CHASS Welcomes New Tenure-Track Faculty for 2013-2014

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences welcomes 15 new tenure-track faculty to its ranks this fall. Their research interests range from medical anthropology to Spanish sociolinguistics. Meet these stellar scholars, researchers, and teachers.

Roger Azevedo joins the Department of Psychology as professor in the area of Human Factors and Ergonomics. His joint appointment includes interdisciplinary work with a cluster of faculty focused on the Digital Transformation of Education.

• Ph.D. McGill University, 1998
• M.A. Concordia University, 1993
• B.A. Concordia University, 1989

Roger Azevedo’s research examines the role of cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and motivational self-regulatory processes during human and artificial agents’ learning with advanced learning technologies (e.g., multi-agent systems, intelligent tutoring systems, simulations, hypermedia). He conducts interdisciplinary laboratory and in-situ (e.g., classroom, operating room) research by testing the effectiveness of adaptive learning environments that are capable of detecting, tracking, modeling, and fostering complex learning processes in the biological and medical sciences.

Jeffrey Diebold joins the School of Public and International Affairs as an assistant professor of Public Administration. He will teach policy analysis, research methods, and quantitative analysis.

• Ph.D. Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2012
• M.A. Public Policy, College of William and Mary, 2007
• B.A. Political Science, North Carolina State University, 2004

Jeffrey Diebold’s research interests involve how social welfare policies impact low- and moderate-income households. His work in this field is motivated by an interest in evaluating whether policies are, or could be, effective at helping these households become healthy, more financially secure, and upwardly mobile. Diebold has focused on the improvement of the socioeconomic circumstances and the health outcomes of poor households through health insurance policies, tax expenditures and income support policies, pensions and Social Security, as well as programs designed to encourage better financial decision-making.

Jing Feng joins the Department of Psychology as an assistant professor in the area of Human Factors and Ergonomics.

• Ph.D. (Cognitive and Engineering Psychology), University of Toronto, 2011
• M.A. (Cognitive and Engineering Psychology), University of Toronto, 2006
• B.S. (Applied Psychology), Zhejiang University, 2005

Jing Feng’s research is in the field of cognitive and human factors psychology. She studies human attention and cognition, with applications of cognitive principles to human factors. On the theoretical side, Feng conducts research to investigate attention across an extended visual field, individual differences and age-related changes in attention and spatial skills, as well as the effects of cognitive training. On the practical side, she links these theoretical findings to understand aging and driving, driver distraction and the design of information displays.

Paul Fyfe joins the Department of English as assistant professor in the area of digital humanities and Victorian literature.

• Ph.D. (English Language and Literature), University of Virginia, 2009
• B.A. (English with Honors), Wake Forest University, 1998

Paul Fyfe joins NC State from a recent appointment in the English department and History of Text Technologies program at Florida State University. His research areas include British Victorian literature, 19th century media history, and a broad spectrum of digital humanities practices, including text encoding, digital archives, quantitative studies of literature, and network analysis. He has just completed a book on representations of the metropolis and accidents in 19^th century literature, and is now developing a project on “Victorian Telecommunication,” a hybrid print and digital exploration of the consequences of writing in a new era of steam transport and electric communications media.

Jodi K. Hall becomes an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work.

• Ed.D. (Adult and Higher Education), NC State University, 2010
• M.S.W. (Social Work Administration and Policy), UNC-Chapel Hill, 1991
• B.S.W. (Generalist Practice), NC State University, 1990

After five years as a non-tenure track faculty member in the Department of Social Work, with research grant activity in the area of child welfare, Jodi Hall will extend her research to improve health and human services for under-represented populations.  Last summer, Hall traveled to Cuba to explore internationalization of social work education. Applying critical race theory (CRT) to examine pedagogical models for adult learners, her research, extension and engagement supported and created service-learning innovation for student enrichment. She has published and presented nationally.

Jennifer Kuzma joins the School of Public and International Affairs as Goodnight-Glaxo Wellcome Distinguished Professor of Public Administration. Her joint appointment includes interdisciplinary work with a cluster of faculty focused on the Genetic Engineering and Society Program.

• Ph.D. (Biochemistry), University of Colorado at Boulder, 1995
• B.A., (Chemistry and Biology) College of St. Thomas, St. Paul,  MN summa cum laude, 1990

Jennifer Kuzma’s research focuses on governance systems for emerging technologies, particularly genetic engineering for environmental, agricultural, health and industrial applications. Currently, emerging technologies are moving at a rapid pace, but often societal responses lag behind. Understanding the social-ecological-technological systems and the underlying dynamics can help to guide decisions-makers and the public towards better governance models. With these goals in mind, Kuzma explores the values, organizations, and outcomes associated with existing oversight systems in order to inform future policy-making.  Read more.

Stefano Longo joins the Department of Sociology and Anthropology as an assistant professor of environmental sociology.

• Ph.D. (Sociology), University of Oregon, 2009
• M.S. (Sociology), University of Oregon, 2005
• B.A. (Psychology), Pace University, 1991

Stefano Longo is an environmental sociologist whose research examines the relationships between human and ecological systems, with an emphasis on marine ecosystems. His most recent research has examined the history of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery along with recent social transformations that have affected the fishery and fishing communities in Sicily and Sardinia. Longo’s research has been published in a variety of journals, including Rural Sociology, Sociological Quarterly, Organization and Environment, Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. He has received awards from the environment and technology sections of both the American Sociological Association and the Society for the Study of Social Problems.

Alicia McGill joins the Department of History as an assistant professor in public history and international heritage.  She will teach courses on International and Cultural Heritage, Public History, and Early American Archaeology.

• B.A. (Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology), Bryn Mawr College
• M.A. (Anthropology), Indiana University
• Ph.D. (Anthropology), Indiana University

Alicia McGill has academic interests in anthropology of education and heritage studies. Her dissertation, “Aal a Wi Da Wan? (We are all one): Cultural Education, Heritage, and Citizenship in the Belizean State” (IUB, 2012), focuses on youth perspectives on heritage and the ways educational practices related to cultural diversity, history, and archaeology influence ideas about citizenship, nationalism, identity, and racial and ethnic politics.

Stephen Puryear joins the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies as an assistant professor of philosophy.

• Ph.D. (Philosophy), University of Pittsburgh, 2006
• M.A. (Philosophy), University of Pittsburgh, 2004
• M.A. (Philosophy), Texas A&M University, 2000
• B.S. (Mechanical Engineering), NC State University, 1994

After two years as a post-doctoral Fellow at Stanford, Stephen Puryear came to NC State as a teaching assistant professor in Fall 2008. Puryear is a specialist in early modern philosophy. His interests include the German philosophical tradition (especially Leibniz, Kant, and Schopenhauer) and historical and contemporary work on metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy. His recent work has focused on the philosophy of Leibniz, especially his views on causation and the mind’s contribution to our experience of the world. Puryear is currently working on a book on Leibniz’s metaphysics and on articles on Schopenhauer’s ethics and the nature of events.

Mark Robinson joins the Department of Sociology and Anthropology as an instructor in the areas of medical anthropology and the anthropology of society and technology. His joint appointment includes interdisciplinary work with a cluster of faculty focused on the Genetic Engineering and Society Program.

• Ph.D. (Anthropology), (ABD) Princeton University
• M.A. (Anthropology), Princeton University, 2009
• M.A. (Religious Studies), University of Chicago, 2006
• M.A. (Social Sciences), Northwestern University, 2004
• B.P. (Linguistics), Northwestern University, 2004

Mark Robinson’s work is at the convergence of science and technology studies (STS), medical anthropology, and ethics. His most recent research focuses on the impact of innovation legislation upon the work of translational neuroscientists and the implications for early-stage innovation in biomedicine. Robinson is particularly interested in the impacts of venture capital on innovations and developments in biotechnology. Robinson has larger interests in the cultural study of psychopharmaceuticalization and the challenge of translating knowledge across domains. Robinson was a visiting Fellow at Stanford University and at the Center for the Study of Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society at UC Berkeley. Robinson held the Presidential Fellowship at Princeton and was a recipient of the dissertation research fellowship from the Wenner-Gren Foundation.

Lynsey K. Romo joins the Department of Communication as an assistant professor.

• Ph.D. (Communication Studies), the University of Texas at Austin
• M.A. (Public Communication), American University
• B.A. (History and Spanish), Albion College

Lynsey Romo examines how people communicate about uncomfortable issues, specifically pertaining to health and finances. Romo has explored what motivates people to disclose taboo topics (e.g., salary) or discreditable traits (e.g., abstaining from alcohol) and how individuals manage uncertainty surrounding their physical, social, and economic well-being. She has also examined how couples can effectively motivate one another to engage in healthier eating and exercise behaviors. Prior to joining NC State, Romo taught at the university level for three years and served as the communications director of a nonprofit committed to improving health and economic conditions for low-income individuals. She has published her research in a variety of communication journals, including Human Communication Research, Communication Monographs¸ and Health Communication.

Rebecca Ellen Ronquest joins the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures as an assistant professor in Spanish Sociolinguistics and Acoustic Phonetics.

• Ph.D. (Hispanic Linguistics), Indiana University, 2012
• M.A. (Hispanic Linguistics), Indiana University, 2004
• M.A. (Linguistics), Indiana University, 2004
• B.A. (Spanish), the College of William and Mary, 2002

Rebecca Ronquest’s main areas of expertise are acoustic phonetics, laboratory phonology, and sociolinguistics.  Her primary research interests include bilingual and heritage Spanish pronunciation, the impact of sociolinguistic variables on speech production, and new dialect formation in the southeastern United States. She is currently analyzing the acoustic properties of Spanish vowels produced by recent Spanish immigrants and heritage speakers of Spanish in central North Carolina. Future investigations include an acoustic characterization of the consonantal system, as well as comparisons between southeastern varieties of Spanish and those spoken in other bilingual communities across the United States.

Thomas Shriver joins the Department of Sociology and Anthropology as an associate professor in the politics of environmental  sociology.

• Ph.D. (Sociology), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1995
• M.A. (Sociology), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1992
• B.A. (Sociology), Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, 1989

Tom Shriver joins NC State after 18 years at Oklahoma State University, where he developed that department’s concentration area in environmental sociology. Shriver’s primary research and teaching interests are related to environmental sociology, social movements, and health.  He is currently working on several projects related to energy and the environment. Most notably, he is conducting research on coal and climate change in the North Bohemian Coal Mining Basin of the Czech Republic. This fall he is launching a new project on the social and environmental impacts of fracking in the United States. In 2011, his co-authored work on nuclear weapons workers won the Outstanding Article Award from the American Sociological Association’s Environment and Technology Section. Shriver received the Environment and Technology Section’s Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award in 2012.

Maggie Simon joins the Department of English as assistant professor in the area of Early Modern literature.

• Ph.D. (English Language and Literature), University of Virginia, 2011
• M.A. (Comparative Literature), University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2000
• B.A. (English and French), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Honors Program, 1998

Maggie Simon’s research and teaching interests include 16th and 17th century English literature, lyric poetry, book history, and the history of the emotions. Her current book project, Writing Lost Consciousness in the English Renaissance, demonstrates how authors in this period depict threshold states of consciousness (as in swooning or sleep) to facilitate experiments in genre and form. In so doing, they restore representations of lost consciousness to an important place in the history of emotion and insist upon the formal innovations of Renaissance literature in figuring their complex cultural significance.

Sanem Soyarslan joins the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies as an assistant professor of philosophy.

• Ph.D. (Philosophy), Duke University, 2011
• M.A. (Philosophy), Boğaziçi University (Istanbul), 2005
• Diplôme Superieur d’Université (Political Science), Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II), 2000
• B.A. (Political Science), Boğaziçi University (Istanbul), 1999

Sanem Soyarslan comes to NC State from Boston University. She specializes in the history of ethics and early modern philosophy, with a particular emphasis on the philosophy of Spinoza. Soyarslan has an ongoing interest in ethical theories both ancient and modern. Her recent work focuses on Spinoza’s distinction between reason and intuitive knowledge and its ethical implications. In her next major project, Soyarslan aims to develop a detailed and accurate account of Spinoza’s ethical thought by situating it in its historical context, giving special attention to ancient philosophers such as Aristotle and the Stoics and to Spinoza’s near-contemporaries, especially Descartes.