Welcome New Faculty

Academic Year 2026-2027

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Christa DiMarco is assistant professor of Art History in the Visual Arts Program at ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ. She teaches a range of classes, from global introductory classes to upper-level courses in modernisms and contemporary arts. Her research focuses on Vincent van Gogh's two-year stay in Paris, with a particular interest in class tension and feminist issues. She has published essays in Nineteenth-Century Studies, Nineteenth-Century Gender Studies, and Routledge Handbook on the History of Paris Since 1789, among others. She is currently working on a co-edited interdisciplinary volume on the nocturne as well as a monograph on Van Gogh's Paris period. She is always open to collaborating and to exchanging ideas. 

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Justin is an incoming assistant professor in Digital Studies. He grew up in South Jersey, received a BA in Psychology from Williams College in 2017 and a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from University College Dublin in 2023. Since 2023, Justin was working in Oulu Finland as a postdoctoral researcher designing educational technology for supporting collaborative learning in classrooms. Justin's teaching focuses on both designs user experiences with digital technologies and on acquiring basic quantitative and technical skills to understand people's interactions with technology. Justin is a steering committee member for the ACM Conversational User Interfaces conference and a Senior Editor for the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies.

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PhD in Finance; teaching focus on investments, corporate finance, financial instutions.

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My relationship with ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ began in the 1980s, when, as a local high school student, I spent time in the basement of the library accessing government documents. I later returned as a first-generation college student, studying theatre and then philosophy, and eventually as an Alternate Route teacher candidate. In 2000, I joined ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ as an adjunct in teacher education—and never left. Over the years, I have served as an instructor, director, and advisor in the Alternate Route program, as well as an adjunct faculty member in the MAED program. Along the way, I spent 35 years in K–12 education, teaching middle school and gifted and talented students in Somers Point before serving as a supervisor and director in Galloway Township Schools. I am thrilled to join SU in a full-time faculty role. Degrees: Ed.D., Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, Northeastern University; Ed.M., Foundations of Education, Rutgers University; B.A., Philosophy, Richard ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ College. Recent Scholarship: Hiring Fast and Slow: The Road to the Very Best Teaching Staff (NJPSA Educational Viewpoints, 2020). District-level decision-making and teacher hiring practices, particularly through the lens of bounded rationality. Creative Background: Graduate of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College (1985), drama coach, and middling piano player.

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Dawnavyn James, Ph.D. earned her B.S. in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Stephens College and her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from University at Buffalo. Her research focuses on Black history teaching, learning, and curriculum development in early childhood and elementary classrooms. Dawnavyn is the author of Beyond February: Teaching Black History Any Day, Every Day, and All Year Long. She promotes the teaching and learning of Black history through picture books. 

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My name is Casey Griffin (she/her) and I'm an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and First Year Studies. I earned my Ph.D. in education from the University of Delaware, and I also have a masters in mathematics from Villanova University and a bachelor's degree in secondary mathematics education from the University of Delaware. In both my teaching and research, I work to study, implement, refine, and share inclusive teaching practices that foster students’ sense of belonging and success in undergraduate mathematics, especially introductory courses. At ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ, I will be teaching a course in Quantitative Reasoning, which covers topics such as algebraic reasoning and financial literacy. My research focuses on students' experiences with undergraduate mathematics courses, specifically ways of supporting students' sense of belonging in undergraduate math courses through the ways we teach. Outside of work, I enjoy going to the beach and continue to practice wheel throwing ceramics. I also love traveling, getting outside, playing volleyball, and watching tv, movies, and Philly sports.

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Dr. Lyons received her MA in English from Boston College before completing her doctorate in English Composition at the University of Delaware. She teaches classes in first-year writing, rhetoric and composition, disability studies, and technical and professional communication. In her teaching and research, she prioritizes accessibility to support student learning. Dr. Lyons engages qualitative research methods and rhetorical theory to study access and inclusion in writing pedagogy. In her scholarship, she explores strategies that teachers and students use to become access-makers.

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Dr. Salvatore is an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ, where she teaches courses in exercise prescription and exercise science administration and facility management. She received her Ph.D. in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Springfield College and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine at Rowan University. Her research focuses on understanding women's experiences with exercise and physical activity, examining biopsychosocial factors that influence exercise participation, and developing interventions to promote physical activity and health. Dr. Salvatore's work has been funded by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, and she received an NIH Loan Repayment Program Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to examine temporal associations between menstrual symptoms, physical activity, and related experiences among insufficiently active women with cardiovascular disease risk. 

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I am an organometallic chemist and chemistry educator with interests in materials science, polymer chemistry, and chemistry education. I earned my Ph.D. in Organometallic Chemistry from the University of Kentucky in 2016. In teaching, I enjoy finding creative ways to make challenging concepts more approachable through active learning, group problem-solving, and real-world connections.

My research focuses on organic synthesis, polymeric and functional materials, chemically modified natural polymers, and sustainable chemistry. I particularly enjoy mentoring undergraduate researchers and helping them grow as confident, independent scientists. Several of my students have received research fellowships and presented their work at national ACS meetings. I also stay active in chemistry education through professional organizations and communities such as the ACS, OrganicERs, and Active Learning in Organic Chemistry.

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Dr. Christophe Vieira joins ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ as an Assistant Professor of Marine Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Marine Science through a joint doctoral program between Pierre and Marie Curie University (now Sorbonne University) and Ghent University. Prior to joining ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ, Dr. Vieira served as a research professor at Jeju National University in South Korea.
His research and teaching focus is on seaweed biodiversity, taxonomy, phylogenetics, biogeography, and macroalgae evolution. Utilizing an integrated taxonomic approach—combining phylogenetics, morphological analysis, and ecological field data—his work seeks to elucidate the historical processes that shaped global algal diversity patterns, particularly in brown and red algae. Dr. Vieira's recent scholarship includes extensive field studies across tropical and temperate marine ecosystems, marine flora inventories, the discovery and description of new seaweed species, and ongoing contributions to peer-reviewed phycological literature.

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I am an Assistant Professor of Economics and hold a Ph.D. in Economics from Rutgers University. My research interests are in labor and public economics with a focus on family and gender. My research also examines workers with disabilities in the labor market. My teaching interests closely align with my research interests. A recent co-authored paper "Does Unemployment Insurance Matter More for Workers with Disabilities?  A Study of the 2020 CARES Expansion of Unemployment Insurance" is forthcoming at the Industrial and Labor Relations Review. 

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Sherry Pujji is a licensed psychologist and received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology (with an integrated healthcare and health psychology focus). She has experience training in a variety of clinical settings including acute inpatient hospitalization, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, post-acute neuropsychological rehabilitation, and partial hospitalization programs. Sherry is excited to return to teaching courses focused on psychopathology and theory in psychology. Regarding research, Sherry has over 10 years of schizophrenia spectrum research focusing on delusional ideation and lifestyle/health habits, and recently has become interested in transdiagnostic models. Her dissertation publication was selected by the American Psychological Association as the Editor's Choice representing "the best science in each area of our discipline, reflecting science that is exceptionally important, impactful, and deserved additional visibility for the whole field."