Jo Handelsman

Jo Handelsman

Jo Handelsman
Born 1959
Institutions Yale University
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Cornell University
Website
www.hhmi.org/grants/professors/handelsman_bio.html

Jo Emily Handelsman (born 1959, New York, NY) is the Associate Director for Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate in June, 2014.[1] She was previously a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at Yale University.[2] She has been editor-in-chief of the academic journal DNA and Cell Biology and author of books on scientific education, most notably Scientific Teaching.[3][4][5]

Early life

Handelsman's interest in agriculture began early, in drives with her parents from New York City to rural Long Island. Her 10th grade biology teacher was an early mentor. She wanted to use genetics to "feed the world". Handelsman's parents were psychologists and social workers, and they pressed her to follow a similar career. However, her interest was in biology. She saved money from babysitting to buy a microscope (still in her office). [6]

Handelsman skipped two years of high school and began college at NYU. After one year she transferred to Cornell.[6]

Education

Handelsman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy from Cornell University in 1979 and her Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1984.[7] She observed a distinct difference in tone between the two institutions at that time. At Cornell, she felt that women were often discouraged from careers in science, while at Madison, they were taken seriously. In a 2006 interview, she expressed the view that Cornell continued to remain behind on feminist issues.[6]

Career

Handelsman secured a faculty position in plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1985. She remained at Wisconsin until 2009, and then took a position at the Yale University Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology in 2010.[3][4][8] Her research involves the study of microorganisms present in soil and insect gut.[3] She is responsible for coining the term metagenomics[9] and is particularly known for her work in pioneering the use of functional metagenomics to study antibiotic resistance.[10] She has published books and held workshops on scientific teaching, for which she is recognized nationally.[4]

She is an active researcher and advocate of women in science issues. She was co-director of the Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute[11][12] and was the first president of the Rosalind Franklin Society.[3][13] In 2011 she was awarded the Presidential Award for Science Mentoring, which recognizes mentors in science or engineering.[14]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ OSTP Website
  2. ↑ "Jo Handelsman, PhD". Yale School of Medicine. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Jo Handelsman, PhD Profile". Yale School of Medicine. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 "Jo Handelsman, Ph.D.". Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  5. ↑ Brumfiel, G.; Tollefson, J.; Hand, E.; Baker, M.; Cyranoski, D.; Shen, H.; Van Noorden, R.; Nosengo, N.; et al. (2012). "366 days: Nature's 10". Nature 492 (7429): 335–343. Bibcode:2012Natur.492..335.. doi:10.1038/492335a. PMID 23257862.
  6. 1 2 3 University of Wisconsin, Oral History Project, "Interview #802", August 29, 2006
  7. ↑ "Curriculum vitae" (PDF). The University of New Hampshire. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  8. ↑ Gellman, Lindsay (February 1, 2010). "Prof. to push diversity". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  9. ↑ Handelsman, J.; Rondon, M. R.; Brady, S. F.; Clardy, J.; Goodman, R. M. (1998). "Molecular biological access to the chemistry of unknown soil microbes: A new frontier for natural products". Chemistry & Biology 5 (10): R245–R249. doi:10.1016/S1074-5521(98)90108-9. PMID 9818143.
  10. ↑ Riesenfeld, C. S.; Goodman, R. M.; Handelsman, J. (2004). "Uncultured soil bacteria are a reservoir of new antibiotic resistance genes". Environmental Microbiology 6 (9): 981. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2004.00664.x.
  11. ↑ "Despite Gains, Women Still Face Bias in Science Careers". Newswise, Inc. 2005-08-15. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  12. ↑ "WISELI". Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  13. ↑ "Rosalind Franklin Society". Rosalind Franklin Society. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  14. ↑ "Yale’s Jo Handelsman Receives Presidential Award for Science Mentoring". Yale University. January 21, 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2012.

External links

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