Holy Cross Announces Faculty Promotions

The following members of the College of the Holy Cross faculty have been promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure.

Renee Lynn Beard, of the sociology and anthropology department, received her B.A. in sociology from Boston College and her Ph.D. in medical sociology from the University of California, San Francisco. Prior to coming to Holy Cross, she was a National Institute of Health Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Illinois at Chicago. A member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2008, her areas of expertise include the sociology of health and aging, illness narratives, and social policy. An expert in Alzheimer’s disease, her empirical work has been published in numerous journals including Social Science & Medicine, Sociology of Health & Illness, Culture, Medicine & Psychiatry, and the Journal of Aging Studies. She is working on a forthcoming book on the subjective experiences of living with early Alzheimer's disease. In addition to teaching courses on medical sociology and aging and society, Beard has supervised a large number of research students, many of whom were invited to present their work at national conferences.

Barbara L. Craig, of the theatre department, has designed sets, lighting, costumes and properties in academic, professional and community theatres in Baltimore, Minneapolis, Denver, and beyond. She returned to academic theatre in 2004 after 12 years as the co-owner of a custom furniture and cabinetmaking shop, and six years as the properties director for the Denver Center Theatre Company. A member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2007, she has designed the set for most Theatre Department productions and mentored the student designers of the Alternate College Theatre productions.  In addition to the courses she teaches in technical theater, she has advised students completing multidisciplinary majors through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, served as the department representative on the Academic Affairs Council, and was an advisor for Gateways Orientation. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she received her B.A in English from Barnard College and her M.F.A. in design and technical theatre from the University of Minnesota.

Caner K. Dagli, of the religious studies department, received his B.A. from Cornell University in Near Eastern studies, his M.A. from George Washington University in Religion with a specialization in Islam, and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in Near Eastern Studies.  Prior to coming to Holy Cross in 2008, he served for a year as an interfaith affairs consultant at the Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan. While in Jordan, he provided consultative support to HM King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and his special advisor HRH Ghazi bin Muhammad and performed tasks related to interfaith and Islamic affairs for Jordan’s vision of interfaith understanding and cooperation. He has been actively involved in the Common Word Initiative promoting interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians.  A recipient of a Fulbright Grant to study in Turkey and an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities, his publications include the “Ringstones of Wisdom” (Kazi Publications/ABC International Group, 2004) and two forthcoming books:  “The Study Quran” (HarperOne, spring 2015) and the “Oxford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Science and Technology in Islam” (Oxford University Press, 2014).

Bryan Engelhardt, of the economics department, earned his B.A. from Oberlin College and his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. A member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2008, his research and teaching interests include labor economics, macroeconomics and the economics of crime.  A frequent media commentator, his recent research includes a study on how long it takes released inmates to find a job, and when they find a job, how their incarceration rate changes; and a study on the effects of various labor market and crime policies.  His work has appeared in prestigious journals including the Journal of Public Economics and the Journal of Labor Economics.  He has served on numerous committees at the College including the Academic Affairs Council and the Faculty Compensation Committee.  He has also directed the Economics Department Honors Program and summer research program.

Brian R. Linton, of the chemistry department, earned his B.A. from Allegheny College and his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. A member of the Holy Cross faculty since 2008, he teaches courses in organic chemistry and molecular pharmacology.  His research focuses on the role of hydrogen bonding in protein structure and function, has been supported by grants and has resulted in numerous presentations throughout the U.S.  More than 25 students have been involved in his work through independent studies and summer research projects. He has published in numerous journals including the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal of Organic Chemistry, Chemical Reviews and the Journal of Chemical Education.

John Panteleimon Manoussakis, of the philosophy department, was born in Athens, Greece, and received his Ph.D. from Boston College.  He has taught courses in medieval philosophy and phenomenology as well as seminars in the Montserrat program for first year students.  He was ordained into the diaconate in 1995 and into the priesthood in 2011, receiving the distinction of an archimandrite. He is an honorary fellow of the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University. His research interests and publications focus on philosophy of religion, phenomenology (in particular post-subjective anthropology in Heidegger and Marion), Plato and the Neo-Platonic tradition, and Patristics (Dionysius and Maximus). He is the author of two books, editor of five volumes, and has published more than 30 articles in English, Greek, Russian, Serbian, and Ukrainian.