At Saint Vincent, our students have the unique opportunity to study under professors who aren’t just skilled educators: they’re experts and leaders in their fields. For SVC students, this means they’re learning from the best, and when you get to learn from the best, there’s no limit to what you can go on to achieve. And in the 2024-2025 school year, our faculty gave us a considerable showing of what those achievements can look like. Here’s a glimpse at just a few of our professors who are driving innovation and advancing scholarship at Saint Vincent and beyond.

Dr. Lucas Briola, C’13, assistant professor of theology in the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, was a featured speaker at the “Laudato Si’: Care of Creation” event sponsored by the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Dr. Briola is the author of The Eucharistic Visio of Laudato Si’: Praise, Conversion, and Integral Ecology, which was released in 2023. Briola laid the foundation for his book with his essay, “Praise Rather Than Solving Problems: Understanding the Doxological Turn of Laudato Si’ Through Lonergan,” which won the 2021 Award for Best Essay from the College Theology Society.

Bruce Antkowiak, C'74, JD, professor of law and director of the Legal Studies Certificate program, appears as an interviewee in “The Godfather of Fentanyl,” a true-crime documentary streaming on Fox Nation. Antkowiak was also quoted twice, once in a September and later in a November article, by The Associated Press on the prolonged appeals process in a decades-old murder case, offering expert insight on witness credibility and appellate review standards.

Dr. Jason Vohs, professor of chemistry, and Fr. Michael Antonacci, O.S.B., PhD, C’07, S’14, assistant professor of physics, teamed up to enhance nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging using the SABRE method, creating catalysts that could strengthen MRI signals. Their early success with students shows promise for future water-soluble contrast agents and expanded research.

Saint Vincent, in collaboration with Winston-Salem State University, North Arkansas College, and Middle Georgia State University, secured a $370,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant will allow for increased research capacity, expanded external partnerships with regional industry, and broadened participation in innovation systems that advance key technologies.

Dr. Mary Regina Boland, C’10, assistant professor of data science, published a study on whether some chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing affect the occurrence of pre-term births and low birth weights in the US. The study’s data could encourage energy companies to switch to alternative chemicals that do not target estrogen, testosterone, or other hormonal pathways. Dr. Boland also published a textbook with Springer​ Nature. Titled Health Analytics with R: Learning Data Science Using Examples from Healthcare and Direct-to-Consumer Genetics, the book teaches the readers how to take direct-to-consumer genetic data from companies such as 23andme, AncestryDNA, and more and learn insights from these vast sources of data.

The History Department organized a memorial event to mark the 80th anniversary of the SS Léopoldville tragedy. Dr. Emily Arledge, C’15, assistant professor of history, spearheaded the project with Jonah Weaver, a junior public history major. The event featured a lecture and display, and in addition to commemorating the story of the Léopoldville, it served to revitalize the College’s public history program and allow the program to interact with the broader community.

Dr. Tracy McNelly, associate professor and chair of the Education Department; Dr. Dawn Turkovich, C’95, assistant professor of education; and Father Philip Kanfush, O.S.B., C’96, S’99, PhD, professor of education, were selected to serve as the editorial team for Pennsylvania Teacher Educator, a peer-reviewed journal published by the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (PAC-TE). The journal provides PAC-TE members and other educators with a venue for research. The new team’s first issue came out in fall 2025.

Dr. Jerome Foss, professor of political science, assistant vice president of academic affairs and Core Curriculum, and director of SVC Honors, and Dr. Jacob Boros, C’16, assistant professor of political science, each authored a chapter for Constitutionalism and Liberty: Essays in Honor of Dr. David K. Nichols. The book features articles by scholars inspired by Nichols, a retired Baylor University political science professor, and cover topics such as the separation of powers and checks and balances in the American constitutional system, various aspects of American legal practice, and the intersection of political theory with literature and art.

Rabbi Jamie Gibson, the Rabbi Jason Edelstein Endowed Chair in Catholic-Jewish Dialogue, spoke to the cast of SVC Players’ Fiddler on the Roof about Jewish life and the importance of tradition. Rabbi Gibson’s insight helped the cast honor the Jewish tradition and the story of displacement and violence against Jewish people with intentionality and care.

Dr. Adam Wood, assistant professor of engineering, saw his groundbreaking research into how electrodes crafted from stale bread can aid with water desalination published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Wood previously received a $200,000 grant from the NSF to fund his research, which is aided by engineering graduate students David Bujdos, C’24, and Zachary Kuzel, C’22.

Dr. Michael Urick, C’04, dean of the Alex G. McKenna School and professor of management and operational excellence, published his book, Swift Leadership: A Taylor-Made Approach to Influence and Decision Making. Co-authored by Dr. Mariah Yates of Western Kentucky University’s Gordon Ford College of Business, the book examines the leadership and business actions behind Swift’s success and looks at the positive and negative aspects of her leadership approach.

Dr. Catherine Petrany, associate professor of theology at Saint Vincent College, published an article in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly. The article, titled “The Language of Praise: Creation’s Silence in Psalms 19 and 65,” explores the constructive interplay of silence and praise in two psalms. She is the first faculty member of Saint Vincent to publish an article in the journal.

Saint Vincent began a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University aimed at turning undergraduate capstone projects into industry-connected, high-tech workforce pipelines, leveraging CMU’s resources and regional partnerships. Dr. Michael Robinson, assistant professor of engineering, has led the effort on the Saint Vincent side, connecting engineering capstone students with General Carbide Corporation. Dr. David Dzombak, C’79, initially proposed the collaboration between the institutions, which has been supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance and will enter its third year at the start of the 2026-27 academic year.