New Full-Time Faculty for AY2022-23

In Aug. 2022, twenty-nine new full-time faculty joined the University of Hartford full-time faculty. Their numbers include faculty in all seven colleges. Seven are clinical or applied faculty whose professional and clinical expertise enhances the preparation of future professionals in a variety of disciplines, such as physical therapy, radiology and nursing. Fourteen of the new full-time faculty are tenure-track faculty, with scholarly expertise and disciplinary focuses ranging from Judaic Studies to Aerospace Engineering. This year eight non-tenure-track faculty also join our full-time ranks as visiting professors, including a Jackie McLean Fellow, a professional designer and one of Forbes India’s “30 Under 30.” The new full-time faculty participate in trainings, workshops, networking events, and a new faculty teaching seminar throughout the year, provided by the Provost’s Office and the Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation. Each will be introduced to a number of experienced faculty mentors through the Faculty Expertise Network and within their colleges and departments. Please welcome these exciting new members of our community, and read a little more about their backgrounds below.

 

Barney School of Business (BSB)

Harvey Gilmore joins the Barney faculty as Assistant Professor of Accounting and Taxation. Professor Gilmore earned two Master’s degrees in Law, one from New York Law School and the other from the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center at Touro College. He holds a J.D. from University of Massachusetts School of Law. He taught a variety of taxation and accounting courses at Monroe College and Mercy College, and was a practicing accountant. He has co-authored two books and several articles in respected journals.

 

College of Arts & Sciences (A&S)

Ayelet Brinn joins the Department of Judaic Studies as the Philip D. Feltman Assistant Professor of Modern Jewish History. Dr. Brinn’s Ph.D. in History is from the University of Pennsylvania, where her dissertation was “Miss Amerike: The Yiddish Press’s Encounter with the United States, 1885-1924.” Her M.A. is from Indiana University and her B.A. is from Brown. She was Scholar in Residence at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University, and an Associate Fellow at Fordham University, a Fellow at the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania, and a Rabin-Shvidler Joint Postdoctoral Fellow in Jewish Studies at Fordham University and Columbia University. Dr. Brinn’s book, Even Women: Gender, Mass Culture, and the Rise of the American Yiddish Press, is under contract with New York University Press. 

EB Caron comes to the University of Hartford Department of Psychology as Assistant Professor of Psychology in the undergraduate program. Dr. Caron earned her Master’s degree and Ph.D. from Delaware State University, and her undergraduate B.A. is from Stanford. She has published more than a dozen articles in top journals, primarily focused on community-based implementation of evidence-based treatments for children. She was previously Assistant Professor of Psychology at Fitchburg State University, and conducted postdoctoral training at UConn Health. 

Carlene Davidson joins the Department of Psychology Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology (GIPP) as Assistant Professor of Psychology. Dr. Davidson earned her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Hartford. She is a clinical child psychologist with licensures in the states of Connecticut and New York. She has held psychologist positions in a psychiatric hospital, a secure and community-based juvenile justice treatment center, an emergency department, in private practice, and on a university campus and is also a private practice clinician. Her dissertation was A quantitative research: Examination of clinicians’ knowledge and attitudes of adolescents with sexually aggressive behavioral problems.

Stephanie Tavarez joins the Department of Psychology’s online Master of Science in Organizational Psychology (MSOP) program as Assistant Professor of Organizational Psychology. Dr. Taverez’s Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology is from Capella University, and her M.S. and B.A. degrees in Psychology are from the University of Hartford. Prior to joining the University of Hartford full-time faculty, she taught as an adjunct at Florida Memorial University, Miami Dade College, and the University of Hartford and has worked as a consultant in industry.

College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture (CETA)

Yudi Dong joins the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a specialty in internet of things. Dr. Dong earned his Ph.D. from Stevens Institute of Technology. Prior to joining the University of Hartford faculty, he was Assistant Professor and a research assistant at Stevens. He has co-authored four refereed journal articles and presented papers at several conferences. 

Sicheng (Kevin) Li is a new Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Li’s Ph.D. is from the Computational Flow Physics and Aeroacoustics Lab at University of California, Davis, where, as a research assistant, he developed UCD-QuietFly, a new physics-based computational method to predict rotorcraft broadband noise. His Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees are also from U.C. Davis. He has published several peer-reviewed papers and conference proceedings about this work.

Qisi Liu is a new Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering with a specialty in cybersecurity and internet of things. Dr. Liu’s Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Engineering are from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, where she was also a research and teaching assistant. Prior to joining the University of Hartford faculty, she was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Old Dominion. She has published a dozen journal articles and conference proceedings.

Solaleh Miar joins the Biomedical Engineering Program as Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Miar earned her Ph.D. and M.Sc. from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She was a research fellow at Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education (ORISE) Research Program for the U.S. Department of Defense, 59th Medical Wing Science and Technology. She has co-authored a number of papers for journals, book chapters, and conferences, and has three patents pending. Her research focuses on smart drug delivery systems for craniomaxillofacial and upper airway disorders by integrating the areas of biomaterials science, gene and protein delivery to develop new targeted therapeutic systems. 

College of Education, Nursing, and Health Professions (ENHP)

Matthew (Matt) Austin joins the Physical Therapy Program as Clinical/Applied Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) from University of Saint Augustine, and his Master’s and Bachelor degrees from Michigan State University. Prior to his hire at the University of Hartford, Dr. Austin was Director of the Physical Therapy Assistant Program at Trine University and a Lecturer at University of Michigan.

Thomas (T.J.) Bellama is also joining the Physical Therapy Program as Clinical/Applied Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) from Northern Arizona University and his Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University. Dr. Bellama taught in Saipan, at Arizona and at Johns Hopkins before coming to the University of Hartford. 

Jordan Bowling joins the University of Hartford as Clinical/Applied Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy. His Ph.D. in Occupational Therapy is from Nova Southeastern University and his M.S. in Occupational Therapy and B.A. in Psychology are from Shawnee State University. He taught at Shawnee State University and worked as a practitioner in Occupational Therapy for both adults and secondary school students prior to coming to the University of Hartford. He has research interests in exploring the gaps in occupation-based and occupation-centered practice/service delivery in school-based occupational therapy. 

Carol Ciotto is the Interim Chair of the Department of Education this year as Visiting Assistant Professor of Education. Her M.S. in Administration, B.S. in Education, and Sixth Year Administrative Supervisory Certification are from Central Connecticut State University, where she worked in a number of administrative roles, most recently as Interim Assistant Dean of Accreditation and Partnerships, and as Associate Professor. She has been a public school principal and teacher, and also worked as Supervisor of Student Teachers at Plymouth State College. Her work includes dozens of presentations, peer-reviewed publications, grants, and awards.

Ashley Cote joins the University of Hartford as Clinical Teaching Assistant Professor of Nursing. She holds a Master’s in Clinical Education of Nursing from Western Governors University and a B.S. in Nursing from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is completing an Ed.D. in Nursing Education from Southern Connecticut State University. Professor Cote has taught at University of Hartford, Southern Connecticut State University and Goodwin College. She has worked in several hospitals, and was the 2016 recipient of the Nightingale Award, a lifetime achievement award for Clinical Excellence in Nursing, while working at Johnson Memorial Medical Center.

Kimberly Hekkala comes to the University of Hartford as Visiting Assistant Professor of Nursing. Her Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Master of Science in Nursing Education, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing are from Chamberlain College of Nursing. Dr. Hekkala was previously Assistant Clinical Professor of Nursing at Our Lady of Elms College and Practical Nursing Program Supervisor and Instructor at Stone Academy. Her clinical experience includes work at Trinity Health of New England, Connecticut Children’s, and William W. Backus Hospital.

Anne Koba is a new Clinical/Applied Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy. She holds a Master’s of Science in Special Education from Southern Connecticut State University and a B.S. in Occupational Therapy from Quinnipiac University. She worked as the OTPT Supervisor for Hartford Public Schools for more than fifteen years before joining the University of Hartford faculty. She has taught at California State University, Dominguez Hills, Bay Path University, and Manchester Community College.

Linda Dahlin will join ENHP as a Visiting Assistant Professor to teach courses in the Health Sciences major and help with administrative responsibilities in the Health Sciences Program. Dr. Dahlin earned her Ed.D. from Northcentral University, an M.S. in Curriculum and Teaching at University of Saint Joseph, and a B.S. in Human Services from Post University. Dr. Dahlin held several roles at Stone Academy before joining our faculty, including CEO and Provost, and was Associate Professor at Post University. She has taught a variety of courses at Post, Goodwin College, and Stone Academy, including Sociology, Medical Law, Medical Ethics, and Medical Terminology.  

George Hicks joins the faculty as the Assistant Director and Clinical Coordinator of Radiology Technology in the Health Sciences Department, and Clinical/Applied Assistant Professor. His Doctorate of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership is from Creighton University where his dissertation was A Meta-Assessment of the Outcomes Assessment Practices of Accredited Radiography Educational Programs. His M.S. in Radiologic Sciences is from Midwestern State University and his B.S. is from Northwestern State University. Dr. Hicks was Chair of the Department of Radiologic Sciences and Assistant Professor of Practice at Sacred Heart University prior to coming to the University of Hartford. He also taught at University of Louisiana at Monroe and Northwestern State University, as well as working as a Radiologic Technologist. He is a regular presenter and consultant on radiology.

Richard Liebano comes to the University of Hartford as tenure-track Associate Professor of Physical Therapy from Federal University of São Carlos in Brazil, where he was Professor of Physical Therapy and also earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy. He was a post-doctoral fellow at University of Iowa. Dr. Liebano has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and two books, and he has presented at numerous conferences.

Vanessa O’Donnell is Visiting Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. She earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Hartford and holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Central Connecticut State University. Dr. O’Donnell was previously part-time faculty at the University of Hartford and has worked at Apple Rehab. She has presented at two conferences. 

Erika Ozdemirer earned her Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degrees from the University of Hartford. She now joins the full-time faculty as Clinical/Applied Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy. Previously she was an adjunct professor at University of Hartford and worked at several local hospitals and rehabilitation clinics. 

Sarah Ridge joins the faculty as tenure-track Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy. Dr. Ridge earned her Ph.D. in Biomechanics and Movement Science and M.S. in Biomechanics at University of Delaware, where her dissertation was A Biomechanical Analysis of Gait Termination in Children. Her B.A. is from Skidmore College. Dr. Ridge was previously Associate Professor at Brigham Young University, a research assistant at Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children, and a teaching assistant and research assistant at University of Delaware. She has co-authored two dozen peer-reviewed journal articles and has presented her research widely.

Sean Riley is a new tenure-track Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy. He holds a Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy from Texas Technical University, a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Simmons College, a Master’s of Science in Biology from Central Connecticut State University and a Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Riley taught at Central Connecticut State University, University of Connecticut and Sacred Heart University before coming to the University of Hartford. He has co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles and presentations.

Hartford Art School

Cynthia (Cindy) Lau is Visiting Assistant Professor of Visual Communication Design. She earned her B.F.A. from the Hartford Art School and has worked as a designer for Taylor Design, as well as independently. She has been recognized with a PRINT Award, a HOW International Design Award, and in Creative Quarterly. 

Carol Schwartz joins the Hartford Art School as Assistant Professor of Illustration. Her Master’s in Fine Arts is from University of Hartford, and her B.F.A. is from Kansas City Arts Institute. She has taught at Eastern Connecticut State University and Milwaukee Institute of Arts & Design, served as an Artist in Residence, and has exhibited her work widely. Professor Schwartz is the illustrator of sixty children’s books and lectures widely. 

Hillyer College

Gail Syring is Visiting Assistant Professor of Academic Strategies for Hillyer College. She holds a M.A. in Ministry Studies from Hartford Seminary and a B.S. in Human Development, Family Services and Counseling from the University of Connecticut.  Professor Syring was Assistant Director & Academic Advisor of the University of Hartford’s Center for Student Success since 2019 and has served as part-time faculty since 2012. Her previous administrative roles at the University of Hartford include Title IX Advocate, Assistant Director in Residential Life, and Women’s Center Director. 

The Hartt School

Steven Banks will join The Hartt School this year as a Jackie McLean Fellow and Assistant Professor in Saxophone. He earned his Master’s in Music at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University and a B.A. in Saxophone Performance with a minor in Jazz Studies at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Banks has been on the faculty at Cleveland Institute of Music, Ithaca College, and Baldwin Wallace University, and he is a member of the Cleveland Orchestra and Kenari Quartet. His soloist performances include the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony and many others.

Kevin Ramsey is a producer, theater director, filmmaker, librettist, writer, and educator who will join The Hartt School as Associate Professor of Theatre and Director of the Theatre Division. He taught previously at Florida Atlantic University and AMDA College for the Performing Arts. He is completing an M.S. in Media Management from The New School, and his B.F.A. in Acting, Directing & Textual Analysis is from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.  He has over 25 years of experience in theater, education, nonprofit management, and the entertainment industry, and extensive experience working on Broadway, in large regional theaters, and off-Broadway.

Suhail Yusuf is Visiting Assistant Professor of Music History this year. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University, where he also earned his M.A. in Music. Professor Yusuf is an eighth-generation sarangi player, a traditional stringed instrument in India. He taught previously at University of Hartford as part-time faculty and at Wesleyan as a Teaching Assistant. He has given invited lectures at many institutions, including Boston Conservatory, Dartmouth College, and Amherst College, and has performed in nearly 100 top venues, both as a soloist and as part of several ensembles. His honors include the Global Indian Music Awards Best Rock Album of 2012, British Council India Cultural Ambassador to the U.K., and recognition as one of Forbes India’s “30 Under 30.”