Faculty News

Nine University of Scranton faculty members, spanning seven departments and all three colleges, recently completed the three-day Sustainability Workshop program. The goal of the workshop, which had been on a 10-year hiatus at the University, is to support and encourage faculty to infuse sustainability into their courses.

The workshop included presentations on the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability, as well as an overview of strategies for infusing sustainability into their courses. Participants also heard from faculty members who have already incorporated sustainability into their courses, including Rich Larsen, professor of English and theatre, who shared how he teaches students to reuse and sustainability source materials used for set design.

The third and final day of the program included workshop participants presenting and discussing their findings and next steps for integrating lessons learned into their classrooms.

The workshop organizer was Jessica Nolan, Ph.D., professor of psychology, who joined the University in 2008. Dr. Nolan’s work in sustainability practices has earned her recognition, including an Excellence in Integrating Sustainability into the Curriculum Award.

“The Sustainability Workshop is a great way to increase the number of students who come in contact with the topic of sustainability before they graduate and to reinforce the University’s commitment to sustainability as outlined in our strategic plan our pursuit of designation as a Laudato Si University,” Dr. Nolan said.

The Sustainability Workshop is made possible by funding from Ethics Across the Curriculum. The workshop will be held again in spring 2026. All full-time faculty are encouraged to apply.

JoyAnna S. Hopper, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, recently participated in the 2025 Teaching Vocational Exploration Seminar at The Alexander in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Dr. Hopper was one of 16 participants — chosen from a competitive field of more than 35 applicants — who gathered at the four-day event (June 2-6) offered by the Council of Independent Colleges through its Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE).

The seminar was organized in hopes of strengthening the teaching of vocational exploration. As part of her work for the seminar, Dr. Hopper will develop a new course or redesign an existing course with a greater focus on vocational exploration.

Dr. Hopper, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Missouri, joined The University of Scranton faculty in fall of 2020. Her areas of specialization include public administration and policy and American politics.

NetVUE, which supports and enriches vocational exploration and discernment among undergraduate students, has a national network of 325-plus colleges and universities.

Two prestigious communication and leadership associations recently recognized a University of Scranton professor for her outstanding contributions to education.

Stacy Smulowitz, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Communications and Media, was honored as the Eastern Communication Association’s Ecroyd Teaching Excellence Award winner.

The Ecroyd Award is given to a full-time educator who has a demonstrated record of employing communication principles as the foundation for constructing pedagogical principles applied in teaching practices. Dr. Smulowitz is the first Scranton professor to earn the Ecroyd Award since it was first handed out by the ECA in 1989. She accepted the award earlier this spring at the ECA Convention in Buffalo, New York.

Dr. Smulowitz was also selected as the recipient of the Outstanding Practice with Local Impact Award, presented by the Women & Leadership Executive Leadership Team of the International Leadership Association. The award will be formally recognized at the organization’s upcoming conference on June 13 in Claremont, California.

“This esteemed award recognizes your exemplary contributions to the field of Women and Leadership,” Vicki Wuolle, Ph.D., chair of the ILA Women and Leadership group, said in a congratulatory letter. “Your unwavering tenacity, profound commitment and enduring passion for advancing scholarship and practice have significantly enriched the discipline and inspired countless others.”

Dr. Smulowitz has been at the University since 2009 and currently teaches courses in advertising, leadership and organizational communication. No matter the subject, Dr. Smulowitz often integrates real-world experience within academic courses. One such example of Dr. Smulowitz’s community-based learning approach was the Scranton team that competed — and earned a “Best” award — at this year’s National Student Advertising Competition.

In addition to her vast work at the University, Dr. Smulowitz is president of Smulowitz Communications, a strategic communication and leadership consulting firm. She is the executive director of the ECA and a member of the American Advertising Federation and the International Association of Business Communicators.

Dr. Smulowitz is the author of “The Communication Solution: Leading Successful Change in Higher Education,” and her research interests include theory and strategy for assessing and promoting excellence in organizational leadership. A former Girl Scout troop leader and Girl Scout who continues working with the organization in an advisory role, Dr. Smulowitz’s passion is paving the way for girls to have equality and unimpeded leadership opportunities.

Dr. Smulowitz holds a bachelor’s degree from Wilkes University, a master’s from Ithaca College and a Ph.D. from Rutgers.

The American College of Healthcare Executives of Eastern Pennsylvania presents only two annual awards, recognizing both an outstanding senior executive and an up-and-coming careerist.

While the former previously had a namesake, the latter prize recently attached itself to a longtime University of Scranton professor and department chair.

The newly renamed Daniel J. West, Jr., Ph.D., LFACHE Early Careerist Award was unveiled Oct. 23 at the ACHE of Eastern Pennsylvania Symposium at DeSales University.

Dr. West, professor emeritus in the Department of Health Administration and Human Resources, was unable to attend the symposium. However, the ACHE of Eastern Pennsylvania planned a surprise presentation April 3 at the organization’s Scranton student chapter event.

Organizers presented Dr. West with a detailed shadowbox, complete with pictures, mementos and a written tribute.

“Dan West has had an exemplary career, dedicated to academic excellence and the field of healthcare administration,” states the message inside the shadowbox. “His commitment to The University of Scranton, to students and early careerists, and to ACHE, both regionally and nationally (and in fact, internationally) is well-known.

“His support and participation was vital to completing the merger of the NEPA Chapter into the Eastern PA Chapter of ACHE. And while he could have certainly transitioned off the board at any time over the past few years, he continues to be an active and insightful advisor to us all.”

Dr. West, who holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the Pennsylvania State University, has had an extensive career in healthcare management, including serving as a CEO for a hospital, medical practice and several businesses. He joined The University of Scranton faculty in 1990 and, in addition to being a professor, he was the Health Administration and Human Resources Department chair for 20-plus years.

Dr. West has planned and conducted dozens of study abroad tours for graduate students and faculty, spanning Bolivia, China, Haiti and Slovakia, to name a few countries. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Trnava University in Slovakia in 2019.

Dr. West has served on numerous University and external committees and his dedication to Scranton was recognized in 2021, when he received the John L. Earl III Award for his service to the University, the faculty and the wider community.

Ten years of hard work and service to The University of Scranton paid off with Michael Landram, Ph.D., earning some well-deserved and coveted recognition.

Dr. Landram, associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, was chosen by the University’s graduating Class of 2025 as the Teacher of the Year. An annual tradition since 1996, the award, which was presented at Class Night, honors a faculty member who maintains high standards of academic excellence and fairness and inspires students through their enthusiasm and dedication to teaching.

In addition to his teaching expertise, Dr. Landram is known for his interactive approach to on-campus and community-based research, which often involves students. Among Dr. Landram’s lines of research is conducting observational and experimental studies on teaching approaches and outcomes.

All seniors in the kinesiology program complete Dr. Landram’s Clinical Exercise Physiology course and many go through his community-based learning experience, based out of the Jewish Community Center of Scranton. Dr. Landram’s JCC project, titled, “Senior Strength, Endurance and Flexibility,” allows kinesiology students to engage in meaningful, hands-on work while also helping older adults meet their physical activity needs. The project annually serves 50-60 students, 30-40 adults and is internationally and locally recognized and awarded.

Dr. Landram, who joined the University in 2015, serves on numerous University committees, including as the chair of the Institutional Biosafety Committee and the Technology Advisory Group. He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and is a certified USA Olympic Weightlifting coach.

Dr. Landram, who received his bachelor’s degree from Truman State University, master’s from Appalachian State University and Ph.D. from the University of Rome “Foro Italico,” is an involved community member off-campus, as well. He is President of the Friends of the Abington Community Library and coaches local sports, including baseball and wrestling, year-round in West Scranton.

A time-honored teaching award at The University of Scranton was recently presented to Christine Zakzewski, Ph.D., associate professor of physics and engineering.

Student members of the University’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, the national honor society for students in Jesuit colleges and universities, selected Dr. Zakzewski as its Teacher of the Year. Formally known as the Gannon Award for Teaching, the award is named for Edward Gannon, S.J., a 22-year employee of the University who taught philosophy until his death in 1986.

Dr. Zakzewski accepted the award on March 30 at the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society Induction Ceremony. The student nominators touted Dr. Zakzewski as someone who’s gone above and beyond to ensure her students are comfortable in their abilities.

“Dr. Z makes a daunting subject manageable and relatable to each student,” said one nominator. “She is very open and cares for each of her students — the embodiment of cura personalis.”

A graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, Dr. Zakzewski has been a member of the University’s Department of Physics and Engineering since 1992. She was department chair from 2007 to 2017 and the engineering program director from 2017 to 2024, helping to develop the department’s mechanical engineering program while securing external ABET accreditation for its electrical, computer and mechanical engineering programs.

Dr. Zakzewski’s current research focuses on deploying personal space weather station instruments in Antarctica and among citizen scientists across the U.S. for continuous observation of space weather events affecting critical navigation and communication systems. She is the faculty mentor for the IEEE-HKN Engineering Honor Society and is a member of the University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. A licensed ham radio operator, Dr. Zakzewski collaborates with University faculty and students to teach a ham radio licensing course for the blind and visually impaired at the Lackawanna Blind Association. She’s also a musician, serving as principal bassoonist for the SUNY Orange Community Orchestra.

The Gannon Award for Teaching was established in 1969. Dr. Zakzewski is the 56th recipient of the award, which recognizes outstanding efforts in educating students.

The Scranton chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu was founded in 1943 and is the oldest honor society at the University. Juniors, seniors and graduate students at the University who have distinguished themselves in scholarship, loyalty and service are eligible for membership.

Geng Liu, Ph.D., sees science in everything.

When fish swim and insects fly, Dr. Liu sees them lifting, pushing and flapping just as their bodies were naturally designed to do so.

As interesting as Dr. Liu finds the science behind those movements, however, he needed to tailor a recent lecture about it to people removed from this particular field of study.

So, Dr. Liu prepared slides with colorful GIFs and graphs, photos and videos, all embedded into a presentation for a general audience: his fellow University of Scranton faculty.

“Will you make screensavers?” asked one professor, mesmerized by the vibrant visuals swirling on screen. “I can watch this forever.”

Dr. Liu’s lecture was an informative and interactive hit, as have been hundreds of others in the Faculty Research Seminar Series, now in its 20th year.

Launched in February of 2005, the University’s peer-to-peer lecture series serves multiple purposes, including community building.

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“The root of the word ‘college’ and the root of the word ‘collegial’ are the same,” said Stephen Whittaker, Ph.D., an English professor who’s attended the lectures for 20 years. “What that emphasizes is: the people who teach and do research and serve the mission, they thrive off of each other. They’re inspired by each other.”

Dr. Whittaker was one of about 20 faculty members — spanning all three colleges and a dozen departments — who attended the recent lecture by Dr. Liu, assistant professor of physics and engineering. Other lecturers this spring have come from the biology; library; and economics, finance and international business departments.

“We’re all teachers, we’re all lecturers and we all have that in common,” said Amelia Randich, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology. “But, it’s a different experience to hear a mathematician actually talk about what goes into years of work to prove a concept. Honestly, as an audience member, you still might not fully understand it, but you get an idea of the work involved and what they do.”

Dr. Randich is the coordinator of the series, a role she inherited this year from Declan Mulhall, Ph.D., professor of physics and engineering.

Dr. Mulhall and Jerry Muir, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, created the Faculty Research Seminar Series 20 years ago. The idea was formed in a mentorship program for first-year faculty such as Drs. Mulhall and Muir.

“We came to realize that a series of interdisciplinary talks would provide faculty an opportunity to make their work known to those outside of their departments and would serve the secondary purpose of breaking down misconceptions those in other disciplines have about the nature of work in their field,” Dr. Muir recalled.

It was an important undertaking, but a big one, too, especially since Drs. Mulhall and Muir were new to the University.

Dr. Mulhall had previously been at Michigan State, where, he said, research talks like this were the norm. He gave the first talk in Scranton’s series.

“I don’t know that either Declan or I saw this as ambitious at the time,” Dr. Muir said. “We were both new to the University, so maybe we didn’t appreciate where some pitfalls could have lain in getting this off the ground.

“It really came together quickly and, fortunately, there was a real appetite for something like this, leading to instant success.”

Dr. Randich was one of several speakers in February for a special presentation on Darwin Day.

Dr. Randich took a historical approach in her lecture, telling of the complicated relationship between Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. While battling malaria on a remote Indonesian island in the 1850s, Wallace contacted Darwin with his research on natural selection, which helped influence the publishing of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species.”

“I like to approach the Faculty Research Seminar from the point of view that you’re talking to a totally general audience who knows nothing about your field,” said Dr. Randich, who specializes in microbiology. “Even in my talk on my research, I used a lot of slides that I use to teach students about what viruses are, about what bacteria are. Your audience needs those fundamentals — but you can connect it to higher-level ideas really quickly because the faculty are prepared to think critically about everything. We often get really interesting questions.”

Some questions are serious and others are humorous. Occasionally, the lectures spark further collaboration and discussion among faculty.

One thing is a given at just about every lecture, though, and it’s been that way for 20 years.

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“It is normal to leave the talks with a feeling of knowing the speaker better and having an appreciation of their field and contribution,” Dr. Mulhall said. “I’ve had a great laugh at least seven Fridays a semester and got to know a lot of my colleagues.”

All interested University faculty and staff are invited to attend this year’s final presentation on Friday, May 2, in Room 439 in the Loyola Science Center. Refreshments will be served.

For more information and if you’re interested in presenting a seminar in the 2025-26 academic year, email Dr. Randich at amelia.randich@scranton.edu.

A clinician, program director, researcher and instructor whose career spans four decades, Deborah Budash’s, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, contributions to occupational therapy were recently recognized at the national level.

Dr. Budash, an assistant professor who joined The University of Scranton in 2019, earned membership to the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Roster of Fellows. She’s one of 62 new Fellows who earned the distinction at the organization’s Awards and Recognition Ceremony, held April 5.

“Her innate strengths of creativity, professionalism and kindness integrate to provide environments rich for learning, growth and achievement,” the AOTA said on its website. “By seeking to engage and empower all to utilize their unique abilities, Dr. Budash fosters a positive and uplifting community wherever she is.”

Dr. Budash is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, respectively. She earned a doctorate in education from Northcentral University in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The author of numerous articles, book chapters and reviews, as well as a book, “Achieving Persistence in Online Programs: Reflections of Graduate Learners and Faculty,” Dr. Budash previously worked from 2007 to 2019 at St. Francis University in Loretto as faculty, program director and chair of the Master of Medical Science and Master of Health Science programs.

The American Occupational Therapy Association represents nearly 250,000 professionals in the occupational therapy space, advancing its education, practice and research.

The University of Scranton’s Jesuit Center held a Spirituality luncheon that featured a panel of faculty and staff who had recently participated in the Jesuit Center’s Educational Pilgrimage to El Salvador. In January, they visited Saint Romero’s memorial and learned about his impact on the people of El Salvador.

This year marks the 45^th St. Oscar Romero’s death. To honor the anniversary, the Jesuit Center has collaborated with the Library’s Special Collections to have an exhibit in the Heritage Room.

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University of Scranton biology professors offer some tips to make your holiday gift-giving and season a little more “green” from a sustainability perspective – with many tips also saving some “green” in your wallet.

Greening Your Gifts

Janice Voltzow, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Biology Department and director of the University’s Magis Honors Program in STEM, suggests “giving personal gift certificates good for babysitting, a home-cooked meal, or house cleaning rather than buying more stuff that will accumulate. The certificates can be written on scraps of fancy paper or old wrapping paper.”

David Ingber, Ph.D., faculty specialist in the Biology Department, suggests gifting “experiences instead of items. Things like concert or event tickets, spa gift cards, cooking/art class sign ups, or park memberships can be impactful and have no upfront material costs.”

He also suggests considering digital memberships which can be customized based on the personal interests of the recipient.

“It’s another great way to go really niche and tailor a gift to the person you are giving it to, while avoiding upfront environmental costs,” said Dr. Ingber. He also suggests gifting baked goods – or even going “fossil hunting or rock hounding” for friends interested in geology or paleontology.

Both Drs. Voltzow and Ingber suggest wrapping presents in cloth sacks or re-using wrapping paper, tissue paper, ribbons and gift bags.

“This keeps them out of the landfill and prevents buying more every year. You can tear the front off of holiday cards you receive this year and use them as gift tags next year,” said Dr. Voltzow.

Greening Your Holiday

For “greening” your holiday, Dr. Voltzow’s suggestions include buying a locally-grown live tree and decorating it with re-useable, non-plastic ornaments, or with ornaments you crafted from natural, compostable materials.

Dr. Ingber suggests avoiding food waste and being mindful of leftovers.

“Don’t let good food go to waste, keep an eye on what leftovers you have in the fridge, rotating the oldest to the front so they are easily accessible. This way, you’re not letting any delicious morsels go bad, and you can cook less overall, which saves energy and money,” said Dr. Ingber.

The professors also suggest using food from local farms for your meals – and putting your outdoor lights on a timer.

“Spread all the holiday cheer you want, but fewer people are going to see your outdoor decorations at 3 a.m. Setting a timer to shut down your lights and decorations in the wee hours and then turning them back on the following evening can save you energy and effort,” said Dr. Ingber.

Bonus Holiday Health Tip

Maintaining weight between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is the optimum goal, according to an OpEd published in Healthcare Business Today by Joan Grossman, Ph.D., associate professor of health and human performance at The University of Scranton.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $1.8 million collaborative grant to Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., associate professor physics and engineering at The University of Scranton, to provide sophisticated atmospheric measuring equipment to a nationwide network of ham radio enthusiast and citizen scientists that he developed. Dr. Frissell will serve as the lead principal investigator of the collaborative grant and will work with colleagues at Case Western Reserve University, the University of Alabama and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The grant will further the collective data gathering capabilities of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation project led by Dr. Frissell.

“The grant will establish the only wide-spread, coordinated high frequency, very low frequency and ground magnetometer measurement network that is distributed primarily across the midlatitude region,” said Dr. Frissell.

According to Dr. Frissell, the grant supports the development of a network of 30 standardized receive stations capable of observing high frequency (HF) Doppler shifts, HF amateur radio Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR, pronounced “whisper”) transmissions, very low frequency (VLF) transmissions and natural radio emissions, and the geomagnetic field.

The enhanced capabilities to collect data on the Earth’s ionosphere for this project builds on the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station network of licensed amateur radio operators who have helped measure the effects of weather in the upper levels of Earth’s atmosphere through a $1.3 million NSF funded project previously awarded to Dr. Frissell.

According to Dr. Frissell, the new NSF grant will support systems that will be deployed to high-quality, low-noise sites throughout the previously established U.S. personal weather station sites that are most suitable to increasing measurement density and the quality of the current network.

“Priority will be given to locations that can simultaneously and effectively operate all three HF, VLF, and magnetometer instruments,” said Dr. Frissell.

The grant also supports ten fully-automated, Global Positioning System (GPS) disciplined amateur radio WSPRSonde transmitters to serve as a new source of GPS- stabilized high frequency beacon signals.

“These signals will be utilized not only by this project’s personal weather station receivers, but also by the existing global WSPR amateur radio receiver network that provides millions of daily observations,” said Dr. Frissell who explained data collected from all the instruments will be uploaded for HamSCI research. He said the data will also be publicly available.

Collaborators for the project include: Majid Mokhtari, senior laboratory engineer for the Physics and Engineering Department, The University of Scranton; Christian Zorman, Ph.D., associate dean for research, and professor of electrical, computer and systems engineering, Case Western Reserve University; Kristina Collins, Ph.D., research scientist, Space Science Institute; Travis Atkison, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science, University of Alabama; William Engelke, chief architect and engineer of the Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) project, University of Alabama; Hyomin Kim, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology; and Gareth Perry, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics New Jersey Institute of Technology; in addition to HamSCI volunteers and collaborators.

A space physicist, Dr. Frissell’s research focuses on the ionosphere, which is an atmospheric region that extends from about 50 to 600 miles above the earth’s surface. According to Dr. Frissell, changes in the ionosphere alter the behavior of radio wave propagation and greatly affect the radio communications and global navigation satellite systems. Understanding ionospheric structures and processes will lead to an increased understanding and prediction of these effects.

Through numerous grants he has received in the past five years from the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, the Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) foundation and other organizations, Dr. Frissell, physics and engineering faculty and students, as well as community volunteers, have been involved in numerous research projects, including one of just five projects selected by NASA’s Citizen Science Investigations to study the effects of the total solar eclipse on the earth’s ionosphere.

Grants have also supported the development of state-of-the-art amateur radio station W3USR on the fifth floor of the Loyola Science Center on campus.

Dr. Frissell joined the faculty at Scranton in 2019. He received his bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University, and his master’s degree and doctorate from Virginia Tech.

The 23rd Annual U.S. Conference on Disability at The University of Scranton, titled “The Rehabilitation Act: Learning From Our Past, Knowing Our Present, and Building Our Future,” featured nationally respected speakers addressing access, advocacy and employment in the age of artificial intelligence.

Lori Bruch, Ed.D, associate professor, Counseling and Human Services Department, and faculty fellow, Office of the Provost, received the inaugural Ralph N. Pacinelli, Ed.D., Award, presented at the conference in honor of the lifelong leader in vocational rehabilitation.

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Dr. Bruch joined the University faculty full-time in 1995, having previously served as an adjunct professor at Scranton since 1989. She has served as chair of the Counseling and Human Services Department since 2015. She also served as co-chair of the University’s annual Conference on Disability for more than a decade.

Earlier this year, she received the University’s Excellence for University Service and Leadership Award, which recognizes a faculty member who has contributed service to the University community, particularly those who demonstrate academic leadership by effectively mentoring their junior colleagues.

Dr. Bruch’s research interests include the American’s with Disabilities Act, employment of individuals with disabilities, attitudes towards persons with disabilities, professional identity for rehabilitation counselors, rehabilitation counseling curriculum, supervision and accreditation, and life span development. She has published nearly 20 articles in academic journals and had presented at more than 40 conferences and meetings.

Dr. Bruch is a member of many national and regional organizations, having served as a board member and chair of the Council on Rehabilitation Education, president of the National Association of Rehabilitation Leadership and president of the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Association, to name just a few.

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Speakers at the Conference on Disability included Carol Dobak, deputy commissioner of the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Alison Levy, director of the Office of Technical and Information Services at the U.S. Access Board; Kathy West-Evans, director of business relations for the National Employment Team of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation; John Evans, recently retired Vocational Rehabilitation program administrator for employee relations for the State of Washington Department Social Health Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; and Gary Karp disability awareness speaker, trainer, consultant and author of “Life On Wheels: For the Active Wheelchair User.” University of Scranton professors Kathy Stefanelli, Ph.D., counseling and human services and Renée Hakim, Ph.D., chair and program director of physical therapy at Scranton, also presented at the conference.

The conference was presented by the University’s Leahy College of Health Sciences and the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Endowment. Conference co-chairs were Rebecca Dalgin, Ph.D., professor and chair of the University’s Department of Counseling and Human Services, and Dr. Bruch. University benefactors Edward R. and Patricia Leahy served as honorary conference co-chairs.

State-of-the-art biological instrumentation will soon be added to The University of Scranton’s science laboratories, which are already recognized among best facilities in America, courtesy of a half-million-dollar plus National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

University biology professors were awarded a $551,957 NSF Major Research Instrumentation grant for the purchase an Olympus FV4000 Confocal Microscope System that will be used to enhance teaching and cutting-edge research in multiple biological fields for undergraduate and graduate students.

Ashley Driver, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, is the principal investigator for the grant. Her colleagues in the University’s Biology Department are co-principal investigators: Marc Seid, Ph.D., professor of biology; Jong-Hyun Son, Ph.D., associate professor of biology; and Joseph Brague, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology.

“The confocal microscope system will allow for higher resolution and more rapid imaging of cells and tissues, as well as time-lapse imaging, and controlled-culture conditions that will support multiple research programs investigating questions in cellular biology, neurobiology, microbiology, molecular biology, parasitology and physiology,” said Dr. Driver, who noted the instrument will be integrated into multiple upper-level biology courses to enhance research experiences to undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields.

“The use of this equipment by our students in their coursework and research projects will give them advanced microscopy experience at the undergraduate level,” said Dr. Driver. “It will make our students competitive for top-tiered graduate programs, as well as positioning them well for industry research positions.”

Dr. Driver said the microscope system’s efficiency in image acquisition and analysis of multiple sample types will broaden the access for students to learn directly from their experiments conducted in lab courses.

“We chose the system that was most amenable for student use in order to allow them hands-on experience in obtaining meaningful information for their course laboratory experiments, as well as in their independent research projects,” said Dr. Driver. “We are training students, our future scientists, to be drivers of research. This instrumentation system will further enhance their learning experience at Scranton.”

According to Dr. Driver, the microscope system will also be accessible to faculty members at other universities in the Scranton area who lack access to this type of equipment. The instrument will also be incorporated into workshops and summer research programs for high school students.

Dr. Driver joined the University in 2020. She received a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Brague joined the faculty at Scranton in 2022. He received a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton and a Ph.D. from Lehigh University. Dr. Seid joined the faculty at the University in 2010. He received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Brigham Young University, and a Ph.D. from Boston University. Dr. Son joined the faculty at Scranton in 2017. He received a bachelor’s degree from Dankook University, a master’s degree from Western Illinois University, and a Ph.D. from Texas A and M University of the Health Sciences.

The Olympus FV4000 Confocal Microscope System is expected to be installed later this semester.

The University of Scranton has appointed 22 new full-time faculty members for the 2024-2025 academic year.

            Michael Catalano, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Political Science Department. He was most recently a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Binghamton University, where he also had been a pre-law advising associate, pre-law advisor and an instructor of record. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and environmental studies at Gettysburg College and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science at Binghamton University (SUNY). He has an extensive publication history that includes peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, working papers, book reviews and conference presentations.

            Kristina Dorkoski, DPT, was named a faculty specialist in the Physical Therapy Department. She is a board-certified neurologic clinical specialist (NCS) and a certified exercise expert for aging adults (CEEAA). She served as the senior physical therapist on the neurologic team at Allied Services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in health science and master’s degree in physical therapy at Misericordia University and a doctorate in physical therapy at Temple University, Philadelphia. She also earned an Advanced Vestibular Physical Therapist certificate at the University of Pittsburgh. She has been a panelist, speaker, facilitator and guest author in numerous community forums on topics ranging from Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis to fall prevention and post-stroke recovery.

                                      Krisy Elrod, Ph.D., previously a University of Scranton lecturer, was named an assistant professor in the Counseling and Human Services Department. A licensed marriage and family therapist and registered play therapist-supervisor, Dr. Elrod has been an adjunct professor, a clinician in private practice, a subject matter expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, a clinical supervisor, an advocate, a CACREP site visitor, a Red Cross disaster mental health counselor and a psychiatric social worker. She earned a master’s degree in professional counseling at Texas State University and a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision at Oregon State University. She has a certificate in medical trauma counseling from Xavier University and a certificate in mindful self-awareness.

            Anna Grippi, previously a University of Scranton lecturer, was named a faculty specialist in the Nursing Department. Prior to joining the University, she worked as health coordinator for the Scranton Lackawanna Human Development Agency. She has been a clinical navigator, nurse reviewer for Federal Hearings and Appeals, a team nurse in mental health for the Scranton Counseling Center and a registered nurse on the neurological/trauma floor for Geisinger Community Medical Center. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing at Marywood University and her Master of Science in nursing at Aspen University with a specialization in nursing education.

                                   Megan Heeder, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Theology/Religious Studies Department. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Program of Liberal Studies and her master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Theological Studies degree from Boston College, and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Ethics/Systematics, from Marquette University. She also earned a certificate in Ignatian pedagogy at Marquette. She has a seven-plus-year publication and presentation history and has taught since 2015. She is fluent in Spanish and can read French, German and Latin.

           Anna Jaskiewicz, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Economics, Finance and International Business Department. She most recently served as a teaching assistant and teaching associate at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics at New York University in Shanghai and her master’s and Ph.D. in economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her fields of interest are applied microeconomics, demography and health and crime economics. Her research projects include work on anti-Black hate crimes and health outcomes, gunshot noise and birth outcomes and the effect of leaderboards on student study plans.

             Julieann Kane, DNP, was named an instructor in the Nursing Department. She was most recently a certified registered nurse practitioner in gastroenterology at Commonwealth Health Physician Network in Plains Township and had been a CRNP in endocrinology at Intermountain Medical Group, Kingston, a registered nurse in the Infectious Disease Clinic at the Wright Center for Primary Care in Scranton, and a cardiac intensive care nurse for the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown. She also has worked in home health and hospice. She previously taught at Wilkes University. She earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in nursing at The University of Scranton and her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Wilkes University. She is pursuing a Ph.D. in nursing at Barry University. 

              Elyse Kay, OTD, was named a faculty specialist in the Occupational Therapy Department. She most recently taught at Binghamton University, prior to which she completed clinical details at Residential Home Health and Fox Rehabilitation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sport and exercise science at DeSales University, her master’s degree in occupational therapy at Philadelphia University, and her doctorate in occupational therapy at Gannon University, where she was named Outstanding Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Student. She has made numerous academic presentations and served as a reviewer for several conference proposals.

               Margaret Lakomy, Ph.D., was named a visiting assistant professor in the Chemistry Department. She most recently taught chemistry at Pennsylvania State University, where she earned the Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award, and where she conducted research in the Giri Group on novel functionalization methods of organic compounds. Her notable community service record includes STEM programs for young women as well as raising and training future guide dogs for the blind. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Ohio State University and her doctoral degree in chemistry at Pennsylvania State University.

                                         Courtney Lancia, OTD, was named a faculty specialist in the Occupational Therapy Department, for which she had been an academic fieldwork coordinator since 2014 and an adjunct faculty member since 2012. She was employed for 10 years as a staff occupational therapist at Clarks Summit State Hospital. She also served as Capstone advisor in occupational therapy at Gannon University and as an adjunct faculty member in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Lackawanna College. She earned her bachelor’s degree in health sciences and master’s degree in occupational therapy at The University of Scranton and her post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate at Gannon University.

                Chi Hou Lei, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Physics and Engineering Department. He joined the faculty in January 2024, prior to which he had been an assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at St. Louis University. He also had been a post-doctoral research associate and instructor at the University of Washington in Seattle. He earned Excellence in Teaching Awards at both institutions. He earned bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and mathematics at National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan, a master’s degree in mathematics at Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington.

                  Jinqing Liu, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Education Department. She was most recently a postdoctoral scholar in the School of Education for the University of California, Irvine, and a postdoctoral fellow for the University of New Hampshire. She previously was an instructor of record for The University of New Hampshire and The University of Indiana and had been a K-12 math teacher in China and Indiana. She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and statistics at Zhanjiang Normal University in China, her master’s degree in higher education at the Tsinghua University in China, and her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction at the University of Indiana, Bloomington.

             David Mahalak, D.Eng., a faculty specialist for three years, was named an assistant professor in the Operations and Analytics Department. He previously had been a visiting assistant and adjunct professor at Wilkes University and an adjunct professor at Penn State University, Hazleton. He worked as a strategic business management consultant at Applied Logistics Integration Consulting LLC in Dallas and as a logistics analyst at Alion Science and Technology in Fort Lee, Virginia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Wilkes University, a master’s in operations research at Northeastern University in Boston, and a Doctor of Engineering in engineering management at The George Washington University. He has a master’s certificate in supply chain management from Michigan State University and a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Certificate from Villanova University.

                 Ehsan Mahyari, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Operations & Analytics Department. He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering at Sharif University of Technology, Golpayegan, Isfahan, a master’s degree in industrial engineering in logistics and supply chain at Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, and a doctorate in operations management at the University of Alabama, where he was honored as Outstanding Operations Management Ph.D. student and defended his dissertation on electric vehicle fleet charging management. As an intern at bp pulse, formerly AMPLY Power, his key project was Electric Vehicle Fleet Charge Scheduling Optimization. He is certified in International Hospital Management by the SDA Bocconi School of Management, Tehran, Iran.

                 William Miller, Ph.D., previously a graduate and undergraduate faculty specialist for nine years, was named an assistant professor in the Health Administration and Human Resources Department. He earned a bachelor’s degree in health science at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in health administration at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, and a doctorate in human development-health promotion at Marywood University. He had previously been employed as a clinical assistant professor of family medicine at the Commonwealth Medical College, Scranton, a distance education compliance officer and graduate program coordinator in the School of Nursing at Wilkes University, and a graduate assistant in the School of Social Work and Administrative Studies at Marywood University.

                 Hiva Samadian, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Computing Sciences Department. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Amir Kabir University, Tehran, Iran, an MSc in information technology from Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Puerto Rico. He was previously an assistant professor at King’s College, a visiting assistant professor at Colgate University, a lecturer, lab instructor and research assistant at the University of Puerto Rico and a teaching assistant at Ohio State University, Columbus, and the University of Puerto Rico. He also had been a teacher and mentor at Amir Kabir University and a research assistant at Tarbiat Modares University.

                 Mary Tabit, Psy.D., was named assistant professor in the Psychology Department at The University of Scranton. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Tabit served as the director of clinical training and assistant professor in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Immaculata University. Dr. Tabit has also taught at The Pennsylvania State University in Abington and James Madison University. Throughout her career, Dr. Tabit has worked to improve public health outcomes through diverse research and evaluation projects as a senior project director at Public Health Management Corporation in Philadelphia, and appointments at the Treatment Research Institute and Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology at Saint Joseph’s University, a Master of Science in Clinical Health and Counseling Psychology at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, a post-baccalaureate certificate in marketing from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical and School Psychology at James Madison University.

                  Paul Tierney, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Counseling and Human Services Department. He earned a Master of Education in school counseling at the University of Montevallo and a Ph.D. in counselor education at Auburn University, both in Alabama. He was previously an adjunct instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a graduate teaching assistant at Auburn University. He worked in children’s health in Birmingham and for the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation as a counselor and clinical director for the substance abuse program. He is a licensed professional counselor and licensed professional counselor-supervisor.

                   Jennifer Whittaker, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Department. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in occupational therapy at The University of Scranton and her master’s degree in health studies and her Ph.D. in occupational therapy at Texas Woman’s University. She previously was an adjunct faculty member at The University of Scranton and a teaching fellow at Texas Woman’s University. She serves as an occupational therapist at Allied Services Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Scranton and as a school-based occupational therapist for the Luzerne Intermediate Educational Unit.

                    Mehmet Ali Yetim, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department. He earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration at Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey, where he was valedictorian; a master’s degree in management and systems at New York University and a doctorate in management at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, where he was awarded the Bedeian Award for Excellence in Research. At Louisiana State University, Dr. Yetim was an instructor of record in the E.J. Ourso College of Business and there he was awarded the James Reddoch Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Teaching.

                  Xinyu Zhou, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing at China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, China, a master’s in marketing at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China, and a doctorate in marketing at New Mexico State University. She has been an adjunct professor at Wuhan Vocational College of Software and Engineering and a graduate assistant and course instructor at New Mexico State University.

                  Aaron Ziegler, Ph.D., was named an assistant professor in the Health and Human Performance Department. He holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). He has taught part time at The University of Scranton since August 2023 and is an academic support volunteer at the University of Ghana. Previously, he was an adjunct assistant professor at Pacific University and a clinical assistant professor at Portland State University. Dr. Ziegler also had been a postdoctoral fellow and speech-language pathologist at Oregon Health and Science University, a tenure-track acting assistant professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and an adjunct faculty member at Columbia College in Chicago. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish (Latin American Studies) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance with an acting emphasis at the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in speech-language pathology at Northwestern University, and a doctorate in communication science and disorders at the University of Pittsburgh. He has professional voice and speech training and is the founder and president of Bjorn This Way, a Portland, Oregon, nonprofit; and the co-founder and co-owner of PhoRTE® Voice Therapy. He has been an assistant professor and speech-language pathologist at Oregon Health and Science University, an expert consultant in speech-language pathology at Tripler Army Medical Center, a speech-language pathologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a clinical fellow in speech-language pathology at Emory University and a performing arts, singing and creative movement teacher in Hong Kong.

Yamile Silva, Ph.D., professor of world languages and cultures at The University of Scranton, was appointed general editor of the academic Journal of Gender and Sexuality Studies/ Revista de Estudio de Género y Sexualidades, which is published by Michigan State University Press. She will serve as general editor for five years, beginning in 2025.

In addition, a dossier she co-edited was selected as the best scholarly collaborative project by the international professional organization GEMELA (Grupo de Estudios de la Mujer en España y las Américas pre-1800). The dossier, “‘Yo llana estoy’: Jerarquías, transgresiones y despliegues de género en América hispana colonial (1492-1898),” was co-edited with Ana María Díaz Burgos, Ph.D., the Eric and Jane Nord Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and chair of Hispanic Studies at Oberlin College. It included an introduction, five essays, and two academic interviews for a total of 50,000 words.

Dr. Silva’s research and publications focus in the areas of 17^th and 20^th century Spanish women writers, Spanish American literature (colonial and contemporary), women's studies, historical textualities and transatlantic studies. Her recent books include Agencia, Historia y Empoderamiento Femenino (2018) coedited with Diane Martin, Ph.D., and Eva Paris, Ph.D.; La sonrisa del paisaje. Diarios de Abigail Mejía (2020); the anthology Palabras: Dispatches from the Festival de la Palabra (2014), coedited with Hank Willenbrink, Ph.D., associate professor of English and theatre at The University of Scranton; the monograph issues Raza, género y diáspora en el Caribe (2017) and Las utopias en la literatura (2018), both co-edited with Daniel Torres, Ph.D. In addition to articles published in academic journals, she has published book chapters in Women's Negotiations and Textual Agency (2017), Gendering Citizenship and Globalization (2011) and La constitución de identidades subalternas en el discurso jurídico (2008).

Dr. Silva joined the faculty at Scranton in 2009. She serves as director of Latin American and Latinx studies at Scranton. She has been an associated faculty member of the Women Studies Program since 2010. She served as director of the University’s Intersession Study Abroad Program in Puebla, México (Universidad Iberoamericana) and the Summer Spain Program (Universidad de Navarra). Dr. Silva received the University’s Excellence in Advancing Global Learning Award in 2014.

Dr. Silva is a member of the Executive Council of the Colonial Section, Latin American Studies Association, the largest professional association in the world for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America.

Dr. Silva received a bachelor’s degree from Los Andes University, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Gretchen J. Van Dyke, Ph.D., associate professor in the Political Science Department at The University of Scranton, received the John L. Earl III Award for service to the University, the faculty and the wider community. The 2024 John L. Earl III Award was presented at the University’s annual Fall Convocation, which took place on campus on Sept. 6.

The award is given annually to a member of the University community who demonstrates the spirit of generosity and dedication that the late Dr. John Earl, a distinguished professor of history, exemplified during his years at Scranton from 1964 to 1996.

Stephen E. Whittaker, Ph.D., professor of English and theatre and the 2023 John L. Earl III Award recipient, read the citation for Dr. Van Dyke, which described her as “a person with and for others” who has “generously embraced her duties as a department member, faculty colleague and advisor to administrators and students.” In presenting the award to Dr. Van Dyke, he said that she “has fully engaged in the academic and social fabric of the greater University community since her first arrival on campus.”

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At Scranton, Dr. Van Dyke has served as the Truman Scholarship advisor, a faculty mentor in the University Honors Program and member of the Honors Council, and as a member of the University’s Fulbright committee and the First-Year Seminar program. She created the popular political science European Union simulation preparatory course, the students of which have participated since 1996 in the annual intercollegiate Mid-Atlantic European Simulation in Washington, DC. She has also developed and taught courses that address contemporary questions of war and peace, global justice and humanitarianism. Dr. Van Dyke received the University’s 2020 “Excellence in Advancing Global Learning Award,” which recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated remarkable academic leadership in integrating international issues and perspectives into the curriculum. In 2013, she was recognized with a University’s Provost Award for “Excellence in Integrating Mission and Justice into the Curriculum.”

Dr. Van Dyke has served as a vice-chair and grievance officer on the Faculty Affairs Council, a 15-year member of faculty handbook committee and a faculty marshal and member of the University’s Commencement Committee since 2004. In 2012, she became the first University faculty member to complete the 18-month Ignatian Colleagues Program of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Since 2000, she has served as the University’s faculty representative to the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities. She currently is a member of both the Lilly Network National Board and the Friendship House Board of Directors here in Scranton.

Dr. Van Dyke joined the faculty at Scranton in 1994. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., and her master’s degree and Ph.D. in foreign affairs at the University of Virginia.

At the Convocation, University President Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., congratulated Dr. Van Dyke on her “well-deserved” award.

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In his State of the University address, Father Marina took inspiration from words engraved on a plaque he received from Providence University, a Catholic university in Taiwan that he visited last year. “‘Love your students, then teach them;’ six words so simple, yet so powerful and which help us to stay focused on why we came here and why we remain,” said Father Marina. He recalled multiple instances throughout the 2023-2024 academic year when he saw that simple mantra expressed at Scranton, including the commencement address of Shabana Basij-Rasikh, the co-founder and president of the School of Leadership Afghanistan, whom the University recognized with an honorary degree.

In the commencement address, which roused a standing ovation, Basij-Rasikh called Scranton’s class of 2024 graduates to “seek knowledge even to the ends of the earth.” Father Marina said, quoting from Basij-Rasikh remarks, that this call is to all of us “‘to be curious, to be fearless, to ask hard questions of others and yourselves, and with your knowledge, with compassion and with confidence be the actors who can finally create a better world.’ All of that, and so much more, should easily propel us forward with strength and community to ‘love our students and then teach them.’ This is who we are,” said Father Marina of The University of Scranton community.

Also speaking at the convocation were: David Marx, Ph.D., acting provost and senior vice president of academic affairs; Mary Elizabeth Moylan, faculty emeritus; Carolyn Barry, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D., dean of the Leahy College of Health Sciences; Murli Rajan, Ph.D., associate dean of the Kania School of Management; and George Aulisio, Ph.D., dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library.

Faculty who joined the University this academic year were also recognized at the event.

The Office of Community-Based Learning (CBL) announces the third cohort of its CBL Faculty Fellows Program. The purpose of the program is to recognize, reward and support exemplary faculty who are eager to fully integrate CBL as an intentional pedagogical strategy into their courses and/or curricular-based projects. CBL is an academic experience which involves students working with individuals, groups, or organizations in ways structured to meet community-defined needs. The Faculty Fellows program seeks to expand, strengthen and institutionalize CBL at the University as a demonstration of its commitment to Jesuit values and the common good.

The CBL Faculty Fellows Program began in the academic year of 2022-2023.

"This faculty cohort represents the potential for community partnerships which will engage a variety of students and faculty throughout the university in new and different ways. These faculty bring to life the University's vision to provide a superior, transformational learning experience, preparing students who, in the words of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius Loyola, will ‘set the world on fire’. Each year increasing the depth and breadth of CBL partnerships strengthens our commitment to the Scranton community and those it serves,” said Debra Fetherman, PhD, CBL Faculty Coordinator, Professor and Department Chair of the Health and Human Performance Department.

The 2024-2025 academic year CBL faculty fellows are listed below, including their department and what course or project they will focus on.

Dr. Laura R. Chapman, Communication Sciences & Disorders and Speech-Language Pathology

Laura R. Chapman, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences & Disorders and Speech-Language Pathology, in the Department of Health and Human Performance, will focus on integrating CBL into the course CSD 403: Introduction to Speech and Language Disorders in Healthcare. She will work with a community partner to aid in the development and implementation of programming related to optimizing cognitive wellness for older adults in the community. She plans to engage her students in collaboration with the community partner to develop education, resources, and practices related to improving and maintaining cognitive wellness, with the hopes that it will foster a several-week workshop led by students that community members who are concerned about their cognitive wellness can participate in for free.

Dr. Rita A. DiLeo, Health Administration

Rita A. DiLeo, DSc, MPA, RT(R)(ARRT), BSP, Assistant Professor of Health Administration, will lead a CBL project as part of the graduate course HAD 509: Administrative Issues. This course challenges graduate students to integrate business methodologies, apply core competencies, and exercise critical thinking to solve a complex problem faced by a healthcare organization. As part of this project, students will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment for a not-for-profit entity to thoroughly understand the issues at hand. Based on their findings and leveraging knowledge acquired throughout their graduate studies, students will cultivate a practical solution that equips the healthcare organization with a well-structured and actionable plan. Furthermore, tools produced by the students such as the educational and marketing materials can be used by the organization on an ongoing basis.

Dr. Nathaniel A. Frissell, Physics and Engineering

Nathaniel A. Frissell, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering, will focus on a project entitled “Bringing the Amateur Radio Hobby to the Blind and Visually Impaired of Lackawanna County.” His inspiration for this project comes from how amateur (ham) radio is an accessible, well-suited hobby for blind and visually impaired people. He will collaborate with University of Scranton Electrical Engineering and Physics students, members of the University’s W3USR Amateur Radio Club, members of the Murgas Amateur Radio Club based in Wilkes-Barre, volunteer radio amateurs who are blind/visually impaired, and University of Scranton Occupational Therapy faculty and students, all to teach interested clients of the Lackawanna Blind Association the necessary skills to engage in the amateur radio community. This will include the knowledge required to pass the Technician Amateur Radio License exam and the skills needed to communicate with other amateurs from a home radio device.

Professor Christiane McDonald, Communication Sciences & Disorders and Speech-Language Pathology

Christiane McDonald, M.S., CCC-SLP, Faculty Specialist of Communication Sciences & Disorders and Speech-Language Pathology, in the Department of Health and Human Performance, will focus on the project “Speech & Language Milestones, Development, and Differences” as a part of two of her courses, CSD 200: Foundations of Speech & Language Development, and CSD 203: Developmental Speech & Language Disorders. The two foundational CSD courses focus on understanding typical speech and language development, and the various developmental disorders which may affect an individual’s speech. The classes also include the study of language differences, and how they relate to culture, dialect, and bilingualism. Thus, the intended CBL project will focus on identifying local minority families and engaging CSD students in offering them support, which will include information about developmental speech and language milestones, recognizing signs and symptoms of delays, and recognizing language differences. She and her students will also provide information about how to enhance a child’s skills, guide parents if they need a referral, and promote and celebrate the benefits of bilingualism for children.

Dr. Stacy M. Smulowitz, Communication and Media

Stacy M. Smulowitz, Ph.D., ABC, Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Communication and Media Department, will focus on integrating a CBL component into the course COMM 330: Advertising Decision Making, as well as the University’s student-run Advertising Club. She will engage her students in a semester-long group project that is aimed at creating advertisement and marketing content for a local non-profit or small business. Each student group will operate as an ad agency competing for the business of

the client. The client will visit frequently throughout the semester with the students to enable progress on their campaigns, and at the end of the semester, the students will pitch their materials to win their business. Each student team will provide the clients with a marketing communications-based advertising campaign that includes multimedia digital files that the client can use.

“Now in its third year, the CBL Faculty Fellow program is fostering a cohort of scholars who are engaged with community projects and issues. Each year it’s exciting to engage with the faculty group and help support their work with their students and community partners. We look forward to all that will be learned by our students through the faculty engagement and the positive impact CBL makes in the community,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement and Government Affairs and Chair of the CBL Board. For more information on CBL at the University visit www.scranton.edu/cbl

The University of Scranton granted promotions and/or tenure to 17 faculty members effective at the start of the 2024-25 academic year.

Six faculty members have been promoted to professor: Michael Azar, Ph.D., theology and religious studies; Michael Fennie, Ph.D., chemistry; Debra Fetherman, Ph.D., health and human performance; Jason Graham, Ph.D., mathematics; David Salerno, Ph.D., accounting; and Benjamin Willis, Ph.D., counseling and human services.

Five faculty members were named associate professor: Sinchul Back, Ph.D., cybercrime, criminal justice and sociology; Hope Baylow, D.A., health and human performance; Marleen Cloutier, library; Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., physics and electrical engineering; and Ian O’Hara, library.

Two faculty members were named associate professor and granted tenure: Colleen Farry, library; and Anne Royer, Ph.D., biology.

Four faculty members were granted tenure: Anthony Carusotto, D.P.T., physical therapy; Chris Haw, Ph.D., theology and religious studies; Jong-Hyun Son, Ph.D., biology; and Billie Tadros, Ph.D., English and theatre.

Dr. Azar received a bachelor’s degree from Colorado Christian University, a master’s degree from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. He also received a master’s degree and a doctoral degree from Fordham University. He has worked for the University since 2013.

Dr. Fennie received a bachelor’s degree from the Canisius University and a doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He has worked for the University since 2012.

Dr. Fetherman received a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University, a master’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas and a doctorate from Marywood University. She has worked for the University since 2005.

Dr. Graham received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston, master’s degrees from Southern Methodist University and the University of Iowa. He also received a doctoral degree from the University of Iowa. He has worked for the University since 2012.

Dr. Salerno received a bachelor’s degree and MBA from The University of Scranton and a doctoral degree from Kent State University. He has worked for the University since 2007.

Dr. Willis received a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina. He has worked at the University since 2013.

Dr. Back received a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, a master’s degree from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea, a master’s degree from Bridgewater State University, and a doctoral degree from Florida International University. He has worked at the University since 2019.

Dr. Baylow received a bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University, a master’s degree from Long Island University, and a doctoral degree from Adelphi University. She has worked at the University since 2020.

Prof. Cloutier received a bachelor’s degree from the Wentworth Institute of Technology, a master’s degree from Drexel University, and a master’s degree from The University of Scranton. She has worked at the University since 2019.

Dr. Frissell received bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University, and a master’s degree and a doctorate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He has worked at the University since 2019.

Prof. O’Hara received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from The University of Scranton, and a master’s degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He has worked at the University since 2013.

Prof. Farry received a bachelor’s degree from Marywood University; two master’s degrees from Syracuse University; and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois. She has worked at the University since 2015.

Dr. Royer receive a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and a doctoral degree from Michigan State University. She has worked the University since 2017.

Dr. Carusotto receive a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree and a doctoral degree from Misericordia University. He has worked at the University since 2018.

Dr. Haw received a bachelor’s degree from Eastern University, a master’s degree from Villanova University and a doctoral degree from the University of Notre Dame. He has worked at Scranton since 2018.

Dr. Son received a bachelor’s degree from Dankook University, a master’s degree from Western Illinois University, and a doctoral degree from Texas A and M University of the Health Sciences. He joined the faculty at Scranton in 2017.

Dr. Tadros received a bachelor’s degree from Susquehanna University, a master’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College, and a doctoral degree from the University of Louisiana. She joined the faculty at Scranton in 2018.

Ten University of Scranton faculty members were honored with Faculty Enhancement awards for excellence in teaching, scholarship or service. The Office of the Provost and the Provost Advisory Group selected the recipients from a pool of candidates nominated by academic deans and department chairs. In addition, five faculty members who are retiring were also recognized at the event held recently on campus.

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Michael Allison, Ph.D., received the Advancing Global Learning Award, which is presented to a faculty member who has demonstrated noteworthy academic leadership in integrating international issues/perspectives into the curriculum and through whose efforts, students have acquired the competencies, attributes and insights required to meaningfully and successfully participate in an increasingly interdependent world. 

Dr. Allison, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, joined the faculty at Scranton in 2006. He has served as department chair for a decade and served as coordinator of the University’s Ellacuría Initiative from 2011 to 2019. The courses he teaches at Scranton cover American government and international relations and include “Central and South America,” “United States-Latin American Relations,” “Human Rights,” “Comparative Civil Wars,” and “September 11th and Beyond.” His areas of research interests include the comparative study of civil war and civil war resolution, particularly as it relates to the transition of rebel groups to political parties in Central and South America.

Dr. Allison is a two-time recipient of Fulbright awards. In 1997 he received a Fulbright Student Scholarship to El Salvador and in 2013 he received a Fulbright Faculty Scholarship to Guatemala, where he researched the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unit and its transition to political party as well as United States-Central American relations in the post-Cold War period. Dr. Allison has also been an active member of the University’s Fulbright Committee, assisting students with the competitive application process.

Dr. Allison is a member of the Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN) and co-organized the JUHAN Student Leadership Conference held at Scranton to help provide our students with opportunities to develop global competencies. He has also led student groups to the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice which has a history of honoring the Salvadorian Martyrs from 1989.

Dr. Allison earned a bachelor’s degree from Fairfield University and a master’s degree and doctorate from Florida State University.

Mehmet F. Bastug, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology Department, received the Faculty Senate Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award, which recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates dedication to teaching graduate students in a manner that creates an encouraging and intellectually stimulating environment that promotes critical thinking and learning.

Dr. Bastug, who joined the faculty at Scranton in 2020, serves as director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Cybersecurity Master of Science Program. He teaches courses in cybersecurity and homeland security at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His research focuses on cybersecurity, cyberterrorism, online radicalization, and violent extremism. He has presented at conferences and has co-authored several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

In 2021, Dr. Bastug was named to the 100-member Certified Ethical Hacker Hall of Fame by the EC-Council, the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants. The Hall of Fame celebrates some of the most accomplished Certified Ethical Hackers (CEHs) around the world.

Dr. Bastug earned a bachelor’s degree from the Turkish National Police University in Ankara. He earned a master’s degree from Akdeniz University in Antalya, Turkey, and a master’s degree and doctorate from Rutgers University. He completed postdoctoral research at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT).

Lori Bruch, Ed.D., associate professor and chair of the Counseling and Human Services Department and Satyajit Ghosh, Ph.D., professor in the Economics, Finance and International Business Department, received the Excellence for University Service and Leadership Award, which recognizes faculty who have contributed service to the University community, particularly those who demonstrate academic leadership by effectively mentoring their junior colleagues.

Dr. Bruch joined the University faculty full-time in 1995, having previously served as an adjunct professor at Scranton since 1989. She has served as chair of the Counseling and Human Services Department since 2015. She also served as co-chair of the University’s annual Conference on Disability for more than a decade.

Dr. Bruch’s research interests include the Americans with Disabilities Act, employment of individuals with disabilities, attitudes towards persons with disabilities, professional identity for rehabilitation counselors, rehabilitation counseling curriculum, supervision and accreditation, and lifespan development. She has published nearly 20 articles in academic journals and had presented at more than 40 conferences and meetings.

Dr. Bruch is a member of many national and regional organizations, having served as a board member and chair of the Council on Rehabilitation Education, president of the National Association of Rehabilitation Leadership and president of the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Association, to name just a few.

Dr. Bruch earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Stout, and a doctorate from George Washington University.

Dr. Ghosh joined the faculty at the University in 1986. During his tenure at Scranton, he has served on numerous committees, including AACSB accreditation steering committees, Presidential search committees, several terms on the Board of Rank and Tenure, the Faculty Senate and the Curriculum Committee of the Senate, the KSOM Assessment Committee, the Henry George Lecture Committee and many more. Since 2020, Dr. Ghosh has been an active member of the General Education Review Committee. He is currently serving as the General Education Assessment Coordinator. Dr. Ghosh was instrumental in setting up the Office of Educational Assessment and currently serves as its co-director and as a faculty fellow. He also served as chair of the Economics and Finance Department for 15 years.

Dr. Ghosh and Aram Balagyozyan, Ph.D, associate professor of economics, finance and international business, have researched and published multiple issues of the Brennan Barometer, which looks specifically at the economy of NEPA’s Wyoming Valley. The publication analyzes the Wyoming Valley’s job and housing market, as well as the cost-of-living impact inflation has had on household purchasing power in the region, among other factors. Dr. Ghosh is frequently quoted in local, regional and even national media outlets discussing the NEPA economy.

Dr. Ghosh earned a bachelor’s degree from Presidency College in India, a master’s degree from the University of Calcutta and a master’s and doctorate from State University of New York, Buffalo.

Gerard Dumancas, Ph.D., received the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award, which is presented to a faculty member who makes extraordinary efforts to enhance student learning and who practices teaching as a form of scholarship.

In 2023, Dr. Dumancas received the University’s Excellence in Integrating Diversity in Learning Award, which recognizes a faculty member whose efforts to integrate diversity in the curriculum have enriched the students’ learning experiences. Also in 2023, he was selected as a Visiting Faculty Fellow by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Dr. Dumancas, associate professor of chemistry, joined the faculty at Scranton in the spring of 2022. Over the course of his academic career, he has generated more than $2 million in external research funding from the NSF, Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Board of Regents. He has published nearly 100 research products in the form of journal articles, book chapters, books and intellectual property disclosures related to his research in the development and applications of chemometrics and spectroscopic techniques in food and biological applications. He is the recipient of a five-year, $1.158 million National Science Foundation funded Noyce Scholars grant to support future STEM high school teachers in high-need school districts.

At Scranton, Dr. Dumancas serves as a faculty fellow in the Office of Education Assessment and as a community-based learning faculty fellow, where he is collaborating with the Lackawanna River Conservation Association and is combining research and teaching by implementing novel analytical chemistry experiments for use in his lab classes.

In addition, Dr. Dumancas is serving as the faculty lead for a Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation grant, which is a program that takes a comprehensive approach to student development and retention. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming undergraduate STEM education through innovative, evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies, and relevant educational experiences in support of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines.

Dr. Dumancas earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of the Philippines and a doctorate from Oklahoma State University.

Madeline Gangnes, Ph.D., received the Sustainability Award, which recognizes the efforts of a faculty member who strives for excellence in teaching about sustainability and who makes extraordinary efforts to introduce that essential concept into the curriculum.

Dr. Gangnes joined the University faculty in 2020 as an assistant professor in the Department of English and Theatre. She serves as co-moderator of the University’s Mu Omicron Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English honor society. She is also a member of the University’s Ecological Education working group and the Cry for the Poor working group, both of which support the University’s Laudato Si’ initiative. At Scranton, she has developed two courses that support the newly revised environmental science major and the environmental and sustainability studies concentration: “Literature and the Environment” and “Climate Fiction.”

Her research interests include the intersections of 19th-century British literature and culture, visual studies, digital humanities and book history. She is particularly interested in the image textuality of Victorian periodicals, especially illustrated serialized fiction. Her scholarly work has been published in journals and collected volumes, including the Victorian Periodicals Review, the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comic, INKS: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, Studies in Comics and Art and Science in Word and Image: Exploration and Discovery. She has served as the assistant editor of Studies in Comics and as the editor of Sequentials.

Dr. Gangnes earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound, a master’s degree from the University of Dundee in Scotland and a doctorate from the University of Florida.

Michael Landram., Ph.D., received the Community-Based Learning Award, which is presented to a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in community-based learning (CBL) pedagogy as demonstrated by meaningful integration with course or program content that incorporates integration of theory with practice, direct engagement with community members, and personal and critical academic reflection.

Dr. Landram, associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, joined the faculty at Scranton in 2015. His research interests include the measurement of the neurological and cardiovascular stresses associated with various training loads, competitive endeavors, and recovery in athletic and clinical populations.

At Scranton. Dr. Landram has developed an ongoing community partnership with the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Scranton, through which, for nearly a decade, senior students in the kinesiology program engage in meaningful learning experiences while helping older adults meet their physical activity needs. During this Community-Based-Learning (CBL) experience, students are matched with a JCC participant to design an individualized physical activity program based on their fitness assessment, a needs-based analysis and their physical activity goals. Over the course of 12 weeks each semester, students, along with their faculty mentor, evaluate and monitor individual physical activity sessions and review and modify goals as appropriate. Dr. Landram also incorporated into the course meaningful opportunities for student and participant reflection.

Each year, this CBL project serves 50-60 of our students and 35-40 adult participants from the JCC, providing at least 1,000 contact hours per year.

Dr. Landram is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Physiological Society, and is a certified USA Olympic weightlifting coach.

Dr. Landram earned a bachelor’s degree from Truman State University, a master’s degree from Appalachian State University and a doctorate from University of Rome “Foro Italico” in Italy.

Prof. Ian O’Hara received the Excellence in Advancing Interdisciplinary Study Award, which recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates noteworthy academic leadership in promoting and strengthening cross-disciplinary or interdepartmental teaching and learning endeavors.

Prof. O’Hara, assistant professor and research and instruction librarian in the Weinberg Memorial Library, has created several research guides for the University, including the Ability, Disability, and Accessibility Resources Guide and the Race, Racism and Anti-Racism Resources Guide.

Prof. O’Hara serves on the Library’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee, and has been influential in the establishment of several innovations in the library that make it a more equitable and welcoming environment. His research interests include critical information literacy, new and emerging technologies, principles and applications of software design and web application development, among other areas.

Prof. O’Hara joined the staff at Scranton as a serials/electronic resources clerk in 2013. He earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton and a master’s degree in software engineering from Scranton. He also earned a master’s degree in library science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Kimberly Pavlick, Ph.D., received the Integrating Mission and Justice into the Curriculum Award, which recognizes a faculty member whose special efforts ensure that students have a keen understanding and appreciation of the realities of the world, including pressing justice issues in a local, national and global context.

Dr. Pavlick, assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Media, joined the faculty at Scranton in 2005. Her teaching and research focuses on effective writing for various media platforms, journalism and broadcasting. Well known with students for her boundless energy and exacting standards, Dr. Pavlick includes in her courses projects that simulate the realities of professional communication fields and stimulate the interest and motivation of the students. She ensures students have a keen understanding of the realities of the world including pressing justice issues in a local, national and global context. She integrates seminal issues of justice into her teaching as well, so that students possess the awareness, competence, skills and insights to critically reflect on prevailing social, political, economic and cultural issues, and be able and willing to take action on behalf of justice.

Most recently, Dr. Pavlick has established an ongoing relationship with the Gino Merli Center to record the stories of Scranton area veterans. Through the Community-Based-Learning (CBL) project, students meet with veterans and practice the skills that they have learned in her course by documenting and recording their experiences. Feedback on the project indicates that the veterans appreciate the opportunity to speak with young people, while the students learn of real-world events through the eyes of those who have experienced them.

At Scranton, Dr. Pavlick has served as the NCAA faculty athletics representative and as a faculty mentor for the field hockey team.

Dr. Pavlick earned a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University, a master’s degree from The University of Scranton and a doctorate from Marywood University.

Hank Willenbrink, Ph.D., received the Excellence in Scholarly Publication Award, which is presented to a faculty member who has attained distinction in scholarship or creative activity.

An associate professor in the Department of English and Theatre at Scranton, Dr. Willenbrink’s most recent book, “Performing for the Don: Theatres of Faith on the Trump Era,” was published by Rutledge Press in 2023 and is the culmination of several years of scholarly work. His scholarly research focuses on religious performance and playwriting.

In addition to academic research, Dr. Willenbrink is a creative writer and performer. His play, “The Boat in the Tiger Suit” premiered at The Brick in New York City on 2013 and was published by Original Works Publishing in 2014. His play “18” won the Corwin Award for Best Short Play from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. His monologues have been featured in Monologues for Men by Men, More Monologues for Men by Men, and Best Men’s Stage Monologues of 2014.

At Scranton, Dr. Willenbrink has developed and led three interdisciplinary, community-engaged projects featuring students: “Proprioception” in 2015; “The Porches Project” in 2019; and “1902” in 2023. In each project, student writers performed research on their community through historical documentation or via community story gatherings. The research collected was then used to create dramatic works, which were developed and performed.

Dr. Willenbrink joined the faculty at Scranton in 2004. He has served as director of the Theatre Program and director of First Year Seminar Development. He has served on numerous committees including the Slattery Center Faculty Executive Committee and Humanities Initiative, Honors Council: Community-based Learning Advisory Board and Laudato Si' Education for the Environment Working Group.

Dr. Willlenbrink earned a bachelor’s from Colgate University, a master’s degree from the University of Vermont, and a doctorate from Syracuse University.

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Also recognized at the award ceremony were five retiring faculty members, each of whom have served the University for decades: Brigid Curtin Frein, Ph.D., associate professor, in the Theology/Religious Studies Department, who joined the faculty at Scranton in 1988; Irene Goll, Ph.D., associate professor in the Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department, who joined the faculty at Scranton in 1988; Edward M. Scahill, Ph.D., associate professor in the Economics, Finance and International Business Department, who joined the faculty at Scranton in 1989; Daniel J. West, Ph.D., professor in the Health Administration and Human Resources Department, who joined the faculty at Scranton in 1990; and Michael M. Costello, J.D., faculty specialist in the Health Administration and Human Resources Department, who joined the faculty at Scranton full-time in 2014, having previously served as an adjunct professor.

During her tenure at Scranton, Dr. Frein served as departmental chair; interim associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and coordinator for freshman seminar for the College of Arts and Sciences, among other committees and positions. Her research interests specialize in the New Testament and she has published numerous articles on the Gospels. She is an active member of the Catholic Biblical Association. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University and a doctorate from Saint Louis University.

Dr. Goll was named as a Alperin Teaching Fellow and a Burkavage Fellow at Scranton. She has published numerous articles that examine corporate social responsibility as an important component of a firm’s culture, philosophy or ideology in prestigious management journals such as Organization Studies and Industrial Relations. Dr. Goll earned a bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a doctorate from Temple University.

Dr. Scahill served as the director of the University’s Center for Economic Education for decades. He has published articles in numerous journals, including the Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics and Economic Education, Journal of Finance and Economics and the International Review of Economics Education. He has made contributions to “Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics” (all eight editions), “Intermediate Macroeconomics” and “Money and Banking,” co-authored by R. Glenn Hubbard and Anthony Patrick O’Brien. He was also named as a regular contributor on microeconomics to The Wall Street Journal’s Weekly Review. Dr. Scahill received the University’s Alperin Teaching Fellowship and the Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education from the Freedoms Foundation for his program, “Teaching Economics by Teaching Baseball.” He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Bonaventure University and a master’s degree and a doctorate from The State University of New York at Binghamton.

Dr. West served as the chair the Health Administration and Human Resources Department for two decades, in addition to serving a several University committees. During his tenure at Scranton, he planned and conducted dozens of study abroad tours for graduate students and faculty to countries as diverse as Bolivia, Slovakia, Haiti and China. A well-respected teacher and scholar with specialization in international health care, globalization, multiculturalism and diversity management, Dr. West holds a professor in public health appointment at Trnava University, as well as a visiting professor appointment at the University of Matej Bel, Slovakia and affiliated faculty at Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia. In 2019, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Trnava University, Slovakia. He was recognized as an International Fellow at Scranton and received the John L. Earl III Award for service to the University, the faculty and the wider community in 2021. Dr. West earned a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree and a doctoral degree from the Pennsylvania State University.

Prof. Costello served as program director of the University’s Graduate MHA Online program. During his tenure at Scranton, he received the Faculty Service Award from Hanley College and the Provost’s part-time Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence, as well as the University’s Frank O’Hara Award for University service. He also served as president of the University of Scranton Alumni Society. His teaching and publishing interests are in the areas of health law and policy, health economics, international health care, long-term care administration, and clinical and administrative ethics. He holds an adjunct faculty appointment at The Commonwealth Medical College and the University of Central Florida. He also holds visiting professorships at Trnava and St. Elizabeth Universities in Slovakia and the University of Georgia in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton, a master’s degree from Ohio University, an MBA from The University of Scranton, and a juris doctorate from Southland University.

The Management and Marketing Department at The University of Scranton Kania School of Management officially recognized Robert McKeage, Ph.D, '71 for 50 years of excellent teaching and services.

Dr. McKeage joined the University's management faculty in 1974. At KSOM he is the director of the Business Leadership Program, a prestigious two-year program with more than 200 elite graduates. Dr. McKeage has prepared a considerable group of graduates to obtain key positions in business organizations. Currently, he teaches principles of management, seminars in business leadership, group dynamics and organizational behavior to undergraduate and MBA students.

Previously, Dr. McKeage received an award for University Service. He played a key role in the development of Scranton’s Business Leadership Honors Program. Dr. McKeage has received several teaching accolades, including the Alpha Sigma Nu’s Edward Gannon, S.J., Award for Teaching, the Kania School of Management’s Student’s Choice Award for Teaching, and the Provost’s Enhancement Award for Excellence in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

The University of Scranton awarded faculty development summer grants for 2024 to seven faculty members.

Anthony Carusotto, Ed.D., DPT, assistant professor of physical therapy, received a grant to research “Enhancing knowledge and formal training to improve cardiopulmonary curricular mapping within the Doctoral of Physical Therapy program at The University of Scranton.” He joined the faculty at the University in 2018. He earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Misericorida University, and a Ed.D. degree from Drexel University.

Michael Crowell, DPT, D.Sc., associate professor of physical therapy, received a grant to research “Exploring relationships between psychological readiness to return to play, neuromuscular asymmetries, graft type, and collegiate athletic skill level after ACL reconstruction.” He joined the faculty in 2023. He earned a bachelor’s degree at the United States Military Academy and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and a Doctor of Science degree from Baylor University.

Ashley Driver, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, received a grant to research “Characterizing the role of Hsd17b7 on cellular survival and autophagy in mammalian cells.” She joined the University in 2020. She received a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Colleen Farry, assistant professor and digital services librarian, Weinberg Memorial Library, received a grant to research “Integrating Artificial Intelligence in Archival Workflows.” She joined the University in 2015. She received a bachelor’s degree from Marywood University, a master’s degree from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Illinois.

Bibi Rafeiza Khan, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, received a grant to research “Identification of the Mutated Gene in Latrunculin B Resistant 2 (LBR2) Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings by Map-based Cloning.” She joined the University in 2021. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Guyana, a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Riddhiman Medhi, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, received a grant to research “Metal Oxide Nanowire Arrays for Photocatalytic Degradation of Water Pollutants.” He joined the University in 2021. He received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Gauhati University in Guwahati, India, and a Ph.D. from the University of Houston

Susan Poulson, Ph.D., professor of history, received a grant to research “Insanity: Murder and Madness in a Troubled America.” She joined the University in 1990. She received a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Georgetown University.