New faculty members expand Salve's teaching and research expertise

Our Salve Regina University community continues to grow. Along with 600 new students, in fall 2026 we welcome nine new faculty members to Salve's full-time ranks. They bring with them an impressive scope of expertise, depth in their fields and enthusiasm for teaching and guiding both inside and outside the classroom. Be sure to say hello when you see them!  

Kayla Dion, lecturer, Department of Nursing

Dion is a pediatric nurse practitioner and a certified pediatric nurse, PEARS provider. She has held teaching and lab assistant roles at UMass Boston, Endicott College, Johnson & Wales University, Salve and the University of Massachusetts. 

Dion believes nursing is a profession that requires a lifelong commitment to learning, and that continued growth is essential to becoming a compassionate nurse. She wants students to know, "I am always available to provide guidance, support and encouragement along the way."

"My goal is to make learning approachable, engaging and exciting while helping students connect what they learn in the classroom to the care they will provide in clinical practice. I have a true passion for helping others, and one of the most rewarding parts of teaching is having the opportunity to prepare future nurses who will carry that same passion forward in caring for their patients, families and communities," she said.

Dr. Samantha Ewart, assistant professor, Department of Social Work

A licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) and academic leader for more than 15 years, Ewart has expertise in anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, anti-racist and equity-centered practices.

She has held assistant professor and adjunct faculty roles in the bachelor's and master's social work programs at Bridgewater State University and in Brown University's doctoring program, and has been a director of school wellness. Ewart is currently an at-large member of the NASW-RI board.

Ewart's clinical experience is also deep, including roles as clinical director, clinical social worker, outpatient therapist, residential clinician and others, at hospitals and private practices.

She noted, "I was drawn to social work because of its commitment to social justice and its focus on understanding people within the context of their environments. I remain engaged because social work continually challenges me to learn, unlearn, examine my own biases and advocate for more equitable and anti-oppressive practices."

Ewart values spending time with her partner, their daughter and their four pups. She loves hiking, being outdoors and reading a good book.

Elizabeth Fenton, assistant professor, Department of Nursing

Fenton is a Doctor of Nursing Practice-prepared, a registered nurse and a clinical nurse educator with extensive experience in emergency, pediatric, obstetric and labor and delivery nursing. She also volunteers as a CPR instructor for Ocean State Kids.

Fenton joins us this fall as an assistant professor after having been an adjunct faculty member in the spring 2026 semester.  

Dr. Kevin Fontaine, lecturer, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology

For more than three decades, Fontaine has worked in a variety of capacities and settings in forensic psychology with law enforcement agencies, prisons and courts as an expert witness and in school psychology, evaluating behavioral problems and assessing safety risks, among other areas. He has also taught more than 350 undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology at many institutions of higher learning for over 30 years.     

Fontaine is well known at Salve, having been an adjunct faculty member and visiting lecturer in the psychology and criminal justice and criminology departments for many years. This year he joined the criminal justice and criminology department as a full-time lecturer.

Ariana G. Gammel, lecturer, Jean and David W. Wallace Department of Business and Economics

Gammel is an accomplished finance and accounting professional with a strong blend of corporate and academic experience. She joins our faculty as a full-time lecturer after teaching at Salve as an adjunct member in the spring 2026 semester. Before that, Gammel was a lecturer at Lake Forest College in Illinois for 10 years and throughout that time held executive and senior roles in accounting and finance at firms in Texas and Illinois.

Gammel is a member of the International Churchill Society and serves on the board of the Robert J. Zimmer Medal for Intellectual Freedom.

Dr. Crystal Hughes, assistant professor, Department of Counselor Education and Expressive Arts

Both a practitioner and educator, Hughes has built her expertise over two decades. As a licensed professional counselor and counselor supervisor, she has practiced in Texas while teaching at Tarleton State University and St. Edward's University. She has published and presented extensively around topics including COVID-19 counseling strategies, Generation X women, queer supervision, trauma training and more.

Hughes said she came into the counseling field first as a clergywoman trying to figure out how to help parishioners in a community with limited access to mental health care.

"I found that as a counselor, all the parts of myself that I would try to hide not only emerged but were welcomed," she said. "As a counselor, I feel both the most genuine, and as an educator, I am challenged to continue that journey of authenticity."

Hughes added, "I absolutely love my job, and I enjoy getting to know students and being challenged by my students. I'm so thankful to be at Salve where these parts of my person just fit!"

Dr. Vivian Laurens, lecturer, Department of Cultural, Global and Environmental Studies

Latin America, medical anthropology, human rights and social justice are Laurens' fields of expertise. She has published and presented extensively in these areas, and has lectured on them at Northeastern University, Boston University School of Medicine and the University of Connecticut. 

Laurens' courses dive into Latin American social movements, global health, peacebuilding theory and practice of human rights and related topics. A native Spanish speaker, she is also proficient in German.

Dr. Francesca Magario, lecturer, Department of Modern Languages

Magario joins Salve from the department of romance studies at Duke University where she taught Italian language, literature and topical courses – as well as Italian cooking. Prior to that, she taught Spanish language courses at Mississippi State University. Her research and teaching interests include modernist literature in Southern Europe, postwar women writers in Italy, Black Italy, imperial Italy and metafiction. She is fluent in Italian, Spanish and English.

Magario, a native Italian, said, "I have always been fascinated by cultures outside my own and throughout my academic career I have studied a combination of English, French, Latin, German, Spanish and Mandarin. My passion for languages inspired me to pursue a year-long study abroad in the U.S., which turned into a decade of learning how to teach languages to others. My hope as a forever-language-learner is to help my students navigate challenging cultural differences, the fear of feeling inadequate when speaking a foreign language as well as the joys of pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone."

Brian Dean Sousa, lecturer and choral director, Department of Music, Theatre and Dance

A conductor, organist and educator, Sousa holds a bachelor's degree in sacred music and a master's in choral conducting. For 14 years, he directed music at St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish, working with community members through the University of Virginia's Catholic campus ministry and building a program of several choirs. His teaching spans undergraduate conducting and classroom music across grade levels. He also founded and directed the Children's Choir of Central Virginia, Musica Sacra Virginia and the Charlottesville Camerata.

As a choral vocalist, Sousa has performed with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, throughout England and on a tour featuring Andrea Bocelli and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. His organ appearances include England's Coventry Cathedral, Lisbon Cathedral in Portugal and performances in Germany. He served as pianist for a choral tour of Greece and Turkey.

Sousa is artistic director of the Falmouth Chorale and Greater New Bedford Choral Society, director of music and organist at St. Mary Star of the Sea in Beverly and a teacher at Chesterton Academy of the Immaculata. At Salve, he directs the University Chorus and Madrigal Chorus and serves as faculty advisor to the student run a cappella ensembles, the Mixtapes and Pitches with Attitude.

"G.K. Chesterton wrote that 'life exists for the love of music or beautiful things,'" Sousa said. "My Catholic faith helps me see beauty as a gift from God and music education as an opportunity to help students recognize, appreciate and share that gift. Through singing, we learn to listen, work patiently and contribute to something beyond ourselves. I want every student to feel welcomed, challenged and valued – to grow as a musician and as a person, and to discover the joy of creating something together that none of us could create alone."

Our 2026 Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants are aquí para ayudar/à votre service

Along with our new faculty, Salve welcomes two Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants to campus this fall: Malie Boucher and Gisela Rougier. Here, they will guide Salve students in their French and Spanish studies, and work with students at Pell Elementary School through Salve's Department of Modern Languages.

Boucher hails from France, where she received her degree in English language, literature and civilization from Sorbonne University. An avid runner, Boucher also plays guitar and piano, sings and draws comic strips. She is teaching FRN-111: Elementary French.

"Making French culture a source of enjoyment is the best way to encourage students to be open-minded and to spark a lasting curiosity about the world," Boucher said.

Rougier comes to Salve from Argentina, having received her degree from the University of Concepción del Uruguay and Autonomous University of Entre Ríos. She has taught English as a foreign language for four years. At Salve, she is teaching SPA-111: Elementary Spanish. She plays volleyball and enjoys traditional Spanish cooking and folk dancing. She is an active community servant.

Rougier said, "Being a cultural ambassador of Argentina is an honor and an opportunity to share the richness and diversity of my country on an international stage. Sharing my mother tongue carries a powerful meaning related to my cultural and regional identity."

Rougier and Boucher each host a language table twice a week in McKillop Library Café, where students can come to practice Spanish-speaking skills in relaxed, informal conversations. The Spanish language table with Rougier is every Monday 5-6 p.m. and Tuesday 4-5 p.m. and the French language table with Boucher, every Tuesday 4-5 p.m. and Wednesday 1-2 p.m.

The language tables are right near the library Starbucks, so you can grab a café au lait or cortado to enjoy as you practice your skills.