Nov 06, 2024  
2020-2021 University Catalog 
    
2020-2021 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Feinstein School of Social and Natural Sciences


Overview 

The Feinstein College of Arts and Science consists of two “Schools;” the School of Humanities, Arts and Education (SHAE) and the School of Social and Natural Sciences (SSNS). Roger Williams undergraduates have opportunities to pursue a liberal arts curriculum as they major or minor in the humanities, fine arts, social or natural sciences. All university undergraduates may access the liberal arts as they satisfy the university’s core curriculum and take elective courses that explore disciplines outside of their major. Small classes, none taught by teaching assistants, a commitment to student-centered learning, achievement, and quality, distinguish the College, its faculty, students and programs. Situated thus, and with the largest number of students, faculty and courses of study, the schools compose the heart of the university.

Academic programs emphasize analytical thinking, problem-solving and research, all of which prepare FCAS graduates to compete effectively in a world that increasingly requires flexible habits of mind and teamwork. Professors and students work together in an academic community that values the hallmarks of a liberal education: intellectual inquiry, the lively exchange of ideas, an appreciation of diverse perspectives, scholarship, and development of the skills devoutly wished for by 21st century employers. The schools foster cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies that include the experiential education that is the hallmark of Roger Williams University.

Degrees Offered by the School of Social and Natural Sciences

The School of Social and Natural Sciences offers the following graduate degrees:

Master of Arts in Forensic and Legal Psychology
Master of Arts in Forensic Forensic Mental Health Counseling
 

The School of Social and Natural Sciences offers the Bachelor of Arts in:

Anthropology + Sociology
Aquaculture and Aquarium Science
Biology
Chemistry
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Science
International Relations
Marine Biology
Political Science
Psychology
Public Health

The School of Social and Natural Sciences offers the Bachelor of Science in:

Applied Mathematics
Biochemistry
Biology
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Marine Biology
Mathematics
Physics
Public Health

The School of Social and Natural Sciences offers Dual Degrees in:

Biochemistry B.S. and Pharm D.
Biology B.A. and Pharm D.
Biology B.S. and Pharm D.
Chemistry B.A. and Pharm D.
Chemistry B.S. and Pharm D.

The School of Social and Natural Sciences offers Minors in:

Anthropology + Sociology
Aquaculture and Aquarium Science
Marine Biology
Biology
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Mathematics
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Public Health

The School of Social and Natural Sciences offers a Certificate Program in:

Biotechnology

Degrees Offered by the School of Humanities, Arts and Education

The School of Humanities, Arts and Education offers the following Graduate degrees:

The Master of Arts in Literacy

The School of Humanities, Arts and Education offers the Bachelor of Arts in:

American Studies
Communication &
Media Studies
Dance & Performance Studies
Education, Elementary
Education, Secondary
Educational Studies
English Literature
Foreign Language (Classics/Modern & Latin American Language Studies)
Graphic Design Communication
History
Journalism
Music
Performing Arts
Philosophy
Public Relations
Theatre
Visual Arts
Web Development

The School of Humanities, Arts and Education offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts in:

Creative Writing
Visual Arts

The School of Humanities, Arts and Education offers a Certificate Program to:

Teach at the Middle School level

The School of Humanities, Arts and Education offers Minors in:

American Studies
Chinese
Communication, Global
Creative Writing
Dance
English Literature
Film Studies
Foreign Language (Modern or Classical Language)
Graphic Design Communication
History
Performing Arts
Philosophy
Professional & Public Writing
Theatre
Visual Arts: Film, Animation and Video
Visual Arts: Painting, Drawing and Printmaking
Visual Arts: Photography and Digital Media
Visual Arts: Sculpture
Web Development

Degrees Offered by the School of Continuing Studies

For part-time adult students, the College offers the Bachelor of General Studies through the School of Continuing Studies.

Minors are offered in:

American Studies
Anthropology + Sociology
Aquaculture and Aquarium Science
Biology
Chemistry
Chinese
Computational Mathematics
Creative Writing
Dance & Performance Studies
English Literature
Environmental Science
Film Studies
Foreign Language (Modern Language)
Global Communication
Graphic Design Communication
History
Marine Biology
Mathematics
Music
Performing Arts
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Professional & Public Writing
Psychology
Theatre

Certificate Program offered in:

Biotechnology

Feinstein College of Arts and Science Faculty

Cynthia Scheinberg, Ph.D., Dean of SHAE
Benjamin J. Greenstein, Ph.D., Dean of SSNS, Professor of Marine Geology
Becky Spritz, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of SSNS, Professor of Public Health
Jeffrey Meriwether, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of History
Anne-Marie Cerda - Manager, FCAS Operations

Professors:

Peter Alfieri - Foreign Language
Garrett Berman - Psychology
Robert Blackburn - Philosophy
Dorisa S. Boggs - Theatre
Nancy Breen - Chemistry
Bruce Burdick - Mathematics
Loren Byrne - Biology
Jennifer Campbell - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
Alan Canestrari - Education
Robert A. Cole - Communication
Sean Colin - Environmental Science
Alan Cutting - Web Development
Edward Delaney - Creative Writing
Frank DiCataldo - Psychology
Kelly Donnell - Education
Elizabeth Duffy - Art
Frank Eyetsemitan, Ph.D. - Psychology
Steven Esons - Public Administration
Lonnie Guralnick - Biology
Anthony Hollingsworth - Classics and Modern Languages
Alejandro Leguízamo - Psychology
MaryBeth MacPhee - Public Health
Marcia Marston - Biology
Jeffrey B. Martin - Theatre
Rachel McCormack - Education
Jeffrey Meriwether - History
Clifford B. Murphy - Chemistry
Nancy Nester - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
Stephen K. O’Shea - Chemistry
Susan Pasquarelli - Education
Jason Patch - Sociology
Judith Platania - Psychology
Anjali Ram - Communication
Michael Rich - Art
Deborah A. Robinson - English Literature
Teal Rothschild - Sociology
Scott Rutherford - Environmental Science
Mark Sawoski - Political Science
Timothy Scott - Biology
Jeffrey Silverthorne - Art
Jessica Skolnikoff - Anthropology
June Speakman - Political Science
Becky Spritz - Psychology
Robin Stone - Theatre
James Tackach - English Literature
David Taylor - Biology
Margaret Thombs - Education
Peter Thompson - Foreign Languages
Cliff J. Timpson - Chemistry
Mel A. Topf - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
Yajni Warnapala - Mathematics
Kerri Warren - Biology/Public Health
Paul Webb - Biology
Donald Whitworth - Psychology
Michael B. Wright - Philosophy
Brian Wysor - Biology
Matt Zaitchik - Psychology

Associate Professors:

Paul Bender - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
Adam Braver - Creative Writing
Kelly Brooks - Psychology
Bonita G. Cade - Psychology
Margaret Case - English Literature
Jeremy Campbell - Anthropology
Jacquline Cottle - Public Health
Laura D’Amore - American Studies
Sargon Donabed - History
Avelina Espinosa - Biology
Kamille Gentles-Peart - Communication
Annika Hagley - Political Science
Catherine Hawkes - Music
France Hunter - Dance/Performance
Saeed Hydaralli - Sociology
Jason Jacobs - Foreign Languages
Hume Johnson - Communication
Tadeusz Kugler - Political Science
Dong-Hoon Lee - ESL
John Madritch - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
Murray McMillan - Art
Kate Mele - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
David Moskowitz - Political Science
Deborah Mulligan - History
Cathy Nicoli - Dance/Performance
Roxanne O’Connell - Communication
Erica Oduaran - Chemistry
Jennifer Kreft Pearce - Physics
Paola Prado - Communication
Autumn Quezada-Grant - History
Andrew Rhyne - Marine Biology
Joseph W. Roberts - Political Science
Lauren Rossi - Chemistry
Michael Scully - Communication
Koty Sharp - Marine Biology
Amiee Shelton - Communication
Gary Shore - Dance/Performance
Valerie Sloan - Graphic Design
Roxanna Smolowitz - Biology
Renee Soto - Creative Writing
Jennifer Stevens - American Studies
Anne Tait - Art
Erin Tooley - Psychology/Public Health
Evgenia Tsankova - Education
Laura Butkovsky Turner - Psychology
Kerri Ullicci - Education
Adria Updike - Physics
Annie Winfield - Education
Li-Ling Yang - Education
Min Zhou - Modern Language

Assistant Professors:

Aaron Allen - American Studies
Hum Nath Bhandari - Mathematics
Christopher Burtner - Biology
Charlotte Carrington - History
Selby Conrad - Psychology
Edward Dougherty - Mathematics
Catherine Forsa - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
Hasala Gallolu Kankanamalage - Mathematics
Wendy Godek - Political Science
Victoria Heimer-McGinn - Psychology
Brian Hendrickson - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
Dorian Lee Jackson - Modern Languages
Elliot McKinley - Music
Christian Pulver - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
Dahliani Reynolds - Writing Studies, Rhetoric and Composition
Lori Lee Wallace - Theatre

Visiting Professors:

John Farmer - Graphic Design

Lecturers:

Katherine Mattaini - Biology
Christina Rawls - Philosophy

Special Events

The Professor John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Lectureship and Professor John Howard Birss, Jr. Endowed Library Fund, were established by Roger Williams University alumnus Robert Blais ‘70, to honor Professor John Howard Birss, Jr., mentor and life-long friend of Mr. Blais. Professor Birss studied in the New York public school system and completed his academic work at New York University, Harvard University, and Columbia University. An English instructor at Rutgers University and later a professor of English and American Literature, Birss was a noted Herman Melville scholar and one of the founders of the Melville Society. He was also a bibliographer and collector of letters as well as inscribed and rare first edition books. His extensive collection included a wide variety of material on Melville, Hart Crane, Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman.

The library funds are allocated for the purchase of reference and research books for the library and expand holdings in the Humanities area. The Professor John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Lectureship is an annual event that features an important work of literature. Past works honored have included Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, and Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.

Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science

Master of Arts

Certificate

Minor

Non-degree