CUA Welcomes New Faculty to Campus

This fall The Catholic University of America welcomes 36 new faculty members. Their research interests, backgrounds and hobbies vary widely. Read on to learn more about some of the newest members of the CUA community.

School of Architecture and Planning

Matthew L. Geiss Visiting Assistant Professor M.S. from Columbia University Birthplace: Kingston, N.Y.; grew up in Clayton, N.Y. Research interests: the impact of digital design software and digital fabrication technology on architecture; the connections between architectural advances made during the Renaissance and Baroque periods to the current shift away from Post-Modernism Hobbies: sports, outdoor activities, boating

School of Arts and Sciences

Sandra Barrueco Assistant Professor of Psychology Ph.D. from the University of Denver Hometown: Bridgeport, Conn. Research interests: early childhood development; examination and improvement of early prevention and intervention services; assesssment procedures; linguistic, socio-emotional and cultural development within the Latino community Hobbies: gardening, renovating her farm, dance

William Crooke Visiting Assistant Professor of German Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley  Hometown: Pensacola, Fla. Research interests: comparative readings of German, Italian and French literature and film Hobbies: writing poetry (some published), playing guitar, cooking

Henriette S. de Bruyn Kops Visiting Assistant Professor of History Ph.D. from Georgetown University Hometown: Deventer, Netherlands Research interests: Early modern international trade relations Hobbies: playing sports (field hockey, soccer and tennis), international travel

Sarah Brown Ferrario Visiting Assistant Professor of Greek and Latin Ph.D. in process (all but dissertation) at Princeton University Hometown: born in St. Louis, grew up in Chicago Research interests: ancient Greek history and historiography, Greek tragedy, operatic treatments of ancient literature Hobbies: playing the flute, choral singing, gourmet cooking. She also writes opera libretti with her own English translations of the Greek tragedies of Aeschylus, which her husband, CUA Associate Professor of Music Andrew Simpson, uses in composing operas. (The third and final opera will be performed by CUA’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music in February 2006.)

J. Manuel Gómez Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish Ph.D. from Ohio State University Hometown: San Jose, Costa Rica Research interests: colonial and contemporary testimonial literature of Latin America; Central American travel narratives written by Spanish and British travelers during the 16th to18th centuries; the study of colonists, colonizers and disobedience Hobbies: being a handyman (fixing nearly anything in his house and friends’ houses); pets (he has bred pigeons, dogs and cats); photography

Matthew N. Green Assistant Professor of Politics Ph.D. from Yale University Hometown: Trinidad, Calif. Research interests: Congressional politics, the historical development of Congress, leadership, U.S. elections Hobbies: hiking, bicycling, collecting political memorabilia

Guangyong Ji Associate Professor of Biology Ph.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago Birthplace: Zibo, Shandong, People’s Republic of China Research interests: microbiology, bacterial genetics, bacterial pathogenesis

Michael C. Kimmage Assistant Professor of History Ph.D. from Harvard University Hometown: Plattsburgh, N.Y. Research interest: American intellectual history                                                                Hobbies: travel, music

Vasiliki Neofolistos Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology Ph.D. from Harvard University Hometown: Athens, Greece Research interests: political anthropology, violence, identity and ethnicity, the Balkans, Europe, the United States Hobbies: cooking, kayaking, sailing

Leon Ofman Associate Professor of Physics Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin Birthplace: Riga, Latvia; grew up in Kefar Sava, Israel; has lived in the United States for 14 years Research interests: physics of the sun, solar corona, solar wind, computational solar physics, magnetohydrodynamics, space plasma physics Hobbies: swimming, biking, running

Jeffrey Sichel Associate Professor of Drama/Head of the M.F.A. Directing Program M.F.A. from Columbia University Hometown: New York City Research interests: intercultural theater, Asian theater/Chinese performance, site-specific theater (theater in which all the elements of a performance organically arise out of the site in which it is performed). Sichel also writes opera librettos and directs operas and plays around the country. Hobbies: cooking, exploring, reading, family

Owen Stanwood Assistant Professor of History Ph.D. from Northwestern University Hometown: Coupville, Wash. Research interests: Colonial North America, Protestant and imperial policies in the British colonies from the 1670s to the early 1700s, especially anti-Catholicism and how it created an imperial identity in the colonies Hobbies: Travel and reading, though not much time for those with a 1-year-old son

Charles Tryon Visiting Assistant Professor of Media Studies Ph.D. from Purdue University Birthplace: Washington, D.C.; has lived most of his life in Atlanta. Research interests: cinematic representations of time, film history and theory, documentary film Hobbies: jogging, visiting D.C.’s art and history museums

Columbus School of Law

Barbara E. Bergman Visiting Professor of Law J.D. from Stanford University Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M. Research interests: evidence, trial practice, criminal law, criminal procedure, children's law Hobbies: Reading, travel

Heather E. Elliott Assistant Professor of Law J.D. from the University of California School of Law (Boalt Hall) Hometown: Atlanta, Ga. Research interests: power of courts and agencies in a democratic society; environmental law Hobbies: ceramics, Pilates, running, music

Nickolas J. Kyser Visiting Professor of Law J.D. from the University of Michigan Research interests: taxation, business organizations and contracts

School of Engineering

Ozlem Kilic Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering D.Sc. from The George Washington University Hometown: Trabzon, Turkey Research interests: antennae and propagation; studying how electromagnetic waves interact with a medium    Hobbies: Spending time with her 7-year-old daughter

Peter Lum Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, and University of California, Berkeley Hometown: Washington, D.C. Research interests: Robotic approaches to neuro-rehabilitation of motor function following neurologic injury  Hobbies: playing with his two children, ages 6 ½ and 3 ½

Jessica Ramella-Roman Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. from the Oregon Health and Sciences University Hometown: Florence, Italy Research interests: biomedical optics (the use of light for medical applications, both diagnostic and surgical); measuring the flow of blood in the retina using lasers Hobbies: theater, reading, sailing

School of Library and Information Science

Mary Elizabeth Edsall Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science Ph.D. from Temple University Hometown: College Park, Md. Research interests: modern performance reconstruction and documentation; memory, oral history and biography; dance biblio/mediography; citation analysis in the performing arts Hobbies: reading Canadian fiction, attending modern dance performances, traveling, cooking

Joan P. Lussky Visiting Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science Ph.D. from Drexel University Hometown: Northfield, Ill. Research interests: history of medicine, knowledge organization and management, text processing Hobbies: garden judging, crossword puzzles, discovering restaurants in the D.C. area

David Shumaker Information Professional in Residence M.S. in Library Science from Drexel University; M.S. in Management from University of Maryland, University College Birthplace: Indianapolis Research interests: knowledge management; management of information services; skills development and continuing education of librarians and information professionals Hobbies: promoting the profession of librarianship, yard work

Benjamin T. Rome School of Music

Michael Mermagen Assistant Professor of Music M.M. from The Juilliard School Hometown: Havre de Grace, Md. Research interests: chamber music performance, music technology Hobbies: cycling, tennis, photography, amateur (ham) radio, computers, cooking, antiques

Andrew H. Weaver Assistant Professor of Music Ph.D. from Yale University Birthplace: Allentown, Pa. Research interests: 17th-century sacred music; musical patronage; the Thirty Years’ War and confessionalization in the Holy Roman Empire; the Counter-Reformation; music and rhetoric; musical borrowing; the Romantic song cycle; sacred music of the generation of Josquin des Prez (late 15th and early 16th century) Hobbies: playing the viola and piano

School of Canon Law

Kurt Martens Assistant Professor of Canon Law Ph.D. from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium Hometown: Tielt, Belgium Research interests: due process; the papacy and the curia; Church and state relations Hobbies: visiting museums, reading, walking

School of Nursing

Laurie Lemieux Clinical Instructor of Nursing M.S. from University of Maryland, Baltimore Hometown: St. Louis Research interests: women’s health; also works as a nurse practitioner in downtown D.C. Hobbies: scuba diving, water skiing, gardening

Barbara Moran Assistant Professor of Nursing Ph.D. from the University of Virginia Hometown: Dunn Loring, Va. Research interest: domestic abuse during pregnancy Hobbies: Reading, travel

Mary Paterson Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Associate Professor of Nursing Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley Hometown: St. Louis Research interest: Health policy and finance Hobbies: music (with a special interest in Gregorian chant), playing piano

School of Philosophy

Gregory Doolan Assistant Professor of Philosophy Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America Hometown: Philadelphia Research interests: the philosophical thought of Thomas Aquinas, metaphysics Hobbies: gardening, reading, exercising

Holger Zaborowski Assistant Professor of Philosophy Ph.D. from Oxford University Hometown: Haldern, Germany Research interests: 17th-century English philosophy, German idealism, phenomenology, Hans Urs von Balthasar Hobbies: hiking, theater/cinema, traveling

National Catholic School of Social Service

Laura Daughtery Assistant Professor of Social Work Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America Hometowns: Battle Creek, Mich.; Germany; and others (her father served in U.S. Air Force) Research interests: child welfare, African-American adolescents in foster care Hobbies: travel, reading, textiles

Lynn Mayer Assistant Professor of Social Work Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America Hometown: East Brunswick, N.J. Research interests: clinical social work with children and families at risk; children with disabilities; and infants and toddlers with an emphasis on research pertaining to early intervention and child development services Hobbies: playing with 2-year-old son, reading

School of Theology and Religious Studies

Rev. Brian V. Johnstone, C.Ss.R. Visiting Adjunct Professor of Theology and Religious Studies S.T.L. Colleggio San Alselmo, Rome, Italy; S.T.D., Ph. D. Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Research interests: bioethics; moral theology; "Philosophy of the Gift," a project extending the philosophical and ethical concept of giving a "gift" to a new framework for moral theology, by defining the ultimate and absolutely gratuitous gift of self as that of Jesus Christ on the Cross, completed in the Resurrection. Hobby: running

Rev. Paul McPartlan Visiting Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies S.T.L. from Pontifical Gregorian University; D.Phil. from Oxford University Birthplace: Newcastle upon Tyne, England Research Interests: ecclesiology; Eucharistic theology; Vatican II; ecumenism; ecology. Hobbies: music, art, walking, soccer, Italy

Lucinda Nolan Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies Ph.D. Fordham University Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio Research Interests: history of religious education/catechesis with an emphasis on 20th century developments in the United States Hobbies: Tennis, reading, traveling

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