Faculty News & Achievements

Dr. Desai-Chowdhry Publishes A New Research Article in Frontiers of Computational Neuroscience

Dr. Paheli Desai-Chowdhry, Clare Booth Luce Professor of Mathematics for the College of Arts and Sciences, has recently published a research article in Frontiers of Computational Neuroscience. The article titled “Information Flow Drives Localized Morphological Differences Across Neuronal and Glial Cell Types” discusses the variation of how information flows across neurons and the impact of that on the neural morphology.

Full details of the research paper can be found published in Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience

Congratulations to Dr. Desai-Chowdhry for this phenomenal work in computational neuroscience.

Dr. Watson is Awarded The Frank W. Hale Jr. Distinguished Service Award

On Thursday, March 26th, Dr. Jamal Watson, Associate Dean for our School of Professional and Graduate Studies, was awarded the The Frank W. Hale Jr. Distinguished Service Award. The award was presented to him by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) during their annual conference in Philadelphia.

This award highlights the great recognition Dr. Watson deserves for his continued work in bringing equity and access to marginalized communities in higher education to the forefront of discussions of social justice. Upon acceptance of the award, Dr. Watson highlights Trinity as an exemplary model of inclusive excellence at an institutional level.

“Trinity Washington University is living proof that inclusive excellence is not aspirational language — it is an institutional practice…As both a Predominantly Black Institution and a Hispanic Serving Institution, Trinity has long understood that diversity is not a program to be managed; it is the foundation upon which transformative education is built. This
recognition affirms what so many of us in this work have always known: when you invest in the students that others overlook, you change lives, and you change the world.”

Congratulations to Dr. Watson for this great achievement!

Dr. Watson’s Manuscript is Accepted for Publication in Gifted Child Today

Dr. Jamal Watson, Associate Dean of the School of Professional and Graduate Studies, has had his manuscript, “Gifted, Talented, and In Debt: A Message to Parents of High-Achieving Students on the Threshold of College”, accepted for publication in Gifted Child Today. Gifted Child Today is an education journal with a focus on gifted education.

The abstract of the manuscript is copied below:

Gifted and talented students are among the most academically prepared young people in the United States, yet they enter a higher education landscape defined by soaring tuition costs, stagnant grant aid, and a student loan crisis that now exceeds $1.84 trillion in outstanding federal and private debt. This column, directed at parents of gifted children approaching college age, argues that exceptional academic ability neither insulates students from predatory borrowing practices nor guarantees financial security after graduation. Drawing on the author’s book, The Student Debt Crisis: America’s Moral Urgency (Watson, 2025), and on current federal data, the column urges families to reframe the college choice conversation around financial stewardship, to interrogate institutional prestige as a proxy for future earnings, and to become fluent in the mechanics of financial aid before a single enrollment deposit is made. A framework of four strategic questions is offered to guide families in navigating the intersection of giftedness, college-going, and debt.

Congratulations to Dr. Watson for this amazing accomplishment!

Dr. Gable Presents his Paper to the Southeastern American Society for Eighteenth Century Studies

Dr. Steven Gable, Associate Professor of Philosophy for the College of Arts & Sciences, attended a conference hosted by the Southeastern American Society for Eighteenth Century Studies to present his paper proposal The Quartering Controversy: A Military Necessity or the Infringement of Fundamental Liberties?

The paper discusses the quartering controversy leading up to the American Revolution. Dr. Gable explored the question of whether quartering British troops, during either war or peacetime represented a military necessity or an infringement of fundamental colonial rights and privileges; a gateway to tyranny. The presentation briefly featured discussion of the French and Indian War and an examination of Parliament’s Quartering Acts of 1765 and 1774.

Congratulations to Dr. Gable for this achievement! We are proud to have faculty engaging in robust research and dialogue.

Dr. Richard Osborne Presents Research at the Annual Maryland Occupational Therapy Association Conference

Dr. Richard Osborne, our OTA Program Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the School of Nursing and Health Professions, presented his capstone research at the Annual Maryland Occupational Therapy Association Conference in October of 2025. The presentation focused on identifying practical fieldwork strategies educators can use with Generation Z students to build resilience. Generation Z students can experience challenges during fieldwork education, which can affect their performance, progression, and success during clinical rotations.  Educators received assistance learning how to use Generation Z traits to help with engaging and innovative learning activities during fieldwork. Implementing practical strategies for fieldwork educators can help them stay informed and up to date with effective techniques to be utilized during fieldwork education. Understanding the learning style, key strengths, and communication style of Generation Z students is essential and affects the success of the fieldwork education process.

Congratulations to Dr. Osborne on this achievement!

Dr. Portia Cole Serves as Guest Editor for the Health and Social Work Journal

Dr. Portia Cole, Program Director for Social Work for our School of Nursing & Health Professions, has recently served as a guest editor for the August 2025 issue of Health & Social Work Journal (Vol. 50, Iss. 3).

The issue is titled “Revisiting, Reimagining, and Reclaiming our Roots – Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Social Determinants of Health”. Dr. Cole  reviewed 45 submissions from the across the country , some as far away as Portugal and Hungary. In addition, she also oversaw the entire editorial process, selected reviewers, and provided feedback to authors. 

We are thrilled to have faculty and staff who are not only experts in their fields, but leaders in their industries. Congratulations to Dr. Cole for accomplishing this amazing project.

The full journal issue can be found here

Dr. James Stocker’s History Lecture is Featured on C-Span

Dr. James Stocker, Assistant Professor of International Affairs for the College of Arts& Sciences, has recently had his class lecture recorded and featured on the public affairs news network C-SPAN. The lecture titled: the U.S. and the Arab-Israel Peace Process highlighted the key historical and diplomatic peace initiatives between the United States and the Arab-Israelis from the late 1960’s into the early 1970’s.

Current events have reawakened opinions of those who support and critique the involvement of the United Sates in global affairs of the Middle East. This discussion is imperative to understand the importance of international affairs and how interconnected we are on the world stage. We are pleased to have such amazing faculty members to guide thinking and dialogue about some of the most important topics to date!

The full feature can be found on the C-SPAN webpage here: https://www.c-span.org/program/lectures-in-history/us-and-the-arab-israel-peace-process/667156

Dr. LaNail Plummer Publishes her New Book: The Essential Guide for Counseling Black Women

Dr. LaNail Plummer, Program Director for Counseling in the School of Nursing and Health Professions, has published her book The Essential Guide for Counseling Black Women. A short description of the book is found below:

As the fastest growing population in education, economics, entrepreneurship, and international travel, Black women are forging a world of their own. They are breaking generational cycles, reinventing social norms, and developing new identities. However, as a double marginalized minority, Black women are also navigating socially constructed ideas of race, oppression, and privilege. Many well-intentioned clinicians lack the skills and knowledge to properly support, guide, and develop inquiries with these clients.

Clinicians will find foundational information on the types of experiences that cause many Black women to seek therapy as well as ways to support them on their therapeutic journey. Topics such as nontraditional lifestyles, work ethic and legacy, understanding friendships, embracing newfound freedoms and opportunities, moving beyond stereotypes, understanding and working with emotions, addressing trauma, and mental health disorders through a cultural lens are explored.

Throughout the book, therapist tips, catalyst questions (springboard questions on certain topics), examples, and journaling prompts are shared to help clinicians and clients work together to explore undiscovered depths, ways of healing, and improve mental health.

The book is currently available for preorder.

Dr. Kimberly Monroe has been Awarded Crossroads Project Fellowship

Dr. Kimberly Monroe, Associate Professor of History & Africana Studies for the College of Arts & Sciences, was awarded The Crossroads Project: Black Religious Histories, Communities, and Cultures Fellowship, funded by Princeton University, for her research project titled “Finding Faith in the Storm: Black Narratives of Perseverance in Southwest Louisiana.”

The focus of the research project discusses the ability of the Travelers Rest Baptist Church congregation in Lake Charles, Louisiana to persevere as an integral support of the Black community despite adversity in the form of natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other forms of environmental racism. 

View the full project on the Crossroads Spirit House website: https://www.crossroads-spirithouse.org/monroe

We’re very proud of this achievement for Dr. Monroe!

Dr. Allen Pietrobon Guest Lectures with Hiroshima University

Dr. Allen Pietrobon, Associate Professor of Global Affairs for the College of Arts and Sciences, was invited to lecture during the Nuclear History Summer Camp at Hiroshima University. The event was partly to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing. The Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace hosted an intensive seminar for young student researchers from around the world for nine days of lectures, discussions, and exchanges. Experts from Japan and around the world served as the instructors for this seminar.

Dr. Pietrobon comments “With the continued proliferation of nuclear weapons is one of the most pressing security issues of our time…it is imperative that we train a new generation of young nuclear scholars who are able to see the world through a more diverse lens and tackle these growing challenges diplomatically rather than through the use of force, which was the goal of this seminar”.

We are proud to have faculty who actively engage in dialogue pertaining to global politics and statesmanship.

Dr. Luse Participates in Association for Women in Mathematics Hill Day

President's Blog: Dr. Luse Participates in Association for Women in Mathematics Hill Day

Dr. Kerry Luse participated in the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) Hill Day in DC. The visit was structured for professionals in STEM to visit congressional offices and call attention to the the decline of women who pursue mathematics as the level of education rises.

Last Wednesday, April 9th, Dr. Kerry Luse, Associate Professor of Mathematics for the College of Arts & Sciences, participated in the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) Hill Day in DC. The visit was structured for professionals in STEM to visit congressional offices and call attention to the the decline of women who pursue mathematics as the level of education rises. The AWM advocates for sustained financial supports for women in STEM fields and encourages people to contact their elected officials and vocalize the importance of women in STEM fields.

This was an amazing opportunity for Dr. Luse and we are proud to have faculty who advocate for women’s education at high levels.

Dr. Greer’s Manuscript on Professional Development for Mental Health Professionals Accepted by NASW Press

Dr. Cynthia Greer, Associate Professor of Counseling for Trinity Washington University’s School of Nursing and Health Professions (NHP), has had her manuscript accepted by the the peer-reviewed journal NASW Press. Dr. Geer partnered with Dr. Monica Woodard, D.S.W., to develop the article titled “Reimagining Professional Development for Mental Health Professionals: A Collaborative Approach to Achieve Mental Health Equity” discusses the professional development model that Dr. Greer and Dr. Woodard developed with the support of Kaiser Permanente. The collaboratively designed model is currently being used for the Kaiser/Trinity Practitioner Scholars program, which provides professional development and continuing education for mental health professionals across disciplines.

The manuscript is expected to appear in an issue of Health and Social Work this upcoming November 2025. Congratulations to Dr. Greer!

Trinity’s Dr. Jamal Watson Moderates Panel, “DEI Under Attack: The Truth from the Frontlines of Academia”

President's Blog: Trinity’s Dr. Jamal Watson Moderates Panel, “DEI Under Attack: The Truth from the Frontlines of Academia”

Panel featuring esteemed professors & journalists convened to discuss attack on academia at 2025 NAN Convention.

The 2025 National Action Network (NAN) Convention continues to be a clarion call for justice, strategy, and truth-telling. In a climate where DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) is being vilified, this year’s panels didn’t hold back. Amid attacks on civil rights, public education, and academic freedom, one of the most critical conversations came from a powerful panel of scholars and journalists who delivered an unflinching perspective on the state of DEI in higher education and beyond.

Read the whole article in Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Dr. Jamal Watson named to Rick Hess’s 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings

Dr. Jamal Watson, Associate Dean of Professional Graduate Studies, has been ranked in the 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings list.  The list, published by Education Week, ranks 200 university-based scholars who have made the most significant impact on educational practice and policy this past year. Dr. Watson noted: “Trinity’s name appear[ing] alongside major research universities gave me a moment of real pride. It made me think about the unique perspective we bring to national education conversations as a Predominantly Black and Hispanic-serving institution… It’s also a testament to how institutions like ours – deeply committed to serving first-generation students and students of color – are helping to reshape the conversation about American education.”

Congratulations to Dr. Watson for this magnificent achievement. Please find the article and the full ranking list in EducationWeek.

Dr. Poirier Highlights the Importance of Textisms in a New Publication

Dr. Rachel Poirier, Assistant professor of Psychology for the College of Arts and Sciences, recently had a publication with Frontiers in Psychology titled “Read. This. Slowly: mimicking spoken pauses in text messages” (2025). The publication was an analysis of how certain texisms such as sending one text or multiple texts, or using periods after every word for emphasis, often have differing perceived emotional impacts to recipients of the text. The publication has been highlighted both in the New York Post as well as DailyMail.

We are thrilled to have faculty members contributing to important discussions in academia that can have impacts on communication practices for personal or professional use.