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Hamilton community welcomes six tenure-track hires

By Mackenzie Doherty ’18

As the new school year at Hamilton officially begins and students adjust to new classes, schedules and a new campus, we often forget that we are not the only ones beginning again. The Hamilton faculty has a handful of fresh faces this year, the most prominent of those being six tenure track hires. They will serve as teachers, mentors and lecturers to students in the subject areas of physics, psychology, philosophy, biology and government.

Additionally, there will be 24 visiting instructors and three teaching fellows on campus throughout the 2014-2015 academic year. Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Patrick Reynolds has great confidence that these new members will be stellar additions to the Hamilton community. Reynolds is sure that each new staff member brings with them an “innate dedication to teaching and the success of students, a hunger for scholarship and creative activity in their respective fields, and a professional commitment to Hamilton, its governance, and its progress as an institution of higher education.”

Alex Plakias ’02, who joins the staff as an assistant professor in philosophy, as a Hamilton graduate has a bit of a head up on the others. Even during her time as a student here, Plakias knew that she wanted to end up working at, or being involved with, a similar type of institution. Some things are new to her (the Wellin Museum, the Kennedy Center, the open curriculum), but, she said, “The important things have stayed the same: small classes, the sense of community, and the enthusiasm that both students and faculty bring to their work.” Plakias, who specializes in moral psychology and the role of evolution and culture in our moral values, is excited to share her philosophical expertise with eager Hamilton students, but looks forward even more so to getting to know her students on a personal level. “I had wonderful professors here,” she said, “and I learned so much from them in and out of the classroom.  I hope I can pass some of that along to my own students.”

Jose M. Causadias, Ph.D. in psychology, is a another tenure track hire ecstatic to be on the Hill. Causadias specializes in the interplay of cultural and biological processes in the development of psychopathology and health. His first priority in coming to Hamilton is to educate students to the best of his ability by exposing them to “the depth and breadth of psychology” and instilling in them a pure love of the science. His goals are not solely academic, though; Causadias is passionately concerned with the development of immigrants and refugees in this country and believes that scientists have an indisputable social responsibility.

“I want to work with the community in Utica in a mutually beneficial manner,” he said. “I believe my research can shed some light on the incredible lives of people that choose, or had no choice, to move to this country.”

The four additional tenure track appointments were not available for comment, but are: Erica De Bruin in the government department, Ravi Thiruchselvam in the psychology department, Andrea Townsend in the biology department and Kate Jones-Smith in the physics department. While Reynolds is “terribly impressed” with all the appointments, he admits to especially looking forward to working with Andrea Townsend, considering that she is joining him in his home department of biology.

The existing professors, students and new hires alike are looking forward to the upcoming academic year. The new appointments “bring excitement to the faculty already here,” said Reynolds, “injecting new methodologies, widening the range of academic expertise, and bringing new possibilities for our interdisciplinary programs.”

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