Colgate University Announces Faculty Promotions

Promotions to Associate Professor with Continuous Tenure

Brynn Hatton, Kindler Assistant Professor of Global Contemporary Art

BA, University of California, Berkeley; PhD, Northwestern University

Brynn Hatton joined the tenure stream in Colgate’s Department of Art in 2019 after previously serving as a visiting faculty member. She teaches courses including Global Contemporary Art, Critical Museum Theory, and Core offerings in art and technology. Her scholarship focuses on cultural theory and global art history, particularly the Vietnam-American War and Cold War eras. Her 2026 monograph, “The Vietnam Idea: Global Protest Art and the Image of Radical Solidarity” (Manchester University Press), examines cultural exchange and protest art. She has also published in ArtMargins, Marges, and Journal of Visual Culture. Beyond her scholarship, Brynn convened university service through departmental search committees, the Colgate Arts Council, and the Museum Studies Program Advisory Board.

Matthew Makofske, Assistant Professor of Economics

BS, BA Auburn University; PhD University of Mississippi

Matthew Makofske joined Colgate’s Department of Economics in 2021 after serving at Murray State University. An applied microeconomist, his research centers on industrial organization, law and economics, and the economics of crime. He has published extensively in journals such as the Journal of Industrial Economics, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, and Economics Letters. At Colgate, he teaches Intermediate Microeconomics, Industrial Organization, and a senior seminar on the economics of crime, along with a first-year seminar titled Investigative Economics. He also contributes to departmental and university service, including work with the Robert H. N. Ho Mind, Brain, and Behavior Initiative.

David Murphy, Assistant Professor of Economics

BA SUNY Geneseo; PhD Cornell University

David Murphy joined Colgate’s Department of Economics in 2020, specializing in microeconomics and development. He teaches courses in economic development and Introduction to Economics, and he recently developed the Core Armenia course inspired by his Peace Corps experience. His research explores how social relationships, community organizations, and access to information shape economic behavior, with much of his work drawing on field research in East Africa. He has published in journals including the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy and The Review of Economics and Statistics. David has also served on the University Student Conduct Board, the Institutional Review Board, and the Council for Faculty Development.

Promotion to Full Professor

Dominika Koter, Associate Professor of Political Science

BA University College Utrecht; PhD Yale University

Dominika Koter joined Colgate’s Department of Political Science in 2012 and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2018. A scholar of African politics, her research examines nation-building, ethnic mobilization, and democratic backsliding. Her forthcoming book, National Identity in Africa: Peace, Democracy and Everyday National Narratives (Oxford University Press), continues this work. At Colgate, she teaches courses on African and comparative politics, including Identity Politics and Democracy in Crisis. She is active in professional organizations and university service, having chaired the Research Council and served on the Committee on Financial Planning.

Elana Shever, Associate Professor of Anthropology

BA Brown University; PhD University of California, Berkeley

Elana Shever joined Colgate’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology in 2011 and earned tenure in 2017. A cultural anthropologist, her research explores institutions ranging from multinational corporations to science museums, with recent work focusing on paleontology and public fascination with dinosaur fossils. Her new book, Making Our Beasts: Paleontology in the United States (University of California Press), reflects this research. She teaches courses including Nature, Culture, and Politics; Science and Society; and Corporations and Power. Elana recently served as chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and continues to contribute through service on the Academic Affairs Board and the Committee on Information Technology.

Endowed Chair Appointments

Nicole Simpson, W. Bradford Wiley Professor of international economics, appointed Banfi Vintners Chair of economics 

Nicole Simpson joined the Colgate faculty in 2001 and teaches macroeconomics, international economics, and immigration. Her scholarship has appeared in leading journals including the American Economic Review and Journal of Development Economics, and she is the author of The Economics of Immigration. She currently serves as an associate editor of the Eastern Economic Journal and coordinates Colgate’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. She previously served as associate dean for international initiatives and department chair and will begin a term as faculty director of the Upstate Institute this July.

Elizabeth Marlowe, professor of art, appointed Batza Family Chair in art

Elizabeth “Liz” Marlowe joined the Colgate faculty in 2011 and teaches ancient and Roman art history as well as courses in museum studies, a program she has directed since 2016. Her research focuses on antiquities, museum ethics, and repatriation debates, resulting in publications on the Getty Villa and critical museum theory. She has served the University in numerous leadership roles, including interim co-director of university museums and chair of the Curriculum Committee.

Christopher Henke, Christian A. Johnson Chair in liberal arts studies and professor of sociology and environmental studies, appointed Himoff Family Chair in legacies

Christopher “Chris” Henke joined the Colgate faculty in 2001 and holds appointments in sociology and environmental studies. His teaching and scholarship focus on food production, technology, infrastructure, and research methods. He co-authored Repairing Infrastructure: The Maintenance of Materiality and Power (MIT Press, 2020) and currently serves as director of the Division of University Studies. His university service includes leadership roles in environmental studies, sociology and anthropology, and the Upstate Institute.

Brenda Sanya, associate professor of educational studies, appointed Arnold A. Sio Chair in diversity and community (2026–28)

Brenda Sanya joined the Colgate faculty in 2017 and entered the tenure stream in 2018. Her scholarship examines feminist and civic education, migration, citizenship, and Black educational histories, with publications appearing in journals such as Curriculum Inquiry and Gender and Education. She teaches courses including Black Educator Narratives, Democracy and Education, and Core Black Migrations. Brenda has also served in numerous university leadership and mentoring roles, including as African American studies coordinator.

Rishi Sharma, associate professor of economics, appointed W. Bradford Wiley Associate Professor of international economics

Rishi Sharma joined the Colgate faculty in 2016 after earning his PhD from the University of Michigan. His research focuses on international trade and economics, with publications in journals including the Journal of International Economics and the European Economic Review. At Colgate, he teaches international economics, microeconomics, and statistics, and he has served on several university committees, including Budget and Financial Planning and Advisory and Planning.

Yang Song, associate professor of economics, appointed Richard M. Kessler Associate Professor of economics

Yang Song joined the Colgate faculty in 2015 and specializes in the economics of education and the Chinese economy. She teaches courses on the Chinese economy, economics of education, and introductory economics, as well as a Core course on China. Her scholarship has appeared in journals including the Journal of Comparative Economics and the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. She has also served on the Institutional Review Board and advised the Xiamen University Summer Exchange program.

Daniella Doron, assistant professor of Jewish studies, appointed Murray W. and Mildred K. Finard Chair in Jewish studies

Daniella Doron returned to the Colgate faculty in 2023 after previously serving as the Schusterman Postdoctoral Fellow and the Olive B. O’Connor Distinguished Visiting Professor in Jewish studies. Between her appointments at Colgate, she was a senior lecturer at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. A historian of 20th-century France, Daniella’s scholarship focuses on Jewish children, families, and identity in the post-Holocaust era. Her book, Jewish Youth and Identity in Postwar France: Rebuilding Family and Nation (Indiana University Press, 2015), examines the experiences of Jewish families and orphaned children after World War II. She has also published in journals including Jewish Social Studies, Archives Juives, and Journal of Jewish Identities. At Colgate, Daniella teaches courses on Jewish history and identity in comparative contexts, contributes to the Core Curriculum, and has served on the Curriculum Committee.