Joanne Berger-Sweeney

Joanne Berger-Sweeney
Joanne Berger-Sweeney in 2012
Berger-Sweeney in 2012
22nd President of Trinity College
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 26, 2014
Preceded byJames F. Jones Jr.
Personal details
Born
Joanne Sweeney

(1958-09-21) September 21, 1958 (age 66)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationWellesley College (BA)
University of California, Berkeley (MPH)
Johns Hopkins University (PhD)
Known forGalantamine proof of concept
SpouseUrs Berger
Children2
Scientific career
FieldsNeuroscience
InstitutionsTrinity College (Connecticut)
Doctoral advisorJoseph T. Coyle
Yvon Lamour
Doctoral studentsElizabeth A. Buffalo
Signature

Joanne E. Berger-Sweeney (born September 21, 1958) is an American neuroscientist and the 22nd president of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut.[1] She is the first African-American and the first woman to serve in the position. Earlier in her career, Berger-Sweeney did proof-of-concept work on galantamine (brand name Razadyne), the second-most used drug to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Early life and education

Berger-Sweeney was born on September 21, 1958, in Los Angeles. Her parents met at Clark College. Her father earned his law degree at Howard University, finishing second in his class.[2] Her mother was executive director of the Los Angeles Girl Scouts Council and was the first African-American woman to lead a Girl Scouts Council in a major metropolitan area.[2][3]

Berger-Sweeney attended Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. Later in life, at her first commencement ceremony at Trinity College, Berger-Sweeney asked civil rights leader and former Holman UMC pastor Rev. James Morris Lawson Jr. to speak.[4][5]

Berger-Sweeney attended Wellesley College, where she earned an undergraduate degree in psychobiology (neuroscience)[6] in 1979. She received a Masters of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley[7] in 1981. Berger-Sweeney completed her doctoral work in neurotoxicology with Joseph T. Coyle at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health[8][9] in 1989. Berger-Sweeney did proof-of-concept work on galantamine (brand name Razadyne), showing that the drug reversed memory deficits in mice. Her work served as the foundation for clinical trials by Janssen Pharmaceutica, culminating in the drug's approval by the FDA.[9] Galantamine is the second-most-used Alzheimer's drug in the world.[6][7]

Berger-Sweeney received her PhD in 1989. She completed her postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Health (Inserm) in Paris, France.[7]

Career

Berger-Sweeney returned to Wellesley in 1991 to teach and conduct research.[1] She was the first African-American woman at Wellesley to become a full professor[4] and was named the Allene Lummis Russell Professor in Neuroscience.[1] During her tenure at Wellesley, she served as director of the neuroscience program and as associate dean of the college.[1]

In 2010, Berger-Sweeney became Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, where she served until 2014, during which time she strengthened the school's faculty and interdisciplinary programs. She helped create the Center for Race and Democracy at Tufts, which studies the impact of race on individuals' lives.[10] She also led the creation of the Bridge to Liberal Arts Success at Tufts (BLAST) program that supports college students from underserved high schools.[1]

On October 26, 2014, she became the first woman and the first African American to lead Trinity College (Connecticut).[11] In 2018, the college renewed her contract through 2024.[11] Berger-Sweeney has overseen several important initiatives at Trinity, including a new strategic plan that will guide the college through 2023; a new mentoring program for incoming students (the Bantam Network); a new campus initiative to promote respect and inclusion; and an expansion into downtown Hartford.[1]

On April 15, 2024, in an email to the Trinity community, Berger-Sweeney announced her intention to retire from Trinity College after the 2024-25 academic year.

Controversies

During her tenure at Trinity College, Berger-Sweeney was involved in several controversies that garnered national media attention.

Johnny Eric Williams

In April 2019, professor of sociology Johnny Eric Williams tweeted "whiteness is terrorism," drawing criticism from alumni and others.[12][13] Berger-Sweeney released statements affirming Trinity College's support for "academic freedom and free expression and inquiry."[12][14]

The same professor had been suspended in 2017 after he used "#LetThemFuckingDie" on a Facebook post.[15] Conservative media argued that the hashtag was in response to a post about the Republican Congressional baseball practice shooting, in which Steve Scalise was shot.[15][16] Williams stated that the posts were not a call for violence against white people.[15]

In responses to threats after the 2017 incident, Berger-Sweeney shut down campus and initiated an investigation of Williams.[15][17] Prior to the campus shutdown, Berger-Sweeney wrote in an email to campus that a "call to show indifference to the lives of bigots" when their lives are endangered is "reprehensible, and any such suggestion is abhorrent."[15] Although Williams was suspended,[18] he was eventually cleared in an investigation that concluded conservative media misinterpreted his posts.[14][19]

Churchill Club

Trinity students confronted Berger-Sweeney at a midday event on May 2, 2019, over the decision to approve the Churchill Club, a conservative student organization. Gregory B. Smith, professor of political science, had founded the club at Trinity College.[20][21] The Churchill Club describes itself as being "dedicated to the preservation, dissemination and extension of the Western moral and philosophical tradition." Smith called African-American, Asian-American, Latino, Muslim and Jewish culture houses on campus “tribal enclaves,” which drew criticism.[20]

Over two dozen students handed Berger-Sweeney a letter of demands, including that she reverse the club's approval, denounce white supremacy, and change the club approval process.[20] In a written statement, Berger-Sweeney affirmed Trinity College's commitment to academic freedom. Her statement read, in part: "We have an unshakable commitment to free expression and inquiry, open debate and discourse, and the valuing of all voices."[20]

Other leadership positions

Berger-Sweeney serves as a Director at Hartford Hospital, Inc and Hartford HealthCare Corporation.[6] She chairs the professional development committee of the Society for Neuroscience, is on the board of directors for the AFS Intercultural Programs/USA, and is a Trustee and chair of the Academic Affairs Committee for Framingham State University.[6] She is also a member of the board of trustees of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.[7]

Research

Berger-Sweeney has received grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, as well as from private foundations, for her work on the neurobiology of learning and memory, with applications to neurodevelopmental disorders. She has authored or co-authored more than 60 scientific articles.[10]

Awards and honors

Berger-Sweeney has received a number of awards for her scientific work, including the following:

Personal life

Berger-Sweeney's husband, Urs V. Berger, is a neuroscientist and computer scientist. They have two children.[4]

Selected works

  • (2014) Schaevitz L, Berger-Sweeney J, Ricceri L. "One-carbon metabolism in neurodevelopmental disorders: using broad-based nutraceutics to treat cognitive deficits in complex spectrum disorders". Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 46: 270–84. PMID 24769289 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.04.007
  • (2012) Schaevitz LR, Berger-Sweeney JE. "Gene-environment interactions and epigenetic pathways in autism: the importance of one-carbon metabolism". Ilar Journal / National Research Council, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources. 53: 322–40. PMID 23744970 DOI: 10.1093/ilar.53.3-4.322
  • (2011) Berger-Sweeney J. "Cognitive deficits in Rett syndrome: what we know and what we need to know to treat them". Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. 96: 637–46.
  • (2009) Ward BC, Kolodny NH, Nag N, Berger-Sweeney JE. "Neurochemical changes in a mouse model of Rett syndrome: changes over time and in response to perinatal choline nutritional supplementation". Journal of Neurochemistry. 108: 361–71. PMID 19012748 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05768.x
  • (2008) Nag N, Mellott TJ, Berger-Sweeney JE. "Effects of postnatal dietary choline supplementation on motor regional brain volume and growth factor expression in a mouse model of Rett syndrome". Brain Research. 1237: 101–9. PMID 18778693 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.08.042

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "About President Berger-Sweeney". Trinity College. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Berger-Sweeney, J. Trinity inaugural address Archived 2018-08-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  3. ^ Andrews, Kathy, "Girl Scouts of Connecticut organization honors President Berger-Sweeney" Archived 2019-12-16 at the Wayback Machine. Trinity College Press Release. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Wardlaw, V. (September 2, 2015). "Trinity College president celebrates 70th anniversary of Holman UMC". Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  5. ^ "James Lawson, elder statesman of civil rights movement, is 2015 commencement speaker" Archived 2015-07-09 at the Wayback Machine. Trinity College Press Release, May 7, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d "Joanne Berger-Sweeney: Executive Profile & Biography". Company Overview of Hartford HealthCare Corporation. Bloomberg LP. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d "Joanne Berger-Sweeney, PhD, MPH, elected to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Board of Trustees". The ASCO Post. April 25, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Berger-Sweeney Distinguished Alumna Award Profile. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  9. ^ a b Coyle, J. (nd). Joseph T. Coyle in The History of Neuroscience in Autobiography. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  10. ^ a b c "Dr. Joanne Berger-Sweeney". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. April 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Megan, K. (July 17, 2018). "Trinity Renews President Joanne Berger-Sweeney's Contract For Five Years". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Fink, J. (April 24, 2019). "Trinity College professor defends 'whiteness is terrorism' tweet amid alumni backlash", Newsweek. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  13. ^ "Editorial: At Trinity College, a new intolerance takes root". Hartford Courant. May 5, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  14. ^ a b Flaherty, C. (May 1, 2019). "Speech on Blast (Again) at Trinity". Inside Higher Ed.
  15. ^ a b c d e Megan, K. (June 22, 2017). "Trinity professor flees campus after threats over Facebook comments, issues public apology", Hartford Courant. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  16. ^ Flaherty, C. (June 22, 2017). "The dangers of filtered speech". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  17. ^ Berger-Sweeney, J. (January 23, 2018). "Safeguarding academic freedom and a college community". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  18. ^ Flaherty, C. (June 27, 2017). "Trinity suspends targeted professor". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  19. ^ Pappano, L (August 4, 2017). "Professors as targets of internet outrage". The New York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  20. ^ a b c d Rondinone, N. (2019). "Trinity students again protest school's decision to accept controversial Churchill Club". Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  21. ^ Gregory Smith faculty profile, Trinity College. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  22. ^ "Member Directory". Sigma Xi. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  23. ^ "Award Abstract #9458101 - NSF Young Investigator". National Science Foundation. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Joanne Berger-Sweeney". The HistoryMakers. April 23, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  25. ^ Bates, Mary (July 26, 2013). "Dean, neuroscientist, mentor: The many hats of Joanne Berger-Sweeney". American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
Academic offices
Preceded by 22nd President of the Trinity College
2014–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent

Read other articles:

Jotham

11th king of Judah This article is about the king of Judah. For the son of Gideon, see Jotham (son of Gideon). For other uses, see Jotham (disambiguation). JothamJotham from Guillaume Rouillé's Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum, 1553King of JudahReignc. 740 – 732 BCEPredecessorUzziahSuccessorAhazHouseHouse of DavidFatherUzziahMotherJerusha (or Jerushah) Jotham or Yotam (Hebrew: יוֹתָם, Modern: Yōtam, Tiberian: Yōṯām; Greek: Ιωαθαμ, romanized: Ioatham; Latin: Jo...

 

Список князей Владимирских

Список верховных князей Северо-Восточной Руси. Охватывает период с обособления Ростово-Суздальского княжества от Киевского княжества в 1132 году до момента поглощения Великого княжества Владимирского княжеством Московским к 1389 году. По завещанию Ярослава Мудрого �...

 

Norfolk Liberals

Political party in Australia Norfolk Liberals Norfolk Island Liberal PartyPresidentCharisse Clarke (since May 2013) Policy OfficerCraig Anderson[1]IdeologyLiberal conservatismPolitical positionCentre-rightNational affiliationLiberal Party of AustraliaNorfolk Island Regional Council1 / 5 (currently suspended) Politics of AustraliaPolitical partiesElections The Norfolk Island Liberal Party (Pitcairn-Norfolk: Norfuk Ailen Librel Paati), more commonly referred to simply as the No...

Tilia

Tilleul Pour les articles homonymes, voir Tilleul. Tilia Tilleul à petites feuilles (Tilia cordata).Classification de Cronquist (1981) Règne Plantae Sous-règne Tracheobionta Division Magnoliophyta Classe Magnoliopsida Sous-classe Dilleniidae Ordre Malvales Famille Tiliaceae GenreTiliaL., 1753 Classification APG III (2009) Classification APG III (2009) Ordre Malvales Famille Malvaceae Le genre Tilia, les TilleulsÉcouter, est un genre d'arbres appartenant à la famille des Tiliaceae selon l...

 

哈萨克斯坦总统

此条目序言章节没有充分总结全文内容要点。 (2019年3月21日)请考虑扩充序言，清晰概述条目所有重點。请在条目的讨论页讨论此问题。 哈萨克斯坦總統哈薩克總統旗現任Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев卡瑟姆若马尔特·托卡耶夫自2019年3月20日在任任期7年首任努尔苏丹·纳扎尔巴耶夫设立1990年4月24日（哈薩克蘇維埃社會主義共和國總統） 哈萨克斯坦 哈萨克斯坦政府...

 

Van Lanschot Kempen

Van Lanschot Kempen N.V.(Part of) the Van Lanschot crestCompany typePublicTraded asEuronext: VLKAMX componentAEX Financials componentAEX ESG componentISINNL0000302636IndustryBanking, Financial servicesFounded22 July 1737; 286 years ago (1737-07-22)HeadquartersHooge Steenweg 29, 5211 JN 's-Hertogenbosch, North Brabant, The NetherlandsArea servedWorldwideKey peopleMaarten Edixhoven (CEO)Frans Blom (Chairman of Supervisory Board)[1]Productswealth managementprivate ...

Moore's law

Observation on the growth of integrated circuit capacity A semi-log plot of transistor counts for microprocessors against dates of introduction, nearly doubling every two years Semiconductordevicefabrication MOSFET scaling(process nodes) 020 μm – 1968 010 μm – 1971 006 μm – 1974 003 μm – 1977  1.5 μm – 1981 001 μm – 1984 800 nm – 1987 600 nm – 1990 350 nm – 1993 250 nm&#...

 

台湾保证法

《2020年台灣保證法》（英語：Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020），是一部美国法律。為《2021年綜合撥款法》的第FF部第III篇B分篇的別稱。 歷史 立法過程 《2019年台灣保證法》於2019年3月26日和4月1日分別於美國參、眾兩院由湯姆·卡頓和麥克·麥考爾提出。後者的版本於2019年5月7日獲美國眾議院全票通過。[1][2][3] 2020年12月21日，法案條文被納入《2021年綜合撥款法》的�...

 

Glass harmonica

Type of musical instrument Armonica redirects here. Not to be confused with Harmonica. For the related instrument, see Glass harp. For other uses, see Glass harmonica (disambiguation). This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (January 2024) 1900 illustration of a glass harmonica Spinning glass disks (bowls) on a common shaft are arranged wit...

Michael Hardt

American philosopher (1960-) This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.Find sources: Michael Hardt – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message...

 

French forestry ordinance of 1669

17th century forest law The Forestry Ordinance of 1669 (“sur le fait des Eaux et Forêts) proclaimed by Louis XIV of France sought to protect and restore France’s timber resources as well as its considerable forestry heritage. The Ordinance consolidated and clarified older, more fragmented regulations. It was drafted after serious investigation of forestry exploitation practices by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who successfully championed the idea of systematic reform. The Ordinance specified th...

 

صالح بن أحمد بن حنبل

صالح بن أحمد بن حنبل تخطيط اسم صالح بن أحمد بن حنبل بخط الثُّلث، ملحوقًا بالترضي عنه: «». معلومات شخصية الميلاد سنة 818   بغداد  الوفاة سنة 879 (60–61 سنة)  أصفهان  مكان الدفن أصفهان  مواطنة الدولة العباسية  الأب أحمد بن حنبل  الأم عباسة بنت الفضل إخوة وأخوات عب...

Michael O'Neill (footballer)

Northern Irish footballer (born 1969) Michael O'Neill MBE O'Neill with Northern Ireland in 2019Personal informationFull name Michael Andrew Martin O'Neill[1]Date of birth (1969-07-05) 5 July 1969 (age 54)Place of birth Portadown, Northern IrelandHeight 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]Position(s) MidfielderTeam informationCurrent team Northern Ireland (manager)Youth career1980–1984 Star United1984 Chimney CornerSenior career*Years Team Apps (Gls)1984–1987 Colerain...

 

MTA1

Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens This article is about proteins. For the Islamic TV channel, see MTA1 World. MTA1Available structuresPDBOrtholog search: PDBe RCSB List of PDB id codes4BKX, 4PBY, 4PBZ, 4PC0, 5ICN, 5FXYIdentifiersAliasesMTA1, metastasis associated 1External IDsOMIM: 603526; MGI: 2150037; HomoloGene: 3442; GeneCards: MTA1; OMA:MTA1 - orthologsGene location (Human)Chr.Chromosome 14 (human)[1]Band14q32.33Start105,419,820 bp[1]End105,470,729 bp[1&...

 

Political abuse of psychiatry in Russia

Alexander Gabyshev, Russian dissident who was sentenced to compulsory treatment multiple times See also: Political abuse of psychiatry and Political abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (June 2015) Psychiatry in Russia and the USSR KGB (managing organ of psychiatry) Mental health in Russia Politica...

List of works by Caspar David Friedrich

Gerhard von Kügelgen, Portrait of Caspar David Friedrich (c. 1810–1820) This is an incomplete list of works by the German Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840) by completion date where known. Friedrich was a prolific artist who produced over 500 attributed works; however, he is generally known for only a small number of works seen as emblems of Romanticism.[1] In line with Romantic ideals of the time, Friedrich intended that his paintings would function visually onl...

 

Happy Birthday (Stevie Wonder song)

1981 single by Stevie Wonder This song has no relation to the song traditionally sung on people's birthdays. Happy BirthdayUK single picture sleeveSingle by Stevie Wonderfrom the album Hotter than July B-side Happy Birthday (sing along version, 7-inch) Excerpts from Martin Luther King's speeches (12-inch) ReleasedJune 26, 1981 (1981-06-26)[1]Recorded1980Genre Pop R&B Length5:53LabelMotownSongwriter(s)Stevie WonderProducer(s)Stevie WonderStevie Wonder singles chronol...

 

休日のわるものさん

休日のわるものさん ジャンル コメディ[1] 漫画 作者 森川侑 出版社 スクウェア・エニックス 掲載サイト ガンガンpixiv レーベル ガンガンコミックスpixiv 発表期間 2018年12月15日 - 巻数 既刊6巻（2024年1月22日現在） アニメ 原作 森川侑 監督 小高義規 シリーズ構成 後藤みどり キャラクターデザイン 島崎知美 音楽 信澤宣明 アニメーション制作 シンエイ動画、SynergySP...

モデルグラフィックス

この記事は検証可能な参考文献や出典が全く示されていないか、不十分です。 出典を追加して記事の信頼性向上にご協力ください。（このテンプレートの使い方）出典検索?: モデルグラフィックス – ニュース · 書籍 · スカラー · CiNii · J-STAGE · NDL · dlib.jp · ジャパンサーチ · TWL (2024年7月) この項目には、JIS X 0213:2004 で規定さ...

 

Gnosiology

Branch of philosophy Gnosiology (study of knowledge) is the philosophy of knowledge and cognition.[1] In Italian, Soviet and post-Soviet philosophy, the word is often used as a synonym for epistemology.[2][3] The term is also currently used in regard to Eastern Christianity.[4] Etymology The term is derived from the Ancient Greek words gnosis (knowledge, γνῶσις) and logos (word or discourse, λόγος). Linguistically, one might compare it to epistemolo...