Faculty Accolades from the Office of the Provost

Russell Sage College’s Office of the Provost congratulates faculty members who received distinguished honors, presented and published research, and engaged in professional service during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Kelly Smith, MSEd, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Education
Russell Sage College President’s Community Service Award

Mary Ellen Tedesco, M.S., Assistant Professor of the Practice of Management
Exemplary Service Award for Faculty

Harvey Strum, Ph.D., Professor of History
Susan Warren Beatty Faculty Research Award for Excellence in Research

Racheal Paige, DNP, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Nursing.
Terry Cannizzaro Award honoring outstanding graduate faculty

Tyler Owitz, DNP, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Nursing
The Russell Sage College Faculty of the Year Award

The provost’s office also recognizes the following outstanding faculty members who were nominated for Faculty of the Year honors: 

Stephanie Bennett-Knapp, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Studies
Judith A. Barnes Faculty Fellow in Communications (2025-2027)

John Dion, DBA., Management,
Lawrence Family Foundation Professorship in Economics and Business (2025-2027)

Jacob Ebbs, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Studies,
Betty Harder McClellan Distinguished Professor in Humanities (2026-2028)

Mercedes Fabian, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Studies,
Lewis A. Froman Endowed Fellow (2026-2027)

Tonya Moutray, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Studies,
The Reverend Dr. Edith Grace Craig Reynolds Chair of Religion and Philosophy (2026-2028)

Michael Musial, MM, Visual & Performing Arts,
Edith McCrea Professor in the Fine Arts (2026-2029)

Marisa Beeble, Ph.D., Psychology,
Lorraine Walker Chair in Developmental Psychology (2026-2028)

Emilly Obuya, Ph.D., Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics,
Walter Robb and Anne Gruver Robb Fellow in the Sciences (2026-2028)

Brian White, MBA, Management,
Emily L. Mantilia Professor in Business (2026-2027)

Courtney Wrenn, M.Ed., MFA, Professional Education Programs,
Sherman David Spector Professor in the Humanities (2026-2028)

Period Covered: May 10, 2025-May 8, 2026

Consulting and reviewing activities by Harvey Strum, Interdisciplinary Studies, included chairing sessions for the Midwestern Political Science Association and the International Humanities Conference; evaluating abstracts for the Joint Journalism and Mass Communications Conference; and providing historical expertise to community members inquiring about the history of the Troy Jewish community and regional antisemitism.

Tonya Moutray, Interdisciplinary Studies, was awarded an Open Educational Resources Grant by the Russell Sage College Libraries and Faculty Development Council.

Cathron Donaldson, Physical Therapy, successfully defended her dissertation to earn her Doctor of Health Science degree.

Katrin Ramsey, Physical Therapy, was named a Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She earned board certification from the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, joining a select group of 10,000 clinicians worldwide dedicated to evidence-based chronic disease prevention and management.

David Baecker, Visual & Performing Arts, performed in Oklahoma! with Playhouse Stage Company in Albany’s Washington Park, as well as an encore production A Christmas Story the Musical at Cohoes Music Hall.

Francesca Durand, Educational Leadership, presented two sessions at the AAQEP Quality Assurance Symposium in Irving, Texas: “A Renewed Framework for Leadership Preparation Programs” (co-presented with Deb Shea) and “Enhancing Accreditation Processes Through Qualitative Research: A Well-Rounded Approach to the QAR and IQAR.”

Julie Hart, The Aphasia Center, and Amy Dixon, Nursing, presented at the American Speech and Hearing Association Convention on the collaboration between the Aphasia Center and Community Nursing students using supported conversation for aphasia.

Sonya Hauser and Laura McClure, Nutrition Science, presented “Ultra-Processed Foods: Nutrition Quality in Policy and Practice,” at the National Child Nutrition Conference in Las Vegas in April.

Hauser, McClure, and Lisa Schmitt presented a poster, “Interest and Experience in Culinary Medicine Training and Careers Among Current Nutrition Professionals,” at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Nashville in October 2025.

In August 2025, Tonya Moutray, Interdisciplinary Studies, presented “‘My brother and the nuns are very merry’: Wordsworth’s Memorials of a Tour on the Continent (1822) and Dorothy Wordsworth’s Continental Journal (1820)” at the Wordsworth Summer Conference at Rydal Hall, U.K. The presentation examined the travel writings of Dorothy, Mary, and William Wordsworth. In March 2026, Moutray presented “Northeast by Midwest: The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and the Albany Mission” at the Capital District Feminist Studies Consortium Conference. This work is part of a broader research project on the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in the Capital Region in the 19th century. She also presented “Northeast by Midwest” at Queen Mary University in June 2026, at the History of Women Religious Britain and Ireland conference.

Michelle Napierski-Prancl, Interdisciplinary Studies, presented “Sixteen Candles, Sex and the City, and the Names Parents Choose for their Children” at the Eastern Sociological Society annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in March 2026.

In February, Katrin Ramsey, Physical Therapy, presented a poster, “Sleep Deficiency: A Modifiable Risk Factor That Negatively Impacts College Student Health and Well-being,” at the 2026 American Physical Therapy Association Annual Combined Sections Meeting in Anaheim, California. Doctor of Physical Therapy candidates Joshua Alvarez-Mapes, Genevieve Brites, Olivia Champitto, and Nicole Soutar, coauthored the study. 

Harvey Strum, Interdisciplinary Studies, delivered an extensive series of presentations and papers for conferences, community forums, and media outlets:

In May 2025, Regina Vertone, Russell Sage College Libraries, participated on a panel, “Reimagining Your Career,” at the Reinvigorating Librarianship Symposium presented by the Capital District Library Council’s Collection Development and Sharing Committee.

In May 2025, Jennifer Anderson and Regina Vertone, Russell Sage College Libraries, presented “Empowering faculty with knowledge of OER resources: The Russell Sage College Libraries’ experiences,” at the Association of College and Research Libraries Eastern New York Chapter Conference at the University at Albany. Russell Sage’s Open Educational Resources grant has been awarded to 29 faculty members. The presentation included an overview of the grant award process, successful faculty OER projects, and shared estimates of total textbook and course material savings for students.

Cheryl Ostryn, Applied Behavior Analysis, coauthored A Complete Guide to Teaching Sexuality Education for Students with Developmental Disabilities. The book was published by Greatness Achieved Publishing Company in April 2026. 

Harvey Strum, Interdisciplinary Studies, published extensively across journals, conference proceedings, and media outlets during the academic year: