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The Bassett Research Institute is proud to share that two of our experienced research staff received their PhDs over the past year.

Melissa Scribani, PhD, is a statistician and research scientist with the Center for Biostatistics. She successfully completed her PhD defense in March with Umeå University in Umeå, Sweden, further solidifying a longtime partnership between the university’s Department of Epidemiology and Global Health and the Research Institute – you can learn more about this international collaboration, which spans three decades, here. Dr. Scribani’s dissertation, “Insights on weight maintenance and impacts of obesity for two rural populations in the United States and Sweden,” was livestreamed from the Umeå campus on March 3, 2023.

Kristin Pullyblank, PhD, RN, is a research investigator with the Center for Rural Community Health. Kristin successfully defended her dissertation and earned her PhD at Binghamton University on March 29, 2023. Dr. Pullyblank’s dissertation, “Deciphering Diabetes: A Study of the Rural Profile, Health Beliefs, Self-Management Behaviors, and Health Outcomes,” was well-received by the committee. Staff from the Research Institute gathered to watch the livestream via Zoom.

Congratulations, Dr. Scribani and Dr. Pullyblank! We are very proud of you and look forward to your continued contributions to the Research Institute.