CASL Faculty Kudos

Professor of Sociology and Behavioral Sciences department chair, Dr. Francine Banner was featured as a guest on KPFA’s Against the Grain podcast. Banner answered questions surrounding complicity and the systems that we live under. “Today there’s something like a political space that’s opening up between victims and perpetrators,” Banner observed. “I think complicity can be said to occupy that space. It’s how we discuss that area in between not quite guilty and not exactly innocent.’’ Listen or download the podcast.

Criminal Justice Studies Lecturer Aaron Kinzel started a program called Trauma Camp which was featured in “Trauma Camp: A Retreat for Returning Citizens,” a short documentary by Detroit Public Television’s “One Detroit.” This program provides returning citizens a chance to get away from the distractions and stress of everyday life, learn tools for adjusting to life outside of prison, and begin to heal from trauma experienced inside and outside the system. View the feature. 

Associate Professor of African and African American Studies and Sociology, Dr. Krim Lacey was recently honored with a Mid-Career Scholar and Career Achievement Award from the Program for Research on Black Americans. The program was established in 1976 at U-M’s Institute for Social Research and has been a leader in creating new and innovative research methods in African American communities. 

Professor of Sociology, Dr. Pamela Aronson was among two UM-Dearborn faculty members selected as Public Engagement Fellows by the office of the Vice President for Research at University of Michigan. The fellowship offers an opportunity for faculty members to consider how they can prioritize outward engagement in their scholarly activity and translate it into meaningful public impacts.

Professor of Biochemistry, Dr. Besa Xhabija was invited to present her research on Argininosuccinate Synthase 1 and its role in melanoma in a session hosted by the Cutaneous Oncology Research Interest Group at the Rogel Cancer Center. Her talk provided a deep dive into the enzyme's function within biochemical pathways and how it influences melanoma's behavior and progression. She also presented 3 published papers along with her research students at the Central Regional Meeting (CERM) of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Professor of Economics and Department of Social Sciences chair, Dr. Natalia Czap, Associate Professor of Economics, Dr. Hans Czap and Professor of Economics, Dr. Ilir Miteza published an article investigating whether engagement through collaborative project-based learning (PBL) can boost trusting behavior. "Learning to Trust: Does Trust Change Over Time in a Collaborative Project-Based Learning Environment?", in the Review of Behavioral Economics: Vol. 10: No. 4, pp 263-285.

Professor of Psychology, Dr. Francine Dolins' research using virtual reality to investigate spatial and social cognition in nonhuman apes is featured at The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. The museum created a Research Station Exhibit that is presently in the main hall, and is now also available as an online Research Station.  Dr. Francine Dolins has also recently been granted a $66,000 award from the Templeton World Charity Foundation for her project "Use of Proper Names in Nonhuman Animals."

Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Dr. Maya Barak recently published "'They say it’s a crime for us to be here': Latinx reflections on the myth of the 'criminal immigrant' in the Trump era" in Latino Studies. In the piece, Dr. Barak and her coauthors explore the ways in which first- and second-generation Latinx individuals think about their own and others' law-breaking behavior. 

Professor and Director of the Center for Arab American Studies (CAAS), Dr. Wessam Elmeligi was interviewed by Arab American News, which appeared on the cover in the print edition and online. Elmeligi talks about CAAS, our Arabic major at UM-Dearborn, the potential for a literary and art scene in Dearborn, and how we are challenging the negative stereotypes about Dearborn.

Professor of Geology and director of the Environmental Interpretative Center (EIC), Dr Jacob Napieralski was published in The Conversation. Napieralski's piece, "How ghost streams and redlining’s legacy lead to unfairness in flood risk, in Detroit and elsewhere", identifies a hidden contributor to flooding in older, low-income neighborhoods that have seen a lack of investment. 

Lecturer II in Composition, Dr. Kristian Stewart has been awarded a grant from the University of Michigan Library Anti-Racist Digital Research Initiative entitled "Digital StoryXchange: Connecting Classrooms, Cultures, and Continents in a Displaced World." Stewart will be working with two colleagues in South Africa from Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town. Stewart also received a second Fulbright Award to Indonesia to establish a Writing Center at a university on the island of Aceh, titled "The Establishment of the Center for Academic Writing." 

The following CASL faculty have been recognized by the university in the 2024 Faculty Awards: 

• Collegiate Lectureship Award - Dr. Jill Darling, Lecturer II (Department of Language, Culture, and the Arts) 
• Distinguished Research Award - Dr. Pamela Aronson, Professor (Department of Behavioral Sciences) 
• Distinguished Teaching Award - Dr. Aditya Viswanathan, Associate Professor (Department of Mathematics & Statistics
• Distinguished Teaching Award - Dr. Christos Constantinides, Associate Professor (Department of Natural Sciences) 
• Lecturer Excellence in Inclusive Teaching - Aaron Kinzel, Lecturer II (Department of Behavioral Sciences, College-Wide Programs) 

Sociology Professor Pam Aronson was featured in the recent Axios article “Gen Z is snatching up houses in regional cities.” “Homeownership, renting, housing arrangements — these things are obviously tied to finances, they're tied to career opportunities, they're tied to inflation,” Aronson said in the article. “All of those things are impacting what Gen Z is able to do.”

Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Maya Barak appeared on a recent episode of WDET’s “Detroit Today” about immigration court and the ways families are fractured through the immigration process. Listen to the episode.

Professor of Biology and Biochemistry Marilee Benore was recently named the new editor-in-chief of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education journal. Her three-year term will begin Jan. 1, 2024.

Mathematics Associate Professor Michael Dabkowski oversees a summer school program called Math Matches in Westland, where learning is combined with fun activities. The students are learning new applications of mathematics, and they say the playfulness really makes a difference. This program was highlighted on June 20 on WDIV in Detroit.

Communications Professor Tim Kiska won a Michigan Regional Emmy Award in the Best Historical Documentary category for “Going 4 It: The inside story of the rise of WDIV.” The film explores WDIV’s place in the Detroit TV landscape and how the station evolved.

Congratulations to Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Gengxin Li and Associate Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Jian Hu for receiving a two-year, $200,000 Ford Alliance Research Award for their project "Machine learning misclassification error detection to enhance safety of Level 3 autonomous driving."

Jacob Napieralski, professor of geology, has been appointed Director of the Environmental Interpretive Center. His experience and research in the areas of accessible nature, environmental change, urban rivers, Geographic Information Science, quaternary geology, and the impact of urbanization on environmental health will provide the EIC with expert and visionary leadership. Together with the EIC staff - Dorothy McLeer, Program Coordinator and Interpretive Naturalist; Rick Simek, Program Supervisor and Manager of the Environmental Study Area; and Dale Browne, Program Assistant; Dr. Napieralski will continue the EIC’s impactful work and develop a strategic vision for the center.

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology Nehal Patel was a guest on the On Balance podcast, discussing his recent article “Why Lawyers Fear Love: Mohandas Gandhi’s Significance to the Mindfulness in Law Movement.” “Mindfulness in Law refers to the efforts to bring some of the insights that come from mindfulness and some of the benefits that come from meditation into the law, the legal system and our lives as legal professionals,” he said on the show. Listen or read the transcript.

Assistant Professor Adam Sekuler's short film “Really Good Friends” won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short Film at the 17th annual Dallas International Film Festival. The jury included this statement with the selection of his film, "This film in particular stood out as an endearingly intimate and provocative peek into the sexual awakening of a late bloomer.”

After purchasing a miniature replica of the main gate of the Birkenau camp — a visual symbol of the Holocaust — at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive Director Jamie Wraight second-guessed his purchase. He wondered if the replica was in poor taste. So Wraight, who also builds miniatures himself, decided to investigate the role of models and dioramas of Holocaust death camps. Wraight’s paper “To Show in a Frozen Moment: Camp Models and Dioramas as Forms of Holocaust Representation and Memory” discusses pedagogical tools, forms of art, testimonial expression and memorialization of miniature replicas. His research also addresses questions concerning the intention of their designers and creators, as well as the ethical considerations of recreating the spaces.

Faculty Kudos, Summer 2022

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As another class of Gen-Z graduates take steps into adulthood, WNYC Studio's The Takeaway radio show featured Sociology Professor Pamela Aronson’s research in their spot, "Deep Dive into Gen-Z: Who are they and what do they want?". Talking about research related to Gen Z communication and memes, Aronson said she wants to bring attention to statistics indicating that Gen Z has more chronic stress and depression than other age groups. Aronson comes in around minute 16.

The pandemic crisis helped revise the meaning of essential work, highlighting the importance of care work. In the Gender, Work, and Organization article, “Care in times of the pandemic: Rethinking meanings of work in the university,” Social Sciences Professor Suzanne Bergeron uses that lens to focus on the caretaking work (teaching, mentoring, service) — and the unequal gendered distribution — in the university setting. She argues that care work demands have intensified since the beginning of the pandemic and revaluing caring labor is essential for achieving goals of equity, faculty well-being and the sustainability of universities. Bergeron co-authored the paper with Koç University (Turkey) Associate Professor Özlem Altan-Olcay.

Twenty-eight middle school students and 12 high school students walked into a boxing gym to play sports and math-focused games. And, after four weeks of UM-Dearborn's Math Corps Summer Camp at Kronk Boxing Community Center, they walked out with endorphins from physical activity, new friendships and more math knowledge. Data shows that this fun approach to math works. Using pre-camp and post-camp testing, the math score averages more than doubled in each age group: Seventh grader score averages went from 18% to 73%; eighth grader scores jumped from 21% to 47%; and ninth graders started the program at 35% and ended at 80%. “Camp made a huge impact on these kids,” said Mathematics Associate Professor Mike Dabkowski. "We constantly told our kids that they are part of an incredible family that will support them even when camp is over." Dabkowski and Mathematics Professor Yunus Zeytuncu coordinated this summer learning program for underserved youth, and six UM-Dearborn students helped mentor students at the camp, too.

Sociology Professor Paul Draus and his collaborators are receiving more attention for their work focused on small-scale, grassroots urban revitalization. Seen MagDeazine’s recent article “Urban Acupuncture Revitalizes Detroit Alleyways” is an excellent profile of the work being done with troit residents that’s turning alleys into community spaces. Great photos, too!

English Associate Professor J. Caitlin Finlayson represented the University of Michigan at the Big Ten Academic Alliance Senate Leaders Conference at Rutgers University in April. Finlayson is U-M’s vice chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA). The conference represented an opportunity to share best practices in faculty governance and consider current issues facing university campuses. Attendees discussed teaching and learning innovations generated as a response to COVID-19, consensual relationships in higher education, free speech and academic freedom, and more.

UM-Dearborn student artwork that highlights mathematicians and their contributions throughout history is currently on display at the Math Learning Center (2076 CASL Building) through December 13. Jamie Hallas, the Math Learning Center Coordinator, came up with the idea of partnering with applied arts to help revamp the center with student artwork created for the space, by updating the posters of well-known mathematicians to include more diversity and aesthetics in the space. Art faculty Sarah Nesbitt and Madeleine Barkey turned this opportunity into assignments for their ART 210: Beginning Digital Design and ART322: Intermediate Drawing courses.  CASL students participating: "Dorothy Vaughan" by Sadé Lemons (Biological Sciences); "Katherine Johnson" by Emanuella Parungao (Biology); "Paul Erdős" by Caitlyn Hynek (Criminology and Criminal Justice).

Communication Associate Professor Nick Iannarino participated in a National Coalition of Cancer Survivors panel, which also featured U.S. Representatives Jamie Raskin and Mark DeSaulnier. Along with colleagues from U-M's School of Nursing and Mott Children's Hospital, Iannarino presented research on the types of advice that adolescent and young adults living with cancer would share with similar-aged patients. You can watch his presentation here.

Professor of Earth and Environment Ulrich Kamp, who has studied glaciers for two decades, was featured recently on NPR’s "Weekend Edition," Vox and South Korea’s Morning Wave, talking about how climate change contributed to Pakistan's recent catastrophic flooding. "Over the last 35 years, there's [been] an accelerated loss of global glacier ice. So when we compare the period from 2000 to 2004 with the period of 2015 to 2019, we have 70 billion tons of ice that melted in this period every year more than it did in the earlier period," Kamp told NPR.

What sets Michigan's gubernatorial candidates apart? On July 20, Communication Professor Tim Kiska spoke to WXYZ Channel 7 prior to the final televised Republican candidate debate before the Aug. 2 primaries. The primary election will choose the candidate to run against incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Kiska said he was listening for stances regarding headline issues like inflation, Roe v. Wade, school safety and more. But Kiska cautions that much could happen between now and the November election: "I think that you could conceivably see something happening between here and November which changes the whole calculus."

Assistant Professor of Economics Antonios Koumpias co-authored a new article on Long COVID in the journal BMC Health Services Research. This study found that COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with increased healthcare utilization and costs over a six-month post-diagnosis period, especially among older Americans, suggesting a “prolonged burden to the U.S. healthcare system.” One of Koumpias’ co-authors was UM-Dearborn student Owen Fleming, who worked as a research assistant on the study. Read the article.

Associate Provost and Professor of Philosophy Maureen Linker served as one of three judges for the first ever Detroit Ethics Slam hosted by A2Ethics at HopCat in Detroit on July 14. A2Ethics is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ethics and philosophy initiatives through events, education and civic partnerships in local communities. Linker has been a long-serving judge for the Michigan High School Ethics Bowl, a competition hosted each year by A2Ethics in partnership with the U-M Philosophy Outreach Program.

Under the guidance of Sarah Nesbitt, Lecturer III in Applied Art, eight students were selected to have artwork displayed in the Michigan Legislature. "Art in the Legislature" is a partnership between the Michigan Association of State Universities and the Michigan Legislature to promote art in everyday life. Read about the students and see photos of their artwork. According to Sarah, "Every year, my fellow applied art lecturers, Madeleine Barkey, and Kevin Castile, and I get really excited when this opportunity comes up. It's great to see so many students from the University of Michigan-Dearborn who are pursuing majors outside of art perform at the level of art majors from other institutions. It shows that their hard work and their talents are appreciated and seen at a high level. For us faculty, this is what we want for our students."

A radio show called "Peace Talks Radio" recently interviewed Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology Nehal Patel about his research on law, society and the thought of Gandhi. The show is available to stream online.

Also, best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell made three episodes about one of Prof. Patel's articles on his podcast called "Revisionist History".  Here are the links to the episodes of the podcast, in which Gladwell spends extensive time talking to his co-author, Laura Beth Nielsen, about their article on Disney films. In Episode 3, he creates an alternative ending to "The Little Mermaid" with the help of Jodie Foster, Glenn Close, Dax Shepard, Brit Marling, and some other actors:

• Little Mermaid Part 1: The Golden Contract
• Little Mermaid Part 2: The Fairytale Twist
• Little Mermaid Part 3: Honestly Ever After

Humanities Professor Deborah Smith Pollard was featured on NPR’s 1A for "The Women who Pioneered Gospel Music" news piece with Grammy-winning singer Tamela Mann and Emmy-winning news anchor Cheryl Wills. They spoke about the women who shaped gospel music and the singers making waves today. “[Strong female singers] were there, but they had to fight sometimes just to be seen and to be recognized for what they were contributing,” Smith Pollard said. Listen to the show and check out a curated Spotify playlist here.  

Journalism and Media Production Associate Professor Jen Proctor received the 2022 Innovative Pedagogy Award from the Society for Cinema and Media Studies for her work on EDIT — Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Teaching — Media, an inclusive teaching initiative focused on the film and media fields in higher education. Her co-researcher, Loyola Marymount University Associate Professor Miranda Banks, also was honored with the award. The Innovative Pedagogy Award recognizes new methods, perspectives and techniques in the teaching of cinema, radio, television and emerging media studies.

Prof. Proctor also edited the Summer 2022 Journal of Cinema and Media Studies publication "Antiracist Strategies for Inclusive Film and Media Education." She also wrote the introduction, along with co-editor Miranda Banks. "Systemic erasures and acts of violence take tangible form in the mythologies replicated in popular film and media," the introduction reads. "We must intentionally and urgently integrate antiracist approaches into all levels and all aspects of film and media education."

Political Science Professor Dale Thomson’s article "Foundations of Influence: Intervention Pathways of Foundation Influence on City Governance and Policy" was recently published by Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. This exploratory study examines philanthropic foundation interventions in eight cities where foundations account for a substantial share of community and economic development financing. The study shows that foundations have significantly altered interventions for community and economic development. Thomson’s study noted that these alterations led to increased potential for enduring influence on governance and policy making, which fosters the growth of nonprofit governance in these cities.Using a survey conducted in 2016 to capture “the state of the field” in Iranian Studies as US-Iran relations were in a brief thaw, History Professor Cam Amin and Political Science Associate Professor Julio Borquez conducted a survey that explores gender differences in the professional experiences of Iranian Studies scholars working in the U.S. Their findings were recently published in the academic journal SN Social Sciences. Among those: women respondents were more likely to be of junior rank or graduate students and were more likely than men to feel that gender identity influenced their professional milestones, and women tended to feel less sanguine about the state of their careers, their professional environment, their career prospects, and the state of the Iranian Studies field as a whole.

The Michigan Supreme Court appointed Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Annette Jurkiewicz Berry to serve on the bench of the Wayne County Business Court. Berry, who's been a faculty member in UM-Dearborn’s Criminology & Criminal Justice Studies program since 2008, was first elected to the bench in 2000. Since 2013, Judge Berry has served in the Civil Division, having previously served in the Criminal Division. “Judge Berry’s years of judicial experience, erudite and excellent reputation among attorneys and her colleagues will make her an outstanding addition to the Wayne County Business Court,” said Justice Brian K. Zahra, the liaison to business courts.

Communication Professor Tim Kiska’s “The Detroit History Podcast” is celebrating season five with episodes that highlight the rise of Joe Louis, the origin of Detroit-style pizza and a deep dive into local conflicts that changed the course of history. In the 1863 Civil War Riot episode, CASL Dean Marty Hershock and Political Science Professor Emeritus Ron Stockton lend their expertise and voices. Take a listen.

Journalism and Media Production Lecturer Anthony (Tony) Luckett, also UM-Dearborn’s History internship director, was awarded the 2022 Adobe Creative Campus Faculty Fellow Certificate. Faculty at the University of Michigan, which is an Adobe Creative Campus, have the opportunity to participate in a Faculty Development Institute workshop, which helps promote digital literacy. Ten U-M faculty, including Luckett, completed all of the requirements to earn the certification. “I am now using the tools that I learned from the sessions for several of my courses. In my Internship Seminar, one of the assignments is developing portfolios that students can present to future hiring managers,” Luckett said. “I also attended a special session on how to use Adobe Express to develop digital research papers. This is now an assignment that I have incorporated into my curriculum for my Film and Society and Black Cinema courses.”

Political Science Associate Professor Lara Rusch and Sociology Associate Professor Francine Banner co-authored the article "Homeless Group Representation in Detroit's Problem-Solving Court." It was published in the multidisciplinary research journal Law and Social Inquiry this month. The article analyzed the role of a social action membership organization — Street Outreach Court Detroit — in establishing Detroit’s homeless court and documents how the group’s involvement influenced the court in procedure and substance, and created space for negotiations that resolved legal issues by better understanding the needs of indigent clients. 

Philosophy Assistant Professor Kriszta Sajber shared her research at the 2022 annual conference of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. She presented a paper on psychiatric ethics, “Backhanded Respect for Autonomy Leads to Backhanded Care in the Treatment of Severe Mental Illnesses.” She also participated in the society’s special program on recent judicial and regulatory changes impacting bioethics and public health with her paper “SCOTUS v. Public Health Policy: Arguments for the Obligation to Vaccinate.”

On Oct. 31, Professor Dale Thomson spoke to Michigan Radio about the upcoming Nov. 8 election and Proposal 2, the voting rights measure on the ballot. Thomson, a policy expert, said Prop 2 would strengthen election integrity and protect voters from disenfranchisement. He also was featured in a Voice of America story about how Dearborn is making Arabic-language ballots available to voters in this year’s midterm elections. “Arabic is not a language that is covered by the Voting Rights Act," Thomson explained. “It's largely an optional thing clerks can do if they decide that it serves the voting population well in their particular community.” Read the story.

Criminology and Criminal Justice Associate Professor Maya Barak’s new book "The Slow Violence of Immigration Court" (NYU Press) shares migrant experiences from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador as people navigate legal processes, deportation proceedings, immigration court and the immigration system. The book was released this month and it’s already getting press attention. Featured in the latest edition of The Baffler, the article “Do Not Come” said of Barak’s book: "In the face of uncertainty, the immigrants featured in 'The Slow Violence of Immigration Court' do everything in their power to maintain their optimism. Perhaps shockingly, most of them tell Barak they think of the immigration adjudication system as fair and just, even in situations where they have faced removal from the country."

UM-Dearborn’s Model Arab League’s delegation, led by History Associate Professor Hani Bawardi, received the Outstanding Delegation Award for their representation of Kuwait at the Model Arab League conference at Grand Valley State University in February. They competed against 16 other teams. In addition, UM-Dearborn students Donovan Zampetti and Ahmad Makki won Outstanding Delegate awards for their representation of Kuwait on the Defense Council, and UM-Dearborn students Richard Tharrett and Julia Evasic were named Distinguished Delegates for their representation of Kuwait on the Social Affairs Council.

Language, Culture, and the Arts faculty members Bill DeGenaro and Mike MacDonald published the lead chapter in "Beyond Fitting In: Rethinking First-Generation Writing and Literacy Education" (Modern Language Association of America, 2023). The book discusses best practices for teaching first-generation students in writing centers, classrooms and more. DeGenaro and MacDonald’s chapter is titled, "A Keyword Analysis of Websites that Support First-Generation Students."

Economics Assistant Professor Antonios Koumpias’ working paper "Revisiting the Connection Between State Medicaid Expansions and Adult Mortality" builds upon his dissertation work and continues to explore the effects that government healthcare expansion has on the health of low-income adults. The paper — which finds that insurance is necessary, but what’s offered is not sufficient to improve health outcomes — has been picked up by Marginal Revolution, a popular Economics blog, and by Best of Econ Twitter, a weekly mailing list. His paper, coauthored by researchers Charles J. Courtemanche, Jordan W. Jones and Daniela Zapata, was released by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Composition and Rhetoric Associate Professor Michael MacDonald recently published the article "The Vanguard of The Avant-Garde: Keywords For Political Agency" in the journal Changing English. The article examines art, race and political agency.

History Associate Professor Anna Muller and Sociology Professor Francine Banner have been selected for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs Professional Fellows Program Reciprocal Exchange program. They will be working in Lithuania.

Associate Professor of History Ara Sanjian was a recent guest on the Scott Horton Show: Just the Interviews podcast, talking about the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Sanjian provides context for the decades-long dispute, dissects the military conflict which reignited in 2020, and offers insight about the international ramifications. Listen to the episode.

In a US Tech Future blog, UM-Dearborn faculty members Kristen Clauder, Yunus Zeytuncu and Michael Dabkowski discuss how the idea to merge two seemingly unrelated activities — math lessons and boxing — turned into their Math Matches program. Watch the video. Brianna Ellison, director of Community Engagement for program sponsor Verizon, leads the discussion.