Faculty Accolades from the Office of the Provost

Please join the Office of the Provost in congratulating faculty who have received distinguished honors, as well as those who have presented, published, and performed professional service during the academic year. 

The Russell Sage College Distinguished Service Award was awarded to Karen Balter, associate professor and chair, Biology & Health Sciences.

The Russell Sage College Faculty of the Year Award was awarded to Lynn Capirsello, assistant professor, Interior + Spatial Design. 

The Susan Warren Beatty Faculty Research Award for Excellence in Research was awarded to Michelle Napierski-Prancl, Ph.D., professor, Sociology.

The Terry Cannizzaro Award for Full Time Faculty was awarded to Wendy Gaughan, OTD, OTR/L, assistant professor, Occupational Therapy.

Leslie Bennett, OTD, OTR/L, Occupational Therapy

Mark Ahola, instructor, Creative Arts in Therapy, 23 years of service

Margot T. Elacqua, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, associate professor, Occupational Therapy, 21 years of service

Kathleen Kelly, Ph.D., MPH, MS, FNP, dean, School of Health Sciences, 15 years of service

Steven Leibo, Ph.D., professor, Humanities, 39 years of service

John Pelizza, Ph.D., dean, Esteves School of Education & School of Management, 49 years of service

Josefina Roldan, assistant professor, Nursing, 10 years of service

Manijeh Sabi, Ph.D., professor, Economics, 35 years of service

Melinda McDaniel, MFA, associate professor, Art and Extended Media 

Donald Graves, Ph.D., associate professor, Psychology, fall 2023

Maureen M. Gokey, associate professor, Writing, spring 2024

Nathanael Green, MFA, Interdisciplinary Studies, Betty Harder McClellan Distinguished Professor in Humanities (2022-2024)

Ekaterina Kagan, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Studies, Sherman David Spector Professor in the Humanities (2022-2024)

Pamela Ko, Management, Emily L. Mantilia Professor in Business (2023-2024)

Kristi LaMonica,Ph.D., Biology & Health Sciences, Lewis A. Froman Endowed Fellow (2023-2024)

Shealeen Meaney, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Studies, Judith A. Barnes Faculty Fellow in Communications (2023-2025)

Michael Musial, Creative & Performing Arts, Edith McCrea Professor in the Fine Arts
(2023-2026)

Michelle Napierski-Prancl, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Studies, The Reverend Dr. Edith Grace Craig Chair of Religion and Philosophy (2023-2026)

Patricia O’Connor, Ph.D., Psychology, Lorraine Walker Chair in Developmental Psychology

Kelli Tamvada, Ph.D., Biology & Health Sciences, Walter Robb and Anne Gruver Robb Fellow in the Sciences (2022-2024)

Maryellen Tedesco, Management, Lawrence Family Foundation Professorship in Economics and Business (2023-2025)

Professor of Theatre David Baecker, MFA, served as a judge for the Thayer Fellowship in the Arts and the Patricia Kerr Ross Award. These competitive awards honor students in the State University of New York system for excellence in dance, drama, music, visual arts, creative writing, and film, with judges chosen nationwide within their disciplines. In March 2023, Baecker collaborated with U.K.-based theatremakers Samara Neely-Cohen and Peter Straker to workshop a new script, Let Right Be Done, based on the story of Straker’s triumph over multiple sclerosis and his work as a coroner. The solo performance was presented at Jacksons Lane theater in London, with future productions being planned. 

Assistant Professor of Education Kelly Brock, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA, delivered more than  45 presentations to school districts during the academic year, including “Antecedent Interventions and Reactive Strategies for Decreasing Disruptive Behaviors in Special Class” for the Ontario Council of Exceptional Children and a presentation on least restrictive environments for the New York State Special Education Task Force. 

In January 2023, Occupational Therapy faculty members Debra L. Collette, OTD, OTR/L, Leslie Bennett, OTD, OTR/L, Margot T. Elacqua, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, and Sarah Brockway, EdD, OTR/L, presented “Fieldwork Education: Present and Future Directions” for a continuing education series offered by the New York State Occupational Therapy Association. In February, Collette and OT faculty member Becky Bernhardt, OTD, OTR/L, presented “Supporting and Nurturing Collaborative Relationships between OTD Students and Site Mentors” for the same series. Collette also presented at the the New York State Occupational Therapy Association annual conference in October 2022 in Saratoga Springs: “Impact of COVID-19 on Child Performance in Schools: OT and Teacher Perceptions,” with Professor of Biology Mary S. Rea, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy Wendy Gaughan, OTD, OTR/L, and a poster, “Looks Matter: Perceptions of Occupational Therapist Attire,” with Associate Professor of Public Health Dayna Maniccia, DrPH.

Karen Conway, lecturer of Interior + Spatial Design, passed the exam required to earn the WELL Accredited Professional credential, which denotes expertise in the WELL Building Standard and a commitment to advancing human health and wellness in buildings and communities. 

Assistant Professor of Psychology Vincent Corcoran, Ph.D., was Invited to contribute an entry on excoriation disorder for the forthcoming SAGE Encyclopedia of Mood and Anxiety Disorders.

“Economic Reform, Fiscal Rules, and the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag Bounds Test Model. Evidence from the United Arab Emirates” by Assistant Professor of Economics Kassim  Dakhlallah, Ph.D., appeared in Review of Middle East Economics and Finance in August 2022. 

Professor of Art History Melody Davis, Ph.D., received the National Stereoscopic Association Research Fellowship from the Library of Congress to research racialized depictions in late 19th and early-20th century stereographs at the library in June 2023. Her double book review of Lewis Carroll: Photography on the Move by Lindsay Smith and Singular Images and Failed Copies: William Henry Fox Talbot and the Early Photograph appeared in Visual Studies in February 2023; her article, “Minstrelsy, Blackface, and the Racialised Performative in Narrative Stereoviews, 1860-1902,” appeared in the International Journal on Stereo & Immersive Media in January; “Bathing with the Enemy: Lee Miller” was included in the anthology, Lee Miller: A Surrealist Eye, from Cambridge Scholars Publishing in 2022; and “Behind the Scenes with Franklin George Weller: the Creation of Stereoscopic Tableaux,” will appear in a special issue: “Nineteenth-Century Visual Technologies in Contemporary Practices”‘” for the journal, 19: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century. Davis presented “Behind the Scenes with Franklin George Weller: the Creation of Stereoscopic Tableaux,” for Symposium:19: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Long Nineteenth Century, hosted from the University of Exeter in September 2022. She chaired sessions on the history of stereoscopic photography and presented “Food as a Racialized Subject in the Nineteenth-Century Stereoview” at the National Stereoscopic Association’s annual convention in Tacoma,Washington, in 2022.  The association recognized Davis with its William C. Darrah Memorial Award for Distinguished Scholarship and Extraordinary Knowledge of Stereoscopy at the convention. 

Assistant Professor of Biology and Health Sciences Andrea Dievendorf, D.C., received a Higher Education Teaching Certificate through Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.

In March, Scott Doig, Ph.D., assistant professor of physical education, traveled to the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in Monterrey, Mexico, to participate in a program review of the university’s physical education and sports science programs. In October, he will return to the university to participate as a speaker with a keynote lecture of a course-workshop, “Physical Education, Sport and Applied Science”, during the school’s physical education and sports science conference.

Associate Professor of Educational Leadership Francesca Durand, Ph.D., coauthored “Discovering Differential Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Education Workforce,” a chapter in Addressing Differential Impacts Of Covid-19 In New York State, a special volume from SUNY Press. She presented “Diverse Stakeholder Empowerment: Adaptive Leadership in K12 Schools During Crisis” at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in Chicago in April 2023 and “High Quality QARs: Processes, Pitfalls, and Staying Positive” at the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation Quality Assurance Symposium in Indianapolis in February.

“It Changes Everything: The Impact of HIV-related Stigma on Sexual Health and Intimacy Among African American Women,” coauthored by Associate Professor of Psychology Tameka Gillum, Ph.D., appeared in Culture, Health & Sexuality in December 2022. Gillum chaired the Cultural Issues in Creating Social Change for Community Well-Being symposium and presented “Developing a Community-Based Initiative to Address Intimate Partner Violence in Kenya,” at the International Conference of Community Psychology in Naples, Italy in September 2022.

Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Janet Hakey-Brusgul, Ph.D., and her students presented “Kinesiotaping with Cervical Dysfunction” at the American Physical Therapy Association of Massachusetts annual conference in November 2022. In October, Hakey-Brusgul, Assistant Professors of Physical Therapy Cathron Donaldson, DPT, and Laurie Hepler, DPT, and students offered interactive activities and educational materials about fitness, nutrition, and game day readiness at the Special Olympics New York Super Regional Winter Classic held at West Mountain. 

Professor of Spanish Kate Kagan, Ph.D., has been appointed as Russell Sage College’s Sherman David Spector Professor in Humanities through 2024. She presented “(Re) Think the use of Digital Tools in World Language Classrooms” for the Northeast Conference on the teaching of Foreign Languages in March 2023. She chaired two sessions on the role of magic creatures in Latin America and Spain and presented her research on using online tools and multimedia in the modern languages classroom for the Northeastern Modern Languages Association, also in March. 

In April 2023, Associate Professor of Biology Kristi LaMonica, Ph.D., spoke on a panel discussing “Diversity in/of Approaches to Experimental Teaching” at Siena College. Her coauthored article, “Self-Image in Women with Parkinson’s Disease,” was published by Journal of Parkinson’s Disease in March to coincide with International Women’s Day. Also in March, LaMonica was a panelist for two webinars: “Embracing Equity in Healthcare for Women with Parkinson’s,” sponsored by the Cure Parkinson’s Trust based in London, and “Exercise and Motivation,” sponsored by Edinburgh University, Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, and Cure Parkinson’s. In January, she was second author on the second part of a three-part survey released through the Michael J Fox Foundation regarding the experiences of women living with Parkinson’s Disease, pre-, peri-, and post-menopause. In September 2022, LaMonica moderated a panel on reproductive rights in post-Roe America for The Women’s Institute at Russell Sage College. She is a monthly panelist for the Davis Phinney Foundation’s Living With Parkinson’s Meetup live webinar. In the fall semester, she collaborated with Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Sarah Salvatore, DPT to register students for LSVT-Big certification. LSVT-Big is a therapy directed towards Parkinson’s and certified practitioners will fill a great need in the region. 

Associate Professor of Psychology Julie A. McIntyre, Ph.D.,  received an Open Educational Resources grant from Russell Sage to revise the popular Positive Psychology course that is now offered for General Education credit.

Professor of English Tonya J. Moutray, Ph.D., presented “From Dowagers to Dowries: Catholic Nuns and Novices in England 1793-1829” at the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies annual meeting in St. Louis in March 2023. She presented “Restoration During Crisis: the Liège Sepulchrines in England 1794-1829″ online for the Catholic Record Society & British Catholic History Conference in July 2022, and she published two entries for the Palgrave Encyclopedia of Romantic-Era Women Writers: “Religion” is an overview of the section for which she is editor, and  “Dissent” covers the varieties of religious dissent as presented by women writers in the Romantic era.

In January, Sociology Professor Michelle Napierski-Prancl, Ph.D., presented “The Class of 2020: A Sociological Exploration of High School Closings, Canceled Rituals and how Schools and Communities Responded” at the Hawaii International Conference on Education Annual Meeting in Honolulu. Persevering During the Pandemic: Stories of Resilience,Creativity and Connection, co-edited by Napierski-Prancl, Ph.D., was published in August 2022 by Lexington Books.The book includes Napierski-Prancl’s chapter, “The Class of 2020: Parents’ Perspectives of the Pomp and Terrible Circumstance.”

Associate Professor of Chemistry Emilly A. Obuya, Ph.D., received a grant to fund the “Sage STEM” program that will address the systemic barriers in STEM education and expose K-12 students from urban school districts to STEM careers and role models. The program will collaborate with a consortium of stakeholders, including college students, faculty/teachers, and STEM professionals to deliver a STEM curriculum. In May, she presented on how to facilitate STEM engagement with P-16 institutions at the “Engage for Change” conference at Siena College, which focuses on higher education and multi-sector collaboration.

A literature review of social communication interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder in general education settings, coauthored by Associate Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis Cheryl Ostryn, Ph.D.,BCBA-D, appeared in Current Developmental Disorders Reports in May. 

Sarah Salvatore, DPT, graduated from the Doctor of Educational Leadership program at Russell Sage College. Her dissertation, “Noncognitive Factors in Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Admissions: An Exploration of Holistic Review Procedures” became available on ProQuest in March 2023.

“Social Justice and Critical Communication Pedagogies in Service-Learning: Making Space for Identity Exploration,” by Assistant Professor of Geography Ali Schaeffing, Ph.D., and General Education Core Coordinator Sara Schuman, was accepted to the forthcoming edited book: Critical Approaches to Crisis Communication in the Classroom and Higher Education Contexts, part of the Critical Communication Pedagogy Book Series by Lexington Books. Schaeffing and Vera Eccarius-Kelly of Siena College received grant support for their ongoing multi-institutional research project “Refugee Voice College Access;” from Bringing Theory to Practice’s The Way Forward Initiative.

Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Rupali Singh, Ph.D., presented a poster, “The Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Women With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review” for the World Physiotherapy Congress 2023 in June. Her research project, “Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy on Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy — A Pilot Study” was selected for a grant from the 2023 Arthur J. Nelson Research Designated Fund awarded by the American Physical Therapy Association New York Research Committee.  

“Starting with Philosophy: Examining Teaching Philosophy as a Starting Point for Improvement” by Assistant Professor of Education Peter J. Stapleton, Ph.D., was published on Faculty Focus in April 2023, and “Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions and Experiences Implementing CATCH My Breath,” coauthored by Stapleton, appeared in the American Journal of Health Education in November 2022.  Stapleton and Assistant Professor of Physical Education and Health Education Scott Doig, Ph.D., presented on the use of the personalized system of instruction in physical education at the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Capital Zone Conference held at Russell Sage in March.

In April, Professor of History Harvey Strum, Ph.D., presented “Yiddishkeit: Preserving Jewish Identity in Albany, 1850-1930,” during the New Trends in Jewish Research session at the New England History Conference at Springfield College in Massachusetts. He delivered Zoom presentations for a number of conferences including “Quebec Aid to Ireland” for the International Conference on Humanities, Social, and Education Sciences; “Canadian Press Reaction to the 1908 American Presidential Election” for the Midwestern Political Science Association; and “1908 Presidential Campaign and the Canadian Press,” for the Joint Journalism and Communication History Conference, all in April. Strum published a book review of “From Battlefield to the Big Screen: Audie Murphy, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, and Dirk Bogarde in WW2, in the New York Military Affairs’ NYMAS Review May-June issue.He reviewed proposals for the Political Communications Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. His articles “Aid from Central New York to Ireland During the Great Hunger” and “Yiddishkeit: Preserving Jewish Identity in Albany, 1850-1930,” appeared in the New York History Review 2022 annual issue.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Julie Verette-Lindenbaum, Ph.D., presented a poster, “Scaffolding Resilience in Undergraduate Students” at the International Association for Relationship Research.Mini-Conference in Phoenix in May 2023. She presented “Considerations in Teaching Close Relationships: Topics, Practices, and Resources to Enhance Student Engagement” at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, held in Chicago in April. She chaired and presented during a special session on teaching for the International Association for Relationship Research virtual conference in summer 2022. The session highlighted interactive innovations that address common challenges for relationship science instructors. Her article, “Teaching Relationship Science: Continuity and Change of the Craft” is under review at Personal Relationships and “Is there a Kernel of Truth to the Stereotype that Women who Engage in Casual Sex Have Lower Self-esteem?” is under review at Personality and Individual Differences.