Salve faculty showcase research in McKillop Library lecture series

Salve Regina University’s McKillop Library has long been a beacon for knowledge and learning, and its faculty lecture series provides a platform for instructors to share their groundbreaking research, diverse expertise and innovative approaches with the community. The fall 2024 line-up offers a range of topics – from a history of the Sisters of Mercy in Newport to the power of photography and the importance of community-engaged learning.

“These lectures remind us all, whether we’re staff, faculty or students, of the reason we’re all here, which is, at its core, the pursuit of knowledge,” said Dawn Emsellem-Wichowski, director of library services. “This slate of lectures highlights what I love about Salve: its focus on student learning, its mission and the strength of its scholarly community.”

A legacy of service

The lecture series began in September with a historical deep dive by Dr. John Quinn, professor and chair of the Department of History, who explored the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy in his talk, “Building Bridges: Mercy Ministries in Newport since 1854.” Quinn highlighted the sisters’ long-standing influence in Newport, well before they established Salve Regina 1947.

“I’d like the community to recognize what an important role the Sisters of Mercy have played over the years at Salve and the Newport community in general,” said Quinn. “Since the sisters are now much fewer in number than they were a generation ago, it’s easy to overlook their significance.”

Quinn presenting his lecture “Building Bridges: Mercy Ministries in Newport since 1854” in September as part of the faculty lecture series.

The Sisters of Mercy first arrived in Newport in 1854 to manage St. Mary’s grammar school, and over the next century, they expanded their work to include a high school, a grammar school in the Fifth Ward, and an orphanage known as Mercy Home. These efforts laid the foundation for their role in founding Salve Regina.

Quinn’s research illustrated how the sisters’ dedication to education and social service shaped Newport’s cultural and civic landscape. By the time Salve opened its doors, the sisters were already deeply ingrained in the local community, having provided educational and charitable services for nearly a century.

To watch Quinn’s lecture, go here.

Visual literacy and personal archives

On a different academic front, Jodie Mim Goodnough, associate professor in the Department of Art and Art History, will bring a fascinating perspective to the lecture series with her presentation “Minding the Gap: Personal Photographs, Institutional Archives, and Visual Literacy in the Classroom,” on Thursday, Oct. 24. As a visual artist with an MFA from Tufts University, Goodnough’s creative work and teaching explores the power of photography, encouraging students to engage with lens-based images critically and analytically.

“Social media has exponentially accelerated how many photographs and short videos we see on a daily basis, and because of that, media literacy is more important than ever,” said Goodnough. “This onslaught can have a flattening effect, obscuring how history constantly impacts present-day events. Slowing down and analyzing photographs carefully and critically allows us to make connections over time and better understand how our knowledge of these events is constructed.”

Goodnough will share insights from her fall 2023 sabbatical, when she delved into her personal archive of 35 years of photographs.

“During my sabbatical, I realized the value of including personal image collections in conversations about archival gaps and biases,” shared Goodnough. By engaging with these collections, she teaches the Salve community to recognize not just what is captured in an image, but what is left out.

Photos from “Stronger and Weaker, More and Less,” an autobiographical collection of photographs that reflect on the death of Goodnough’s father.

Her lecture will reflect on the blind spots in institutional archives, drawing on her own experiences as well as those of other contemporary artists. By weaving personal narratives into her curriculum, Goodnough encourages others to understand how visual materials influence public perception and historical memory.

“My hope is always for people to become more aware of the ways in which photographic images function in their lives, both personally and culturally, and through that awareness find commonality with other people’s life experiences,” said Goodnough. “I hope they go home and look through some images, and maybe call a relative to talk about them.”

Community-engaged learning and preparing students for life beyond college

Sam Sacco, senior lecturer in the Department of Business and Economics, will conclude the fall series with a compelling presentation on “Community-Engaged Learning in an Undergraduate Setting,” on Thursday, Nov. 21.

Sacco’s work at Salve emphasizes the power of community-engaged learning to bridge academic knowledge and real-world application. By involving students in economic impact studies for local organizations, Sacco strengthens the University’s ties with Newport and surrounding communities. These student-led projects provide valuable insights into the contributions local businesses and nonprofits make to the economic health of Aquidneck Island and Rhode Island as a whole, especially in sectors like healthcare, tourism and hospitality.

Along with Dr. Jennifer Bonoff, assistant professor in the Department of Business and Economics, Sacco has integrated community partnerships into the business curriculum, offering students hands-on experience with local organizations. These partnerships, which range from Newport Contemporary Ballet to the U.S. Naval Sea Command, provide opportunities for students to collaborate on projects that have a tangible impact on the community.

Sacco’s student’s working on a report of the economic impact of Salve on Aquidneck Island.

“Our initial study was in response to a request by the Cliff Walk Commission to project the number of annual visitors to the Cliff Walk, and the overall impact of the annual visitors to the Newport and Newport County economy,” shared Sacco. “The students were immediately engaged, took ownership of the project, developed important professional skills, enjoyed the consulting experience, and expressed immense pride in helping an outside organization while being recognized by area business leaders – the success and publicity of the original study created a pipeline of other community clients.”

These partnerships not only benefit community organizations, offering financial insights and service contributions, but also equip students with critical skills in research, analysis and professional collaboration. The experiential education provided through these projects allows students to gain real-world consulting experience, with community studies booked through 2027 – reflecting the lasting impact of the program.

Below is a list of community economic impact studies and partnerships that have been successfully completed by Salve Regina students:

• Hope & Main
• Newport Hospital
• Newport Contemporary Ballet
• Rhode Island Hospitality Association (RIHA)
• Salve Regina University
• Fall River Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
• The Naval Sea Command (NAVSEA)
• The Cliff Walk

Sacco’s initiative has deepened the University’s community relationships while preparing students for future leadership roles in a tightly connected local economy.

Connecting past, present and future

The faculty lecture series offers a window into the research that drives the institution’s mission of harmony, justice and mercy. Whether through community-engaged learning in business, the exploration of visual literacy in art or the historical contributions of the Sisters of Mercy, these lectures remind us of the University’s commitment to fostering intellectual growth and civic responsibility.

Through this series, McKillop Library continues to serve as a hub for knowledge-sharing, uniting faculty, students, and the broader community in the pursuit of meaningful dialogue and learning.

“I look forward to each faculty lecture in part because of the diversity of research happening across the disciplines, and because it’s thrilling to see the paths our faculty follow in their pursuit of scholarly inquiry,” said Emsellem-Wichowski.

“These lectures give us all a chance to step out of our daily grind and be inspired by the brilliance and insight of our faculty colleagues.”