Please join us for our new series, Scholars in Focus, giving you a glimpse into the exciting work happening across the University. Two faculty members will discuss their research for 15 minutes each, followed by Q&A. 

This virtual Scholars in Focus, on Feb. 13th, will feature Dr. Andrew Ward, Assistant Professor of Visual & Performing Arts and Dr. Jennifer Schindler-Ruwisch, Associate Professor of Public Health.

Dr. Ward will present "From Frontier to Center: American-Italian Excavations of an Ancient Greek Colony in Sicily", reviewing recent discoveries made by an American-Italian team in the main urban sanctuary of ancient Selinunte, a Greek colony that used sacred art to celebrate their meteoric rise and tragic downfall. Dr. Schinlder-Ruwisch will share "Health AI: A Preview of the Impact on Maternal Health”, providing an overview of the impact of predictive and generative AI on birthing people, their families, and the providers who care for them during this critical period.

Andrew Farinholt Ward joined the Fairfield community this year as an Assistant Professor of Art History and Visual culture in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. A practicing field archaeologist, he has served since 2013 as the Field Director for the American-Italian excavations in the main urban sanctuary of Selinunte, Sicily, and since 2017 as the Supervisor of Excavations for the American Excavations Samothrace in Greece. An expert in ancient Mediterranean religions and sacred space, Andrew's publications focus on the intersection of community, environment, and architecture. Before coming to Fairfield Andrew held teaching positions at William & Mary, Indiana University, and Emory University. He is a member of the managing committee of the American School for Classical Studies at Athens, a delegate to the American Institute of Archaeologists, and previously served as an associated fellow of the American Academy in Rome.

Jennifer Schindler-Ruwisch, DrPH is passionate about maternal/child health, socio-ecological approaches to disease prevention, and minimizing health inequities. She is currently working on a book focused on AI in the maternal health context as well as a study on the impact of miscarriage grief on birthing people.  Her other maternal health projects including evaluating implicit bias in breastfeeding, looking at the impact of smoking on breastfeeding outcomes, understanding the use of technology in patient navigation of prenatal health information, the role of maternity leave policy on breastfeeding and health outcomes, and the impact of the pandemic on lactation care.  She is currently on the Board of the Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition and the Connecticut Public Health Association.  She also works with her students to provide wellness workshops and community dialogues monthly with Caroline House, an organization that serves women and children in Bridgeport. 

If you’re interested in presenting your research, grants, creative works, or innovative projects at an upcoming Scholars in Focus session, please contact Tiara Arnold, tarnold@fairfield.edu