About Us

Janice Bially Mattern, PhD

Director, Villanova Institute for Research and Scholarship

A distinguished researcher and professor, Janice Bially Mattern, PhD, joined Villanova as director of the Villanova Institute for Research and Scholarship in 2019. Dr. Bially Mattern began her career in academia as a Political Science professor, holding tenured positions at the National University of Singapore and Lehigh University, and serving on the faculty of Temple University and Dartmouth College. Her research focused on international alliances.

Through institutional and disciplinary appointments to various research management roles, Dr. Bially Mattern’s enduring fascination with practices of research and knowledge production grew into a primary scholarly interest. To advance her new research agenda she earned a Master of Information in Information Studies and Data Science from Rutgers University in May 2019.

While pursuing her degree, Dr. Bially Mattern worked at Villanova’s Falvey Library as social science liaison and data services librarian, and in the non-profit sector helping the New York Civil Liberty Union and New York Cares to develop effective research infrastructure and practices. Her current research on research cultures, practices and policies inform her belief that multidisciplinary engagement enhances creative inquiry and innovation.

In addition to her MI from Rutgers, Dr. Bially Mattern holds a PhD (with distinction), MPhil and MA in Political Science from Yale University; and a BA in Political Science and International Relations from University of Wisconsin, Madison.  At Villanova, Dr. Bially Mattern also holds a professiorial appointment in the Department of Political Science. 

Emily Carson, PhD

Associate Director, Villanova Institute for Research and Scholarship

Emily Carson, PhD, joined Villanova in 2017 as the University’s designated consultant to faculty writers.  She has worked with faculty across Villanova’s six colleges on writing projects ranging from journal articles, book chapters and grant proposals to novels, teaching statements and presentations. She has led workshops and writing retreats focused on effective writing practices and types of writing. Now, Dr. Carson serves as Associate Director of the Institute for Research and Scholarship and Coordinator of its Faculty Writing Program.

Dr. Carson began in academia as a literary comparatist, studying authorship across linguistic and national boundaries. After years teaching writing to students, she became interested in the ways faculty experience writing as they move through graduate training, tenure goals, and more advanced creative or funded projects. She joins a growing research interest in faculty productivity and the underexplored culture of graduate student and faculty writing.

Having completed a research thesis for her advanced degree in France, she is attuned to the challenges faced by Villanova’s many multilingual faculty. She believes in the importance of socializing the writing process to engender productivity and satisfaction.  

Dr. Carson holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; a DEA in the Sciences des Textes et Documents from the Université de Paris 7—Jussieu; and a BA in French, History and History of Culture from the University of Wisconsin, Madison

Heayung Cho

Program Coordinator, Villanova Institute for Research and Scholarship

An experienced professional in educational technology and database management within independent school environments, Heayung Cho joined Villanova University as Program Coordinator with the Villanova Institute for Research and Scholarship in June 2022. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Cho served in the Technology department at The Haverford School. She later transitioned to school-wide database management with Norwood-Fontbonne Academy, and admissions database management with Academy of Notre Dame. 

Ms. Cho's bilingual fluency skills in English and Korean were assets in Admissions and Institutional Advancement departments at Haverford, and within the academic program as East Asian history lecturer. She advised students and served as Adjunct Instructor for the iBT TOEFL preparation course at Harcum College, working exclusively with international students, and designed a college course incorporating food and film to facilitate the learning of conversational English.

During graduate school, Ms. Cho had her research paper accepted at McGill-CREOR Graduate Student Conference (Montreal, Canada), and has twice presented at Hawaii International Conferences on Arts and Humanities. Ms. Cho received her MLA (East Asian Studies) from the University of Pennsylvania and BS from Saint Joseph's University.