Associate professor of civil engineering James Kaklamanos has been named the inaugural recipient of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section’s College Educator Award. The award recognizes active members of the college and university academic community in New England who inspire and encourage civil engineering students through their exceptional teaching and mentorship. Additionally, professor emeritus David “Doc” Westerling has been named recipient of the Horne/Gaynor Award, recognizing a BSCES member or registered professional engineer for unpaid public service in a municipal, state or federally elected or appointed post for philanthropic activities in the public interest. The awards were presented at the 170th BSCES Annual Awards Dinner at the Royal Sonesta Boston July 16, 2019. The BSCES is a local section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Susan B. Marine, associate professor of higher education, had her op-ed “Stonewall’s Children - and Grandchildren - are Alright” in The Nation’s 50th-anniversary commemoration of the Stonewall Riots. She advances the idea that contrary to stereotypes about Millennials, young LGBTQ student activists are working for change in powerful ways on college campuses.
Simona Sharoni, professor of women’s and gender studies and director of the Interdisciplinary Institute recently received the Eminent Scholar Award from the feminist theory and gender studies section of the International Studies Association (ISA). Sharoni has been an active member of ISA, one of the largest international academic associations, since 1991.
Peter Ellard, the dean of student success and academic support, who also teaches environmental ethics and religious studies, had his article “Don’t Think Your Campus Needs to Prepare for Climate Change? Here’s why you’re wrong” published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. He argues that colleges and universities must adjust to weather changes caused by climate change.
Jim Kaklamanos, associate professor of civil engineering and Zampell Family Faculty Fellow, was recently recognized with the Distinguished Service Award from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Tufts University, where he earned his Ph.D., M.S. and B.S.C.E. The Distinguished Service Award is presented to an alumnus or member of the Tufts CEE community who exemplifies service to their profession and the department.
Philosophy professor William Wians has published a second volume of essays titled “Logoi and Muthoi,” exploring interdisciplinary connections between ancient Greek philosophy and literature. The chapters examine philosophical problems of knowledge and ethics in ancient writers, including Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles, Euripides, the pre-Socratics, the Sophists, Plato, Aristotle, and Lucretius. It is available on Amazon.com
Brittnie Aiello and Emma Duffy-Comparone have published “I Never Thought I Could Accomplish Something Like This: The Success and Struggle of Teaching College Courses in Jail” in the Journal of Prison Education and Reentry. The article discusses their work teaching Merrimack College courses at the Essex County Correctional Facility.
Fathers Stephen Curry and Richard Piatt spoke to the Eagle-Tribune about the burning of Cathedral of Notre Dame at the start of Holy Week. “She symbolized Paris, a symbol of grace, and hope, and comfort that both humbled and lifted up all those who approached her facade,” said Piatt. Curry said the cathedral “embodies centuries of devout Catholics’ faith, prayers, miracles, religious history, and spiritual inspiration.”
Education Department assistant professor Rena Stroud, the senior researcher for Project LEAP at Merrimack, was recently quoted in “Education Week Spotlight” for a story on the benefits of introducing to students as young as elementary school ages. The intent isn’t to introduce curriculum meant for older students, but rather to look at how younger students can think through algebraic concepts.
Michael DeCesare, professor of sociology, spoke to the Arizona Republic about a plan to seat a student on the governing board of Maricopa Community College District. DeCesare, chair of the AAUP Committee on College and University Governance, which has raised concerns about board politics, said, “The board has taken some promising first steps, but (the committee) will continue to monitor the situation to ensure the faculty’s governance rights are fully restored at Maricopa.”
Joe Kelley, professor of religious and theological studies and director of the Center for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations, will be traveling to Bogotá, Colombia in April with Sr. Jeanne Gribaudo and 3 Austin Scholars to attend the International Conference on Education: St. Augustine, Teacher for the 21st Century. Kelley will present a paper about Catholic higher education and the Austin Scholars Program, Merrimack’s oldest existing living-learning community.
Brittnie Aiello, associate professor of criminology, spoke to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review for a story about an increase in female inmates due to the opiate crisis. She focused on the high bails set in some cases. For a poor suspect, she said, “$10,000 might be like $5 million.”
Sociology assistant professor Daniel Herda’s latest article, with Dr. Bill McCarthy of UC-Davis, is “No Experience Required: Violent Crime and Anticipated, Vicarious, and Experienced Racial Discrimination.” The article is in press at Social Science Research.
Research from sociology assistant professor Daniel Herda was recently published in the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. His research examines the discrimination experiences of young Muslim Americans in Southeastern Michigan and how these can alter their self-perceptions and opinions about the United States.
Lauri Kurdziel, assistant professor of psychology, was recently quoted in the Boston Globe on the topic of naps and bedtime sleep for preschoolers. Kurdziel conducted research with two others entitled “Sleep-dependent enhancement of emotional memory in early childhood” which was published in Scientific Reports.
Three Merrimack professors were recently quoted in WalletHub on a variety of topics. Associate professor of marketing Joseph R. Stasio recently commented on how to choose the best credit cards on the market. Assistant professor of human development Laura Hsu recently answered questions about states with the best and worst school systems. Assistant professor of finance Fan Chen was featured in the “Ask the Experts” section about low interest credit cards.
Sociology assistant professor Daniel Herda, with coauthors John Hagan (Northwestern) and Bill McCarthy (UC Davis), have published a study in the journal The DuBois Review. The research looked into the connections between legal cynicism, the electoral regime of Mayor Richard M. Daley and citizen calls for police assistance and police reports of drug crime.
William Wians, professor of philosophy, delivered the opening keynote address at the 2018 Fonte Aretusa conference in Siracusa, Sicily, on June 6. His topic was ‘Violence and the Origins of Beauty’. Prof. Wians discussed three figures closely associated with the Greek city of Syracusa on Sicily: Aeschylus, whose play “Prometheus Bound” was produced in the city’s outdoor theater around 405 BC; the poem of Empedocles, who was born in nearby Acragas; and the philosopher Plato, who spent 13 years in Siracusa in a failed attempt to produce a philosopher king out of the local ruler Dionysius the Second.
The School of Education and Social Policy’s associate professor of practice Patricia Howson was part of a panel this summer hosted by the United Way of Mass. Bay. Howson stressed the importance of preschool programs and the salaries of their teachers. Read her remarks in The Eagle-Tribune.
Sociology assistant professor Daniel Herda, with coauthors John Hagan (Northwestern), Bill McCarthy (UC Davis), and Andrea Cann Chandrasekher (UC Davis) have published their article “Dual-Process Theory of Racial Isolation, Legal Cynicism, and Reported Crime” in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.