Faculty News & Achievements

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. 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 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 a special issue of Health and Social Work this upcoming Summer 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.

Dr. Shizuka Hseih Delivers “Lessons from Advocating for Environmental Justice in DC with Air Quality Data,” with Georgetown University

Our very own Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Shizuka Hseih, delivered a guest talk “Lessons from Advocating for Environmental Justice in DC with Air Quality Data,” with Georgetown University’s ECo Talk series on Friday, January 24, 2025.

The talk highlighted fascinating details regarding how air quality in DC disproportionately has a negative impact on communities of color in the district. The talk goes on to discuss how air quality data can be used to support environmental justice initiatives. Dr. Hseih has a long standing investment in advocating for environmental health and we are proud to have Dr. Hseih as a valued member of our faculty and spreading knowledge on important issues both in and out of the classroom. Additional details of the event can be found through this link.

Dr. Agnes Conaty Awarded Two NASA Robert H. Goddard Honor Awards

Dr. Agnes Conaty, adjunct faculty member for Trinity Washington University’s College of Arts & Sciences, has won not one, but two NASA Robert H. Goddard Honor Awards. Dr. Conaty was awarded the Exceptional Achievement for Outreach for both the GLOBE Observer Program and the Goddard Eclipse Engagement Partnership on September 24, 2024 at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. Congratulations to Dr. Conaty for this achievement!

Professor Bezil Taylor is Selected to Deliver Keynote Address for the Regional College Hunger Conference

Professor Taylor is the Director of Fieldwork & Asst. Professor with Trinity Washington’s Nursing and Health Professions. Professor Taylor has been selected to deliver the keynote address at this year’s Regional College Hunger Conference. The conference will gather leaders in Washington, D.C. metro area to share practices and ideas to combat food insecurity for students. Congratulations to Professor Taylor!

Dr. Kimberly Monroe Awarded the Proud Shoes Book Fellowship

Dr. Monroe is a prolific writer, researcher, teacher and leader in the development of Trinity’s curricula and programs in Africana Studies, History and Global Affairs. She has recently been awarded the Proud Shoes Book Fellowship. The fellowship supports scholars who are developing their first full academic book manuscript in history, social justice, politics, law, race, gender, and sexuality studies or related fields. Many congratulations to Dr. Monroe for this amazing achievement.

Dr. Nicole Betschman has Become President of the D.C. Public Health Association

Dr. Nicole Betschman, Program Director of Trinity’s Public Health and Health Services Programs, has become President of the D.C. Public Health Association (DCPHA). An affiliate of the American Public Health Association (APHA), DCPHA protects and promotes personal, public and environmental health, shares knowledge and expertise to resolve health problems, advocates for governmental action to meet health needs, and promotes continuing education for the allied health workforce. Dr. Betschman has been a member of Mayor Bowser’s Healthcare Workforce Task Force. She has built the Community Health Worker certificate and degree programs as well as the baccalaureate and master’s programs in Public Health. She has joined forces with the D.C. Department of Employment Services to open more pathways for D.C. residents to earn credentials in healthcare, particularly in Wards 7 and 8.

Dr. Carrie O’Reilly & Professor Khafi Muhammad Publish an Article in the Teaching and Learning in Nursing Journal

Program Director and Associate Professor of Practice, Dr. Carrie O’Reilly, and Assistant Professor Khafi Muhammad of the School of Nursing and Health Professions recently co-published “Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Nursing Simulation and Clinical” in the Teaching and Learning in Nursing Journal.

The article specifically addressed DEI in nursing education and specific approaches that can be used to improve DEI in the simulation and clinical settings. Access to the full article can be found using the link below.

Alrimari, I., El-Banna, M. M., O’Reilly, C., Muhammad, K. (2024). Integrating diversity, equity, and inclusing in nursing simulation and clinical. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 19(2), e439-e443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2024.01.010

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1557308724000234

Dr. Agnes Conaty Joins the American Geophysical Union as a Community Science Fellow

The Thriving Earth Exchange is a fellowship program offered through the American Geophysical Union. Dr. Conaty has been accepted to this fellowship program and will be continuing her work in serving communities in need of environmental justice. This is yet another milestone in Dr. Conaty’s dedication to environmental activism.

Dr. Agnes Conaty Publishes an Article with The Laurel Independent to Encourage Citizen Science

Dr. Agnes Conaty serves as a Senior Research Scientist and Science Lead for the GLOBE Observer Program with NASA. Dr. Conaty has published an article in The Laurel Independent, a community newspaper in the city of Laurel, MD. The article, “Be part of something big: The joy of citizen science” details information about the NASA GLOBE observer program and how the community can get involved in learning more about the earth and environment and even contribute to learning through citizen science.

Access the full article here

Trinity Faculty Contribute Chapters to “Fostering Communities of Transformation in STEM Higher Education: A Multi-institutional Collection of DEI Initiatives”

Trinity faculty in Biology and Chemistry contributed two chapters to a new book, “Fostering Communities of Transformation in STEM Higher Education: A Multi-institutional Collection of DEI Initiatives”, in collaboration with HHMI cohort colleagues. Cindy DeBoy, Kaitlin Wellens, Patrice Moss, Mia Ray and Anette Casiano-Negroni produced Chapter 11: Creating a Space in the Curriculum for Effective Mentoring to Foster Student Connections and Agency (with a figure by student Adriana Pino-Delgado!)  Cynthia DeBoy also contributed to Chapter 15:  From the Soul: Learning and Leading Together toward Inclusive Excellence.

The text is indexed on Google and available for purchase on Amazon, and on VTechWorks as a free PDF and ePUB.  Many congratulations to the team!

Provost & Associate Professor of Psychology Carlota Ocampo presents at the 109th Annual Conference of the National Communication Association

Dr. Carlota Ocampo presented on a panel entitled “Race, Gender, and Leadership in the Public Imagination: The Implications and Challenges of Securing Freedom in our Post-pandemic Reality” at the NCA Annual Conference on November 16th.