The Vincentian Institute for Social Action was created to provide faculty and students with an academic platform to address issues of social injustice. Responsible for the academic integrity of the Institute is the Faculty Research Consortium (FRC). The FRC is a select group of interdisciplinary faculty members who have demonstrated teaching, research and scholarly expertise in areas related to community service, civic engagement and social responsibility. Guided by a Chair, the Consortium provides leadership for initiatives which impact impoverished communities through research and service. The FRC exemplifies the Vincentian Mission through scholarship and research. As a strategic planning group for the institute, the FRC is dedicated to ensuring the highest quality experiences for students, faculty, and community partners by evaluating outcomes of all programs.
John Conry, Pharm.D., Chair, FRC
Clinical Professor
Special Advisor to the Dean for Strategic Initiatives
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Elissa J. Brown, Ph.,D.
Professor of Psychology
Founder and Executive Director, Child HELP Partnership
St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D.
Henry George Chair in Economics and Associate Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics and Finance
The Peter J. Tobin College of Business
Roberta L. Hayes, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Coordinator, Scientific Inquiry Core
Institute for Core Studies
St John's College of Liberal Arts and Science
Robert Eschenauer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Chair of the Counselor Education Department
School of Education
Journal of Vincentian Social Action
The Journal of Vincentian Social Action (JoVSA) is a biannual peer reviewed scholarly publication engaging the local, national and global community on issues of poverty and social injustice. As a community, St. John’s is engaged in research and direct service to those in need. We seek insight into the causes and consequences of poverty to help alleviate suffering. The journal focuses on studies evaluating solutions to social injustice, with implications for public discourse and policy, and macro-program development. We welcome position papers on contemporary topics.
Marc Gillespie
Editor
St.Albert Hall, B18B
[email protected]
718-990-5249
Anthony Marziliano
Assistant Editor
St.Albert Hall, 150D
[email protected]
718-990-8230
Request Submissions for Future Issues to Marc Gillespie at [email protected].
Richard and Camille Sinatra Endowment Grant
The Vincentian Institute for Social Action is proud to partner with the Sinatra family to strengthen its mission of providing an academic platform where faculty and students can explore issues of poverty and social injustice, as well as provide potential recommendations through research. The goal of the endowment is to promote outcomes-based research in the community. For almost 40 years, Dr. Richard Sinatra served as an associate dean, chair, faculty member, and program director in the School of Education. He also served as the Chair of the Faculty Research Consortium for the Vincentian Institute for Social Action from 2008 - 2015. Dr. Sinatra has long been an advocate for systemic change. This endowment is an example of his continued commitment to education and the development of research at the University.
The Richard and Camille Sinatra Endowment Grant ($2,500)
This grant supports community-based outcomes research for full-time junior (tenure-track) faculty at St. John’s University. Through outcomes research, quantitative methods are used to evaluate community-based interventions. These interventions may be from any discipline, with the specific aim of improving the areas of poverty and social justice.
| Recipient Name | Year Awarded | Research Topic | College | Campus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Freeman, PhD, Assistant Professor | 2022 | Does Clay-based Language Stimulation Enhance Children's Vocabulary and Syntax? | St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Queens |
| 2021 | Efficient Roles of Vlogs to Improve Social Inclusion in Tourism for the Disabled | Collins College of Professional Studies | Queens | |
| 2020 | Language Outcomes for Children’s Use of Creativity through Open-Ended Materials during Language Stimulation | St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Queens | |
| Gary E. Martin, PhD, Assistant Professor | 2018 | Girls with Intellectual Disability: Communication Skills in an Underrepresented Research Population | St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Staten Island |
| Shruti Deshpande, PhD, Assistant Professor | 2017 | A Sustainable Hearing Conversation Project for Liberty Partnership’s Program’s High School Students Implemented by Audiologists and Audiology Students Through Academic Service-Learning: A Symbiotic Impact | St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Queens |
| Elizabeth Brandolo, PhD, Professor | 2017 | Discrimination and Depression: Testing a Social Cognitive Model | St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Queens |
| William Reisel, PhD, Professor | 2016 | Developing a Pilot Study for Expanding an Ongoing AS-L Community Partnership with Central Family Life Center of Staten Island. | The Peter J. Tobin College of Business | Staten Island |
| Christine Chim, PharmD, Clinical Assistant Professor | 2016 | The Impact of a Pharmacist and Pharmacy Students Engaging with Northwell Health’s Communities via Home Visits | College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Queens |
| John W. McKenna, PhD, Assistant Professor | 2015 | Qualitative Study of Teacher Preparation and Provision of Special Education Services | School of Education | Queens |
| Michael Downton, PhD, Assistant Professor (with Judy Chen, EdD, SOE) | 2015 | A community of reflective teachers: Cultivating reflective practice to impact student teacher’s self-efficacy | School of Education | Queens |
For more information on the FRC, please contact Kara James at [email protected] / 718-990-5947.
Faculty Research Consortium Grant
Vincentian Institute for Social Action – Faculty Research Consortium
In 2008, St. John's University established the Vincentian Institute for Social Action (VISA) to increase the visibility of the St. John’s mission to enhance the educational experience of its students. VISA provides an organizational focus for a variety of programs where faculty and students can explore issues of poverty and social justice. As a Catholic and Vincentian institution, St. John’s seeks to provide a distinctive, values-based education. VISA fosters the development of a worldview that recognizes the importance of global interdependence and encourages collaboration throughout the University in activities designed to advance its commitment to systemic change.
The Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) of VISA is responsible for outcomes research conducted across all elements of the Institute. The FRC is comprised of a select group of interdisciplinary St. John’s University faculty who have demonstrated teaching, research, and scholarly expertise in areas related to community service, civic engagement, and social responsibility. The FRC promotes research by supporting the recruitment of qualified University professors who serve as research mentors for students. The FRC also develops research initiatives through VISA’s programs and community partnerships.
Guided by the FRC, the FRC Grant supports community-based outcomes research for full-time tenured faculty at St. John’s University. This research may be from any discipline, with the specific aim of improving the areas of poverty and social justice.
Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) Grant ($5,000)
| Recipient Name | Year Awarded | Research Topic | College | Campus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Brandolo, PhD, Professor | 2020 | Evaluating Strategies for Disseminating Scientific Information about the Mental Health Effects of Discrimination | St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Queens |
| 2019 | Academic Service Learning as a College Readiness Strategy: Creating an Assessment Dashboard for St. John's University SI Campus "Difference Makers Program" | St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Staten Island | |
| 2019 | Health and Nutrition for Homeless Mothers and Children | School of Education | Queens |
For more information on the FRC, please contact Kara James at [email protected] / 718-990-5947.
VISA Reception and Research Forum
The Faculty Research Consortium is proud to host a Vincentian Institute for Social Action (VISA) Faculty Reception and Research Forum every fall and spring semester.
This event provides a platform to promote faculty dialogue across disciplines that have participated in, or are interested in, VISA programs. St. John’s faculty members have participated in VISA programs which include Academic Service-Learning, the Ozanam Scholars Program, faculty research/service at community partner sites, and VISA-funded research projects. These meetings provide an opportunity to showcase faculty research and scholarly accomplishments.
Spring 2022 FRC Luncheon will take place on September 26, 2022. Please click on the below link to RSVP.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeA6RT-vS2Ro3kjLsRB-sOS3x0EvNKqYpwKF8SnR8Mr2sMgjQ/viewform
Last year's event was held virtually on April 14, 2021. Please click on the link below to view!
https://sju.webex.com/sju/ldr.php?RCID=d30387f862f146f3840218cc013a97fb
The Faculty Excellence Award in Community-Based Outcomes and Poverty Research
The Faculty Excellence Awardin Community-Based Outcomes and Poverty Research has been developed by the Faculty Research Consortium (FRC) in an effort to annually identify an exemplar from the full-time faculty at St. John’s who best exhibits excellence in community-based outcomes and poverty research. Nominations are solicited from the deans and chairs of various schools/colleges of the University. The FRC reviews all nominations from the University community and selects one award. The recipient is recognized at the annual Vincentian Institute for Social Action (VISA) Reception and Research Forum (Spring 2022). The award recipient also receives a plaque commemorating this award.
Winner of the 2022 Faculty Excellence Award will be Posted Here Soon!
| Recipient Name | Year Awarded | College | Campus |
| April Rodgers, MD, MPH, MBA | 2022 | The Collins College of Professional Studies | Queens |
| Shruti Balvalli Deshpande, Ph.D., CCC-A | 2022 | St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | Queens |
| 2021 | The Peter J. Tobin College of Business | Queens | |
| Manouchkathe Cassagnol, Pharm.D., BCPS, AACC Clinical Professor | 2020 | College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Queens |
| Christine Chim, Pharm.D., Associate Professor | 2017 | College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Queens |
| John William McKenna, Ph.D., Assistant Professor | 2016 | The School of Education | Queens |
| Mary Beth Shaefer, Ph.D., Associate Professor | 2014 | The School of Education | Queens |