Three members of the Lawrence University faculty, each with extensive interdisciplinary experience, great success as teachers and active programs of scholarship or creative activity, have been promoted to the rank of associate professor and granted tenure appointments.
Based on recommendations by the faculty Committee on Tenure, Promotion, Reappointment and Equal Employment Opportunity, and President Mark Burstein, tenure and promotion for political scientist Jason Brozek, biochemist Kimberly Dickson and composer Asha Srinivasan were granted by the college’s Board of Trustees at its recent winter meeting.
JASON BROZEK
Brozek joined the government department in 2008 as an assistant professor and Stephen Edward Scarff Professor of International Affairs as a specialist in international security, conflict bargaining and international law.
His scholarship spans the theoretical and the practical, with a focus on global conflicts that result from freshwater shortage. He has written briefing papers for policy makers that analyze the issue and also has developed a theoretical measure that can assess the severity of conflicts among nations caused by shortages of freshwater.
“Professor Brozek is widely praised as an extraordinarily effective teacher,” said Provost David Burrows. “His students admire him for his enthusiasm and his support for their intellectual development. His classroom is a place where students are encouraged to participate and exchange ideas. Many state that he is one of the very best professors they have experienced at Lawrence.
“Jason also has provided great leadership for the environmental studies program on campus and has been a caring adviser to students interested in the program,” Burrows added. “Additionally he has taken on responsibility for fostering global learning through his work in bringing to campus distinguished visitors under the Stephen Edward Scarff International Affairs program.”
Brozek earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in political science from Wayne State College and a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
KIMBERLY DICKSON
Dickson, who first taught Freshman Studies at Lawrence in 1998, joined the Lawrence faculty in the biochemistry program in 2007.
As a biochemist, Dickson’s scholarship focuses on protein structure and function, particularly angiogenin, a protein that stimulates blood vessel growth and plays a role in supporting the growth and metastasis of tumors.
According to Burrows, she is highly regarded by experts in the field of microbiology for the care and precision with which she does her work.
“Professor Dickson’s students speak passionately about her teaching,” said Burrows. “They believe that she cares both for the material and for them. They especially like her encouragement to develop expertise about important issues.”
Dickson, who taught at Macalester College for two years before coming to Lawrence, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Smith College, a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
ASHA SRINIVASAN
An award-winning composer, Srinivasan joined the conservatory of music in 2008. She writes for a broad array of instrumentation, including large ensemble, chamber and electroacoustic media. Her music has been selected for performance at the 2010 International Computer Music Conference and has been released on the “Music from SEAMUS volume 22” CD.
Srinivasan was one of eight composers nationally selected as a resident composer for the 2012 Mizzou New Music Initiative in Columbia, Mo. Her composition “Dviraag” received the first-place prize at the 2011 Thailand International Composition Festival from among 100 entries.
“Professor Ssrinivasan’s students are ecstatic about the new dimensions in music that she brings to Lawrence,”Burrows noted. “Her studio is a source of great inspiration and creativity. In the classroom and in the studio, she is described as a wonderful teacher who enriches the quality of the conservatory experience.”
Srinivasan earned a bachelor’s degree from Goucher College, a master’s degree in computer music composition and music theory pedagogy from the Peabody Conservatory and a D.M.A. in composition from the University of Maryland.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.
