Intersession Grants Awarded for January 2024

The University of Scranton awarded 2024 faculty development intersession grants to six faculty members.

Shuhua Fan, Ph.D., professor of history, received a grant to research “Confucius Institutes in the Xi Jinping Era: From Peak to Demise in the United States.” Dr. Fan received the University’s 2015 Excellence in Advancing Global Learning Award, presented to faculty members who integrate international issues and perspectives into the curriculum. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Sichuan Normal University, her master’s degree from Jilin University, and her master’s and doctorate degrees from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She joined the faculty at the University in 2009.

Ozgur Isil, Ph.D., associate professor of operations and analytics, received a grant to research “Infusing ‘Ecological Education’ (Laudato Si’ Goal) into the Curriculum.” Dr. Isil received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas, Austin, and his MBA and doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. He joined the faculty at the University in 2009.

Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, received a grant to research “Neitzshe’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra.” He serves as the director of the University’s Pre-Law Advisory Program and Legal Studies Concentration and as faculty director for the Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas, his master’s degree from Harvard University and his doctorate from Boston University. He joined the faculty at the University in 2010.

Brian Snee, Ph.D., associate professor of communications and media, received a grant to research “Unfettered: The Rhetoric of John Fetterman’s 2022 U.S. Senate Campaign Chapter 4: ‘That’s what she said:’ Humor as Inoculative Incongruity in Gisele Fetterman’s Primary Acceptance Speech.” Dr. Snee earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton. He earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in communication arts and science from Penn State University. He joined the faculty at Scranton in 2020.

Jong-Hyun Son, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, received a grant to research “Functional Characteristics of Oxygen in the Developing Dopaminergic Neurons of the Vertebrate Brain.” Dr. Son received his bachelor’s degree from Dankook University, his master’s degree from Western Illinois University, and his doctorate from Texas A and M University of the Health Sciences. He joined the faculty at Scranton in 2017.

Ziqian Song, Ph.D., assistant professor of operations and analytics, received a grant to research “Words That Move Markets: Investigating Predictive Textual Features during Corporate Events for Stock Analysis.” She earned her bachelor’s degree from Zhengzhou University in Zhengzhou, China, her master’s degree in media economics from Renmin University of China in Beijing, and her master’s degree and doctorate a in computer science and applications from Virginia Tech. She joined the faculty at Scranton in 2020.