Faculty Members Go Through a Day-long Orientation to Learn About Their New Positions This fall, Yeshiva University is welcoming 25 new faculty members whose disciplines run the gamut from the humanities to the sciences. On August 16, the Office of the Provost hosted an orientation to welcome the new professors and prepare them for the year ahead. Dr. Selma Botman, provost and vice president for academic affairs, began by telling the faculty that she remembered being in their shoes. “I walked into my first class and my first department meeting, and I didn’t know whether to celebrate or hide! But over time, I learned to celebrate this wonderful world of higher education of which we are all a part.” She went on to say how the greatness of a university depends upon the greatness of its faculty and that her office is committed to supporting their professional development so that they can, in turn, nurture the development of the students. “We believe in the importance of a values-based education,” she said. “We want our students to graduate and understand that we expect leadership from them and that we expect them to be hard-working and honorable citizens and family members—and you can be the role models for launching them into the next stages of their lives.”

Lisa Henshaw, Wurzweiler School of Social Work

Rabbi Dr. Yosef Kalinsky, assistant dean of undergraduate Torah studies, spoke next about the culture of the University, asking the group what stood out about YU that made them want to teach here. Lisa Henshaw, a new Wurzwelier School of Social Work professor, immediately said that, based on her encounters with faculty and administration, it was clear to her that YU is a student-centered community with high ethical values, echoing the values she planned to teach to her social workers. Dr. Catherine Delazzero, clinical associate professor of writing, agreed with Henshaw and added, “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such kindness in the faculty and the people I’ve interacted with.” Others, like Matthew Incantalupo, assistant professor of political science, mentioned the caliber of the students: “I was told that their religious instruction made them more outspoken in their secular classes and that their questions came from a really healthy skepticism. This is exactly what I saw when I visited the campus. I found their feedback on par with the feedback I get at conferences.” Dr. Harel Chorev-Halewa, a visiting faculty member from the Israeli Institute in Tel Aviv, added that the reputation of the University also appealed to him: “I have heard only great things about Yeshiva University for the past 20 years, so for me, it was like closing the circle to apply here for a faculty position.”

Dr. Harel Chorev-Halewa, Yeshiva College

Rabbi Kalinsky underscored just how important the faculty are in maintaining the intellectual dynamism of both the students and the University. “The impact you can have is as a lifelong mentor, the people these students can look up to and emulate. If you say your door is always open, they will use it. They will be in your office, questioning you, following up with you, and they’ll be with you as much as they can.” The participants also went through a detailed onboarding process and learned about the many resources and benefits offered by the University. The new other new faculty members are the following: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law: Matthew Seligman, visiting assistant professor; Farez Sanei, instructor fellow; Lindsay Nash, clinical assistant professor. Ferkauf Graduate of Psychology: Eugenia Corlin, assistant professor of psychology; Vera Bekes, assistant professor of psychology; Leanne Quigley, assistant professor of psychology; Jordan Bate, assistant professor of psychology at Ferkauf Graduate School. The Katz School: Nicolas van den Heever, clinical professor of occupational therapy; Rana Khan, clinical professor of biotechnology. Stern College for Women: Lisa Chalik, assistant professor of psychology; Rebecca Greif, clinical assistant professor of psychology; Emily Witty, clinical assistant professor of education; Mina Teicher, visiting professor of mathematics. Sy Syms School of Business: Jannine Isaleta, assistant professor of marketing; Bruce Kamins, clinical assistant professor of taxation; Donald Monk, clinical assistant professor of accounting; Noam Shamir, visiting associate professor of information and decision sciences; Hanane Dakhli, clinical assistant professor of finance; Andreas Christopoulous, visiting assitant professor of finance. Yeshiva College: Athula Murthi, clinical assistant professor of biology; Adrian Caciula, clinical assistant professor of computer science; Brian Trimboli, lecturer in writing; David Puretz, lecturer in writing. Wurzweiler School of Social Work: Laurie Blackman, assistant clinical professor of social work; and Hanni Flaherty, assistant clinical professor of social work.