BRYANT WELCOMES NEW FACULTY Five faculty members have joined Bryant this fall. They are among the nearly 130 tenured and tenure-track University professors, nearly all of whom hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their respective fields:
Billie S. Anderson
Sharmin Attaran, Ph.D.
Janet Morahan-Martin, Ph.D. Phyllis Schumacher, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Mathematics Ph.D., University of Alabama
David B. Casten, CPA Executive-in-Residence Accounting J.D., LL.M. in Taxation, Boston University School of Law
Thomas Hartl Assistant Professor of Mathematics Ph.D., University of Glasgow
Elzotbek Rustambekov Assistant Professor of Management Ph.D., Old Dominion University Ph.D., Oregon State University
Zenan Zhao Lecturer, Chinese Language M.S., University of Iowa
Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, PA. Global supply chain expert Michael Gravier, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing, was quoted in Defense News on lessons that the health care field can learn from the military. He said the military’s efficiency comes from several practices, including operating a system based on need for patient care rather than the availability of funding. Assistant professor of marketing Sharmin Attaran, Ph.D., recommended that owners of small businesses research their audiences when considering which social media platform to incorporate into a marketing plan. In a Providence Business News article, Attaran recommended starting small rather than “diving right into the deep end of the social media pool.” Sustainable manufacturing in the electronics business is difficult, which is one reason Apple Inc.’s recent environmental policy reversal was criticized, according to John Visich, Ph.D., associate professor of management. Portions of Visich’s interview with News.ThomasNet.com were included in a Yahoo News article, “Is Apple an Environmental Leader or Loser?” which appeared on many tech news websites.
The KCRW public radio news show “To the Point,” asked Gregg Carter, Ph.D., professor of sociology, and editor of the book, Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture and the Law to contribute to the discussion after a mass shooting in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater. A New York Times article,“How Depressives Use the Web,” cited research by Janet MorahanMartin, Ph.D., professor of applied psychology and Phyllis Schumacher, Ph.D., professor of math, which finds a link between frequent checking of email and high levels of anxiety. EducationNews.org featured an interview with David Lux, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, on college students’ need to develop self-reliance to break free of the comfortable nest of home, to cope with the culture shock of mingling with peers with different levels of academic preparation, and to use their friends and advisors to find compatible professors. Bryant has focused on creating a robust student life 24/7, Lux said, because research shows that engagement in campus activities best improves student retention and academic success.
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