A group of nine prior Wall Award recipients reconnected with faculty and staff through roundtable discussions on research in their respective fields.
The Office of the Provost hosted a unique Robert E. Wall Award event on Nov. 14 in the Kelley Center to celebrate the past and explore the future of research and scholarship at Fairfield University. In lieu of the traditional annual lecture given by the Wall Award recipient from the previous year, nine past awardees were invited to share insights about their research in a round-table discussion format, fostering a dynamic dialogue about the future of research at Fairfield.
The Wall Award is the pinnacle of faculty recognition; it celebrates and supports the exceptional research endeavors of tenured Fairfield University faculty members. Granted by the provost to one faculty member annually in concurrence with a selection committee, the award offers recipients a semester–long sabbatical to focus on important research in their field.
The night kicked off with Provost Christine Siegel, PhD, welcoming nine awardees: Ronald Davidson, PhD (Religious Studies), Sonya Huber, PhD (English), Dennis Keenan, PhD (Philosophy), Stephen Sawin, PhD (Mathematics), Katherine Schwab, PhD (Visual and Performing arts), Sriharsha Srinivas Sundarram, PhD (Mechanical Engineering), John Thiel, PhD (Religious Studies), William Vazquez Mazariegos, PhD (Economics), and Kathryn (Jo) Yarrington, PhD (Visual and Performing Arts).
Provost Siegel’s welcome was followed by a message from Margaret M. McClure, PhD, associate vice provost for research and scholarship, in which she spoke of “looking to the future of research and scholarship.”
“I am simply blown away by the breadth, depth, and quality of our faculty research,” Dr. McClure said. While discussing the research-driven success of prior Wall Award winners, she outlined her aspirations for Fairfield, emphasizing the significance of boosting the research profiles of faculty scholars by providing support for ongoing initiatives.
Faculty-led round table discussions followed, allowing prior Wall Award recipients the opportunity to reconnect with the Fairfield community and share their research endeavors. Diverse topics ranged from adaptation to climate change, to research in the digital photography space, to religious studies.
