Faculty Scholars
The Faculty Scholars program provides an opportunity for Loyola faculty to become more involved in the work of FCIP, while providing critical assistance to our programming. Faculty in these positions critically assess and assist with current FCIP programs, develop new opportunities for instructor faculty development, build partnerships across the University, all while lending their perspective and wisdom to benefit FCIP and all Loyola educators.
2024-2025 Cohort of Faculty Scholars:
Alyson Paige Warren, MFAW (who goes by Paige, she/her/hers) is an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of English at Loyola University Chicago and Columbia College Chicago. She is also the Part Time Co-Chair of Faculty Forward Loyola (Loyola's College of Arts and Sciences Adjunct and Non-Tenure Track union) and a Service Employees International Union Local 73 Executive Board Member.
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Dr. Noah Butler (PhD, Northwestern) is an Advanced Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology. He is a sociocultural Anthropologist with research interests in economics, religion, and knowledge, and has performed research in West Africa (primarily Niger). His teaching ranges from introductory and Core classes to upper-level seminars, and has been recognized by the Sujack Master Teacher Award and the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Freshmen. Additionally, he has mentored student research through a variety of programs, including the McNair Fellowship, the Provost Fellowship, the Social Justice Research Fellowship, the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership Fellowship, and the Ricci Fellowship. Dr. Butler brings experience with an array of qualitative methods and a deep appreciation of FCIP programming to his position as Program Evaluation Scholar.
Dr. tavis d. jules is Professor of Higher Education in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago. His focus and expertise lie in comparative and international education, specifically on issues of race, terrorism, regionalism, and dictatorial transition. He is the immediate past-President of the Caribbean Studies Association and an International Institute of Islamic Thought Fellow. He is a Co-Editor of Comparative Education Review and a Senior Fellow at NORRAG. At Loyola, he is a Magis Fellow, Diversity Advocate, and Diversity and Equity Liasion.
Dr. Abha Rai is the Associate Director of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Accompaniment in the School of Social Work. She comes with over a decade of international community work experience. She has worked closely with community-based organizations while designing programs, engaging in program evaluation and providing direct support to individuals, families and groups. Dr. Rai has been a grassroots community worker in both rural and urban India. She has led national campaigns across India in partnership with multinationals and agencies like Johnson & Johnson, ANZ Bank as well as the US Consulate. She has also worked with community organizations in the Chicago area for about two years now. Through her community experience, Dr. Rai has engaged both in micro and macro social work practice.
Dr. Rai earned her Bachelor in Academic Law and Master of Social Work degrees from India. She received her Doctorate in Philosophy from the School of Social Work, University of Georgia. Her research interest is informed by her passion for engaging in community-centered research. Her primary areas of interest include gender-based violence across communities, with a specific focus on immigrants and immigration issues. Dr. Rai is invested in mentoring and aims to create "significant learning experiences" for her students. She has previously taught both undergraduate and graduate-level courses. Her research and practice expertise directly inform her classroom approach and discussions. As a scholar, educator and practitioner, Dr. Rai strives to further social justice every step of the way.
Dr. Guofang Wan is a professor of Teaching and Learning at the School of Education with a Ph.D. Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Wan’s higher education career includes 25 years of teaching, research, and administration.
Dr. Wan's research has been nationally recognized. She recently received a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar award. She also received the Margaret B. Lindsey Award for Distinguished Research in Teacher Education from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the Fourth Annual Media Literacy Award from the National Council of Teachers of English. Dr. Wan is the book series editor for the Chinese American Educational Research and Development Association published by Information Age Publishing.
Dr. Sparkle Springfield is an assistant professor in the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health. As a nutritionist, her research focuses on understanding and improving diet quality and diet-related outcomes in African-American women through culturally tailored lifestyle interventions. She completed an NIH/NHLBI Cardiovascular Disease Prevention postdoctoral fellowship in the Prevention Research Center in the School of Medicine at Stanford University, and she is a former pre-doctoral fellow of the NIH/NCI Cancer Education Career Development Program. She was also an undergraduate fellow of the NIH/NIGMS Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U-STAR) program.
Dr. Polina Pine is an Advanced Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who teaches a variety of chemistry classes ranging from General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry to various 300-level Biochemistry classes. In addition to her major academic responsibilities, she mentors undergraduate students and performs pedagogical research that she publishes in peer-reviewed journals. One of Dr. Pine’s research projects was recognized by the Ignatian Pedagogy Research Grant. Dr. Pine regularly co-authors her papers with her mother and Loyola students. Pine received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Technion- Israel Institute of Technology where she studied using computational methods and highly sensitive nanoelectromechanical devices based on carbon nanotubes. This research resulted in multiple publications and awards. She came to United States for her post-doctorate research at Northwestern University in 2012 to investigate the mobility of viruses and nanoparticles in hydrogels and mucus. Dr. Pine’s teaching career started at the Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies where she taught Biochemistry. Dr. Pine holds Teaching Certificates from Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching at Northwestern University and the Ignatian Pedagogy Certificate from Loyola University Chicago.
Dr. Elisabeth Bayley is currently an Advanced Lecturer in the Department of English at Loyola University Chicago.
2023-2024 Cohort of Faculty Scholars:
Dr. Dana K. Harmon is a Clinical Associate Professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work. Dr. Harmon has a B.A. in sociology from the University of Alabama, a MSW from Loyola University Chicago, and a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Alabama. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and proud Graduate Scholar of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) that provides support to increase the number of minority scholars who earn the Ph.D. and seek careers as faculty members. She is also a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Alabama and has been practicing for over 25 years. As a social work practitioner, she believes each person has the strength and skills to search for and implement solutions for healing and growth, which can transform their life.
Dr. Harmon’s research includes Black males and families, police brutality against Black males, spirituality and religiosity among Black Americans, and social work education. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at local and national conferences. In 2022, Dr. Harmon was an Anti-Racist Pedagogy Faculty Scholar at Loyola University Chicago. In 2020, she was the recipient of the 8th Annual Florence W. Vigilante Award for Scholarly Excellence, in recognition of the best published co-authored article titled “The Dehumanization of Black Males by Police: Teaching Social Justice - Black Life Really Does Matter” in the Journal of Teaching in Social Work.
With over two decades of teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, Dr. Harmon has always been committed to helping create a just society and contribute to the common good of diversity, equity, and social justice. As a social work educator, Dr. Harmon views teaching as an opportunity to inspire, empower, and enhance student learning as a transformative experience. She embraces the idea that understanding anti-oppression, anti-racism, advocacy, human rights, and social justice is multi-systemic and multi-dimensional, as well as beneficial, when teaching across the social work curriculum and for program development.
One of the most meaningful aspects of her life is being from the historic city Tuskegee, Alabama.
Dr. Urooj Raja is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Advocacy and Social Change within the School of Communication. She is an interdisciplinary social scientist whose work focuses on how the general public engages with and responds to climate change. Her recent work has been published in top academic journals, including Scientific Reports and the Journal of Environmental Communication. Dr. Raja's work has been supported by national organizations, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the American Computing Machinery Association (ACM), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the 11th Hour Foundation, the Environmental Grantmaker's Association and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Dr. Raja is currently a Review Editor for the Frontiers: Science and Environmental Communication Journal and sits on the Executive Section of the AGU's Science and Society Section and the Environmental Communication section of the National Communication Association (NCA). Dr. Raja has previous work experience in the field of environmental philanthropy (the Solutions Project), polling behavior (Pew Research Center), and local, federal, and international levels of civic governance (NY State Assembly, U.S. House of Representatives, and the United Nations).
In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Raja is dedicated to developing and testing innovative pedagogical methods that focus on the relationship between the environment and society. Dr. Raja's efforts further aim to increase understanding of environmental inequities and advance the cause of environmental justice. Before joining Loyola University Chicago's School of Communication, Dr. Raja finished her doctoral studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the School of Sustainability, Energy, and Environment. Originally from Bronx, NY, Dr. Raja is an avid chess player and a Mater Terra fan.
Follow her research and public/science communication efforts on Twitter: @uroojra
Dr. Julie Chamberlin is a lecturer in the English Department who specializes in medieval and early modern literature and writing intensive courses. She enjoys finding innovative ways to incorporate technology in the classroom and make university research and writing more accessible. As a faculty scholar, she is looking forward to finding ways to empower both students and instructors to take ownership in their university experience through assignment design.
Dr. Noah Butler (PhD, Northwestern) is an Advanced Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology. He is a sociocultural Anthropologist with research interests in economics, religion, and knowledge, and has performed research in West Africa (primarily Niger). His teaching ranges from introductory and Core classes to upper-level seminars, and has been recognized by the Sujack Master Teacher Award and the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Freshmen. Additionally, he has mentored student research through a variety of programs, including the McNair Fellowship, the Provost Fellowship, the Social Justice Research Fellowship, the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership Fellowship, and the Ricci Fellowship. Dr. Butler brings experience with an array of qualitative methods, and a deep appreciation of FCIP programming, to his position as Program Evaluation Scholar.
Dr. Diana Franco serves as Clinical Assistant Professor at Loyola University Chicago, School of Social Work. Dr. Franco has been a clinical social worker for over 20 years. She graduated with a Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University in 2000 and with a DSW from New York University’s Silver School of Social Work in 2018. Dr. Franco provided school-based social work services for 18 years with the NYC Department of Education and believes that there is a correlation between academic success and social-emotional well-being. Dr. Franco’s area of research focuses on addressing the academic and social-emotional needs of immigrant and undocumented youth. She believes that the various and complex needs of immigrant youth in the education system may be addressed through trauma-informed groups in their native language, while incorporating the students’ cultural values and beliefs. Dr. Franco’s work delves into the relationship between trauma and the migration process, social justice, and human rights. Dr. Franco’s research has been published in the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, the Journal of Progressive Human Services, International Journal of Progressive Education, and Social Work Education and has presented her work nationally and internationally.
In addition to her contributions as a school social worker, Dr. Franco has provided psychotherapy in English and Spanish in various mental health clinics for children, adolescents, and adult service users. Dr. Franco is a trained volunteer clinician for Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC), where she conducts psychological assessments for migrants seeking asylum.
Dr. Franco is committed to creating a safe and inclusive academic environment that challenges and stimulates students to create new knowledge.
Patty Lamberti is the Program Director for Multimedia Journalism within the School of Communication. She has been teaching at Loyola University Chicago since 2008. She teaches courses within the disciplines of journalism, web design and speech.
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Dr. Felipe de J. Legarreta studied Theology at the Pontifical University of Mexico, the Pontifical Biblical Institute, and received his MA and doctorate on New Testament and Early Christianity from Loyola University Chicago. His specialty is Paul’s letters and has taught Theology for more than 25 years in a wide range of topics from Bible, Systematic Theology, and Jesuit Higher Education, with an emphasis on the ethical and social implications of the Scripture and Theology.
Following Liberation Theologians like Gustavo Gutierrez, Jon Sobrino, and Ignacio Ellacuría, Legarreta regards Theology as a “Second Act,” i.e. the theological reflection that takes place after a historical event, such as the Exodus, that is followed by reflection, and praxis. Thus, “doing theology” is a liberating act of God’s salvation in human history. The theologian is part of a long tradition of prophets, disciples, and apostles who harken to God’s voice and His people to bring about God’s kingdom now while we hope in eager expectation to the fullness of its manifestation in human history. His approach is interdisciplinary and global. The shared wisdom and Church’s tradition are intergenerational assets that always call for an interpretation and application in our days.
He has been teaching course on the Old and New Testaments, Christology, Ecclesiology, Christian Doctrine, Paul’s Letters, and Jesuit Traditions, on both face to face and online formats, in English and Spanish.
At the Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS), Dr. Legarreta is the advisor for the new Master in Arts in Pastoral Studies online in Spanish (MAPS) with students form the East to West coast in the USA and from Latin America, and courses on the Old and the New Testaments.
Dr. Amy M. Wilkinson is a Senior Lecturer at Loyola University Chicago where she teaches dance in the Department of Fine & Performing Arts and coordinates the MEd + Arts Residency Program with Loyola’s School of Education and Chicago Public Schools. Ms. Wilkinson began her professional performance career with the Open Door Theater in Boulder, Colorado. She has been an artistic associate with numerous Chicago companies including Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Same Planet Different World, and Thodos Dance Chicago, for whom she also served as the educational outreach coordinator. Ms. Wilkinson’s choreographic work has been performed at local, national, and international venues including the Ravinia Music Festival’s Rising Stars Concert Series, Dance Chicago, The New Prague Dance Festival, Nanjing China Normal University, The Istanbul Festival of Music and Dance, and a performance with the International Choir and Orchestra of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Recent projects include a cultural exchange in Havana, Cuba; numerous performance collaborations with Mandala Dance Company, under the direction of Paola Soressa, in Rome, Italy; and two dance films that gained official selection at more than a dozen national and international festivals. A published author, Ms. Wilkinson’s scholarship can be found in the Journal of Dance Education and Student Activism, Politics, and Campus Climate In Higher Education, edited by Demetri L. Morgan and Charles H. F. Davis III. A former OpEd Public Greenhouse Fellow, Ms. Wilkinson’s research interests include political identity development, arts education, academic capitalism, and creative voices in environmental sustainability.
Dr. Polina Pine is an Advanced Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who teaches a variety of chemistry classes ranging from General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry to various 300-level Biochemistry classes. In addition to her major academic responsibilities, she mentors undergraduate students and performs pedagogical research that she publishes in peer-reviewed journals. One of Dr. Pine’s research projects was recognized by the Ignatian Pedagogy Research Grant. Dr. Pine regularly co-authors her papers with her mother and Loyola students. Pine received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Technion- Israel Institute of Technology where she studied using computational methods and highly sensitive nanoelectromechanical devices based on carbon nanotubes. This research resulted in multiple publications and awards. She came to United States for her post-doctorate research at Northwestern University in 2012 to investigate the mobility of viruses and nanoparticles in hydrogels and mucus. Dr. Pine’s teaching career started at the Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies where she taught Biochemistry. Dr. Pine holds Teaching Certificates from Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching at Northwestern University and the Ignatian Pedagogy Certificate from Loyola University Chicago.
Alyson Paige Warren, MFAW (who goes by Paige, she/her/hers) is an Instructor in the Department of English at Loyola University Chicago. She is also the Part Time Co-Chair of Faculty Forward Loyola (Loyola’s College of Arts and Sciences Adjunct and Non-Tenure Track union) and a Service Employees International Union Local 73 Executive Board Member.
Dr. tavis d. jules is Professor of Higher Education in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago; his focus and expertise lie in comparative and international education, specifically on issues of race, terrorism, regionalism, and dictatorial transition. He is the immediate past-President of the Caribbean Studies Association and an International Institute of Islamic Thought Fellow. He is a Co-Editor of Comparative Education Review and a Senior Fellow at NORRAG. At Loyola, he is a Magis Fellow, Diversity Advocate, and Diversity and Equity Liasion.
Dr. Michael J. Schumacher is a Lecturer in the Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology (CJC) at Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Schumacher received his Ph.D. from Loyola, taught full-time for the Department of Political Science for three years (2020-2023), and joined the CJC department in Fall 2023 to conduct research and teach courses at the intersection of International Criminal Justice and Global Studies. His published research addresses the causes and consequences of terrorism, the links between democratization, authoritarianism, and political violence, conflict resolution and peacebuilding (with a focus on Palestine/Israel), and the impact of violent non-state actors on foreign and domestic policy. Dr. Schumacher has a regional specialization in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) where he has conducted years of field research, mostly in Morocco and Tunisia (his "home away from home"), on sensitive topics of global concern.
In addition to his scholarly work, Dr. Schumacher has been recognized as a College of Arts and Sciences “Master Teacher” and he teaches classes across the fields of Criminal Justice and Global Studies including Terrorism, Political Violence, International Criminal Justice, and Social and Political Justice. He is also a Faculty Affiliate with Loyola's Center for Research on International Affairs (CRIA).
More information about Dr. Schumacher's research, teaching experience, as well as his contact information and C.V., can be found on his permanent Loyola Faculty Bio
Dr. Elisabeth Bayley is currently an Advanced Lecturer in the Department of English at Loyola University Chicago.
