Faculty Research & Scholarship

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Research & Scholarship

Top-tier learning requires faculty who are continuously committed to advancing their areas of study through instruction, scholarship, and engagement. Fairfield students benefit directly from the extraordinary work being done by our faculty and are often included in collaborative research projects and engagement activities. Our faculty are committed to intellectual and professional engagement, and their research can be found in a wide variety of well-respected publications and media outlets.

Faculty research at Fairfield informs the student academic experience that often extends to student collaborative research beyond the classroom. Faculty research is supported through a range of sources including government and foundation grants and the Office of the Provost, presented at disciplinary and other relevant conferences, and published in highly ranked journals and by prestigious university presses.

Fairfield University also holds institutional members to the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD); and the Faculty Resource Network at New York University.

Fairfield Dolan Faculty Scholarship

The Charles F. Dolan School of Business is committed to the Jesuit Catholic tradition of educating the whole person (cura personalis) by fostering an engaging and diverse learning community of educational excellence and relevancy, with nationally recognized programs and innovative curricula, informed by the balanced teaching, research, and service contributions of outstanding faculty and staff, and supported by local and global partnerships.

Katsiaryna Salavei Bardos, PhD
Associate Professor of Finance

Dr. Bardos had her paper “Corporate Social Responsibility, Product Market Perception and Firm Value” accepted for publication in Journal of Corporate Finance. The paper is co-authored with Mine Ertugrul and Lucia Gao.

This paper examines whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) is used to signal product quality and whether CSR affects firm value through its positive effect on product market perception. Using a proprietary database, findings indicate that visible CSR, such as environmental and community involvement, positively impacts product market perception, particularly for standardized goods and in competitive industries, and that this impact is more pronounced for product quality attributes. Furthermore, the paper details how CSR indirectly increases firm value through an improvement in product market perception and concludes that product market perception is a channel through which CSR creates firm value.

Gregory Koutmos, PhD
Professor of Finance

Dr. Koutmos published his paper “Measuring the Relative Return Contribution of Risk Factors,” co-authored with Drs. Knif, Kolari and Pynnomen in the Journal of Asset Management, 2019, vol. 20, issue 4, 263-272.

This paper shows that the relation between the returns on the banking industry, risk factors, and other industries often are asymmetric. Lagged banking industry returns seem to improve predictability but the positive impact of a one-month lag of the return on the banking portfolio is much higher in the lower part of the return distribution. However, after the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, the cross-autocorrelation with banks has changed and it has become negative in the upper part of the distribution. Returns on banks also seem to lead returns on five risk factors. This relation, however, is not robust across the distribution.

Philip Maymin
Associate Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management

Dr. Maymin contributed to Essentia Analytics with a piece titled "Coronabias and the Fat Tail".

Behavioral science has done a marvelous job of pointing out the mistakes most humans make in estimating probability, and the extent to which we are influenced by each other, in making irrational decisions. As a form of criticism and a prod for clearer thinking, these discoveries are invaluable. However, we must be careful when applying those insights to asymmetric, extreme events like a global pandemic. Behavioral scientists and politicians who assume that people are behaving irrationally may themselves be falling prey to a form of meta bias: an ironic application of the curse of knowledge and the illusion of control.

Philip Lane
Associate Professor of Economics

Phil Lane, PhD, associate professor of economics, was quoted in the News 8, WTNH.com article "As national unemployment rates break records, the future of small businesses in CT are uncertain amid coronavirus crisis".

Michael Puleo, PhD
Assistant Professor of Finance

Dr. Puleo was quoted in two Bloomberg News articles about corporate executives pledging shares amid the coronavirus economic crisis: Wealthy Facing Margin Calls Show Pitfalls of Pledged Shares and SoftBank’s Son Is Betting on Himself After Go-Private Talks.

Fairfield Arts & Sciences Faculty Scholarship

The College of Arts and Sciences is home to a vibrant community of engaged faculty, dedicated staff, and accomplished scholars devoted to the process of discovery and excited by the prospect of producing knowledge in the service of others. Faculty members are experts in their field and work closely with students to offer academic advice, individualized attention, and authentic learning opportunities that explore the complexities of the human condition, delve into the wonders of artistic creation, investigate the intricacies of the universe, and reflect on the mysteries of the sacred to promote a just and peaceful world.

Gayle Alberda, PhD
Assistant Professor of Politics

Dr. Gayle Alberda's research focuses on elections, campaigns, and public administration. A former campaign professional, she directs the Ready to Run Connecticut program that prepares women to run for office and participate in the political process. Many TV, radio, and print reporters interview Dr. Alberda, including WTNH’s Capitol Report, and include her comments analyzing current political developments. She also teaches in Fairfield’s Master in Public Administration (MPA) program and co-founded the MPA’s popular, annual summit meeting which brings together a diverse set of policy makers, business leaders, and the general public to discuss important issues. In addition to other research, Dr. Alberda is part of a large national study of polling places in which she involves Fairfield students. This work has produced several publications, including the 2018 article, “Pedagogical Value of Polling-Place Observation by Students”.

Gwendoline Alphonso, PhD
Associate Professor of Politics

Dr. Gwendoline Alphonso’s latest book, Polarized Families, Polarized Parties: Contesting Values and Economics in American Politics, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018), has received tremendous reviews. The book and podcast portray a century long battle for the power to define the meaning, function, and purpose of the family—a Manichean struggle that animates the raw and disruptive partisanship of our political time. Her scholarly article “Resurgent Parenthood – Organic Domestic Ideas & the Southern Family Roots of Conservative Ascendancy, 1980-2005” appeared recently in the journal Polity, as part of a symposium showcasing significant scholarship on “Family, State, and American Political Development.” Professor Alphonso, who also directs Fairfield University’s Pre-Law program, has written analyses of recent Democratic and Republican party politics which have been featured in several publications, including the Hartford Courant.

Jocelyn Boryczka, PhD
Professor of Politics

Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka has been appointed Associate Vice Provost for Scholarly, Creative, and Community Engagement. In this new position, she oversees aspects of the University that contribute to an intellectual and inclusive community. She is also leading efforts to more fully integrate the work of Fairfield University centers and institutes into the University structure, coordinate supports for scholarly work, and promote diversity and inclusion efforts. She has recently given a number of invited talks at the University of Detroit Mercy; San Francisco State University; and Sussex University, Brighton, England to name a few, and continued research for her upcoming book Globalization and Sex (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019) while in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in May 2018. She is also the editor of New Political Science: A Journal of Politics and Culture.

Kevin Cassidy, PhD
Professor of Politics

Dr. Kevin Cassidy is finishing a book manuscript titled, Beyond the Good Friday Agreement: How Former Enemies are Building Peace and Working Class Power In Northern Ireland. The volume builds on a unique and exciting set of interviews and research Professor Cassidy had undertaken in Northern Ireland for many years.

David Downie, PhD
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies

Dr. David Downie's research focuses on global environmental policy, and he regularly attends international negotiations on policy to control toxic chemicals, reduce mercury emissions, and protect the ozone layer. His most recent publications include Global Environmental Politics, 8th Edition (2021), written with Professor Pamela Chasek; "Experimenting with Triple COPs: Productive Innovation or Counter-productive Complexity?" which appeared in International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, and was written with Jen Allen and Jessica Templeton; “Still No Time for Complacency: Evaluating the Ongoing Success and Continued Challenge of Global Ozone Policy,” Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. He has several articles and conference papers under review or forthcoming, including some co-authored with Fairfield University students. He currently serves the chair of the Politics Department, associate editor of the Journal for Environmental Studies and Sciences, and on the editorial board of Case Studies in the Environment. Once the COVID-19 crisis ebbs, he will return to attending global environmental negotiations relating to toxic chemicals, hazardous waste, the ozone layer, mercury pollution and other issues where he often works with UN officials drafting the official negotiation reports.

Adam Howe, PhD
Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics

Dr. Adam Howe has recently published two journal articles on political violence in Southeast Asia. “Discourses of Exclusion: The Societal Securitization of Burma’s Rohingya” and “A Long Way to Peace: Identities, Genocide and State Preservation in Burma” examine elite-driven violence perpetrated against ethno-religious minorities in Burma/Myanmar. In 2019, Dr. Howe presented his research at the American Political Science Association and Midwest Political Science Association annual meetings.

Lucrecia Garcia Iommi, PhD
Associate Professor of Politics

Dr. Lucrecia Garcia Iommi’s research on international relations focuses on norms in relation to global governance especially in terms of norm change and agency in the Global South, as well as U.S. foreign policy and international law, which is the subject of a forthcoming volume she is co-editing for The University of Michigan Press. Her recent publications include, “Whose Justice? The ICC Africa Problem” International Relations (2019).

Janie Leatherman, PhD
Professor of Politics and International Studies

Dr. Janie Leatherman recently published “Engaging Students in Humanitarian Action Using Enduring Questions,” in the Routledge Companion to Peace and Conflict Studies (Sean Byrne, et al., eds), which she co-authored with Dr. Kathryn Nantz, a Professor of Economics at Fairfield. Dr. Leatherman recently led a university-wide effort that resulted in a major grant from the Davis Educational Foundation on “Civic Education through the Promise of Democracy,” an initiative which she will direct. It will provide funding for faculty learning communities, the development of new courses and course modules, student development, training for faculty and students on difficult dialogue as well as the development of resources to support these efforts. Dr. Leatherman also serves as director of the Humanitarian Action program, which won a Curricular Innovation Grant Award to explore the possibilities of developing a Humanitarian Action Professional Certificate Program. She is currently working on a book project on Global Peace Studies.

Mark R. Nemec, PhD
Fairfield University President
Professor of Politics

University President and Professor of Politics Dr. Mark R. Nemec visited Capitol Hill as part of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities annual meeting. He spoke with several members of Congress, including Senator Chris Murphy and Representatives Jim Himes (CT 4th District) and Rosa DeLauro (CT 3rd District), about student access to higher education, key factors for enhancing their success, and the pending reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Dr. Nemec also recently traveled to Hartford to testify before CT state lawmakers on the Higher Education and Employment Enhancement Committee, highlighting the strength of Fairfield’s processes for assessing and approving educational programs. He argued that the current state procedure, which was the subject of a bill before the committee and allows certain exemptions from the state approval process, was “essential to Fairfield’s ability to provide students and the greater community with innovative programs and necessary skills to create positive change.” President Nemec was also recently elected Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges.

Marcie Patton, PhD
Professor Emeriti of Politics

Dr. Marcie Patton continues to carry out fieldwork, including conducting research travel to Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan in recent years. She contributed a chapter on Turkey to the 3rd edition of Politics & Society in the Contemporary Middle East, edited by Michele Penner Angrist (Lynne Rienner, 2019). She was recently awarded the Fairfield University Faculty Welfare Committee/American Association of University Professors Lifetime Service Award.

Aaron Weinstein
Visiting Professor of Politics

Dr. Aaron Weinstein recently presented a Tedx talk at Tufts University titled “Rediscovering Civil Religion in America,” that is currently available on Youtube. In his talk, he discusses the significance of Civil Religion in American history and politics and reminds listeners of our individual roles in maintaining this unique system.

Fairfield Egan Faculty Scholarship

In the Jesuit tradition, The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies strives for cura personalis or education of the whole person. The result of such an education is the development of nursing professionals, who are morally reflective healthcare providers, working to deliver care to patients and families with consistent sensitivity to cultural differences and issues of social justice. Fairfield Egan's faculty are recognized around the world for their expertise in addressing the broad issues that impact global health.

Audrey Beauvais, DNP, MBA, RN
Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Nursing

Audrey Beauvais’ book, Leadership and Management Competence in Nursing Practice was awarded First Place in the AJN Book of the Year Awards in the Nursing Management and Leadership category.

Sally O. Gerard, DNP, RN, CDE, CNL and Deborah List, PhD

Associate Professor Sally Gerard and Visiting Assistant Professor of Public Health Deborah List, PhD were awarded continuation of funding for the Public/Population Health Learning Hub by AACN.

Linda Roney, EdD, RN-BC, CPEN, CNE
Undergraduate Nursing Program Director and Associate Professor of Nursing

Linda Roney was interviewed for the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation Spotlight related to incorporating wellness with nursing students and the holistic and self-care retreat coordinated last year.

Tanika Eaves Simpson ’96, PhD, LCSW
Assistant Professor

Tanika Simpson will be giving a workshop presentation at the 17th World Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH) to be held 7 - 11 June 2020 at the Brisbane Convention & exhibition Centre, Australia. Tanika was also appointed to the Task Force on Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and Developmental Neuroscience, a collaborative project between the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and the Erikson Institute, funded by the Irving Harris Foundation.

Cynthia Bautista, PhD, RN, APRN, CNRN, FNCS
Associate Professor of Nursing

Cindy Bautista was elected Director-at-large for the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses.

Amanda Harper-Leatherman, PhD and Linda Roney, EdD, RN-BC, CPEN, CNE

Linda Roney and Amanda Harper-Leatherman who published a book chapter, made a national podium presentation and now have shared the specific strategies of their forensic nursing research project as a QSEN teaching strategy that will be published online in an open-access format.

Jenna LoGiudice, PhD, CNM, RN
Program Director of the Doctorate of Nursing Practice - Nurse Midwifery Program (DNP-NM) and Associate Professor of Nursing

Jenna LoGiudice was appointed Education Consulting Editor for the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health (JMWH) for a 3-year term beginning January 1, 2020.

Sally Gerard, DNP, RN, CDE, CNL and Deborah List, PhD

Associate Professor of Nursing Sally Gerard, DNP, RN, CDE, CNL, and Visiting Assistant Professor of Public Health Deborah List, PhD were awarded continuation of funding for the Public/Population Health Learning Hub by AACN.

Jessica Planas, PhD, RN, MPH, CHES

Associate Professor Jessica Planas, PhD, RN, MPH, CHES was selected to receive the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region award to fund her project, “Empowering Youth to Access Reliable Health Information.”

Alison Kris, PhD, RN, FGSA and Jessica Planas, PhD, RN, MPH, CHES

Associate Professors Alison Kris, PhD, RN, FGSA and Jessica Planas, PhD, RN, MPH, CHES earned sabbatical leaves and Assistant Professor Christa Esposito earned a pre-tenure leave during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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