Toward an Engaged University
May 5, 2026
ADP Center, University Hall
Register here
In this 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the question of what sustains an educated, engaged citizenry has never felt more urgent. The 2026 Faculty Showcase highlights and celebrates the many ways our campus advances civic purpose, democratic engagement, and community-engaged learning. Through panels, presentations, and conversations among peers, the showcase highlights innovative teaching, community‑engaged research, and collaborative initiatives that prepare students to participate meaningfully in a diverse and evolving democracy.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the May 2026 Faculty Showcase features presentations on teaching, research, and community engagement. Sessions are labeled “Research,” “Teaching,” and “Community Engagement” should you choose to follow a track. All sessions will be held the ADP Center, first floor of University Hall.
Breakfast and registration: 8:30-9:30 am
ADP Center Commons
Welcome and Recognition of Teaching Faculty Award Recipients
Alfredo Toro Carnevali (Political Science)
Claudia Cortese (Writing Studies)
Karen Driscoll (Voice Department, Cali School of Music)
Lloyd Molander (Management)
Yikang Shi (School of Computing)
Session 1: 9:30-10:30 am
TEACHING: Toward an Engaged University: From Time Capsules to Transnational Classrooms (UH 1120)
Elizabeth Emery (World Languages and Cultures), Declaration of Independence 25-Year Time Capsule Project
Zsolt Nyiri (Political Science and Law), Toward an Internationally Engaged University: Joint-Classroom Courses with International Schools
Moderator: Vera Senina (OFE)
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Working in Indigenous Spaces: Community Engaged Teaching and Research in the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program (UH 1121)
Christopher Matthews (Anthropology), Precious Benally (New Jersey Center for Indigenous Justice), Maisa Taha (Anthropology), Mark Clatterbuck (Religion), and Will Williams (College of Humanities and Social Sciences)
Moderator: Trina Chance O’Gorman (OFE)
RESEARCH: Data Breachers: Youth Counterstories in Quantitative Education Research (UH 1143)
Juan Ouviña (Writing Studies), Wendy Castillo (Educational Foundations), Marielyn Hidalgo (Undergraduate Research Assistant), and Aolani Perez, and Daniel Asebiomo, Jeidymar Molina-Cruz, Mishael Adesoji, Oluwadamilare Ashaolu, and Williana Desire (youth co-researchers from Data Science High School in Newark)
Moderator: Juan Ouviña
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Engagement in Action: Diverse Approaches to Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning (UH 1145)
Lauren Dinour (Nutrition and Food Studies), Megan Moran (History), Matthew Mosher (Writing Studies), Gambi White-Tennant (Teaching and Learning), and Rachel Safier, Menen Gowdie, and Sara Cradic
Moderator: Lauren Dinour
Session 2: 10:45-11:45 am
TEACHING: Toward an Engaged University: Pedagogies of Attention, Democracy, and Creative Expression (UH 1120)
Minkyung Choi (Teaching and Learning): Protected Reading Time: Rebuilding Stamina and Engagement in the College Classroom
Sophia Hudzik (Classics and General Humanities), Storytelling and the Sacred Court: Methodologies to Embody Democracy through the Classics
Alison Lorber (Writing Studies), The Literary Journal as a Vehicle for Art in Action in the Classroom
Moderator: Catherine Keohane (OFE)
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Scholarship, Service, and the SCHOLAR Certificate: Building Civic Purpose at BCMSU (UH 1121)
Michael Williams (Computer Science ‘26, BCMSU): BloomfieldxBloomfield: Expanding Volunteer Work to a College-Business Partnership
Nora McCook (Writing, BCMSU Humanities): From 1868 to 2026: Community Co-Design as a Bloomfield College Engagement Praxis”
Moderator: Nora McCook
RESEARCH: Knowledge is Power – Power to the People: Public Scholarship as a Civic Duty (UH 1143)
Daniela Peterka-Benton (Justice Studies), Bond Benton (Strategic Communication), Jason Williams (Justice Studies), and Stephanie Silvera (Public Health)
Moderator: Leslie Wilson (College of Humanities and Social Sciences)
RESEARCH and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Toward an Engaged University: Building Equity Through Leadership, Faculty Development, and Language Justice (UH 1145)
Blanca Elizabeth Vega (Educational Leadership): Building an Engaged University in the Shadow of Illegality: Supporting Undocumented Students and Those Who Serve Them
Román Liera (Educational Leadership): Aligning Faculty Work with Public Purpose: HSI Faculty Development and the Engaged University
Antonella Calarota-Ninman (CLaSE) and Atik Paguay (Center for Latino Heritage and Spanish Language Excellence), Decolonizing Language, Reimagining Pedagogy: The CLaSE Model
Moderator: John Yi (CTAI)
Lunch: 12-1 pm
Remarks from Interim Provost Fatma Mili
ADP Center Commons
Session 3: 1-2 pm
TEACHING: Reimagining the Engaged University: Applied Africana Studies as Praxis, Pedagogy, and Institutional Transformation (UH 1120)
Nixon Cleophat (Religion, BCMSU Humanities) and Leah Gaines (Africana Studies, BCMSU Humanities)
Moderator: Nixon Cleophat
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Writing Through Trauma Together: Community, Classroom, and First Responders Talk About Writing and Healing (UH 1121)
Jessica Restaino (Writing Studies), Jacqueline Regan (Writing Studies), Tisheska Beepath (University Police Department), and Krystal Woolston (Center for Community Engagement)
Moderator: Courtney Crimmins (OFE)
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: In Pursuit of the SEAL of Excelencia and Beyond: A Community Effort towards Public Purpose (UH 1143)
Jane Sanchez Swain (Montclair Unbound), Katia Paz Goldfarb (for Hispanic Initiatives and International Programs), Blanca Elizabeth Vega (Educational Leadership), Tara Mellor (Student Development and Campus Life), and Claudio Josuel Alejo (Student Development and Campus Life)
Moderator: Jane Sanchez Swain
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Toward an Engaged University: Empowering Students Through Knowledge, Access, and Action (UH 1145)
Nina Bailey (Mathematics), Engaging Undergraduates in Community Building by Sharing Their Content Knowledge
Nicole Conklin (Psychology), From High School to Online Learners: Expanding Access to Community-Engaged Research Through Liberty Science Center Partnership
Daniela Peterka-Benton (Justice Studies) and Ashlee Martellacci (Social Work and Child Advocacy), From Awareness to Action: Preparing Students for Civic Purpose Through Community Engagement
Moderator: Catherine Keohane (OFE)
Session 4: 2:05-3:30 pm
(ADP Center Commons)
Remarks from President Jonathan GS Koppell
KEYNOTE PANEL: Dialogue Across Difference: The University as a Historical Site of Reifying Democracy
Patricia Virella (Educational Leadership), Jason Williams (Justice Studies), and Leslie Wilson (College of Humanities and Social Sciences)
Moderator: Tanesha Thomas (Sociology)