Debra Wolgemuth, PhD stepping down as Director of NMB PhD Program

To the IHN Community:

I write to you today to announce that, effective June 30th, 2021, Dr. Debra Wolgemuth will be stepping down as Director of the Nutritional and Metabolic Biology PhD Program.

During her nearly 20 years as NMB Director, Debra has successfully managed the NIH T32 grant through three renewals, overseen the recruitment of over 120 PhD candidates and supported 86 students who have been graduated from the NMB program at IHN.

Debra’s dedication to the success and well-being of all PhD students and faculty has been remarkable over the years, as has her commitment to diversity and inclusion. Most recently, during the COVID-19 crisis, Debra has presided over the rapid changes needed to the program, including the shift to online learning.

In my short time as IHN Director, Debra has been an indispensable member of IHN, providing wisdom and advice.

As Debra begins the process of stepping down, Dr. Lori Zeltser and Dr. Anthony Ferrante will transition into their new roles as co-directors of the NMB PhD Program. We are very grateful to Debra for her flexibility and willingness to help them during this transitional period, especially during this challenging time. As we celebrate Debra’s outstanding work, let us welcome Lori and Tony as they step into their new roles as NMB PhD co-directors at IHN.

Please join me in thanking Debra for her exceptional contributions over the past 20 years, for the success of the NMB PhD Program and for all she has done for our students.  In the fall when we hope to gather in person, we will honor Debra and her commitment to the NMB students with a symposium.  Please keep an eye on your inboxes for more details. 

Sincerely,

Sabrina Diano, PhD

Director, Institute of Human Nutrition