Faculty members put their knowledge into action so students and others are able to benefit from it. Recently, faculty published articles in high-impact journals, were quoted in prestigious publications, and won career-defining awards.
A. Kendra Greene
Viebranz Visiting Professor of Creative Writing A. Kendra Greene, recently published an illustrated essay titled “With Regard to the Invisible: The climates that run through us.”
The essay, which appeared in the science magazine Nautilus, was reviewed by Longreads thusly:
“A. Kendra Greene beautifully reflects on the generations of families growing up in California, our changing climate and way of life, and the experiences and memories that shape us and which we carry within our bodies, wherever we go.”
Greene says the story is inspired by January’s Palisades and Eaton fires, and the look of sheer justice shining through her nieces at the beginning of it all, when they announced they had a “wind day” off school, how they know there are snow days but they assumed they would never get one.
Greene is author of the illuminated essay collections No Less Strange or Wonderful and The Museum of Whales You Will Never See. Her nonfiction appears in publications from Atlas Obscura to Zyzzyva, including Freeman's, The Guardian, Orion, Nautilus, and The Wall Street Journal. Her art and research has been presented at the Smithsonian, exhibited at The Reading Room, collected as far away as Qatar, and translated into French and German.
Daniel Look
Charles A. Dana Professor of Mathematics Daniel Look is now a contributor on Macmillan's “The What and the Who of EDU," a podcast on pedagogy offering 10 quick tips per episode.
The first podcast with Dan, titled “Top 10 Ways to Create Accessible Classrooms that Lower the Barriers (Not the Standards),” is available through Apple and Spotify now.
Look was also recently honored with the J. Calvin Keene Award given annually to a faculty member who upholds the high standards of personal scholarship, effective teaching, and moral concern demonstrated by Dr. Keene throughout his career. His courses are innovative and challenging, connecting with students through pop culture, music, and discussions on topics like racism, economic inequality, and climate change. Students describe Look as "passionate," "engaging," "kind," and "enthusiastic," noting his classroom is "positive," "comfortable," and "inclusive.” One student said he is the "very definition of what a professor should be."
Caroline Breashears
Professor of English Caroline Breashears recently published an article in Law & Liberty titled “Mirror, Mirror.”
In the article, Breashears argues that Disney's new Snow White (2025) suggests that, given enough power, a young ruler from the intellectual elite can overthrow the greedy queen to create a monarcho-socialist paradise of “fairness.”
The film’s low rating, Breashears says, reflects public resistance to such fallacies along with disgust at the hubris of the filmmakers: the elitist of them all. The article was also syndicated to a broader audience in realclearpolicy.
Breashears teaches courses in subjects from Jane Austen to dystopian fiction, and she writes about literature, ethics, and economics for both academic and general audiences.
Gisele El Khoury
Director of the Language Resource Center Gisele El Khoury recently published an article in The FLTMAG, the online magazine of the International Association for Language Learning Technology (IALLT).
In the article, titled “Enhancing Language and Culture Courses with Pictory,” El Khoury demonstrates how the AI-driven platform Pictory can transform language teaching through text-to-video storytelling, Arabic voiceovers, and scene-by-scene editing. She highlights classroom applications, from cultural video essays to pronunciation practice, while noting limitations such as restricted Arabic voice options and the need for supplemental tools like EdPuzzle or H5P.
“This platform shifts learners from passive listeners to active creators,” she writes, emphasizing its potential for creativity, cultural engagement, and accessible multimedia production.
Marcella Salvi and Rafael Castillo Bejarano
Lewis Professor of World Languages, Cultures, and Media Marcella Salvi and Visiting Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Caribbean, Latin American, and Latino Studies Program Rafael Castillo Bejarano, recently published their book Lope de Vega: «The Trial of Wits» /«La prueba de los ingenios».
This book presents an annotated edition, English translation, and an in-depth study of Lope de Vega’s La prueba de los ingenios. Through this translation, the authors aim to make this significant yet lesser-known work accessible to a wider audience, while providing scholarly insights into its historical, cultural, and literary contexts. The book's introduction explores themes of genre and gender hybridity, and socio-cultural self-fashioning, showcasing Lope's nuanced response to societal norms and his creative engagement with contemporary debates on authorship, professional theater, and gender issues.
The annotations offer valuable commentary, guiding readers through the complex layers of Lope’s text and underscoring its relevance to both early modern and contemporary discussions on gender, sexuality, and social identity.
Howard Eissenstat
Laurentian Associate Professor and Chair of History Howard Eissenstat was recently quoted in the Financial Times on the Turkish government's targeting of the main opposition party.
Eissenstat argues that “Turkish courts are delivering verdicts that move the country rapidly from ‘electoral authoritarianism’ to something more akin to outright dictatorship.”
“Elections remain,” Eissenstat says, “but the last vestiges of competitive politics [are] being erased.”
Zane Griffin Talley Cooper
Assistant Professor of Digital Media & Film Zane Griffin Talley Cooper recently presented a co-authored working paper called "The Cloud is Dead" at the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) Conference in Seattle, Wash. He also served as discussant for a panel titled, "What it Takes: Energy, Land, Community, and Tech's Demands."
Cooper also recently joined the Editorial Board for the Journal of Environmental Media, which offers a scholarly platform to bridge work in environmental studies, identity and social justice, and science communication through the prism of screen media, focusing on the role of new and emerging digital media in our understanding and perception of the environment and related social issues.
Yesim Bayar
Associate Professor of Sociology Yesim Bayar recently published an article called "Laicism and Non-Muslim Minorities."
The article appeared in an edited volume titled “Perspectives on Turkish Laicism,” edited by Umut Azak. The piece critically explores the institutionalization of laicism by the Turkish state. It further examines the impact of this institutionalization on non-Muslim communities during the 20th century.
Submit News
St. Lawrence’s Faculty Focus is a regular roundup of noteworthy faculty news.
