2020-2021 Newly Promoted and Tenured Faculty - Seton Hall University
Friday, September 17, 2021
At the beginning of each academic year, the Office of the Provost honors the newly promoted faculty with a Reception. At the reception, each of their deans speak to their accomplishments, and the newly tenured/promoted are presented with the academic attire from the college where they received their highest degree. Later that week, at Faculty Convocation, they wear their newly acquired academic attire.
This year, on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, the Office of the Provost hosted the Promotion Reception to celebrate the 2020-2021 Promoted and Tenured faculty, and on Friday, September 10, 2021, they were honored at Faculty Convocation. Following is a tribute from each of their deans. Please join me in congratulating our newly promoted and tenured. They are:
Promoted to Full Professor
Amy Silvestri Hunter, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Hunter is a talented and student-focused teacher. Her teaching has primarily been in areas related to her expertise as an experimentalist, such as Research Methods and Biological Psychology.
She is a dedicated student mentor to undergraduates and graduates alike. She has also
demonstrated a commitment to course design. She created and regularly teaches the
Neuropsychology of Religious Experience, connecting her academic field with the University's
mission.
Dr. Hunter works primarily in two parallel areas of research. The first is laboratory-based
and focuses on memory and sleep in rats. The second, in the area of the scholarship
of teaching and learning, focuses on student engagement, satisfaction, and persistence
among Psychology majors. Since her promotion in 2008, she has published 7 empirical
papers in peer-reviewed journals, 5 book chapters, and numerous conference proceeding.
Dr. Hunter was the sole author on 4 of the peer-reviewed journal papers.
Dr. Hunter's service resumé reads as a list of the many committees in the College and the University: Educational Policy Committee, College Planning Committee, Bylaws Committee, Faculty Senate (secretary), Academic Policy Committee, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Honors Society advisor, etc. etc. Outside of the university, she has served as a book review editor, in leadership roles in the Eastern Psychological Association, and as editor of project Syllabus, which she identifies as her most significant contribution to the profession. Project Syllabus is a curated archive of Psychology syllabi hosted by the Society for the teaching of Psychology.
Dr. Hunter's service as chair, is a role that she has held from 2014-2021. She has been the exemplary chair: she is organized, thoughtful, and persistent in advocating for her department. She is pro-active, anticipating issues before they arise, and she is supportive of her faculty. Most important, she has created a cohesive, student-focused culture in the department.
Rhonda Quinn, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work and Criminal Justice
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Quinn is a physical anthropologist. She teaches a range of courses that serve other communities on campus, including Criminal Justice and Social and Behavioral Science, two large majors within her department. Recently, she has begun teaching her department's course in medical anthropology and sociology in order to serve the expanding population of pre-health students at Seton Hall.
It is clear from Dr. Quinn's teaching statement that she has an exemplar and compelling teaching philosophy. She describes herself as a proponent of a "Theory of Knowledge" that integrates the contributions of various ways of knowing offered by different approaches and disciplines. She places special importance on applied knowledge, involving her students in what she calls "small group interpretative exercises." She is also a dedicated mentor: she has used her NSF-CAREER grant and other resources at her disposal to involve her students in hands-on research in her laboratory. Students trained in her lab make regular appearances at the Petersheim Exposition.
Dr. Quinn is a physical anthropologist who uses the analysis of isotopes to study human evolution and diet. Prior to tenure, she did important work on Plio-Pleistocene hominins that was twice featured on the cover of Nature. This work has continued, but she is also branching out into other areas including forensic science. One of her recent projects involves working with the NYPD on Cold Cases. She is also part of a working group that has submitted a collaborative grant to the NSF in the area of forensic anthropology. It should be mentioned that she garnered positive press for Seton Hall when her work was featured in a PBS documentary: "Secrets of the Dead: The Woman in the Iron Coffin."
Dr. Quinn's research has produced seven articles, as well as, numerous peer-reviewed conference papers. The Departmental standard is "three articles in refereed journals recognized for their quality," and she easily exceeds that. She has an H-index of 11, which compares favorably to existing full professors in the College and is publishing in top journals in the field. The Journal of Human Evolution, for instance, has an impact factor of 3.155. This is the record of a serious scholar.
Dr. Quinn has served as assistant chair and chair in her Department, at a critical time. As assistant chair, she has been instrumental to the redesign of the curriculum for SOBS, the second largest major in the college. As chair, she orchestrated the integration of the Program in Criminal Justice into the Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and Social Work. She now serves as chair of one of the largest Departments in the college. She has taken this role seriously, building consensus and fostering a student-focused culture.
Andrew Simon, Ph.D., Psy.D
Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Simon holds both a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and a Psy.D in Organizational Psychology. Dr. Simon teaches an average of 116.20 students per semester. Since most graduates in Psychology will work in applied rather than experimental settings, Dr. Simon's training as an Organizational Psychologist makes him particularly valuable to his Department and Seton Hall University. He teaches courses like Sports Psychology and Introduction to Psychology for Business Majors, which draw large enrollments. Dr. Simon's contributions to course development include redesigning Sports Psychology, updating Adult Development, and leading in the creation of the non-thesis track in the MS program. Dr. Simon refers to student mentorship as a "privilege and core responsibility." He has mentored graduate and undergraduate students and served on numerous thesis committees.
With two doctorate degrees, Dr, Simon has a special insight as a researcher who can draw from both the laboratory and the field. His application includes six articles and six book chapters, well in excess of the Departmental standards, as well as peer-reviewed conference presentations, invited symposia presentations, and poster presentations, exceeding his Department's standards for promotion. Dr. Simon describes the purpose of his work as not just understanding but "remedy[ing]" real-world problems. In two recent articles, he suggests that specialization in psychology is a hindrance to the discipline's ability to intervene and address social problems. An expert on strategic planning, he has worked closely with numerous organizations, including the Uganda Community Based Association for Women and Child Welfare, Project Reach (a New York City social services organization), and the International Council of Psychologists, to name a few. As the first two examples show, Dr. Simon's work serves to advance the Catholic mission of Seton Hall by helping organizations serve society's most vulnerable individuals. His scholarship is impactful, helping organizations achieve their missions through sharpening their organizational focus.
Dr. Simon's service has been remarkable in terms of both quantity and quality, especially in recent years. Most notably, he served as chair of the Arts and Sciences Strategic Planning Committee, co-chair of the University Strategic Planning Committee, faculty representative on the ROOT committee, and now as Faculty Senate Vice-Chair. It is not a coincidence that the university has tapped his expertise time and time again: as a gifted organizational psychologist, he can make a unique contribution to the University as we navigate the challenges facing Higher Education. The list of other service roles is much too long for enumeration, here. It includes Institutional Review Board (IRB), College committee work, and advising, as well as service to the profession such as serving on the Editorial Board for the Journal for Social Action in Counseling Psychology and as US Area Chair for the International Council of Psychologists.
Martin Edwards, Ph.D.
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
My few words about Martin Edwards will begin with some words of his own, taken from
his application for full professor. In it, he writes that he was hired at Seton Hall
to "fill the shoes" of some guy named Courtney Smith when he became an associate dean.
When I hear the phrase "fill the shoes," I think of a simple replacement, an even
trade. But that is not in any way what the School of Diplomacy got when Martin arrived.
He is version 2.0 of a successful faculty member, the full release version of software
replacing the beta test, broadband instead of dial-up. No matter how you describe
it, Martin has been hitting on all cylinders throughout his time on campus.
The key to Martin's success is his student-centered focus in everything he does. This
is manifest in many ways, only a few of which include:
- Being named the Diplomacy Teacher of the Year twice, and winning the inaugural University-wide award.
- Including students in his prestigious National Science Foundation grant.
- Engaging students through his research agenda, including 16 on his book on international monetary and trade surveillance, the results of which were presented to the staffs of both the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.
- Conducting countless op-ed workshops, which resulted in more than a dozen students and alumni with successful publications in the last year alone.
- Founding our Center for United Nations and Global Governance Studies, which is anchored by an award-winning student chapter of the United Nations Association, which he helped launch.
The list could go on, but there is one last point I would like to make. Martin is a data-oriented person, and one number captures his commitment more than any other: the number of student letters of recommendations he has written. It was 650 at the time of his application and has only grown since then.
Needless to say, Martin is in indispensable part of our School, and all members of the Diplomacy community join me in congratulating him on becoming a full professor. It is a well-deserved promotion and a wonderful day for Diplomacy.
Faculty Promoted to Professor with Tenure
Jennifer D. Oliva, J.D.
Seton Hall Law School
Professor Jennifer D. Oliva is the Associate Dean for Faculty Research & Development and Director of the Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law at Seton Hall Law where she specializes in health law and policy, FDA law, drug policy, privacy law, evidence, and complex litigation. She is a United States Army veteran and admitted to the bars in Delaware, California, and the District of Columbia. Assistant Dean Oliva serves as Senior Scholar with the O'Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law at Georgetown Law and on the National Pain Advocacy Center's Science and Policy Advisory Council. Professor Oliva is an honors graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to attending law school, Professor Oliva earned a Masters in Business Administration at the University of Oxford. She was elected as a Rhodes and Truman Scholar while a cadet at the United States Military Academy. After law school, Professor Oliva served as a federal appellate law clerk to the Honorable Stephanie K. Seymour on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and the Honorable Thomas L. Ambro on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She was subsequently appointed Deputy State Solicitor of the State of Delaware by then-Attorney General Beau Biden.
Professor Oliva has worked in the appellate and health/FDA law practice groups at national law firms and served as the General Counsel and Vice President of a regional behavioral health care company. Professor Oliva served as the 2020 Chair of the AALS Section on Law and Mental Disability and she was recently elected as Secretary of the AALS Section on Law, Medicine and Health Care and to the Executive Board of the AALS Section on Biolaw. The Harry S. Truman Foundation honored Professor Oliva with the 2019 Truman Scholarship Foundation Ike Skelton Award for her commitment to public service and the Seton Hall Law student body selected her for the 2021 Paula A. Franzese Excellence in Teaching (Professor of the Year) Award.
Faculty Promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure
Cara Blue Adams, MFA
Department of English
College of Arts and Sciences
Professor Adams primarily teaches creative writing. Her approach to teaching her discipline is laid out compellingly in her application, where she describes initiating students in the craft of fiction and working with them in workshop settings to polish and refine their work. She is quite supportive of her students. Professor Adams has been active in course design. She created and piloted "Literary Editing and Publishing," a course that could serve as a stepping-stone toward a certificate or degree in editing and publishing at Seton Hall. She also created a remote version of "Introduction to Creative Writing" for the online Fall 2020 Pirates' Virtual Academy initiative. She has expanded her reach beyond the department, participating in the University Seminar on Mission and teaching in "Journey of Transformation."
During the time that Professor Adams has been teaching at Seton Hall, her creativity has paid dividends: the number of Creative writing majors has grown from 20 to 35, and there is a palpable energy around the program and its lively event schedule. Creative Writing is a growing major, and an increasingly central part of the English Department's offerings. Due to our proximity to New York, we are positioned to capitalize on the city's role as the capital of literary culture and publishing in the US. Because of her connections and artistic talents, Professor Adams is positioned to make Creative Writing a "reputation enhancer" for Seton Hall.
Professor Adams has had remarkable success publishing her work: during the time that she has been at Seton Hall, she has published or placed 12 stories and 2 other pieces: nearly three times the expected output in her department's guidelines. These pieces have appeared in renowned publications such as Granta and the Kenyon Review, with acceptance rates generally below 1%. This a remarkable feat. Several of the stories, moreover, have been nominated by the journals for awards: an honor reserved for only a few pieces a year. Other honors received by Professor Adams include a New York-Quebec Artist Exchange Grant, a Center for Fiction Emerging Writers’ Award, and the 2019 Meringoff Prize in Fiction. Professor Adams' work ethic has been described as "she works in the tradition of Chekhov or Alice Munro." She is a master of her craft and has an eye for subtle nuance. Professor Adams has a clear research agenda going forward. In addition to a story cycle that she is already shopping for a publisher, she is working on a novel about immigration policy and a book-length lyric essay about climate change.
The highlight of Professor Adams' service is her role as organizer of Poetry in the
Round, which brings writers -- often young writers -- to campus, where they are met
with rooms packed with faculty, students, and members of the community. The focus
on young, diverse writers is a welcome development, and Poetry in the Round is an
important element of the University's intellectual life.
Professor Adams’ Departmental, College, and University roles include directing "Corner
Pocket" (a student creative publication), organizing readers for Petersheim, serving
on the hiring Committee for a post-WWII Americanist, serving as Secretary of the A&S
Faculty, serving on the College Planning Committee, the Arts Council, and the Academic
Policy Committee. She has also participated in "Get Lit" community cultural programming
in South Orange. Beyond Seton Hall and South Orange, she has served on the admissions
board of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference at Middlebury College and as a reader
for University of Chicago Press.
Jessica Cottrell, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Cottrell teaches some of the largest classes in the Department of Biological Sciences, sometimes larger than 200 students. By paying attention to where students struggle and by making lectures interactive, she has developed what she calls a "large group pedagogy." Her colleagues, in their ballots, especially praise her for her success in Genetics, a notoriously difficult course. As she has evolved as a teacher, her course evaluations, have shown an upward arc to the point that she routinely scores over 4.5 on the "Overall the quality of teaching was excellent/outstanding" question. Dr. Cottrell has incorporated technology into the classroom, including "Tophat" and discussion boards. She explains that she does not only want students to understand the "what" of the material that she teaches, but also the why.
Dr. Cottrell has embraced her role as a research mentor. She is a champion of undergraduate research, is one of the creators of the College's "Omics" initiative, and is planning to participate in Project Kaleidoscope, the AAC&U's STEM education and diversity initiative. It is clear that Dr. Cottrell is an empathetic and passionate teacher. It is a testament to her commitment that she was selected to be the A&S Teacher of the Year. In conclusion, the number of Biology majors has been on the rise in recent years, promising to change Seton Hall's profile in a myriad of ways. More than ever, we need dynamic researcher-teachers like Professor Jessica Cottrell.
Dr. Cottrell is trained in biomedicine and her research focuses on the impact of inflammation and immune response on bone repair. This is an area of research with clear clinical applications. During her probationary period, she has published 13 research articles, 7 review articles, 2 book chapters and a genetics manual. These include 10 peer-review articles from work initiated in her research group and 5 papers through prior publications. Due to the quality and volume of her work, she was the A&S Researchers of the Year in 2019 in the natural sciences. Grant activity is important in the experimental sciences, and Dr. Cottrell has made steady progress in this area. She has been awarded two university grants. She has also applied for R01 grants from the NIH and received positive feedback.
Dr. Cottrell is focused with three research projects in the works: Understanding Insulin's Role in Inflammation and Diabetic-Related Complications; The Effect of Dysregulated Inflammation on Bone Homeostasis; and Improving Tissue Regeneration by Modulating the Immune Response to Injury. During the next stage of her work, she will be using 3-D cell culture model of the bone microenvironment.
Dr. Cottrell has served her department in a numerous ways such as maintaining core Department equipment, serving on hiring committees, organizing lectures and symposia, and advising 30+ students per semester. At the college level, she has been active in committee work, including Women in STEM, Human Rights & Dignity, Writing Across the Curriculum, and Nominations & Elections. Finally, at the university level, she has been on the Petersheim Expo Committee and has participated in numerous student recruitment events. She was also recruited to assist with the curriculum design for the Hackensack Meridian Medical School.
Sara Fieldston, Ph.D.
Department of History
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Fieldston teaches at all levels, from the American History surveys, HIST 1301/1302, to graduate-level courses. The survey courses routinely draw 35 students, and serve not only History majors, but also the College Core. She has been recognized for her outstanding teaching. She was a winner of the A&S Teacher of the Year award and was the College's nominee for the University Teacher of the Year award. Finally, Dr. Fieldston's teaching is remarkable for its innovation. She has created two blogs for her students to publish their work: "The History of New York City," which is a virtual guidebook to historical New York, and "The Virtual Museum of American History." She has also developed three new courses and brought other courses online.
Dr. Fieldston's scholarship focuses on the history of 20th-century American foreign
relations and diplomacy through the lives of ordinary people. Much of her work to
date focuses on the ways in which children were deployed -- and resisted their deployment
-- in the service of Cold War "soft power." This is the subject of her first book,
Raising the World, which was published with Harvard University Press in 2015. While
this book was published prior to her appointment at Seton Hall, it is to her credit
that she was able to publish a manuscript with one of the top U.S. presses so quickly
after defending her dissertation. During her time at Seton Hall, she has published
a co-edited anthology, two peer-reviewed articles, one peer-reviewed book chapter,
and one co-authored peer-reviewed book chapter. The dozen reviews of Raising the World
attest to the impact of her work.
Dr. Fieldston has a clear plan for her scholarship after tenure. She is preparing
a manuscript entitled Shopping for Empire: American Tourists, Consumption, and Power
after World War II. This project traces the role of American tourism in the post-WWII
period, when it functioned as an auxiliary of American economic foreign policy. By
traveling and consuming abroad, American tourists infused dollars in European economies.
By the early sixties, however, the flow of dollars to booming European economies became
an economic liability. Dr. Fieldston has already published an article based on her
research for this project.
The highlight of Dr. Fieldston's service is chairing the 2017-2018 History symposium on "Encounters: Travel and Tourism in Historical Perspective." Under her leadership, the History symposium expanded in scope and ambition, with contributions from distinguished outside scholars. Other service roles have included serving her department as internship coordinator, undergraduate advisor, and co-advisor of the History Club. At the college level, she has served on the Dean's Task Force for the Integration of Staff, the Taskforce on College Committees & Rename the College, the Human Rights & Dignity Committee, the By-Laws Committee, and the College of Arts & Sciences Teacher of the Year Selection Committee. University-level service assignments include the Faculty Senate IT Committee and the Digital Humanities Committee. Lastly, she has other service assignments, including professional service (e.g. manuscript review).
Jason Tramm, D.M.A.
College of Communication and the Arts
"If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it!" -
Duke Orsino, Act I, scene 1 of Shakespeare's, Twelfth Night
I think we can certainly apply that to Dr. Jason Tramm – give me excess of it!
Dr. Tramm has consistently been the heartbeat of music at Seton Hall. He works tirelessly from: University Choir; to Chamber Choir; to Orchestra; to Chamber Orchestra; to Italian Aria concerts; to the three-part Prayer for Peace series at Carnegie Hall, NJPAC, and St. Bartholomew's in NYC; to his renowned work as Maestro and Director of Music, in Residence, at the Grand Auditorium in Ocean Grove for 14 seasons; to Artistic Director and Principal Conductor with Mid-Atlantic Artistic Productions; and so much more.
But through all this work, Jason demonstrates his love and devotion to teaching, to educating his students. He has brought in outstanding opera singers for our students to work with, commissioned new composers to write for our concerts and elevated our music program for the entire Seton Hall community.
Internationally, Dr. Tramm conducts at some of the most prestigious opera houses and concert halls in Italy, Albania, Romania and Hungary and brings Seton Hall's name around the world.
As with all artists, the gift is in the giving and Dr. Tramm's giving capacity is enormous. His legacy will continue since I know he will not slow down. He was just appointed Executive Director for the Light Opera of New Jersey. And don’t forget to listen in to his highly rated podcast, Music Matters with Jason Tramm!
I am grateful for all his incredible talents and can't wait to see what he has in
store for us next.
On behalf of the College of Communication and the Arts: Congratulations Dr. Tramm
on your promotion to Associate Professor with tenure – well done and well deserved!
Lori Wilt, Ph.D.
College of Nursing
Since the year of her hire in August 2015, Dr. Wilt has taught mainly the foundational
nursing
courses in the undergraduate curriculum including the didactic, lab and clinical course
sections. She incorporated innovative teaching methods in her didactic courses and
simulation experiences. Some of her innovations include incorporating interprofessional
experiences with the School of Health and Medical Sciences in the entry level nursing
courses, participating in the Provost's Initiative for field experiences in NYC in
the Sociocultural Determinants of Health course and revising the Undergraduate Health
Assessment course to better evaluate student performance. Dr. Wilt was elected by
the members of her department as an Assistant Chair in 2020-2021 and continues to
serve in that capacity. Dr. Wilt's research includes work on outcomes for students
who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and the role of she school nurse and on the
effects of school nurse to student ratios related to chronic health outcomes.
Dr. Wilt's service to the College of Nursing includes membership on the Nominations and Elections committee and the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. She also serves on the IHS Interprofessional Education committee and at the University level, she was a Senate alternate and served on the Senate ad hoc COVID-19 IT technical committee. On this committee she was commended for the timeliness and organization of the data needs presented. Dr. Wilt supervised students who administer flu vaccines during the annual university flu vaccine clinics and has mentored faculty related to use of technology.
Dr. Wilt received the Humanism in Healthcare Award in 2018 for serving as a faculty peer mentor to increase instructional technology proficiency in which she is very adept. During the pandemic, she has been instrumental in assisting both students with challenges related to remote course work and faculty with teaching challenges and the use of technology. Dr. Wilt's service to the profession includes being an active member in the National Association of School Nurses in which she just finished writing practice guideline for school nurses and served on a national panel for topics related to school nursing. Dr. Wilt is also a member of the SHU chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society and has served in many roles in that organization including serving as the chair of the annual Reinkemeyer Research Day. She is currently Treasurer of the local chapter. In her community, Dr. Wilt serves on the North Jersey Health Collaborative in Sussex County and on the Medical Reserve Corps.
Faculty Promoted to Associate Professor
Timothy Fortin, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophical Theology
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
Dr. Fortin joined our school's fulltime faculty in academic year 2009/2010 as a member of the newly created department of Philosophical Theology. He was part of the cadre of new faculty hired to launch the recently commenced Bachelor of Arts in Catholic Theology. At the encouragement of the Archbishop of Newark and with the approval of the Board of Regents, the Seminary School of Theology established this degree to meet both the requirements of those in priestly formation (as prescribed in the USCCB's Program of Priestly Formation, Fifth Edition, 2006) and to provide University students the opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation for Catholic Theology as an integral component to the living out of their faith.
From the beginning of his tenure at the School of Theology, Dr. Fortin has demonstrated his ability as a highly effective teacher, dedicated to the needs of his students. His solicitude is not confined to the classroom; rather, Dr. Fortin can often be seen assisting students after class. He has the heart of a teacher and tirelessly explains complicate philosophical concepts in a concise, clear and compassionate manner. His exemplary teaching was recognized by the University and he was named Teacher of the Year for the academic year 2016/2017. Dr. Fortin's impact on his students endures well beyond the successful completion of a semester or the fulfillment of the degree requirements. I know of more than a handful of students who have maintained their contact with him many years after graduation. This is an indication of someone who is devoted to the vocation of teaching. Dr. Fortin's commitment to his calling is indefatigable.
The energy Dr. Fortin expends in the classroom finds its parallel in his pursuit of
intellectual interests. In particular, Dr. Fortin is well-known among his colleagues
in philosophy – both Catholic and secular – for his scholarly work and respectful
dialogue in the area of human sexual difference. His is a critical contribution to
this conversation. Dr. Fortin has three articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
He has contributed a chapter in a scholarly book and has a book of his
own under contract. Dr. Fortin has demonstrated an ongoing fidelity to the mission
of the School and the University.
Dr. Fortin has a keen appreciation for the notion of servant leadership. It is manifested in his generous service to the University on the Faculty Senate and with Campus Ministry. At the School, Dr. Fortin sits on the Educational Policy Committee and is currently chair of the department of Philosophical Theology. Quite notably, although with all humility, Dr. Fortin has volunteered for many years as a minister to the Essex County Correctional Facility and at the Juvenile Detention Center. His weekly visits and his coordination of this pastoral formation for the seminarians is nothing short of edifying and inspiring. Dr. Fortin has the heart of a servant.
The Gospel of Luke reminds us: "A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart …For a man's words flow out of what fills his heart" (Chapter 6, verse 45). Dr. Timothy Fortin serves as a reminder to those around him – colleagues and students alike – that one's goodness is most true to form when it is shared. He is a natural and gifted teacher. His contribution in the world of research is commendable and essential. His service to the School, the University, the Church and wider community make a life-giving contribution to the common good.
Along with the Seminary School of Theology, I am delighted at the promotion of Dr. Timothy Fortin to the rank of Associate Professor.
Nalin Johri, Ph.D., M.P.H.
School of Health and Medical Sciences
Department of Interprofessional Health Sciences and Health Administration
On behalf of all of us in the School of Health and Medical Sciences (SHMS), I am pleased to say a few words about Dr. Nalin Johri recently promoted to Associate Professor. Dr. Johri joined Seton Hall University in 2010 and is Acting Program Director of the Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) program. He teaches several courses in the MHA program and his dedication to teaching and attention to detail resulted in his achieving a perfect score of 100 for the external Quality Matters review of his new course on Global Healthcare Management. In addition to his teaching and administrative responsibilities, he oversees competency assessment across the MHA program.
In February 2020, Nalin published his first book – Health Services Research and Analytics Using Excel published by Springer and has just completed a book chapter on data analytics for a new edited book on Population Health Management. Nalin has also co-authored several articles in the Journal of Health Administration Education and is a frequent presenter on competency assessment at the Annual Meeting of the Association of University Programs in Healthcare Administration (AUPHA).
Nalin is an active member on several committees at SHMS and is on the Strategic Planning Sub-Committee for AUPHA. In addition to his academic and professional service, Nalin has been actively involved in his community, including raising a Seeing Eye puppy for the blind.
Nalin's prior work experience includes program development, monitoring and evaluation experience on maternal and child health, nutrition, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and spans over 10 years with several NGOs. Since 2017, Nalin has also served as core faculty on Health Policy for the New Jersey Healthcare Executive Leadership Academy established under the auspices of Medical Society of New Jersey, New Jersey Hospital Association, and the New Jersey Association of Health Plans.
Dr. Johri earned his doctorate in health policy and administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and also has two master's degrees – one in Public Health and the other in Social Work.
Patrick Manning, Ph.D.
Department of Pastoral Theology
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
Dr. Manning joined our school's fulltime faculty in academic year 2016/2017, as a member of the department of Pastoral Theology following the retirement of a long-serving full professor. From the onset, Dr. Manning showed himself as a capable, generous and collaborative colleague at the Seminary School of Theology, assuming the position of department chair concurrent with his appointment as a member of the faculty. In truth, he has more than risen to the task.
Immediately upon his appointment, Dr. Manning was asked to develop two new required courses that had been created as a part of the revision of the M.Div. program curriculum. In addition, he has developed two new online courses that he has guided through the Quality Matters review process. His teaching is effective and deeply appreciated by his students and is commended by his peers in their respective evaluations. A scholar of educational methods, Dr. Manning is keenly aware of the need to keep current with best practices in the field. He has been a well-regarded member of the Contemplative Pedagogy Steering Committee at the University.
The eagerness and energy Dr. Manning brings to the classroom is every bit matched by his intellectual pursuits and interests. He has a demonstrable dedication to research and scholarship, having published one scholarly book and four peer-reviewed articles since his arrival at the School. His interest and competency include education, philosophy, pastoral theology and the Catholic intellectual tradition. In the current climate, such a well-rounded scholar is an asset to the Seminary, the University, and the wider community of higher education. His ability to synthesize and to engage others in dialogue is at the service of communion on the local and universal levels.
Dr. Manning's aforementioned service as department chair and on the Contemplative Pedagogy Committee are only a small fraction of the ways in which he manifests his substantial commitment to this constitutive component of his life as an assistant professor. He has served on the Faculty Senate and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee. At the Seminary, he has served as our Assessment Coordinator, on various committees and has been involved with a number of grant applications. In addition, Dr. Manning has served the Catholic Church by applying his gifts and talents to the Church's universal mission of bringing others to Christ and assisting them in the appreciation of their Catholic faith. Being a servant leader truly animates his work.
As the only fulltime member of the department of Pastoral Theology, Dr. Manning is an extremely critical presence. He is an energetic influence in our scholarly community. He is a professor in whom the School has great hopes for the future development, reputation and success of its programs. He is deeply and passionately committed to the mission of service to the University as well as the local and universal Church. Along with the Seminary School of Theology, I am delighted with the promotion of Dr. Patrick Manning to the rank of Associate Professor.
Categories: Arts and Culture, Education