Who We Are
Gordon Rakita, Ph.D. | Associate Vice President of Faculty Excellence and Academic Engagement
Office: Building 1, Room 1404
Email: grakita@unf.edu
Gordon F.M. Rakita is a bioarchaeologist and Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Social Work. In 2020 he was selected as UNF's Distinguished Professor. Prior to joining the faculty at UNF he was Principal Investigator and Analytical Director for SWCA Environmental Consultants of Flagstaff, Arizona. He earned his B.A. in Anthropology from University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico. His areas of expertise include bioarchaeology, anthropological approaches to mortuary and other ritual behavior, analytical data management and statistical analyses, emergent social inequality and complexity, and evolutionary theory.
Hannah Falconer | Faculty Development, Office Manager
Office: Building 1, Room 1403
Email: h.falconer@unf.edu
Hannah is a Jacksonville native and, as of December 2024, an UNF alumnae equipped with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Minor in Public Health. She has embarked on her professional journey, transitioning into the role of Office Manager for the Office of Faculty Excellence and Academic Engagement. With a strong foundation in interpersonal communication, problem-solving, and organization, cultivated through her hands-on experience as a Student Office Assistant for UNF's Administration and Finance department and Clinical Research Volunteer, Hannah is committed to upholding the highest standards while supporting the UNF community.
Judith D. Ochrietor, Ph.D. | Director of Undergraduate Research
Office: Building 1, Room 1406
Email: j.ochrietor@unf.edu
The mechanisms through which neural cell metabolism is supported is my current focus of study. Specifically, I investigate members of the Basigin subset of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) and the roles they play in the metabolic aspects of sensory systems. Members of this subset of the IgSF often interact with monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), that are known to move pyruvate, lactate, and ketone bodies across a plasma membrane via facilitated diffusion. We use cell and molecular biology and biochemistry techniques to answer questions related to the interactions between Basigin IgSF family members and MCTs, both in cis (on the same cell) and in trans (across two different cells) to ultimately understand how those interactions support the metabolic needs of neural systems.
Juliana Leding, Ph.D. | Director of Faculty Excellence
Office: Building 1, Room 1405
Email: j.leding@unf.edu
Juliana Leding, Ph.D., joined UNF in 2007 and is a Professor in the Department of Psychology. She is an experimental psychologist with a focus on cognitive psychology and human memory. Her research involves examining factors that lead to the creation and avoidance of true and false memories. Her recent scholarship involves examining evolutionary explanations for human memory processes and exploring whether certain individual differences are related to the likelihood that an individual will experience false memories.