Manhattan Welcomes New Professors
Erika Rohrssen
Issue date: 9/14/05 Section: Features
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Walking along the quad, many new faces can be seen as the Fall 2005 semester gets underway. While many of these faces belong to freshmen or transfer students who are trying to adjust to a new school, among the sea of people are also new professors. Among these new faculty members are Dr. Robert Geraci, Professor David Shefferman and Dr. Edmundo Nunes.
Dr. Geraci joins Manhattan College this year after just completing his doctorate degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Before receiving his Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Geraci received his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1999. Geraci, who was born in Austin, was happy to return for school after going to junior high and high school in Illinois, where he lived with his mother. "Austin is a magical place," said Geraci of his birthplace.
While Geraci loved going to school in his home state of Texas, and stated that he was "a Texan at heart," he said that he enjoyed Santa Barbara as well. "Santa Barbara is paradise. You have the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other," said Geraci. While he studied there he frequently took advantage of the landscape by going kayaking or hiking. Santa Barbara was also the place where Geraci met his wife, to whom he has now been married to for two and half years. Along with his wife, Geraci has a 17-month-old son and another child on the way, due in a few months. As for why Geraci chose to teach at Manhattan he said, "My idea of what it means to be a teacher fits in well here. I know my students won't remember everything I say, but hopefully, they will learn how to think about certain issues and gain skills to think about the world as a whole."
Professor David Shefferman is also a new member to the religious studies department. Unlike Geraci, who had never been to New York before joining the Manhattan staff, Shefferman has lived here with his wife for five years. Living in a big city is no problem for Professor Shefferman; he was born and raised just outside of Washington, DC. Growing up in the nation's capital also help spark Shefferman's interest in politics, and it allowed him to work for a friend's father who was a congressman while he was still in high school. Although he enjoyed politics, and eventually minored in the subject in college, Shefferman decided to receive his undergraduate degree in religious studies while at Princeton. However, today Shefferman keeps his interest in politics alive by incorporating it into his discussions about societies and the religious beliefs in these societies. He said, "I like to teach about how religion impacts society for better or for worse."
Dr. Geraci joins Manhattan College this year after just completing his doctorate degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Before receiving his Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Geraci received his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1999. Geraci, who was born in Austin, was happy to return for school after going to junior high and high school in Illinois, where he lived with his mother. "Austin is a magical place," said Geraci of his birthplace.
While Geraci loved going to school in his home state of Texas, and stated that he was "a Texan at heart," he said that he enjoyed Santa Barbara as well. "Santa Barbara is paradise. You have the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other," said Geraci. While he studied there he frequently took advantage of the landscape by going kayaking or hiking. Santa Barbara was also the place where Geraci met his wife, to whom he has now been married to for two and half years. Along with his wife, Geraci has a 17-month-old son and another child on the way, due in a few months. As for why Geraci chose to teach at Manhattan he said, "My idea of what it means to be a teacher fits in well here. I know my students won't remember everything I say, but hopefully, they will learn how to think about certain issues and gain skills to think about the world as a whole."
Professor David Shefferman is also a new member to the religious studies department. Unlike Geraci, who had never been to New York before joining the Manhattan staff, Shefferman has lived here with his wife for five years. Living in a big city is no problem for Professor Shefferman; he was born and raised just outside of Washington, DC. Growing up in the nation's capital also help spark Shefferman's interest in politics, and it allowed him to work for a friend's father who was a congressman while he was still in high school. Although he enjoyed politics, and eventually minored in the subject in college, Shefferman decided to receive his undergraduate degree in religious studies while at Princeton. However, today Shefferman keeps his interest in politics alive by incorporating it into his discussions about societies and the religious beliefs in these societies. He said, "I like to teach about how religion impacts society for better or for worse."