Faculty Promoted for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Service
By Amy Geduldig
ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 10, 2026) — The University at Albany celebrated the achievements of 43 faculty members who earned promotions over the past year during a ceremony on Nov. 3 in the Campus Center Ballroom. Hosted by Provost Carol H. Kim, the event recognized the accomplishments of faculty in teaching, research, scholarship and service.
President Havidán Rodríguez welcomed the audience, which included faculty from throughout the campus community who were brought together to celebrate the success of their colleagues from a broad range of disciplines, from climate science, finance and digital government to music theory, public health and academic librarianship.
"Faculty promotions represent years of dedication, achievement and a deep commitment to the work we do as a university," said Carol H. Kim, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "Our faculty are advancing knowledge in their fields, inspiring students in the classroom and contributing to the strength of our academic community. We are proud to celebrate their accomplishments and grateful for the lasting impact they have on our students, our University and the communities we serve."
Beyond their scholarly and teaching accomplishments, the promoted faculty have contributed to the University through curriculum development, student mentorship, committee service and academic leadership. Their professional service also extends beyond campus through participation in scholarly associations, peer review, grant evaluations and community engagement.
The faculty recognized were:
College of Arts and Sciences
- Cuicui Chen, Economics — Promoted to associate professor
- Benjamin Griffy, Economics — Promoted to associate professor
- André Redwood, Music and Theater — Promoted to associate professor
- Elliot Tetreault, English — Promoted to associate professor
- Marcus Adams, Philosophy — Promoted to professor
- Elise Andaya, Anthropology — Promoted to professor
- Amy Bloch, Art and Art History — Promoted to professor
- James Boswell, Psychology — Promoted to professor
- Paolo Forni, Biological Sciences — Promoted to professor
- Adam Gordon, Anthropology — Promoted to professor
- Ulrich Hounyo, Economics — Promoted to professor
- Kir Kuiken, English — Promoted to professor
- Gerald Marschke, Economics — Promoted to professor
- Brian Tang, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences — Promoted to professor
- Laura Wilder, English — Promoted to professor
- Mehmet Yigit, Chemistry — Promoted to professor
- Jennifer Burns, Africana, Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies — Promoted to Lecturer II
- Jesse Corradino, Mathematics and Statistics — Promoted to Lecturer II
- Vesna Kuiken, English — Promoted to Lecturer II
- Brendan Mahoney, Philosophy — Promoted to Lecturer II
College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
- Samuel Jackson, Emergency Management and Homeland Security — Promoted to associate professor
- DeeDee Bennett Gayle, Emergency Management and Homeland Security — Promoted to professor
- Michael Leczinsky, Information Sciences and Technology — Promoted to Lecturer II
College of Integrated Health Sciences
Jon Paczkowski, Biomedical Sciences — Promoted to associate professor
- Edward Valachovic, Epidemiology and Biostatistics — Promoted to associate professor
- Anil Ojha, Biomedical Sciences — Promoted to professor
- Tomoko Udo, Health Policy, Management and Behavior — Promoted to professor
College of Nanotechnology, Science and Engineering
- Abram Magner, Computer Science — Promoted to associate professor
- Mohammed Agamy, Electrical and Computer Engineering — Promoted to professor
- Qi Wang, Computer Science — Promoted to Lecturer II
Massry School of Business
- Lee Spitzley, Information Security and Digital Forensics — Promoted to associate professor
- Rita Biswas, Finance — Promoted to professor
- Heidi Reale, Marketing — Promoted to Lecturer II
- Ethan Sprissler, Information Systems and Business Analytics — Promoted to Lecturer II
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
- Mikhail Ivonchyk, Public Administration and Policy — Promoted to associate professor
- Susan Appe, Public Administration and Policy — Promoted to professor
- Mila Gasco-Hernandez, Public Administration and Policy — Promoted to professor
School of Education
- Tammy Ellis-Robinson, Educational and Counseling Psychology — Promoted to associate professor
- Lijun Ni, Educational Theory and Practice — Promoted to associate professor
- Tianlin Wang, Educational and Counseling Psychology — Promoted to associate professor
- Callen Fishman, Educational and Counseling Psychology — Promoted to clinical associate professor
University Libraries
- Kathleen Flynn, Subject Librarian for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, and Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences — Promoted to associate librarian
- Gregory Wiedeman, University Archivist — Promoted to librarian