The Office of the Provost recognizes the following faculty members for tenure and promotion:
Tenured & Promoted to Associate Professor
Carolina Añón Suárez
John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences
Modern Languages and Literatures Department
Dr. Añón Suárez holds a PhD in Hispanic literatures and cultures from the University of Minnesota and a BA in literature from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Her scholarly work lies at the intersection of Latin American literary and cultural studies, memory studies, gender studies, and human rights, with an emphasis on post-dictatorship societies in the Southern Cone. Grounded in feminist theory, her research examines how contemporary literature, cinema, theater, and other artistic forms reconstruct memory and resist hegemonic historical narratives. She is the author of Cuentan las Pibas: Narrativas Infanto-Juveniles de la Generación Posdictadura en Argentina [Pibas’ Acts of Storytelling That Matter: Childhood and Youth Narratives of the Post-Dictatorship Generation in Argentina] (2024) and coeditor of Generación Hijes: Memoria, Posdictadura y Posconflicto en América Latina [Hijes Generation: Memory, Post-dictatorship, and Post-conflict in Latin America] (2023).
Mallika Arachchilage Danushka Bandara
School of Engineering and Computing
Computer Science and Engineering Department
Dr. Danushka Bandara received his PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Syracuse University. His research lies at the intersection of human-computer interaction, data science, and software engineering, with a particular emphasis on developing trustworthy, equitable, and human-centered intelligent systems. Dr. Bandara’s research has been published in leading peer-reviewed venues, including Neural Networks, IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing, and IEEE Access, and supported by competitive external funding from organizations such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the NASA Space Grant Consortium. He is a cofounder of the Digital Immigration Lab at Fairfield University, an interdisciplinary research initiative that examines humanitarian and migration-related challenges through the lens of digital humanities and data-driven approaches. Dr. Bandara is also an active mentor to undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom have coauthored with him, presented their work at national conferences, and received research recognition. He integrates research and teaching by engaging students in hands-on AI and data science projects, with a strong emphasis on ethical and responsible innovation.
Kimberly Doughty
Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies
Public Health Department
Dr. Kim Doughty received a PhD in public health nutrition from University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research interests are in chronic disease prevention, especially through modification of early life risk factors. Prior to joining Fairfield University, she was a research scientist at a CDC-funded prevention research center for several years, where she coordinated school-based obesity prevention initiatives and worked on clinical trials investigating the effects of dietary alterations on cardiometabolic health. More recently, her research has focused on maternal and infant health and breastfeeding, particularly among women with gestational diabetes. Her work has been published in prominent journals such as Breastfeeding Medicine, Journal of Perinatology, Academic Pediatrics, and International Journal of Cardiology. She held the Elizabeth DeCamp McInerny Chair in Health Sciences from 2022-2025.
Laura Dumitrescu
John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences
Mathematics Department
Dr. Laura Dumitrescu is a mathematician working in probability and statistics, with research interests in asymptotic inference for dependent data, semiparametric and nonparametric methods, and survey methodology. She received her PhD in mathematics from the University of Ottawa and held prior faculty and research positions at several institutions before joining Fairfield University in 2022. Her work has been published in journals such as Electronic Journal of Statistics, Scandinavian Journal of Statistics, and Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference, and has been supported by research grants from Fairfield University and other institutions. She has presented her research at conferences and seminars in the United States and internationally. At Fairfield, Dr. Dumitrescu teaches courses in probability and statistics and mentors graduate students. Recently, she has developed an interest in exploring connections between statistical learning and artificial intelligence.
Yifeng (Felix) Fan
Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Management Department
Yifeng (Felix) Fan received his doctoral degree in organizational behavior from Georgia Institute of Technology. He maintains an active stream of research in the topics of work identity, resilience, and work-family interface. Moreover, he is very passionate about pedagogical research as well. He has published in the Journal of Personality, Journal of Business and Psychology, Journal of Management Education, Management Teaching Review, and Oxford Handbook of Leadership, Followership, and Identity. Felix also currently serves as associate editor for the Journal of Management Education, as well as on the executive committee of Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society.
Lin Lu
Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Analytics Department
Dr. Lin Lu is an analytics scholar whose work focuses on data-driven decision-making in sociotechnical systems. She received her PhD in industrial and systems engineering and master’s degrees in statistics and management information systems from Auburn University. Her research spans occupational health, service science, and business intelligence, drawing on multiple data modalities, statistical modeling, machine learning, and AI-based methods to examine worker fatigue, customer experiences, and organizational performance. She has published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of Business Research, Internet Research, Human Factors, and Scientific Reports, among others. Her work was recognized with the 2023 Journal of Business Research Editor’s Choice Award in the Big Data & Business Analytics track. Translating her research expertise into the classroom, Dr. Lu teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in business analytics and business intelligence—including data ETL, visualization, and modeling—with an emphasis on bridging technical foundations with real-world problem-solving and the responsible use of AI-augmented analytics through applied, interdisciplinary projects and community-engaged learning.
Yeddi Park
School of Education and Human Development
Family Therapy and Social Work Department
Dr. Yeddi Park received her PhD in social work from New York University and is an educator, researcher, and licensed clinical social worker with more than 25 years of clinical practice experience. Her scholarship focuses on mental health disparities, intergenerational acculturation-gap, parenting practices, and coping strategies among immigrant populations. Dr. Park’s research has been published in peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journals in social work and mental health, contributing to the growing body of scholarship on culturally informed mental health interventions, immigrant family processes, and barriers to behavioral health services among underserved communities. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Park has presented internationally on both her research and clinical expertise in working with immigrant families. She also serves on the board of directors for the Korean American Behavioral Health Association, a nonprofit organization based in New York City dedicated to promoting mental health awareness, interprofessional collaboration, community education, and culturally responsive support for Korean American and immigrant communities.
Archana Tedone
Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Management Department
Dr. Archana M. Tedone’s research program focuses on leadership and employee well-being in contemporary workplace contexts. Her work examines how leaders and team dynamics shape outcomes such as psychological safety, communication, and performance. Her research has been supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and published in leading journals, including the International Journal of Management Reviews, Work & Stress, Human Performance, and the Journal of Vocational Behavior. Dr. Tedone serves on the editorial board of Occupational Health Science and is a member of the executive board of the Society for Occupational Health Psychology, where she contributes to education and training initiatives. She also collaborates with organizations to strengthen leadership and talent development practices, with a focus on building healthy, effective, and sustainable workplace cultures. She earned her PhD from Florida International University in 2017.
Lembe Tiky
John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences
Politics Department
Dr. Lembe Tiky holds a PhD in political science from the University of Texas at Dallas. His research sits at the intersection of international relations and comparative politics and focuses on Africa and the Global South. He has published several books and articles in prestigious journals, such as Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability and Africa Spectrum. In 2021, he was awarded a Fulbright grant to teach and conduct research in Benin. Before coming to Fairfield University, Lembe served the discipline of international studies as director of academic development at the International Studies Association (ISA). In 2019, he organized and co-chaired the first ISA conference Africa. Lembe is the founding Chair of the newly created Global Africa Section (GAS) of the ISA. Prior to moving to the United States, he worked as a political reporter in Cameroon and Senegal.
Stanislav Vavilov
Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Management Department
Dr. Stanislav Vavilov received a doctoral degree in business administration from University of Massachusetts, Boston. His research is at the intersection of entrepreneurship support, leadership, sustainability, and social entrepreneurship. His research has been published in leading journals including Research Policy, Strategic Organization, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Journal of International Management. At the Dolan School of Business, Dr. Vavilov teaches courses on strategy, nonprofit management, and sustainability.
Bora Yook
John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences
Communication Department
Dr. Bora Yook serves as conference director and advisory committee member of the International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC), one of the premier scholarly venues bridging research and practice in the field. Her research examines how organizations and publics communicate during times of crisis and controversy, with particular focus on social media, leadership, and issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. She has published in leading peer-reviewed journals, and her work was recognized with the 2025 University of Georgia Advertising & Public Relations Top Paper Award at the International Public Relations Research Conference. Dr. Yook is the founding faculty advisor of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter at Fairfield University and faculty advisor of the East Asian Student Association (EASA), fostering student leadership, professional development, and community engagement.
Tenured Faculty
Gregg Caruso
Charles F. Dolan School of Business
Management Department
Gregg D. Caruso is Director of the Patrick J. Waide Center for Applied Ethics and a professor of ethics and management at Fairfield University. He is also scientific advisor for the Center for Justice and Mental Well-Being at the Nova Institute for Health and Codirector of the Justice Without Retribution Network at the University of Aberdeen. He received his PhD in philosophy from the City University of New York, Graduate Center. He is the award-winning author of eight books—including Ethical Business for the 21st Century: The Moral Foundations of Corporate Purpose (forthcoming), How to Live Well Without Free Will (2026), Neurolaw (2024), Moral Responsibility Reconsidered (2022), Rejecting Retributivism: Free Will, Punishment, and Criminal Justice (2021), and Just Deserts (coauthored with Daniel Dennett, 2021)—as well as the author of nearly fifty journal articles and book chapters.
Christine Denhup
Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies
Nursing Department
Christine Denhup, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC earned her doctor of philosophy in nursing degree from Seton Hall University. She is a licensed registered nurse and advanced practice registered nurse in the state of Connecticut and a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner-primary care. Dr. Denhup’s palliative care scholarship and program of research deepens understanding of the lived experience of bereavement associated with child loss and advances nursing science to improve quality outcomes and minimize suffering of children and families. She is an active member in professional organizations, including the Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition of Connecticut, Association of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Nurses, Eastern Nursing Research Society, Evermore, and the Mu Chi Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. Dr. Denhup is passionate about teaching and mentoring the future generation of professional nurses and continuing to disseminate her bereavement research to advance nursing science.
Promoted to Professor
Djedjiga (Gigi) Belfadel
School of Engineering and Computing
Electrical and Biomedical Engineering Department
Dr. Belfadel received her PhD in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on autonomous UAV navigation, sensor fusion, estimation theory, target tracking, and resilient navigation in GPS denied environments. She directs Fairfield’s UAV Lab, where students develop autonomous and AI enabled aerial systems and gain hands on experience in sensing, control, navigation, communication, and flight testing. Dr. Belfadel has published in peer reviewed journals and conferences, including IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, IEEE Access, Electronics, the Journal of Advances in Information Fusion, SPIE, FUSION, and ASEE. Her engineering education scholarship focuses on hands on learning, MATLAB integration, engineering communication, first year design, and undergraduate research mentorship. She has received support from the NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium, industry partners, and the Engineering Information Foundation. Dr. Belfadel also serves as editor in chief of the International Journal of Computer and Systems Engineering and Managing Editor of the Journal of Advances in Information Fusion.
Lydia Willsky-Ciollo
John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences
Religious Studies Department
Dr. Lydia Willsky-Ciollo specializes in American religious history, particularly 19th century American religious thought, with a focus on transcendentalists and unitarians, new religious movements, and gender and social reform. Most recent and notable among her publications is her book, Wildness: Henry David Thoreau and the Making of an American Theology (Notre Dame Press, 2026), which builds on work in the area of Thoreau studies. She currently serves as a board member of the Thoreau Alliance (representing the merger of the Thoreau Society and Thoreau Farm). Aside from that, she served as co-chair of the New Religious Movements Group for the American Academy of Religion and sits on the board of the New England American Studies Association and the executive committee of the journal, Nova Religio. She is currently the director of american studies and the interim associate director the humanities institute in charge of grants.
Shannon Kelley
John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences
English Department
Shannon Kelley received her doctorate in English literature from Duke University. She specializes in early modern British literature, Shakespeare, critical plant studies, and women, gender, and sexuality studies. She is the author of Tree-Becoming: Gender, Race, and Trauma on Shakespeare’s Stage (Cornell University Press) and the coeditor of Shakespeare and Early Modern Misogyny (Bloomsbury Press). Her work has appeared in postmedieval, Renaissance Studies, Renaissance Drama, The Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies, Studies in English Literature, 1500-1800, and the Handbook on Shakespeare and the Natural World (Oxford University Press), among others. Her work has been supported by short-term fellowships from the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Huntington Library, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She is the winner of the 2015 Monroe Kirk Spears Award for best essay from Studies in English Literature, 1500-1800, and the 2024 Meditz College of Arts and Sciences Award for Distinguished Teaching. She started teaching Shakespeare community engaged learning courses ten years ago, and she serves on the board of the nonprofit organization Urban Impact. Her students have presented their research at national peer-reviewed conferences, including the Shakespeare Association of America, the Modern Language Association, the Richard Macksey Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium, the National Women’s Studies Association, and the Harvard University National Collegiate Research Conference.
Promoted to Associate Professor of the Practice
Jeanne Peloso
John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences
Psychological and Brain Sciences Department
Dr. Jeanne Peloso received a doctoral degree in applied developmental and educational psychology from Boston College. She serves as director of the Adrienne Kirby Family Literacy Project and participates in community-engaged applied work with Hall Neighborhood House and Kindred Thoughts Bookstore, both in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
