As the Assistant Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies, I serve as an instructor and program director, organizing and leading graduate level courses, series, and workshops in pertinent professional development areas, as well as designing and leading graduate student orientations, research symposia and competitions. I serve on various committees to support the strategic initiatives of the Graduate School and manage an array of Graduate Student affairs related matters. I also lead the PhD student success team and serve as the PhD student success manager for PhD students beyond their second year of study. I received my PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and have expertise in graduate-level career and professional development and graduate student affairs.  

  

Education
Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine
M.S. in Biotechnology from University of Delaware
B.S. in Biological Sciences from University of Delaware
Professional Highlights & Honors
Publications

GRANTS:

  1. Rory Flinn#, Adam C. Powell IV*, Hermine Vedogbeton*. Building Community and Reducing Attrition Through the Development of a Mentoring Program for WPI Graduate Students from Underrepresented Groups. WPI DEIJ Seed Grant. July 2022-June 2023. # PI; * Co-PIs.
  2. Rory Flinn#, and Adrienne Linnell*, Katherine Chen**, Douglas Petkie**. ASPIRE Central Massachusetts Regional Collaborative for inclusive and diverse STEM faculty. Implementation Grant through NSF-ASPIRE: The National Alliance for Inclusive and Diverse STEM Faculty. July 2022-August 2023. # PI and 4-Year School Lead; * 2-Year School Lead; ** Co-PIs.
  3. Ken Dwyer#, Adrienne Linnell#, Rory Flinn*, and Katherine Chen*. Cultivating 2-year faculty of color with inclusive STEM teacher education in the Worcester and Central Massachusetts Region. Planning Grant through NSF-ASPIRE: The National Alliance for Inclusive and Diverse STEM Faculty. April 2021-March 2022. # Quinsigimond Community College Co-leads. * WPI Co-leads.
  4. NIH NRSA F32 Fellowship Recipient. 2012-2014

 

PUBLICATIONS

                                                                                               Peer Reviewed Articles

  1. Commisso, C., Flinn, R.J., Bar-Sagi D. “Determining the macropinocytic index of cancer cells through a quantitative image-based assay.”Nature Protocols 2014 Jan; 9, 182–192
  2. Smirnova, T., Zhou, Z.N., Flinn, R.J., Wyckoff, J., Boimel, P.J., Pozzuto, M., Coniglio, S.J., Backer, J.M., Bresnick, A.R., Condeelis, J.S., Hynes, N.E., Segall, J.E. “Phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling is critical for ErbB3-driven breast cancer cell motility and metastasis.” Oncogene  2011 July; 1–10
  3. Flinn, R.J., Backer, J.M. “mTORC1 signals from late endosomes: Taking a TOR of the endocytic system.” Cell Cycle 2010 May 2;9(10): 1869-70.
  4. Flinn, R.J., Yan, Y., Goswami, S., Parker, P.J., Backer, J.M., “The Late Endosome is Essential for mTORC1 Signaling.” Mol Biol Cell. 2010 Mar;21(5):833-41
  5. Wu H, Shekar SC, Flinn RJ, El-Sibai M, Jaiswal BS, Sen KI, Janakiraman V, Seshagiri S, Gerfen GJ, Girvin ME, Backer JM. “Regulation of Class IA PI 3-kinases: C2 domain-iSH2 domain contacts inhibit p85/p110alpha and are disrupted in oncogenic p85 mutants.” PNAS 2009 Dec 1;106(48):20258-63.
  6. Pang H, Flinn R, Patsialou A, Wyckoff J, Roussos ET, Wu H, Pozzuto M, Goswami S, Condeelis JS, Bresnick AR, Segall JE, Backer JM. “Differential enhancement of breast cancer cell motility and metastasis by helical and kinase domain mutations of class IA phosphoinositide 3-kinase.” Cancer Res. 2009 Dec 1;69(23):8868-76.
  7. Yan Y, Flinn RJ, Wu H, Schnur RS, Backer JM. “hVps15, but not Ca2+/CaM, is required for the activity and regulation of hVps34 in mammalian cells.” Biochem J. 2009 Feb 1;417(3):747-55.
  8. El-Sibai M, Nalbant P, Pang H, Flinn RJ, Sarmiento C, Macaluso F, Cammer M, Condeelis JS, Hahn KM, Backer JM. “Cdc42 is required for EGF-stimulated protrusion and motility in MTLn3 carcinoma cells.” J Cell Sci. 2007 Oct 1;120(Pt 19):3465-74.

                                                                                                        Other Articles 

  1. Flinn, R.J. “Choosing the Right Postdoc Opportunity” Genes to Genomes: A Blog from the Genetics Society of America. 2017 Oct 17; http://genestogenomes.org/choosing-the-right-postdoc-opportunity/ .
  2. Flinn, R.J. and Commisso, C., “Career Choices for Postdocs in 2012: A Post-apocalyptic Tale or a Path of Bright Lights?” The NYU SoM Post. 2012 Aug 1; 1(4): 16-17 

 

PRESENTATIONS

Career and Professional Development

  1. Rory Flinn. "Faculty Job Search Boot Camp". St. Jude's Children Hospital Postdoctoral Program. July-August 2024. (Invited Talks). 
  2. Rory Flinn. Career Coaching. ASCB Annual Conference, Boston. December 2023. (1:1 Career Coaching).
  3. Rory Flinn. "Career Management Strategies: Identifying Career Fit and Networking", What Can You Be With a PhD Biennial Conference, NYU School of Medicine, NY. October 21, 2023. (Invited Talk).
  4. Rory Flinn. "Individual Development Plans (IDPs): A Road Map to Academic and Career Success", IEEE-HKN Conference, Tufts University, MA. November 2, 2019. (Invited Talk). 
  5. Rory Flinn, Cynthia Fuhrmann, Christine Holmes, Steve Lee, Jake Livengood, Kim Petrie, Suprawee Tepsuporn, and Kerry Landers. “Enhancing Mentorship within the GCC Community: the Launch of the GCC Mentoring Program”, Graduate Career Consortium Annual Meeting Session, June 27th 2018. (Poster).
  6. Flinn, R.J. “Developing an IDP: A Road Map for Career Success” Webinar for Columbia University IDP program, September 27th 2017. (Invited Talk).
  7. Flinn, R.J., Magaldi, T., and Furlong, Jennifer S. “They Snooze, You Both Lose”, Graduate Career Consortium Annual Meeting Session, UC Berkley, June 23rd 2016.
  8. Flinn, R.J. “Leveraging Your Postdoc to Reach Your Career Goals” Albert Einstein College of Medicine PhD and Postdoc Career Day, October 1st 2015. (Invited Talk). 
  9. Flinn, R.J. “The Transition from Grad Student to Postdoc: A First Person Narrative” Albert Einstein College of Medicine CMBG Training Grant Retreat, September 17th 2013. (Invited Talk).

 

Oral Presentations: Research

  1. Flinn, R.J., Yan, Y., Goswami, S., Parker, P.J., and Backer, J.M. “The Late Endosome is Essential for mTORC1 Signaling.” PTEN Pathways and Targets. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meeting, March 16-20th 2010. 
  2. Flinn, R.J., Yan, Y., Goswami, S., and Backer, J.M. “ The Late Endosome is Essential for mTORC1 Signaling.” American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Metabolism and Cancer Meeting, September 13-16th 2009. 

Poster Presentations: Research

  1. Flinn, R.J., Yan, Y., Parker, P.J., and Backer, J.M. “Sequestration of Class III PI-3 Kinase, hVps34, Inhibits mTORC1 Signaling.”Gordon Research Conference: Phosphorylation & G-Protein Mediated Signaling Networks, June 15-20th 2008.
  2. Flinn, R.J., Parker, P.J., and Backer, J.M. “The Requirement for hVps34 in mTOR/S6K1 Signaling is Unrelated to the Role of hVps34 in Endosomal Trafficking.” ASCB 47th Annual Meeting, December 1-5, 2007.