Since 1988, the annual Fairfield Awards Dinner has been a true celebration of Fairfield and has raised more than $18 million for the Alumni Multicultural Scholarship Fund and other endowed scholarships.

Continuing to recognize professional achievement, outstanding leadership, and volunteer commitment to Fairfield, this year’s Fairfield Awards Dinner will honor Shannon M. Harding, PhD, P’14 with the Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Award.

Dr. Harding earned a BA in psychology from the College of the Holy Cross, an MS in physiology and neurobiology from the University of Connecticut, and a PhD in biomedical sciences (neuroscience) from Mount Sinai School of Medicine at New York University.

She joined the psychology faculty of Fairfield University in 2003, and is currently an associate professor with teaching and research interests in behavioral neuroscience and neuroendocrinology. 

“I’m really happy to work at a Jesuit, Catholic institution that promotes building men and women for others — across the board,” Dr. Harding said.  “Fairfield University is a supportive environment that consistently promotes growth and community engagement.” 

In 2010, Dr. Harding was recognized as the College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teacher of the Year, in part for her service learning course that includes a community partnership with a school in Bridgeport. She also served for 8 years as a co-director and faculty mentor for BASE camp, a research and mentoring focused summer science camp serving underrepresented high school girls. Dr. Harding has conducted research on a variety of issues, including the effects of microgravity on the development of vestibular reflexes as part of a collaborative project with NASA. 

Currently, she has an active research laboratory investigating the role of hormones in autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Harding has trained more than 70 undergraduate students in behavioral neuroscience techniques, and many of these students have gone on to earn advanced degrees in the field.  Recently, Dr. Harding has shown leadership in curricular revision, serving on the Core Curriculum Task Force as part of the Fairfield University 2020 Strategic Plan, and as the director of the Core since 2017.  She has been particularly instrumental in the approval and implementation of the new Magis Core Curriculum.

“From the beginning, the revision of the core curriculum was a collective process that involved faculty, administrators, alumni, and students. The tireless efforts of these key people resulted in a program which has a strong foundation in Jesuit traditions,” Dr. Harding continued. “I’m optimistic and excited to see how the changes to the core impact the incoming class of students, especially as our faculty develops new courses to meet the goals of the new core.”

For more information on Fairfield Awards Dinner sponsorships, tickets or journal ads, please contact Anissa DeMatteo at (203) 254-4000, ext. 2115.