Yeshiva University Welcomes Incoming Faculty This fall, Yeshiva University students will find their academic experience enhanced by new faculty hires in fields spanning economics, chemistry, political science, history and Torah studies. “Our new faculty members are dedicated to teaching our students and to a life of research—focuses that help build a great university,” said Dr. Lawrence Schiffman, YU’s vice provost of undergraduate education.  “We hope that we’ll have very long associations with them as they continue to contribute to our students and to their fields.” In particular, the department of economics, under the direction of Henry and Bertha Kressel Professor of Economics Dr. James Kahn, will be expanding with the addition of three new shared faculty members at Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women. Mathematical economist Dr. Gaetano Bloise, from the University of Rome, will join the department as professor of economics; macroeconomist Dr. William Hawkins, from the University of Rochester, will serve as assistant professor of economics; and Michael Richter, a game and decision theorist completing his PhD from New York University, will join the department as an instructor of economics. The three will play a big role in YU’s new Masters of Science in Quantitative Economics program (MQE), also scheduled to debut this fall. “These three new faculty members are doing research on the frontiers of macroeconomics and economic theory,” said Kahn. “They are excellent teachers and will enable the department to launch a first-rate master’s program in quantitative economics.” “I'm thrilled to be joining the economics department at YU,” said Hawkins. “It will be very interesting to be among the faculty teaching this year's inaugural intake to the masters program in quantitative economics, and I'm looking forward just as much to teaching in the undergraduate program on both campuses.” Hawkins added, “The recession and the events of the last few years have made this a fascinating time to study macroeconomics and I hope to share that fascination with students.” Dr. Bella Tendler, a 2004 graduate of Stern College as well as a 2012 graduate of Princeton University’s PhD program in Near Eastern studies, will join Yeshiva College’s history department as a visiting assistant professor. She will teach two courses, “The Middle East I,” and “Orthodoxy and Heresy in Medieval Islam.” “Many of the scholars working here were my own professors, whose stimulating classes and personalized attention made me fall in love with the academy in the first place,” said Tendler. “Joining their ranks as a colleague is an exceptional honor and I hope to rely on their guidance and friendship in this new incarnation of my Yeshiva University career.” Dr. David LeBard and Dr. Daniel Lim will join Yeshiva College’s chemistry department as assistant professors. LeBard's work focuses on theoretical investigation of charge transfer processes in biological molecules. Other areas of his research include the dynamics and structure of biological liquids and high performance simulations and analysis. LeBard will teach “Molecular Biochemistry” and “Physical Chemistry I” in the fall. Lim's research projects will include the development of synthetic methodology, involving asymmetric catalysis and the development of new bond forming reactions with applications to the total synthesis of biologically significant natural products. He will be teaching “General Chemistry I.” Additional new faculty hires at YU include Rabbi Simcha Willig, instructor of Torah studies at the James Striar School of General Jewish Studies, who will be teaching “Mussar” and “Jewish Ethics”; Rabbi Moshe Tvzi Weinberg, instructor of Torah studies at the Irving I. Stone Beit Medrash Program, who will be teaching “Halachah: Yoreh Deah,” “Samuel,” “Advanced Talmud Beit Midrash,” “Advanced Talmud Baba Metzia,” and “Hashkafah: Jewish Theology & Ethics”; and Dr. Utku Sezgin, visiting assistant professor of political science at Yeshiva College, who will be teaching “Problems of Political Development” and “Voting and Elections.” Keep up with all the latest Faculty News.