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Participants in the research fellows induction ceremony sit on chairs in rows while a speaker talks at a lectern at the front of a room.

Research Institute Fellows

Since its establishment in 2018, the SLU Research Institute has sought to build and nurture an ambitious culture of discovery and innovation at Saint Louis University. The Research Institute Fellows program recognizes, celebrates, and supports our researchers whose scholarly accomplishments embody the research eminence that SLU is dedicated to growing and promoting.

Research Meeting

The Research Institute Fellows Program was launched in 2022 to honor faculty who contribute significantly to SLU’s research eminence. The criteria and process for appointing fellows were developed and refined with input from SLU’s research councils (Scholarship; Health; Science & Engineering; School of Medicine Research Planning Committee), deans, and the provost prior to the program’s launch.

Candidates are identified through databases that provide benchmarking tools for measuring and comparing research productivity and through internal peer review. SLU’s main database for benchmarking research productivity is Academic Analytics, which provides the most comprehensive data for comparing SLU faculty with their peers at other universities with a Carnegie R1 classification ("very high research activity"). Academic Analytics' Scholarly Research Index (SRI) weighs a faculty member’s articles and/or monographs, federal grants secured, presentations, awards, and journal citations in relation to the specific field of research as part of this assessment. Candidates who are considered for election as fellows have SRI scores that are at least one standard deviation above the mean of peers at R1 universities, based on the most recent data (currently 2021).

Candidate lists for each college or school are sent to their respective deans for review, and deans are also invited to nominate additional faculty based on their college or school’s specific metrics and other indicators for assessing research excellence. Once the deans return their reviewed list of faculty fellow nominations, the director of the Research Institute makes a recommendation to the provost, who makes the final determination. Using these methods, the provost, advised by the director of the Research Institute, chooses fellows annually in recognition of both their scholarly accomplishments at the very highest level of their fields and their embodiment of the University’s Jesuit research mission to innovate and serve. The group comprises outstanding researchers who reflect the breadth of the University’s research enterprise and exemplify SLU’s aspirations of rigor and impact.

The fellows program is rooted in SLU’s commitment to build an interdisciplinary community of dedicated scholars and promote a culture of rigorous intellectual exchange and collaboration across the University. Fellows receive unique opportunities to convene with colleagues across departments and disciplines to expand their understanding of different fields of inquiry, and also to discover spaces where their research questions intersect.

Fellows will have access to a variety of collaborative forums, events, and training opportunities sponsored by the Research Institute throughout the academic year. These offerings are designed to stimulate discussions and collaborations among fellows, providing extra time and space to explore innovative ideas in the streams of their research. These opportunities will be communicated via email at the beginning of each year and this web page will be updated to reflect current dates, times, and locations.

Fall 2022 Research Institute Fellows

The first cohort of Research Institute Fellows was named in August 2022:

Cameron Anglum, Ph.D.
Education
School of Education

Edwin Antony, Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Microbiology
School of Medicine

Jeffery Bishop, M.D., Ph.D,
Health Care Ethics
College of Arts and Sciences

Bidisha Chakrabarty, Ph.D.
Finance
Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business

Denise Côté-Arsenault, Ph.D., RN
Nursing
Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing

Helen De Cruz, Ph.D.
Philosophy
College of Arts and Sciences

Benjamin de Foy, Ph.D.
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
School of Science and Engineering

Alexei Demchenko, Ph.D.
Chemistry
School of Science and Engineering

Enrico Di Cera, M.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Microbiology
School of Medicine

Richard Di Paolo, Ph.D.
Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
School of Medicine

Mark Dykewicz, M.D.
Internal Medicine
School of Medicine

James Edwards, Ph.D.
Chemistry
School of Science and Engineering

Flavio Esposito, Ph.D.
Computer Science
School of Science and Engineering

Ruth Evans, Ph.D.
English
College of Arts and Sciences

Chad Flanders, Ph.D., J.D.
Law
School of Law

David Ford, Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Microbiology
School of Medicine

Kasey Fowler-Finn, Ph.D.
Biology
College of Arts and Sciences

Koyal Garg, Ph.D.
Biomedical Engineering
School of Science and Engineering

Lorri Glover, Ph.D.
History
College of Arts and Sciences

Jenna Gorlewicz, Ph.D.
Mechanical Engineering
School of Science and Engineering

Richard Grucza, Ph.D., MPE
Family and Community Medicine
School of Medicine

Dan Haybron, Ph.D.
Philosophy
College of Arts and Sciences

Verna Hendricks-Ferguson, Ph.D., RN
Nursing
Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing

Daniel Hoft, M.D., Ph.D.
Internal Medicine
School of Medicine

Jin Huang, Ph.D., M.S.W.
School of Social Work

Christa Jackson, Ph.D.
Education
School of Education

Devin Johnston, Ph.D.
English
College of Arts and Sciences

Grant Kaplan, Ph.D.
Theological Studies
College of Arts and Sciences

Istvan Kiss, Ph.D.
Chemistry
School of Science and Engineering

Jason Knouft, Ph.D.
Biology
College of Arts and Sciences

Helen Lach, Ph.D., RN
Nursing
Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing

Atria Larson, Ph.D.
Theological Studies
College of Arts and Sciences

Krista Lentine, M.D., Ph.D.
Internal Medicine
School of Medicine

Yi Li, Ph.D.
Nutrition and Dietetics
Doisy College of Health Sciences

Thomas Madden, Ph.D.
History
College of Arts and Sciences

Peter Martens, Ph.D.
Theological Studies
College of Arts and Sciences

Marvin Meyers, Ph.D.
Chemistry
School of Science and Engineering

Allison Miller, Ph.D.
Biology
College of Arts and Sciences

Adriana Montaño, Ph.D.
Pediatrics
School of Medicine

Takako Nomi, Ph.D.
Education
School of Education

Marcus Painter, Ph.D.
Finance
Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business

Hal Parker, Ph.D.
History
College of Arts and Sciences

Ranjit Ray, Ph.D.
Internal Medicine
School of Medicine

Ratna Ray, Ph.D.
Pathology
School of Medicine

James Redfield, Ph.D.
Theological Studies
College of Arts and Sciences

Gary Ritter, Ph.D.
Education
School of Education

Mark Ruff, Ph.D.
History
College of Arts and Sciences

Vasit Sagan, Ph.D.
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
School of Science and Engineering

Daniela Salvemini, Ph.D.
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine

Ness Sandoval, Ph.D.
Sociology
College of Arts and Sciences

Jonathan Sawday, Ph.D.
English
College of Arts and Sciences

Jeffrey Scherrer, Ph.D.
Family and Community Medicine
School of Medicine

Scott Sell, Ph.D.
Biomedical Engineering
School of Science and Engineering

Enbal Shacham, Ph.D.
Behavioral Science and Health Education
College for Public Health and Social Justice

Silvana Siddali, Ph.D.
History
College of Arts and Sciences

Nitish Singh, Ph.D.
International Business
Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business

Damien Smith, Ph.D.
History
College of Arts and Sciences

Eleonore Stump, Ph.D.
Philosophy
College of Arts and Sciences

Abby Stylianou, Ph.D.
Computer Science
School of Science and Engineering

Jintong Tang, Ph.D.
Management
Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business

John Tavis, Ph.D.
Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
School of Medicine

Jeffrey Teckman, M.D.
Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
School of Medicine

Warren Treadgold, Ph.D.
History
College of Arts and Sciences

Michael Vaughn, Ph.D.
School of Social Work

Jeremiah Weinstock, Ph.D.
Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences

Lupei Zhu, Ph.D.
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
School of Science and Engineering

Fall 2023 Research Institute Fellows

The second cohort of Research Institute Fellows was named in November 2023:

 

Headshot of Bradley Bailey, Ph.D.

Bradley Bailey, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Art History
College of Arts and Sciences

Scholar and curator Bradley Bailey, Ph.D., is an associate professor of art history at Saint Louis University. His research focuses primarily on the work of the artist Marcel Duchamp, and his publications include the book, “Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Chess” (2009), which he co-authored with Francis M. Naumann and Woman Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade. His recent articles include publications in the journals October (MIT Press), The Burlington Magazine, and The Brooklyn Rail. In 2013, he co-authored the book, “Marcel Dzama: Sower of Discord” (Abrams Books) with Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers. As a curator, his exhibitions “Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Chess” and “Out of the Box: Artists Play Chess” have been written about in The New York Times and ARTNews.

Headshot of Michael D. Barber, S.J., Ph.D.

Michael D. Barber, S.J., Ph.D.

Professor of Philosophy
College of Arts and Sciences

Michael Barber, S.J., Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Saint Louis University. He completed his B.A. and M.A. at SLU, attended the Jesuit School of Theology in Chicago from 1976-1979, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1979. He then pursued his doctorate of philosophy at Yale University, and after graduating, he returned to SLU where he has held the positions of dean of the College of Philosophy and Letters (2009-2011) and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (2010-2015). His research interests focus on phenomenology, social philosophy, philosophy or religion, and philosophy and race. Barber has authored eight books, edited over 20 volumes of articles and classic texts, and produced more than 100 articles in the general area of phenomenology and the social world.

Headshot of Julie Birkenmaier, Ph.D., MSW

Julie Birkenmaier, Ph.D., MSW

Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work
Faculty Director in Financial Capability at the Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis

Julie Birkenmaier, Ph.D., MSW, is a professor of social work at the Saint Louis University School of Social Work. She is also a faculty director in financial capability at the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis, and a fellow for the Society for Social Work and Research. Her research focuses on financial capability and asset building practice, financial access, and personal financial credit. Her research has been funded by the National Endowment for Financial Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Her recent publications on these topics have been published in journals such as the Journal of Consumer Affairs, the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, and Campbell Systematic Reviews. She is a co-author of “Financial Capability and Asset-Building in Vulnerable Households” (2018, Oxford University Press), and “Financial Capability and Asset Building with Diverse Populations” (2018, Routledge Press). She teaches financial capability and asset building practice, community practice, and policy practice. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and a B.A. and MSW from Saint Louis University.

Headshot of Brad D. Carlson, Ph.D.

Brad D. Carlson, Ph.D.

Professor and James J. Pierson Endowed Chair of Marketing, Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business
President of the Academy of Marketing Science

Brad Carlson earned his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University and began his academic journey at Texas Tech University before joining Saint Louis University in 2008. He served as the director of the Ph.D. program in the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business from 2016 to 2021 and currently serves as president of the Academy of Marketing Science, the preeminent international association for marketing academics. His research centers on consumer-based strategy, applying insights from psychology and social psychology to understand consumer behavior and inform marketing strategies. His work has garnered national and international recognition and has been published in top marketing journals, including the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (JAMS), the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Applied Psychology, the International Journal of Research in Marketing, and the Journal of Business Research, among others. In addition to his research achievements, Carlson has been honored with multiple awards for excellence in teaching and service, including the prestigious Distinguished Faculty Member Award within the Chaifetz School of Business.

Headshot of Michael C. Duff, J.D.

Michael C. Duff, J.D.

Professor of Law
School of Law

Michael C. Duff, J.D., is a professor of law at Saint Louis University School of Law. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a scholar-member of the Center for Progressive Reform, and a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. He is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, the National Civil Justice Institute, and the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.

Duff attended college in his late 20s, while simultaneously employed full-time as a union-represented airline ramp worker. He was the first Black Teamster shop-steward in the history of U.S. Airways’ 800-person ramp group in Philadelphia and was much sought after by co-workers as an effective union advocate. The first member of his family to attend law school or college, Duff went directly from the airport tarmac to the Harvard Law School in 1992, after graduating summa cum laude from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 1991. He worked part-time as a law clerk with the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents, while attending law school, and graduated from Harvard in 1995. He then went on to work for a small law firm in Maine from 1995-1997, where he represented injured workers and labor unions. Duff joined the National Labor Relations Board in 1997 and served for almost 10 years as a government labor lawyer in the Board’s offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. In spring 2006, Duff was invited to apply for a professorship by the dean of the University of Wyoming College of Law and began his work as a law professor in July 2006.

Duff was appointed professor at the Saint Louis University School of Law in 2022 and teaches there in the William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law. He teaches courses in torts, labor law, workers’ compensation law, and occupational safety and health. He is especially interested in the occupational segregation of employees of color, and the severe undercompensation of employees stricken by work-related occupational disease.

Throughout his academic career, Duff has focused his research on workers’ compensation law and the National Labor Relations Act. He has written on labor, employment, and personal injury issues, and has been frequently quoted on such matters in various national publications. He is the author (or co-author) of textbooks, treatises, and scholarly articles in these subjects. He is also the founder and co-editor of the Workers’ Compensation Law Professors’ Blog.

Headshot of Monica Eppinger, Ph.D., J.D.

Monica Eppinger, Ph.D., J.D.

Associate Professor of Law
School of Law

Monica Eppinger, J.D., Ph.D., is a comparative legal scholar and anthropologist of law and state formation with a focus on Ukraine and on the United States. She researches law as an investigation at the intersection of language and power and she is particularly interested in how our ideas and practices of organizing space affect social organization. This focus is evident in her work in property, in topics ranging from racial segregation to agriculture; and in national security, in topics ranging from comparative conceptions of sovereignty to law and the conduct of war. Eppinger's current projects pursue several lines of inquiry, notably into: 1) post-Cold War state formation, 2) national security and executive power, 3) gender in the law and conduct of war, and 4) property and social precarity.

Eppinger has published in the American Journal of Comparative Law, Theoretical Inquiries in Law, the Journal of Food Law and Policy, Catholic University Law Review, Georgetown Journal of Gender and Law, Ewha (South Korea) Journal of Gender and Law, HAU: a Journal of Ethnographic Theory, and the Cultural Anthropology Fieldsights series.

In her first career as a U.S. diplomat, Eppinger worked on U.S. policy toward the former Soviet space, toward West Africa, and on energy security. She holds a B.A. from Yale College, a MALD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of California Berkeley, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. She is currently an associate professor of law and anthropology at Saint Louis University where she also served as co-director of the Center for International and Comparative Law from 2017-2023. She is spending the academic year 2023-2024 on research leave as a fellow of the Center for the Study of Law and Society at University of California Berkeley. She is also proficient in Ukrainian and Russian.  

 

 

Annie Garner, Ph.D.
Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences

Claire Gilbert, Ph.D.
History
College of Arts and Sciences

Kelly Gillespie, R.N., J.D., Ph.D.
Law
School of Law

Ajay Kumar Jain, M.D.
Pediatrics; Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine

Brandy R. Maynard, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Social Work
School of Social Work

Leslie McClure, Ph.D.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
College for Public Health and Social Justice

Marcia McCormick, J.D.
Law
School of Law

Matthew Nanes, Ph.D.
Political Science
College of Arts and Sciences

Steven Rogers, Ph.D.
Political Science
College of Arts and Sciences

Rubén Rosario Rodríguez, Ph.D.
Theological Studies
College of Arts and Sciences

Bernard Rousseau, Ph.D., M.M.H.C.
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Doisy College of Health Sciences

Nil Santiáñez, Ph.D.
Languages, Literatures and Cultures
College of Arts and Sciences

Rachel Greenwald Smith, Ph.D.
English
College of Arts and Sciences

Anne Stiles, Ph.D.
English
College of Arts and Sciences

Cynthia Stollhans, Ph.D.
Art History
College of Arts and Sciences

Yan Sun, Ph.D.
Accounting
Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business

Brent A. Tetri, M.D.
Internal Medicine
School of Medicine

Gregory Edward Triplett Jr., Ph.D.
Civil, Computer and Electrical Engineering
School of Science and Engineering

Phyllis Weliver, D. Phil.
English
College of Arts and Sciences