Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

As in years past, I would like to share messages and well wishes from our Deans Team with you.

“Christmas is a holiday of nostalgia and hope. I wish you all a restful twelve days rich with joyful memories and faith in a healthy, happy new year ahead.”

— Dean Jonathan Farina, College of Arts and Sciences

“Greetings, Pirate family! This year, I’m repeating the message that I sent in December 2022, because the insight I referenced has continued to stay with and inspire me. In fall of 2022, I read a short NYT article, “The Unexpected Power of Random Acts of Kindness,” that revealed a fascinating phenomenon – people consistently underestimate the power of small, random acts of kindness. This is a powerful message to take to heart as we celebrate the joy of the Christmas season. May YOUR holiday be filled with unexpected acts of kindness – some that you perform and some that you receive!”

— Dean Joyce Strawser, Stillman School of Business

“As we prepare for the Christmas season, I extend my warmest thanks to our Seton Hall faculty, staff, and administrators. Your commitment and creativity enrich our University and guide the work of the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies and the Office of International Programs. May this holiday season offer you moments of rest, reflection and joy with those who matter most. Wishing you peace and many blessings in the days ahead.”

— Dean Mary Kate Naatus, Continuing Education and Professional Studies

"News stories constantly remind us of the importance of servant leaders, whether it be successes where their presence has made an instrumental difference, or crises where their absence has been a glaring omission. This is why the work of the Seton Hall community, no matter our role, is so vital. Our mission is perfectly aligned with society’s most critical need, and I am privileged to cooperate with each of you in our collective enterprise. I hope you and your families have a wonderful and joyous holiday season."

— Dean Courtney B. Smith, School of Diplomacy and International Relations

“On behalf of the faculty, staff, administrators and students at the School of Health and Medical Sciences, I want to express our most sincere gratitude and appreciation to the entire Seton Hall community. Your ongoing support and hard work ensure that we can educate the next generation of health care leaders—leaders who will practice and care with Faith and Hope, Trust and Integrity, Courage and Curiosity, Compassion and Service, Purpose and Resilience, and Love and Action. My family and I wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!”

— Interim Dean Vikram Dayalu, School of Health and Medical Sciences

“On behalf of the Office of the Dean in the College of Human Development, Culture, and Media, I want to wish everyone in the SHU community a happy, healthy and joyful end to the year—and wonderful holidays! Thank you for all that you do to make our campus such a welcoming and special place, and I am so grateful to be working alongside each and every one of you. Peace and love in your celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the New Year!”

— Dean Bryan Crable, College of Human Development, Culture, and Media

“At the law school, the holidays begin early with a “Night of Lights” where we celebrate Christmas, Hannukah and other faiths. Santa Claus makes an appearance, fresh from his Civil Procedure class. At that gathering, we encourage law students to put down their books (temporarily) so they can rekindle their spirits and enjoy the warm fellowship of classmates, colleagues and friends. And speaking of friends…the faculty, administrators, staff members and students of the law school wish our friends across the university a joyful and meaningful holiday season.”

— Dean Ronald Weich, School of Law

“To my Pirate family - This time of year invites us to pause, reflect and appreciate the many ways we support one another—through teaching, learning, research, service and daily acts of kindness. I am so grateful to be a part of the Seton Hall community. May this holiday season bring you rest, joy, and connection with friends and family. Wishing you all peace, good health, and a blessed holiday season.”

— Interim Dean Kristi Stinson, College of Nursing

“With Christmas the Holy Trinity embraces us in a mystical marriage: ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us’ (John 1:14). In a passage replete with marital imagery, St. Paul explains: ‘…Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish…’ (Ephesians 5:25-27). Richly blessed, may we be Christ Jesus’ blessing to many others in the radiance of these coming days of Christmastime.”

— Rector/Dean Rev. Msgr. Gerard H. McCarren, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology

“In the Core, we are grateful to be celebrating a season of light and hope. Christmas is a time when the Light of the World was born in the humblest of circumstances, during dark times. Chanukah also is the remembrance of the miraculous lengthening of the candles’ light after the cleansing of the temple, commemorated by the beautiful tradition of the Menorah. And even Nature brings the beginning of lengthened days after the darkest night of the year at the winter solstice. We in the Core wish everyone a happy and joyful holy season of light and health and peace for the New Year.”

— Director Nancy Enright, University Core

“To all my colleagues and especially those in the University Libraries and the Office of Grants and Research Services, may the coming year bring us all success and fulfillment. Happy holidays!”

— Dean John Buschman, University Libraries

I want to extend my sincere appreciation to each of you for your commitment and effort over the past semester and throughout the year. I hope you all find joy, relaxation, and peace during this well-deserved break. Wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas, joyful holiday and a healthy, successful year ahead. Together, Hazard Zet Forward into 2026!

Sincerely,
Erik

Managing our resources wisely ensures a vibrant and sustainable future for Seton Hall. Strategic Priority #5 emphasizes thoughtful stewardship — of talent, finances, technology and infrastructure — so the University can continue to grow and serve with purpose. Discover more.

We look forward to honoring our exceptional faculty through the Faculty Excellence Awards. The nomination form is open to all for submitting nominees in any of the award categories. We will continue our tradition of asking each unit to review and recommend their School/College-wide awardees. Nomination forms are due by Monday, January 26. Please prepare your applications as per the guidelines on the Faculty Excellence webpage, as additional information may be requested by committees.

Once complete, part of the first floor will be converted into semiconductor plasma processing and optics/laser labs to support teaching and research in STEM fields. Construction-related activities will begin in January 2026 and continue throughout the spring and summer. Read more.

Inspired by a supervisor’s words years ago, M.S. in Chemistry candidate Judith Marfo applies the lesson learned from a supervisor to her chemical research in food and agriculture, recently earning a conference award for her work. That same lesson shaped the steppingstones of her graduate research – and how she found Seton Hall. Read more. 

Enhance Your Research Identity Over the Holidays with ORCID

ORCID is a unique, persistent identifier (PID) you can register for so funders, publishers, scholarly societies and other researchers can quickly find and distinguish your work. Faculty can easily sign up today – instructions are available on the University Libraries’ website. You can transfer your scholarship between ORCID, Digital Measures, HeinOnline, Scopus or Google Scholar with a simple text file. Questions or need assistance? Reach out to your liaison librarian.

From Classroom to Publishing Opportunities, Gregory Wiedman’s Hands-On Approach to Student Learning

Gregory Wiedman, Ph.D., associate professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences and head of the 3B Lab, is deeply committed to teaching and mentoring his students. His Biochemistry II course takes a hands-on approach, with students not only writing reviews but also participating as peer reviewers and editors, mirroring the real-world publishing process. As a result, the reviews created by students in this class have been compiled into the Seton Hall Biochemistry II Annals of Student Reviews, which is now housed in Seton Hall’s eRepository, hosted by University Libraries. Read more.

Follow the CFD blog for more upcoming events and initiatives. We also welcome your suggestions for workshops and speakers, as well as requests for co-sponsorship of faculty-oriented events.

Now available:

ACUE Commons Portal
This faculty development resource is available to all faculty at the university. It includes on-demand resources, Quick Study courses, expert-led events, and continued access to ETP course content for faculty who have previously completed it.

Upcoming Event

Call for Participants, Spring 2026 Cohorts
Faculty Seminar on Environmental Sustainability
Faculty Seminar on Diversity and Inclusion: Higher Education Controversies

Other Faculty Opportunities for the 2025-26 Academic Year:

The following faculty learning communities are opportunities for engagement as well as personal and professional development.

CFD Podcast: Faculty Matters

Videos

Have you missed a CFD event? If so, you can find recordings here.

Winter Break IT Security Advisory
As winter break approaches, Seton Hall IT is reminding faculty and staff to stay alert as scammers often increase activity during campus closures, hoping travel, distractions and lighter inbox traffic will help phishing messages slip through. Attackers frequently rely on impersonation and urgent requests rather than technical exploits, so simple habits like verifying unexpected messages and protecting your credentials make a real difference. Read the full advisory for tips on staying secure over winter break.

End-of-Semester Canvas Checklist
As the semester comes to a close, the TLTC encourages faculty to follow the Canvas end-of-semester checklist to wrap up courses smoothly. Key steps include verifying your Gradebook settings, manually submitting final grades to Banner, adjusting course access for students, cleaning up unused content, exporting important files or grades and preparing your Canvas dashboard for the next term. Review the end-of-semester checklist.

Submit Final Grades by Monday, December 22

Tip: submit on a computer using the Seton Hall network or your home connection, not a mobile device. Learn more about submitting final grades.

Last Virtual Open Lab of the Semester
Join us for the last Virtual Open Lab of the semester on Friday, December 19 from 10 to 11 a.m. to receive on-demand TLTC support with your end-of-semester Canvas Checklist, common grading and assignment issues or course prep for next semester.

New Faculty Experience in Watermark Faculty Success
A refreshed Watermark Faculty Success experience is now available, introducing a redesigned interface shaped by faculty feedback. The new layout offers a more intuitive, guided design that enhances navigation for faculty and supports improved data quality for administrators. View the new and updated training website with guides and resources.

Now Open: 2026 University Research Council (URC) Application Cycle
Explore this opportunity to receive support for your research endeavors: summer stipend requests of up to $10,000 or research grants of up to $10,000 for use during the subsequent academic year. The application deadline for Summer 2026 is February 6, 2026. View program guidelines and the application form. Questions and submissions may be emailed to grantsoffice@shu.edu.