New Faculty Spotlight
Emily Rooney is a Lowcountry native and a graduate of The Citadel’s graduate program. Most recently, she worked at The Ohio State University with the Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative program, where she provided therapy and conducted research on PTSD and suicide prevention.
A clinical psychologist, Rooney focuses on trauma-related conditions such as PTSD and suicide prevention. “I work with people to assess, diagnose and treat mental health concerns,” she said. “My focus is on understanding what increases risk, what offers protection and how we can make sure the most effective treatments actually reach the people who need them.”
Rooney has implemented approaches such as offering daily therapy for PTSD over the course of 10 days, which helps patients complete treatment more efficiently and reduces avoidance—a key factor that sustains PTSD symptoms.
Teaching, Rooney said, allows her to combine her passion for research and clinical work with mentoring future professionals. “I’ve been fortunate to learn from incredible teachers and mentors, many right here at The Citadel, who guided me and encouraged me to pursue my own passions,” she said. “The best part for me is seeing students gain confidence, make connections between research and clinical practice and discover their own professional passions.”
Her goals include helping students build confidence and strong clinical skills, contributing to research on trauma and suicide prevention, and supporting community efforts to strengthen mental health care in the Lowcountry and beyond. “The Citadel has always been special to me,” she said, “not only because I’m an alumna, but also because of its mission to develop principled leaders.” Outside the classroom, Rooney enjoys spending time in downtown Charleston, working from local coffee shops or planning her next trip. After several years in the Midwest, she is glad to be back near the ocean. “It’s about time I dust off my surfboards and get back to Folly,” she said. She is also the co-founder of Glass Harbor Psychology & Consulting, a private practice serving adults. Growing up in Charleston fostered her love of Lowcountry history and culture. “I’m always happy to share my favorite hidden gems with folks,” she said.
Before coming to The Citadel, Ryan Lynch, Ph.D., served for nine years as associate dean of the Honors College and associate professor of the history of the Islamic World at Columbus State University in Georgia. He also taught at Stetson University in Florida, Middlebury College in Vermont and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, where he earned his doctorate in Middle Eastern Studies.
Lynch describes himself as a historian of the Islamic Middle East. His work spans topics from the Islamization of the region and Arabic historiography to the modern misuse of religious history and teachings by jihadist groups. He brings significant interdisciplinary training to the classroom, broadened by his decade of honors program leadership.
Although his high school teachers might have predicted he would end up in education, Lynch said teaching was not part of his early plans. “I was long fascinated by the history and cultures of the Middle East and wanted the chance to travel and learn more about it in a way that went far beyond the headlines of the Global War on Terror,” he said. “But I had a longer road to figuring out where that learning process would take me and what service would look like for me.”
It was in graduate school that Lynch found his calling. “While I love the historical deep dives that my research allows me to take, I’m a professor who genuinely enjoys the process of getting to know the students and helping them personalize their education,” he said.
As the director of The Citadel’s Honors Program, Lynch is eager to challenge some of the Corps’ most talented students. “Success for me here is further raising the profile of our Honors Program and making sure it is supporting the work of faculty and staff across our schools and disciplines,” he said. “I want to make sure that every student graduating from high school and pondering a life of service knows that if they apply to The Citadel, they are going to receive academic training that is as good as the nation’s very best institutions.”
Despite his energy in the classroom, Lynch describes himself as introverted. Away from work, he follows English football as a devoted—if long-suffering—Portsmouth FC supporter, and enjoys punk rock and tech.
