Seventeen SHU Faculty Members Earn Tenure and Promotions

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Educators demonstrate expertise in wide range of subjects, from Catholic studies to social work

Seventeen Sacred Heart University faculty members have earned tenure or promotions based on the expertise and quality of education they bring to SHU.

Ten individuals granted tenure

The following SHU professors have been granted tenure for their success and experience in a range of fields.

Elliott Bertrand

Elliott Bertrand of Stratford, associate professor of mathematics, earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Rhode Island. He teaches a range of math courses that includes calculus, statistics, proof-writing and applied math electives. His research interests lie in discrete dynamical systems and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He and his colleagues from the Farrington College of Education & Human Development received a National Science Foundation grant that provides funding for a three-year research study and support for math faculty to engage in professional development that focuses on universal design for learning strategies.

Rebekah Byrd

Rebekah Byrd of Marshall, NC, professor of counselor education, has been a counselor educator almost 15 years and has over 20 years of experience working in the mental health field. Her research focuses on children and adolescents, play therapy, school counseling, social justice and multicultural concerns, self-injury, women’s wellness and Adlerian theory. She co-wrote a text book about working with children and adolescent in counseling and edited a book about common encounters in school counseling and has written many journal articles and chapters for multiple texts.

LuAnn Etcher

LuAnn Etcher of Brighton, MI, is a professor of nursing who is committed to promoting progress within the University by supporting student and faculty research and scholarly activity. She is a graduate faculty member in the Dr. Susan L. Davis, RN, & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing (DHCON), where she teaches and helps guide doctoral students’ projects. Her research interests include education, care provision and systems solutions. Before joining SHU in 2019, she worked as a graduate faculty member for several universities, including Yale University and Wayne State University in Michigan.

Heather Ferrillo

Heather Ferrillo of Oxford, associate professor of nursing, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner who has worked with a private cardiology practice since 2000. She teaches adult nursing, pathophysiology, health assessment and nurse leadership, and she co-leads SHU’s clinical immersion experience in Ghana and co-chairs the DHCON’s global education committee. She also coordinates the nursing study abroad programs in Dingle, Ireland and Australia. Her research focuses on nursing education, global nursing, leadership development and vaping education.

Brent Little

Brent Little of New Haven, associate professor of Catholic studies, teaches courses in the Catholic intellectual tradition. He holds theology degrees from Loyola University Chicago and Boston College, and music degrees from the University of Notre Dame, IN, and Pennsylvania State University. His research interests include Catholic novelists and short story writers, and his book, Acts of Faith and Imagination: Theological Patterns in Catholic Fiction, was recently published by the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

T. Lee Morgan

T. Lee Morgan of Middletown, associate professor of educational & literacy leadership, is SHU’s first director of inclusive teaching, advocating for equity in the classroom. His goal is to prepare educators who cultivate the leadership attitudes, skills and knowledge needed to create change and equitable outcomes for every student. Morgan has previous experience as a teacher and a school and district leader in various settings, including private, charter and public institutions.

Duy Nguyen

Duy Nguyen of Teaneck, NJ, associate professor of social work, is a gerontological social work researcher. His grant-funded research has revealed how sociocultural factors, especially differences among Asian ethnic groups, affect the use of health services. His research has identified the need for targeted, ethnic-specific and culturally informed intervention studies to reduce physical and mental health disparities among Asian Americans. At SHU, he teaches in the School of Social Work’s master’s and Ph.D. programs and mentors and advises students–especially students from racial/ethnic minoritized backgrounds–as they navigate their social work careers.

Daniel Rober

Daniel Rober of New York, NY, associate professor of Catholic studies, earned his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Fordham University, NY. He taught at Fordham, Manhattan College and St. John’s University, NY, before coming to SHU in 2016. At SHU, he teaches Catholic intellectual tradition seminars, classes on Catholicism in relation to politics, law and justice, and a service-learning class that incorporates Catholic studies and place-based learning. He is conducting research on Catholic theology and secularization, 20th-century political questions centered around Vatican II, and the Catholic mission in contemporary higher education. His first book, Recognizing the Gift: Toward a Renewed Theology of Nature and Grace, was published in 2016.

Wendy Romney

Wendy Romney of Fairfield, is associate professor of physical therapy. She is a board-certified specialist in neurologic physical therapy. She earned her Ph.D. in health sciences from Rutgers University in 2019 and her research focuses on implementation of best evidence into physical therapy education and practice. She has been faculty at SHU since August 2011, and has experience in acute and outpatient neurological rehabilitation. She currently serves as the director of practice for the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy.

Shanshan Wang

Shanshan Wang of Milford, associate professor of media & performing arts, has expertise in virtual reality, augmented reality, extended reality, virtual reality filmmaking, video art and installation, electronic music, experimental cinema and creative coding. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, and her research focuses on exploring digital humanities and sociopolitical interactions. She received the Kooshk Award and was named Sonar+D Innovation Creator in 2017, and she spoke at the largest virtual reality conference, NYVR, in 2018. She founded the NeXReality Lab at SHU in 2020 and serves as virtual reality advisor for film festivals.

Promoted to professor

Promoted to clinical associate professor

Promoted to advanced lecturer

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