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Dear Colleagues,
Greetings on this wintry day. I hope you all managed to switch your classes and meetings to Zoom without trouble.
I am happy to share that this week we launch the search for the Dean of CHSS. The university has selected WittKieffer to help us in this important search. Last fall, the Provost's Office sent out a call for volunteers to serve on the search committee. The response was overwhelming, a testament to the importance of this position and everyone's commitment to ensuring we have the best possible leader for our college. Thank you all for this enthusiasm and commitment.
The Provost's Office, starting with Dr. Gonzales and with help from WittKieffer, has given much thought and care to selecting a representative but manageable committee. The members are:
Search Committee:
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Dan Gurskis, Dean of CART (search committee chair)
- Kyle Dobbeck, Senior Director of Curriculum
- Anna Feldman, Professor and Chair of Linguistics
- Milton Fuentes, Professor and Interim Chair of Social Work and Child Advocacy
- Maria Jose Garcia Vizcaino, Professor and Chair of Spanish and Latino Studies
- Sumi Hagiwara, Associate Dean, CEEL
- Jackie Novak, Senior Assistant Dean, CHSS
- Jazmin Reyes-Portillo, Associate Professor of Psychology
- Emily Rutter, Associate Dean and Professor of English, Bloomfield College
- Cheryln Sayles, Administrative Services Coordinator, CHSS
- John Soboslai, Associate Professor of Religion
- Jason Williams, Professor of Justice Studies
- Chantelle Wright, Assistant Vice Provost for Experiential Education and Career Connections
Please join me in expressing gratitude to all who volunteered and to those who are serving.
To ensure the search reflects the collective vision of CHSS, WittKieffer will soon distribute a survey to gather your input on the priorities, challenges, and opportunities facing our college and the qualities you seek in our next dean. I strongly encourage everyone to participate. This feedback will be instrumental in shaping the search.
This is a pivotal moment for CHSS. I am confident that with your engagement and the committee's diligent work, we will identify an exceptional leader to guide our college forward. I will continue to provide updates as the process and timeline are finalized.
Thank you for your commitment to CHSS.
Fatma
| | | | By Rhododendrites - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 | | |
World Languages and Cultures
- Retired department chairperson Lois Oppenheim was honored as a professor emerita, and an endowed scholarship was established in her honor.
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Our Career Hub for International Language Learners website continues to attract national attention, being highlighted by the National Council for Languages & International Studies and featuring in a Webinar offered by Vista Higher Learning.
French
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The French program was recognized as an Exemplary Program with Honors for 2025-2028 by the American Association of Teachers of French.
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Guided by faculty members Elizabeth Emery and Kathleen Loysen, a group of 20 undergraduate and graduate students in the French programs visited the Cloisters Museum to explore their exhibit on Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages.
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MA candidate Brandon Loch, in the Professional French Translation program, contributed translation and editing work to globalize the French academic archeology website, Arkeotopia. He also completed an internship with Slator, a leading language-industry e-newsletter and website.
German
- German faculty members Thomas Herold and Pascale LaFountain were invited to Princeton University to give a talk to all of their language instructors about “Developing a Proactive Toolbox for World Language Program Sustainability.”
- Students in German faculty member Pascale LaFountain’s "SPARK Lab" co-op program taught 24 local children beginning German in a Friday after-school program. Lessons were on topics such as the World Cup, Fairy Tale Performance, and making an outing to the Segal Gallery's "Black Metal" exhibition, all with vocabulary teaching and German-language activities planned and led by student teams. This "SPARK Lab" is one of 150 German teaching labs in the country.
Italian
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Italian faculty member Gina Miele, board member of New Jersey Educators Exploring the Practices of Reggio Emilia (NJEEPRE), welcomed 40 NJ educators to campus for “Voyages of Wonder: Exploring The Age of Black Metal Through the Eyes of a Child,” a four-hour professional development experience to engage with “The Age of Black Metal,” a visionary exhibition at the MSU Galleries curated by Afrotectopia founder Ari Melenciano, through the lens of Reggio Emilia inspired practice.
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Led by Enza Antenos and Mark Rotella, the Italian Program and the Coccia Institute hosted the 18th annual Teaching Italian Symposium: “Building Innovative Pathways to Success.”
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The Italian Program, the Coccia Institute, and the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies hosted the 2025 Italian American Studies Association (IASA) Conference: “Intersecting Transitalia in Communities: Nation(s), Transnation(s), Neighborhood(s).”
- Faculty member Gina Miele led a fall break trip to Italy with the MSU Study Abroad office: “Montclair in Italy: The Food and Literature of Naples and Campania.”
- Undergraduate student Collin Thompson (major Italian, minor French) held an internship with Dynamic Multilingual Services. He worked in marketing operations for the company, contributing to internal reports and other company documentation. He also had an opportunity to work with an audio technician in the interpreting booth to understand the components and environment.
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Students in Italian faculty member Marisa Trubiano’s Translation for Tourism and Cultural Promotion course this semester worked on an array of texts for the tourism and creative and cultural industries, fine-tuning and deploying their skills in linguistic mediation. They were supported in this by a number of guest speakers, on topics ranging from machine translation to the history of Italian-Americans in Paterson, over-tourism in Venice, and sustainable tourism. This intellectual and cultural journey culminated in pre-professional, multimedia heritage interpretation projects translating and interpreting lesser-known aspects of Paterson local history.
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Teresa Fiore coordinated SPONDE, a cluster of interdisciplinary and multimedia projects that explores the places of contact between water and land: coasts from which migrants depart or arrive, landing points of military troops, or continually evolving natural spaces.
Korean
- Led by Korean faculty member Yun Kim, the Korean program, with support from the Korean Education Center of New York, hosted “Beyond K: Language, Culture, Career, Community.” The day-long series of events included a Global Careers panel discussion with LG employees, as well as a K-Pop Story and Dance Workshop.
Arabic
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Led by faculty member Mazooz Sehwail, the Arabic program and the Arab Student Association (an RSO of the SGA) hosted an event for the community to learn traditional dabke dances.
Chinese
- The Chinese program, together with the Chinese Heritage and Cultural Society (an RSO of the SGA), hosted a Mid-Autumn Festival complete with traditional Chinese food and a Lion Dance by the Wing Hong Yip Dancers.
Japanese
- The Japanese Language Circle and the Japanese program hosted a Japanese Street Fair as part of International Education Week, along with many other events throughout the semester.
Plus! Many students studying abroad, and countless conversation hours, club meetings, excursions, parties, cooking demonstrations, calligraphy workshops, etc., across all nine of our language programs!
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Markets and the Republic: The Political Economy of American Democracy
The relationship between American democracy and capitalism is complex – ranging from antagonistic to symbiotic. Tracing this relationship from the founding era through major economic transformations, social movements, and political reforms, this lecture examines how markets have both supported and strained democratic ideals of equality, liberty, and self-government. The lecture will consider pivotal debates over regulation, labor, innovation, and inequality, highlighting moments when democratic institutions reshaped capitalism – and when economic power challenged democratic accountability. Participants will be invited to reflect on what this evolving relationship means for the future of democratic governance in the United States.
Date: Monday, February 2, 6 - 7:30 p.m., Presentation Hall
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Italian Heritage Night with the New Jersey Devils
Join us the Coccia Institute for the third annual NJ Devils Italian Heritage Night at Prudential Center! The discounted $50 ticket pricing through the Coccia Institute includes group recognition on the Jumbotron, a group photo on the ice, a Premio sausage eating contest, an exclusive NJ Devils Italian Heritage Night t-shirt, and special performances by Italian American entertainers!
Date: Tuesday, January 27, 7 p.m., Prudential Center
Reserve your seat here!
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An Exclusive Cornerstone New Jersey Briefing from Curtis Dubay, Chief Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Join us for an insightful virtual briefing with Curtis Dubay as he breaks down the key economic trends and forces shaping 2026. Drawing on national and global data, Dubay will explore what lies ahead for the U.S. economy – including inflation, interest rates, labor markets, public policy impacts, and emerging opportunities and risks facing businesses and households.
Date: Thursday, January 29, 9 - 10 a.m., Virtual Event
Register to Attend
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4th Annual Legislative Breakfast Addressing Human Trafficking in New Jersey: Law, Policy, and Practice
Hosted by the Global Center on Human Trafficking, the Legislative Breakfast unites policymakers, advocates, survivor leaders, and community stakeholders to drive meaningful dialogue and action on human trafficking law, policy and practice. This year’s theme, “Human Trafficking at the Intersection of Sports” highlights the urgent issues hidden behind the spectacle of global sporting events like the FIFA World Cup. From labor exploitation in stadium construction and hospitality to increased sex trafficking during major tournaments, the convergence of sports and trafficking demands both urgent attention and policy-driven solutions.
Date: Friday, February 20, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., University Hall 7th Floor
Register to Attend
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This event is ideal for graduate and undergraduate students seeking jobs and internships in: Counseling, Child Advocacy, Justice Studies, Social Work, Political Science, Psychology and so much more!
Date: Tuesday, February 24 , 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Share with your students!
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Faculty Upskilling with Coursera
This past summer, the university partnered with Coursera to provide supplemental learning resources for our courses. As part of this agreement, Coursera has allocated a limited number of licenses for faculty to access their full catalog for professional development, referred to as “faculty upskilling.”
This is a great opportunity to explore topics such as AI, project management, data analytics and visualization, and more. If you’d like access to this extensive catalog for your own learning, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/xDofPhrXhQqtp2u2A.
Licenses are limited, so we encourage you to apply soon!
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Participate in Crash-A-Class Spring 2026!
The Crash-A-Class initiative is designed to support student engagement and academic exploration. We encourage you to consider participating, as this is a great way to showcase your courses, connect with students, and support their academic decision-making early in the semester.
Faculty who would like to participate should complete the sign up form here with full and accurate course details, including:
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the specific dates during February 23–27 when students may attend, and
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the number of students (“crashers”) that can be accommodated per class session.
Deadline to participate: Friday, January 30
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Christopher Donoghue (Sociology) was quoted in the New York Times speaking about bullying in the workplace.
To Brian Krist (History) was quoted in Chalkbeat and The City on charter school issues in New York.
Melinda Knight (English, Center for Writing Excellence) published a new essay on William Gardner Smith in the collection American Writers in Paris: Then and Now
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Join an AI Reading List
AJ Kelton is curating a living document of articles on AI in the humanities, social sciences, and/or pedagogy. The document is searchable and each entry includes a citation and a 150-word AI-generated synopsis, organized by topic headings.
If you’d like access to view the document, please complete this form.
Those with access receive a brief update on Fridays listing new articles added that week, including the citation and a 50-word summary.
CHSS Resource Guide
This guide is designed to support our faculty, instructors, and staff by providing quick access to the tools, policies, and information you need to carry out your work effectively. Inside, you’ll find resources on office operations, administrative processes, technology support, and campus services all in one place. Whether you’re new or a tenured colleague, this guide will help you throughout the academic year. If you have a question and cannot find the answer in this guide, or don’t know who to contact, start with the Administrative Services Team.
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