Salem State University faculty and staff are educators, scholars, and leaders in their respective fields. Following are highlights and accolades celebrating the outstanding research and creative activities conducted by Salem State faculty and staff in August 2022.
Faculty and Staff News in August 2022
Professor Emerson “Tad” Baker (history) was interviewed by The New York Times about the exoneration of Elizabeth Johnson Jr., who was convicted of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials and was the only remaining person whose name had not been officially cleared. This story was also reported by The Seattle Times and The Times (UK).
Assistant Dean Mathew Chetnik has been selected to receive a 2023 Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award! The award is given by the National Resource Center and Cengage campaign in recognition of outstanding work on behalf of first-year students. Mathew is one of just ten award recipients nationwide and will be honored at the 42nd Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience held in February.
Associate Dean Nicole Harris was a featured guest on WBUR Radio Boston in a segment titled “There’s a Mass. teacher shortage, but a state university is working to solve the problem,” which aired on August 31, 2022. She discusses SSU’s efforts to diversify and strengthen the teacher pipeline, and how a $10 million gift from Cummings Foundation will allow the McKeown School of Education’s to expand its efforts.
Professor Marcos Luna (geography and sustainability) was interviewed by The Boston Globe about his recent appointment to the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Advisory Council. The Council, which was years in the making, was finally convened after passage of the state's Climate Roadmap legislation in 2021. The Council will advise the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs on the state's environmental justice policy and related issues.
Professor Jeff Pearlman (geography and sustainability) has been named the official historian for the city of Revere. Mayor Brian Arrigo has awarded Pearlman the honor after years of writing, speaking, and doing research about Revere’s historical and cultural sites. Pearlman will conduct tours, participate in podcasts, and enlighten citizens about Revere’s unique past.
Professor Anna Rocca’s (world languages and cultures) article on Central African Republic political refugee and writer Adrienne Yabouza was published in the Quebecois journal Recherches Féministes, University of Laval. The journal issue focuses on Black women theorists and writers. Professor Rocca argues that Yabouza’s novel criticizes bourgeois feminism in the name of a popular feminism; it condemns local leaders and neighboring nations as well as the old and new colonial powers, including the United States, Russia, and China. Learn more here.
Professor Elspeth Slayter (social work), Professor Kathleen Schlenz (occupational therapy), and Executive Director Cynthia Lynch hosted an Interprofessional Training for students titled: "Harnessing #CripTheVote for Disability Justice". The agenda included history of the disability justice movement, Senator Joan Lovely presenting her bill S.1083 aimed at prohibiting discrimination against adults with disabilities in court proceedings, and small group discussion on intersecting themes from the Netflix documentary "Crip Camp", activism, advocacy, and allyship in health and human services settings.
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