Faculty Focus-November 18, 2025
Faculty members put their knowledge into action so students and others are able to benefit from it. Recently, faculty published in prestigious journals and presented at renowned conferences.
Damon Berry
Chair and Associate Professor of Religious Studies Damon Berry recently gave the Wallenberg Tribute lecture at Muhlenberg College as part of their 30th year celebration of the Center for Ethics.
In his talk, titled “Transdisciplinary Approaches to Deradicalization,” Berry advocated for a holistic approach to understanding and addressing acts of extremist violence, one that recognizes the complexity of the radicalization process and advocates for a method to deradicalization that does not rely on restricted views on how to address it.
Berry’s research and teaching focus overlap the religious and racialized discourses that shape and inform ideologies and practices of exclusion and violence. His three monographs, Blood and Faith: Christianity in American White Nationalism, Christianity and the Alt-Right: Exploring the Relationship, and The New Apostolic Reformation, Trump, and Evangelical Politics examine the history and evolution of extremist groups in America and their relationship to religion, racism, and the political landscape.
Economics Faculty
Four members of the Economics Department recently presented at the New York State Economic Association (NYSEA) annual conference in Rochester, N.Y.
Associate Professor and Co-Chair of Economics Michael O’Hara gave a presentation titled “(Re)writing the book on macroeconomics,” which analyzed changes made to the macroeconomic model in Ben Bernanke's textbook after Bernanke became Chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in 2006.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Yizhao (Andy) Wang presented his working paper titled, “Child Safety and Maternal Employment: Evidence from State Booster Seat Policies,” which examines an important policy channel linking child-safety regulations to maternal labor market outcomes.
Wang was also proud to support his student, Shaun Kithinji ’27, who presented his research paper, “Stimulus and Stability: The Mental Health Impact of Pandemic-Era Economic Relief Across Racial Groups.” Wang says Kithinji’s presentation was well received and highlights the strong undergraduate research activity at St. Lawrence.
During the conference, Wang was elected to serve as a Board Director of NYSEA, an opportunity that will allow him to further contribute to the regional economics community.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Tongan Liu also presented his paper at NYSEA titled, “The Decision to Cohabit or Marry Among U.S. Women.”
Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics Cynthia Bansak presented at the conference as well.
Howard Eissenstat
Laurentian Associate Professor and Chair of History Howard Eissenstat was one of four invited speakers to a roundtable discussion of U.S. - Turkish relations sponsored by Istanpol, a think tank based in Istanbul, Turkey.
The session was aimed at better understanding "how Ankara and Washington are recalibrating their ties, exploring key developments in defense, trade, and security amid shifting U.S. approaches toward Russia, China, and the Middle East."
Kenya Program Faculty
Kenya Program Assistant Director Michael Wairungu and longtime KSP Transport and Logistics Assistant Njau Kibochi recently published an article in Frontier: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad.
The article, titled "Recentering Host Siblings, Reimagining Partnerships: A Case Study on Reciprocity and Equity in Study Abroad Programs" is part of a multi-year collaborative study on the ethics of community partnerships in off-campus study.
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