Professional Notes: February 2026
Professional Notes is a round-up of awards, presentations, papers, and other professional achievements of SLU faculty, staff members, and students.
Faculty and Staff
Terrence Kelly, Ph.D. (Aviation Science) earned the Aviation Accreditation Board International's Whelan Aviation Educator Award. The award recognizes significant contributions for the advancement of collegiate aviation. The award is named after Paul A. Whelan, Ph.D., who served as a Vice President of Parks College of Saint Louis University.
Rubén Rosario Rodríguez, Ph.D. (Theological Studies) has been invited to serve on the editorial board of "Reformed World," an international journal published by the World Communion of Reformed Churches that provides a forum for sharing and debating theological studies in global context.
Udayanga Wanninayake, Ph.D. (Pediatrics) was honored with the Young Investigator Award at the WORLD Symposium 2026. Wanninayake's work is focused on developing novel therapies for Morquio A syndrome and other lysosomal diseases under the supervision of Adriana Montaño, Ph.D. (Pediatrics) and with the collaboration of M6P therapeutics LLC, St. Louis MO. Morquio A disease is a rare genetic condition that affects all the organs in the body including bones, eyes, and heart. SLU researchers have developed a new and improved version of the therapeutic enzyme called HP-GALNS with the help of M6P therapeutics. The new drug is designed to be better absorbed by cells and stay in the body longer.
The Saint Louis University Interprofessional Education Program's poster presentation "Impact of Structured IPE Curriculum on Student Collaboration Skills, Self and Team Efficacy" at the 2025 Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Virtual Poster Fair on Nov. 20, 2025, was recognized the winner in Room C - IPE Curriculum Development & Structure. SLU faculty Anthony Breitbach Ph.D. (Interprofessional Education), Kim Levenhagen, DPT (Physical Therapy and Athletic Training), Maegan Roper (Nursing), Selena Washington, Ph.D. (Occupational Therapy) and doctoral student Sarah Liebowitz (Psychology) authored the presentation.
Sam Biver (Behavioral Science and Health Equity), Travis Loux, Ph.D. (Biostatistics) and Enbal Shacham, Ph.D. (Behavioral Science and Health Equity), published and collaborated on the research article "Association between high school physical education and physical activity in Missouri students" in the 'Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy.'
Qiang Pu, Ph.D. (Behavioral Science and Health Equity) co-first authored the research "Ambient PM2.5 Exposure Modeling in LMICs: An Example from Peru." This international collaboration reviews recent advances in estimating ambient PM2.5 exposure in low- and middle-income country settings. The article highlights the NIH-funded Peru GeoHealth Hub’s efforts to establish a nationwide monitoring network using low-cost sensors, and describe a hybrid framework for estimating ambient PM2.5 exposure across Peru that integrates multiple geospatial technologies.
Nori Katagiri, Ph.D.(Political Science) published a commentary at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies. The commentary, "State Hacking in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," discusses how countries these days use AI to conduct cyber operations, using some recent examples.
Emily A. Phillips, Ph.D. (English) published the article "Living the Humanities: Ghosts, Literature, and Social Justice" in the most recent edition of Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal. In the piece she shares the work her Ignite course is doing regarding hauntology, literature, and the history of St. Louis (and Saint Louis University). Next month her class will welcome both Colten Biro, a scholar who was instrumental in the development of the Saint Louis Story Project, and Robin Proudie, the founder of DSLUE: Descendants of the University Enslaved. In doing so she hopes that students will develop both understanding and compassion for the men and women who faced injustice and who might, therefore, haunt this place until the "time" is no longer "out of joint."
Jason T. Eberl, Ph.D. (Health Care Ethics) recently published three edited collections: Emerging Issues in Catholic Bioethics (Springer’s “Philosophy & Medicine” series), “Controversies in the Determination of Death by Neurological Criteria” (National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 3), and “Reclaiming Moral Space in Contemporary Bioethics” (Canadian Journal of Bioethics, vol. 9, no 1).
Hossein Rafiei, Ph.D. (Nutrition and Dietetics) co-authored the article "Efficacy of curcumin/turmeric on inflammation and oxidative stress in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis" in Springer Nature.
Anthony Breitbach, Ph.D. (Interprofessional Education) co-authored a publication "Engaging to Build Readiness for Interprofessional Clinical Practice: Utilizing a Stakeholder Engagement Model to Develop Action Strategies" in the Journal of Allied Health reporting outcomes from the 2024 Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP) Regional Summit engaging stakeholders from academia and industry around the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies, Version 3 (2023).
Olivia Badoi, Ph.D. (Engish - Madrid) has published a monograph entitled Arboreal Modernism and the Woodcut Book (Palgrave Macmillan: January 2026).
Nathaniel Rivers, Ph.D. (English) published a chapbook entitled Cesium, as part of the Errant Elements project, which is publishing short
chapbooks on each element of the periodic table of elements.
Jennifer Rust, Ph.D. (faculty, St. Louis) published a book chapter, “Liturgy,” in The Routledge Companion to Shakespeare and Religion, edited by Will Stockton, (Abingdon (UK): Routledge, pp. 191-204). Published online in December 2025. Print edition published in January 2026.
Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice researchers collaborated for an multi-university study titled "COVID vaccine data quality, cleaning, and management" which examines a database for county-level vaccine data that addresses these data quality issues in the Quality Engineering journal.
Bidisha Chakrabarty, Ph.D. (Finance) recently presented her research at the 2026 NYSE Market Microstructure Conference, hosted by the New York Stock Exchange in New York City. The NYSE Market Microstructure Conference is a highly selective international forum that convenes leading scholars, regulators, and market practitioners to examine how financial markets function and evolve. Each year, only five papers are selected from submissions across the United States and around the world, reflecting the conference’s standards and global reputation.
As part of the conference, Chakrabarty was also invited to participate in the NYSE Closing Bell ceremony, an honor extended to conference presenters in recognition of research that contributes to the understanding and integrity of modern financial markets.
Chakrabarty’s research focuses on market design, trading behavior, and the role of technology and regulation in promoting fair, efficient, and transparent markets. Her work bridges academic theory and real-world application, engaging questions that are central to investors, exchanges, and policymakers.
A cross-departmental team of Academic and International Advisors have earned recognition
for their presentation “Speak Their Language: Helping Academic Advisors Help International
Students.” James DelVecchio (Academic Advising), Victoria Dieckman (International Services), Sydney Eckell (Academic Advising), Amelia Marsh (Academic Advising), and Madeline Schurman (International Services)
presented at the NAFSA 2025 Region IV Conference where they were recognized as a Regional
Highlight. In addition to this honor, the team has been invited to present at the NAFSA 2026
National Conference in May.
The NAFSA National Conference is a place for leaders in the field of International Education from around the world to connect, teach, and learn from each other. The SLU team will be discussing the challenges and best practices of collaboration between their two departments, Academic Advising and International Services, to support international students in the United States.
Jason T. Eberl, Ph.D. (Health Care Ethics) spent the fall 2025 semester on sabbatical as a Visiting Research Fellow of the Aquinas Institute in Blackfriars Hall at the University of Oxford. He delivered five lectures at Oxford with additional presentations at conferences in Budapest, Hungary; Torun, Poland; and Padua, Italy.
Anthony Breitbach, Ph.D. (Interprofessional Education) presented "IPE Program Demonstration at Saint Louis University" on a virtual panel presentation "Future of Interprofessional Education and Collaboration" in Turkey on November 27, 2025 with international colleagues for the XVth National I. International Medical Education Congress hosted by Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University Faculty of Medicine.
Anne Stiles, Ph.D. (English) presented "Marie Corelli, Marie Curie, and the Wonders of Radium" at Textual Revolutions on Feb. 11, 2026. Stiles also has been invited to be a visiting fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Loughborough, UK from May 17-23, 2026. She will be giving a talk on Marie Corelli and Radium and providing advice regarding their medical humanities program.
Jonathan Sawday, Ph.D. (English) gave the annual address on Jan. 24, 2026, to the 121st meeting of the Burns Club of St. Louis. This meeting, which took place at the Log Cabin Club in Ladue, marked and celebrated the 267th birthday of Robert Burns. His address, at the end of which he proposed the traditional toast to the memory of Robert Burns, was entitled "Robert Burns and the American Revolution — Or Not?"
Students
Faith Whatley-Blaine (Law student) was recently announced as the first-place honoree of the California Lawyers Association Annual Distinguished Law Student Writing Competition with her article, 'From Parchment to People: Why Inclusive Constitutionalism Matters Today,' that examined the intersection of constitutional and feminist theory. This award sought to recognize law student authors of exceptional literary works that advance the understanding and pursuit of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. The article called for a framework of inclusive constitutionalism to prevent hermeneutical injustice and remedy systemic gaps that leave marginalized experiences unrecognized and insufficiently addressed by current legal remedies due to the absence of diversity in the legal field.
The Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) community, supported by the Student Involvement Center, includes nearly 17% of all undergraduate students. In the Fall 2025 term, the FSL community earned a 3.40 term GPA, which is higher than the all undergraduate term GPA of 3.29. Notably, the Multicultural Greek Council, comprised of one sorority, and the Panhellenic Council, which includes seven sororities, earned term GPAs of 3.74 and 3.50. Additionally, 510 members earned a place on the Dean’s List and185 members achieved a 4.0 term GPA.
Honors Students and Presidential Scholars at Saint Louis University were selected for Investigative Learning Experience (ILEX) Grants for the spring 2026 semester. The following student received grants:
- Jessi Abraham (Doisy College Health Sciences student): “Deciphering the Role of Serglycin Expression in Pain”
- Pranavi Athota (College of Arts and Sciences student): “Hormones and Emotional Response Follow Up Study”
- Levi Bandanadam (Public Health & Social Justice): “MyPlate Discovery Day”
- Paige Bostic (College of Arts and Sciences student): “Budding Botanists: Facilitating a Lesson Plan to Introduce Middle Schoolers to the World of Plant Science”
- Jesse Driese (School of Social Work student): “Bill Severity and Passage Behavior of Nullification Legislation in State Legislature”
- Hannah Johnson (School of Science and Engineering student): “Optimization of super-libricious copolymer-coated hydrogel microspheres for the treatment of knee ostoarthritis”
- Nathan Krugman (College of Arts and Sciences student): “ESKAPE Antibiotic Resistance: Indentifying Environmental Microbes Producing Antibiotic Agents Effective Against Multi Drug Resistant Pathogens”
- Athulya Nair (College of Arts and Sciences student): “Longitudinal Assessment of Social Rejection Sensitivity in the Hormones and Emotional Response”
Honors students and Presidential Scholars are eligible to apply for Investigative Learning Experience grants to fund research, interdisciplinary, creative, and community-based projects. The funds may be applied toward the execution of the project or towards travel to disseminate the results of the work. ILEX projects may be completely independent, or may be connected to research or coursework like Honors Senior Capstone projects. ILEX grant applications require a faculty mentor. ILEX grants are awarded on a rolling basis on two cycles, with deadlines on November 15 and April 15.
Ahlam Jaber (College of Arts and Sciences student) has been awarded the Annie Rues Neidel, Ph.D Memorial Scholarship, awarded annually to a graduate student in English at SLU.
Dominic Robin (College of Arts and Sciences student) has been awarded a Dissertation Fellowship Award from the Saint Louis University Office of Graduate Education for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Jen Jen Chang, Ph.D. (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Thomas E. Burroughs , Ph.D. (Health Management and Policy, and Biostatistics and Epidemiology), Steve E. Rigdon, Ph.D. (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Christopher D. Hopwood (Public Health and Social Justice student), Yuki Sugawara (Public Health and Social Justice student), and Aya Bou Fakhreddine (Public Health and Social Justice student) collaborated to produce "Emergency Department Utilization by Women of Reproductive Age for Mental Illness in St. Louis Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic" in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Shafeel Umam (Public Health and Social Justice student) and Enbal Shacham, Ph.D. (Behavioral Science and Health Equity) published the research article “Examining the Joint Influence of Food Insecurity and Physical Inactivity on Diabetes Risk Among US Adults” in the American Journal of Health Education.