Jo Handelsman

Education

Handelsman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy from Cornell University in 1979 and her Doctor of Philosophy in molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1984. She observed a distinct difference in tone between the two institutions at that time. At Cornell, she felt that women were often discouraged from careers in science, while at Madison, they were taken seriously.

In a 2006 interview, she expressed the view that Cornell continued to remain behind on feminist issues.

Career

She was previously a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at Yale University. She has been editor-in-chief of the academic journal deoxyribonucleic acid and Cell Biology and author of books on scientific education, most notably Scientific Teaching. Her 10th grade biology teacher was an early mentor.

She wanted to use genetics to "feed the world".

Handelsman"s parents were psychologists and social workers, and they pressed her to follow a similar career. However, her interest was in biology.

She saved money from babysitting to buy a microscope (still in her office). Handelsman skipped two years of high school and began college at New York University. After one year she transferred to Cornell.

Handelsman secured a faculty position in plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1985.

She remained at Wisconsin until 2009, and then took a position at the Yale University Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology in 2010. Her research involves the study of microorganisms present in soil and insect gut. She is responsible for coining the term metagenomics and is particularly known for her work in pioneering the use of functional metagenomics to study antibiotic resistance.

She has published books and held workshops on scientific teaching, for which she is recognized nationally.

She is an active researcher and advocate of women in science issues. She was co-director of the Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute and was the first president of the Rosalind Franklin Society.

In 2011 she was awarded the Presidential Award for Science Mentoring, which recognizes mentors in science or engineering.

Works

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• book

  • Scientific Teaching

    ( Seasoned classroom veterans, pre-tenured faculty, and n...)