Recognizing over three dozen faculty and staff whose research work was published in 2017, the fourth annual Celebration of Research & Scholarship featured three faculty members who published in Computer Science, Criminal Justice, and Mathematics, respectively.

Geisel Library recently welcomed a new Reference & Instruction Librarian to its team. Bekah is a Saint Anselm College alum, class of 2015 and recently finished a graduate program in Library Science from Indiana University. Please join us in welcoming her back to the Saint Anselm College community.

Hello all! I’m Bekah Dreyer, the new Reference & Instruction Librarian, liaising with English, History, Criminal Justice, and Fine Arts. I graduated from Saint A’s in 2015, and for the last two years I’ve been out in Indiana getting my MLS at Indiana University. I like to call it my Big Midwestern Adventure, but it’s certainly wonderful to be back home!

My love for libraries actually started with my love of history – I attended a public lecture that Keith gave for my Applied History class, and asked him if he knew of anyone who needed an intern. Turns out, Keith was the one who needed an intern! I worked with him in the archives and in the rare books collection my senior year. I loved being able to touch the history, and hold it in my hands; it was more thrilling than any history textbook, no matter how well written. So, initially I wanted to work with these types of materials. However, upon deciding to go to graduate school for library science, I discovered that I really loved the mission of libraries as a whole: a place of service and learning. Everything just sort of clicked at that point, and I knew that libraries – rare books or not – were the place I wanted to be. So, I am thrilled to be back on the Hilltop where my journey began!

My office is located right in the middle of Reference Row [adjacent to the computer lab and IT Help Desk on the main level], so feel free to stop on by and say hello! If you need any ice breakers, feel free to bring up Star Wars, cats, medieval history, or the latest in sports news and I’ll talk to you for hours! It’s also very important to me to keep chocolate nearby at all times, so if you find yourself in need, I’ve always got a bowl out for sharing.

Professors Deb McCarter and Tauna Sisco

On Feb. 19, the published work of four dozen faculty and staff was recognized at the Geisel Library’s sixth annual Celebration of Research and Scholarship. Four faculty who published in international relations, biology, nursing and sociology, presented their work in the DeCiccio Reading Room.

Mark Cronin, dean of the college, opened the event by emphasizing the engagement and dedication the faculty have to their research and contribution to their field. “They always rise to the challenge,” said Dean Cronin, speaking about the faculty commitment to their work and to the college. 

Professor Erik Cleven

Erik Cleven, associate professor of politics, presented his research “Deadly Foreign Terrorism and the Rank-Ordered Tournament for Foreign Press Attention: Implications for Counterterrorism,” focused on the correlation between press attention and deadly terrorist attacks. Professor Cleven and his co-authors asked whether higher levels of international press attention make countries more vulnerable to terrorist attacks, and whether reducing press attention therefore is a viable counterterrorism strategy. Their research found that higher levels of press attention do predict a higher level of deadly foreign terrorist attacks. However, if the U.S. could reduce its level of international press attention by 20% it would not result in a statistically significant reduction in these attacks. For policymakers who might want to trade liberty for security, Dr. Cleven and his colleague's research makes clear that this trade would not be worth it. 

Professor Theresa Dabruzzi 

Assistant professor of biology, Theresa Dabruzzi, presented her research “Thermal Niche Adaptations of Common Mudskipper (Periophthalmus kalolo) and Barred Mudskipper (Periophthalmus argentilineatus) in Air and Water.” She spoke about her passion of working with temperature and the limits animals have when dealing with extreme variations. Her research focus was on Mudskippers, a fish found in the coastal Pacific and Indian oceans that migrates between breathing water and air. Conducting her research in Indonesia, she studied Mudskipper thermal adaptation abilities and found that the Mudskippers have a high tolerance for temperature when it is removed from water and placed on land. The difference in tolerance results from an adaptation which allows the fish to transition between an aquatic habitat and a terrestrial habitat. 

Deborah McCarter, professor of nursing, and Tauna Sisco, associate professor of sociology, presented their research, “Technology-Assisted Nursing for Postpartum Support: A Randomized Control Trial,” on the effects of technology-assisted nursing care during ​the first six months after childbirth. Professors McCarter and Sisco researched a group of women who agreed to receive four standardized text messages over the course of six months that included messages about maternal care, infant care, and inspirational comments. Some, but not all women had the opportunity to choose to speak with a nurse, helping them to feel less isolated and more supported. The results found that many women experienced symptoms of depression as much as six months postpartum and that the messages and offers for nurse contact were appreciated by women and not burdensome to nurses.