Curry College Faculty Accomplishments Summer/Fall 2023

The cherished members of the Curry College faculty are known for their tireless dedication and support to our students - but they are also leading scholars, scientists, artists, and trailblazers in their respective fields. Our faculty members are regularly published in notable academic publications, quoted as experts in the media, and applauded among peers at prestigious industry conferences.

This past summer and fall of 2023, the following faculty honors include:

Dr. Shavindrie Cooray , professor, School of Business and Computer Science, published her research on building fairer Artificial Intelligence (AI) models in the Journal of Computer Information Systems (Taylor and Francis Publishing). Currently, she conducts field research with partners to gather more data on building transparent AI models.

Elizabeth Delano-Dykas, associate professor of accounting, School of Business and Computer Science, published "Using Data and Analytics to Find Fraud: A Case Study," forthcoming in International Society For Engineering, Science, and Technology. She also attended "Investigating Expenses: Using Data Analytics to Find Fraud," the American Accounting Association's Intensive Data and Analytics Workshop IV in Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Tony Fabrizio , professor, School of Business and Computer Science, was elected to Board of Commissioners for the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE).

Deanna Gordon , professor, School of Business and Computer Science, will be starting her 4th year as Trustee of the Curry College Delta Chi Chapter of Epsilon Pi Tau Honor Society.  EPT is the International Honor Society for professions in technology, recognizing the academic achievements of students and outstanding professionals. Professor Gordon began the Curry College Chapter of the EPT Honor Society in 2020 with Information Technology and Software Development majors and will begin to initiate students studying Computer Science, with the next induction ceremony to be held in the Spring of 2024.

Ronald Krawitz, professor, School of Business and Computer Science, attended Boston Code Camp, where he presented on Creating Code using Clean Code to minimize Technical Debt. Code camps are professional conferences where software developers share knowledge with fellow developers in an open format by making presentations. Since their inception more than 19 years ago in the local community here in the Greater Boston area, Code Camps have spread worldwide and strengthened many local developer communities.

Dr. Kristin Noone , lecturer, School of Business and Computer Science, published her first book, Leading With Vision, Integrity, and Inspiration (Kendall-Hunt Publishing, 2023). Her book emphasizes the essential qualities of a great leader and guides readers in assessing and enhancing their abilities in these three key areas. It provides practical strategies, self-assessments, and critical thinking activities to help readers understand the needs of those they lead and develop a personalized Leadership Development Plan. The book aims to inspire and support individuals to become effective and impactful leaders.

Dr. Shawn Scott , assistant professor of marketing, School of Business and Computer Science presented (by co-authors):

• 17th OS Workshop: Utopias and dystopias: Organization studies in a brave new world? 1 Breaking the Cycles through Expertise in Action: Imaginaries of Organizing in Post-blast Beirut. May 2023, Athens, Greece, May 2023
• 39th EGOS Colloquium 2023, Values and Emotions as Animating Forces in Social Symbolic Work. Breaking the cycles through expertise in action: Imaginaries of organizing in post-blast Beirut. University of Cagliari, Sardinia/Italy: July 2023.
• New music measurement methods: Legitimating interdisciplinary research methods in marketing research. Presented at the inaugural conference of the Legitimation of Newness Education and Training Network (LNETN). University of Aalborg, Copenhagen, Denmark. June 22, 2023

Dr. Ishani Tewari , chair and associate professor, School of Business and Computer Science, attended the Journal of Economics Teaching Symposium, "Current Events in the Curriculum: New Resources from Audioecon," in Newport, Kentucky.

Dr. Brenda Wrigley , professor, School of Business and Computer Science, contributed to a book published by the Museum of Public Relations, "Properganda or Improperganda?" in Crystallizing Public Opinion, Edward L. Bernays, 100th Anniversary Edition. New York: PR Museum Press . Dr. Wrigley was also a panelist for the Institute for Public Relations's webinar, Diversity in the PR Classroom: A Discussion on LGBTQIA+: Voices in PR and Communications.

Dr. Amy Leshinsky , assistant professor, Department of Education, published: “The Critical Reception of Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Longstanding American Commitment to Individuality and Freedom” in Critical Insights: Ralph Waldo Emerson ; “There’s No Such Thing as a ‘White Folks’ Neighborhood: Racism in the Housing Crisis” and “The Impact of Alice Childress’s Florence on Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun ” in Critical Insights: A Raisin in the Sun ; “ All the Pretty Horses Alters the Reception and Prestige of McCarthy” and “Puppets Upon Puppets Upon Puppets: Forces at Play in the Mother’s Construction in All the Pretty Horses ” in Critical Insights: All the Pretty Horses . Dr. Leshinsky also served on the editorial board for the Routledge Handbook of Language and Mind Engineering , which is scheduled to be released in 2024. Additionally, Dr. Leshinsky’s work was presented at the Eighteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland in the summer of 2023.

Janet Ferone, lecturer, Department of Education was elected as Town Meeting representative for Milton, MA. She was also featured in: What Is UDL, and How Can It Be Used in Higher Education?  in EdTech magazine, May 2023 where she shared how she uses UDL in her Curry College classes. She was quoted in the article Against All Odds, Skyways magazine September 2023 sharing her experiences working with students who succeeded "against all odds". She was the expert contributor on EduWeb, January 2023 for 'College & Autism: Insight and Resources for Students with ASD. Her views on cell phone use in K-12 classrooms were published in The Paper Wolf 2023  DEBATE: Should Phones Be Allowed in Class?  and on care.com December 2023,  Should cell phones be allowed in school?

Jennifer Neville, associate lecturer, Levin Library, published an original research article titled "A Mixed Methods Analysis of Stereotypical Female Librarian Representation In Memes" in Social Science Quarterly .

Dr. Emily Howe, assistant professor, Music, prepared the Boston Children's Chorus (BCC) for a performance of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood on July 16, 2023, under the direction of BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons.

Dr. Jen McNally , professor, and Dr. Laura Callis, associate professor, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, were awarded a three-year National Science Foundation grant to support their research on the scholarship of teaching and learning introductory statistics. The DISCUS-IS: Discourse to Improve Students' Conceptual Understanding of Statistics in Inclusive Settings project seeks to identify and explicate instructional strategies and approaches that are supportive of students' development of conceptual understanding. The research will also identify and document students' conceptions, both productive and less productive, so that they may contribute to the professional development of statistics educators locally and nationally. Drs. McNally and Callis also serve as Senior Personnel on a second National Science Foundation grant that aims to provide faculty professional development with the goal of dramatically improving the art and practice of advancing students' statistical thinking.

Dr. Benjamin J. Chicka , lecturer, Philosophy and Religion, was elected President of the North American Paul Tillich Society on Nov. 17, 2023. In San Antonio, TX, the North American Paul Tillich Society held a book panel session on Dr. Chicka's book Playing as Others: Theology and Ethical Responsibilities in Video Games . The Religion News Service and Gamers with Jobs Podcast interviewed him on his work that went into the book. The Pragmatism and Empiricism in American Religious Thought Unit held a book panel on Dr. Chicka's book God the Created: Pragmatic Constructive Realism in Philosophy and Theology. T&T Clark/Bloomsbury Publishing has also contracted Dr. Chicka to write an introductory book on video games and religion.

Dr. Lynn Abrahams, professor, Program for Advancement of Learning and Vicki Nelson , senior lecturer, Communication, recently released the 100th episode of their College Parent Central podcast. Now in its fourth season, the podcast shares interviews and information about higher education to help parents better support their college students and better prepare their high school students for success in college.

Dr. Laurie Fox , professor, Program for Advancement of Learning, published a book review in the fall journal The Educational Therapist , 44(2), 25 on Designing and Conducting Survey Research: A Comprehensive Guide, fourth edition by Louis M. Rea and Richard A. Parker.

Dr. Laura Hubbard and Dr. Phil Hulbig , Program for Advancement of Learning; and Dr. Jen McNally and Dr. Laura Callis , Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, presented workshop sessions for preK-12 educators in the Abington Public Schools on a variety of topics. Public school educators engaged in interactive workshop sessions on metacognition and self-regulation, support practices for students with ADHD and coexisting mental health challenges, the changing college experience, and inclusive practices for multilingual students in the mathematics classroom. The professional growth of these educators supports improved outcomes for their students.

Dr. Julie Grady , assistant professor, School of Nursing, was honored to both attend and speak at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Grange Over Sands, Cumbria, England Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture Unit (MAINN) Conference. The presentation was titled: Using Guidelines for Evidence-based Practice and Research on Skin-to-Skin Contact After Birth: Overcoming Implementation Challenges.

In collaboration with a multidisciplinary team that convened in Iceland to create clinical practice guidelines for immediate skin-to-skin contact for all newborns, Dr. Grady co-authored Skin-to-skin contact after birth: Developing a research and practice guideline. Acta Paediatrica.

Additionally, Dr. Grady worked in partnership with The Healthy Children Project and The Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP) on: Rescinding evidence-based care and practices during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in the United States: A qualitative study of the experiences of lactation support providers. Frontier in Public Health .

Dr. Ann Marie Leonard-Zabel , professor, Department of Psychology, was a keynote speaker at the Conference of Addiction, Medicine, Behavioral Health, and Psychiatry. Additionally, she received three awards:

1. An Award Plaque of Recognition from the Conference Committee for "a Phenomenal and Worthy Keynote Presentation''
2. Certificate of Recognition for Chairing Session
3. Certificate of Recognition for serving as a member of the Scientific Committee.

Dr. Leonard-Zabel was also invited to the Head, Heart, and Hand: How to Engage Students with Disabilities Positively conference to present a paper on Neuropsychological assessment to solve the mystery of Trauma Impact using neuropsychological-neurobehavioral assessment practices. And, she was invited to perform a webinar and speak for a virtual conference on the "Developmental/Behavioral Health Impacts and Trends Post-Pandemic Topic: When the Brain Injures Others: Understanding the Neuro-Behavioral Aspects of Violence and Aggression in Youth." Dr. Leonard-Zabel completed, passed, and was awarded a certificate of completion from Harvard University's edX Series Program on the Fundamentals of Neuroscience, which includes three courses: The Electrical Properties of the Neuron, Neurons and Networks, and The Brain.

Dr. Amanda Kennedy , associate professor, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, was selected for a position on the inaugural Board of Trustees for Tides for Reproductive Freedom, Massachusetts' newest abortion fund. Tides was founded, and continues to be run by, Queer and BIPOC folks. She currently serves as the Board's Clerk.