ASU faculty among top female scientists in the world

Research.com’s top 1,000 list includes 4 ASU professors


November 21, 2022

For the first time, Research.com has published a list of the top 1,000 female scientists in the world. Four of them are faculty at Arizona State University.

“We are painfully aware that academic research is still a predominantly male profession, and we believe that female scientists deserve an equal chance to be represented and praised for their achievements,” the site states.   Two female students working in a lab. For the first time, Research.com has published a list of the top 1,000 female scientists in the world. Four of them are faculty at Arizona State University. Photo by ASU Download Full Image

“Our aim is to inspire female scholars, women considering an academic career, as well as decision-makers worldwide with the example of successful women in the scientific community. We hope that it will contribute to providing more opportunities and equal chances for women in science.”

Rankings are based on a meticulous examination of scientists on Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Graph.

“These outstanding scientists are examples to everyone in our ASU community and beyond,” said Kenro Kusumi, dean of natural sciences in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 

“As more women pursue careers in the natural sciences and lead groundbreaking research and discoveries, the field is enriched by their perspectives and expertise. I’m grateful that ASU is committed to being measured by whom we include in our academic community and supporting their success in advancing research of public value.”

No. 133: Nancy Eisenberg

Nancy Eisenberg has been a trailblazer in developmental psychology for over 40 years. She created new ways to measure sympathy and distress in young children by tracking facial expressions and physiological measures such as heart rate and skin conductance.

Eisenberg received the Ernest R. Hilgard Award for a Career Contribution to General Psychology in 2007; the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development Distinguished Contribution Award in 2008; the American Psychological Association G. Stanley Hall Award for Distinguished Contribution to Developmental Psychology in 2009; the William James Fellow Award from the Association for Psychological Science for Lifetime Intellectual Contributions to the Basic Science of Psychology in 2011; and the Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Child Development Award from the Society for Research in Child Development in 2015.

She is Regents Professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at ASU and led ASU’s Eisenberg laboratory, which conducted longitudinal studies on social, emotional, psychological and moral development in children and adolescents. 

See Eisenberg's profile on Research.com. 

No. 488: Barbara Ainsworth

Barbara Ainsworth has expertise in physical activity assessment. Her groundbreaking research measuring the amount of energy burned doing all forms of physical activity changed the way we view health and wellness today. 

She is the lead author of the Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which lists the metabolic energy costs, or METs, of physical activities ranging from bicycling to jumping rope to playing chess and more. For her lifetime contributions, the American College of Sports Medicine awarded Ainsworth its highest accolade, the ACMS Honor Award, in 2018. 

Ainsworth is Regents Professor emeritus in the College of Health Solutions at ASU. She is also a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology. 

See Ainsworth's profile on Research.com. 

No. 877: Alexandra Navrotsky

Alexandra Navrotsky has made major contributions in the fields of ceramics, mantle mineralogy and deep earth geophysics, melt and glass science, nanomaterials and porous materials. 

She is a Regents Professor in the School of Molecular Sciences and the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy and an affiliated faculty member of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU. She also leads the Navrotsky Eyring Center for Materials of the Universe, which explores alien and extreme conditions and environments with the expectation of discovering new, useful materials and understanding the formation and evolution of planets.

Navrotsky was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1993. In 2019, a new mineral was named “navrotskyite” in her honor.

See Navrotsky's profile on Research.com. 

No. 910: Carolyn Compton

Carolyn Compton is an academic pathologist specializing in gastrointestinal disease and is board certified in both anatomic and clinical pathology. She designed and launched national programs for biobanking and biospecimen science that became foundational for the Cancer Human Biobank, and she was involved with the first team to use an engineered human organ (skin) in a life-saving setting to successfully treat patients with massive burn wounds. 

Under her leadership, the ASU Biodesign Institute converted its research infrastructure to focus on testing, tracking and mitigating the coronavirus. The institute’s achievements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic include developing the first saliva-based coronavirus test in the western U.S.; receiving accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the nation’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists; and administering over 1 million COVID tests. 

Compton was named one of the world’s top 100 pathologists in 2016. She is a professor in the School of Life Sciences and medical director of the Biodesign Clinical Testing Laboratory at ASU.

See Compton's profile on Research.com.

Lauren Whitby

Digital Marketing Manager, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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ASU Trustee and Cronkite Alumni Hall of Fame inductee Christine Devine to give convocation speech


November 21, 2022

ASU Trustee and Cronkite Alumni Hall of Fame inductee Christine Devine will deliver the keynote address at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication fall 2022 convocation.

The ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Desert Financial Arena, 600 E. Veterans Way in Tempe. The convocation will celebrate the accomplishments of 318 graduates who are expected to receive their diplomas. Portrait of ASU Trustee and Cronkite Alumni Hall of Fame inductee Christine Devine. ASU Trustee and Cronkite Alumni Hall of Fame inductee Christine Devine. Photo courtesy Christine Devine Download Full Image

Devine is an award-winning television news anchor with Fox 11 Los Angeles, where she has worked for more than 30 years, and an active Cronkite School alumna who generously supports the school and ASU. In 2007, she endowed the Christine Devine Scholarship, which provides scholarship support each year to students in the Cronkite School.

Devine is also an ASU Trustee and serves on ASU’s Los Angeles Leadership Council. She is one of about 16,000 Cronkite School graduates.

“Christine has been one of the most ardent supporters of the Cronkite School and we’re honored to have her come back and speak to our students,” said Cronkite School Dean Battinto L. Batts Jr. “Throughout her career, she has exemplified what it means to be a proud Cronkite School graduate.”

Devine has won numerous awards for her journalism work, including 16 Emmys, the Governors Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Lifetime Achievement Golden Mic from the Radio and Television News Association.

In June, she received the 2022 President’s Award for Impact on Media from the Los Angeles Press Club at the 64th annual SoCal Journalism Awards Gala.

“I have lived by the motto ‘to whom much is given, much is expected.’ I realized early on all that was given to me, and it was at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication that I learned the tools to share the stories of the communities I love and serve,” Devine said. “I’m excited to share my story — and guidance — with Cronkite’s Class of 2022 and future leaders of the news and communications industry.”

Devine has dedicated much of her journalism career to aiding children in the foster care system due to her personal connection to the cause. Her parents adopted a child, as well as fostered five refugee children during her childhood.

One of Devine’s most notable pieces of work is hosting the weekly “Wednesday’s Child” segment on Fox 11. The segment has been on the air for more than 25 years and aims to highlight foster children that are in need of homes in the LA area. Through this segment alone, more than 500 children have been adopted.

In 2012, Devine was named in Los Angeles Magazine among the “50 Women Changing LA” for her work with foster care. She received an honorary doctorate degree from Cal State LA in the school of social work.

She was also honored in Washington, D.C., as a congressional “Angel in Adoption” and by the Child Welfare League of America.

Devine has also played reporter roles in a number of movies and television shows, including "The Cable Guy," "Wag the Dog," "American Horror Story" and "Beverly Hills, 90210."

Prior to joining Fox 11, she also worked at KLST in San Angelo, Texas, and KVOA in Tucson, Arizona.

Jamar Younger

Associate Editor, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication