Celebrating CAS Faculty Achievement

Event honors 2024 research, scholarship, and creative endeavors
Lacey Hilliard points to part of her research poster while discussing her work with Micky Lee in the large event space
Lacey Hilliard, psychology, explains her research on “How caregivers address contemporary cultural moments with their children” to Micky Lee, communication, journalism & media.

Academic scholarship can often feel like a solitary pursuit, but at Suffolk’s second annual Faculty Scholarly and Creative Achievement Celebration this winter, College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) faculty came together in the spirit of community to share and discuss their work. The event, held in the Keches Room at Sargent Hall, was created to recognize and honor the significant contributions CAS faculty make to research, scholarship, and creative endeavors, says Cortney Kelly, director of faculty & student engagement.  

“This event serves as a platform to highlight the diverse and impactful work being done by our faculty across disciplines and departments, while also cultivating a deeper appreciation for faculty achievements and contributions in the Suffolk community," says Kelly.  

Students, faculty, and staff viewed posters and digital displays that exhibited the research and creative work of 18 faculty presenters across many disciplines. The atmosphere in the room was warm and cheerful as colleagues moved from poster to poster, making new connections and strengthening existing ones.  

Randal Thurston stands behind a table gesturing as he talks with several colleagues, including Kristen Mallia during the event
Randal Thurston, art & design, speaks with attendees including his colleague Kristen Mallia, art & design, about his work in exploring fabrication technologies and community based creative activities. Mallia also presented on site-specific research and experiments conducted during Summer 2024 in Italy. 
Barbara Abrams and Provost Rick Oches talk in the background while Dean Edie Sparks and Jonas Kaiser talk in the foreground in the large event space
In the background, Barbara Abrams, history, language & global culture, and Provost Rick Oches discuss her work involving the translation and explication of an obscure French text written by Marie-Madeleine Bonafon in 1745. In the foreground, CAS Dean Edie Sparks speaks with Jonas Kaiser, communication, journalism & media, about his research into the role of YouTube in election disinformation and the failed insurrection.  

The evening was a welcome opportunity for faculty from diverse disciplines to discuss, inspire – and perhaps spark future collaborations.   

Elif Armbruster, who presented her research on Edith Wharton, was grateful for the chance to see what her colleagues were up to. “I enjoyed sharing my poster just as much as I loved learning about an 18th century French chambermaid-turned-author; human rights efforts in the post-WWII era; and, of all things, the function of two oncometabolites in cancer, among many other wholly unfamiliar and fascinating subjects,” she said. “Gatherings like this are wonderful because they allow for socializing, celebrating, and learning.”  

2024 Faculty Scholarly & Creative Achievement Celebration Presenters 

Faculty from departments throughout CAS presented and discussed their work, including:   

  • Barbara Abrams (History, Language & Global Culture), Audacity and Authenticity 
  • Elif Armbruster (English), "The Pendulum Woman": Understanding the Emotional Reality of Edith Wharton 
  • Michal Ben-Josef Hirsch (Political Science & Legal Studies), On the Rights Trajectory: International Norm Development and the Post World War II Human Rights Regime 
  • Melanie B. Berkmen (Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environment, and Physics), Synthesis and function of two oncometabolites in cancer 
  • Lacey Hilliard (Psychology), How caregivers address contemporary cultural moments with their children 
  • Hannah Hudson (English), Magazines, Romanticism, and Imperial Knowledge 
  • Taisik Hwang (Advertising, Public Relations & Social Media), A comparison of social media engagement strategies of commercial brands versus nonprofit organizations 
  • Xinxin Jiang (Math & Computer Science), Sabbatical Report 
  • Jonas Kaiser (Communication, Journalism & Media), “The Big Lie” on YouTube. The impact of election disinformation on user movement on YouTube between the US presidential election and the failed insurrection on January 6th 
  • Keith Kitz (Art & Design), Making & Breaking Posters: Redefining the Form 
  • Micky Lee (Communication, Journalism & Media), Musings about feminist political economy, media portrayals of fraudsters, and Hong Kong urban culture 
  • Jeremy Levine (Communication, Journalism & Media), The Return 
  • Kristen Mallia (Art & Design), Italy, Field Notes, and Other Geographies 
  • Quentin Miller (English), Developing Empathy through Affect Theory: Reconsidering Blushing in Wharton’s The Age of Innocence 
  • Steve Novick (Art & Design), “what, exactly, has been lost” 
  • Sukanya Ray (Psychology), An Overview of Healthcare Needs, Empowerment and Services for Aging Population: Exploring Interprofessional and Culturally Responsive Approach towards Developing User-Friendly Mobile App 
  • Randal Thurston (Art & Design), Materials, Methods and Meaning: exploring fabrication technologies and community based creative activities 
  • Bobbi Van Gilder (Communication, Journalism & Media), “That's not a relationship. That's an acquaintance”: An Examination of (Christian) Feminists’ Discursive Reconstructions of Family in the Age of Trumpism 

Contact

Greg Gatlin
Office of Public Affairs
617-573-8428

Andrea Grant
Office of Public Affairs
617-573-8410