Associate Professor of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida My laboratory investigates the contribution of T lymphocyte subsets and functions in maintaining tolerance, with a specific emphasis on Tregs. We have examined the involvement of Tregs in the prevention of a number of animal models of human disease including type 1 diabetes, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. We are currently investigating mechanisms that control Treg function. One such mechanism could be the suppressors of cytokine signaling family of intracellular proteins (SOCS). SOCS proteins regulate cellular responsiveness to cytokines, which are proteins involved in cellular communication. Although it is known that certain cytokines are essential for Treg survival and function, how SOCS proteins contribute to this process are not well understood. One primary focus of our laboratory is to examine the interplay between Tregs and SOCS proteins.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, University of Michigan Jennifer Brenton is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. She earned her PhD in Management from Memorial University of Newfoundland and was an External PhD Scholar at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. Her research interests include place, social enterprise, community-based enterprise, and cross-sector work. Jennifer’s research explores the role of place in shaping social enterprises and cross-sector partnerships and how place-based organizations can drive community regeneration and development. In addition to her research, Jennifer has worked as a social enterprise consultant on topics of governance, business plan development, and marketing.
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Sustainable Polymer Materials, University of Bradford After completing a BSc degree in Chemistry, I undertook a PhD in Materials for Demanding Environments at the University of Manchester, jointly sponsored by BP and the EPSRC. I developed elastomers containing graphene nanoplatelets, work which sought to prevent oil leaks, and I gradually developed an interest in sustainability and the environment. Following on from this, I joined the University of Bradford to work on the recycling of elastomers and complex polymers as part of the £1m EPSRC joint UK-China funded Low Carbon grant (EP/S018573/1). This research was performed in collaboration with Sichuan University, who have developed technology for the recycling of polymer materials. Over the course of this 4 year project, we produced many publications on the recycling and reprocessing of waste into high value materials, which has generated commercial interest.
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Purdue University Jacqui Frost earned her Ph.D. at University of Minnesota in 2020 and joined Purdue sociology faculty in 2022. She is a mixed-methods scholar whose research integrates cultural sociology, sociology of religion, science and technology studies, and sociology of health. Most broadly, her work investigates the causes and consequences of religious disaffiliation in the United States. She is currently working on projects that examine conceptions of ritual and community in nonreligious congregations, the ways religious change shapes health and wellbeing, and conceptions of science as sacred in the transhumanist movement. She utilizes a range of methods to examine these topics, including surveys, ethnography, focus groups, and interviews. Her recent research has been published in American Sociological Review, Social Forces, Poetics, Social Currents, and Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. You can learn more about Dr. Frost’s research and teaching interests at jacquifrost.com.
Professor of Education, University of Connecticut Dr. Joseph Madaus is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. He is also Director of the Collaborative on Postsecondary Education and Disability. He is a Past President of the Division on Career Development and Transition, a division of the Council for Exceptional Children. In 2007, Dr. Madaus received both the Teaching Promise and Teaching Innovation award from the University of Connecticut chapter of the American Association of University Professors. In 2008, he was named as a University Teaching Fellow, the highest teaching honor at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Madaus was a Distinguished Research Fellow in the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Mary Switzer Fellowship program in 2003-2004. He currently serves on the editorial board of nine journals, including the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, TEACHING Exceptional Children, and Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals. He was named reviewer of the year for CDTEI in 2008 and 2011. He was the co-editor of Preparing Students with Disabilities for College: A Practical Guide for Transition. He is the Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on grants through the Office for Postsecondary Education, Office for Special Education Programs, the Institute of Education Sciences, and the State of Connecticut.
Dean of the Irvin D. Reid Honors College and Professor of Philosophy, Wayne State University Corvino's research mainly focuses on controversial "culture war" issues surrounding sexuality and marriage. He is the author or co-author of three books from Oxford University Press: Debating Same-Sex Marriage (with Maggie Gallagher), What’s Wrong with Homosexuality?, and, most recently, Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination, with Ryan T. Anderson and Sherif Girgis. In addition to his books and scholarly articles, Corvino has contributed to The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Detroit Free Press, the Huffington Post, The New Republic, Slate, Commonweal, and other popular venues. He is the recipient of several teaching awards, including the Wayne State University President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and a 2012 Distinguished Professor of the Year Award from the Presidents Council of the State Universities of Michigan. In the last 25 years, he has spoken at over 250 campuses on issues of sexuality, ethics, and marriage. His online videos have received over two million views.
