College of Arts & Sciences

New Faculty Hires

2007-2008

Department of Communication

Dr. Barbara Mastrolia, Assistant Professorial Lecturer
Dr. Mastrolia received her Ph.D. in Mass Media and Communication from Temple University, where she also earned an MBA in Industrial Relations and Organizational Behavior. She has taught at Drexel University in Philadelphia, and, most recently, at Indiana University Northwest. She has taught courses on media theory, media law, mass media criticism, media ethics and mass culture theory, as well as beginning level speech and rhetoric courses. She was awarded two teaching excellence awards while at Indiana University Northwest.

Ms. Janis Shumac, Lecturer
Ms. Shuman earned her M.A. in Journalism from Roosevelt University and has taught courses in communication, journalism, composition, professional writing and public speaking at a range of area universities and colleges. Ms. Shumac is an experienced journalist who began her career as assistant managing editor for the Chicago Defender. From 1981-2001, she worked as a reporter, first for the Daily Calumet and then for the Daily Southtown.

Department of History and Political Science

Dr. Ali Anooshahr, Assistant Professor of History
Dr. Anooshahar received his Ph.D. in history from the University of California at Los Angeles in June 2005. His dissertation, “The Ghazi Sultans and the Frontiers of Islam,” argues that 15th century sources chronicling the deeds of Muslim princes were pre-scripted by earlier epic histories. He is a student of early Islamic history, the Ottoman Empire and Mughal history, and was a 2005-06 recipient of a CLIR\Mellon post doctoral fellowship at UCLA. He also has tutored graduate students in paleontology, teaching researchers in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies to read handwritten sources for their future projects. Most recently he completed an Ahmanson-Getty post-doctoral fellowship, which he spent converting his dissertation into a book manuscript.

Dr. Robert Przygrodzki, Assistant Professorial Lecturer
In May, Dr. Przygrodzki completed his Ph.D. in Russian History at Northern Illinois University, with a dissertation entitled “Russians in Warsaw: Imperialism and National Identity from 1863-1915.” In this study, portions of which recently have been published, he documents the anxiety of local Russian leadership in Warsaw regarding the preservation of Russianness within their community, and their resistance to Polanization. As an Instructor at Northern Illinois, Dr. Przygrodzki taught courses in Modern European and world history, and in Imperial Russia.

Department of Music

Dr. Alicia Neal, Assistant Professorial Lecturer and Director of Bands
In June Dr. Neal received her Doctor of Music in Conducting from Northwestern University, where she served as a doctoral conducting assistant for two years. She conducted the wind ensemble and symphonic band at Northwestern, and assisted in the instruction of the advanced conducting class and the marching band. She also taught brass methods while earning her M.A. in conducting at the University of Colorado. Her range of college level and high school teaching and conducting experience has prepared her to serve as Director of Bands at Saint Xavier.

Department of Philosophy

Dr. Jason Aleksander, Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Dr. Aleksander received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Vanderbilt University in May. His dissertation, “The Disavowal of Renaissance Philosophical Crises and the Geneses of Modern Philosophy and Science,” explores consequences of the departure from Humanist Christo-Platonism in the conventions of modern philosophy and science. Dr. Aleksander’s primary research interests are in the history of philosophy from the late middle ages to the eighteenth century.

Dr. Christopher Johns, Assistant Professorial Lecturer
Dr. Johns recently completed his Ph.D. in Philosophy at Stony Brook University with a specialization in modern moral and political philosophy and modern metaphysics. His dissertation examined “The Science of Right in Liebniz’s Practical Philosophy. With a B.A. in Linguistics and an M.A. in Literary Theory, Dr. Johns also is interested in the intersections of philosophy and literature.

Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Criminal Justice

Dr. Elijah Ward, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Dr. Ward received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern University, and has held postdoctoral fellowships in the Illinois Public Health Research Fellows Program and UIC’s Institute for Health Research and Policy. His teaching interests focus on race and ethnic relations, and sociological perspectives on religion, health and gender. Dr. Ward’s recent research has focused upon health issues in Latino and African American communities, and market pressures eroding spiritual intimacy in health care practices.