New Faculty Appointments 2011
An outstanding faculty, exceptional and diverse
academic programs, and an institution-wide commitment to student success; all are hallmarks of our excellent public comprehensive college and a solid foundation from which to move The College at Brockport forward. This year 24 new faculty join our College. Continuing our strong emphasis on the teacher-scholar model, each of these individuals brings a passion for teaching and a robust scholarly agenda from which to build upon. Please join me in welcoming them to the Brockport faculty.
Anne E. Huot, PhD Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
New Faculty
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The School of The Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Joanne Cepelak, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology Dr. Cepelak joins Brockport from Alfred State University, where she most recently served as an associate professor of social and behavioral sciences. She previously served as the dean of Alfred State’s School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Cepelak earned her PhD in higher education from Syracuse University. Ingrid Hess Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Art Ms. Hess comes to Brockport from the University of Notre Dame, where she taught a number of design courses. Prior to that, she worked as a senior designer at McDougal Littell and Kym Abrams Design. Ms. Hess earned her Master of Fine Arts in graphic design from Indiana University. Jean Kachiga, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science Dr. Kachiga joins Brockport from Simpson University in California. Her academic interests include the examination of the dynamics of change in international relations, whose processes produce new paradigms to which states adjust. “What excites me about teaching and learning is the process of contributing to the molding of young minds,” she says. Dr. Kachiga earned her PhD in international studies/relations from the University of Frankfurt.
Joseph Long, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Philosophy The enthusiasm and dedication to teaching and scholarly research among Brockport’s philosophy department’s faculty is what excites Dr. Long about this new opportunity. His research centers within the philosophy of science and metaethics. “I am concerned with whether and—if so—how, the methods of science can reveal truths about the ‘mind-independent’ natural world,” he says. Dr. Long earned his PhD in philosophy from Florida State University. William Morris, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of History Dr. Morris joins the Brockport faculty from Illinois Wesleyan University, where he was a visiting assistant professor of European history. He has also taught at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and the University of Mississippi. He earned a PhD in modern European history from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. Tiffany Rawlings, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology Dr. Rawlings is a bioarchaeologist who is interested in skeletal analysis of human remains. Her research interests include: ancient disease, health and nutritional stress in ancient populations, forensic anthropology and human evolution. “There is so much going on in my field,” she says, “so I enjoy keeping abreast of all of the exciting discoveries and research projects.” Dr. Rawlings earned her PhD in archaeology from Simon Fraser University.
Karl Rogers Assistant Professor
Department of Dance The reputation of Brockport’s dance department drew Rogers to campus. “It has managed to cultivate a national reputation with a rare alchemy—hard work coupled with fun,” he says. Rogers’ research surrounds how the moving body makes meaning. His performing is known for its athletic, upside down, quirky movement vocabulary and intricate partnering. He is currently completing his PhD in dance from The Ohio State University. Erin Ruppel, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of Communication Dr. Ruppel’s research examines how people use new communication technologies—email, social networks, text messaging—to improve their relationships, work and health. She earned her PhD in communication from the University of Arizona in August, 2011. “I’m a knowledge junky,” Dr. Ruppel says. “I love to learn new things, no matter what the subject.” Kimberly Schutte Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of History Ms. Schutte, who has lived in the Midwest her entire life, is excited to explore a new part of the country. “I was attracted by the size of the College, which will permit me to get to know my students far more than is possible at a very large institution,” she says. Her research studies the marriage patterns of aristocratic British women in the period between 1485 and 2000. She is currently pursuing her PhD in history from the University of Kansas.
Jeffery Snarr, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology Dr. Snarr joins the College from Stony Brook University, where he was a research scientist in the Department of Psychology. “Broadly speaking, my research interests encompass family dysfunction and its effects on children,” he says. Brockport, according to Dr. Snarr, offered a number of elements that were attractive to him, especially a good balance between teaching and research. Dr. Snarr earned his PhD in clinical psychology from Stony Brook. Carter Soles, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of English Dr. Soles’ scholarship focuses on film studies, with an emphasis on issues of gender, sexuality and race. He studies the rise of the geek in contemporary media, issues in film authorship and the comedy and horror genres. “What excites me most about teaching and learning is the way those two activities synergize together—I truly do learn as much from my students as they learn from me,” he says. Dr. Soles earned his PhD in English from the University of Oregon. Sevinc Turkkan Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of English Ms. Turkkan was drawn to Brockport because of the impressive faculty within its English department. “I was impressed by the friendly, amicable and congenial attitude of the faculty members in the English department, as well as their impressive scholarship,” she says. Ms. Turkkan’s research studies comparative world literary studies and literary translation. She is currently pursuing her PhD in comparative literature from the University of Illionis-Urbana.
Tamara Wilcox Assistant Professor
Department of Dance Ms. Wilcox joins Brockport from Eastern Michigan University, where she taught for 11 years. She is a dance musician, who chose to come to Brockport largely because of the unique opportunities that its dance department presents for a musician working in the field of dance. “What excites me most about teaching and learning is the opportunity to be a catalyst for personal evolution and transformation,” she says. She earned her Master of Music in collaborative piano performance from Eastern Michigan University.
The School of Business Administration and Economics Fjorentina Angjellari-Daci, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Business Administration and Economics Dr. Angjellari-Daci joins the Brockport faculty from Paine College, where she was an assistant professor of economics. She earned her PhD in economics from Kansas State University. Her research interests include open economy macroeconomics, health economics, energy and radioactive waste management and others.
The School of Education and Human Services Jennifer Ashton, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of Education and Human Development Dr. Ashton received her PhD in teaching and curriculum from the University of Rochester in 2010. Her research is grounded in disability studies in education, and she explores common practices in inclusive education through that lens. Ashton’s favorite part about teaching is the unpredictability of every class. “Each group of students brings with them a unique set of backgrounds and perspectives, which help to guide our progression as a group through the course curriculum,” she says.
Sandra Cimbricz, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of Education and Human Development Dr. Cimbricz’s research interests focus on the intersection of educational policy and classroom practice. “Teaching and learning never seem to grow old, regardless of how old I grow. If anything, I continue to be humbled by and grateful for what others help me to understand about myself, others, and the world around me,” she says. Dr. Cimbricz earned her PhD in elementary education from the University at Buffalo in 2001. Bellah Kiteki, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Counselor Education Dr. Kiteki was immediately attracted to Brockport because of the enthusiasm she sensed among the faculty during her visit. Her research centers on adolescent refugees from war-torn countries who have been resettled in the United States. “I am interested in variables that contribute to their successful adjustment in new environments,” she says. She earned her PhD in counseling and counselor education this year from the University of North Carolina at Greeensboro. Miu Ha Kwong, PhD Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Social Work Dr. Kwong earned her PhD in clinical social work from New York University in 2007. She says her teaching philosophy is to strive to create a positive, relaxed and dynamic environment for learning and participation. Dr. Kwong comes to Brockport from the University of Hong Kong, where she served on the faculty of social sciences in the Department of Social Work & Social Administration.
The School of Health and Human Performance Cynthia Booth, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Health Science Dr. Booth comes to Brockport with 20 years of experience in teaching and service in higher education and 10 years of experience in management of clinical and hospital operations. She earned her PhD in higher education leadership from the University of North Dakota in 2000. Dr. Booth is excited to re-enter the field of higher education after spending the last part of her career in hospital systems. “My motto is, I am a student teacher…I teach students and they teach me,” she says. Elizabeth Grimm, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies and Physical Education Dr. Grimm was attracted to Brockport because of the collaborative nature of its faculty and the cross-disciplinary nature of her new department. Her research currently revolves around physical activity and health behavior. “I’m also interested in better understanding the relationship between sedentary behavior and health in older adults,” she says. She earned her PhD in Exercise Physiology this summer from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Michael Ray Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Health Science A 2003 graduate of The College at Brockport, Mr. Ray is excited to return to his alma mater. “Having remained in touch with a number of the professors, I relish the opportunity to join this dedicated group of faculty,” he says. His research involves technology-focused professional development models for in-service teachers and the use of discourse analysis to examine teachers’ professed versus enacted beliefs. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Science Education from the University at Buffalo.
Sheri Treadwell Instructor
Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies and Physical Education A former secondary physical education teacher, Ms. Treadwell felt her greatest challenge was to find creative ways to help students discover the joys of physical. “My hope was that they would choose to lead a physically active lifestyle after they left my class. It seems natural that I would continue toward that goal in my research,” she says. She is in the midst of pursuing her PhD in Sport & Exercise Science: Sport Pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado.
The School of Science and Mathematics Carly Reed, PhD Lecturer
Department of Chemistry Dr. Reed recently completed her PhD in inorganic chemistry from The Ohio State University. Dr. Reed says she chose to come to Brockport because the college combines the best aspects of a small school and a large university. She has long possessed a love of learning. “I’ve always been excited to find out how things work and to understand why certain phenomena occur in nature. This excitement naturally led to a career in science,” she says. Hong Yin, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics Dr. Yin joins the College from the University of Southern California, where he was an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics. Prior to that, he was a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Michigan Tech University. Dr. Yin earned a PhD in mathematics from Louisiana State University.
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