Southern Connecticut State University celebrated the remarkable accomplishments of its faculty at the 2025 Promotion, Tenure, and Celebration of Excellence event, held November 6 in the Adanti Student Center Ballroom.
The annual ceremony recognized faculty who have advanced in rank, earned tenure, or received special awards for their outstanding contributions to teaching, research, service, and student success.
Faculty promotion and tenure decisions are guided by a comprehensive process outlined in the university’s Promotion and Tenure Procedures document. Candidates are evaluated based on criteria established in the Collective Bargaining Agreement and Faculty Senate guidelines, with a focus on teaching effectiveness, scholarly activity, service to the university, and professional development. The process involves a detailed review of each candidate’s qualifications, contributions, and a formal interview, culminating in thorough deliberations by the Promotion and Tenure Committee to ensure fair and informed recommendations.
Click here for photos. See below for the full list of honorees:
Promotion to Professor
- Dr. Catherine Abel-Berei (Health and Movement Sciences)
- Dr. Mary Jo Archambault (Recreation, Tourism, and Sport Management)
- Dr. Kauther Badr (Management and International Business)
- Dr. Stanley Bernard (Public Health)
- Dr. Jesse Gleason (World Languages and Literatures)
- Dr. Brandon Hutchinson (English)
- Dr. James Kearns (Chemistry)
- Dr. Younjun Kim (Economics)
- Dr. Kimberly Lacey (Nursing)
- Dr. Venezia Michalsen (Sociology)
- Dr. Michael Nizhnikov (Psychology)
- Dr. Kyle O’Brien (Recreation, Tourism, and Sport Management)
- Dr. JiongDong Pang (Chemistry and Biochemistry)
- Dr. Marc Robertson (Health and Movement Sciences)
- Dr. Sarah Roe (History)
- Dr. Melanie Savelli (Communication, Media, and Screen Studies)
- Dr. Robert Smith (Management and International Business)
- Dr. Anastasia Sorokina (World Languages and Literatures)
- Dr. Junhong (Emma) Wang (Marketing)
- Dr. Yan Wei (Secondary Education)
- Dr. Olcay Yavuz (Educational Leadership and Policy Studies)
Promotion to Associate Professor and Tenure
- Dr. Andrew Bartlett (Mathematics)
- Dr. Qu Chen (Counselor Education)
- Dr. Hanyong Chung (Accounting)
- Dr. Kelly Coleman (Health and Movement Sciences)
- Dr. Jennifer Cooper-Boemmels (Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences)
- Dr. Karen D’Angelo (Social Work)
- Dr. Zara DeLuca (Communication Disorders)
- Dr. Shibiao (Bill) Ding (Marketing)
- Dr. Brianna Garrison (Social Work)
- Dr. Michele Griswold (Public Health)
- Dr. Miriah Kelly (Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences)
- Dr. Minjae Lee (Management and International Business)
- Dr. Kelly Martinez (Nursing)
- Dr. Melanie Uribe (Art and Design)
- Dr. Heather Wagner (Music)
- Dr. Joan Weir (Secondary Education)
Promotion to Associate Professor
- Dr. Casey McPherson (Mental Health Studies)
- Dr. Krista Prendergast (Nursing)
Tenure
Dr. Birasnav Muthuraj (Management and International Business)
Promotion to Associate Librarian and Tenure
Ms. Amy Jansen (Library Services)
Promotion to Trainer III
- Mr. Christopher Leary (Athletics)
- Ms. Jessica Case (Athletics)
Promotion to Coach III
- Mr. Brian Nill (Athletics)
Promotion to Coach II
- Mr. John Weiss (Athletics)
Faculty Special Awards
Graduate Research Fellows Faculty Grant:
- Dr. Miriah Kelly (Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences)
- Dr. Alice Wieland (Management and International Business)
- Dr. Julian Smith (Communication Disorders)
- Dr. Saira Soroya (Information and Library Science)
Undergraduate Research Fellows Faculty Grant:
- Dr. Steven Brady (Biology)
- Dr. Scott Graves (Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences)
C. Michele Thompson Research Fellowship
- Tenured Faculty (Assistant/Associate Rank): Dr. Rachel Jeffrey (Biology)
- Professor Rank: Dr. Alaa Sheta (Computer Science)
Robert Jirsa Service Award: Dr. Barbara Cook (Communication Disorders)
Million Dollar Club: Dr. Julia Irwin (Psychology, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs)
J. Philip Smith Award for Outstanding Teaching:
- Dr. Patricia Paugas (Recreation, Tourism, and Sport Management)
- Dr. Joel Dodson (English)
Outstanding Academic Advisor Award: Dr. Lauren Tucker (Inclusive Education and Behavior Science)
Board of Regents Teaching Award (Full-Time Faculty): Dr. Laurie Bonjo (Counselor Education)
Joan Finn Junior Faculty Research Fellowship: Dr. Hanyong Chung (Accounting)
