The College of Sciences and Humanities's new distinguished professorship was created by Dr. Thomas Lauer, '73, MS '75, and Dr. Karen Bumb, '74, both proud alumni of the Department of Biology. The position will focus on research and mentorship within the science departments, in honor of the foundational mentorship experiences that both Dr. Lauer and Dr. Bumb received while students.
Dr. Eric (VJ) Rubenstein is the first to be appointed as the Thomas E. and Karen Bumb Lauer Distinguished Professor of Natural Sciences, a five-year appointment. The appointment will provide further opportunities for research equipment and student opportunities in Dr. Rubenstein's lab, where he and his students study cell mechanisms for protein transportation in relation to diseases.
Dr. Rubenstein received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed his postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University. He began working at Ball State in 2012. He has published 28 peer-reviewed articles in International journals and been awarded over $2 million dollars in research funding.
Read more about Dr. Rubenstein's appointment and the experiences of Dr. Thomas Lauer and Dr. Karen Bumb.