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It’s not every day, nor on every college campus, where business and humanities faculty collaborate and propose bold alternatives to long-held beliefs.

However, that’s exactly what happened recently at The University of Scranton.

And the uncommon collaboration led to international recognition.

Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A.’88, professor and chair of the Accounting Department and director of the University’s Ph.D. program, and Daniel P. Haggerty, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Philosophy Department and director of the University’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, appeared this week on the Institute of Management Accountants’ (IMA) official podcast to discuss their article titled “Aristotle and Accounting: Building Virtue to Fight Fraud.”

“Often, when people think of ethics, they think of actions. What can you do? What can’t you do?” Dr. Haggerty said on the podcast. “But with virtue, as Aristotle understood it, action sort of comes at the end of the line. What (virtue ethics) focuses on is the development and the cultivation of habits of thinking, feeling, emotion, desire ... and all of those lead to action.”

The paper, which was co-authored by Dr. Boyle, Dr. Haggerty and Dana R. Hermanson, Ph.D., of Kennesaw State University, was selected as the IMA Committee on Ethics and Strategic Finance 2025 Curt Verschoor Ethics Feature of the Year.

The authors applied Aristotelian virtue ethics to modern accounting practices, offering a fresh and humanistic approach to fraud prevention.

“These leaders get their formal education through business school and that’s particularly focused on technical topics, net present value, how we do different things. It’s very quantitative, it’s very analytical and now it’s very technology-focused … lots of things that are very important to understand, but it’s not building virtue. It’s a rule book,” Dr. Boyle said on the podcast. “What we’re trying to do here is give these executives an alternative way to think about ethics and not just be so rules-based, but also be more human behavioral-based.”

The authors argue that building virtue takes time, trust and hard work, but it will ultimately happen. When it does happen, it leads to higher employee and customer satisfaction and ultimately better financial outcomes.

“This pursuit of virtue is not just a nice thing to do,” Dr. Boyle said, “it also has a real financial impact to a company.”

Dr. Boyle had previously won the prestigious Verschoor Award in 2020 and 2024 from the IMA, which has about 140,000 members in 150 countries. It is one of the largest associations focused on advancing the management accounting profession.

The University of Scranton has appointed 14 new full-time faculty members for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Sara Chan Yun Yu, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Philosophy Department. Her research interests lie in ethics, social epistemology and the philosophy of religion. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Notre Dame, where she was the recipient of two graduate fellowships. Prior to that, she graduated from the University of Oxford (BPhil in Philosophy, Blackfriars Hall) and the University of St. Andrews (MA in Philosophy and Psychology). She publishes on the philosophy of disability and has spoken at conferences across the world.

Beatriz Fontoura, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Chemistry Department. Most recently, she was a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Chemistry at Wake Forest University where she also served as a research instructor in analytical chemistry instrumentation. Dr. Fontoura earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil, and a Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry from Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil. She has been a contributor to numerous scholarly publications, is a journal reviewer for several academic journals, and is a member of leading Chemistry organizations. She has presented at conferences and events in both South and North America. In addition to her native Portuguese, she is fluent in English and speaks intermediate Spanish.

Nathan Henceroth, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Political Science Department. Prior to joining the University, he was assistant professor of Computer Science and Political Science at Albright College, where his teaching focused on comparative politics, European politics, political economy and research methodology. Previously, he was visiting assistant professor of Political Science at Allegheny College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French at Centre College, a master’s degree in international economics and politics at Charles University, Prague, and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In partnership with other academic colleagues, he has published works in peer-reviewed publications and has also presented at numerous professional conferences in his field. He is fluent in French and has intermediate fluency in Czech/Slovak.

Hyun Kim, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance. She joined the University after serving for nine years on the faculty at Alma College where she was assistant professor, then associate professor of Public Health and was also program coordinator of the Public Health Program. She received a bachelor’s degree in merchandising from Indiana University, a Master of Science degree in economics from State University of New York, Buffalo, and a Ph.D. in community health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a member of notable professional organizations in her field and is a regular presenter at the American Society for Nutrition meetings, among other professional organizations.

Megan Ossont, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Department of Nursing. A Registered Nurse Practitioner with certification in family psychiatric mental health and as a nurse educator, Dr. Ossont was most recently assistant clinical professor at Drexel University of Graduate Nursing. She has served as a psychiatric nurse practitioner with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where she was also selected as part of the National Forensic Psychiatry Team, and previously practiced at other correctional health care organizations and Geisinger Health Systems Department of Psychiatry, where she was named part of the residency faculty. Dr. Ossont earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from The University of Scranton, a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and a Doctor of Philosophy in nursing from Villanova University. She has presented at conferences, and her work is published in professional journals.

Corey Posa was named a faculty specialist in the Department of Nursing. A nurse navigator with nursing experience in substance use and high-risk obstetric care, she specializes in perinatal addiction medicine. Most recently, she was a nurse navigator at UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital Pregnancy and Women’s Recovery Center. Previously, she served as a staff nurse in other units at UPMC. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing and Master of Science in nursing education from Duquesne University and is a Registered Nurse. She has presented at numerous professional organizations about Care of the Perinatal Patient with Opioid Use Disorder.

Carissa Pupo, DNP, previously an adjunct faculty member in the Nurse Anesthesia Program at the University, was named a faculty specialist in the Department of Nursing. She has worked as a nurse anesthetist at Anesthesia Specialists of Bethlehem and Lehigh Valley Health Network, as a registered nurse at Geisinger Medical Center and a nursing simulated learning lab manager at Bloomsburg University. She received a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Bloomsburg University and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in anesthesia from The University of Scranton. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and is certified as a critical care registered nurse.

Swathi Ragulan, Ph.D., was named assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Services. Dr. Ragulan received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis from Rutgers University and went on to earn a Ph.D. in behavior analysis from the University of Nevada, Reno. A Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, she has taught as a lead instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno, and as a teaching assistant for the Global Institute for Behavioral Analysis. Dr. Ragulan has served as a clinical supervisor and assistant clinical director at service delivery organizations in her community, where she provided ABA services across the lifespan to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. She has presented extensively on topics in behavior analysis and skill acquisition for individuals with autism and is a contributor to scholarly publication articles.

Sangita Saha, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Department of History. Most recently, she was a lecturer in South Asian History at Santa Clara University. Previously, she was instructor of record in the Department of History at the University of Michigan — where she received several writing fellowships and research awards — while simultaneously completing her doctoral studies. She received a bachelor’s degree in history from Calcutta University, a master’s degree in modern history from Jawaharlal Nehru University, an M.Phil. degree in social sciences from Jadavpur University and a Ph.D. in history and women’s and gender studies from the University of Michigan. Dr. Saha has presented at conferences and workshops in the U.S., U.K. and Europe. Bilingual in English and Bengali, she has working proficiency in Hindi.

Samantha Scott, Ph.D., was named faculty specialist in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. She previously served as a lecturer in the Department of Theology at Marquette University and Lee University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in theology from Marquette University, master’s degrees in theological studies and biblical studies at Lee University, and a Ph.D. in Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity from Marquette University. She has published journal articles, book chapters and book reviews and has made numerous academic presentations to the Society of Biblical Literature and other societies in her field. She is proficient in many languages, including Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Latin, Syriac, German and French.

Navid Shahrouzi, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Engineering. Dr. Shahrouzi is an electrical engineer with expertise in embedded systems, FPGA prototyping, VLSI and microcontroller design. He previously served as an assistant research and teaching professor at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, where he co-advised graduate students, served as the IEEE Student Branch Counselor and helped launch The Wire Lion Engineering Club. A senior member of IEEE, Dr. Shahrouzi has published in leading journals and conferences and regularly serves as a reviewer. In industry, he held a key role at Cypress Semiconductor (now Infineon Technologies), where he performed timing sign-off for SRSS IP in advanced microcontrollers. He earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado, an M.Sc. from the University of Guilan, and a B.Sc. from K.N. Toosi University of Technology.

Marlon Mike Toro-Alvarez, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology. He was previously an evaluator and analyst in cybersecurity and law enforcement training at Boston University, where he was part of a team on several research grant projects. As former head of the National Cybercrime Investigation Unit in the Colombian National Police, he organized the first White Hat Hackers Conference in Bogotá. He has been an instructor at Southern Illinois University and has been a guest lecturer at schools, police academies and criminology and cybercrime centers in South America and Mexico. He earned a bachelor’s degree in police administration from the Department of Police Service, Colombia, a bachelor’s degree in computer sciences from Catholic University, Colombia, a master’s degree in criminal justice from Boston University and a Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice from Southern Illinois University.

Al Turano, previously an adjunct faculty member, was named a faculty specialist in the Department of Operations and Analytics. Before joining the University, he was senior director, Global Professional Services for Dell Technologies, where he was responsible for an $8 billion global consulting practice specializing in big data, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Previously, he held leadership positions for EMC Corporation, a multinational information technology company, and served in business development, account management, and portfolio and project management roles for businesses and consulting firms. He received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Philadelphia University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Jacob Zoromski, Ph.D., was named visiting assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Zoromski has received awards for his work in student teaching.

Twenty-five faculty members at The University of Scranton received promotions heading into the 2025-26 academic year.

Four faculty members were elevated to professor: Duane Armitage, Ph.D. ’05, philosophy; John Deak, Ph.D., chemistry; Joan Grossman, Ph.D., health and human performance; and Hank Willenbrink, Ph.D., English and theatre.

Ten faculty members were advanced to associate professor: Mehmet Bastug, Ph.D., criminal justice, cybersecurity and sociology; Vincent Farallo, Ph.D., biology; Spencer Galen, Ph.D., biology; Madeline Gangnes, Ph.D., English and theatre; Emily Gerstle, Ph.D., health and human performance; Christopher Hauser, Ph.D., philosophy; Joseph Klobusicky, Ph.D., mathematics; Sylvia Orner, library; Amelia Randich, Ph.D., biology; and Paul Sampson, Ph.D., history.

Four faculty members were named associate professor and granted tenure: Ovidiu Cocieru, Ph.D., management and marketing; Rita DiLeo, D.Sc. ’11, health administration and human resources; Cara Krieg, Ph.D., biology; and Murong Xu, Ph.D., mathematics.

Seven professors were granted tenure: Sinchul Back, Ph.D., criminal justice, cybersecurity and sociology; Marleen Cloutier G’22, library; Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., physics and engineering; Emily Hopkins, Ph.D., psychology; Amanda Marcy, Ph.D. ’10, G’11, PHD’20, accounting; Ian O’Hara ’05, library; and Mary Troy, Ph.D. ’95, G’00 counseling and human services.

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Dr. Armitage, who has worked at the University since 2015, received a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton, a master’s degree from Boston College and a Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research.

Dr. Back, who has worked at the University since 2019, received a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, master’s degrees from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Bridgewater State University and a Ph.D. from Florida International University.

Dr. Bastug, who has worked at the University since 2020, received bachelor’s degrees from Turkish National Police University and Akdeniz University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Rutgers University.

Prof. Cloutier, who has worked at the University since 2016, received a bachelor’s degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology and master’s degrees from The University of Scranton and Drexel University.

Dr. Cocieru, who has worked at the University since 2019, received a bachelor’s degree from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Dr. Deak, who has worked at the University since 2002, received a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester.

Dr. DiLeo, who has worked at the University since 2007, received a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton, a master’s degree from Marywood University and a doctoral degree from the University of Alabama.

Dr. Farallo, who has worked at the University since 2020, received a bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University, a master’s degree from Texas State University-San Marcos and a Ph.D. from Ohio University.

Dr. Frissell, who has worked at the University since 2019, received a bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Dr. Galen, who has worked at the University since 2020, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, a master’s degree from the University of New Mexico and a Ph.D. from Richard Gilder Graduate School.

Dr. Gangnes, who has worked at the University since 2020, received a bachelor’s degree from University of Puget Sound, a master’s degree from University of Dundee and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida.

Dr. Gerstle, who has worked at the University since 2020, received a bachelor’s degree from Denison University and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Grossman, who has worked at the University since 2010, received a bachelor’s degree from King’s College, a master’s degree from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. from Marywood University.

Dr. Hauser, who has worked at the University since 2020, received a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University.

Dr. Hopkins, who has worked at the University since 2018, received a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Klobusicky, who has worked at the University since 2020, received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Brown University.

Dr. Krieg, who has worked at the University since 2018, received a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

Dr. Marcy, who has worked at the University since 2015, received bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from The University of Scranton.

Prof. O’Hara, a faculty member at the University since 2019, received a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton and a master’s degree from Clarion University.

Prof. Orner, who has worked at the University since 2020, received a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College and master’s degrees from Syracuse University and The University of Scranton.

Dr. Randich, who has worked at the University since 2020, received a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Sampson, who has worked at the University since 2020, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dallas, a master’s degree from Marquette University and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University.

Dr. Troy, who has worked at the University since 2018, received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The University of Scranton and a Ph.D. from Regent University.

Dr. Willenbrink, who has worked at the University since 2009, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tulsa and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dr. Xu, who has worked at the University since 2020, received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Jinan University and a doctoral degree from West Virginia University.

The University of Scranton recently honored 11 faculty members whose distinction in teaching, scholarship and service earned them various awards presented at an on-campus event.

Ten faculty members earned Provost Faculty Enhancement Awards. An additional honoree received a Faculty Senate award. The awards, presented annually, are intended to encourage, support, promote and recognize the efforts of faculty who strive for and achieve excellence in numerous areas benefiting the University.

Billie Tadros, Ph.D., associate professor of English and theatre, received the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award. The award recognizes the efforts of faculty who strive for excellence in teaching and practice teaching as a form of scholarship.

A University faculty member since 2018, Dr. Tadros’ efforts are evidenced by her work with the University Honors Program, the Slattery Center and the Faculty Student Research Program. She is also moderator of Sigma Tau Delta, the national honor society in English. During the 2024-25 academic year, Dr. Tadros participated in the orientation of students in the Dallas Prison Program, instructed a Community Health Humanities Workshop and continued working with students on their convention submissions and presentations. The author of three poetry books, Dr. Tadros’ expertise bridges medicine and humanities and perfectly aligns with the University’s values. 

Recipients of the Scholarly Publication Award were Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., associate professor of physics and engineering, and Roy Domenico, Ph.D., professor of history. The award recognizes the special efforts of faculty who have strived for, and attained, distinction in scholarship and creative activity.

Dr. Frissell has been an active researcher since arriving six years ago at the University, earning $4 million in research grants to support his work. In addition to serving as a role model for his research efforts, Dr. Frissell has provided unparalleled support to other faculty members in preparation of their own grant applications to the National Science Foundation. He has involved his campus colleagues in collaborative research efforts while also mentoring and supporting students at all stages of their academic journeys.

Dr. Domenico, who arrived at the University in 1997, has built an admirable record of scholarly work in Italian history. Dr. Domenico has authored several books, including “Italian Fascists on Trial, 1943-1948,” “The Regions of Italy: A Reference Guide to History and Culture” and “The Devil and Dolce Vita.” He has received many accolades, including a Fulbright Senior Research Award for Italy, and the Howard and Helen Marraro Prize from the Society for Italian Historical Studies for “Italian Fascists on Trial: 1943-1948.”

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Teresa Grettano, Ph.D., associate professor of English and theatre, received the University Service and Leadership Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who strives for excellence in service to the University, the profession and the community. The awardee must demonstrate academic leadership by effective mentoring of junior colleagues.

Since joining the University in 2009, Dr. Grettano’s record of service has been both sustained and impactful. Dr. Grettano has been a leader in campus initiatives related to the University’s mission. She’s also been a leader in Faculty Senate, serving in 2023 as its president-elect and assuming the role of president in 2024. Dr. Grettano began working in 2010 with the Faculty Senate and was instrumental in developing the Eloquentia Perfecta component of Scranton’s general education (GE) curriculum. In 2020, she was elected as the College of Arts and Sciences faculty representative to the newly formed GE Review Committee. As president, she helped shepherd the new GE curriculum through the Faculty Senate with Board of Trustees approval.

Cyrus P. Olsen III, Ph.D., associate professor of theology/religious studies, received the Advancing Global Learning Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates noteworthy academic leadership in integrating international issues and perspectives into the curriculum. Through the awardee’s efforts, their students have acquired the attributes and insight required to meaningfully and successfully participate in an increasingly interdependent world.

Dr. Olsen, who joined the University in 2006, instructs a course, T/RS 295: Christianity in Africa, which has significantly contributed to integrating diversity into the curriculum and enriching students’ learning in profound ways. Dr. Olsen’s course is an immersive travel experience during which students engage the Baganda people of the Kampala region, visiting schools, churches and healthcare facilities before traveling to Southwest Uganda to interact with the Batwa tribe. At both locations, students learn about sustainable farming while exploring the Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Dr. Olsen has taught the course since 2016.

Recipients of the Advancing Interdisciplinary Study Award were Marleen Cloutier, associate professor at the Weinberg Memorial Library, and Sylvia Orner, associate professor, library. The award recognizes faculty members who demonstrate noteworthy academic leadership in promoting and strengthening cross-disciplinary or interdepartmental teaching and learning endeavors. Awardees work across disciplines and departmental boundaries to enhance students’ learning experiences.

Profs. Cloutier and Orner have been instrumental in transforming access to scholarly resources for faculty, students and researchers across all disciplines, directly impacting the University’s mission to promote innovative teaching and integrative scholarship. Together, they modernized the University’s Library Services Platform and Discovery Layer, a transformation that has significantly improved accessibility to information resources across campus. Since the initial integration, additional research tools have been added to further improve the user experience. Their work, which streamlines access to books, journals, databases and digital collections, has enabled faculty to better integrate library resources into their coursework and research.

Jessica Nolan, Ph.D., professor of psychology, received the Community-Based Learning Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who incorporates and advocates for community-based learning (CBL) and enhances the University’s contribution to the common good.

Dr. Nolan, a faculty member since 2008, has been an avid and active CBL faculty member for 10-plus years, focused on providing opportunities for students to realize Scranton’s Jesuit mission by providing transformational learning experiences in three courses. The three unique courses — PSYC 236, Industrial/Organizational Psychology; PSYC 239, Environmental and Conversation Psychology; PSYC 364, Psychology of Diversity — creatively challenge students to go beyond their comfort zones, forcing them to look at the reality of the others in an authentic, respectful way. The courses encourage the education of the whole person — cura personalis.

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Will Cohen, Ph.D., professor of theology/religious studies, received the Integrating Mission and Justice into the Curriculum Award. The award recognizes a faculty member whose special efforts ensure that students have a keen understanding and appreciation of the realities of the world, including pressing justice issues in a local, national and global context. It also recognizes efforts dedicated to the service of faith and promotion of justice as it relates to their teaching.

Having joined the University in 2009, Dr. Cohen’s curricular work forwards the mission of the University, instilling in students a desire to pursue the service of faith and the promotion of justice while equipping them with the competency and skills to critically reflect on prevailing social, political, economic and cultural issues. Dr. Cohen assumed the leadership role as co-chair of the General Education (GE) Review Committee at a pivotal time, helping the Ignatian Core Curriculum pass an all-faculty vote before being approved by the Board of Trustees. Dr. Cohen previously served as co-director of the Peace and Justice concentration, building and supervising the curriculum, eliciting new courses and recruiting, advising and mentoring students. He has also spent the past nine years co-directing Christians for the Common Good, a campus organization, with colleague and friend Christian Krokus.

Donna Witek, professor at the Weinberg Memorial Library, received the Magis Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who makes specific, sustained and creative efforts to adapt classic principles of Jesuit pedagogy in their own courses.

Prof. Witek, who joined the University in 2008, is also an information literacy coordinator and research and instruction librarian for the humanities and Ignatian pedagogy. Prof. Witek was pivotal in Scranton’s adoption of the Ignatian core curriculum, a transformative initiative that ensures students’ education is rooted in Jesuit values. Her leadership and coordination in this effort have shaped the academic experiences of future generations of Scranton students, emphasizing reflection, discernment and action as integral components of their education. She has also directly influenced the structure of the University’s curriculum, reinforcing a commitment to holistic and mission-driven education, while developing information literacy as a cornerstone of Jesuit education.

Additionally, Wesam Alramadeen, assistant professor of operations and analytics, earned the Faculty Senate Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates dedication to teaching graduate students in an encouraging and intellectually stimulating environment that promotes critical thinking and learning.

Dr. Alramadeen, who’s been a member of the University faculty since 2021, teaches across both undergraduate and graduate programs. He regularly incorporates advanced tools into his teaching, equipping students not only with technical knowledge but also leadership, communication and real-world problem-solving skills via experiential learning. Dr. Alramadeen has traveled extensively for international research, consulting, training and collaborating for mission work in Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey the United Kingston, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt and Dubai. In his 25-plus years of international experience, Dr. Alramadeen has made significant contributions to academic, strategy, telecommunications and business development.

The University also presented plaques to a group of distinguished professors, recognizing their contributions to and legacies at Scranton. Those acknowledged, as they transition into continued scholarly pursuits, personal projects or retirement, among other things, include:

Andrew Berger, Ph.D., professor and chair of physics and engineering

Ann Culp, faculty specialist in nursing

Marian Farrell, Ph.D., professor of nursing

Richard Klonoski, Ph.D., professor of philosophy

Charles Pinches, Ph.D., professor of theology/religious studies

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Research indicates that people grow and change through four main areas: their bodies, their minds, their relationships and their emotions.

“As a developmental psychologist, I always want to understand how the four domains of development — physical, cognitive, social and psychological — intersect and together shape how people can thrive,” said Carolyn McNamara Barry, Ph.D., dean of The University of Scranton’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Understanding the historical effect of COVID on young people and how best to support them now within college contexts has been a burning question for me since I became an associate dean in 2019-2020 when COVID hit.”

Armed with her own curiosity and expertise, as well as help from a Scranton undergraduate student, Dr. Barry delved deeper into the topic at the recent Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood (SSEA) conference in Charleston, South Carolina.

Dr. Barry was not just an attendee or lecturer at the event; instead, she was the president.

After serving two years as president-elect, Dr. Barry in June officially stepped into the role of president of the SSEA. It is an international organization with about 450 members, focusing on theory and research related to emerging adults (ages 18-29).

Dr. Barry’s presidential address, “The New Normal of Emerging Adulthood in a Post-Pandemic World: Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendation,” was given at the SSEA’s annual conference, held June 4-6.

My Kim Dang ’24, who graduated in December with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, was a key contributor in Dr. Barry’s presentation. Dang assisted in the project by gathering literature and other resources during the fall semester as part of the University’s Faculty Student Research Program. Dr. Barry and Dang are now working to turn the address into a manuscript they will submit to the Society’s journal, “Emerging Adulthood."

Dr. Barry’s term as SSEA president runs for two years, ending in June 2027 at its next conference in Montreal, Canada. SSEA membership is open to anyone actively engaged in research, teaching, practice or policy relating to emerging adulthood.

Dr. Barry, who was a professor of psychology and later an associate dean at Loyola University Maryland before joining The University of Scranton in 2024 as the College of Arts and Sciences dean, earned her Ph.D. in human development with a specialization in education psychology from the University of Maryland.

The University of Scranton awarded faculty development grants for the summer of 2025 to nine faculty members.

Mehmet Bastug, Ph.D., assistant professor of criminal justice, cybersecurity and sociology, received a grant to research “Cyber-Threats and Cyber-Attacks: What Everyone Needs to Know (book project).” Dr. Bastug has worked at the University since 2020. Dr. Bastug earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Turkish National Police University, a Bachelor of Science degree from Akdeniz University and master’s and doctorate degrees from Rutgers University.

Melanie Caughey, Ph.D., assistant professor of education, received a grant to research “Suitability of Information About Gifted Education in Special Education Textbooks.” Dr. Caughey has worked at the University since 2023. Dr. Caughey earned a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University, a master’s degree from Duquesne University and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

John Deak, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, received a grant to research “Development of Evaporation Rate Measurements for the Determination of Soft Molecular Aggregate Structure and Inter-Aggregate Interactions in Liquid Solution.” Dr. Deak has worked at the University since 2002. Dr. Deak earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester.

JoyAnna Hopper, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, received a grant to research “The Effects of COVID-19 on Combined State-Level Environmental Agencies.” Dr. Hopper has worked at the University since 2020. Dr. Hopper earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Missouri.

Geng Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics and engineering, received a grant to research “Hydrodynamic Effects of Seal Whiskers’ Bending and Tapering Features on Flow Sensing.” Dr. Liu has worked at the University since 2024. Dr. Liu earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Technology of China and a Ph.D. from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Farshad Merrikh-Bayat, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics and engineering, received a grant to research “Design, Construction and Data-Driven Control of a Lab-Scale Wind Turbine with a New Algorithm.” Dr. Merrikh-Bayat has worked at the University since 2023. Dr. Merrikh-Bayat earned a BSc., K.N., from Toosi University of Technology and a MSc., Ph.D., from Sharif University of Technology.

Marc Shapiro, Ph.D., professor of theology/religious studies, received a grant to research “Rabbi Saul Berlin and His Forged Work of Jewish Law.” Dr. Shapiro has worked at the University since 1996. Dr. Shapiro earned a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Janice Voltzow, Ph.D., professor and chair of biology, received a grant to research “Mechanical Properties of the Shells of Mussels.” Dr. Voltzow has worked at the University since 1996. Dr. Voltzow earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a Ph.D. from Duke University.

Hank Willenbrink, Ph.D., associate professor of English and theatre, received a grant to research “Performance Crime and Performance Justice on January 6, 2021, and Beyond.” Dr. Willenbrink has worked at the University since 2009. Dr. Willenbrink earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tulsa and master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Student members of The University of Scranton’s Business Club recently chose five instructors for the annual Kania School of Management Professor of the Year awards.

The premier prize, KSOM Overall Professor of the Year, was awarded to Daniel Mahoney, Ph.D. ’81, G’85, shown below, professor of accounting. Having earned top honors in 2001, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, this is Dr. Mahoney’s sixth time receiving Professor of the Year. 

Additionally, Ashley Stampone, Ph.D. ’10, G’11, Ph.D’23, assistant professor, received KSOM Accounting Professor of the Year.

David Mahalak, D. Eng., assistant professor, received KSOM Operations and Analytics Professor of the Year.

John Ruddy, D.P.S. ’91, associate professor, received Economics, Finance and International Business Professor of the Year.

Gregory O’Connell, J.D., faculty specialist, received Management and Marketing Professor of the Year.

Learn more about the Kania School of Management Professor of the Year.

Beta Alpha Psi, the International Honor Organization for Financial Information Students and Professionals, recently announced one of its top honors will be awarded to an instructor at The University of Scranton.

Amanda Marcy ’10, Ph.D., shown, assistant professor of accounting, earned one of Beta Alpha Psi’s Outstanding Faculty Advisors awards. As many as four faculty advisors — whose efforts go above and beyond that of the typical faculty advisor — are awarded at each Beta Alpha Psi annual meeting. This year’s meeting will be held Aug. 14-16 in San Antonio, Texas.

While Dr. Marcy has worked at The University of Scranton since 2015, she’s a graduate, too. She earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees at the University. Dr. Marcy previously worked in assurance services for Baker Tilly in Pittston.

Learn more about Amanda Marcy ’10, Ph.D.