Faculty Focus-August 2023
Faculty members put their knowledge into action so students and others are able to benefit from it. Recently, faculty shared their expertise at conferences and published journal articles examining artificial intelligence, credit card best practices, research supported through national geographic and science foundation grants, and much more.
Sahar Milani
Associate Professor of Economics Sahar Milani offers her expertise to consumers in three articles, “Are Credit Card Rewards Taxable?” “Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit in 2023,” and “Best First Credit Cards for No Credit in 2023” by MoneyGeek.
Milani also published a blog at Inomics.com, a career website for economists. Milani outlines curriculum resources for instructors who want to incorporate macroeconomics into their environmental economics courses.
Milani is an innovation economist with research interests that include environmental economics, macroeconomics, and the financing of innovation. At St. Lawrence, she has taught courses on personal finance, environmental economics, natural resource economics, the economics of innovation, and macroeconomics. She is directing St. Lawrence’s off-campus program in New York City during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Jeff Frank
Director for the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Assessment and Professor and Chair of the Education Department, Jeff Frank has contributed significantly to the discourse on AI, educational perspectives, and the adverse impacts of screen time within the realm of education, through the publication of several articles.
In Franks piece with Times Union titled “Parents, talk to children about AI before they go to college” he discusses the impact of generative AI tools on college students and the concern that AI-enabled cheating might undermine the value of education and personal growth. Frank continues his discussion on the rise of generative AI in his article in Discourse Magazine, “What is College All About.” Frank emphasizes concerns about students prioritizing AI-driven efficiency over critical thinking and the potential threat AI poses to the concept of liberal arts education.
In a Discourse Magazine article titled “Learning to Love Pluralism,” Frank argues against efforts to prohibit certain viewpoints in education, suggesting that nurturing open engagement, social-emotional learning, and free play can empower individuals to navigate conflicting perspectives and contribute to a prosperous, free society.
Lastly, in his article “Children deserve Less Screen Time in Schools” in Prindle Post, Frank discusses the negative impact of excessive screen time and the need for meaningful conversations. Frank claims that rather than seeking quick technological fixes, investing in meaningful engagement and dialogue is crucial for students’ growth and society’s well-being.
Shinu Abraham
Associate Professor of Anthropology Shinu Abraham used her expertise in ancient Indian Ocean trade to summarize recent developments in the field in an article published in the Annual Review of Anthropology, “Recent Developments in the Archaeology of Long-Distance Connections Across the Ancient Indian Ocean”
Abraham is an archaeologist specializing in early South Asian glass and glass bead production to understand regional and maritime production and exchange networks around the Indian Ocean region. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and is the senior editor of “Connections and Complexity: New Approaches to the Archaeology of South and Central Asia” and co-editor of the special edition of the journal Archeological Research in Asia on Indian Ocean bead trade. She is also the recipient of both National Science Foundation and National Geographic grants.
Marina Llorente
Charles A. Dana Professor of Hispanic Studies Marina Llorente in the World Languages, Cultures and Media Department was published by the Transatlantic Studies Network for her work titled “Fascisms, Here and There.”
Llorente has published several books and articles on the intersections between Hispanic literature, gender, and social justice with a focus on contemporary Hispanic poetry analyzed under the theoretical framework of cultural studies. Her research addresses ethics, the politics of memory and contemporary literature and film in Spain and Latin America. Her new project explores traces of the Francoism time in contemporary Spanish poetry focusing on the analysis of poems dealing with violence against women.
Michael Osinski
Visiting Assistant Professor of Performance and Communication Arts Michael Osinski wrote an article for the Spring 2023 special issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of American Drama and Theatre, centered on revolutions in new work development. "How to Make a Site-Specific Theatrical Homage to a Film Icon Without Drowning in Your Ocean of Consciousness; or, The Saga of Red Lodge, Montana," details the lessons learned from co-creating and directing his 2019 Philadelphia Fringe Festival piece, inspired by the oeuvre of filmmaker David Lynch.
Osinski’s research specializes in devising new theatrical works that blend yesterday’s classic plays with today’s pop culture for tomorrow’s audiences. He seeks to craft experiences for audience members that go beyond the traditional theatergoing experience.
Yesim Bayar
Associate Professor of Sociology Yesim Bayar recently published "Engagements with the Past and Armenians' Settlement Journeys in Canada" in the Canadian Review of Sociology. Bayar’s article examines the pre- and post-migration experiences of Armenians from Turkey to Canada by focusing on state-minority relations.
Yesim participated as a discussant on the "Syrian Refugees in Turkey" panel at the annual convention of the Association for the Study of Nationalities in New York City this past May 2023. She also was the commentator on a special book panel where she discussed Hans-Lukas Kieser’s book When Democracy Died. The panel was part of a workshop organized by the Keyman Institute of Global Affairs at Northwestern University on the "Afterlives of Lausanne: Society, Politics and Belonging after Empire."
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