August
Biko Agozino, Sociology, and coauthors Emmanuel Onyeozili, Augustine Agu, and Patrick Ibe were awarded the 2024 Don Ohadike Book Award from the Igbo Studies Association for Community Policing in Nigeria (Enugu, Nigeria: Fourth Dimension Publishing Company, and Blacksburg, Virginia: Virginia Tech Publishing, 2021). The book is available online via Open Access/Virginia Tech Publishing here.
Catalina Andrango-Walker, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, published “Recovering the Written Traces of Hernando de Soto’s Voyage to La Florida,” Journal of Early Modern Studies 13 (2024): 237–56.
An Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative grant was awarded to Sarah Plummer, Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies, Emily Satterwhite, Religion and Culture and Director of Appalachian Studies, and Julia Gohlke, Population Health Sciences. The grant, funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, will support students enrolled in APS/SOC 4094 Appalachian Community Research who will pursue research on 70 African American Union soldiers and propose content for an interpretive sign about them. The class research supports “Raising the Shade,” a project funded by Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia.
Sweta Baniya, English, published Transnational Assemblages: Social Justice and Crisis Communication During Disaster (Urbana, Illinois: Conference on College Composition and Communication of the National Council of Teachers of English, and WAC Clearinghouse, 2024). The book is available via open access here from the WAC Clearinghouse. Baniya is also the Co-Principal Investigator on a grant awarded to the Center for International Research, Education, and Development from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The $5 million award provides support for the Virginia Tech team to collaborate with Indian institutions of higher education to improve training, research, and collaborative innovation regarding disaster-resilient infrastructure.
Brian Britt, Professor of Religion and Culture and Director of ASPECT, published “The Remnant and the Trace in Biblical Tradition,” The Journal of Religion 104 (April 2024): 125–44; and “Isaiah 52:13–53:12: The Suffering Servant in Judaism, Christianity, and Modern Thought,” Furthering Interfaith Biblical Scholarship: A Festschrift in Memory of André LaCocque, ed. Doreen McFarlane (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock, 2024), pp. 58–74.
Brian Britt, Professor of Religion and Culture and Director of ASPECT, edited “Prometheus: A Symposium,” a collection of essays published in The Montréal Review that were the result of a faculty-student workshop about contemporary uses of the myth of Prometheus, which was held in October 2023 at Virginia Tech. Britt’s individual contribution was “Unbinding Myth With Literature in Shelley, Flaubert, and Du Bois.” The following CLAHS faculty contributed as well: Zhange Ni, Religion and Culture, “Prometheus Redux: Alien Prequels, Creation Myth, and the Enchantment of Technoscience”; Lee Vinsel, Science, Technology, and Society, “Why the Myth of Prometheus Haunts Talk of Technology?”; and Janell Watson, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, “Oppenheimer as Hermes, God of the Information Age.” Essays by two CLAHS students, both of whom graduated in May, were also included: ASPECT doctoral student Sam Beckenhauer, “Prometheanism, Obsolescence, and the Politics of Conspiracy Theory,” and Philosophy and Psychology major Sophia Scarfe, “Franken-Mythbusters: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Exposes the Patriarchal Prometheus.”
Kedean “Kay” Brown, a junior Property Management major, was selected as a member of the 2024–2025 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows by Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education. The year-long fellowship recognizes students for their leadership potential and commitment to creative positive change in communities. Fellows are nominated by their campus president or chancellor. Brown is an active advocate for community-based learning and serves as a connector between peers and community organizations; she has been involved recently in the Hokies First Peer Mentoring program and Alternative Break program. Her Newman Civic Fellows profile can be found here.
Chase Catalano, Education, published “The Paradoxes of Social Justice Education: Experiences of LGBTQ+ Social Justice Educational Intervention Facilitators,” Journal of Diversity in Higher Education 17.4 (2024): 518–26.
Carolyn Commer, English, published Championing a Public Good: A Call to Advocate for Higher Education (University Park, Pennsylvania: Penn State University Press, 2024).
During its most recent meeting the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors conferred the emeritus title on the following faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences:
Jacqueline Bixler, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Spanish, was honored for her scholarly work in Latin American theater, focusing on Mexican performance art. Her research resulted in the publication of seven books and edited volumes as well as more than 60 articles; she also served as editor of the Latin American Theatre Review. Bixler was recognized for her teaching as a recipient of the Alumni Excellence in Teaching Award, the Diggs Teaching Scholar Award, and three Certificates of Teaching Excellence. She served as Chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures and as Director of the School of Performing Arts. In 2016 she was honored with the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award. Bixler earned her bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas.
Nancy Bodenhorn, Associate Professor of Counselor Education, garnered recognition for her work in preparing and equipping counselors to serve in schools in the United States and abroad; her grants researching the training of clinical faculty in Southwest Virginia; and her role as a content specialist for school counseling and gender equity for a National Science Foundation-funded project. She served on the Montgomery County Public Schools Mental Health Advisory Committee and Strategic Planning Action Team on Mental Health and as president of the New River Valley Counselor Association. In addition, she received the College Excellence in Advising and Outstanding Mentor awards as well as the Virginia Counselor Association’s William H. Van Hoose Career Service Award. Bodenhorn earned her bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, a master’s degree from Duke University, and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.
Douglas Cannon, Professor of Practice of Communication, was honored as a leader in educational and professional standards in public relations who led the School of Communication’s effort to secure accreditation from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2010, Cannon was inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows in 2014 and chaired the society’s Universal Accrediting Board. He served as Associate Director and Interim Director of the School of Communication. Prior to his tenure at Virginia Tech, he served 28 years in the U.S. Army and retired as lieutenant colonel. Cannon earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Katherine Cennamo, Professor of Instructional Design and Technology, was recognized for her research that focused on the application of learning theories to instructional products, especially video-based learning; the research team of which she was a member received more than $2 million in external funding. Author or coauthor of more than 47 articles, books chapters, and reviews, she also published five textbooks. She served as an external evaluator for Public Broadcasting Services’ TeacherLine and Vital modules for educators as well as the Virginia Space Grant Consortium’s Gender-balanced Education and was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including Virginia Tech’s XCaliber Certificate of Excellence. Cennamo earned her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree from the University of Arizona, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Anthony Colaianne, Associate Professor of English, was a member of the Virginia Tech community for more than 46 years and was recognized as an advocate for humanities education. His research focused on medieval studies, and he wrote or edited several multi-volume works and numerous peer-reviewed articles on early British literary works and figures. Colaianne taught more than 25 different undergraduate and graduate courses and was honored with three Certificates of Teaching excellence and Virginia Tech’s Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2004. He served as Associate Chair and Director of Advising in the Department of English and was Acting Director of the Humanities Program. Colaianne earned his bachelor’s degree from Saint Vincent College, a master’s degree from Duquesne University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.
W. Wat Hopkins, Professor of Communication, was honored for his scholarly expertise on mass communication law, authoring five books, editing two others, and publishing numerous book chapters, articles, and encyclopedia entries. He served as editor of the journal Communication Law and Policy from 2002 to 2021 and on editorial boards of three other journals in the field. An active member and officer of the Association for Education in Journalism and the Mass Communication, he received the organization’s Distinguished Service Award in 2022. Hopkins was an expert witness on libel issues in eight court cases between 2000 and 2022, and he served on the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council from 2000 to 2008. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Kenneth Potter, Assistant Professor of Practice of Instructional Design and Technology, was recognized for contributions to the study and application of innovative technologies in instructional settings and the design and development of electronic performance systems to support online learning. A member of the Virginia Tech community for more than 26 years, Potter served as program area leader for Instructional Design and Technology from 2018 to 2023 and as the faculty coordinator of the Instructional Technology Master of Arts program from 2000 to 2023. He taught a variety of graduate-level courses and advised numerous master’s and doctoral students, helping them develop successful careers in both academic and industry settings. Potter earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Wyoming and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.
Suchitra Samanta, Collegiate Associate Professor of Sociology, was recognized for her contributions to the fields of women’s and gender studies and Asian American studies through her transdisciplinary work, which examines the human aspects of religion and gender construction among South Asian women. She published one book, two creative anthologies, and numerous research articles, poems, and works of creative fiction. Samanta taught undergraduate and graduate courses in women’s and gender studies and sociology as well as courses developed in collaboration with the Department of Religion and Culture. She received the Virginia Tech 2012 Sporn Award for Excellence in Teaching Introductory Subjects, the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Virginia Tech Indian Students Association, and the College’s Diversity Award. Samanta earned two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.
Jane Wemhoener, Senior Instructor of English, taught more than 15 different undergraduate courses and was recognized with a Certificate of Teaching Excellence, the 2012 Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching, and membership in the Virginia Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence. She served as the first and only executive director of the Virginia Council for International Education as well as the international programs coordinator for the Department of English, developing and leading several study abroad programs in the department. She was the recipient of Virginia Tech’s International Faculty Development Award, the College’s Award for Excellence in Outreach and the Outstanding Service-Learning Educator Award. Wemhoener earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Saint Louis University and completed coursework for her Ph.D. at the Ohio State University.
Kris Wernstedt, Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning, contributed to the interdisciplinary science of risk and decision-making by managers in the public realm, private sector, and civil society. He served as Principal or Co-Principal Investigator on federal grants concerning research flooding, emergency management, environmental cleanup, behavioral responses to COVID, digital technology use, and climate change. As a Fulbright Scholar and through visiting professorships at major East African universities, he promoted research, teaching, student exchanges, and institutional collaboration. Wernstedt chaired the Urban Affairs and Planning Program through reaccreditation and master’s degree curriculum reform. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University, a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Cornell University.
Charlene Eska, English, published “Re-examining the Early Irish Marriage Laws,” North American Journal of Celtic Studies 8 (2024): 49–70.
Joseph Eska, English, received a Guggenheim Fellowship for his book project on early Celtic languages. The book will be divided into two parts: a descriptive section on old Celtic syntax and an explanatory section using cartographic syntax, a contemporary theoretical approach to this linguistic question. Eska was the only applicant awarded a Fellowship in linguistics, one of 52 scholarly disciplines and artistic fields. He was one of 188 individuals awarded a yearlong Guggenheim Fellowship in 2024 from among nearly 3,000 applicants. Eska, who joined the Virginia Tech community in 1993, earned his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Toronto.
ASPECT doctoral student Armin Firouzi was awarded funding to participate in the Graduate Summer School on Racial Politics, which was organized by the Department of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University and which took place June 10–14 in Baltimore, Maryland. Awardees received support for tuition fees, accommodation, and food. The Summer School examines and challenges prevailing methodological presumptions in political science through careful consideration of the discipline’s historical entanglement with racist conceptions.
Kenneth Hodges, English, was awarded the 2023 James Randall Leader Essay Prize by the International Arthurian Society – North American Branch for his article “How Galahad Regained His Virginity: Nineteenth-Century Responses to Malory’s Catholic Grail,” Arthurian Literature XXXVIII (2023): 273–301. The award recognizes the best published article on an Arthurian subject by a member of the society.
The following faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences were selected for the 2024 Juneteenth Scholars Program: Amaryah Armstrong, Religion and Culture; Tyechia Thompson, English; and Paroma Wagle, Public and International Affairs. Each faculty member received $5,000 as well as funding to hire an undergraduate research assistant. The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences launched its Juneteenth Scholars Program in June 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. The program supports faculty members whose research centers around topics such as resistance to systems of oppression, emancipation movements, and institutional racism.
ASPECT doctoral student Onur Karabiçak presented “Theorizing Hyperreality and Visual Securitization: The Cases of Payitaht and Resurrection Series” at the European Workshops in International Relations, which took place July 3–5 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Tonisha Lane, Education, and Sociology doctoral student Faika Tahir Jan published “Structural Impediments Impacting Early-Career Women of Color STEM Faculty Careers,” Education Sciences 14.6 (2024), Article 581, with Higher Education alumni Johnny C. Woods and Natali Huggins et al.
Nneka Logan, Communication, published “Navigating Artificial Intelligence, Public Relations and Race,” Journal of Public Relations Research 36.4 (2024): 283–99, with Damion Waymer.
Shalini Misra, Public and International Affairs, published “Convergence Research as a ‘System-of-Systems’: A Framework and Research Agenda,” Minerva 62 (2024): 253–86, with Lisa C. Gajary et al.
Michael Moehler, Political Science and Director of the Kellogg Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, coedited New Approaches to Social Contract Theory: Liberty, Equality, Diversity, and the Open Society (Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2024), with John Thrasher. His individual contributions to the volume were “New Social Contract Theory” and “Diversity, Polycentricity, Justice, and the Open Society,” pp. 3–14 and 227–51 respectively.
Sociology major Ella Moeltner received the John D. Wilson Essay Contest Award in the spring from the Virginia Tech chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. The prize is given annually for the best analytical or interpretive composition by an undergraduate student. Moeltner was recognized for her scholarly essay titled “The Role and Causes of Anti-Fat Bias in Society.” Information regarding the essay contest, including the application process, is available here.
Joseph Mukuni, Education, published “Behold the Fourth Industrial Revolution and How to Keep Pace with Workplace Competencies in an Ever-Changing World of Work!” in The Changing Landscape of Workplace and Workforce, ed. Hadi E-Farr (London, United Kingdom: IntechOpen, 2023).
Carol Mullen, Education, published “Professional Development Supporting Principals’ Changing Roles as Equity-Oriented Leaders,” International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation 19.1 (2024): 120–37, with 2024 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies alumna Rebecca Hall.
Cayce Myers, Communication, published The Rules of Public Relations: Legal and Ethical Issues in Contemporary Practice (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2024).
The College is pleased to announce the following promotion and tenure decisions by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors at its June 11 meeting. Promoted to Associate Professor with tenure were: Chase Catalano, Education; Carolyn Commer, English; Thomas Dearden, Sociology; Megan Duncan, Communication; Maaz Gardezi, Sociology; Brittany Howell, Human Development and Family Science/Fralin Biomedical Research Institute; Karin Kitchens, Political Science; Tonisha Lane, Education; Katalin Parti, Sociology; Jody Russon, Human Development and Family Science; Jessica Taylor, History; Travis Webster, English; and Chelsea Woods, Communication. Promoted to the rank of Professor were: Catalina Andrango-Walker, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Matthew Heaton, History; and Sonja Schmid, Science, Technology, and Society. Julie Mengert, English, was promoted to Collegiate Assistant Professor. Justin Horn, Philosophy, was promoted to Collegiate Associate Professor. Promotion to Associate Professor of Practice was awarded to Jodie Brinkmann, Education. Promotion to Advanced Instructor was awarded to: Joanna Culligan, Human Development and Family Science; and Justin Greene, English. Nancy Lopez-Romero, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, was promoted to Senior Instructor.
School of Public and International Affairs faculty member Todd Schenk and doctoral student Hye-jeong Seo published “Read All About It: Examining Newspaper Coverage of the Local Environmental Risks Posed by the Radford Army Ammunition Plant,” Journal of Environmental Planning and Management 67 (2024): 2382–99.
Paul Quigley, James I. Robertson, Jr., Associate Professor of Civil War Studies in the Department of History and Director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, was appointed Director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Humanities. Established in 2017, the Center’s purpose is to advance research based on human methods of scholarship among faculty and students and to work across the university. In addition to the Civil War era, Quigley’s principal areas of research include nationalism, political violence, and the U.S. South. One of his main goals for the Center for Humanities is to provide humanities faculty with new opportunities for collaboration, visibility, and public engagement. Quigley earned a bachelor’s degree from Lancaster University in Great Britain and a master’s and doctoral degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He will remain in his roles as Associate Professor and Director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies.
Dana Robertson, Education, was elected Vice President of the International Literacy Association (ILA) Board of Directors. A member of the ILA since 2005, Robertson has been serving as a member-at-large on the Board since 2021. His term as Vice President began on July 1; he will assume the presidency of the Board on July 1, 2025.
Paula Seniors, Religion and Culture, published Mae Mallory, the Monroe Defense Committee, and World Revolutions: African American Women Radical Activists (Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 2024).
Ashley Shew, Science, Technology, and Society, was one of two Virginia Tech faculty members honored with a 2024 Albert Lee Sturm Award for Faculty Excellence from the Mu of Virginia chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Shew received the Sturm Award for Excellence in Research for her book, Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement (New York, New York: W.W. Norton, 2023). Additional information regarding the Sturm Awards, including the nomination process, is available here.
Lisa Tucker, Professor and Head of the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management, published “The Women of the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau: Contributions to the Well-Designed Single-Family House,” Journal of Interior Design 49.2 (2024): 99–116. In addition, Tucker was one of four members of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) inducted into its College of Fellows in 2024, the association’s highest professional member distinction. Those recognized have engaged in activities and efforts that have benefitted and enhanced the IIDA and their design work has significantly influenced the profession.
ASPECT doctoral student Chayne Wild published a review of Plastic Matter by Heather Davis in Lateral. Journal of the Cultural Studies Association 13.1 (Spring 2024).
Please submit items for inclusion in subsequent issues of the newsletter to
Associate Dean Debra Stoudt at dstoudt@vt.edu.