graduate center cuny phd program

It looks like you're using an unsupported browser

For the best experience please switch to a supported browser

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
• Comparative Biomedical Sciences MS/PhD Program
• Veterinary Public Health
• Graduate Certificate Global One Health
• Internships
• Residencies
• Continuing Education
• Student Resources Directory
• Veterinary Biosciences
• Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Veterinary Preventive Medicine
• Center for Retrovirus Research
• Signature Programs
• Veterinary Student Research Opportunities
• College Research Day
• Environmental Health and Safety
• Grant Support
• Alumni Society
• Alumni Awards
• Get Involved
• Golf Outing
• Homecoming Weekend
• White Coat Ceremony

College to welcome Christine Petersen, DVM, PhD, as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

Originally Published

• Share article via Facebook
• Share article via Twitter
• Share via Email

Dr. Petersen obtained her DVM from Cornell University and her PhD from the Harvard School of Public Health. Her academic career as a faculty member spans twenty years at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and more recently the University of Iowa College of Public Health.

A member of the prestigious National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Petersen will join us from the University of Iowa, where she is a professor in the Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, and the Director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, a One Health center focused on establishing best practices for surveillance, diagnosis, and prevention of novel or re-emerging infectious diseases. 

Dr. Petersen has focused her research on the intersection of zoonotic, vector-borne diseases, and emerging infectious diseases. She has established herself as a prominent figure in the field, garnering national and international recognition and earning numerous awards and grants. Dr. Petersen is also deeply committed to mentoring students and has played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of veterinary scientists. 

An accomplished researcher and educator, Dr. Petersen has made substantial contributions to the field of One Health. Her extensive prior experience equips her with the skills required to excel in this role, where she will be responsible for the planning and implementation of initiatives aimed at bolstering the influence and standing of our research programs. Additionally, she will play a key role in fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and advancing our graduate  program.

As the college prepares for Dr. Petersen’s arrival, we extend our most heartfelt thanks to Pat Green, PhD, who has served as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies for the past 13 years. Dr. Green has made numerous notable contributions during this time and had positive impacts on the college,  university, and beyond. These include serving as a mentor to graduate students and faculty; serving in numerous leadership roles at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Retrovirus Research; maintaining the longest-running NIH program project grant at the university of 20 years; securing startup funds from the Comprehensive Cancer Center and other university-level units as part of faculty recruitment efforts; helping to establish and oversee our college signature programs; assisting with securing funds and overseeing the renovation of research facilities; and much more. 

Dr. Green will continue to contribute through his various college and university leadership roles, oversee his robust research program and continue contributing as a faculty member of the college upon Dr. Petersen assuming the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies position.

The college would like to recognize the dedication of its search committee, including Prosper Boyaka, PhD, Department of Veterinary Biosciences Chair, Andy Bowman, MS, DVM, PHD, DACVPM, Teresa Burns, DVM, PHD, DACVIM, Cynthia Carnes, PharmD, PhD, Greg Habing, DVM, MS, PHD, DACVPM, Michele Morscher, Mike Oglesbee, DVM, PHD, DACVP, Yasuko Rikihisa, PHD, Matt Ringel, MD, and Jenessa Winston, DVM, PHD, DACVIM, as well as Sue Harshe who provided administrative support for the search. Their commitment to selecting a candidate aligned with the college’s shared values and strategic priorities is commendable.  

• Costs, Scholarships & Aid
• Campus Life
• Faculty & Staff
• Family & Visitors
• DFW Community
• Galaxy Login
• Academic Calendar
• Human Resources
• Accessibility

NSF Fellowships To Help Graduate Students Make Seismic Impact

Two students pursuing degrees in sustainable Earth systems sciences (SESS) are among the six current and former University of Texas at Dallas students selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for its 2024 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).

Earth sciences students Madigan Blake BS’23 and Isaac Rangel-Landeros BS’23 represent the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in the highly competitive fellowship program, which provides a stipend and tuition support for students who will pursue or already are pursuing graduate studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“Having two GRFP recipients in our department reflects the amazing quality of our students here at UT Dallas and indicates our renewed department is gaining higher recognition across the broader field of research and education in Earth and environmental sciences,” said Dr. David Lumley , SESS department head and the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Chair in Geophysics. “In this NSF GRFP round, SESS outperformed academic colleagues like UT Austin and Stanford University on an absolute and per-capita award basis.”

In addition to winning these fellowships, Blake and Rangel-Landeros are also Eugene McDermott Graduate Fellows . The McDermott endowment adds up to $10,000 in discretionary research funding to the NSF award, which includes an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost-of-education allowance of $16,000.

“Having two GRFP recipients in our department reflects the amazing quality of our students here at UT Dallas and indicates our renewed department is gaining higher recognition across the broader field of research and education in Earth and environmental sciences.” Dr. David Lumley, head of the Department of Sustainable Earth Systems Sciences and the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Chair in Geophysics

A first-generation student and National Merit Scholar, Blake is pursuing her doctorate with mentor and SESS assistant professor Dr. Kristina Butler as she researches lithium enrichment mechanisms of brines in the Alberta Basin, a petroleum-rich sedimentary basin in Canada. Blake hopes to make the case for lithium exploration in North America and to characterize better current lithium resources, which are essential for many types of batteries and electric vehicles and for the transition to clean energy.

In the long term, she hopes to use her expertise in lithium as a research scientist working on critical mineral resources at a national lab.

“I’m really passionate about combining my love for research with contributing to our current sustainable energy transition,” Blake said.

Butler, who led a two-month virtual workshop on applying for the GRFP, said, “I am ecstatic Madigan decided to stay at UTD to work with my group. Madigan and Isaac are among the best examples of excellence coming out of the sustainable Earth systems sciences major.”

Rangel-Landeros is a master’s student working with SESS assistant professor Dr. Zachary Sickmann in Sickmann’s sedLAB . Rangel-Landeros will be investigating the tectonic history of the Texas Panhandle and the broader Southern High Plains region, which has been on the periphery of several major tectonic events in the geologic history of North America. Using field observations and lab analyses, he hopes to understand how these events were recorded in Permian- to Miocene-aged sedimentary rocks preserved in Caprock Canyons and Palo Duro Canyon state parks.

Rangel-Landeros will use his findings to help develop new bilingual field courses and exhibits to expand access to public natural sciences in Texas.

“My long-term goal is eventually to expand into my own research as a university professor and study the tectonic history of Mexico and other parts of the Western U.S., while utilizing my ability to communicate in multiple languages to increase science outreach,” he said.

In the meantime, Rangel-Landeros said his next step will be to gain some experience in the energy industry.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Created in 1951, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program is the nation’s oldest fellowship program that directly supports graduate students in various STEM fields. This year, 2,037 awards were offered from a pool of approximately 14,000 applicants. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost-of-education allowance of $16,000.

Four recent UT Dallas alums also received GRFP awards this year:

Alexander N. Chin BS’24 , a Collegium V Honors graduate, earned his degree in computer science and worked in the NeuroSpinCompute Laboratory on neuromorphic computing and hardware security with spintronics. He will join the Integrated Nano Computing Lab at UT Austin as an electrical and computer engineering doctoral student this fall.

Sarah Rose Evans BS’23 will join Duke University as a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering this fall. As an electrical engineering undergraduate at UTD, she worked as a research assistant in two different research groups: in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering to lower the contact resistance of two-dimensional semiconductor-metal contacts and in the NeuroSpinCompute Laboratory to use ferromagnetic devices to improve existing memory architectures.

Sarah G. Fisher BS’22 earned her degree in chemistry from UT Dallas. She is a second-year chemistry PhD candidate at Texas A&M University, where she develops environmentally benign polymer nanocomposite coatings for fire retardant and gas barrier applications.

Tristan Linn BS’24 , a Collegium V Honors graduate, earned his degree in mechanical engineering . He will join the Stanford University School of Engineering as a master’s student this fall. He plans to focus his research on soft actuators and humanoid biorobotics.

Media Contact: Stephen Fontenot, UT Dallas, 972-883-4405, [email protected] , or the Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, [email protected] .

• Researchers Make Big Strides with Superman-Inspired Imager Chip
• Artist Dives Deep into Making Science Fathomable for All
• Jonsson School Students To Test AI Search-and-Rescue Tool at NASA
• Researchers’ Vaccine Delivery System May End Need for Booster Shots
• Teaching Excellence Ceremony Celebrates Year’s Top Educators
• Researchers Develop Rapid Test for Detecting Fentanyl
• Undergraduates Showcase Research Projects, Prowess During Events
• Researchers’ Sweeping Discovery Shows How Kidney Cells Self-Renew
• Researcher Charges Ahead with New Tech To Power Drones Wirelessly

800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, Texas 75080-3021

972-883-2111

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

© The University of Texas at Dallas Questions or comments about this page?

STAY CONNECTED WITH UT DALLAS

• Emergency Preparedness
• Campus Carry
• Campus Police
• Required Links
• Tobacco-Free Campus
• Texas Veterans Portal
• Work at UT Dallas
• Nondiscrimination Policy
• Title IX Initiatives
• Student Achievements
• HEERF Reporting
• Counseling/Mental Health
• Hazing Prevention
• Public Course and Syllabus Information
• Privacy Policy