Faculty Research

Photo of two Chatham University students smiling and looking at a phone together

An Emoji Is Worth...What, Exactly?

Dr. Riordan studies computer-mediated communication (such as texts, instant messaging, and emails), and she recently  about emojis—the little pictures of everything from a thumbs-up to a salamander to the Romanian flag that we see on our phone screens and computer monitors.

Photo of the entrance to Allegheny Cemetery, on a sunny summer day

Art History In The Cemetery

Generally speaking, cemeteries aren’t what you imagine when you hear the word “classroom,” but each year, Associate Professor of Art History, Beth Roark heads to in Lawrenceville to teach intrigued participants and American Art students how to read gravestones as historical texts.

Photo of author Eileen Chang in traditional Chinese clothes

A Novel Translation

Dr. Karen Kingsbury's (humanities and Asian studies) translation of the novel  was released in the U.S. in March 2016. An English major who fell in love with Chinese culture, she wanted to find an author who expressed many of the things she loved but who was not yet widely known in the U.S. She discovered the brilliant novelist Eileen Chang, a genius of the 20th century in world culture.

Photo of two women speaking at a networking event at Chatham University

Putting Theory Into Practice

Jennie Sweet-Cushman’s (political science) work with the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics allows her and her students the opportunity to put theory into practice. The results of the Center's 2014 study, FMLA in PA: A Report on Family and Medical Leave in The State, revealed that many states other than Pennsylvania had taken additional steps to guarantee leave for those who work for small employers, to protect the rights of adoptive parents, and to allow parents time for teacher-parent conferences. The report spurred Rep. Dan Frankel into action, and he worked to introduce three bills to the legislature after his staff met with Dr. Sweet-Cushman.

Photo of a female Chatham University student looking at a laptop

Partnerships & Research Grants

The has awarded Chatham University Assistant Professor of Biology Kevin Hatala and Dr. Stephen Gatesy, a professor at Brown University, a research grant that includes efforts to further and foster undergraduate and graduate research at their Universities. The grant will allow Dr. Hatala and Dr. Gatesy to lead a collaborative research project through 2021 titled “X-rays, 3D animation and human locomotion”. The project includes training opportunities for Chatham undergraduate students and Brown graduate students.