kjackson10@uchicago.edu

Karen Jackson oversees HR, Academic Affairs, & Faculty Affairs (HRAAFA) strategies, policies, and processes within the PME and partners with PME leadership to identify and incorporate best practices and new opportunities for impactful HRAAFA initiatives.  Karen is a primary resource on faculty and staff recruitment, engagement, professional development, succession planning, HRAAFA communications, and human resource-related matters.

melissaabraham@uchicago.edu

Melissa Abraham serves as the senior strategic communications, media & marketing leader for The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. She is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive outreach strategies to help raise the global profile and impact of the PME. She provides strategic support to PME leadership, drives outreach to news media, leads marketing campaigns, and oversees web and social media efforts, among other responsibilities. Melissa collaborates with partners and stakeholders and leads a communications team that works as a driver of excellence to inspire and engage PME’s key audiences.

michelle.dassinger@uchicago.edu

Michelle manages new user registration, inventory, and billing for the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility (PNF).  She also oversees PNF student workers.  Contact Michelle for any administrative issues related to PNF operations.

jwhite02@uchicago.edu

Jennifer assists in purchasing, which includes but is not limited to BuySite, UC Procurement Policies, GEMS/Concur, vendor payments, and reimbursements. She can be contacted in regards to questions about purchasing for labs, equipment, travel, vendor payments, and any department-approved out-of-pocket reimbursements. 

Briana works with PME graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to direct them to relevant campus resources, develop PME-specific programming, and connect them to career opportunities. She also engages faculty and administrative partners in coordinating employer development and career support across academic programs. With the continued growth of PMEs academic programs and student population, Briana is an essential leader in long-term strategic planning for career development and recruitment pipelines.

keisha1@uchicago.edu

Keisha Johnson provides administrative support to Karen Jackson. Keisha Johnson offers full HR services for the PME visitors and assists with the students and postdoc populations, including onboarding and offboarding. She is responsible for initiating phone screens, preparing recruitment interview schedules, and new hire "Day 1" onboarding itineraries. Keisha also manages Workday transactions, including compliance, job requisitions, and updating various HR records. 

jaberg@uchicago.edu

Joshua Berg serves as chief financial and administrative officer for the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. He manages administrative staff and oversees organizational changes, coordinating with other leadership team members to support the school’s academic, educational, and outreach missions. His responsibilities include:

• Budget management and resource allocation
• Accounting
• Procurement
• Grants & Contracts Management
• Faculty and staff payroll
• Staff organization and performance management
• Faculty and Academic search, promotion, and retention support
• Strategic Marketing and Communications
• Information technology
• Administrative Support
• Facilities & Space
• Access and Security management
• Shipping and Receiving
• Building Administration and Event Support
• Laboratory Safety

Berg received his AB in psychology and MS in computational neuroscience from the University of Chicago, and his MBA in strategic leadership and management from the University of Kansas.  He founded two companies focused on choice behavior prediction and has served in research, operations, and administrative roles at the University of Chicago for over 20 years.

rygoodwin@uchicago.edu

Ryan Goodwin manages the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) website, digital screens, and the Pritzker Molecular Express newsletter. He can be contacted with requests for research, academic, and administrative news, as well as help with updates on the UChicago PME website.

krjburton@uchicago.edu

Kerensa Jackson-Burton serves as the Operations Specialist for the Immuno Institute. Kerensa is responsible for diverse range of administrative tasks to coordinate the unit’s day-to-day operations, special events, and seminars.  

Kerensa holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a minor in African American Studies from Bradley University and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Roosevelt University.

twalker22@uchicago.edu

Tracy provides oversight and guidance of the academic program support, ensuring that policies are clear, transparent, and reflective of faculty and academic leadership decisions. Reporting to the Vice Dean of Education and working closely with the Senior Advisor to the Dean for Diversity & Inclusion, the Director supervises Assistant Academic Program Directors. She collaborates with key academic leaders to develop and implement courses and initiatives.

Tracy brings over twenty years of experience in higher education administration across many areas, including administrative support management, financial aid, student affairs, marketing, event administration, and technical editing.  She has held memberships in several professional organizations, including the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA), National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), National College Personnel Association (ACPA), National Association of Student Affairs Professionals (NASAP), and the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA). She has also served as the ADA Section 504 Compliance Officer, Primary Designated School Official (PDSO), Responsible Officer (RO), and Title IX Designee.