Member update

Published December 01 2017

By Erik Chaulk

Philipp elected Fulbright president

Manfred Philipp, professor emeritus at Lehman College and the City University of New York Graduate Center, has been elected as the 2018 president of the Fulbright Association.

Established in 1977, the Fulbright Association is a nonprofit alumni organization of the Fulbright Program dedicated to promoting scholarship and cultural exchange.

Philipp served as a Fulbright scholar in 2005 at the Catholic University of Portugal, where he taught bioinformatics and biopharmaceutics. He also served as a Fulbright scholar in 2012 and 2013, during which time he did research on multidrug-resistant bacteria at the Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal.

At the Fulbright Association, Philipp is also chair of the national conference committee and has served as secretary of the board of directors.

Philipp will assume his new role in January.

 Manfred Philipp

Schramm joins AzurRx board

Vern Lee Schramm, professor of biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, was appointed to the board of directors at AzurRx BioPharma Inc. in October.

AzurRx is a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing recombinant protein therapies for gastrointestinal diseases and microbiome-related conditions.

Schramm has been on the faculty at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine since 1987, serving as chair of the department of chemistry from 1987 to 2015. He currently holds the Ruth Merns chair in biochemistry.

His research interests include enzymatic transition state analysis, transition state inhibitor design, biological targets for inhibitor design and mechanisms of N-ribosyltransferases.

Vern Lee Schramm

In memoriam: Harvey Penefsky

Influential bioenergetics and enzyme kinetics researcher Harvey S. Penefsky passed away in July at the age of 92.

Originally from Chicago, Penefsky attended New York University after serving in the Army. He completed his undergraduate studies in 1956 and earned his Ph.D. in 1960.

His thesis work with Efraim Racker and Maynard Pullman led to the biochemical and kinetic characterization of ATP synthase and the introduction of enzyme reconstitution studies in Racker’s lab.

In the early 1960s, Penefsky joined the Public Health Research Institute at Rutgers University as a staff researcher. He remained a part of the faculty at PHRI for more than 40 years, during which time he was considered a pioneer in the field of bioenergetics.

In the 1980s, Penefsky’s kinetic insights shaped the understanding of the mechanism of ATP synthase. This research, conducted alongside Richard Cross and Charlie Grubmeyer, provided the groundwork for Paul D. Boyer, who won the 1997 Nobel Prize in chemistry for elucidating the enzymatic mechanism of the ATP synthase.

Penefsky also served on the faculty at the State University of New York, Syracuse, from 1988 to 1996 and as a member of the department of microbiology and molecular genetics at the New Jersey Medical School from 2002 to 2007.

Zia Penefsky, Harvey’s wife of 61 years, died in 2015.

Maquat elected to National Academy of Medicine

Lynne Elizabeth Maquat is one of 80 new members elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Maquat is the J. Lowell Orbison endowed chair and a professor in the department of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Members are elected to the National Academy of Medicine based on professional achievement related to health and medicine, as well as commitment to service.

Maquat’s research focuses on RNA decay pathways in relation to human diseases. She is also director of the Center for RNA Biology: From Genome to Therapeutics at Rochester, where she conducts and supports interdisciplinary RNA research.

 Lynn Elizabeth Maquat

Bryant receives ASM’s White award

Donald A. Bryant has won the American Society for Microbiology’s 2018 D.C. White Research and Mentoring Award.

This award recognizes outstanding achievement in interdisciplinary research and mentoring in the field of microbiology.

Bryant came to Penn State in 1981 and has served as the Ernest C. Pollard professor of biotechnology since 1992. He is also a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology.

His research explores the genomics, metabolism, physiology and structure of chlorophototrophic bacteria.

 Donald A. Bryant

In memoriam: Eric Conn

Eric E. Conn, professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, passed away in September. He was 94.

Conn received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1944. He then worked as an inorganic chemist with the Manhattan Project during World War II.

He earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1948 and completed postdoctoral training, both at the University of Chicago. In 1950, Conn joined the faculty at UC Berkeley, where he spent eight years before going to UC Davis.

Conn co-founded the department of biochemistry and biophysics at UC Davis, which was later reorganized and integrated into the department of molecular and cellular biology.

Conn developed the university’s introductory biochemistry course in 1959 and taught it until his retirement in 1993. He also co-authored “Outlines of Biochemistry” in 1963. The textbook was the first of its kind to explore the principles of metabolism in a nonencyclopedic way.

Among his many honors, Conn received the UC Davis Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award in 1974 and the Academic Senate Faculty Research Lecturer Award in 1977. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1988.

He remained a part of the UC Davis community after his retirement as professor emeritus in the department of molecular and cellular biology.

 Eric E. Conn

Ackerman honored as student athlete

East Stroudsburg University senior offensive lineman Devon Ackerman was a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation’s 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy.

Ackerman was one of 181 athletes nominated as semifinalists for the award. The National Football Foundation narrows this pool to between 12 and 14 finalists, with each receiving an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and recognition as a part of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.

Individuals are chosen based on athletic and academic accomplishments as well as community service. Ackerman is a two-time Academic All-America first team selection, was twice named to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Fall Top 10 and started all 44 games of his career at ESU.

He is a biochemistry and chemical biotechnology major and has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his collegiate tenure. He plans to attend medical school after graduation this month.

Ackerman assisted with the ESU’s partnership with the Special Olympics and the Salvation Army, among other community service projects.

 Devon Ackerman

New ASBMB Members

  

Meklit Abebe, Temple University
Chase Adams, Texas Tech University
Myfanwy Adams, Cornell University
Jung Hoon Ahn, Korea Advanced Institute
of Science & Technology
Olatayo Ajenifuja, Saint Louis University
Mona Hadi Al-Mugotir, University of Nebraska
O’Brien Alley, Tulane University
Elizabeth Altman, Union College
Michele Alves–Bezerra, Weill Cornell Medical College
Jacob Anderson, University of New Mexico
Anthony Andrade, University of Tampa
Allyssa G. Angel, Montclair State University
Amanda Abigail Antoch, Washington State University
Kai Aragaki, University of Arizona
Rey Arcenas, Tulane University
Manuel Arias–Calderón, Universidad de Chile
Dominic Arruda, Providence College
Arman Attisha, University of California–Santa Barbara
Myo Thandar Aung, University of California–Davis
Liudmila Averianova, Niigata University
David Oluwagbemi Babayemi, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta              
Jonaton Simeon Baginski, University of California–Santa Barbara
Andras Balogh, University of Texas at Austin
Mariana Barboza, University of California–Davis
Kimberly M. Barnes, West Virginia University
Brian James Bartlett, University of New Hampshire
Kelsey Bartman, Saint Louis University
Christopher Battey, University of Texas at Austin
Erin Bean, Tulane University
Nella Beardall, Agnes Scott College
Gwenaelle Begue, Ball State University
Jessie Benson, Viterbo University
Hallie Berndt, Tulane University
Emily Berry, University of New Hampshire
Jasmine Berry, Agnes Scott College
Marne Boehm, Viterbo University
Claude-Luvier Bonnet, Union College
Raiza Bonomo, Loyala University of Chicago
Beth Boudreau, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Charles Lucas Boyd, Huntingdon College
Nicholas E. Brammeier, Italgrani USA
Patrick Brandenburg, Tulane University
Lance C. Bridges, Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Kieran Broder, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Will Brooks, University of Arizona
Quang Bui, University of California–Davis
Matthew Bye, Stockton University
Katherine Byrnes, Tulane University
Jada Cantu, Texas Tech University
Johan Carballo, Saint Louis University
Christopher Carter, Tulane University
Maria Guadalupe Castaneda, University of Texas
at Dallas
Brady Caverzagie, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Kimberly Ann Cen, California State University–Northridge
Jennifer Chang, Wellesley College
Madhu Chavali, University of Arizona
Benjamin G. Chavez, Texas Tech University
Eric Chavez, University of Texas at Austin
Chintin Chen, National Taiwan University
Hei Yuen Cheung, Tulane University
Eric Chow, Saint Louis University
Ethan Chupp, Wesleyan University
Daniel Clark, Providence College
Daniel James Clayton, The University of Adelaide
Rachel Clement, Union College
Allison Cobb, Saint Leo University
Ryann Cohen, Tulane University
Sandra T. Cooper, The University of Sydney
Luc Courtnis, Tulane University
Adrienne E. Courtois, Saint Louis University
Hannah Culbreath, Agnes Scott College
Kelly Cumming, Texas Tech University
Sydney Cunniff, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Mark Cunningham, Hope College
Brian Dang, University of California–Davis
Rammy Dang, Northeastern University
Franklyn Shanal De, University of Saskatchewan
Katie DeBlanc, Tulane University
Jennifer Deem, University of Washington
Jamison Deluir, Tulane University
Angie, Demarco, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Ryan Dickie, University of Maryland–Baltimore County
Gianluca A. DiUbaldi, Providence College
Alexandria Doerfler, Baylor College of Medicine
Christian Dolf, University of California–Davis
Elena Donahue, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Christopher Dowdy, University of Virginia
Antonia Dawn Duran, The Ohio State University
Kathryn Duris, Synedgen
Anna Ebacher, Tulane University
Seth Edwards, Saint Louis University
Reyad Elbarbary, Penn State University
Patrick Eldridge, Texas Tech University
Eric Elizondo, Saint Louis University
Jesús Mauricio Ernesto Hernández Méndez,
Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados
del Instituto Politécnico Nacional
Chiara Evans, Albany College of Pharmacy
and Health Sciences
Chelsea Everett, Tulane University
Abhishek Fakiraswamimath, Wesleyan University
Angela Fan, Wesleyan University
Darian Fard, Boston University School of Medicine
Emily Finder, Viterbo University
Thomas Finley, Virginia Tech
Travis Fischer, University of New Hampshire
Justin Fleischer, Union College
Doug Fowler, University of Washington
Jane Frandsen, The Ohio State University
Brooke Freeman, Tulane University
Parker Friedlander, Tulane University
Harrison Fuchs, University of Iowa
Ernesto Fuentes, University of Iowa
Corey Gallen, Saint Leo University
Adi Gandhi, Wesleyan University
Shrihita Ganga, Saint Louis University
Kelsey Garbe, Saint Louis University
Danielle Garshott, University of California–San Diego
Hilary Gaudet, Wheaton College
Chaitanya Gavini, Loyola University Chicago
Matthew Gentile, Providence College
Eric Geyer, University of Colorado
Meg Giitter, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Caroline Gilmore, National Cancer Institute
Jose Godoy–Lugo, University of California–Merced
Michael Goulet, University of New Hampshire
Raheim Grant, Saint Leo University
Danielle Grecco, University of Tampa
Devon Grey, University of Tampa
Praneeth Gudoor, University of New Mexico
Dominique Gutierrez, City University of New York
Brynn Gwartzman, Tulane University
Alex Hafey, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Blake Hakkila, Oregon State University
Pearce Haldeman, California Institute of Technology
Matthew Hall, National Center for Advancing Translational Science
Marissa Hansen, University of Texas at Austin
Simone Harrison, Wesleyan University
Daniel Hass, Penn State College of Medicine
Jeremy Hay, University of Texas at Austin
Miyuki Hayashi, University of Montana
Greg Hayner, Union College
Chris Henry, Union College
Benjamin Hernandez, Winthrop University
Blake Hernandez, University of Texas at Austin
Hailey Heston, Wesleyan University
Jillian Higgins, Providence College
Colin Hitter, Wesleyan University
Dara Hoffman, University of Tampa
Seth Hofheins, Saint Louis University
Jay Hollman, Saint Louis University
Elizabeth Hong, Saint Louis University
Erica Horowitz, Wesleyan University
Alissa Horsung, Boston University
Emma Hostetter, Wesleyan University
Taylor Howard, Viterbo University
Ku-Lung Hsu, University of Virginia
Sharen Hudaya, Agnes Scott College
Katherine Huerta, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Laura Hynes, Skidmore College
Lina Innocent, University of California, Berkeley
Gianluca Interlandi, University of Washington
Marco Islas, University of Texas at Austin
Reina Iwase, Boston University
Luke Izzo, University of Pennsylvania
Sara Jacobellis, Providence College
Isabella Jacus, Saint Leo University
Alison Jahnke, Viterbo University
Mackenzie Jenkins, University of Alaska–Fairbanks
Esther Jimenez, University of Texas at Austin
Jian Jing, Nanjing University
Hector Jirau, University of Puerto Rico
Aaron Johnson, University of Colorado
Christiana Joseph, Agnes Scott College
Megan Joseph, University of Michigan–Flint
Meera Joshi, Wesleyan University
Andrew Josling, Providence College
Michael Kanan, Saint Louis University
Lynn Kaneko, University of Arizona
Jengmin Kang, Seoul National University
Vruta Kansara, Saint Louis University
Mycala Kapustka, Saint Louis University
Ahmet Karabulut, Stowers Institute
Christos Karamitros, University of Texas
Diana Karnidal, University of California-Davis
Sophie Karolczak, Wesleyan University
Khawla Abd Al-Kareem, Leicester University
Kari Kernen, Saint Louis University
Katie Kersting, Saint Louis University
Sohil Khanna, Wesleyan University
Charya Khun, Wesleyan University
Simran Khurana, National Institutes of Health
Catherine Kim, Louisiana State University
Health Sciences Center
Kidae Kim, Kennesaw State University
Nayun Kim, University of Texas Health Science
Center–Houston
Thomas Kirby, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Garth Kong, Oregon State University
Brittany Krafft, Saint Louis University
Aileen Krause, Providence College

Austin Krohn, Saint Louis University
Jeffrey Kroon, University of Amsterdam
Thomas Kukar, Emory University
Yi-Li Lam, University of California–Santa Barbara
Anne-Sophie Lasley, Tulane University
Amanda Law, University of Colorado–Denver
Andy Le, University of Arizona
Lakhena Leang, Union College
Richard LeBaron, University of Texas at San Antonio
Aejin Lee, The Ohio State University
Sangchoon Lee, Georgia State University
Clarisa Leenardo, University of California–Davis
Bibo Li, Cleveland State University
Hanna Li, Tulane University
Leah Li, Wesleyan University
Lingjun Li, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Edwin Liu, University of California–Santa Barbara
Chania Livesey–Clare, Imperial College London
Patrick Loll, Drexel University
Alex Lombardo, Agnes Scott College
Jessica Lowry, University of British Columbia
Annie Madden, Saint Louis University
Anna Mammel, Oregon Health & Science University
Pooja Mandke, University of Texas
Sharhan Manir, Univerity of California–Davis
Jorge Martinez–Jimenez, University of Puerto Rico
Solianne Martinez–Jimenez, Universidad Central del Caribe
Edelina Marzouk, Wesleyan University
Neel Matiwala, Saint Louis University
Donald Matthews, Oregon Health & Science University
Jess Maung, Union College
Katherine McCaffrey, Saint Louis University
Julie McDonald, Wesleyan University
Julie McGhie, Wesleyan University
Grace McGrath, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Sheighlah McManus, University of St. Thomas
Sarah McQuirter, Tulane University
Linett Medina, University of California–Davis
Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, Arkansas State University
Katie Meyer, Viterbo University
William Mills, Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine
Joji Mima, Institute for Protein Research,
Osaka University
Charlotte Mineo, Union College
Elizabeth Minten, Emory University
Lenore Monterroza, University of Texas at El Paso
Cody Moore
Orod Motevalli, Virginia Tech
Jacob Multer, Wesleyan University
Claudia Muratori, Old Dominion University
Gerryl Naranjo, University of California–Santa Barbara
Raghu Narayanan, Arizona State University
Vidya Narayanaswamy, Syenedgen
Zarrar Nashman, Saint Leo University
Jesse Neely, Texas Tech University
Sunday Negedu, University of Lagos
Miranda Nelson, Viterbo University
Valerie Nemov, Tulane University
Faith Nguyen, Saint Louis University
Lawrence Nguyen, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Angelo Nicolaci, University of Tampa
Omar Nunez, California State University–Northridge
Emmanuella Ojukwu, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania
Darielle Oliveros, University of California–Davis
Mackenzie Olson, Saint Louis University
Virginija Page, Canterbury Christ Church University
Erika Palmieri, National Cancer Institute-Frederick
Jeenah Park, University of San Francisco
Marian Pascual, California State University–Long Beach
Devin Patel, University of California–Davis
Foen Peng, University of Washington
Polin Petkova, City University of New York
Rubye Peyser, Wesleyan University
Minh Pham, Saint Louis University
Hoai-Nha Phan, Texas Tech University
Jasmin Philip, City University of New York
Minu Pitchiah, Saint Louis University
Elena Plakotaris, Tulane University
David Pratt, Midnight Mechanism
Aviv Preminger, Wesleyan University
Chloe Qiu, Wesleyan University
Caroline Dana Quinn, California State University–Northridge
Armon Michael Rad, Colorado State University
Vasanth Rajasekaran, Tulane University
Yulduz Rakibova, California State University–Northridge
Joram Rana, Kent University
Rajiv Rangan, Texas A&M University
Aditya Rao, University of California-Davis
Afrooz Rashnonejad, Research Institute-                   Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Erin Reineke, Houston Methodist Research Institute
Amy Ren, Tulane University
Svante Resjö, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Jason Reynolds, Huntingdon College
Robert Rice, University of Arizona
Rachel Riley, Union College
Anapaula Rios-Rosales, Saint Leo University
Laura Berenice Rivas, California State University-Northridge
Christian Rivera, Texas Tech University
Paola Rizzo, University of Ferrara
Calvin Robbins, Tufts University
Christian Robillo, University of California–Davis
Alessandra Rodriguez y Baena, California Polytechnic State University–San Luis Obispo
Eden Romm, University of California
Ritcha Roy, Tulane University
Nicholas Rozeman, Hope College
Hayley Rutkey, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Annie Ryan, Saint Louis University
Maiquie Sabinano, Agnes Scott College
Junichi Sadoshima, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Anisah Sahibul, Tulane University
Rebecca Salamon, Fort Lewis College
Michael San Angelo, Whittier College
Jonathan Enrique Sandoval, University of California–Santa Barbara
Andrew Sano, Providence College
Alicia Schaffner
Nathalie Scheers, Chalmers University of Technology
Dylan Schick, Wesleyan University
Damon Schmalzriedt, Viterbo University
Lindsey Elizabeth Selph, Huntingdon College
Jaime Seltzer, Stanford University
Parijat Senapati, City of Hope
Mayra Shak, University of St. Thomas
Yeva Shamailova, Pace University
Irfan Shaukat, Biopole
lexa Sheehan, Tulane University
Yang Shen, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Hana Shin, University of Texas at Austin
Joanna Shisler, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Nicole Sileo, Providence College
Riley Sinnott, Tulane University
Humphry Smith, Serrula Research
Miles Colby Smith
Ian Snyder, Saint Leo University
Holger Sondermann, Cornell University
Audra Goach Sostarecz, Monmouth College
Megan Spinney, Providence College
Olivia Stevens, Saint Louis University
Shannon Alyssa Stirling
Xiaoyun Su, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Gabriel Suazo, University of Tampa
Sharifah Athira Syed, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Tara Tabibi, Saint Louis University
Safiha Talukder, University of Texas at Austin
Annie Thai, Tulane University
Davis Thomas, Loyola University–Chicago
Emily Thompson, University of New Hampshire
Shade Thompson, Viterbo University
Grant Tillinhast, Wesleyan University
Tri To, University of Texas at Austin
Jose Tomaselli, University of Tampa
Charles Corwyn Towey
Rebecca Trabing, Saint Leo University
Gabriel Travis, University of California, Los Angeles
Rohan Tripathi, Saint Louis University
Sharon Truong, California State University–Northridge
Natasha Turyasingura, St. Lawrence University
Jin Uehara, University of Texas at Austin
Madison Uli, University of Arizona
Melissa Eleanor Vaaltyn, Salisbury University
Samantha Vantine, New York University
Alyssa Vianese, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Jose A. Viscarra, University of California Berkeley
Kayla Viscarra, Tulane University
Dangkhoa Vo, Stockton University
Katherine Volluz, Saint Louis University
Caitlin Weaver, Agnes Scott College
Spencer Whitney, The Australian National University
Daniel Wieland, University of Arizona
Lauren Wilkins, Drexel University
Elliot Williams, Wesleyan University
Brenda Wilson, University of Illinois at
Urbana–Champaign
Jeffrey Wilson, Stockton University
Halah Winner, University of Texas at Austin
Andruw Wittels, Saint Louis University
Joanna Wong, University of California–Davis
Emma Wu, University of Arizona
Liqi Xu, University of California–Davis
Desmond Yao, Wesleyan University
Ruby Ye, Tufts University
Andrew Yim, University of Arizona
Hao Ying, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences
Anna Young, Saint Louis University
Kati Young, Wesleyan University
Amira Zaher, St. Cloud State University
Mohamed Adel Zayed, Washington University
School of Medicine
Tony Joseph Zbysinski III, Mississippi State University
Liguo Zhang, Duke University
Xiao-Ning Zhang, St. Bonaventure University
Dacheng Zhao, Wesleyan University
Elsie Zhao, Tulane University
Hui Zheng, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health
Jieqing Zhu, Blood Center of Wisconsin

Erik Chaulk Erik Chaulk is a peer-review coordinator and digital publications web specialist at the ASBMB.