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Dominican faculty help build awareness and boost the reputation of the university. We’re pleased to highlight some of their recent accomplishments.

2023-24

Borra College of Health Sciences

Dr. Jonathan Uebelhor is the recipient of a 2024 Nurse Educator Fellowship from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The fellowship is designed to ensure the retention of qualified nursing faculty at institutions of higher learning.

Brennan School of Business

Dr. Roberto Curci, vice provost and dean of Brennan School of Business, was selected for the 2024 Burnham Fellowship cohort. Offered by Leadership Greater Chicago, the fellowship is a “strategic partnership accelerator” designed for business leaders to help shape the future of the region’s workforce and economic progress through collaborative work.

Rosary College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Joseph Heininger, professor of English, published the article, “Representing Contemporary Life and Searching for the Sacred in Dennis O’Driscoll’s Poetry,” in Christianity and Literature, June 2023.

Dr. Jane Hseu, professor of English, was named to the Board of Directors of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, an organization celebrating, promoting and preserving Chicago’s literary history and writers.

Dr. Chavella T. Pittman, professor of sociology, is the author of “Achieving Racial Equity in Promotion and Tenure,” published in Academe, the magazine of the American Association of University Professors, and “Keys to Unlocking Tenure and Academic Freedom,” published in Academe’s blog.

Dr. Tina Taylor-Ritzler, professor of psychology, co-authored “Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors’ Perspectives on Rehabilitation Success,” published in Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, November 2023, and co-authored “Disability Rights and Empowerment: Reflections on AJCP Research and a Call to Action,” published in American Journal of Community Psychology, October 2023.

School of Information Studies

Dr. Bill Crowley was the winner of the 2023 Annual Library Juice Paper Contest from Library Juice Press. Crowley was recognized for his paper entitled “Allies, Cobelligerents, and the Political Realities of Pursuing Social Justice Librarianship in Conservative Republican Communities,” published in Library Philosophy and Practice. He also published “Socially Just Library Management in Conservative America,” in The Political Librarian on December 15, 2023.

Dr. Todd Kleine MBA ’11, chief information officer and adjunct instructor for the School of Information Studies, was elected to the Board of Regents for the Institute for Certified Records Managers. He is responsible for all activities related to administering and grading certification exams.

Dr. Kara Malenfant, visiting assistant professor, co-edited the January 2024 issue of College & Research Libraries. The issue showcases new research on how the academic and research library workforce has accelerated change in the scholarly communications environment.

Dr. Karen Snow, professor and PhD program director in the School of Information Studies, is the author of A Practical Guide to Dewey Decimal Classification, published in February by Rowman & Littlefield.

Dr. Jingfeng Xia joined Dominican as university librarian in February. He has directed several academic libraries, most recently serving as director of Keiss Library at Gwynedd Mercy University in Pennsylvania.

School of Social Work

Sr. Peggy Ryan, OP, ’79, adjunct instructor and former assistant director of field education in the School of Social Work, was named university chaplain for mission. In her new role, she is available to members of the DU community for community and mission building, and to offer bereavement support.

In Memoriam 

Dominican University mourned the loss this year of Dr. Hugh T. “Mac” McElwain, a respected and beloved professor of theology for 47 years. Dr. McElwain formed deep relationships with the university community and made it a priority to support Dominican events, service projects, mission trips, athletics and academic programs through the decades. He held the leadership positions of dean of the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Core Curriculum; served on the Rosary College Board of Trustees from 1988 to 1990, and from 1994 to 1995; was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017; and, with his wife, Anne, received the O’Keefe Outstanding Volunteer Leadership Award in 2009.


2023

Brennan School of Business

Associate Professor of Marketing Dr. Brooke Reavey was chosen for the Teaching Innovation Award from the Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators. The award honors educators for developing teaching practices and innovations that enhance student learning.

Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Kathleen Odell and Dr. Sergio Salas, Brennan’s inaugural Norm Carroll Chair of Economics and Business, co-authored “Why are Credit-Driven Crises Deep and Long-lasting?” for Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance (2022), and “Illiquid Investments and the Non-Monotone Relationship between Credit and Growth,” for Journal of Macroeconomics (2022). Odell and Dr. Elizabeth Collier and Professor Emeritus Dr. Al Rosenbloom also co-authored “Teaching Sustainable Development: An Approach to Rapidly Introducing the UN Sustainable Development Goals into an Undergraduate Business Curriculum,” for Journal of Global Responsibility (2022).

John Vail, clinical professor of business law, authored the article “The Need for a Sustainability Pledge: Fighting Planned Obsolescence,” published in The George Washington Journal of Energy and Environmental Law.

Dr. Dick Walstra, assistant professor of accounting, published “Inclusion of Disability Within the Spectrum of Diversity and the Implications for Accounting Education,” in the September 2022 edition of Issues in Accounting Education.

Rosary College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. José Blanco F., associate professor of fashion merchandising and design, completed the fifth edition of his book The Meanings of Dress. Blanco enhanced previous editions by incorporating intersectionality and diversity into the text, adding chapters on social justice and decolonizing fashion, and infusing ethical discussions into each chapter, inviting Dominican students to contribute.

Dr. Robert Calin-Jageman, professor of psychology, and Dr. T. J. Krafnick, associate professor of psychology, were among the authors of “In COVID-19 Health Messaging, Loss Framing Increases Anxiety with Little-to-No Concomitant Benefits: Experimental Evidence from 84 Countries,” based on an international study and published in September 2022.

Dr. Jeffrey Carlson, professor of theology, presented the paper “The Conversation Book: Relationship-centeredness in the Context of COVID,” at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Nov. 19-22, 2022 in Denver.

Dr. Sophia Duffy, associate professor of psychology, co-authored the paper, “Development of a Differential Assessment Guide to Improve Engagement with Youths & Families Living with Chronic Trauma,” as guidance for clinicians in Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma.

Dr. Jennifer C. Dunn, professor of communication arts and sciences, coauthored “Why are You Just Watching? Polyvalent Korean Spectatorship and Critical Western Spectatorship in Squid Game,” in Communication, Culture, and Critique, October 2022.

Dr. Claudia Herrera-Montero, assistant professor of theology, is the author of “Participatory Action Research in Lo Cotidiano (‘the Everyday’): A Practical Theological Exploration on the Religious Identity of College-Age Latinas in the United States,” published in Spanish in Revista de Educación Religiosa, 2022.

Dr. John Jenks, professor of communication arts and sciences, presented his research paper, “Working Their Cover: The CIA’s Forum World Features and the Political Economy of Covert Propaganda, 1966–1975,” on Sept. 27, 2022 at the conference “A History of Media Tactics” at Lund University, in Lund, Sweden.

Dr. Tonia Bernardi Triggiano, professor of Italian and director of the Mazzuchelli Scholars Honors Program, authored the article “Dream, Distortion, and Double Take: Dante’s Poetics of Redirection,” published in Italian Studies Journal of Northeast Modern Language Association, August 2022.


School of Information Studies

Dr. Don Hamerly was named director of the School of Information Studies on Jan. 1, succeeding Dr. Kate Marek, who is continuing as a faculty member. Hamerly joined Dominican in 2009 as an assistant professor and has served as program director of the Informatics program and the School Library Media program within the School of Information Studies.

Dr. Cecilia Salvatore, a professor in the School of Information Studies and coordinator of Dominican’s Archives and Cultural Heritage Program, is featured in the Field Museum’s Regenstein Halls of the Pacific, an exhibit exploring the history and culture of the Pacific Islands through artifacts and personal stories. In videos that are part of the exhibit, Salvatore discusses growing up in Saipan and her family roots in that culture.

Associate Professor Dr. Hassan Zamir was featured in the television news report, “Guilty of ‘Sharenting’? Here are Some Tips from Cybersecurity Experts to Protect Your Children,” which aired on ABC affiliates, including Denver 7 and WXYZ in Detroit.


2022

Rosary College of Arts and Sciences

Sheila Bauer-Gatsos, associate professor of English and director of the core curriculum, wrote the chapter “Disciplinary Form: Introduction to Literary Studies,” published in Cultivating Vocation in Literary Studies

Marina Bell, assistant professor of criminology, wrote the article “Abolition as a Project of Personal Transformation” in the bilingual journal Champs Pénal/Penal Field, 27.

Jeffrey Carlson, professor of theology, was an invited participant in the Inaugural Faculty Seminar on “Genocide Studies and Interreligious Studies: Comparative Pedagogical and Research Approaches,” hosted by the Institute for Islamic-Christian-Jewish Studies, in Baltimore, from July 11-14, 2022. As a result of this seminar, the Journal for Interreligious Studies is preparing a special issue focusing on the themes of the seminar, and Carlson has been invited to submit an article for that issue.

Javier Carmona, professor of photography-cinema, was featured in the anthology, Latinx Photography in the United States: A Visual History. He recently appeared in the Artistic Home production of Eurydice at the Den Theatre, and in the Invictus Theatre Company production of Ruined

Rosalío Cedillo, assistant professor of sociology, published a research article titled “Parental Cross-Nativity and Intermarriage among Second-Generation Mexican Americans in Metropolitan Los Angeles” in the Sociation journal, Vol. 20, Issue 2, pp. 23-39.

Joyce Goldenstern, adjunct instructor of English, had a chapter of her forthcoming novel In Their Ruin (Black Heron Press 2023) published in Aji Magazine under the title “Chester in Another Dimension.” Issue # 15 p. 48.

Brent Friesen, professor of chemistry, co-wrote several articles:

  • “Do Certain Flavonoid IMPS Have a Vital Function?” in Frontiers in Nutrition, Vol. 8, 762753 (2021)
  • “The Tandem of Countercurrent Separation and qHNMR Enables Gravimetric Analysis: Absolute Quantitation of the Rhodiola rosea Metabolome Analytical Chemistry” in Analytical Chemistry, Vol.  93, 11701-11709 (2021)
  • “Silica Gel-Mediated Oxidation of Prenyl Motifs Generates Natural Product-Like Artifacts” in Planta Medica, Vol. 87, 998-1007 (2021)

Joseph Heininger, professor of English, gave a talk at the Newberry Library Irish Scholarly Seminar on Friday, February 4, 2022.  His topic was “Seamus Heaney and the Imprint of Translation.”

Tracy Jennings, professor of fashion, published The Fashion Design Toolkit: 18 Pattern making Techniques for Creative Practice. Bloomsbury Publishing issued a summer release of the textbook. The text uses patterning tactics to inspire fashion design and demonstrates how embracing pattern drafting skills and ethical practice can lead to innovative and effective collections.

Nkuzi Nnam, professor of philosophy and director of Black World Studies, recently published the book “Exegesis: A Munson Interpretation of Matthew, John, and Acts of the Apostles.” 

Chavella T. Pittman, professor of sociology, co-wrote an article titled “Academe Has a Lot to Learn About How Inclusive Teaching Affects Instructors” in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 7, 2022.

Richard Woods, OP, professor of theology, had an earlier paper, “Seven Bowls of Wrath: The Ecological Relevance of Revelation,” (Biblical Theology Bulletin, Vol 38, 2008 (2) 64-75), cited in Academia Letters, October 2021, pp. 1-21 published in Russian.  Vova Lukin Владимир Лукин, “Apocalyptic fears in the post-truth epoch: The Apocalypse of John versus the apocalypses of XX-XXI centuries (Part II) An analytical comparison.”

Brennan School of Business

David Aron, professor of marketing, co-presented “Demonstrating Leadership or Imposing Dominance: Queen Bee or Queen B****?” at the 2022 Marketing Management Association Spring Educators’ Conference, St. Louis, MO, March 2022, and co-presented “A Backwards Approach to Teaching SWOT” at the 2021 Marketing Management Association Fall Educators’ Conference (virtual), October 2021.

Anjali Chaudhry, professor and department chair of Management, Marketing, and International Business, co-authored “A Meta-Review of Servant Leadership: Construct, Correlates, and the Process” in the Journal of Comparative International Management.  She also co-authored with Al Rosenbloom, professor emeritus, marketing and international business, “3 Strategies to Help Employees Thrive in the New “Normal," Harvard Business Review, published Nov. 23, 2021.  Professor Chaudhry has also been certified as a climate ambassador after completing climate leadership training from MIT-Sloan and Climate Interactive to help with the global response to climate change.

Mike Kiyosaki, executive in residence, worked with Wintrust and a team of Brennan School of Business alumni to showcase their work investigating effective tools and programs for successfully running a small business. The presentation was delivered in Spanish during the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago‘s Business Smart Week — a first in the nine-year history of the event.

Elvira Kizilova, assistant professor of marketing, co-wrote the article “Perceived Access, Fear and Preventative Behavior: Key Relationships for Positive Outcomes During the COVID-19 Health Crisis” in the Journal of Consumer Affairs. She was also selected to participate in the Marketing & Public Policy Doctoral Research Workshop & Symposium “Imagine a Better Post-Pandemic World,” June 6 - 9, at Baylor University, Waco TX (competitive application).

Yuanqing Li, assistant professor of entrepreneurship, co-wrote the article “The Devil is in the Details: The Effect of Nonverbal Cues on Crowdfunding Success” in Information & ManagementShe also co-presented “The Gender-Funding Typology in Crowdfunding”  at the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Annual conference, in Raleigh, NC, Jan. 6-9, 2022. 

Brooke Reavey, associate professor, marketing; and Al Rosenbloom, professor emeritus, marketing and international business, co-wrote an article titled “Updating the Marketing Research Course to Prepare the Marketing Generalist” in the Journal of Marketing Education, Vol. 43, Issue 3, 333-353. The article received Honorable Mention for Outstanding Article of the Year in the Journal of Marketing Education.

College of Applied Social Sciences

Bill Crowley, professor, School of Information Science, published “Facts (Almost) Never Change Minds: Libraries and the Management of Democracy-Supportive Public Perceptions,” as Chapter 3 of Libraries and the Global Retreat of Democracy: Confronting Polarization, Misinformation, and Suppression, 2021.  He also presented his paper “Progressive Librarianship in ‘Red’ America” at the multi-national conference Symposium 1: Post-Neutrality Librarianship: New Librarianship Symposia, held on Zoom in October 2021.

Sujin Huggins, professor of information studies, was selected this year as one of three judges for the 2022 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, which recognize excellence in youth picture books, fiction and nonfiction.

Cecilia L. Salvatore, professor, School of Information Studies, contributed a chapter in Libraries, Archives, and Museums: An Introduction to Cultural Heritage Institutions through the Ages (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021). In addition, she has been appointed the United States member representative to the Advisory Committee on Cultural Heritage of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

Foy Scalf, adjunct instructor in the School of Information Studies, co-wrote a book entitled The Archive of Thotsutmis: Early Ptolemaic Ostraca from Deir el Bahari (O. Edgerton) that appeared as volume 146 in the Oriental Institute Publications series.

Penny Silvers, professor, and Josephine Sarvis, professor, School of Education, co-authored the article “Identity Transformation from Student to Professional Educator: A Model for Change”  in Voices for Educational Equity.  

Leticia Villarreal Sosa, professor of social work, was awarded a $510,000 grant from the New York Life Foundation to develop a Certificate in Culturally-Informed Responses to Grief and Loss for School-Based Professionals. She also co-wrote an article titled “Immigration Enforcement is a Daily Part of our Students’ Lives: School Social Workers’ Perceptions of Racialized Nested Contexts of Reception for Immigrant Students” in the journal AERA Open, Vol. 8 (1), 1-15. Additionally, she wrote a chapter titled “Mexican-Origin Boys Negotiating Social and Academic Identity in a Racialized Context” in Latina/o/x and Education in Chicago: Roots, Resistance, and Transformation, University of Illinois Press.

In September, Sosa was named the 2022 recipient of Dominican University’s Sr. Mary Clemente Davlin, OP Diversity Leadership Award. Sosa was presented with the honor during the 2022 Caritas Veritas Symposium’s Academic Convocation. She was recognized for her efforts in transforming the field of social work both locally and around the world.

Borra College of Health Sciences

Tamara Bland, executive director, MacNeil School of Nursing, and assistant professor of nursing; and Laurie Zack, clinical assistant professor of nursing, served on the American Nurses Association Illinois (ANA-IL) DEI Expert Panel, which offered three continuing education webinars on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics for nurses across Illinois. Bland also authored the application for the 2022 Lectureship Award for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Sustainability in Nursing Education, presented to Dominican University by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The award recognizes DU for multicultural education within its nursing program.

Maureen Emlund, director of the Simulation Education Center and adjunct instructor, nursing, was nominated by the Education Management Solutions Success Team for the Excellence in Clinical Simulation 2022 Advocate Award.  This award, selected by peers, is for those who demonstrate excellence in pioneering, advocating, and championing clinical simulation training at their facilities. Awards will be announced at the annual conference in June 2022.

Michelle Allen, associate professor of nursing, and students Abigail Johnson and Melanie Myszka, published “Examining Psychological Capital in Nursing Students Participating in a Health Literacy Renal Simulation” in Teaching and Learning in Nursing.


2021

Rosary College of Arts and Sciences

Christopher Anderson, associate professor of biological sciences, co-authored the article “Education and Outreach: March Mammal Madness and the Power of Narrative in Science Outreach” in Elife, Vol. 10, e65066. He and Tina Taylor-Ritzler, professor of psychology; Chad Rohman, dean of Rosary College of Arts and Sciences; and Barrington Price, vice president of Student Success and Engagement, were awarded $135,457 in supplemental funding for a National Science Foundation grant, “Building Capacity: The Dominican University STEM Success Model to Support Students through Critical Transitions.”

Maggie Andersen, assistant professor of English, published a creative nonfiction essay, “You Must Not Know about Me,” in the Los Angeles Review.

Daniel Born, adjunct instructor of English, co-authored the book Unpardonable Sins with the late Dale Suderman under the pen name David Saul Bergman.

Elizabeth Bullock, adjunct instructor of communication arts and sciences, delivered the presentation  “Marital Gamesmanship in Mr. & Mrs. Smith” as part of the Alfred Hitchcock Conference "What's it All About, Alfie? Hitchcock's Lessons in Love."

Joan Cantwell, adjunct instructor of psychology, participated in a panel discussion and read an essay from her book 21 Peaceful Nurses: Essays on a Spiritually Guided Practice at the closing of the Nurses Relaxation and ReNewal exhibit at the International Museum of Surgical Science. The exhibit highlighted the work of nurse writers and artists using the arts for personal renewal. 

Ann Charney Colmo, professor emeritus of political science, published an article "The Virtues and the Audience in Aristotle's Rhetoric," in the journal Interpretation.

Persis Driver, assistant professor of psychology; Kate Powers, STEM learning specialist; Tina Taylor-Ritzler, professor of psychology; Jen Stockdale, director of the Academic Success Center; and Christopher Anderson, associate professor of biological sciences, presented "The Dominican University STEM Success Model: PLTL, Inclusive Pedagogy, and Student Success Case Management" at the Peer-led Team Learning International Society Virtual Conference.

Rose Guccione, adjunct instructor of music, was a guest on WGN Radio 720 in an interview on “How Opera Singers Are Helping COVID-19 Patients Breathe Easier.” She also presented a mini-concert of operatic arias followed by an improvised operatic scene with audience participation on the Chicago Loop Alliance’s Sundays on State Main Stage. She also is on a recording released by Naxos Records this year in the role of Bébé in Paul Abrahám’s operetta Ball at the Savoy. She joined the roster of Sisters in the show Late Nite Catechism.

Bill Jenkins, associate professor of theatre arts, provided training on effectively working with victims of violence and victim advocates for the National Organization of Victim Assistance (NOVA) and for the Parents of Murdered Children conference. He also provided workshops on trauma for NOVA’s national conference. He also delivered a keynote address at the state meeting of the Virginia Network for Victims and Witnesses of Crime.

John Jenks, professor of communication arts and sciences, reviewed Barriers Down: How American Power and Free-Flow Policies Shaped Global Media as part of a roundtable in Media History, Vol. 27, 113-118.

Timothy Milinovich, associate professor of theology, chaired a seminar on methodology and the letters of St. Paul at the Catholic Biblical Association annual meeting, and presented the paper "Who Can Lead a Flock of Shepherds? Paul, the Pillars, and Political Challenges in Our Churches Today," at the North Park Theological Seminary's annual Symposium on the Interpretation of Scripture.

Aliza Steurer, associate professor of mathematics, co-facilitated a virtual conversation series with the Chicagoland Inquiry-Based Learning Community. The conversations focused on the themes of reflecting on teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing to teach in a socially distanced classroom. She also co-presented “Conversations in Chicagoland: A Way to Connect with Colleagues while Preparing for Pandemic Teaching and Beyond” at the MathFest virtual conference.

Mickey Sweeney, professor of English, was elected president of the Medieval Association of the Midwest (MAM). MAM creates professional engagements in the field and reaches out beyond medievalists to support and encourage all things medieval in the classroom.

Fr. Richard Woods, OP, professor of theology, was appointed theological consultant to the Laudato Sí Movement, formerly referred to as the Global Catholic Climate Movement.  His article, “Through American Eyes: A View of the English Dominican Province,” was published in New Blackfriars, Volume 102, Issue 1101.

Brennan School of Business

Ramiro Atristain, adjunct instructor of management and executive-in-residence, received the 2021 International Award of Merit from the Illinois Institute of Technology for his international philanthropic work as founder of CLESF.org, and for imparting financial education and volunteering as a mentor for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Airies Davis, adjunct instructor of management and executive-in-residence, gave a presentation at the National Association of Colleges and Employers 2021 Conference  titled “Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Is Your Superpower to Build Inclusive Hiring Practices.”

Yuanqing Li, assistant professor of entrepreneurship, co-wrote the book chapter “The Power of Words in Crowdfunding. In Multidisciplinary Approaches to Crowdfunding Platforms.”  She also presented the papers "Stable or Innovative? The Impact of Member Diversity on Organizational Stability and Organizational Innovation” and “Combining Guanxi with Relationship Marketing: The Exploration of Defining Quan He in Vietnam” at the International Association for Chinese Management Research conference. She also presented the paper “How to Attract Low Prosocial Funders in Crowdfunding?” at the Academy of Management’s annual conference.

John McNett, adjunct instructor of management, was promoted to vice president of supply chain and customer service at Dynamic Manufacturing, Inc.

Al Rosenbloom, professor emeritus, marketing and international business, co-wrote the article “Poverty, Vulnerability, and the Role of Responsible Management Education in a Post-COVID World,” for the Journal of Global Responsibility

Matthew Steward, MBA '07, adjunct instructor, was elected to the Schaumburg Township Board of Trustees.

College of Applied Social Sciences

Leticia Villarreal Sosa, professor of social work, published a book chapter with Adriana Medina (SSW Alum), and Myrna McNitt, adjunct instructor, titled “Challenges to Best Practices in the United States” in Protecting Children Theoretical and Practical Aspects. She also wrote the policy brief “Knocking Down Barriers: School Social Workers, Advocacy, and Equity for Immigrant Students” by the Harvard Immigration Initiative.  She also delivered a three-part series called “School Social Work with a Compass: Culturally Responsive Practice” to school social workers in Fairfax, VA, and a presentation titled “Chicago Latina Trailblazers: Testimonios of Political Activism” as a part of the University of Chicago event “Recovering (his)stories: Social work/welfare history through Black, Indigenous, and Latinx Perspectives.”