Brigham Young University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. P. Christine Ackroyd as the new Director of the Research Development Officed at BYU. Dr. Ackroyd brings over 20 years of experience as a PhD researcher, grant writer, free-lance proposal editor, research assistant professor and college-level instructor. She earned a B.S. in Chemistry with honors from Brigham Young University and holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan, where she conducted research on “The thermodynamic sources of affinity and sequence-specificity: Analyses of single-stranded-DNA binding by autoantibodies.”
Dr. Ackroyd is a highly effective grant writer and editor, with a successful track record in securing funding from major sponsors. Her extensive experience includes roles as a co-Principal Investigator, research assistant professor, and long-term collaborator. Since joining BYU in 2016, she has served as a grants coach in the College of Computation, Math and Science and been part of ongoing scientific collaborations with faculty at BYU, Harvard, University of Wisconsin, and Clemson University. In addition, she has taught 39 sections of STEM classes, including Chem 105, 106, 351, and PS100. She was the recipient of the Brigham Young University Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award in 2023 and the Faculty Women’s Association Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award in 2024. Her varied experience gives her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by faculty as they balance research and teaching responsibilities.
In her new role, Dr. Ackroyd will leverage her strong collaborative writing and editing skills, knowledge of research policies and procedures, and teaching skills to support and train faculty in securing external funding. Her broad scientific training and interdisciplinary communication skills will be invaluable in fostering a supportive and productive research environment at BYU.
When not thinking about more effective ways to construct grant proposals, Ackroyd loves hiking in National Parks and working in her garden. Although she aspires to be a quilter, she usually ends up pulling weeds instead. She is married to Ken Christensen, associate-chair in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at BYU; they are the parents of four adult children.