Faculty of the Future

Eastern is fortunate to have many junior faculty who bring passion and innovation to their classrooms. We asked six of them about their thoughts on working at Eastern.

Nashid Anjum, Computer Science

What is your teaching philosophy?

Linking the academic world of the classroom with the professional world opens the window for students to share their views and ideas about contemporary cutting-edge technologies and research areas that are beyond the scope of textbooks. Students in a classroom have different academic maturities and interests. My philosophy is to teach in accordance with the students’ needs and their learning styles.

What are your research interests?

My current research includes reliable connectivity and coverage analysis of flying ad-hoc networks, as well as autonomous UAV networks for disaster management and emergency services.

Why do you enjoy teaching at Eastern?

Eastern is a great institute to practice quality teaching and research activities. It is remarkable how the teachers of Eastern work as a team and dedicate themselves to their students’ success. Eastern also offers an impressive, accepting culture toward any positive ideas and activities, which encourages me to keep growing as an educator, researcher and academic.

Brianna Halladay, Economics

What are your research interests?

My research uses laboratory experiments to test behavioral responses to competitive environments and learn how those behavioral responses differ between males and females, how emotions affect these behavioral responses, and how the competition task affects responses. I hope my research can speak to the larger question of why women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields as well as in top positions within corporations.

What is your teaching philosophy?

Students are people with different feelings, life situations and different circumstances. It is my goal to present the material in a variety of ways to reach as many students as possible. It is important to adapt to the dynamic nature of my students’ needs by learning new techniques and asking students how I can help.

Why do you enjoy teaching at Eastern?

When I first visited Eastern, I heard many staff, faculty, students and administrators speak about the sense of community on campus. From my very first day, I can honestly say that I have felt that strong sense of community and have truly benefited from the support of my Eastern colleagues.

Tom Balcerski, History

What is your teaching philosophy?

I strive to teach students the contours of American history, to think critically about the past, and to conceptualize history as a contested terrain that we still navigate today. I am especially passionate about teaching the stories of people who are not always included in the traditional narrative, including women, African Americans, Native Americans and LGBTQ people. Ultimately, I want students to explore their own passions, to educate them as future citizens, and to provide them with knowledge and skills that they will take with them for the rest of their lives.

What are your research interests?

My research focus has been on the political history of the United States, with special  interest in how gender and sexuality intersect with American politics. My first book explored the personal and political relationship of 19th-century Democrats James Buchanan and William Rufus King. I also reach a broader audience by writing for and speaking to the general public, including on CNN, C-SPAN, the Washington Post, the Advocate Magazine and Smithsonian Magazine. Currently, I am working on a new book project about the long history of the Democratic Party, America’s oldest political institution.

Why do you enjoy teaching at Eastern?

I truly enjoy engaging with students inside and outside of the classroom. Whenever possible, I bring students into the wider world around them, whether this means exploring the nearby Arboretum or attending a regional conference of the Phi Alpha Theta honor society at Salem State University.

Boya Li, Art

What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe in fostering a positive, nurturing, yet challenging atmosphere in my classes. Both the instructor and the students contribute as thinkers and problem solvers that help and encourage each other to achieve course goals. Building a connection is important. I strive to broaden my professional experience and skillset that I can bring to the classroom. I want to make my students confident, resilient learners by praising them not just for mastery of skills, but also for effort, curiosity and creativity.

What are your creative pursuits?

My creative pursuits focus on graphic design, illustration and animation using digital tools. The industry of digital art and design is evolving rapidly, and professional practice is essential for me to deliver up-to-date and useful information to my students. Aside from teaching, I devote my time to training, working with clients and networking. Over the years, I have worked with advertising agencies, publishers, gaming companies, application platforms and small business owners.

Why do you enjoy teaching at Eastern?

Eastern is a close-knit community with a positive and fostering academic environment. My life here has been rewarding at every level. Professionally, I feel confident about my teaching and professional development with the support from the administration and my department. I enjoy working with my talented, hard-working colleagues and students. I am proud everyone here is committed to the same goal — to better serve our students. I’m proud to call Eastern my academic home.

DeRon Williams, Theatre

What is your teaching philosophy?

As an artist and scholar, my teaching philosophy is anchored in being a lifelong learner, being a great listener, and facilitating investigation as I nurture students to become informed artists and critical thinkers. I am continuously adapting my teaching style to reflect how my students learn best. I merge this with diverse course content, as it is imperative to emulate the diversity of my students, the society around us, and the world. 

What are your research interests?

My research and creative interests are rooted in the intersections of race, gender and sexuality in performance, pedagogy and practice. I’m in the initial phase of developing two different book projects. The first examines the racial and patriarchal structures within American theatre and the ways in which they complicate the growth and development of Black and women directors. My second project focuses on the ways in which intersectional solidarities are reflected in/through performance, performance venues and performance theory in times of oppression.

Why do you enjoy teaching at Eastern?

Eastern aligns with my pedagogical approach, which is to provide skills and knowledge so that our diverse population of students can live purposeful lives through practical experiences. The administration genuinely cares about the arts and understands its value. This allows my colleagues and me to present courses and performances that challenge our faculty, staff, students and the local community. In addition, the Fine Arts Instructional Center is a theatre professor’s dream — to have a technologically advanced facility as our playground.

Courtney Broscious, Political Science

What is your teaching philosophy?

As a political science professor, I am particularly concerned with how my students can effect change in the political world and focus my courses on approaching reform to institutions that are often resistant to change. I employ three main strategies to help students master content, develop essential skills and build efficacy to enter the political world after leaving Eastern. First, I focus on goal setting by examining the learning outcomes for my course and students’ goals. Second, I expose students to real-life applications of our course materials. Third, I encourage them to participate in original research.   

What are your research interests?

My scholarly research centers around two fundamental questions: what are the obstacles to criminal justice reform in the United States and how does implementation of policy affect criminal justice outcomes? Additionally, a large portion of my work is more practically focused and examines the effectiveness and functioning of alternative-to-incarceration programs.

Why do you enjoy teaching at Eastern?

Eastern is a teaching university with a strong focus on our students. This focus has allowed me to work with students in the classroom and through independent studies to explore interesting research topics and generate ideas for policy reform in the United States. Additionally, I work with wonderful colleagues who inspire me in and outside of the classroom. Our faculty works tirelessly to improve our teaching, continue our research, and serve the university. It is an honor to be a faculty member at Eastern.