read: "Galapagos" by Kurt Vonnegut.
In his own time: Kids (two girls, ages 3 and 7), cooking, maintaining a 150-year-old house, hiking, beer making, espresso.

Vishal Narayan, assistant professor, marketing
College: Johnson School
Academic focus: Online marketing.
Academic background: B.E., Delhi College of Engineering, India, 1994; MBA, Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, India, 1996; Ph.D., marketing, Stern School of Business, New York University, 2007.
Last book read: "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcolm Gladwell.
In his own time: Reading, Hindi movies.

Emily G. Owens, assistant professor, policy analysis and management
College: Human Ecology
Academic focus: Public finance, economics of crime and criminal justice, and American economic history. Active areas of research include sentencing, incarceration and individual perceptions of punishment severity.
Previous position: Instructor, American economic history, University of Maryland, 2005-06.
Academic background: B.S., applied math and economics, Brown University, 2002; M.A., 2005, and Ph.D., 2007, both in economics, University of Maryland at College Park.
Last book read: "Sweet and Low: A Family Story" by Rich Cohen.
In her own time: Cooking and baking, traveling to new countries, slowly attempting to remodel my old house.

David Siddhartha Patel, assistant professor, government
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: Comparative politics with a focus on Middle Eastern politics, Islamic institutions and political culture; analysis of the recurrent ability of Islamic institutions to shape patterns of collective action, combining game theory and ethnography to examine how Islamic institutions and symbols can provide individuals with information that facilitates powerful political coordination and enhances social solidarity.
Previous position: Postdoctoral fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University, 2007.
Academic background: B.A., political science and economics, Duke University, 1999; Ph.D., political science, Stanford University, 2007.
Last book read: "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain.
In his own time: Being trained by my puppy, flying small planes, rowing.

Sara B. Pritchard, assistant professor, science and technology studies
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: History of technology, environmental history and their intersection ("Envirotech") with a focus on 20th-century France and French empire.
Academic background: B.A., history, University of Puget Sound, 1994; M.A. and Ph.D., both in history, Stanford University, 1997, 2001, respectively.
Previous positions: Assistant professor, history and philosophy, Montana State University, 2004-07; postdoctoral fellow, history, University of Pennsylvania, 2002-03; postdoctoral fellow, history and science, technology and society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001-02.
Last book read: "The Book of Salt" by Monique Truong; "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan.
In her own time: Running, yoga, hiking, gardening, culinary experiments, fiction and catching up on movies via Netflix.

Ling Qi, assistant professor, nutritional sciences
College: Human Ecology
Academic focus: The transcription regulation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response and inflammation, both of which have been implicated in the etiology of obesity and diabetes. The use of biochemical, genetic, immunological and high throughput approaches in both mouse and cell-culture models to address these fundamental questions.
Previous positions: Postdoctoral researcher, Salk Institute for Biologic Studies (2004-07); postdoctoral researcher, Johns Hopkins University (2001-04).
Academic background: B.S., microbiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 1997; Ph.D., cancer immunology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 2001.
Last book read: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey.
In his own time: Reading, soccer, running.

Brian Rubineau, assistant professor, organizational behavior
College: ILR
Academic focus: Organizational inequalities and the social processes that generate and perpetuate them, identifying policy levers to promote equity in organizational outcomes, economic sociology, social networks, modeling social dynamics.
Previous positions: Graduate research assistant, MIT, 2003-07; organizational scientist, Aptima Inc., 2000-07.
Academic background: B.S., mathematics and brain and cognitive science, MIT, 1993; M.S., population and international health, Harvard, 2000; Ph.D., management, MIT, 2007.
Last book read: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 5," by Joss Whedon (author) and Georges Seanty (illustrator).
In his own time: Playing, dancing, hiking, games and spending time outdoors with my family.

Kerry Shaw, professor, neurobiology and behavior
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: Behavioral genetics, sexual selection and evolution; orthopteroid insects; genetic architecture of behavior (QTLs), linkage analysis and genome evolution.
Previous positions: Associate professor, biology, University of Maryland-College Park, 2000-07; associate professor, organismic and evolutionary biology, Harvard University, 1999-2000; assistant professor, organismic and evolutionary biology, Harvard, 1995-99; postdoctoral fellow, Cornell, 1993-95.
Academic background: A.B., biology, Princeton University, 1985; Ph.D., population biology, Washington University in St. Louis, 1993.
Last book read: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling.
In her own time: Pottery, hiking, fishing.

Kyle Shen, assistant professor, physics
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: Using spectroscopic techniques to probe the electronic structure and many-body quantum interactions in novel states of quantum matter, particularly high-temperature superconductors and other correlated electron systems.
Previous positions: Postdoctoral fellow, University of British Columbia, 2005-07.
Academic background: B.Sc., physics, and B.Sc., electrical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998; Ph.D., applied physics, Stanford University, 2005.
Last book read: "The Blank Slate" by Steven Pinker.
In his own time: Playing and watching hockey, traveling.

Sarah A. Soule, professor, sociology
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: State and organizational-level policy change and diffusion and the role social movements have on these processes. Current projects include studies of advocacy group effects on environmental legislation in the United States; how protest affects multinational firm-level decisions regarding divestment in Burma; protest policing in the U.S.; and how protest affects stock prices of targeted firms.
Previous position: Professor, sociology, University of Arizona, 2006.
Academic background: B.A., sociology, University of Vermont, 1989; M.A., 1991, and Ph.D., 1995, both in sociology from Cornell.
Last book read: "Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: The Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and Its Legacy" by Kenneth T. Andrews.
In her own time: Running, hiking, gardening, cooking.

G. Edward Suh, assistant professor, electrical and computer engineering
College: Engineering
Academic focus: Computer engineering (computer architecture, security).
Previous position: Senior development manager, Pufco Inc.
Academic background: Ph.D., electrical engineering and computer science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005.
Last book read: "Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential" by Joel Osteen.
In his own time: Watch movies/sports games, play squash, hang out with friends and family.

Ao (Kevin) Tang, assistant professor, electrical and computer engineering
College: Engineering
Academic focus: Communication networks, control and dynamical systems.
Previous position: Senior research engineer, California Institute of Technology.
Academic background: B.E. 1999, and M.E., 2001, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China; M.S., 2002, and Ph.D., 2006, California Institute of Technology, all in electrical engineering.
Last book read: "Singularities: Landmarks on the Pathways of Life" by Christian de Duve.
In his own time: Sports (jogging, badminton, swimming, hiking), reading and watching movies from time to time.

Viktor Tsyrennikov, assistant professor, economics
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: Capital flows, emerging economies; studying optimal arrangements between creditors and borrowers.
Previous position: Research assistant at New York University (2005-07).
Academic background: B.A., management of information systems, Ivan Franko National University of L'viv, Ukraine, 2000; M.A., economics, Kiev-Mohyla Academy, Kiev, Ukraine, 2002; Ph.D., economics, New York University, 2007.
Last book read: "And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out): Wall Street, the IMF, and the Bankrupting of Argentina" by Paul Blustein.
In his own time: Biking, hiking.

Leaf Van Boven, assistant professor, marketing and behavioral science
College: Johnson School
Academic focus: Research on judgment, emotion and choice in everyday life.
Previous positions: Assistant professor of marketing, University of British Columbia, Faculty of Commerce, 2000-02; assistant professor of psychology, University of Colorado-Boulder, 2002-07.
Academic background: B.S., psychology, University of Washington, 1995; Ph.D., psychology and management, Cornell, 2000.
Last books read: "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene; "The Happiness Hypothesis" by Jonathan Haidt.
In his own time: Cycling (mostly road), hiking, skiing, and (my own) children's football, lacrosse, choir, plays, etc.

Vivian Zayas, assistant professor, psychology
College: Arts and Sciences
Academic focus: Personality, attachment in adulthood and self-control; the interplay between emotional reactions that are automatic and thoughts that are more controlled, and how the interaction between the two shape people's experiences within their closest and most significant relationships.
Previous position: Research scientist, University of Washington, Seattle, 2003-06.
Academic background: B.A., Cornell, 1994; M.S., 2000, and Ph.D., 2003, both at the University of Washington-Seattle.
Last book read: "Prozac Nation" by Elizabeth Wurtzel.
In her own time: Spending time with family and friends and playing Ultimate Frisbee competitively (won the U.S. National Championship in 2004, 2005 and the World Championships in 1997, 1999, 2002).