Welcome new 2022 Faculty!
JIN-A CHOI
Assistant Professor
School of Communication and Media
B.S. University of Texas at Austin
M.A. University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin
DR. CHOI received her PhD from the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Choi’s scholarship focuses on target advertising, celebrity/social media influencer endorsements, digital advertising, text mining, and data analytics. Her research has been published in numerous conference proceedings, book chapters, and appears in journals such as Journal of Global Marketing, Communication Studies, and Journal of Media Psychology among others. Dr. Choi teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses such as Social Media Analytics, Influencers and Opinion Leaders and Integrated Communications.
KATHRYN LOCKWOOD
Associate Professor
John J. Cali School of MusicB.M. Queensland Conservatorium Griffith
University
M.M. University of Southern California
KATHRYN LOCKWOOD joins the Cali School of Music as Associate Professor after being on faculty first as adjunct since 2015, and then later fulfilling consecutive one year positions as String Area, Chamber Music and Immersive Residency Coordinators. Before joining Montclair’s faculty, Ms. Lockwood served as Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for 20 years. As a performer, Ms. Lockwood was the violist of the award-winning Pacifica and Lark Quartets. She is the violist of the unusual viola and percussion DuoJalal and is Artistic Director for the Four Seasons in Music Chamber Music Series at the Sands Point Preserve and the Telluride MusicFest (summer festival for the Telluride Chamber Music Association). Ms. Lockwood received her Masters of Music from the University of Southern California and her Bachelor of Music from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in Australia.
ADAM RIGG
Assistant Professor
Department of Theatre and Dance
B.A. University of California – Los Angeles
M.F.A. Yale School of Drama
ADAM RIGG is a New York based costume and set designer. Adam is a 2022 Tony Award nominee, Drama Desk special honoree, Lortel Award winner, Outer Critics Circle Award, and two-time Henry Hewes Design Award winner. They were a Princess Grace Award winner in 2015, and were a recipient of the Donald Oenslager Fellowship in 2012 and the Pierre Cardin Fellowship in 2016. Selected design credits include Lincoln Center Theater – Vivian Beaumont stage, Norwegian National Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, SoHo Rep, The Public Theater, Mark Taper Forum / Center Theatre Group, New York Theater Workshop, L.A. Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Theater An Der Wien-Austria, Signature Theater Company, The Guthrie Theater, Seattle Rep, Teatro Municipal Brazil, Williamstown Theater Festival, Yale Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Atlantic Theater Company, Opera Philadelphia, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Kennedy Center, Berkeley Rep, and Theatre for a New Audience. They are currently working on two world premieres at the Metropolitan Opera with John Adams and Missy Mazzoli and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Michael R. Jackson’s next musical “White Girl in Danger” at Second Stage Theater. Adam has been a resident artist with their performance collective I Am a Boys Choir at the Public Theater (Devised Theater Working Group) and Mabou Mines. They have a BA from the University of California; Los Angeles and an MFA from Yale School of Drama.
GUSTAVO SANDRI HEIDNER
Assistant Professor
Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education
B.S. Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul
M.A. Indiana State University
Ph.D. East Carolina University
DR. HEIDNER received his Ph.D. in Bioenergetics and Exercise Science from the East Carolina University (ECU) in August 2022. His work focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury and how mild traumatic brain injuries affect balance, upper-and lower-body motor control, and decision-making capability. He is also interested in research areas such as the development of motor and visuomotor paradigms in virtual reality, and the application of those paradigms to better understand recovery from concussion. His dissertation examined the long-lasting impact of mTBI on oculomotor function, neuromuscular control, and lower extremity injury prevalence. Dr. Heidner began his academic career at the Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and he was a recipient of the Science Without Borders International Exchange Scholarship which funded him to study at Indiana State University.
TOM KILLIAN
Assistant Professor
Department of Counseling
B.A. The University of Mississippi
M.A. The University of Mississippi
Ph.D. University of North Colorado
DR. KILLIAN received his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision with a minor in Applied Statistics and Research Methods from the University of Northern Colorado. He earned his Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of Mississippi. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in New Jersey, and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Dr. Killian has over a decade of clinical experience. He has worked for university counseling and psychological services, a university athletic department, and a residential facility. Broadly, his research interests include: multicultural and social justice competency development within counselor education and practice, community-engaged research and evaluation within counseling, and LGBTQ+/queer issues within counseling.
LARISSA GOULART
Assistant Professor
Department of Linguistics
B.A. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
M.A. Warwick University
Ph.D Northern Arizona University
DR. GOLUART received her PhD from the English Department at Northern Arizona University in June 2022. Her dissertation focused on register and disciplinary variation in university writing using a multidimensional approach. Dr. Goulart’s research centers around the application of corpus methods to describe the language patterns of university writing and language learners. Dr. Goulart is also interested in research methods and the applications of corpus tools to language teaching.
CHERYL GRAY
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
B.S. Trinity University
Ph.D. University of South Florida
DR. GRAY, who received her PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in 2021, joins the Psychology Department after completing her doctoral studies in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Florida. In her work at USF, she introduced the new concept of “unhelpful help,” or the dark side of social support. This work represents a novel line of inquiry in the field of occupational health, with Dr. Gray at the forefront. Dr. Gray has published several manuscripts in respected outlets in psychology and occupational health, and her work has been recognized in national and international media. She brings applied experience to bear as well, having developed leadership courses and development projects for multiple organizations. She also has extensive mentorship experience, having secured grant funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for the training of multiple undergraduate research trainees. At Montclair State. Dr. Gray will continue to pursue her scholarship and train students in her own research lab.
SUBONG KIM
Assistant Professor
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
B.A. Hanyang University
M.S. Hallym University of Graduate Studies
Ph.D. University of Iowa
DR. KIM, who received his PhD in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Iowa in 2020, joins the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders after a post-doctoral fellowship in Purdue University’s Systems Neuroscience of Auditory Perception Lab, where he studied human auditory neuroscience. Dr. Kim has published several manuscripts about the effects of noise and hearing devices on speech perception based on research supported by the Hearing Health Foundation and Royal National Institute for Deaf People. Prior to teaching at Montclair State, his graduate work at the University of Iowa focused on cortical speech processing in hearing aid users. Dr. Kim holds several patents for assistive hearing devices.
RICK LAGUERRE
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
B.S. Post University
Ph.D. University of Connecticut
DR. LAGUERRE, who received his PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in 2022, joins the Psychology Department after completing his doctoral studies in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Connecticut, where he also received certificates in quantitative research methods and occupational health psychology. At UCONN, he studied successful aging at work, and he uses cutting-edge statistical methodologies to understand how shifting motivations can be accommodated to keep older employees fully engaged. Dr. Laguerre has published several manuscripts in leading journals in occupational health, and his excellent work has netted multiple awards, including travel grants from the Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research and an occupational health fellowship from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. At Montclair State, Dr. Laguerre will continue to pursue his scholarship as the director of the Continuous Optimization of Individuals and Organizations Lab.
FANNY LAUBY
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science and Law
M.PHIL. City University of New York
Ph.D. City University of New York
Ph.D. Sorbonne Nouvelle (France)
DR. LAUBY received a Ph.D. in Political Science from the CUNY Graduate Center and a Ph.D. in North American Studies from the Sorbonne Nouvelle (France). Her research focuses on the political incorporation of undocumented youths through state-level policies. She teaches courses in American politics and public policy, including American Government, the American Presidency, Congress, Political Parties, Public Policy Analysis, Research Methods, and U.S. Immigration Policy. Prior to joining Montclair State University, Lauby was an associate professor of Political Science at William Paterson University, where she coordinated the political science internship program. Her recent publications include articles in Social Movement Studies, the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, and the International Journal of Communication.
JEREMY LOPEZ
Professor
Department of English
B.A. University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. Cornell University
DR. LOPEZ comes to the Department of English from the University of Toronto, where he taught from 2005 to 2022. From 2002 to 2005 he was Assistant Professor in the Department of English at the College of William & Mary. Professor Lopez is the author of numerous books and essays on the drama of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and the general editor of the Routledge Anthology of Early Modern Drama (2020). Since 2018, he has served as the Editor of Shakespeare Quarterly, the flagship journal in the field of Shakespeare studies.
SARA MATSUZAKA
Assistant Professor
Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy
B.A. Tufts University
M.S.W. Florida Atlantic University
Ph.D. City University of New York
DR. MATSUZAKA (she/her/hers), who received her PhD in Social Work from the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Sciences in May 2020, joins the Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy after a post-doctoral research position at the University of Virginia within the Department of Psychology, where she studied the effects of systemic oppression on Black queer women’s mental health and behavioral health outcomes. Dr. Matsuzaka’s research examines how stigmatizing discourses and policies contribute to mental health and substance use inequities among sexual minorities of color and other multiply-marginalized groups. As a multidisciplinary scholar, Dr. Matsuzaka’s research has been featured in several psychology, social work, or feminist peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Matsuzaka has prior experience working as a licensed clinical social worker in outpatient and inpatient addiction treatment settings as well as in private practice.
LAURA QUIROS
Associate Professor
Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy
B.A. Skidmore College
M.S.W. Hunter College
Ph.D. City University of New York
DR. QUIROS earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare from The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York, where her dissertation focused on “The Social Construction of Racial and Ethnic Identity among Women of Color from Mixed Ancestry: Psychological Freedoms and Sociological.” She also earned a master’s degree in social work from Hunter College School of Social Work and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Skidmore College. Dr. Quiros’ latest book focuses on incorporating diversity and inclusion into trauma-informed social work. Her research and scholarly interests focus trauma informed care through a social justice lens and the social construction of racial and ethnic identity and. Dr. Quiros was awarded the Adelphi University 2021 Award for Excellence in Teaching Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (SJEDI). The annual Excellence in Teaching SJEDI Award honors an Adelphi professor who demonstrates a commitment to SJEDI inside the classroom above and beyond the standard curriculum for the faculty member’s discipline. As a woman of color from a multicultural background, Dr. Quiros leverages her experiences, relationship building, and clinical skills to foster connections, inclusion, and empathic accountability. Having to negotiate her own identity required her to create safe spaces to survive and thrive and helped her develop tools that allow her to relate to various experiences that impact diverse groups.
MARYAM RAFIEIFAR
Assistant Professor
Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy
B.S. Allameh Tabatabee University
M.A. Islamic Azad University
M.S. Stockholm University
Ph.D. Florida International University
DR. RAFIEIFAR is an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work & Child Advocacy at Montclair State University. Her research specialty is targeted at serving disenfranchised children and families with community-based participatory methods. Her translational objective is to mitigate the effects of immigration enforcement on trauma among children born to immigrant families through examining community-based initiatives. She has advanced training in quantitative and qualitative research methods and is presently conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Dr. Rafieifar has a successful track record of financial achievement, as indicated by accolades from multiple organizations. Dr. Rafieifar received academic awards and grants from the American Association of University Women, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social, and multiple centers at Florida International University. In addition, she secured external funding for the Nora Sandigo Children’s Foundation, which supports U.S. citizen children separated or at risk of separation from their undocumented parents. Previously, she worked with immigrant communities at different international organizations, including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Dr. Rafieifar has also enhanced the lives of the graduate student body with her innovative community service.
NATHANAEL HIRSCHER
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
B.S. University of Virginia
Ph.D. California Institute of Technology
DR. HIRSCHER earned his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in July 2019 and joins the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry after a post-doctoral appointment at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hirscher is an expert in inorganic and organometallic chemistry, with research interests related to the efficient use of natural resources. His graduate and postdoctoral research has focused on the design and synthesis of catalysts for commodity chemical production. These studies have been relevant to plastics manufacturing, greenhouse gas remediation, and natural gas utilization. Dr. Hirscher’s research in organometallic synthesis at Montclair State seeks to produce new forms of matter comprised of metals and organic chemicals.
RUI LI
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science
B.S. Anhui Agricultural University
Ph.D. University of Science and Technology of China
DR. LI received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Science and Technology of China in June 2016. Her research focuses on human-computer interaction including knowledge-driven speech visualization, emotional intelligent systems, autonomous systems, games and virtual environments. Before joining the Department of Computer Science, Dr. Li was a research associate at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) where she proposed and developed interactive technologies for autonomous vehicles. Her research on human-computer interaction for autonomous systems has been awarded ASME DSCC Robotics TC Best Paper. Dr. Li is passionate about education in human-computer interaction and developed a series of new courses for the new Game Development Certificate.
SHAFIKA SHOWKAT MONI
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science
B.Sc. Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Bangladesh)
M.S. University of Kentucky
Ph.D. University of Kentucky
DR. MONI received her M.S. and Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA in 2020 and 2022 respectively. Before starting her Ph.D., she worked as a faculty member at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, one of the premier engineering universities in Bangladesh. Currently, she serves as a Fellowship Co-Chair for IEEE ComSoc Networking Networking Women (N2Women) Organization. Her research interests include security and privacy issues of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Internet of Vehicles (IoV), Cloud Computing, Edge Computing, and Machine Learning. She has published over 15 scientific articles and received several scholarships and accolades for her academic excellence and leadership, including the 2022 College of Engineering Award for Outstanding Ph.D. Student.
CHRISTOS SURIANO
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
B.S. Arizona State University
Ph.D. Wesleyan University
Dr. SURIANO joins the Department of Biology after receiving his Ph.D. from Wesleyan University (Middletown CT) in April 2018 and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Princeton University (Princeton, NJ). As an NJ Association for Clinical and Translational Science Fellow at the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Dr. Suriano studied how the host immune response to neurotropic viruses can cause damage to the brain and disrupt circuit function. Prior to his postdoctoral research, his graduate work focused on defining a well-conserved genetic toolkit for hindbrain development across vertebrates. In his new lab, Dr. Suriano will focus on the interplay of the nervous system and immune system during viral infections and use this knowledge to improve the safety and efficacy of virally-mediated human gene therapies.
GABRIEL (GABE) GONZALES
Assistant Professor
Department of Marketing
B.A. Hendrix College
Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University
DR. GONZALES comes to Montclair State University after three years as an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Dr. Gonzales completed his PhD in Marketing at Pennsylvania State University in 2019 and before that, earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hendrix College. His research provides both theoretical and practical insights into consumer behavior and perceptions of the evolving retail marketplace. His research also investigates ways to encourage consumers to act in more sustainable ways, with the broader goal of improving consumer well-being. His work has been published in top journals, including the Journal of Marketing and Marketing Letters, and has received awards from the Marketing Science Institute and the American Marketing Association for its impact.
CHELSEY HILL
Assistant Professor
Department of Information Management and Business Analytics
B.A. The College of New Jersey
M.S. Saint Joseph’s University
Ph.D. Drexel University
DR. HILL joins the IMBA Department, having been an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Decision Sciences and MIS Department of the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University. Dr. Hill received her Ph.D. in 2018, focusing on data and text mining and analytics. Her research has been published in such journals as: Communications of the ACM, Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Forecasting, and Journal of Informetrics. Dr. Hill is also the co-author of the book “Practical Text Analytics: Maximizing the Value of Text Data”. Dr. Hill’s research interests include data and text mining applications, machine Learning, numerical accuracy of statistical programs, online consumer reviews, consumer product recalls, and forecasting.
IMAN PAUL
Assistant Professor
Department of Marketing
B.Com. University of Pune
M.B.A. George Washington University
Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology
DR. PAUL received his Ph.D. in marketing from Georgia Institute of Technology and his Master of Business Administration from George Washington University. Dr. Paul’s research deals with consumer psychology and behavior. Most of his ongoing research investigates the intersection of disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, augmented/virtual reality, and decision-making across various domains like consumption, health, finance decision-making and pro-social behaviors. His work has been accepted in leading marketing and psychology journals such as Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Generaland Computers in Human Behavior among others. Iman enjoys teaching Marketing Management and New Product Development courses.
MAYSAM RABBANI
Assistant Professor
Department of Economics
B.Sc. Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
M.Sc. University of Tehran, (Iran)
M.A. University of South Florida
Ph.D. University of south Florida
DR. RABBANI joined the Department of Economics in August 2022. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Economics at the University of South Florida in 2021. Before joining us, he has been teaching economics for several years. His research is focused on health economics and industrial organization with the long-term goal of exploring methods and suggesting policies to make the health care system more affordable, accessible, and effective, both in the United States and globally. He has several published and working papers on the effect of hospital and pharmaceutical mergers on the cost of care and patient well-being.
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JO-ANN ROBINSON
Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
BSN William Paterson University
MSN William Paterson University
DNP University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
DR. ROBINSON joins the School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor. She received her DNP from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and her MSN and BSN from William Paterson University. Dr. Robinson is an experienced educator having worked with undergraduate and graduate nursing students at St. Peters University, The University of Pittsburgh, and Dominican College. She has held leadership roles in healthcare facilities in New Jersey and New York, where she developed and implemented system wide initiatives that improved the quality of care. Throughout her career, Dr. Robinson has also focused on the provision of direct care. She is an experienced adult nurse practitioner with expertise caring for women. Her research focusses on nursing education and professional performance.
DREW WALLACE
Research and Reference Librarian
B.A. West Virginia Wesleyan College
M.A. Marshall University
M.I.S. Florida State University
DREW WALLACE, who received his Master of Information Science from Florida State University in May 2022, joins the Research and Reference Services department in Sprague Library. Prior to his appointment at Montclair State University, Mr. Wallace served as a reference librarian at Eckerd College and delivered instruction at St. Petersburg College and Virginia Tech. In addition to teaching and reference services, he has a background in interdisciplinary social sciences and humanities research, with a particular interest in critical theory and indigenous studies. More recently, Mr. Wallace’s graduate work at Florida State University focused on critical librarianship, Open Access/OER, and the role of scholarly publication models in sustaining and reproducing systems of economic inequality and social injustice.
Resource Faculty from each College or School are assigned to the New Faculty and provide informal guidance and support. The Resource Faculty also help facilitate the weekly orientation sessions.
LAURA LAKUSTA
Director, New Faculty Program
Professor
Psychology Department
lakustal@montclair.edu
973-655-7951
Office Location: Dickson Hall 247
LAURA LAKUSTA is a Professor in the Department of Psychology. After completing an NIH funded postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University, Professor Lakusta joined the Montclair State University faculty in 2008. She teaches a wide range of courses, including Developmental Psychology both at the undergraduate and graduate level, Child Psychology, and Introduction to Statistical Methods in Psychology. Professor Lakusta is the recipient of a grant from the National Science Foundation that has supported her research exploring how infants conceptualize events and how such preverbal representations may support early language acquisition. She has numerous peer-reviewed publications including recent publications in the journals Infancy, Language Learning and Development and Cognitive Science.
BRIAN ABRAMS
Associate Professor
Cali School of Music
abramsb@montclair.edu
973-655-3458
Office Location: Chapin Hall
BRIAN ABRAMS, PhD, MT-BC, LCAT, Analytical Music Therapist and Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery, has been a music therapist since 1995, with experience across a wide range of clinical contexts. Prior to his current position at Montclair State University as Associate Professor of Music (2008-present) and Coordinator of Music Therapy (2010-present), he served on the faculty at Immaculata University (2004-2008) and Utah State University (2001-2004). He has published and presented internationally on a wide range of topics such as music therapy in cancer care, music psychotherapy, humanistic music therapy, and the interdisciplinary area of Health Humanities, including his role as one of five authors of a 2015 book by that title. He has also contributed to the establishment of several medical music therapy programs. He has served on the editorial boards of numerous journals, such as Music Therapy Perspectives, the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy and Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. From 2005 to 2011, he served on the Board of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), including as President from 2007-2009. From 2005 through the present, he has served on the AMTA Assembly of Delegates, including as Assembly Representative on the AMTA Board of Directors from 2010-2013, and as Assembly Speaker from 2012-2013.
RAM DUBEY
Associate Professor
Economics Department
dubeyr@montclair.edu
973-655-2126
Office Location: The Feliciano School of Business 538
RAM SEWAK DUBEY is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics. He received his PhD degree in economics from Cornell University and has been a faculty member at MSU since Fall, 2012. His teaching interests include undergraduate core and elective economics courses as well as core courses in the MBA program. He is an active researcher in the field of social choice and welfare with broad interest in the theoretical and empirical analysis of inequality in society. He has published in several esteemed research journals in economics. He has been a part of the New Faculty Program as a mentor for several years and is eagerly looking forward to meeting the new faculty members in the Fall semester.
HENK ESHUIS
Associate Professor
Chemistry and Biochemistry Department
eshuish@montclair.edu
973-655-7099
Office Location: Richardson Hall 342
HENK ESHUIS is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He received his PhD degree in chemistry from Bristol University, UK. After a postdoctoral position at the University of California, Irvine, he joined the faculty at MSU in the Fall of 2012. His regular teaching ranges from General Chemistry at the freshman level to Physical Chemistry at the junior level. At the graduate level, he teaches a course in Computational Chemistry. He is deeply involved in curriculum development within the department. His research is the development of quantum chemical methods and their application to relevant chemical problems, such as the elucidation of the reaction mechanism of transition metal-catalyzed reactions. He works with undergraduate students in his research group and values his role as a research mentor. His work is published in peer-reviewed journals. He has been a member of the Office for Faculty Advancement’s Advisory Council for the past year.
PRIYA LALVANI
Professor
Teaching and Learning Department
lalvanip@montclair.edu
973-655-5372
Office Location: University Hall 3163
PRIYA LALVANI is a Full Professor in the department of Teaching and Learning. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from The Graduate Center, CUNY and has been at MSU since Fall, 2010. She teaches courses in Disability Studies and is the coordinator for the graduate program in Inclusive Education. Her research is focused on examining disability as a sociopolitical construct. Through it, she seeks to disrupt ableism in society and to problematize the segregation of many students with disabilities in schools. She is the co-author of the book: Undoing Ableism: Teaching About Disability in K-12 Classrooms and the editor of: Constructing the (M)other: Narratives of Disability, Motherhood, and the Politics of Normal. She is excited to be a part of the New Faculty Program.
LAURA NICOSIA
Professor
English Department
nicosiala@montclair.edu
973-655-7326
Office Location: Dickson Hall 464
LAURA NICOSIA is a Professor in the English Department. She received her PhD in Literature from New York University and has been a faculty member at MSU since Fall 2004. Her scholarly interests include American literature, young adult and children’s literature, urban literature, narrative studies, social and collaborative networking, and popular culture. She has published nine edited collections in collaboration with her husband, one monograph, and has dozens of essays and chapters in top-tier publications. She is the NJ State Ambassador for the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents, serves as a Board of Trustee for the Boys & Girls Club (Clifton), has been a two-term president of the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English, and is a Public Scholar for the NJ Council for the Humanities. This is her first formal year as a mentor in the NFP though she has been informally mentoring and publishing new faculty for many years.