“A University can be no greater than its faculty,” said Fordham Provost Dennis Jacobs, Ph.D., during opening remarks. “At the time each of you were hired, we selected you because we saw

great potential in you as a teaching scholar … we were confident that over time, you would demonstrate the fulfillment of your potential.”

It was the third annual faculty celebration, a tradition that began in 2022.

Eighteen faculty members were recognized at the ceremony. Each was introduced by their college’s dean: Laura Auricchio, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center; Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D., dean of the Gabelli School of Business; Ji Seon Lee, Ph.D., acting dean of the Graduate School of Education; Debra McPhee, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Social Service; Bennett Capers, associate dean for research at Fordham Law School; Ann Gaylin, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; Bob Hume, Ph.D., acting dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences; and Maura Mast, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. 

The deans also read out a list of the faculty members’ accomplishments, ranging from publications in prestigious academic journals to bringing in millions in grant funding for research to the University. 

President Tania Tetlow delivered closing remarks, congratulating the faculty members and thanking them for their service to Fordham, on behalf of the University and its students.

The honorees promoted to professor were as follows: 

• Christopher Aubin, Ph.D. (Physics and Engineering Physics)
• Lauri Goldkind, Ph.D. (Graduate School of Social Service)
• Thaier Hayajneh, Ph.D. (Computer and Information Science)
• Robert Hernández, Ph.D. (English)
• Ron Lazebnik (School of Law)

The faculty members who earned tenure were: 

• Norrinda Brown (School of Law)
• Natasha Burke, Ph.D. (Psychology)
• Rufus Burnett Jr., Ph.D. (Theology)
• Leah Feuerstahler, Ph.D. (Psychology)
• Elizabeth Gil, Ph.D. (Graduate School of Education)
• Lauren Kopajtic, Ph.D. (Philosophy)
• Elizabeth Matthews, Ph.D. (Graduate School of Social Service)
• Dominik Molitor, Ph.D. (Gabelli School of Business)
• Brandy Monk-Payton, Ph.D. (Communication and Media Studies)
• Rahbel Rahman-Tahir, Ph.D. (Graduate School of Social Service)
• Fadi Skeiker, Ph.D. (Theatre)
• Nicholas Smyth, Ph.D. (Philosophy)
• Laura Specker Sullivan, Ph.D. (Philosophy)

Awardees will travel to countries in Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Europe for 10 months of teaching and research, immersing themselves in new cultures. The University announced 12 Fulbright winners in early May; the number rose to 14 a few weeks later, and has now risen to 15, because of awards granted to students who had been named Fulbright alternates.

“We are overjoyed that we have a record number of Fulbright awardees this year! It’s a testament to the outstanding work of our students and alumni, and the faculty and staff who support them,” said Lorna Ronald, Ph.D., director of Fordham’s Office of Prestigious Fellowships.

She noted that Fordham’s number of applicants has risen from 25 to 38 over the past two years. “We’re working hard to let all our students know that they can apply,” she said. “There is no GPA cutoff or ‘right’ type of student. Fordham students are interested in service, and many have studied abroad, speak multiple languages, or come from multicultural backgrounds, so they make excellent Fulbright candidates.”

In February, for the sixth time, the U.S. State Department recognized Fordham for being one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of Fulbright awardees.

A Focus on Immigrants and Refugees

Jennifer Espinal, FCRH ’24, who grew up in the Bronx, is headed to Spain’s La Rioja province to work as an English teaching assistant. She hopes to expand her knowledge of Spanish—“I speak very ‘Nuyorican’ Spanish,” she joked—and learn more about the nation’s culture and its large refugee population.

Espinal double majored in history and Latin American and Latino studies, with a political science minor, and wants to become an attorney who serves immigrant families. She comes from one herself—her parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic, and her mother works as a custodian at the Rose Hill campus.

Seeing her daughter graduate on May 18 was an emotional moment. “None of this would be possible without you,” Jennifer told her in Spanish that morning. (Watch Espinal and other first-generation graduates give thanks to their families at commencement.)

Making Early Childhood Education Inclusive

Bailey Kaufman, a doctoral candidate at the Graduate School of Education and adjunct professor at the school, will be traveling to the Slovak Republic to study early childhood math instruction, as well as the cultural biases in educational materials that can hinder learning.

One aspect of her research is the bias in picture books used to teach math and how that makes them less accessible to children from the country’s Romani minority. Romani children are already marginalized, Kaufman said, noting that only a third of them are enrolled in early childhood programs, compared with the republic’s national average of 72%.

Based at the University of Prešov, she’ll work with European organizations seeking to improve early childhood education and build a comparative analysis. A question she hopes to answer, she said, is “how are other countries approaching mathematics in early childhood and training future teachers, and what can we take from that and bring to U.S. institutions of higher education?”

Studying National Identity in Wales

In addition to the 15 Fulbright scholarships, one student was accepted into a different Fulbright program, the highly competitive U.K. Summer Institute for first- and second-year college students. Mackenzie Saenz De Viteri, a CSTEP Summer Scholar and first-year student at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, will spend three weeks at Aberystwyth University in Wales.

She looks forward to learning directly about Wales’ history and identity, as well as how the country attained independence and structured its government, which may hold lessons for Puerto Rico, said De Viteri, an international studies and anthropology double major from Central Islip, New York.

Her interest is “taking examples from other parts of the world who have similar dilemmas and using that to help solve current issues,” said De Viteri, a first-generation college student who has family in Puerto Rico.

In addition to Kaufman and Espinal, 13 other students and alumni received awards from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program:

Caroline Albacete, FCRH ’21, from Pennsylvania, a member of the Honors Program who earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies, with minors in French and history, was awarded an English teaching assistantship to Colombia.

Michael Au-Mullaney, from the Bronx, a doctoral candidate in philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, received a research award for study in Denmark.

Richard (Ricky) DeSantis, from California, a doctoral candidate in philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, received a Fulbright-ifk Junior Fellowship for study in Austria.

Alexandra (Alex) Huey, FCRH ’23, from Florida, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science, with a minor in economics, received a Fulbright-CY Initiative Award to pursue a master’s degree in Paris, France.

Nathan (Nate) Johnson, LAW ’22, who is from New York City and earned a juris doctorate, received a Fulbright/Ulster University Award to pursue an LLM in Northern Ireland.

Kathleen Kye, FCLC ’22, from New Jersey, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and Spanish studies, with a minor in psychology, was awarded an English teaching assistantship to Argentina. 

Sophia Maier, FCRH ’23, from New York state, who earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies and will receive a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Education this spring, was awarded an English teaching assistantship to Spain.

Isaac Mullings, FCRH ’24, from the Bronx, a member of the CSTEP program who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, received a research award for study in Ghana.

Anna Nowalk, FCLC ’23, from Virginia, who earned a bachelor’s degree in theology religious studies with minors in philosophy and peace and justice studies, received a research award for study in El Salvador.

Christian Ramirez, FCRH ’23, who is from Minnesota and earned a bachelor’s degree in English and theology religious studies, with a minor in Spanish, was awarded an English teaching assistantship to Colombia.

Margaret (Daisy) Salchli, FCRH ’24, from Chicago, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, international studies, and Chinese studies, was awarded an English teaching assistantship to Taiwan.

Emilia Tesoriero, FCRH ’24, from Connecticut, who earned a bachelor’s degree in international political economy with a minor in Spanish, was awarded an English teaching assistantship to Spain.

Connie Ticho, LAW ’24, from Pennsylvania, received a research award for study in South Africa.

One alumnus is a Fulbright alternate:

Hanif Amanullah, FCRH ’24, from Texas, who earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies with a minor in environmental studies, was named an alternate for a study and research award to Kenya.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated from an earlier version.

We asked grads to welcome the Class of 2024 with a special gift: their advice and life lessons. And they eagerly answered the call.

Always Persist  

Persist even in the face of iron-clad adversity. We get one chance to do this thing called life, so don’t dream too small, and never give up!

Benedetto Youssef, Fordham College at Lincoln Center, Class of 2012

Balance Your Ambition and Happiness

Don’t ever let your hunger for success ruin your happiness.

Michael Bennis, Gabelli School of Business, Classes of 2017 and 2018

Turn the Page

Take it all in—day by day, week by week, month by month. You will feel weird at first. It’s inevitable. A chapter closing. But your new chapter will bring so many blessings, so many new lessons—and some old lessons and people that you will hold on to. Whether you’re staying in NYC, in your hometown, or venturing out where you know no one, you’ll be great and amazing at everything you do. Congratulations, and here’s to many new memories for you!

Aminata Konateh, Fordham College at Rose Hill, Class of 2023

Embrace Change, But Stay True to Yourself

Don’t be afraid to change direction. Remember why you started this whole journey.

Jayne (Zambito) Lee, Graduate School of Education, Class of 1977

Build Strong Relationships

Cultivate meaningful connections with friends, family, mentors, and colleagues. These relationships will support you through both the good times and the challenges life throws your way.

Lisa Manfredi, Gabelli School of Business, Class of 1991  

Lift Up Those Around You

Hold on tight to one another and lift up those around you, for the best is yet to come. I was lucky enough to find a group of women who were supportive, kindhearted, and passionate. If you had asked us in March 2022 where we would be today, we would have responded, “Together, of course.” But we accepted life-changing opportunities, erupting with excitement for one another: I accepted a job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, another accepted a position with Amazon in Seattle, one with the Los Angeles Lakers in LA, another began her career in luxury real estate in San Diego, one went to Boston to work in marketing, and one stayed in the Big Apple. Although we are still living coast to coast, we make time for each other, whether it is in our group chat, at Homecoming, or on our yearly weekend trip. I am so grateful to Fordham for allowing our paths to cross.

Maggie Flahive, Fordham College at Rose Hill, Class of 2022

Keep Reading, Keep Learning

Always be reading a well-written book—even if it’s just a few pages a day. I’m an attorney, and that habit always sharpens my mind and is enjoyable. In the course of a year, it’s amazing how many books you’ll read!

David G. O’Brien, Fordham College at Rose Hill, Class of 1969; School of Law, Class of 1975

Submissions have been edited for length and clarity. Many thanks to all the alumni who shared their advice and graduation day photos.

After reading her result, Owes, 30, yells out, “I passed! I passed!” before jumping up and then bursting into tears.

Owes wrote in text overlaid in the video, “POV: You’re a formerly incarcerated single mom who passed the bar early on the first try.”

In the accompanying caption, she wrote in part, “Thank you to my angels, my momma, my grandma. Thank you for my son, my brother, my family and my tribe.”

Owes was also featured on The Tamron Hall Show.

“You have an obligation to behave in the interest of that organization,” said Linda Sugin, a professor of nonprofit law at Fordham University. “The problem is, when you’re on both sides of the transaction, then we’re skeptical that you’re going to put the organization’s interests before your own.”

Ms. Sugin said the institute could have reduced its risk by soliciting bids from competing firms to gauge whether the insiders were charging market rates. The institute could have asked its leaders to recuse themselves from the decision to hire their own companies, she said.

“This feels like a blow to the #MeToo movement, and I think this ruling will retraumatize victims, but I’m hoping the victims will see the court’s ruling in a limited way,” Bader said. “Hopefully, this won’t dissuade victims from coming forward,” she said.

“There’s so much the FTC didn’t consider,” Susan Scafidi, director of the Fashion Law Institute at Fordham University School of Law, told me, including how today’s handbag consumers shop, the blurred market segment lines and the impact of new competitors. “The case simply doesn’t make logical sense in many ways.”

Landau has served as the associate dean of academic affairs since 2021. He has served on the faculty since 2010 and twice won Fordham Law School’s Teacher of the Year Award.

Matthew Diller, who has served as the dean of Fordham Law since 2015, announced last June that he plans to step down from the position. He will return to the law school faculty, where he previously served for 16 years.

“Dean Landau’s deep engagement in critical legal discussions go beyond scholarship to make an impact on the practice of law and its effects on society,” said Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham. “His leadership roles within and beyond Fordham demonstrate a deep commitment to the law and social justice, and to ensuring that Fordham Law students thrive as future leaders in the legal community.”

Landau said, “I am deeply honored and excited for the opportunity to lead Fordham Law School. Fordham Law has a unique role in legal education. We bring a tradition of excellence to our mission of service to the community and to the larger legal profession. Our superb academic program, distinguished and diverse faculty, vibrant scholarly community, talented students, and accomplished alumni are a source of inspiration. Matthew has been a tremendous dean, and I look forward to building on his remarkable legacy.”

Diller added, “It has been my privilege and honor to lead Fordham Law for the past nine years. I believe our school will be in great hands under Joe, who brings his brilliance, energy, and enthusiasm to Fordham Law every day. I’ve worked closely with him as a colleague and value his counsel and leadership across the law school. He understands the DNA of our school and has the vision to carry our mission forward in a changing world. He is well poised to lead Fordham into the next great era of legal education.”

Landau is an accomplished scholar who writes at the intersection of constitutional law and procedure. His articles have appeared in major law reviews, including the Columbia Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Vanderbilt Law Review, and Minnesota Law Review. He is also a prominent thought leader in the legal community who has had commentaries published in outlets such as The New York Times, The New Republic, and National Law Journal. He was honored with the Fordham Law Dean’s Distinguished Research Award in 2020–2021.

Landau’s tenure at Fordham has been marked by significant contributions to academic programming, strategic planning, and the advancement of social justice through law, particularly in the movement for the rights of LGBT immigrants. He is a former board chair of Immigration Equality and the Immigration Equality Action Fund, and he served on the NYC Bar Association’s LGBT Rights Committee. He was the recipient of Immigration Equality’s Global Vision Award in 2014, and in 2012, he was named one of the Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 by the National LGBT Bar Association. As associate dean for academic affairs, he has been a champion of Fordham’s values, a close collaborator with faculty and administrators, an advocate for students, and a booster of alumni.

Prior to joining the Fordham Law faculty, Landau was an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, where in addition to specializing in securities litigation he co-directed the firm’s pro bono practice group in immigration and international human rights.

Landau earned his J.D. from Yale Law School and his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude. Prior to law school, he was the assistant managing editor at The New Republic magazine. After law school, he clerked for Judge David Trager of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and Judge Betty Binns Fletcher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

He is married to Joseph Fitzgerald, and they have two children.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.

Read the full story at Fordham Law News.