Patricia A. Champion, Ph.D., has been appointed the next Associate Dean for Research, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies effective July 1, 2023. She replaces Michael Hildreth, who transitions to his new role as vice president, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School after seven years of leadership in the Office of the Dean.
“I am excited about taking on this new role in the College of Science,” says Champion. “I am looking forward to continuing my work with the postdoctoral scholars, as well as contributing to the graduate programs, and the research enterprise.”
“Dr. Champion has demonstrated excellence in her career at Notre Dame,” says Santiago Schnell, the William K. Warren Foundation Dean. “She is respected by peers, postdoctoral fellows, and students alike. She has a thriving research lab. She is ready to take on this new challenge to elevate our research and postgraduate training programs to the next level.”
Building upon the exemplary contributions of Michael Hildreth, who graciously served as Interim Dean during the pandemic, Champion is focused on oversight of both the postdoctoral fellows and the graduate student programs in the college, oversight of the research enterprise in the college, and strategic planning.
A microbiologist, Champion’s research interests focus on how mycobacteria cause disease, including Tuberculosis. In particular she is interested in how these pathogens modify and transport proteins across cellular membranes. Ultimately, her research seeks to provide a basic understanding of mycobacterial biology which could result in workable strategies to fight disease.
Champion earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University in 1998, and a Doctoral Degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton University in 2003. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California San Francisco. Champion joined the Department of Biological Sciences in 2009 as an assistant professor. She was promoted to associate professor in 2015 and the rank of professor in 2021. She was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2022. In 2023, Champion received the Burns C.S.C. Award for Sustained Mentoring from The Graduate School. Since 2022, Champion has served as Director of Postdoctoral Studies in the College of Science.
Other faculty promotions in the College of Science Office of the Dean include Dan Gezelter to Senior Associate Dean for Education and Undergraduate Programs and Kathleen Kolberg to Associate Dean for Advising and Academic Affairs.
Originally published by at science.nd.edu on July 06, 2023.