Faculty Profiles

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Derese Kassa (Faculty Profiles 3282)

ptascio — Tue, 17 May 2022 14:51:05 +0000

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Derese Kassa (Faculty Profiles 3282) ptascio Tue, 05/17/2022 - 10:51 Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Derese Kassa

Dr. Derese Kassa, associate professor of Sociology at Iona College

May 17, 2022

It’s going to be a busy but important year ahead for Dr. Derese Kassa, associate professor of Sociology at Iona College. As one of the world’s leading global migration experts, Kassa will soon embark on a research mission focused on the civil war in his native country of Ethiopia, and the crisis of displacement that has affected hundreds of thousands of people as a result.

The project, funded by the prestigious Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP), will allow him to conduct on-the-ground research from January through August 2023. In addition to shaping major policy and humanitarian decisions, Kassa said his work in Ethiopia will also help to inform the development of a new Black Studies major at Iona College.

Before he leaves, however, Kassa will also be participating in the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute for Higher Education Faculty at Howard University. This all comes as Kassa continues his ongoing research on global migration trends thanks to a seven-year, $2.4 million grant from the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Kassa recently took the time to share more about these opportunities, highlighting what it means for Iona students as well.

1. Can you describe your work and the research that led to your invitation to attend the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute for Higher Education Faculty?

My invitation stems from the correlation between my work at Iona, my research and the theme of the NEH Summer Institute seminar — which is the Black diaspora in the United States. Dr. Nadine Cosby and I co-launched the Black Studies Minor program at Iona and we currently teach the centerpiece course, BST 101: Black Cultural Identity, Past and Present. This course covers the historical foundations and backgrounds of people of African descent throughout the diaspora and the social forces that have shaped contemporary life, particularly Black life, in Africa and the Americas. Meanwhile, my research intersects population movements and international migration and conflicts.

I look forward to attending the seminar this summer, which is designed to encourage discussion, intellectual stimulation and community building.

2. Can you tell us about your joint research proposal for the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program?

The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship program is a highly prestigious and competitive grant given to joint applications submitted by a scholar based in America and an African scholar (stationed in any African country) to research contemporary topics.

I worked with Dr. Fana Gebresenbet, an Ethiopian scholar from Addis Ababa University, on a research proposal focusing on Ethiopia being tragically engulfed by a civil war that erupted on November 4, 2021 – and is still ongoing. Following the conflict, hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians have been displaced in the Tigray, Afar, and Amhara regions of the country.

We are planning to conduct a study on 1) the origin and dynamics of the conflict; 2) push and pull factors behind the displacement; 3) state policies and measures; and 4) community resilience, return and rehabilitation practices. The study will attempt to sample Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) sites in Benishangul Gumuz, Afar, Amhara and Oromiyaa regional states.

3. How will this fellowship program impact your future work and research?

I will be on sabbatical leave from January - August 2023, and I am hoping it will enable me to focus on empirical research work. Additionally, the outcomes (at least two, peer-reviewed journal articles written by me and Dr. Gebresenbet), will be a significant contribution to the ongoing conversation on conflict, displacement and urbanism in the global south. Some of the findings and discussions on the topic could also be used as input and data points by policy makers in Ethiopia and the greater Horn of Africa. But more importantly, I see this project as a springboard to develop a proposal to start a new book project that will focus on war and displacement in contemporary Ethiopia.

4. What are you looking forward to most?

I am looking forward to going back home to Ethiopia and doing fieldwork at my alma mater where I first went to school, Addis Ababa University.

5. From these experiences, what do you hope to bring back to your students at Iona?

Iona has a lot to benefit from this project. First, I will be able to advance my research agenda and publish writings focused on Ethiopia and the crisis of internal displacement that engulfed the nation. These experiences will create a bridge between the College and an Ethiopian higher education institution, Addis Ababa University, to research and publish together. Long term, these links could further be augmented to create inter-departmental and intervarsity links between Iona and an African counterpart.

Furthermore, we are planning to upscale the Black Studies minor program into a full-fledged Black Studies major in Fall 2024 and my research will provide valuable input into the course development.

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Galen Barry Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Flex Award to Conduct Research in Brazil (Faculty Profiles 2847)

ptascio — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 13:58:19 +0000

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Galen Barry Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Flex Award to Conduct Research in Brazil (Faculty Profiles 2847) ptascio Wed, 06/09/2021 - 09:58 Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Galen Barry Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Flex Award to Conduct Research in Brazil June 9, 2021

Dr. Galen Barry teaches courses in many areas of philosophy. His research has traditionally focused on the history of philosophy, specifically the philosophy occurring in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. But recently he is interested more in issues at the intersection of ethics and the theory of knowledge. Before joining Iona in 2017, he was a visiting assistant professor at Old Dominion University and a Fulbright Post-Doctoral Researcher at the University of São Paulo. After receiving his second Fulbright grant, Dr. Barry will be conducting research in Brazil for two months in summer 2022 and summer 2023.

Could you describe the research you will be conducting in a bit more detail?

My project is called, “The Aims and Methods of Public Philosophy in Brazil and the United States.” Public philosophy, broadly construed, consists in philosophical engagement with non-academic audiences. Beginning in the nineteenth century, it became increasingly normal for academic philosophers to spend their entire careers with little or no engagement with the public. But, within the last decade or two, more and more philosophers have begun to engage in public philosophy. For instance, there is an abundance of programs for philosophy for children, radio shows, YouTube channels, philosophy for retirees, etc.

To help me understand Brazilian conceptions of public philosophy, I will be actively participating in an Ethics and Public Philosophy program at the Federal University of Paraíba. The second part of the project examines public philosophy as a potential alternative way of doing philosophy within an academic setting.

What aspect of this research are you most enthusiastic about?

I am excited for it all! But, I think I am most excited for the chance to think hard about the ways in which the incentive structures of academia affect us as individual thinkers. Academia is a very stressful field to try to enter and it can cause a lot of mental health issues in graduate students and untenured professors; less attention has been paid to the harmful effects it potentially has on our intellectual character.

There’s this ideal of a professor as someone who seeks truth and knowledge for their own sakes. But this is largely a myth. It’s been well established in studies of science, for instance, that science can, and does, progress just fine when academics are motivated not by truth or knowledge, but simply by getting credit for their work. I am interested in whether it’s possible to set up an incentive structure that allows for both progress within a given field and the pursuit of the traditional ideals of truth and knowledge for their own sakes.

In your own words: What is the significance of this research for the field of philosophy?

First, Anglophone philosophers don’t know much about philosophy in Brazil. Few speak Portuguese, for one, and Brazilian universities have a French influence that persists to this day, and so Brazilian academics, at least in the humanities and social sciences, engage more with Europeans than with those in the U.S. But having spent time in Brazil for research before, I think there is a lot of good philosophy being done there. I don’t always agree with various trends or views there, but I think it’s important for anglophone philosophers to disabuse themselves of the idea that they are the center of the philosophical universe.

Second, there’s been a lot more discussion in the last decade about some of the ways that the structures of academic philosophy have perverse effects on the field itself. For example, philosophy has traditionally been a very male and very white field, and this has as a potential side-effect that we lose out on some very smart people who are not either of white or male. I see my project as part of this broader discussion of how academic structures affect our ability to maintain our intellectual ideals. I look forward to contributing.

What is the significance of this research for the Iona community?

Most generally, Iona benefits from active faculty. Iona is a small school and active faculty put Iona’s name out there. Also, students benefit from active faculty since active faculty tend to know more about the latest developments in their respective fields. Less generally, one of the goals of my project is to ultimately run a course on public philosophy at Iona that would examine the aims of both a liberal arts education generally and of philosophy education specifically.

The original aims of both the liberal arts and of philosophy have gotten a bit lost as college education is seen as a step towards well-paid or meaningful employment. So, the point of the course would be to re-examine whether philosophy really can achieve its original aim of promoting the good life and whether liberal arts really does make us better equipped to rule ourselves, as its original intention suggests it can.

Could you briefly describe the research you conducted with your previous Fulbright grant? Does it relate to the work you are going to be doing with this grant?

I spent roughly half of 2016 at the University of São Paulo where I did some research on the history and philosophy of science, specifically the development of the concept of force in physics in the seventeenth century. Though I enjoyed the work, it has nothing to do with my current grant.

It did, however, put me in contact with a number of Brazilian academics. In fact, I ended up at the Federal University of Paraíba this time around because the person running the Ethics and Public Philosophy program there was in the audience for a talk I gave in 2016 at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. It’s a reminder that getting to know people opens doors down the road.

Steven Jarmon, Senior Clinical Lecturer, Marketing (Faculty Profiles 2652)

ptascio — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 17:45:15 +0000

Steven Jarmon, Senior Clinical Lecturer, Marketing (Faculty Profiles 2652) ptascio Thu, 02/18/2021 - 12:45 Steven Jarmon, Senior Clinical Lecturer, Marketing“I am a solid resource for students looking for industry insights and internships or entry-level positions across many industries.” February 18, 2021

Steven Jarmon joined Iona in Fall 2020 and brings 30+ years of marketing and communication leadership to his students.

What are you passionate about in your field right now?

Marketing is such a dynamic field! With the advance of digital marketing and media, it is evolving faster than ever.

While understanding the more traditional strategic underpinnings of marketing remains essential, the way brands create relationships and messages with target audiences is vastly different.

As a career marketer, I love the fast-paced, quick-thinking decisions that often need to be made in real-time – as that is what consumers demand and expect today. It is a field that energizes me!

Tell us about some of your work in marketing.

First of all, I love to use my extensive experience and network to help students make connections and find internships and entry-level jobs.

I have spent more than 30+ years working in marketing and communication leadership positions for world-class brands such as 1800flowers.com, Dr Pepper, Nikon, Snapple, Tate’s Bake Shop, and Timberland. I have also worked for small and large advertising agencies working on the Chase Bank, McDonald’s, and the New York Mets accounts.

Have you ever opened a bottle of Snapple and turned the cap over to read the Snapple Fact? I came up with that idea. Our research showed that there is a natural inclination for people to turn the cap over once they’ve opened the bottle. So, I thought we could capitalize on that and include fun facts on the inside of the cap. It was very successful, and Snapple is still doing it.

My favorite Snapple factoids: Most humans can’t kiss their elbows. Snails breathe through their feet.

Tell us about your teaching and how you prepare students for careers in marketing.

For my Marketing Planning & Strategy class, which is a capstone course for Marketing major seniors, I bring in real clients, such as The New York Times, the ASPCA and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics for the students to work with.

After a brand briefing by the client, the students work in teams and collectively create a marketing plan that addresses the marketing challenges provided by the client.

The client continues to be in touch to answer questions and provide clarity during the semester and then returns to the class for the final presentations. I try to make this experience as true to life as possible, so students get the most out of the exercise while also creating a tangible asset for their portfolios and resumes as they enter the field as emerging professionals.

What are your interests or hobbies outside of your field?

I am an avid sports fan. My students know I am a New York Mets fanatic, and I was fortunate enough to work with their marketing team during the season when they won the World Series! You never know what opportunities may come up in this field.

Tell us something about yourself students might not know.

I married my high school prom date and have now been married for 40 years with two children and one grandchild!

David Zuckerman, Ph.D. (Faculty Profiles 2599)

ptascio — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 15:54:12 +0000

David Zuckerman, Ph.D. (Faculty Profiles 2599) ptascio Tue, 01/19/2021 - 10:54 David Zuckerman, Ph.D."I want students to know that it took me a long time to figure out my direction. So, I’m very understanding when students struggle and are not sure about their career choices." January 19, 2021

David Zuckerman, Ph.D., began teaching biology at Iona in 2016 and was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in April 2020. The grant of $372,115 covers expenses for equipment, materials, paid research opportunities for students, and travel to conferences.

Tell us how you chose the field of biology.
First of all, I want students to know that it took me a long time to figure out my direction. So, I’m very understanding when students struggle and are not sure about their career choices. I went to college in Cleveland at Case Western Reserve University where I studied chemistry. But I wasn’t in love with the field and wasn’t sure what to do after graduation. I found a job as a technician in a molecular biology lab, also at Case Western, and then spent two years in Hamburg, Germany, in a virology lab studying hepatitis viruses. That’s where I fell in love with biology research and decided to go to graduate school.

What are you researching now?
I’m been researching the cell biology of a particular bacterial species called Myxococcus xanthus. This species does not cause disease, but it exhibits complex social behaviors, and so it is of interest to the research community.

Do you have any students working with you on your research?
Yes! Students have been involved since the beginning. In fact, a student contribution was central to the submission of the NSF grant. When I arrived at Iona, I had plans to do experiments to support a hypothesis for how one gene produced two gene products, but one of my research students did experiments that proved my hypothesis completely wrong! I used these observations to develop a new hypothesis, which led to the grant and research projects for other students.

In all, 14 students have performed research with me, including three students who performed a “virtual research experience” this summer that they were paid for.

In addition to working collaboratively at Iona, my research students have also made presentations at conferences. With the grant, I will be able to help pay for registration and travel for students to attend larger conferences in the future.

What is most exciting about being awarded the NSF grant?
I’m most excited to have an opportunity to pay students for the time they’re working with me, and to invite them to larger conferences that we will have to travel to. A big impulse for me to have applied for this grant is that if we’re not able to pay students for their time in conducting research, then it becomes an extra-curricular activity that can only be performed by students who can afford to spend a lot of time in an unpaid activity, particularly over the summers, which is when we have the best opportunity to focus on research, but also when many of our students need to earn money.

Being able to pay students helps my research, increases student commitment, and allows me to contribute to fulfilling the Iona Mission of providing opportunities like this to all students, regardless of background.

In addition, the grant has allowed us to purchase a state-of-the-art piece of imaging equipment. This equipment is available for all students and faculty in research and in classes.

Tell us something about yourself students might not know.
In college I minored in theater (acting).

What are your interests/hobbies outside of your field?
I enjoy fishing and am looking forward to returning to indoor soccer post-pandemic, where I play goalkeeper.

Nadine Barnett Cosby, Ph.D. (Faculty Profiles 1433)

arobles — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 20:53:59 +0000

Nadine Barnett Cosby, Ph.D. (Faculty Profiles 1433) arobles Wed, 07/15/2020 - 16:53 Nadine Barnett Cosby, Ph.D.Helping Students Look Past a Grade December 10, 2019

When Nadine Barnett Cosby, Ph.D., was ready to advance her education and career, Iona’s Media & Strategic Communication Department (formerly Mass Communication) was where she came for her master’s degree. And when she was ready to share her knowledge and experience with students, it was to the same department that she returned.

Since her return, more than the name of the department has changed. In 2017, the College opened a new multimedia digital lab with the latest technology and software tools students will use in their professional careers.

In 2019, the program was ranked in the top 15% in the nation by College Factual. As an assistant professor who teaches broadcasting and production, Cosby plays a crucial role in the department’s success.

Cosby’s career has taken her to FOX 5 Television, the Albany Broadcasting Company, Lifetime Television Networks, ABC and then on to Iona.

One of her favorite classes is the service-learning course, "The Producer’s Craft," where students work with community organizations such as the public library or the Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle, assessing the organization’s communication needs and producing informational videos, web pages and other resources for them. "The assignment is no longer about a grade," Cosby enthused. "It’s about not letting the organization down." She looks forward to incorporating service learning into more classes.

Cosby has also served as moderator for Mission & Ministry trips to Zambia and New Orleans. In 2018, her efforts were recognized by the College when she was awarded the Hugh J. McCabe Memorial Award for Social Justice. "It has been a highlight of my teaching career," said Cosby.

"This is a great time for students to study media and strategic communication," Cosby said. "There are so many tools and opportunities available. We’re doing amazing things for our students and keeping the program dynamic by integrating guest speakers, study abroad experiences and experiential learning into the curriculum and making impressive internships available, such as with NBC and ESPN."

Dr. Amanda Howerton-Fox invited to give a TEDx talk on the theme of 'Boundaries' (Faculty Profiles 811)

ptascio — Wed, 27 May 2020 16:56:18 +0000

Dr. Amanda Howerton-Fox invited to give a TEDx talk on the theme of 'Boundaries' (Faculty Profiles 811) ptascio Wed, 05/27/2020 - 12:56 Dr. Amanda Howerton-Fox invited to give a TEDx talk on the theme of 'Boundaries'Dr. Howerton-Fox was invited to give a talk on the theme of "Boundaries" at TEDxManchesterHighSchool, an independently organized TED event in Manchester, Conn. that aims to bring the TED experience to the youth community. November 13, 2018

MANCHESTER, CONN. - Dr. Howerton-Fox was invited to give a talk on the theme of "Boundaries" at TEDxManchesterHighSchool, an independently organized TED event in Manchester, Conn. that aims to bring the TED experience to the youth community. Given her research interests in language and literacy development, comparative sign language linguistics, and bilingual-bimodal education, Dr. Howerton-Fox chose to focus her talk on the boundary that our society erects between the Able and the dis/Abled, and the dangerous ramifications of that invisible wall. Specifically, she argues that pervasive negative connotations around difference and disability too often inform linguistic and educational decisions that lead to the linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional harm of deaf children. Dr. Howerton-Fox uses both spoken English and American Sign Language in the talk to encourage the audience to receive the message bimodally – through their ears and through their eyes.

Watch Dr. Howerton-Fox's TEDx talk and read other stories about our Engaged Faculty, Outstanding Students, and Accomplished Alumni

ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.