Albertus Magnus College Names New Faculty Members
New Roles and Responsibilities in College’s Second Century of Excellence
New Haven, Conn., September 9, 2025 – Albertus Magnus College is proud to welcome an accomplished group of new faculty members who will bring fresh perspectives, expertise, and dedication to student success in the 2025–2026 academic year. Their diverse backgrounds and scholarly achievements will strengthen the College’s commitment to providing a transformative, liberal arts–based education.
Joining the Albertus Community are:
Emma LaPlace, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Dr. Emma LaPlace received her Ph.D. from Columbia University. Her dissertation, Mathdramatics: Mathematicians in Plays, explored how mathematicians are portrayed in theatrical works, and received her school's Doctoral Dissertation Grant for this otherwise unexplored research. Dr. LaPlace is currently working with the Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences on math/theater collaborations for the 2026 Year of Math, in conjunction with the International Congress of Mathematics, which is being held in the United States for only the third time in history.
Jessica Poling, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology
Dr. Jessica Poling received her Ph.D. in sociology from Rutgers University. Her research explores the intersections of culture, embodiment, and gender. Her dissertation compares experiences of pregnancy and remedial mastectomy to better understand how gendered and cultural forces shape patients’ understandings of their changing bodies and relationships with healthcare providers. She has authored several peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Social Science & Medicine, Sociological Forum, and the American Journal of Cultural Sociology.
Eric Davis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Dr. Eric Davis earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of New Hampshire with a dissertation in linear algebra focusing on doubly stochastic matrices. He was an associate lecturer at UMass Boston before joining Albertus Magnus. His research involves studying orbits of invertible matrices on the set of unimodular vectors over commutative rings.
Thomas Sojka, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History
Dr. Thomas J. Sojka received his Ph.D. in History from Boston University. He is currently working on a book project on elite social life in 1920s and 1930s Britain, exploring spaces of elite sociability and the ways in which the interwar gossip column worked to democratize those spaces for middle class readers. His work has appeared in the Journal of British Studies, Britain & the World, Modern British History, Times Literary Supplement, Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. Prior to joining the faculty at Albertus, he was a Lecturer in History at Southern New Hampshire University.
James Bulosan, ATR-BC, CLAT, Assistant Professor of Art Therapy
Mr. James Bulosan has over 20 years of clinical experience as an Art Therapist. He is a multifaceted art therapist, educator, and artist whose creative journey has been marked by a deep exploration of art and its intersection with psychology, research, community engagement, and the dynamics of human expression. Along with his clinical work and teaching, Bulosan holds an art practice where he seeks to show a rounded viewpoint that looks to include the many roles we carry in life. He recently had a solo exhibition at the Filipino American Historical Society Chicago (FAHSC) in Mana Contemporary from which selected pieces will be displayed at the Harold Washington Library.
Salvatore Diaz, D.N.P., M.S.N., R.N., C.N.E., Assistant Professor of Nursing
Dr. Salvatore Diaz is a visionary nurse leader and educator with over 20 years of experience spanning clinical practice, academic leadership, and healthcare innovation. He earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Connecticut, where his research on Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) transition pathways laid the foundation for the creation of Connecticut’s first LPN-to-BSN program. This research directly supported and inspired the launch of the LPN to-BSN track at Albertus Magnus College, where he now serves as Assistant Professor of Nursing. His passion for building pathways in nursing education ensures that LPNs have greater access to advancing their careers, strengthening the nursing workforce, and improving patient care outcomes.
“These new faculty members embody the mission of Albertus Magnus College by fostering intellectual curiosity, advancing scholarship, and mentoring students to reach their highest potential,” said Dr. Rosa E. Rivera-Hainaj, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. “We are delighted to welcome them to our community of learners.”
The addition of these new scholars and educators reflects the College’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and service as it thrives into a second century.
About Albertus Magnus College
Albertus Magnus College, founded in 1925, is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition. As New England's most diverse Catholic College, Albertus' values- and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings such as US News & World Report, Money Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, and has been named a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For eight consecutive years, graduating classes at Albertus have achieved post-graduate employment and graduate school success at a rate of at least 95%. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students across its traditional undergraduate, accelerated adult undergraduate, and 12 graduate programs. Proud to enroll a student body where more than half of its students come from minority backgrounds with nearly the same percentage of undergraduates receiving Federal Pell Grants and being first generation college goers, Albertus is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor's degree programs in Nursing, General Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Public Health, and Supply Chain Management; among its graduate programs is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program. Just two years from its historic 100 th Anniversary Year, the College is implementing its Albertus 2025: Lighting the Way to a Second Century strategic plan, which articulates an inspiring, bold vision to "be a destination liberal arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic engagement and success." To learn more, please visit albertus.edu.