School of Liberal Arts
Faculty Accomplishments

Walid Abushahba, Ph.D., Math and Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, is a co-author of a paper titled “Non-Canonical Smads Phosphorylation Induced by the Glutamate Release Inhibitor, Riluzole, through GSK3 Activation in Melanoma,” which was published in PLOS One (Volume 7), a peer-reviewed journal covering topics in science and medicine.

Paula Baxter, Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented a workshop titled “Writing the Creative Nonfiction Book” and served as a panelist on “Finding Your Inner Artist Writing for Art Magazines,” both at the American Society of Journalists and Authors Annual Conference in New York City.

Howard Benedikt, D.C., School of Liberal Arts, gave a seminar on nutrition and sports medicine for the Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association in Harrisburg, PA.

Yesudas Choondassery, Ph.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, is the author of “The Socio-ethical Quandary of Dalit Christian Upward Social Mobility and Evangelization,” which was published in New Evangelization and Migration: Transforming Perspectives in September. He presented “Ethics Matters: Teaching Ethics through Academic Service Learning” at the National Association of African-American Studies and Affiliates conference in Baton Rouge, LA.

Mary Jane Clerkin, D.A., English, School of Liberal Arts, teaches an online Public Speaking course that has been certified by Quality Matters, a nationally recognized faculty-centered, peer review process that certifies the quality of online and blended courses. She presented a workshop on “The New Interactive Embedded Course Resource” at the 2012 United States Distance Learning Association National Conference in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Clerkin served as Co-Chair of the Virtual Classroom Program Committee at the conference.

Barbara Cohen, J.D., Chair, Math and Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, passed the required infectious disease prevention course offered by New York State, renewing her nursing license. In addition, Ms. Cohen spoke to students of the Queensborough Community College nursing program on “Advance Directives and Issues in Professional Licensure Proceedings.”

Ryan Courtien, Developmental Education, School of Liberal Arts, and Gerald Iacullo, Senior Director, Academic Support Centers, presented “In Theory: Reality. Teaching Mathematics in Context” at the National Association for Developmental Education Conference in Orlando, FL.

Rabbi Jo David, Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Investment Opportunities in Ghana: A Spiritual Approach” to the Men’s Group at Bethel Presbyterian Reform Church in Brooklyn, NY. She also presented “A Vision for the Development of a Strong Africa-Wide Jewish Community” at a meeting of the International Society for the Study of African Jewry in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. In addition, Ms. David was one of 25 women honored as a “Woman on the Front Line of Gender Justice” at the 25th anniversary dinner of the Rev. Dr. Eleanor Moody Shepherd Resource Center for Women of Faith, which is affiliated with the New York Theological Seminary.

Lucian Delescu, Ph.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented an interactive poster session on “Two Kinds of Psychologism” at the Midwinter Meeting of the Society for Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology. To read the presentation, click here.

Melissa DuBrowa, Ed.D., Developmental Education/Academic Support, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Student Reading and Writing: Course Content and Processes” at the Annual Accuplacer National Conference in San Francisco, CA. She also presented “Using Reading to Inspire Writing to Inspire Reading” at the New York College Learning Skills Association annual conference held in Hunter, NY.

The English department, School of Liberal Arts, organized the first Berkeley College Conference on Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking in New York City. The conference featured workshops led by 31 presenters. Two of the speakers were scholars from other institutions, and the remaining presenters were from all three Berkeley College schools, the Academic Support Center, the Library and the Counseling department. More than 80 Berkeley College faculty members attended.

Denise Feldman, D.A., English, School of Liberal Arts, chaired a roundtable titled “Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex: Newly Translated and Rediscovered” at the 43rd Annual Convention of the Modern Language Association in Rochester, NY. 

Luisa Ferreira, Ph.D., English, School of Liberal Arts, presented a paper titled “The Death of Cathleen ní Houlihan” at the American Conference for Irish Studies at Daemen College.

Manuel Ferreira, Ed.D., Math and Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Leadership in Higher Education: Is there a Modality Difference” at a conference sponsored by the Journal of Educational Research and Administration in Atlanta, GA. In addition, Dr. Ferreira presented “The Relationship between Instructional Techniques and Academic Performance of College Students with Manifestations of Dyscalculia” at the University of Florida in Jacksonville, FL.

Joyce Frei, D.Lit., English, School of Liberal Arts, leads the discussion group that follows the ongoing “Black and White Film” series at the Lake Hiawatha Branch of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library System. Dr. Frei is also the host of two ongoing film presentations: “In Black and White” at the Lake Hiawatha Library, NJ, and “Classic International Films,” at the Mountain Lakes Library, NJ. 

Cezar Giosan, Ph.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Darwinian-Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression” at the Institute of the Romanian Academy of Sciences in Bucharest, Romania. He also presented “Darwinian Psychotherapy for Depression” at the University Babes-Bolyai in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Byron Hargrove, Ph.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, was a Guest Speaker and Panelist at a “Careers in Psychology” event held at Manhattanville College.

Gregory Hotchkiss, Th.D., Associate Chair, Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, convened and moderated a panel discussion titled “Religion in the Public Square in America Today” in conjunction with his Learning Community class on the “The Religious Experience.” The panel included guests from the community who represented the Roman Catholic and Episcopal faith traditions. The event was held at the Woodbridge location and students from several classes attended.

Sandra Hurtes, English, School of Liberal Arts, is the author of “Market Focus: Help readers learn to live better,” which was published in the June issue of The Writer magazine.

Michael Jacobs, D.A., English, School of Liberal Arts, presented “The Language of Crisis: Documenting the Depression” to Social Studies and English faculty members at Oceanside High School as part of the New York Council for the Humanities’ Speakers in Schools program. He also presented the lecture at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, NY, as part of a series hosted by the New York State Historical Association. Dr. Jacobs also presented “Documentary Humanism: Reinscribing the Other,” at the Hunter College Graduate Student Conference.

Robert Keiber, English, School of Liberal Arts, gave a presentation about the third edition of his book "Fear is Good" at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Robert Keiber also serves as Curator, Midtown and Brooklyn Campus Galleries. He exhibited his work at the Brooklyn Campus Gallery in July and August. The exhibit is titled “Big Hearts/Little Hearts.” 

Marilyn Kulik, Ph.D., Chair, Online, School of Liberal Arts, presented a workshop titled “Virtual Global Citizenship: Integrating Academic Service-Learning in an Online Anthropology Course” at the HETS Second Best Practices Showcase held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In addition, Dr. Kulik and Loren Kleinman, Instructional Designer, co-presented a workshop titled “Creating Online Learning Spaces through Peer-to-Peer Blogging” at the NJEDge.Net Best Practices Showcase at William Paterson University. To hear the presentation, click here.

John LaValle, Ph.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “A Personal Account of Gay Adoption” at the Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Adoption conference held in Hollywood, FL, and sponsored by the Southeast Florida Association for Psychoanalytic Psychology. 

Vincent Maher, J.D., Math and Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “‘Sorry, Sir, would you please repeat that?’ When a Tweet begets a twit: The Utilization of social media in the classroom” and “Perceptions of Personal Security on Social Networking Sites” at an international conference in Istanbul, Turkey, sponsored by the Global Business and Technology Association.

Bahir Masadeh, Ph.D., Chair, Math and Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, served as a Judge at the annual Hudson County Science Fair at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ.

Gail Miller, Ph.D., English, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Reading, Writing, and ADHD: A Call for Classroom and Home Creativity” at a meeting of the New York State Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children in Saratoga Springs, NY. 

Thomas Miller, Ph.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, is the creator of the short film “The Shaman’s Journey,” which was included in the “Inside the Moment” International Short Film Festival, at the Crane Arts museum in Philadelphia, PA. He also presented a multimedia lecture titled “People who Talk with Birds: Siberian Shamans in the Future Past” at the Proteus Gowanus art gallery in Brooklyn, NY.

Dr. Miller presented “Corporealism: Sensory Classification, Embodied Knowledge, and the Origins of Anthropology” during a research group on “Historicizing Human Biological Diversity in the 20th Century” at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, Germany. Dr. Miller was a Visiting Scholar at the institute. To read a transcript of his presentation, click here.

Dr. Miller hosted an open house reception for his latest photography and mixed media exhibition, “On the Road of Bones: Ghosts of the Siberian Gulag along the Old Kolyma Highway.” The exhibition has received extensive media exposure including coverage in the New York Daily News, New York Post, and Yahoo! News. The reception featured a live chat with photographers in Siberia. Another of Dr. Miller’s installations, “Nine Worlds: The Shaman’s Journey,” was included in Synesthesia.2, a group exhibition at SINergy Project Space and Gallery in Philadelphia, PA.

Filippa Modesto, Ph.D., English, School of Liberal Arts, chaired a session titled “Dissident Citizenships” at the Gestures and Jesters: Irony at a Crossroads conference at the City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Modesto also chaired a panel on “Speaking and Learning Foreign Languages” at Brooklyn College, CUNY. 

Michael Montlack, English, School of Liberal Arts, read from his book “Divining Divas” at the Art Market Provincetown gallery in Provincetown, MA; San Francisco Public Library, Books Inc., in San Francisco, CA; and Annie Bloom’s Books in Portland, Oregon. He also was a featured author at the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, GA. Participating authors included Pulitzer Prize-winning and best-selling authors of fiction and nonfiction. In addition, Mr. Montlack is the author of two poems: “On Castro” and “Uh, Didn’t You Get the Memo?” which were published in the new anthology “New America: Contemporary Literature for a Changing Society” (Autumn House Press, November 2012).

Mr. Montlack was also awarded a partial tuition scholarship to attend summer workshops sponsored by the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley in Sierra Nevada, CA. A review of Mr. Montlack’s book “Divining Divas” (Lethe Press, April 2012) was published in Lambda Literary in May. In addition, Mr. Montlack is the author of “Going Gertude, Garbo and Gaga Over Powerful Women,” published in the Huffington Post in June.

In addition, Michael Montlack assembled and edited a new book titled “Divining Divas” (Lethe Press, April 2012), an anthology of 100 gay poets – award winners and fresh voices – who were inspired by such female icons as Gloria Swanson, Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler and Lady Gaga. In addition, Mr. Montlack was awarded a month-long writer’s residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. For more information on “Divining Divas,” click here. Mr. Montlack also was a guest speaker at a class about “The Art and Craft of Poetry” at New York University. His book “Cool Limbo” is used as part of the curriculum for this course. 

James Pacello, Developmental Education, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Reader Blogs: A Tool for Thinking” at the National Association for Developmental Education Conference in Orlando, FL.

Marilyn Papayanis, Ph.D., English, School of Liberal Arts, is the author of “Sex on the Beach: The Ying Yang of Female Sex Tourism,” which was published in the online film journal Bright Lights. She is also the author of “Our Orgasms Ourselves: Meditations on Movie Sex,” which appeared in the May issue of the journal.

Ralph Peters, Ph.D., Chair, General Education, School of Liberal Arts, presented “The Evolution of Revolution: From Moses to Mubarak,” at the New York Open Center, a center of holistic learning and world culture.

Afshin Razani, Ph.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Humanitarian Imperialism” at a conference sponsored by the United for Justice with Peace coalition, an organization that was formed to promote global peace through social and economic justice following the September 11 attacks.

Marga Ryersbach, Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Roads through the Borderlands: Life Stories of the Everyday” at the Society for Phenomenology and Human Sciences conference in Montreal, Canada.

Judith Sedaitis, Ph.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Globalized Social Capital: A comparison of social networks among immigrant, native and international students” at the 7th Annual International Conference on Education at the Research and Training Institute of the East Aegean in Samos, Greece. 

Marc Shur, Ph.D., Associate Chair, Math and Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, chaired a panel discussion on homogenization of fecal samples for hormone assay accuracy at the “Behavioral Endocrinology Research in Captive Settings” symposium in Dallas, TX. In addition, Dr. Shur presented “Forty Years of Baboon Behavioral Endocrinology Research in East Africa” at the California Southern Regional Primate Research Forum in Los Angeles, CA. 


Catherine St. John, D.A., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Painted Words: The Union of Text and Image in the Art of Glenn Ligon” at the School of Visual Arts Twenty-Sixth Annual National Conference on Liberal Arts and the Education of Artists at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. 



Meanwhile, Catherine St. John attended a commemorative ceremony at the tombstone of expatriate painter Beauford Delaney at the Thiasis Cemetery in Paris, France. She was a guest at a reception that followed at the embassy of the United States. Dr. St. John is a member of the Association Les Amis de Beauford Delaney and has completed extensive research, written articles and given numerous presentations on the painter. Dr. St. John also conducted a workshop titled “Creating a Professional Portfolio: An Artist’s Best Tool” at Gilman Center at SUNY Orange County Community College. And, she serves on the African American Cultural Committee at the Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, NJ.

David Andrew Stoler, English, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Bad Star: Mitigating Worst-Case Scenarios from Pre-Production to Picture Lock” to undergraduate students as a guest speaker at The New School.

Roseann Torsiello, Ed.D., English, School of Liberal Arts, presented a webinar titled “Integrating Discussion Boards to Engage Adult Learners and Promote Collaboration.” The webinar was hosted by the Berkeley College Online Faculty Support Team.

Roseann Torsiello, Ed.D. and Candice Kaup-Scioscia, Learning Coordinator, Academic Support Center, co-presented a workshop titled “What Do You Think? – Promoting Collaboration using the Discussion Board” at the 2012 NJEDge.Net Best Practices Showcase at William Paterson University. To listen to the presentation, click here.

Dr. Torsiello also served as a program proposal reviewer for the 44th Annual College Reading and Learning Association Conference, to be held in California in November. She also serves as a program advisor to the Academic Advisory Board for Annual Editions: Mass Media (McGraw Hill Contemporary Learning Series).

Hui-wen Tu, Ed.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Foreign Born Faculty’s Survival Kits” at the Lily Conference on College and University Teaching in Washington, D.C. The presentation was co-authored with Dr. Ehiobuche.

Hugo Walter, Ph.D., English, School of Liberal Arts, is the author of “Magnificent Houses in Twentieth Century European Literature” (Peter Lang International Academic Publishers 2012).

Dr. Walter presented “Epiphanies of Light in Thomas Hardy’s ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ ” at a conference of international scholars on British author Thomas Hardy at Yale University.

Jonathan Weidenbaum, Ph.D., Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal Arts, presented “Perception, the Buddha-Nature and the Brain: A Challenge to Neurotheology on the Dynamics of Spiritual Meaning” at the 2012 Towards a Science of Consciousness Conference in Tucson, AZ. To read a transcript of the presentation, click here.

Dr. Weidenbaum also recently presented his essay, “Between Mysticism and Medical Materialism: The Relevance of William James and John Dewey for the Question of Neurotheology” at the Mysticism without Bounds international conference held in Bangalore, India. The essay was published in the Tattua Journal of Philosophy (Number 5).

Stephen Wolf, Ph.D., English, School of Liberal Arts, is the author of “The Ghosts of Central Park’s Casino,” which was published in The New York Times in May. He is also the author of “Henry James and Old New York,” which was published in The Villager (Volume 80, Number 35). 

Gail Wood-Miller, Ph.D., English, School of Liberal Arts, reviewed proposals for the 2013 National Multicultural Conference and Summit. Dr. Wood-Miller also reviewed Michael Meyer’s “Literature on the Go” for Bedford/St. Martin’s Press.