Faculty, friends, and family gathered at the McShane Campus Center on Sept. 17 for an event celebrating faculty members who reached one of two milestones in 2024: being awarded tenure or being promoted to the rank of professor.
“A University can be no greater than its faculty,” said Fordham Provost Dennis Jacobs, Ph.D., during opening remarks. “At the time each of you were hired, we selected you because we saw
great potential in you as a teaching scholar … we were confident that over time, you would demonstrate the fulfillment of your potential.”
It was the third annual faculty celebration, a tradition that began in 2022.
Eighteen faculty members were recognized at the ceremony. Each was introduced by their college’s dean: Laura Auricchio, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center; Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D., dean of the Gabelli School of Business; Ji Seon Lee, Ph.D., acting dean of the Graduate School of Education; Debra McPhee, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Social Service; Bennett Capers, associate dean for research at Fordham Law School; Ann Gaylin, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; Bob Hume, Ph.D., acting dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences; and Maura Mast, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill.
The deans also read out a list of the faculty members’ accomplishments, ranging from publications in prestigious academic journals to bringing in millions in grant funding for research to the University.
President Tania Tetlow delivered closing remarks, congratulating the faculty members and thanking them for their service to Fordham, on behalf of the University and its students.
The honorees promoted to professor were as follows:
- Christopher Aubin, Ph.D. (Physics and Engineering Physics)
- Lauri Goldkind, Ph.D. (Graduate School of Social Service)
- Thaier Hayajneh, Ph.D. (Computer and Information Science)
- Robert Hernández, Ph.D. (English)
- Ron Lazebnik (School of Law)
The faculty members who earned tenure were:
- Norrinda Brown (School of Law)
- Natasha Burke, Ph.D. (Psychology)
- Rufus Burnett Jr., Ph.D. (Theology)
- Leah Feuerstahler, Ph.D. (Psychology)
- Elizabeth Gil, Ph.D. (Graduate School of Education)
- Lauren Kopajtic, Ph.D. (Philosophy)
- Elizabeth Matthews, Ph.D. (Graduate School of Social Service)
- Dominik Molitor, Ph.D. (Gabelli School of Business)
- Brandy Monk-Payton, Ph.D. (Communication and Media Studies)
- Rahbel Rahman-Tahir, Ph.D. (Graduate School of Social Service)
- Fadi Skeiker, Ph.D. (Theatre)
- Nicholas Smyth, Ph.D. (Philosophy)
- Laura Specker Sullivan, Ph.D. (Philosophy)
