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School of Arts & Sciences

Sa i n t L eo U n i v e r S i t y

2 01 3 D e a n ’ S r e p o rt

2 013 D E A N ’ S R E P O R T

A M E S SAG E F R O M T H E D E A N

We have had another productive and successful year in Arts and Sciences. Much of our work has centered on the development of a new general education program, University Explorations. This new program takes as its inspiration the phrase “Because You’re More Than Your Major.” We truly believe in the relevance of the arts and sciences to every student’s learning, and our new program certainly illustrates this with courses that are topically focused to inform, deepen, and expand students’ learning in and beyond their majors.

This year has also seen the expansion of our biology fl agship program initiatives, including Mangrove Watch, with James Cook University in

Australia, and we continue to grow other international initiatives through fi eldwork, immersion learning, and our new Bridge Program. The Bridge Program is an academic program for second-language learners that offers opportunities for intensive English-language training, as well as academic studies in different areas, skills preparation, and cultural acclimation. Our international efforts grow and deepen as we uphold Saint Leo’s goal of continuing as a leading Catholic teaching university of international consequence for the 21st century.

As always, you’ll read about many other important programs, events, and student and faculty accomplishments in this year’s report. We continue to see growth in our programs and in our faculty. While three of our senior faculty retired this year, we also welcomed seven new faculty at our education centers and University Campus.

The beautiful photograph that graces this year’s cover was shot by James Hughson, our longtime instructor of photography. You’ll read more about him and his students and fi nd additional works by him in this report. (Don’t miss the photo on page 30.) The Faculty Council was particularly struck by the cover photograph and believes it to be not only a lovely example of Mr. Hughson’s work, but also a beautiful and balanced representation of the arts and sciences themselves, blending the perspectives of the naturalist and the artist.

Special thanks go to the Faculty Council, our dedicated staff, and University Communications for making this report possible.

Until next year,

Mary T. Spoto, Ph.D.Dea n, School of Arts and Sciences

2 013 D E A N ’ S R E P O R T 1

SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES2 0 1 3 D E A N ’ S R E P O R T

F A C U L T Y C O U N C I LDarin Bell, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Patricia Campion, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Sociology

Allyson D. Marino, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of English/Fine Arts Events Director

Maureen Mathews, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Psychology

Brook McGinnis, M.F.A.Instructor of Fine Arts/Admissions Affi liate

Astrid Vicas, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Philosophy

Shawn Weatherford, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Physics

This report has been produced annually since 2010 at Saint Leo University by the School of Arts & Sciences and the Offi ce of University Communications.

P H OTO G R A P H S CO U RT E SY O F:Ryan Clement, Renee Gerstein, Leah Holling-sworth, James Hughson, Jo-Ann Johnston, Brook McGinnis, Christopher Miller, Ben Watters. Also, the Seventeenth (FL) Judicial Circuit, and the University of South Florida.

Thanks to all others who contributed their photos.

Special artwork by B. Lee Hobbs

E D I TO R I A L S TA F F:Jo-Ann JohnstonEditor

Lucia Raatma Copy Editor

Benjamin WattersArt Director

Renee GersteinGraphic Designer & Web Specialist

Saint Leo University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, or veteran status in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.

Copyright Saint Leo University 2013

All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

2 TE ACH I NG James Hughson

4 SCHOL A R SH I P Eileen O’Brien, Ph.D.

5 SERV ICE Karen Bryant, M.A., A.B.D.

6 A LU M N I PROFI LES Claudette Vanni ’94 Ryan Clement ’12 George MacDonald ’09

19 A Year in Photos

22 Milestones: Tributes to Retiring Faculty Members

24 Student and Recent Alumni Accomplishments

26 Faculty Publications and Conference Presentations

31 About the School of Arts and Sciences

F E A T U R E S

A R T I C L E S / D E P A R T M E N T S

C O N T E N T S

On our back cover, zoology specimens are now displayed in Lewis Hall, thanks to the efforts of science faculty and students.

8 University Explorations Transforms Liberal Arts Program

11 International Exposure Brings the World to Saint Leo

14 Student Opportunities Expand with More Research Mentors, New Minor

15 Expanded Greenhouse Opens Doors to New Projects

16 Boot Camp Preps Budding Biologists

17 Creativity Unleashed in Literary Arts, Music Technology

18 L.E.D. Series Intrigues and Entertains

“Sometimes I need

only to stand

wherever I am

to be blessed.”

—Mary Oliver, Evidence: Poems

2 013 D R 2 SC H O O L O F a RtS & SCI En C E S

T he cover of this year’s Dean’s Re-

port is graced by the work of James Hughson, adjunct instructor of photography and our choice for this year’s teach-

ing profi le. Though his photographic subjects vary, much of his work focuses on small slices of nature, a fragment of a piece of wood, a shadow of a tree branch, a glistening spiderweb. In all of them, like the photograph on our cover, there is a sense that the most minute details in nature are worth capturing, for these are fl eeting images. The spiderweb captured in that single moment in time will be lost with a gentle rain, never to exist again.

It is this insistence on the impor-tance of the object that Jim (as he likes to be known) communicates to his students. He has been teach-ing photography at Saint Leo for 20 years, and his love and enthusiasm for his art and desire to hone the vision and skills of his students are evident throughout his classes.

Jim offers two different courses: beginning photography and ad-vanced. The classes are taught every semester at University Campus and are usually fi lled to capacity. In these classes, students learn the compo-nents of black-and-white photography

and the techniques of developing their own work.

As Jim states, “I enjoy being able to share my artistic ideas with the students. I teach them not only the techniques on how to take, develop, and print their own black-and-white photographs, but I help them in fi nd-ing their own voice through this art form.”

Besides the classes, Jim’s students participate in two student art shows per year, one of them a juried show in spring. These shows are an impor-tant part of his students’ growth. In Jim’s words, “I understand that each individual is looking for his or her own way of expressing art. Every semester at the Student Art Show I feel rewarded to see how these students, who arrive to my class not having any knowledge about the mechanics of photography, produce beautiful works of art. Even they are surprised to see their photos framed and being juried and admired by their peers.”

Students from all majors take Jim’s photography classes and are frequently surprised at what they can create. As Eric Bravo, class of ’13, offered, “Jim recognized my interest in photography and allowed me to run off on my own .... he talked to me about ideas for travel photography that I

didn’t think of. He was ready to help inspire those who were willing.”

Jim’s own inspiration to be a photographer started in high school during a trip to Africa with his parents. His father gave him a simple camera for the trip, and Jim’s love of photography and the image was born. An alumnus of Saint Leo College, Jim worked as a student photographer and after graduation began work as a professional freelance photographer, showing his work in galleries in the Tampa Bay area and New York City.

Jim sums up his own artistic goals this way: “My artistic goal is to continue growing as a fi ne arts photographer with a philosophy shared by Imagen Cunningham, ‘... to sell people on the idea that I photo-graph anything that can be exposed to light.’ I feel comfortable doing different ideas at a time, but keeping my focus as simple as the subject matter itself.”

T E A C H I N GJAMES HUGHSON

ADJUNC T INSTRUC TOR OF PHOTOGR APHY

James Hughson

L e a r n i n g | E n l i g h t e n m e n t | D i s c o v e r i e s

2 013 D E A N ’ S R E P O R T 3 SC H O O L O F A RTS & SCI EN C E S << At left, a photograph titled Rosary.

SCHOL ARSHIPEILEEN O’ B RIEN, PH.D.

A SSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY, VIRGINIA REGION

Dr. Eileen O’Brien’s distinguished career of publishing and presenting important work

on race and ethnic relations is in full force in our Virginia Region. Com-pleting her second year as associate professor of sociology for Saint Leo, her research work opens new oppor-tunities for teaching and scholarship relevant to student interests at the education centers.

Dr. O’Brien’s interest and quest for an understanding of race has roots in one of her fi rst clear encounters with racism. As a young woman in high school, her fi rst boyfriend was a black student. When her parents learned this, they attempted to prohibit the relationship. A bit stunned, she re-belled, and came to realize that whites and blacks inhabit different worlds. This marked an important step for her in recognizing how race affects life experiences. Her intellectual quest focuses on narrowing the gap through awareness and education.

Dr. O’Brien earned her Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the College of William and Mary and her master’s in sociology from The Ohio State Univer-sity. She completed her Ph.D. in 1999 at the University of Florida under the tutelage of Joe Feagin, one of the most prominent analysts of relations be-tween African Americans and whites in the United States. Prior to joining Saint Leo, Dr. O’Brien held academic appointments at the State University

of New York at Brockport, and in Virginia at the College of William and Mary, the University of Richmond, and Christopher Newport University.

Her impressive publication list includes Whites Confront Racism: Antiracists and Their Paths to Action (Rowman & Littlefi eld), a product of her dissertation research. Another book, The Racial Middle: Latinos and Asian Americans Living Beyond the Racial Divide (New York University Press) received high praise from both Amerasia and Contemporary Sociology. A book co-authored with Joe Feagin, White Men on Race (Beacon Press), received Choice magazine’s 2004 Outstanding Academic Book Award. Another book co-authored by Dr. O’Brien, Race, Gender, and Ethnicity: Selected Readings (Sage Publications), is in its second edition.

In addition, Dr. O’Brien has pub-lished several peer-reviewed articles,

as well as a dozen book chapters, and has numerous invited lectures and presentations to her credit. Her current research interests have ex-plored race relations as experienced by Asian Americans, and her recent work on hip-hop among Asian Ameri-cans combines her interests in racial identity and popular culture. Since coming to Saint Leo, Dr. O’Brien has translated her research into two sociology courses, Race and Ethnic Relations, and Building a Multiracial Society, which is an offering in the new University Explorations program (see page 8).

One point that Dr. O’Brien imparts to students is that the struggles for equality and the end of racism are far from over. Dr. O’Brien wants to con-vey the importance of actively engag-ing people in meaningful discussions regarding race. “They [students] cannot be expected to fi x it all, but to say there is nothing that they can do is problematic, too.”

4 SC H O O L O F A RTS & SCI EN C E S 2 013 D E A N ’ S R E P O R T

While most educators have a fondness for their stu-dents, not so many gladly

sacrifi ce their Thanksgiving break to spend 10 days on a bus with 30 of them. Karen Bryant does this and more. One half of “The Motoring Ma-vens of Saint Leo,” Bryant, along with her partner in teaching adventures, Elisabeth Aiken, have gladly volun-teered to lead students on immersion learning tours of Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and most recently Ireland. “The projects that we’ve worked on have been imbued with joy, despite the various challenges we’ve faced,” Ms. Aiken says. “I at-tribute that primarily to Karen’s kind perspective, generous spirit, and wicked sense of humor.”

Ms. Bryant has always been an inspiring mentor to new arts adjuncts and faculty, as well. Pam DeCius, the lead fi ne arts faculty says admiringly, “Karen is a true renaissance woman.

S E R V I C EK AREN B RYANT, M . A ., A .B .D.INSTRUC TOR OF FINE ARTS

She paints, travels, and teaches her students to embrace life while encour-aging them to work toward social jus-tice through artist endeavors. Karen has served willingly and faithfully as my mentor since my arrival at Saint Leo almost fi ve years ago. Her knowl-edge, patience, and friendship serve as a real illustration of the Benedictine values at work.”

Her service has also included work on Arts and Sciences and university-wide committees. For three years, she was a member of the Arts and Sci-ences Faculty Council, bringing to her work creativity and honest feedback that were so necessary in the council’s formative years.

Ms. Bryant has worked on count-less projects, from organizing student poster sessions for Women in the Arts as part of the celebration of Women’s History Month and for Hispanic His-tory Month to reading her own fi ction

at the school’s L.E.D. (Learning, Enlightenment, Discoveries) series. In addition, she has been a member of the board that oversees the univer-sity’s general education program and, since 2010, a member of the Institu-tional Review Board, which reviews and approves research involving human subjects.

Ms. Bryant has been enthusiasti-cally working on her Ph.D. at Union Institute and University (located in Cincinnati), focusing on how the arts can serve justice and peace.Her research in this area has led her to investigate how the Irish Great War experience was recorded in Irish literature and art during the war and interwar years, mak-ing her recent trip to Ireland all the more meaningful. Her contributions to Arts and Sciences continue to make a difference for the betterment of her students, colleagues, and the university.

Ms. Bryant reads an original short story during the 2013 L.E.D. Series.


SC H O O L O F A RTS & SCI EN C E S 2 013 D E A N ’ S R E P O R T 5


D E P A R T M E N T S

C L AU D E T T E VA N N I ’ 94

In Broward County, FL, a Saint Leo alumna has become a general magistrate.

The Honorable Claudette Renee Vanni received her undergraduate degree in political science from Saint Leo College in 1994, graduating summa cum laude. She continued her path of academic excellence while pursuing her J.D. Ms. Vanni chose Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, where she graduated with honors, being admitted to the Florida bar in 1999.

For more than 10 years, Ms. Vanni worked in the area of public inter-est law, serving as a senior attorney at the Guardian ad Litem program, which recruits trustworthy adults to serve as the voice for a vulner-able individual (often a child) whose interests must be represented in court proceedings. Until the summer of 2012, she was employed as a senior trial lawyer at the Offi ce of the Attorney General/Children’s Legal Services.

On July 23, 2012, she began a new stage in her legal and public ser-vice career in the 17th Judicial Circuit (Broward) as a general m agis-trate, covering the Probate Division. While the legal duties of magis-trates are not broadly understood by those outside the legal system, the work is hugely signifi cant to people and families grappling with diffi cult issues. General magistrates assist the circuit judges by hold-ing hearings and providing recommendations in the areas of family law, support enforcement, mental health, guardianship, substance abuse, and juvenile dependency. As part of the guardianship law, general magistrates assist the Probate Court with guardian applica-tion and background checks, and limited guardianships.

RYA N C L E M E N T ’ 12

After 20 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Ryan Clement decided to fi nish the bachelor’s degree he had once started at Saint Leo University in Virginia. Originally a business

major, Mr. Clement changed his mind after taking the Human Perspectives course. “That course opened up my eyes … the content was so interesting.” After exposure to the social sciences, Mr. Clement was hooked; he then switched his major to sociology.

Energized and highly motivated, Mr. Clem-ent enrolled in criminal justice courses with Dr. Ramona Taylor and sociology courses with Dr. Eileen O’Brien. He illustrated a high level of interest and motivation in Dr. O’Brien’s quantitative methods class, in particular. He impressed her so much that she asked him to assist her with some of her research investigating race and hip- hop music. Up for any challenge, he mastered IBM SPSS Statistics software in no time and used a mixed-methods approach to translate qualitative data into a quantitative data set. In a short period of time, he demonstrated exceptional insight into the research process.

Mr. Clement is currently enrolled in Old Dominion (VA) University’s Applied Sociology Master of Arts degree program. His goal after completing his master’s degree is to pursue a doctorate and become a college professor, with an emphasis on teaching adult learners. His research interests include social justice and socio-economic segregation. As stated by Dr. O’Brien, “Ryan truly has the gift of teach-ing, and is more than deserving of the chance to earn the highest credentials in order to be able to teach adult learners at the college level, one of his occupational dreams.”

A LU M N I P R O F I L E S

Claudette Vanni ’94 took her oath as a Florida general magistrate in July 2012.

“”

It was not necessarily the coursework that made the biggest impact but all the

opportunities, experi-ences and discussions

that occurred as a result of my time

there. Saint Leo was that place that truly

changed my life.-George MacDonald ’09



G EO R G E M AC D O N A L D ’ 0 9

George MacDonald ’09 came to Saint Leo Univer-sity to fi nd a new career, although not because he had lacked success in his fi rst calling. On the con-trary: he served the Church of Canada admirably for more than three decades. He was ordained in 1982 and served several rural parishes in New-foundland before moving to Montreal and serv-ing as the executive secretary of the Montreal

Presbytery from 1991 to 2005. His role was similar to that of a bishop, and he was responsible for the entire ministry of Montreal, including overseeing all church personnel.

But at some point, Mr. MacDonald began yearning for a different way to be helpful to others. He was admitted into a prestigious Ph.D. program in ethics at McGill University, but was also drawn toward psychology, and the idea of studying for clinical work at Saint Leo at University Campus presented itself through family connections.

He credits both Dr. Kevin Kieffer and the late Dr. Patrick Draves with providing critical guidance. “I was heading toward clinical work and the discussions I had in Dr. Kieffer’s and Draves’ offi ces about psychological measurement, and how they understood it, just opened up a whole new way of life for me that I didn’t know even existed.” Mr. MacDonald quickly plotted a course that would put hi m on a path to a different doctoral degree by completing three semesters of graduate prerequisite courses in psychology at SLU.

Mr. MacDonald began his Ph.D. in educational measurement and research at the University of South Florida in the fall of 2008. At the same time, he was fi nishing coursework in psychology and the Honors Program at Saint Leo. Mr. MacDonald will defend his doctoral dissertation and fi nally earn his terminal degree later this summer. Mr. MacDonald has also been working full-time for the last two years as the assistant director for research and grant development at the prestigious David C. Anchin Center at the University of South Florida, which is devoted to research concerning educational policy. He plans to continue work there.

When looking back now at his experience at Saint Leo, Mr. MacDon-ald views it as an important passage. “It was a shock for me to step out of a Ph.D. program at McGill–one of the hardest to get into–and going back to the B.A. level was not at all attractive to me. However, Dr. Kieffer and Dr. Draves took time to mentor me. It was not necessarily the coursework that made the biggest impact but all the opportuni-ties, experiences and discussions that occurred as a result of my time there. Saint Leo was that place that truly changed my life.”

UNIVERSITYEXPLORATIONSBECAUSE YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR MAJOR.

Primary logo

UNIVERSITYEXPLORATIONSBECAUSE YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR MAJOR. BECAUSE YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR MAJOR.

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UNIVERSITYEXPLORATIONSBECAUSE YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR MAJOR. BECAUSE YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR MAJOR.

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UNIVERSITY EXPLORATIONSBECAUSE YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR MAJOR.

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F E A T U R E S

Arts and Sciences faculty led e� orts over the past three years to create an updated

liberal arts general education program for undergraduates that better suits the demands

of the 21st century. Because the core liberal arts program a� ects all undergraduates,

regardless of major, the conceptual e� orts to re-envision the program began with the

General Education Board of the university, comprised of representatives of each of

Saint Leo’s three schools. The board conducted workshops and meetings to start the

e� ort, and continued by reviewing faculty proposals for the framework of the new

program, called University Explorations.

U N IVER SIT YE XPLO R ATI O N S : A P a r a d i g m S h i f t i n G e n e r a l E d u c a t i o n P r o g r a m s+



FROM that point, Arts and Sci-ences faculty became primarily responsible for creating more

than two dozen new courses for the liberal arts curriculum, with concur-rent development of both classroom and online course versions. That in itself is a rare feat within aca-demia. Also noteworthy, our faculty have invested time, dedication, and enthusiasm to the important efforts that have helped colleagues across the university understand and appreciate the relevance of our new program. These efforts have included presentations to trustees and education center colleagues, webinars for fellow faculty, and an upcoming video for students on spe-cifi c courses. Its strong pedagogical base, combined with the energy and teamwork shared in communicating the vision of the program, is a defi n-ing factor that makes University Explorations stand out among the host of general education programs in American academia.

As always, we want our graduates to emerge from Saint Leo possessing the ability to read, write, and commu-nicate effectively; to calculate and an-alyze competently; to think creatively; to solve problems; to act ethically; to recognize and appreciate beauty; and to develop a capacity for refl ection. These are timeless skills that help ensure our students have developed the intellectual capacity and ethical competence to lead meaningful lives in a challenging world. We also want to give students the opportunity to ex-plore the variety of disciplines within Arts and Sciences, to learn about the world, to enjoy subjects outside their major fi eld of study–to relish life.

University Explorations accom-plishes this while taking a topical approach that we feel students will fi nd more dynamic and relevant than broad overview courses. Faculty have developed three-credit courses at the 100-level and 200-level that literally “bring the discipline” to the student. Thus, students will not only learn the subject matter, but they will see how scholars approach the discipline, whether it is science, his-tory, or philosophy. One of the best examples is a course called Revolu-tion Now! Democracy in Troubled Times. This course will transport students to various countries at criti-cal junctures, always through the lens of the challenges of democracy. Students will learn what happened

and why, and begin to appreciate

how political scientists think about

power and governance.

There are some overarching

requirements that ensure students

emerge with a well-rounded expo-

sure to the liberal arts. Students

will select courses from “clusters”

or general topic areas, in addition to

completing foundational courses in

academic writing, mathematics, and

computer skills. Democracy in Trou-

bled Times, for instance, happens

to fall under the Human Adventure

Cluster. To satisfy the overall liberal

arts core, students will be required

to complete 42 credit hours. As that

represents about one-third of the

requirement for their degree pro-

University Explorations Course Developers Front row, from left: D. McGinnis, T. Humphries, B. Caldwell, P. Crerand, P. Campion, V. Wright, K. Stasio, H. Parker.

Back row, from left: A. Vicas, J. Williams, D. Pharr, M. Tkacik, L. Ondrovic, H. Reynolds, S. Weatherford, M. Rimanelli.

Unfortunately, many colleagues were unable to attend the photo session. Please refer to page 10 for the complete list of developers and each individual’s full name.


F E A T U R E S

DEVELOPERS OF INAUGURAL UNIVERSITY EXPLORATIONS COURSES

( A r t s & S c i e n c e s f a c u l t y u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o t e d )

+ Susan Ardern, M.F.A.

+ Barbara Caldwell, Ph.D. Donald R. Tapia School of Business

+ Patricia Campion, Ph.D.

+ Patrick Crerand, Ph.D.

+ Pamela DeCius, M.L.A.

+ Aaron Fehir, Ph.D.

+ B. Lee Hobbs, Ph.D.

+ Thomas Humphries, Jr., Ph.D.

+ Robert Imperato, Ph.D.

+ Allyson Marino, Ph.D.

+ Maureen Mathews, Ph.D.

+ Brook McGinnis, M.F.A.

+ David McGinnis, M.F.A.

+ Eileen O’Brien, Ph.D.

+ Leo Ondrovic, Ph.D.

+ Heather Parker, Ph.D.

+ Donald Pharr, Ph.D.

+ William T. Poyner, M.Div.

+ Hudson Reynolds, Ph.D.

+ Marco Rimanelli, Ph.D.

+ Cynthia Selph, M.M.

+ Kathryn Stasio, Ph.D.

+ Michael Tkacik, Ph.D.

+ Robin van Tine, Ph.D.

+ Astrid Vicas, Ph.D.

+ Shawn Weatherford, Ph.D.

+ Jerome Williams, Ph.D.

+ Valerie Wright, Ph.D.School of Education and Social Services

grams, we promote the program and the courses with the catchy slogan: “You’re more than your major.”

Courses will be taught starting in the fall semester, university-wide, at University Campus, at education centers, and through the Center for Online Learning. More courses may be offered under this program over time.

The initial courses developed and the clusters to which they belong are as follows.

THE HUMAN ADVENTURE (THE SOCIAL SCIENCES)Studying the past, living in the present, and shaping the futureStudents choose two courses from:

+ Economics for Life

+ Psychological Well Being: How to Be Sane in an Insane World

+ McDonaldization of Society (sweeping social and economic trends, and how individuals and consumers can respond)

+ Revolution Now! Democracy in Troubled Times

REFLECTIVE AND SPIRITUALLIFE (PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION)Examining human and divine lifeStudents select at least one philosophy course, and two other courses from:

+ Encountering the Real: Faith and Philosophical Inquiry

+ Thinking and Doing Ethics

+ The Emergence of Christianity–Exami-nation of Foundational Christian Texts

+ Many are Called, But Who is Chosen? (Christian understandings of salvation)

+ Christian Spiritual Vision

+ World Religions: East and West

SCIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD (THE NATURAL SCIENCES)Expanding the possibleStudents select two courses from:

+ Evaluating the Predictions of Global Warming + Is Evolution True? Your Inner Fish (also a book title) + Energy and Its Impact on Global Society + Science in Science Fiction

THE HUMAN MOSAIC (DIVERSITY)Learning to live in a global societyStudents choose one course from:

+ Curves Ahead: Women Artists and the Female Form + Native American History and Life: More than Tipis and Tomahawks + Television and the American Family: Your Shows, My Shows + Once Upon a Time: Readings in Folklore and Culture + Building a Multiracial Society

THE CREATIVE LIFE (HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS) Expressing the human experience through the arts Students choose two courses from:

+ Living the Theatre: Dramatic Skills for All Disciplines + Giants of the Arts + Spirituals to Rock and Roll: The Story of How American Popular Music Conquered the World + Love and Desire in Literature + Monsters and the Monstrous in Literature + On the Proverbial Road: Journeys of Transformation in Narrative + Writing Wild: Exploring the Four Genres



E X P O S U R E

A NEW MAJOR FOR A NEW WORLDTo solve the new challenges of our globalized world, we need leaders and decision-makers with a new set of skills. With this goal in mind, the School of Arts and Sciences just launched a uniquely interdis-ciplinary, skill-based major in Global Studies. Through a foreign language requirement, a global internship, and courses in a variety of disciplines, students learn to think critically about the complex in-teractions among global, social, political, economic, environmental, and ethical phenomena with applications to all regions of the world.

The program emphasizes systems modeling, a modern approach to complexity that focuses on understanding the relationships among elements of a problem or situation to build solutions.

In addition to U.S. faculty, the School of Arts and Sciences draws from its international pool of faculty members from Argentina, Canada, France, and Italy, who bring their fi rst-hand experience of global issues to their teaching.

Students will leave the program ready for careers in fi elds as diverse as the foreign service, law enforcement, international development, teaching abroad, international business, or human rights advocacy.

I N T ER N AT I O N A L

CATHOLICISM IN AFRICAFounded in 2009, the International Journal of African Catholicism (IJAC) is heading into its fourth full year of publication and will soon publish its seventh issue. This peer-re-viewed, online academic journal is supported by the Department of Philosophy, Theology, and Religion, under the care of Managing Edi-tor Dr. Randall Woodard, associate professor of theology.

Each issue provides a platform for sea-soned and developing African scholars to share their voices with the Catholic Church and world. Additionally, the IJAC will be sponsoring an ecclesiology session at the annual convention of the College Theology Society in Nebraska in June. The papers pre-sented at the conference will be featured in a special edition of the Summer 2013 edition of the journal, under the title: “Re-envisioning the Church in Africa: Gifts and Challenges for the New Center of the Catholic Faith.”

“The journal will continue to be a place for scholarly conversations about the church in Africa and provide a stage for outstanding Af-rican scholars,” said Dr. Woodard. It is freely available on the Web, with no restriction imposed on end users so that talented people anywhere with insights on African Catholi-cism may join in the ecumenical conversa-tion. Saint Leo University’s decision to host this journal supports our community’s un-derstanding of international issues. For more information on the journal, please see: http://www.saintleo.edu/academics/schools/school-of-arts-sciences/international-journal-of-african-catholicism.aspx.

A classroom connection to Ecuador via Skype.

http://www.saintleo.edu/academics/schools/

http://www.saintleo.edu/academics/schools/


F E A T U R E S

MANGROVEWATCH: THINKING GLOBALLY, ACTING LOCALLYThe biology faculty helped expand our students’ understanding of in-ternational ecological issues during the past year through a new partner-ship with MangroveWatch, a citizen-scientist network fi rst established in Australia, and now spreading to multiple locations around the world. The network monitors the health of these numerous species of trees and shrubs that grow in warm, saltwa-ter environs, along the coasts or in intertidal habitats.

Mangroves are easily recognized in Florida by their abundant, curved roots, which are partly visible above the water line at low tides.

Mangroves act as buffer zones, protecting inlands from harsh winds and waves (and conversely protect oceans from disruptions from land), while providing habitats for various species of fi sh, birds, and reptiles. Given their visibility and ecologi-cal importance, mangroves can be reliably observed over time and used to discern local ecological health for various purposes. Data might

be used to establish a legal case for damages to a community’s ecologi-cal resources or expected fi shing harvests, for instance.

Saint Leo faculty began training students over the past academic year in data collection methods, and began inviting community groups from Tampa Bay southward to Ten Thousand Islands to become involved, too. Eventually, volunteer groups mentored by Saint Leo could conduct annual video surveys of their areas. Science students will become involved in all aspects of the project, including analysis of the data collected, presentation, and publication. Interested individuals and groups are urged to contact project director Dr. Bill Ellis at [email protected].

ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL PATHWAYS As Saint Leo University continues to advance its international efforts and attract students from around the world, the School of Arts and Scienc-es has created a new program to give international students at University Campus the tools to acclimate to American culture, to academics in an English-language setting, and to the university social setting, in-cluding student organizations. The Bridge Program is directed by Dr. Iona Sarieva, who holds a doctorate in second language acquisition and instructional technology, assisted by additional faculty who are also

E X P O S U R EI N T ER N AT I O N A L

Mangroves shield coastal lands and provide habitats for wildlife. This is coastal Pinellas County, FL.

mailto:[email protected]



experts in the needs of second-lan-guage learners. Fifty-eight students from Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Venezu-ela, Russia, Brazil, and Bangladesh participated in the program during the 2012-2013 academic year. They took newly developed courses applicable to degree programs as general electives, in addition to par-ticipating in social events. Students surveyed expressed surprise at how much work was required of them in the program, but also emerged feel-ing more confi dent in their language skills, their understanding of aca-demic course requirements, their time-management and organization-al skills, and their level of comfort with American culture. One student wrote that the “Bridge Program is perfect solution for students who just came to U.S. I am absolutely

satisfi ed … I am thankful to the University for the opportunity to prepare for my future studies.”

ERIN GO BR AGH! LIONS IN IRELANDThe motoring mavens of Saint Leo, instructors Elisabeth Aiken and Kar-en Bryant, led a group of students, faculty, and family to the Emerald Isle over Thanksgiving break as a component of IDS 340: International Infl uences in the Arts and Humani-ties in the Western World. The class is offered every two years with pre-vious trips to the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. Said Aiken and Bryant of this year’s IDS 340, “The course we designed to support our intellectual journey through Ireland was a general survey of the cultural development of Ireland as refl ected

in the fi ne and performing arts and literature.”

The group departed for the trip on the Thursday before Thanksgiv-ing. The fi rst stop on the tour was Dublin, but this particular trip al-lowed students to experience many regions of Ireland: Dublin and Trin-ity College, Kilmainham Prison, and a literary pub crawl; Sligo and the landscapes W. B. Yeats made famous in his writing, like Ben Bulben and Glencar Waterfall; Galway, Conne-mara and the Burren, the beauti-ful Kylemore Abbey, and the wild west coast and the Cliffs of Moher. Students immersed themselves in all things Irish. They made scones in an authentic thatched cottage at Rath-baum Farm with a peat fi re burning sweetly in the huge stone fi replace. Some sang with a pub band in Doolin while the rest watched in awe. Others took in a play at the world renowned Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The group squealed with delight when the tour guide made an unexpected stop by a fairy tree on the shore of Killary Harbor. Most braved the narrow stone stairway to the top of Blarney Castle to kiss the famous stone.

Meg Wright, who also participated in the Paris IDS 340 adventure, summarized her delight with this refl ection: “Everything we studied and learned was right in front of our faces; traveling through our lungs, our ears, our eyes, and becoming a part of our souls. We took every step and every breath of cold air like it was our last. Ireland will forever be in our hearts.”

The group visited the area described by Irish poet W. B. Yeats.


F E A T U R E S

”“

O P P O R T U N I T I E SSTUDENT RESEARCH EFFORTS AT CENTERSExciting research is underway at several of our education cen-ters. With the hiring of additional full-time faculty members at these locations, the culture of research is taking hold and capturing the inter-est of center students.

Two psychology faculty members, for instance, have mentored student research-ers with intrigu-ing projects in the past year. In Gainseville, FL,

Dr. Lara Ault supervised student Tiffany Andolina’s ’12 examination of parent-child interactions at chil-dren’s sporting events. Another stu-dent Dr. Ault supervised, Shannon Jordan, examined jealous responses to imagined infi delity of a romantic partner based on attachment and income. Both of these projects were presented at the 2013 Southeastern Psychological Association meeting in March in Atlanta.

Dr. Maureen “Mo” Mathews at the Virginia Peninsula Center also worked with students pursuing research in social psychology. Rikki Cline is currently examining the

relationship between indebtedness

and pride. Also, Danitza James is working with Dr. Mathews in designing an experiment to see how time and money affect gratitude and willingness to help others (i.e., the “pay it forward” principle). Ms. James was a 2013 recipient of the Undergraduate Diversity Award at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in New Orleans in January.

Arts and Sciences faculty are truly championing research projects at education centers, and anticipate that even more students will be attracted to these opportunities as they see their peers fl ourish.

INTERDISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES MINOR LAUNCHEDAt this point in human history, we are at a critical threshold, a tipping point. The climate is rapidly chang-ing, the human population continues to grow exponentially, and as many as half of all species are expected to go extinct by the end of this century. The new Arts and Sciences interdis-ciplinary Environmental Studies

minor grapples with these problems and their solutions, focusing on the interactions among the scientifi c, social, political, ethical, psychologi-cal, religious, and economic causes and solutions.

The minor will begin this fall. Inte-grated courses from the disciplines of philosophy and religion, science, and sociology will provide a com-prehensive understanding of critical global environmental problems and their solutions. Courses include:

+ Environmental Studies: Creating Sustainable Societies

+ Global Climate Change

+ Environmental Ethics

+ Ecotheology: Ethical Refl ections on Environmental Stewardship

+ Environmental Sociology

+ Global Social Change and Development

+ Environmental Literature

N E W AC A D E M I C

A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the

biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.

– conservationist and author Aldo Leopold, from A Sand County Almanac, 1948

Lara Ault

Maureen “Mo” Mathews



GOING GREENGoing green took on a new meaning at Saint Leo Uni-versity this year. On March 15, the biology program at University Campus unveiled its newest addition, a green-house that stands to the rear of Lewis Hall, and paral-lel to deChantal Hall. The new structure replaces the greenhouse that had protruded from the south side of Lewis Hall, off the second fl oor.

As the old greenhouse was built around the same time as Lewis Hall itself (1967-1968), it no longer met the needs of the student population or curriculum. At 6 by 9 feet, the room provided space for only two plant benches. It lacked ventilation to exhaust the heat during the sum-mer, an adequate heating system for the winter, and a watering system. Access was available only through Room 208, a laboratory often in use for classes. A new structure was essential to allow seri-ous academic work, so the old room was simply removed when the new greenhouse was erected.

The greenhouse provides more space and more reliable conditions for student and faculty research.

The upgrade is spectacular. It is nearly 14 times larger, at 21 by 35 feet, and possesses all of the equipment needed for a fully functional facility, including a heater, a chiller, and a watering system. In other words, the new greenhouse pro-vides a reliable, controlled growing environment for faculty

and student research projects. In classes such as Botany, Ecology, and Fundamen-tals of Genetics, students will have an ex-panded opportunity for “hands on” work. Students, particularly the senior seminar students, are particularly happy with the new work environment. One explained the new space will keep students from having to put senior seminar projects on top of one another, or from trying to use science laboratory space not intended for growing plants. The consistent climate controls and watering, another student said, will permit science majors to keep their plants viable for the months of research and observation

their projects demand.

This welcome addition to University Campus completes Phase 2 of renovations of biology teaching areas.


F E A T U R E S

BOOT CAMP PREPARES FRESHMEN FOR LIFE AS BIOLOGY MAJORSIncoming freshmen who identi-fi ed themselves as biology majors received the opportunity in August 2012 to participate in the univer-sity’s fi rst Biology Boot Camp, an intensive one-week orientation focused on creating a vibrant learn-ing community. Thanks to fi nan-cial support from the university’s fl agship program and the Depart-ment of Mathematics and Science, participants arrived at University Campus one week before the start of general freshman orientation. This gave them time to get a jump-start on learning introductory biology and practicing the skills required to become successful biology students.

“The main goal of the experience was to help transition freshmen into the major more effi ciently than had been done in the past,” according to Dr. Audrey Shor, assistant profes-sor of biology. “Biology is one of the more challenging majors that we offer and we notice a signifi cant proportion of fi rst-time-in-college biology majors struggling with their fi rst-year courses.” Dr. Shor described connections built between micro-communities of freshmen and upper-class mentors as a primary benefi t of the boot camp.

The boot camp also acquainted participants with university Student Services and local businesses to aid their transition in becoming cam-pus residential students. “I wanted

O P P O R T U N I T I E SN E W AC A D E M I C

to help students be successful all around. [College] is not just about studying; it’s also about being able to balance other things in your life so that there are fewer distractions from studying,” Dr. Shor said.

The experience received posi-tive reviews. “During Biology Boot Camp, I spent many hours studying with my friends and group members for the tests we received during the program. This was challenging for me because I was not accustomed to studying so much. My expecta-tions of college were thus challenged because I was worried that it was go-ing to be even harder than the boot camp,” said Sharon Cole, a current biology major from Jamaica.

Preliminary data from all fi rst-year biology students reveals the success of the boot camp experience

Boot camp students reassembled a DNA model in a classroom activity

along academic measures. Fifteen percent more of the biology boot campers earned a fi nal course grade of C- or above in Cell Biology (BIO 125, the fi rst required course), com-pared to those freshmen who chose not to participate in boot camp. The results exceed the goal of 10 percent set by university administrators and Dr. Shor.

“Cell Biology is the foundation course for the biology major, and the success of the boot camp stu-dents in Cell Biology is an evidence of the success of the boot camp pro-gram,” said Dr. Siamack Bondari, chair of the Department of Math-ematics and Science . “We intend to offer the Biology Boot Camp experi-ence every year and encourage all the biology incoming freshmen to join the program.”



GREEN LIGHT FOR GREEN RABBITThe 2012-2013 year saw the return of Green Rabbit Press with the publica-tion of two new chapbooks: Throw-ing Stones, with writing by Patrick Crerand, Kurt Wilt, and Gianna Russo, and Illegible Light, selected poems by Anthony Esposito. The new chapbooks received a launch at University Campus with a reading by the featured faculty writers.

Gianna Russo, instructor of Eng-lish and publisher of the independent YellowJacket Press, had this to say about the importance of such pub-lications: “Green Rabbit promotes the creative work of our SLU faculty writers. It is essential that those of us who teach writing (of any sort) model and share our writing with the academic community. Green Rabbit gives us a chance to do that —to ‘practice what we preach.’ ”

Green Rabbit Press began 10 years ago with the publication of the works of Cole Bellamy, who was then a student, and who now teaches creative writing for Saint

C H O R D SC R E AT I V E

Leo part-time. The return of Green Rabbit affords many a new oppor-tunity to publish and share their work with the Saint Leo commu-nity and beyond.

“To the reader, I admit that poetry offers no solace and no escape be-yond the comfort of another human voice,” wrote Anthony Esposito, his-tory faculty member in the foreword of his collection, Illegible Light. But what a comfort it is.

INAUGURAL WRITERS RETREATThe Department of English, Fine Arts and Humanities launched a well-received half-day retreat in 2013 at University Campus for writers at all levels of development. The Sand-hill Writers Retreat ushered in a new level of commitment to and enthusi-asm for the literary arts at SLU. One attendee wrote in an exit survey:

“I am so fi red up from yesterday’s writing retreat that I cannot calm down. It is a wonderful experience to be with people who care about language, who are willing to share their humanity through words. You did a wonderful job. Thanks. I am thrilled to have been a participant.”

Exit surveys in general praised all aspects of the retreat—from the writ-ers selected to conduct teaching ses-sions, to the venue, to overall organi-zation—as excellent or outstanding. The retreat is in line with the Saint Leo University Vision 2017 statement, which acknowledges the desire for University Campus to be a cultural hub for the surrounding area.

STUDENTS YEARN TO COMPOSE MUSICCynthia Selph, instructor of music and music ministry, is helping stu-dents learn to create the music of to-morrow through MUS 301: Introduc-tion to Music Technology. Students learn to create, notate, and produce their own music in this class using professional-level music production software Ableton Live and musical notation software Sibelius. Although the ability to read notation is helpful, students can be successful even if they don’t read music when they enter the class.

Take a moment to listen to a sample of some of the students’ work by scanning this QR Code.


F E A T U R E S

L.E.D. SERIES 2013: LEARNING, ENLIGHTEN-MENT, DISCOVERIESIn February, the School of Arts and Sciences continued its annual month-long series of faculty-led presentations and discussions with the L.E.D. Series: Learning, Enlight-enment, Discoveries. In the spirit of the popular TEDtalks (Technology, Education, and Design), the aim of the L.E.D. Series is to showcase the richness of intellectual life at Saint Leo University while demonstrat-ing the relevancy of the academic disciplines in the larger world. Open to Saint Leo University students and community, the series shares the exciting and inspiring ideas explored in the diverse areas of interest and research among faculty in the School of Arts and Sciences.

This year, the series began on Feb-ruary 4 with “Healthy Body, Happy Mind,” a program that drew upon the expertise of psychology and science faculty. The lectures included a look at the devastating effects of cyber-bullying and prevention techniques, a discussion on the increasing drug resistance in bacteria and the fright-ening consequences, and observa-tions on the laws of thermodynamics and maintaining wellness.

On February 11, the series turned its focus to the arts in “Romancing the Word,” a Valentine’s Day-themed

session featuring faculty from the Department of English, Fine Arts, and Humanities. Presentations included a reading of sensual love poetry and a lively performance of country music favorites with love as a central theme.

“Our World in the Wake of Con-fl ict,” featuring fi ne arts and so-cial sciences faculty, was held on February 20. Talks included an original short story presentation on the human connection to land and place, a travelogue from a Mideast scholar’s visit to Jerusalem and the West Bank, and a review of the his-tory and effectiveness of the United Nations.

The series concluded on Febru-ary 26 with an inspiring panel titled “Meditations on Hobbies and Lei-sure.” Presentations included a dis-cussion of football and philosophy; a look into the connections between hobbies, prayer, and wisdom; and a motivational account of a hobby that led to an opportunity to participate in an international social justice venture.

The L.E.D. Series will pick up again in 2014 with more faculty-led presentations aimed to foster a love of learning, curiosity, and creativity.

Panelists and audience members at the fourth L.E.D. session.

P R E S EN T ER SS e s s i o n O n e

+ Dr. Shannon Farris and Dr. Tammy Zacchilli ( joint presentation)

+ Dr. Iain Du� y

+ Dr. Leo Ondrovic

S e s s i o n Tw o + Ms. Gianna Russo

+ Mr. David McGinnis and Ms. Brook McGinnis

S e s s i o n T h r e e + Ms. Karen Bryant

+ Dr. Jack McTague

+ Dr. Marco Rimanelli

S e s s i o n F o u r + Dr. Ian Rottenberg

+ Dr. Thomas L. Humphries, Jr.

+ Dr. M. Christine Snead



I N P H OTO ST H E Y E A R

New York Times bestselling novelist Wiley Cash read from his work, A Land More Kind Than Home, during a visit co-sponsored by the Department of English, Fine Arts, and Humanities and the Daniel A. Cannon Memo-rial Library.

The student cast of The Serpent, presented in spring 2013 by the Dramaturgy program, leapt in unison for a promotional photo that re-creates a similar photograph taken of Saint Leo performance students decades ago.

Dr. Lloyd A. Hunter, Civil War historian, pre-sented a guest lecture based on his book, For Duty and Destiny: The Life and Civil War Diary of William Taylor Stott, Hoosier Soldier and Educa-tor, published by the Indiana Historical Society Press. Dr. Hunter was hosted by the Department of Social Sciences.

Dr. Lloyd A. Hunter, Civil War historian, pre-

Students during a chemistry laboratory.



I N P H OTO ST H E Y E A R

Dr. Shawn Weatherford poured gravel into a bucket to test the load-bearing potential of competing popsicle-stick bridges built by physics and engineering students. This is an annual contest.

Student Amanda Morris ’14 demonstrated how Apple iPads mounted next to zoology displays in Lewis Hall can be searched for detailed information on the specimens in the case.

Arts and Sciences faculty helped stage an art show, Concrete Garden, featuring the works of painter Yankel Ginzburg (right) at University Campus. Students had the opportunity to meet the artist and hear him speak at a reception in April. Thanks to the generosity of donors, Saint Leo possesses many Ginzburg works.



Students in a fall 2012 history course on presidential campaigns were treated to prominent guest lecturers. At left, former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert commented in mid-November on the election results, and at right, Nancy Tate, executive direc-tor of the League of Women Voters of the United States, discussed voting patterns during her pre-election visit in October.

Nicole SirotaPlotnikov ’14, on the left, and Katie David ’13, delivered a briefi ng on academic seminar/work placements they had during the August 2012 Republi-can National Convention held in Tampa, concurrent with the start of the academic year. Both are interested in policy and politics. Limited placements were funded by the university in a competitive applica-tion process.

The Saint Leo Singers drew enthusiastic audiences for performances, including the annual Saint Leo Christmas program.

Chemistry laboratory class.

tion process.

Chemistry laboratory class. The Saint Leo Singers drew enthusiastic audiences for performances,



”“DR. L. TYSON ANDERSONDr. Leland Tyson Anderson, professor of religion, enjoyed at Saint Leo a 39-year career as a member, and sometimes chair, of the department now known as the Department of Philosophy, Theology, and Religion. Dr. Ander-son has also been widely published over that time.

The notions and experience of awareness, attention, and meditative prac-tice are at the heart of his scholarly work. “The presence of a high degree of awareness is revealed in the great philosophical and religious teachers, such as Socrates, the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, Benedict, the Buddha, and Muham-mad, who agree that there is a path leading to violence and another path leading to wisdom and compassion,” Dr. Anderson stated.

His most recent publications, for instance in The International Journal of Humanities Education, have turned to the importance of education in enacting the task of open-ended interpretation in the pursuit of awareness in community. He is hopeful that Saint Leo University makes its mark in promoting student engagement in “conversatio —change leading to a more aware life.”

M I L E S TO N E S :R E T I R I N G FAC U LT YM I L E S TO N E S :R E T I R I N G FAC U LT YM I L E S TO N E S :

The presence of a high degree of awareness

is revealed in the great philosophical and religious teachers

–Dr. L. Tyson Anderson



DR. RICHARD BRYANAfter 32 years of dedicated service to Saint Leo University and particularly to the psychology major, Dr. Richard “Rich” Bryan, professor of psychology, is ready to enjoy retirement.

Dr. Bryan served two years in the U.S. Army and after his service earned the Ph.D. in psychobiology from Rutgers University. His research interests have included human and animal memory, and he has published research and taught courses relevant to these interests.

Some of his achievements at Saint Leo include: the creation of the fi rst psychology animal research laboratory (with student Dino Napoletano) in 1981;

the creation of the Saint Leo Institutional Review Board (with Nancy Gunter) in 1986; the creation of the Psychology Club (with student Jamie Fleming) also in 1986; and the creation of a dedicated board of directors to provide faculty leadership for the general education program (with Dr. Kevin Kieffer and Dr. Donald Pharr) in 2007. Dr. Bryan also served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences from 2004 through 2009. In short, Dr. Bryan was a staunch advocate for students and the academic integrity of the psychology major, a clear model for our core value of integrity.

REVEREND DR. ANTHONY KISSELReverend Dr. Anthony Kissel, associate professor of theology, affectionately known to all as Father Tony, is retiring after an eventful 17-year career at Saint Leo University. During that time, he made many im-portant contributions as university chaplain, chair of the Department of Philosophy, Theology, and Re-ligion, director of the Master of Theology Program, and president of the Saint Leo Chapter of the United Faculty of Florida.

As a teacher and a scholar, his great passion is for moral theology and bioethics, and he has frequently been invited to give presentations on ethical and end-of-life issues throughout the Tampa Bay area.

His teaching at both graduate and undergraduate levels has focused on moral theology, Christian ethics, medical ethics, and social justice. Father Tony advocated for the Master of Arts in theology and oversaw the growth of the program as the university developed partnerships with several Catholic dioceses in the South for diaconal forma-tion. To date, the program has graduated more than 120 students and continues to thrive.

Father Tony’s commitment to social justice and to service to the community and the Church continues through numerous, ongoing associations. “As I retire from full-time administration and teaching,” he said, “I look forward to sustaining my friendships, and for new opportunities to serve this wonderful university community.”



ACCO M P L I S H M E N T SS T U D EN T & R EC EN T G R A D UAT E

Upon commissioning into the U.S. Army, Nestor Lugoviera was named a Distinguished Military Graduate, and at commencement was awarded the Thomas B. Southard Leadership Sabre.

Ti� any Andolina ’12, an Ocala/Gaines-ville (FL) Education Center gradu-ate, was accepted into the Master of Arts program in general psychology at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

Rick Briggs ’13 will enroll in the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida, Gainesville, in the fall. He completed a double major in political science and business administration, along with the Honors Program.

Doris (Raab) Frye ’07 earned her Ph.D. in English from Louisiana State University and hopes to teach at the college level. Her area of spe-cialty is Victorian England.

Anella Garness ’13 (below) was awarded the Clara McDonald Olson Scholastic Excellence Award, given to the University Campus graduating student with the highest grade point average. She earned the Bachelor of Science in psychology, and will enroll at the University of Central Florida for graduate studies in clinical psychology.

Brooke King ’12, a U.S. Army and Iraq War veteran now obtaining her M.F.A. in fi ction at Sierra Nevada College (NV), has a forthcoming nonfi ction piece in University of Nebraska Press’s nonfi ction war anthology. Also forthcoming is her fi rst novel, The War Flower.

U.S. Army veteran Nick Klein ’12 has been accepted at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs for an M.A. in international affairs, while pre-paring for the oral exams of the U.S. Foreign Service.

History major Nestor Lugoviera ’13 earned a commission as second

lieutenant in the U.S. Army and was

awarded the Thomas B. Southard

Leadership Sabre in recognition of

his leadership advancement in mili-

tary camp, classes, and laboratories. This recognition is not an annual award; rather, it is given at the dis-cretion of the administration.

Virginia Region psychology major Jacquelyne Millender ’13, has been accepted into the Master of Social Work program at Howard University, Washington, DC.

English major Ashley Reynolds ’14 won the Fairhope Undergraduate Prize for Poetry. Fairhope is the con-ference of the Gulf Coast Teachers of Creative Writing, encompassing all the Gulf Coast states.

Camara Silver ’12, a history gradu-ate with an international studies minor, is currently pursuing his M.A./Ph.D. in Africana studies and international studies at the Univer-sity of South Florida at Tampa.

Brendan Gorman ’13, a political sci-ence major, will enroll in Barry Uni-versity Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law in Orlando, FL.



UNDERGRADUATE PSYCHOLOGY POSTER PRESEN-TATIONS AT THE SOUTHEASTERN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, ATLANTA (MARCH 2013)

+ Ti� any Andolina ’12, mentored by Lara Ault, Ph.D.: “The Link Between Parents’ Control Tactics and Children’s Physical Activity.”

+ Chantal Hayden ’13 mentored by Tammy Zacchilli, Ph.D.: “The Role of ‘Facebook Stalking’ in Screening Job Applicants.”

+ Shannon Jordan, mentored by Lara K. Ault, Ph.D.: “Infl uence of Attachment and Income on Emotional Responses to Infi delity.”

+ Rachel Manyo ’13 mentored by Tammy Zacchilli, Ph.D.: “To Swing or Not to Swing: An Examination of Swingers and Non-Swingers.”

+ Alanna Marrero ’14 and Anella Garness ’13 mentored by Tammy Zacchilli, Ph.D.: “Student and Instructor Perspectives of a Class Facebook Page.”

+ Tierra Willis ’14, mentored by Tammy Zacchilli, Ph.D.:“Perceptions of Children with Same Sex Parents.”

+ Andrew Wood ’13 mentored by Tammy Zacchilli, Ph.D., and Christopher Cronin, Ph.D.: “Belief in a Just World and Attitudes Toward Veteran Court.”

”“The Saint Leo core values have also provided a foundation upon which I can build as I prepare

for the responsibilities of being a physician.

– James Austin Underwood ’13

F L AG S H I P N OT E S : B I O LO G Y P R O G R A M STUDENTS & GR ADUATESBradley Brooks ’13 was accepted into four schools of osteopathic medi-cine and chose Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Daniel Salahuddin ’11 is about to complete a paid, post-baccalaureate fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. He will enroll in the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s dual M.D./M.P.H. program, leading to both the medical degree and Master of Public Health degree.

James Austin Underwood ’13 earned

admission

to George-

town Univer-

sity School of

Medicine in

Washington,

DC—considered one of the nation’s

most prestigious medical schools—

and will be the fi rst Saint Leo

graduate to enroll there. Austin, as

he prefers to be called, also played

lacrosse while pursuing the biology

major. He wrote of his undergradu-

ate preparation: “I have thoroughly

enjoyed the personal relationships

that I have been able to develop

with the professors here, and I

believe that their advice outside the

classroom has been just as valuable

as the scientifi c knowledge they

have shared inside the classroom.

The Saint Leo core values have also

provided a foundation upon which

I can build as I prepare for the re-

sponsibilities of being a physician.”

Joseph Zundell ’13, in planning for

his December graduation, is the sec-

ond Saint Leo student to be accept-

ed into the Summer Program for the

Advancement of Research Knowl-

edge (SPARK) at Moffi tt Cancer

Center in Tampa. He was the fi rst

Saint Leo student on record to make

a presentation before the Florida

meeting of the American Society of

Microbiology, held in April. Under

the guidance of Dr. Iain Duffy, he

presented on antibiotic-resistant

bacteria in the Tampa Bay area. In

March, also under the guidance of

Dr. Duffy, he presented research

from work on cancer biology on

aspects of differing tumor-bearing

cell types at the Florida Academy of

Sciences meeting at Barry Univer-

sity in Miami, FL. Joseph became

interested in cancer biology in par-

ticular after his late mother became

ill with esophageal cancer early in

his college career.



PRESENTATIONSCONFERENCE

Elisabeth Aiken, M.A., A.B.D.,Instructor of EnglishPresented “Ron Rash’s Changing Landscapes: Social and Environmen-tal Justice in Serena, One Foot in Eden, and Saints at the River.” Appalachian Studies Association Conference. Boone, NC. (March 2013)

Lara Ault, Ph.D.Associate Professor of PsychologyCo-presented poster “Psychological Adjustment Mediates the Rela-tionship between Race and Self-Enhancement” with M.S. Yoder. As-sociation for Psychological Science annual convention. Washington, DC. (May 2013)

Co-presented poster “In Your Face: Judgments of Attractiveness Depend on Context” with M.S. Yoder and K. Havemeyer. Midwestern Psychologi-cal Association annual convention. Chicago, IL. (May 2013)

Jaime Barrera, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of MathematicsPresented “Refl ections on a Low-Cost Research Experience for Undergraduates,” Mathematical As-sociation of America–Joint Florida XLVII meeting. Tampa, FL. (Febru-ary 2013)

Karen Bryant, M.A., A.B.D.Instructor of Fine ArtsPresented “ ‘I Have Seen the Most Frightful Nightmare’: Bearing Wit-

ness to Suffering in World War I.” Interdisciplinary Studies. Union Institute and University. Cincinnati, OH. (July 2012)

Presented “ ‘I Am A Messenger’: Artistic Refl ections of Suffering in World War I.” Florida College English Association. Ybor City (Tampa), FL. (October 2012)

Brian Camp, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of MathematicsPresented “Sudoku, Graph Theory and the Puzzle of the Freshman Honors Mathematics Course.” Math-ematical Association of America–Joint FL XLVII meeting. Tampa, FL. (February 2013)

Patricia Campion, Ph.D.Associate Professor of SociologyPresented “Unpacking the University Climate for Hispanics Across Modes of Delivery and Locations” with S. Rivera ’14. Southern Sociological Society. Atlanta, GA. (April 2013)

Recognized for evaluation of Sunrise of Pasco County Inc.’s violence prevention program by the Family Support Domestic & Sexual Violence Prevention Task Force of Pasco County, FL. (October 2012)

Michael Cooper, S.J, S.T.D.Assistant Professor of TheologyPresented “Ministry and Spiritual-ity—Both-And.” Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Eustis, FL. (Sep-tember 2012)

Presented “Group Spiritual Direction Using the Internet” workshop. Inter-active Connections Annual Confer-ence. Orlando, FL. (January 2013)

Christopher Cronin, Ph.D.Professor of PsychologyPresented “The Practical Side of Getting Started in Forensic Prac-tice.” Florida Psychological Associa-tion spring meeting. Ft. Lauderdale, FL. (March 2013)

James Cross, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of TheologyCo-presented “Introducing Con-structivist Principles in Theological Courses for Adult Learners” with Marc A. Pugliese, Ph.D. and Randall Woodard, Ph.D. College Theology Society. Creighton Univer-sity, Omaha, NE. (May-June 2013)

Iain Du� y, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of BiologyPresented “Presence of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms in Tampa Bay Molluscs.” Florida Academy of Sciences. Barry University, Miami, FL. (March 2013)

William L. Ellis, Ph.D.Associate Professor of BiologyCo-authored with Susan S. Bell (2013) “Intertidal Fish Communities May Make Poor Indicators of Environ-mental Quality: Lessons From a Study of Mangrove Habitat Modifi cation.” Ecological Indicators, volume 24: 421-430. (2013)

FACU LT Y PU B L ICATIONS &



Aaron Fehir, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of PhilosophyPresented “Deceived into the Truth: Kierkegaard, Buddhism, and the Problem of Confl icting Truth-Claims.” Meeting of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, Central Meeting of the American Philosophical Association. New Orleans, LA. (February 2013)

Nataliya Glover, M.A.Instructor of English for Academic PurposesCo-author with Leonard Territo, Ed.D. (School of Education and Social Services), The Criminal Investigation of Human Sex Traffi cking in America. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. (Forthcoming October 2013)

June Hammond, D.M.Associate Professor of MusicNamed: Fellow of the Conductors Institute of South Carolina at the University of South Carolina, Colum-bia, SC. (2013)

Appointed: Artistic director and principal conductor, Wesley Chapel (FL) Wind Ensemble. (2013)

B. Lee Hobbs, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of EnglishPresenter and panel moderator: “Spacebillies: Othering the Provin-cial Southerner in Science Fiction Narratives.” Florida College English Association Annual Conference. Ybor City (Tampa), FL. (October 2012)

Robert Imperato, Ph.D.Professor of ReligionPresented “The Person According to Thomas Merton.” Conference on

Personhood, Practice, and Transfor-mation. McGill University, Montreal, Canada. (October 2012)

Kevin Kie� er, Ph.D.Professor of PsychologyPaper co-authored and selected for presentation: “Factors That Affect Embarrassment in Men: A Pilot Study.” American Psychological Association meeting. Honolulu, HI. (July 2013)

Paper co-authored and selected for presentation: “Confi rmatory Factor Analysis of a Theoretically Derived Student Course Evaluation Form” with G. MacDonald ’09 and J.M. An-derson. American Psychological As-sociation annual meeting, Honolulu, HI. (July 2013)

Allyson Marino, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of EnglishRecipient: Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award by the Depart-ment of English at Indiana Univer-sity of Pennsylvania. Dissertation title: “At the Kitchen Table: Women and Food in Late Twentieth-Century U.S. Multiethnic and Global Women’s Literature.” (May 2013)

Maureen A. Mathews, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of PsychologyPublished “Preventing or Promoting Thanks: Regulatory Focus and Its Effect on Gratitude and Indebted-ness” with N.J. Shook. Journal of Research in Personality, 47: 191-195. (2013)

Panel discussion participant: “Welcome to Academe: Trials and Tribulations of the New Academic.” Southeastern Psychological Associa-tion annual meeting. Atlanta, GA. (March 2013)

Presented “Unpacking the Com-

plexity of Trait Indebtedness: An

Exploratory Analysis.” Society of

Personality and Social Psycholo-

gists annual meeting. New Orleans,

LA. (January 2013)

John J. McTague, Ph.D.Professor of HistoryPresented “The January 22 Israeli

Elections: An Analysis” Florida

Conference of Historians annual

meeting. New College of Florida.

Sarasota, FL. (March 2013)

Leo Ondrovic, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Biology and PhysicsAwarded U.S. patent for a vascular

prosthesis. US RE40,050 E1. (2013)

Heather Parker, Ph.D.Associate Professor of HistoryPresented “Obesity in Historical

Perspective: The Science, Busi-

ness, and Politics of Weight Loss

in America, 1850–1960.” Fourth

International Conference on

Science in Society. University

of California, Berkeley, CA.

(November 2012)

Presented “Local Museums, Stu-

dents, and University Archives:

Partnering with Museums to

Train Student Archivists.” Fifth

International Conference on the

Inclusive Museum. University of

the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

(August 2012)

Presented “Weighing in on Obesity:

Perceptions of Obesity in America

from 1850-1930.” Florida Confer-

ence of Historians. New College

of Florida, Sarasota, FL. (March

2013)

D e p a r t m e n t s

28 sC H O O L O F a rts & s CI en C e s 2 013 D e a n ’ s

Donald pharr, ph.D. associate professor of englishCoordinated with Hillsborough Community College: 52nd Florida College English Association Annual Meeting. Ybor City (Tampa), FL. (October 2012.)

Current president: Florida College English Association. (2013)

Presented “The Hawkline Monster and the Disintegration of Richard Brautigan’s Career.” American Literature Association Symposium on “Fear and Form: Aspects of the Gothic in American Culture. Savan-nah, GA. (February 2013)

Janis prince-Inniss, ph.D. Visiting assistant professor of sociologyPublished “Me Wan One Ride” in So the Nailhead Bend, So the Story End: An Anthology of Antiguan and Barbudan Writing, edited by A. Prince. Toronto, ON: A Different Publisher. (2013)

marc a. pugliese, ph.D. assistant professor of theologyAuthored introduction (pp. 7-18) and essay “Orthodoxy or Orthopraxis? Recent Developments in Physics and Joseph A. Bracken as Revisionist Whiteheadian,” in Seeking Com-mon Ground: Evaluation and Critique of Joseph Bracken’s Comprehensive Worldview (Festschrift in Honor of Joseph A. Bracken, S. J.), edited by Glorida L. Schaab, S.S.J. Milwaukee, WI: Mar-quette University Press. (2012)

Co-authored with Rohnn Sanderson Beyond Naïveté: Ethics, Econom-ics and Values. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: University Press of America. (2012)

Reviewed Perspectives on Our Struggle with Sin: Three Views of Romans, by Stephen J. Chester, Grant R. Osborne, Mark A. Seifrid, and Chad O. Brand. Southeastern Theological Review 3 (1). (Summer 2013)

Also see joint presentation listed under James Cross, Ph.D.

Hudson reynolds, ph.D. associate professor of political sciencePresented “Political Humor in Castiglione’s Courtier: Or, How to Laugh Your Way to the Top” during panel discussion titled “Castiglione: Reconsidering the Courtier’s Links to Liberal Education.” Association for Core Texts and Courses annual convention. Ottawa, Canada. (April 2013)

marco rimanelli, ph.D. professor of political scienceNamed: 2013-2014 Fulbright U.S. Scholar with a grant for graduate teaching in international relations at the College of Europe (Bruges, Belgium), and for research on NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-tion) and the European Union. Grant co-sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University-Bologna Center in Italy and American University of Paris, France, where Dr. Rimanelli will conduct additional research and deliver speaker presentations.

Editor: Florida Political Chroni-cle, journal of the Florida Political Science Association. (2012-2013)

Published “NATO’s Security Trans-formation, Partnerships & Post-Cold War Out-of-Area Peacekeep-ing.” Florida Political Chronicle, 22, 1: 16-31. (April 2013)

Ian rottenberg, ph.D. assistant professor of philosophyReviewed The Fall of Interpreta-tion by James K.A. Smith. South-eastern Theological Review, 3, 1. (Summer 2013)

Also see joint presentation with Randall Woodard, Ph.D.

Gianna russo, m.a. Instructor of englishPublished poem: “Paradelle for Late Night Jazz,” Ilanot Review. (January 2013)

Published poem: “Vita Felice,” Passager. (Winter 2013)

Published poem: “Flood Subject,” saw palm. (Spring 2013)

Published three poems collec-tively: “Plant’s Palace,” “Squint and You’ll See It,” and “Revival” in “The Hillsborough River: Human Connec-tions.” University of South Florida Humanities Institute website. (October-November 2012)

Published: “Night Off From the Graveyard Shift,” chapter in collab-orative novel 15 Views volume II: 15 Views of Tampa Bay. Orlando, FL: Burrow Press. (September 2012)

Invited reading of original poetry: Florida College English Association Conference, Tampa, FL. (October 2012)

Invited reading of original poetry: Rollins College. Orlando, FL. (Janu-ary 2013)

Iona sarieva, ph.D. assistant professor of english for academic purposesPlenary presentation: “Supporting Foreign Language Education with Web 2.0 Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities.” Symposium


SC H O O L O F A RTS & SCI EN C E S 2 013 D E A N ’ S R E p O R T 29

on Second-Language Writing. West Lafayette, IN. (September 2012)

Presented “Project-Based Learn-ing with Emerging Technology: The Bridge Program Case.” Society of Information Technology and Teacher Education: The Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. Jacksonville, FL. (March 2013)

Co-edited Comparisons and Interactions Within/Across Cul-tures with L. Kostova and M. Irima. Veliko Tarnova, Bulgaria: St. Cyril and St. Methodius University Press. (2012)

Audrey Shor, ph.D. Assistant professor of BiologyPresented “Lights, Camera, Action! An Immunology Classroom Exercise on Immunoglobulin Gene Rearrange-ment.” Connecting Researchers, Educators and Students (CREST) Symposium. Milwaukee, WI. (May 2013)

M. Christine Snead, ph.D. Assistant professor of SociologyCo-authored with several colleagues “Socioeconomic Disadvantage as a Social Dterminant of

Teen Childbearing in the United States.” Public Health Reports; Sexual Health Supplement, S1: 128. (2013)

Co-authored with several others, “Exploring Discordance Between Biologic and Self-Reported Measures of Semen Exposure: A Qualitative Study Among Female Patients At-tending an STI

Clinic in Jamaica.” AIDS & Behav-ior. (2012)

Lead author with several others: “Effect of Topical Vaginal Products

on the Detection of Prostate Specific Antigen, a Biomarker of Semen Ex-posure, Using ABAcards.” Contra-ception. 2012.

Co-authored with several authors: “Optimal Methods for Collecting and Storing Vaginal Specimens for Prostate-specific Antigen Testing in Research Studies.” Contraception. (2012).

Co-authored with several authors: “Intravaginal Cleansing Among Women Attending an STI Clinic in Kingston, Jamaica.” West In-dies Medical Journal. (2013 forthcoming)

Mary Spoto, ph.D. professor of EnglishCo-presented with Diane Johnson, Ed.D., Saint Leo University Center for Online Learning, “Perspectives on Plagiarism: A Systemic Approach to Raising Faculty Awareness.”

International Center for Academic Integrity annual conference. San Antonio, TX. (February 2013)

Kathryn Stasio, ph.D. Associate professor of EnglishBook review editor for Religion in the Age of Enlightenment. New York: AMS Press, volume 3. (2012), volume 4. (forthcoming) Published chapter “A War of Words: Privateers, Pirates, and a Professor’s Attempt to Enter the Fray; or, Wandering in the Desert in the Land of Profusion” in Textual Studies and the Enlarged Eighteenth Century: Precision as Profusion, edited by Kevin L. Cope and Robert C. Leitz. Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University Press: 101-116. (2012)

Reviewed “Erin Mackie’s Rakes, Highwaymen, and Pirates: The

Making of the Modern Gentleman in the Eighteenth Century.” The Eighteenth-Century Novel 9: 318-320. (2013)

Reviewed “Gregg A. Hecimovich’s Austen’s Emma.” ECCB: The Eigh-teenth Century Current Bibliog-raphy 34: 457. (2012)

Marcela Van Olphen, ph.D. Associate professor of Spanish and portuguesePublished with J. Harris and M. Hofer “Grounded Technology Inte-gration: ESOL Teaching Strategies” in Learning and Leading with Technology. (December/ January 2012-2013)

Presented a collaborative research project with colleagues from John Hopkins University, World Health Organization-Pan American Health Organization, and the Gorgas Memo-rial Institute of Panama, “Exploring Health Professionals’ Understanding of HIV/AIDS Integration of Health Services in Primary Care: Findings from an International Interven-tion with a Bottom-up Approach to Micro-Level Integration Services.” International AIDS Conference. Washington, DC. (December 2012)

Presented: American Association of Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Research Special Interest Group Service Award for eight years of continued service. (November 2012)

Astrid Vicas, ph.D. Associate professor of philosophyPresented “Hospitality and Ve-ridiction: Interdisciplinary and Interspecies Insights,” during the session “Hospitalities: Biopolitics/Technologies/Humanities.” Interna-



tional Association for Philosophy and Literature (IAPL) international conference. National University of Singapore, Singapore. (June 2013)

Shawn Weatherford, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of PhysicsPublished with R. Chabay “Stu-dent Predictions of Functional but Incomplete Example Programs in Introductory Calculus-Based Phys-ics.” American Institute of Physics conference proceedings, volume 1513: 46-49. (2013)

Presented “Science-Based Role-Play-ing Games in the General Education Curriculum.” Florida Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers annual meeting. St. Peters-burg, FL. (2012)

Presented “Prediction Tasks in Com-

putational Activities for Introduc-

tory Calculus-Based Physics.” Ameri-

can Association of Physics Teachers

summer meeting. Philadelphia, PA.

(2012)

Presented “Reading Computational

Code to Inform Predictions of Time-

Varying Computational Models.”

Physics Education Research Confer-

ence. Philadelphia, PA. (2012)

Jacci White, Ed.D.Professor of MathematicsElected: Florida Governor for

the Mathematical Association of

America.

Published with S.B. White “A

Mathematical Model of a Volleyball

Serve, from Projectile Motion to

Fluid Dynamics,” and “A Spectrum

of Values, Critical Thinking, Writ-

ing, and Social Justice Activities

to Use to Engage Students and to

Assist Adjuncts in Mathematics.”

AMS Abstracts, volume 34, Number

1, Issue 171. (Winter 2013)

Invited panelist at “A Nation at

Risk, 30 Years Later. Mathematical

Association of America–Joint FL

XLVII meeting. Tampa, FL . (Febru-

ary 2013)

Presented “Classroom Supplement

to Complement MyLab and Master-

ing in Statistics.” Mathematical

Association of America–Joint FL

XLVII meeting. Tampa, FL. (Febru-

ary 2013)

Presented “MAA–Stories and His-

tory.” Mathematical Association

of America Suncoast Regional

conference XXXVII. Bradenton, FL.

(December 2012)

Randall Woodard, Ph.D.Associate Professor of TheologyPresented with Ian Rottenberg, Ph.D., “The Impact of Adult Learn-er Practices on Adult Learners.” The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship annual conference. Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA. (March 2013)

Managing editor: International Journal of African Catholicism. Online.

Also see joint entry with James Cross, Ph.D.

Tammy Zacchilli, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of PsychologyPresented with K.H. DeSousa. “Col-laborating for a Cause: The Psi Beta and Psi Chi Homelessness Outreach Project for Empowerment.” South-eastern Psychological Associa-tion annual meeting. Atlanta, GA. (March 2013)

Presented poster “Video Creation to Engage Students in Research Meth-ods and Statistics.” Southeastern Psychological Association annual meeting. Atlanta, GA. (March 2013)

Untitled Work by Jim Hughson



FAC U LT Y C O U N C I L

Darin Bell, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Chemistry


Allyson D. Marino, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of English and Fine Arts Events Director

Maureen Mathews, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Psychology

Brook McGinnis, M.F.A.Instructor of Fine Arts/Admissions A� liate

Astrid Vicas, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Philosophy

Shawn Weatherford, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Physics

D E PA R T M E N T C H A I R S

Kurt Wilt, Ph.D.Chair, Department of English, Fine Arts, and Humanities

Siamack Bondari, Ph.D.Chair, Department of Mathematics and Science

Anthony B. Kissel, S.T.D. (Ph.D.)Chair, Department of Philosophy, Theology and Religion

Heather R. Parker, Ph.D.Chair, Department of Social Sciences

G R A D U AT E P R O G R A M I N T H E O L O G Y

Anthony B. Kissel, S.T.D. (Ph.D.)Director, Master of Arts in Theology

William T. Poyner, M.Div.Graduate Theology Program Administrator

A RTS & SCIENCESABOUT THE SCHOOL OF

S C H O O L O F A R T S A N D S C I E N C E S S TA F F

Tamra HuntExecutive Coordinator for the Dean

Evelyne MorissetAdministrative Coordinator for Arts and Sciences

Emma TadeoMathematics and Science Academic Coordinator

Penny FreemanSenior Academic Coordinator Philosophy, Theology and Religion and English, Fine Arts, and Humanities

Amanda WrightSocial Sciences Academic Coordinator/Retention Specialist

F U L L-T I M E FAC U LT Y

Elisabeth C. Aiken, M.A., A.B.D.Instructor of English/Assistant Chair, English, Fine Arts, and Humanities

Leland T. Anderson, Ph.D.Professor of Philosophy and Religion

Douglas M. Astolfi , Ph.D. Professor of History

Lara K. Ault, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology/Assistant Chair, Social Sciences

Darin Bell, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Linda L. Bergen-Losee, M.A. Laboratory Director and Instructor of Biology

Siamack Bondari, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics

Richard G. Bryan, Ph.D.Professor of Psychology

Karen M. Bryant, M.A., A.B.D.Instructor of Fine Arts


Howard F. Carey, D.C.M. Assistant Professor of Biology

Arts & Sciences Administrative StaffFrom left: Emma Tadeo, Evelyne Morisset, Penny Freeman, Tamra Hunt, and Amanda Wright.



Michael W. Cooper, S.J., S.T.D.Assistant Professor of Religion

Patrick J. Crerand, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of English/Director of Honors Program

Christopher J. Cronin, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology

James Cross, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Religion

Iain Duffy, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Biology

William L. Ellis, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biology/Assistant Chair, Mathematics and Science

Anthony V. Esposito, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of History

Aaron Fehir, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Jennifer Garcia, M.Ed.Director, First Year Experience Program

Francis Githieya, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Theology and Religion

June C. Hammond, D.M. Associate Professor of Music

Burgsbee L. Hobbs, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of English

Thomas Humphries, Jr., Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Theology

Robert L. Imperato, Ph.D. Professor of Religion

Valerie E. Kasper, M.A. Instructor of English

Kevin M. Kieffer, Ph.D.Professor of Psychology

Monika Kiss, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Mathematics

Anthony B. Kissel, S.T.D. (Ph.D.)Associate Professor of Religious Studies

Allyson D. Marino, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of English/Director of Fine Arts Events

Maureen A. Mathews, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Psychology

Brook McGinnis, M.F.A.Instructor of Fine Arts/Admissions A� liate

David A. McGinnis, M.F.A.Assistant Professor of English/Director of Theatre

Michael T. McLaughlin, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Religion

John J. McTague, Ph.D.Professor of History

Christopher J. Miller, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science

Eileen T. O’Brien, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Sociology/Assistant Chair, Social Sciences

Leo E. Ondrovic, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Biology and Physics

Heather R. Parker, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History

Donald B. Pharr, Ph.D. Associate Professor of English

Hudson G. Reynolds, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Political Science

Marco Rimanelli, Ph.D. Professor of Political Science

Gianna Russo, M.A.Instructor of English

Cynthia Selph, M.M.Instructor of Music and Music Ministry

Audrey Shor, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Biology

Richard P. Sorrentino, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Biology

Mary T. Spoto, Ph.D. Professor of English

Kathryn L. Stasio, Ph.D. Associate Professor of English

Michael J. Tkacik, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Religious Studies

M. Marcela Van Olphen, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese

Robin F. van Tine, Ph.D. Professor of Biology

Astrid M. Vicas, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Philosophy

During spring semester, Dr. Thomas Ricard taught the fi rst computer aided design and graphics course o� ered at Saint Leo. The course is part of the engineering minor.



Shawn A. Weatherford, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Physics

Jacquelyn A. White, Ed.D. Professor of Mathematics/Assistant Director of Honors Program

Jerome K. Williams, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Chemistry

Kurt Wilt, Ph.D. Professor of English

Randall J. Woodard, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Theology/Assistant Chair, Philosophy, Theology, and Religion

Tammy L. Zacchilli, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology

N E W FAC U LT Y

Jaime H. Barrera, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Brian Camp, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Shannon Farris, Psy.D.Assistant Professor of Psychology

Nataliya Glover, M.A.Instructor of English for Academic Purposes

Jess Jones, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Daniel Lloyd, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Religion

Benjamin Phalin, Ph.D.Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology

Janis Prince-Inniss, Ph.D. Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology

Marc Pugliese, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Religion

Thomas Ricard, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Engineering/Physical Science

Ian Rottenberg, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Iona Sarieva, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of English for Academic Purposes/ Bridge Program Director

M. (Margaret) Christine Snead Assistant Professor of Sociology

A C A D E M I C P R O G R A M SAC A D E M I C M A J O R S

Biology English with specializations in:• Advanced Literary Study• Dramaturgy• Professional WritingEnglish with minor in secondary educationEnvironmental ScienceGlobal StudiesHistoryInternational StudiesLiberal StudiesMathematicsMedical TechnologyPolitical SciencePsychology (B.A. or B.S.)ReligionSociologyTheology/Religion

AC A D E M I C M I N O R SArtBiologyChemistryDramaturgyEnglishEthics and Social ResponsibilityHistoryInterdisciplinary ArtsMathematicsMusicMusic MinistryPhilosophyPolitical SciencePsychologySociologyReligion

S P EC I A L A R E A S O F S T U DYHonorsUndergraduate Certifi cate in Pastoral Studies

G R A D UAT E P R O G R A MMaster of Arts in Theology

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