Meet Duke’s 2023 Fellows in the ACC Academic Leadership Network
Duke University faculty members and academic leaders Sharon Gerecht, Timothy Johnson, Hai “Helen” Li, Elizabeth Marsh and Patrick Smith will serve as fellows in the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Leaders Network.
Fellows from all ACC institutions will participate in three on-site sessions: March 16-18 at UNC-Chapel Hill; June 15-17 at Syracuse; November 9-11 at Duke. Designed to build awareness and effectiveness in the context of academic leadership, the sessions also provide opportunities to engage with peers across the ACC and discuss issues and trends in higher education.
On their home campuses, fellows will meet with key leaders and administrators who oversee such areas as academic affairs, student life, budgeting and financial planning, research, admissions, development and human resources, among others.
This leadership development opportunity is part of Duke Faculty Advancement’s portfolio of programs to support faculty and academic leaders. Deans were invited to nominate faculty members who hold administrative leadership positions.
2023 Duke ACC Academic Leadership Network Fellows
Sharon Gerecht
Paul M. Gross Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Associate Dean for Research & Infrastructure, Pratt School of Engineering
Sharon Gerecht’s research focuses on understanding how the tissue’s microenvironment regulates cellular responses toward developing countermeasures and therapeutics. Using biomaterials and culture systems to emulate mechanical and physical stressors, Gerecht and her team strive to understand tissue function, reliance and homeostasis. The team also uses this approach to uncover pathways in injury and disease development to guide tissue healing and regeneration. She joined Duke in 2022 as a Duke Science and Technology Scholar.
Timothy Johnson
Professor of the Practice of Energy & the Environment
Associate Dean for Professional Programs, Nicholas School of the Environment
Timothy Johnson’s teaching and research address public decision-making as it relates to topics at the intersection of energy system planning and design of the built environment, with a particular interest in how we can leverage interactions among these areas to improve environmental quality and human health. Prior to joining Duke, Johnson worked for the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development as part of a team responsible for examining the environmental consequences of technology change across the energy system.
Hai “Helen” Li
Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Chair of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Hai “Helen” Li’s current research focuses on neuromorphic computing systems, deep learning and security, memory design and architecture, and high-performance and energy-efficient computing systems. Particularly, she is interested in developing the next generation of computer hardware based on the fastest, most efficient example we know of — the human brain. Li has authored or co-authored more than 300 technical papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences and a book entitled “Nonvolatile Memory Design: Magnetic, Resistive and Phase Changing.” She is a fellow of ACM and IEEE.
Elizabeth Marsh
Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience
Chair of the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Elizabeth Marsh’s research examines how people acquire, maintain and update their knowledge, with a focus on understanding false beliefs about the world. Her work has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research and Google, among others. She has published 90 peer-reviewed articles and is a fellow of the Psychonomic Society and the Association for Psychological Science as well as an elected member of Memory Disorders Society.
Patrick Smith
Associate Research Professor of Theological Ethics & Bioethics, Divinity School
Director of Bioethics Programs at the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine, School of Medicine
Patrick Smith’s current research, writing, publications and public speaking are in the areas of moral philosophy, bioethics, the intersection of religious social ethics and health inequities, and the ethics of end-of-life care. He holds a secondary appointment as associate professor in population health sciences and is a senior fellow of the Kenan Institute for Ethics. He has served as a member of the board of directors, currently on the executive committee, and as treasurer for the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities.
Caption for main image: Sharon Gerecht, Timothy Johnson, Hai “Helen” Li, Elizabeth Marsh and Patrick Smith