FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University will welcome 44 new faculty members for the 2023-2024 academic year across its five colleges. These individuals are accredited in their respective fields and have valuable experience to share with the University’s students.
With the University’s tremendous growth, it is essential that students continue to have the resources necessary to excel in their respective areas of study. With plentiful new faculty members, students will have the opportunity to develop close relationships with professors, many of whom are practicing professionals.
“We are delighted to welcome our newest cohort of faculty, who represent a wide variety of fields, disciplines and professional experiences, and who are deeply committed to SHU’s mission and student-centered culture,” said Robin L. Cautin, provost at Sacred Heart University.
Five faculty members have been hired in the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development. Tylon Crook is one of these faculty members, and he will be teaching in the counselor education department. He holds a master’s degree in counselor education (mental health and school counseling) from Mississippi State University and a doctorate in counselor education and supervision from Auburn University.
Crook is a national certified counselor whose areas of research are school counselor supervision, racial trauma and social justice issues in education. He travels the country providing professional development in a variety of areas including diversity and inclusion training, implicit bias training and school counseling program development. He is also a motivational speaker within schools and communities across the country.
The College of Health Professions has hired seven faculty members, including Stefanie Seanor, an occupational therapist. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University’s Sargent College, a master’s degree in business administration from Sacred Heart University and a doctorate with a specialization in executive leadership from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. She also holds a Connecticut state licensure and national board certification in occupational therapy.
Seanor has worked in New York and Connecticut evaluating and planning intervention strategies for children and adults with learning, sensory and psychiatric needs. She has training in areas including sensory integration, neuro-development treatments, behavior modification, psychosocial skills, feeding and oral-motor therapies and fine/visual motor skills. Her research interests include the alignment of educator and practitioner values and priorities in pediatric mental health, health care practitioner readiness and engagement in varying contextual environments, educational leadership and the role of the occupational therapist.
Caroline Comerford is one of the 11 faculty members joining the College of Arts & Sciences. She holds a master’s degree in criminal justice specializing in criminology and deviance from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a doctorate in international crime and justice from Florida International University.
The Jack Welch College of Business & Technology has hired 11 faculty members and Xinxin Wang is one of them. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Rutgers University‑Newark and a doctorate degree in accounting information system from Rutgers Business School. Her areas of research focus on government and nonprofit accounting and audit, continuous audit, accounting information systems and machine learning.
Previously, Wang worked as a grant writer raising funds for the federal government’s Head Start Program. Additionally, she holds a senior certificate in teaching Chinese as a foreign language.
Keevia Porter is one of 10 new faculty members in the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing. She holds a master’s degree in nursing administration from Union University and a doctorate of nursing practice in public health nursing from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is board certified as a family and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
Porter treats medical and mental health conditions in patient populations across the lifespan. Her areas of interest include treating underserved populations, decreasing mental health stigmas and understanding social determinants.
“All of our new faculty members will contribute to the academic and social vibrancy of our campus, and we’re thrilled to welcome them,” Cautin adds.
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About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers nearly 90 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. More than 10,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Social Work; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 388 Colleges–2023 Edition, and Best Business Schools–2023 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu