“I’m delighted that Natalie is joining the Dean of Faculty Office and am looking forward to working with her, as are the rest of the staff [here],” Munemo said. Nannas called the appointment “an incredible opportunity to help support faculty in their teaching and scholarship, as well as have an impact on the daily functioning of the college. I’m enthusiastic to be part of the DOF team that supports our faculty in their endeavors.”
Nannas came to Hamilton in 2017 and has served as associate chair of biology and director of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program. She has received numerous grants for her scholarship, which focuses on the molecular mechanisms of chromosome segregation, from the National Science Foundation, the American Society of Plant Biology, and the Association for Biology Laboratory Education. She also was recognized with the Dean’s Notable Year Award for Scholarship (2022). Nannas has served her disciplinary field as a grant review panelist for the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program, and as chair of the Maize Genetics Cooperation membership committee.
She has published numerous research articles with Hamilton students in journals such as Genes, Current Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, Genetics, and the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Munemo said Nannas and her students “are deeply committed to science outreach, both locally through the Midtown Utica Community Center, COOP’s elementary STEM outreach program, and local middle schools, as well as online through their YouTube channel “SciKids Network.”
Nannas said she’ll continue to teach through the senior thesis program during her term as associate dean of faculty: “I’m excited to remain connected to Hamilton students, and I look forward to working with them in the lab and supervising their thesis research.”
Nannas said her goal in her new role is to help support and empower faculty with their pedagogy and scholarship, whether by navigating current processes and resources, or developing new ones. “Our faculty are engaged in so many exciting and innovative projects — in the classroom, in the studio, in the lab, and beyond. I want to support their success in these endeavors,” she said.
Nannas replaces Professor of Psychology Penny Yee, whose term as associate dean ends June 30, 2025. Professor of Literature and Creative Writing Tina Hall will continue in her role as associate dean of faculty for the humanities and social sciences.
