Ellen was elected to the board in 2023 and serves on Friends Fundraising Committee.
She received her B.S. degree in biology from Russell Sage College in Troy, New York and her doctorate degree from Cornell University in genetics with an emphasis in immunogenetics. This was followed by an appointment in the Department of Microbiology at the University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Medicine where she was the recipient of numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for her basic research in the field of immunology. She remained in the Department of Microbiology for twenty-four years where she was Chair of the Department for four years. Ellen was appointed Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies for UNM overseeing research programs, research centers and graduate programs. During her tenure at UNM, she served on advisory boards for the National Science Foundation as well as serving on advisory committees and study sections for the National Institutes of Health. Among various local awards, including the UNM Annual Research Lectureship Award, she was recognized nationally as a recipient of an NIH Research Career Development Award and was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Cornell University School of Graduate Sciences at the School of Medicine.
In 1996 she became President of the Santa Fe Institute, overseeing the overall operation of SFI including financial and scholarly activities in the area of complex adaptive systems. In 2003 she, along with her colleague, Dr. George Cowan at SFI, led a consortium on early childhood learning involving universities throughout the US and Canada. As President of SFI, she was asked to serve on the Advisory Board for the Investment Company of America providing scientific insights to the board and also served on the Board of HopeLab Foundation which at the time provided gaming strategies for young people struggling with cancer and chemotherapy.
Since her retirement from the Santa Fe Institute, Dr. Goldberg was appointed Research Professor in the Department of Biology at UNM where she participates in various activities including a journal club with students and faculty. She lives with her husband, two dogs, a donkey and horse in Edgewood, NM where she is involved in online bird activities and backyard bird watching.
