New Faculty Appointments 2012
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, 25 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 Melody Boyd, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Sociology Dr. Boyd came to Brockport because she felt its environment would support her passion for both teaching and research—which focuses on urban poverty with an emphasis on issues related to race/ethnicity. She previously served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, where she earned her PhD. Tristan Bridges, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Sociology Dr. Bridges joins Brockport from the University of Virginia, where he served as a lecturer in the Department of Sociology. His research questions the ways that men currently understand gender and sexual inequality and how their understandings are sometimes implicated in its reproduction. Dr. Bridges earned his PhD from Virginia in 2011. Alicia Kerfoot, PhD Assistant Professor Department of English Dr. Kerfoot comes to The College at Brockport from Canada, having earned her PhD from McMaster University. She says she was impressed by the willingness of Brockport students to express their opinions and start great conversations during her visit. Dr. Kerfoot’s research concerns British literature from the long 18th century. Robert Mejia, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Communication Dr. Mejia describes himself as a media ecologist, as his research interests lie in how various mediums affect and extend the operation and configuration of various social, cultural, and political economic formations. He earned his PhD in Philosophy in Communications from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Robert Shum, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Political Science and International Studies Dr. Shum has earned a PhD in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. He previously worked as a trade policy officer for the Canadian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Dr. Shum’s research interests involve the intersection of politics with law and public policy, particularly energy and environmental policy. Elizabeth Thorpe, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Communication Dr. Thorpe, who earned her PhD at Texas A&M University, begins a tenure-track position after spending the previous two years as an instructor at The College at Brockport. Her scholarship focuses on American constitutive rhetoric—examining how we create meaning for the word “American” in public discourse.
The School of Business Administration and Economics Yuanlong He, PhD Instructor Department of Business Administration and Economics Dr. He’s research focuses on capital markets, financial accounting, financial statement analysis, firm fundamental value evaluation, analyst forecast and behavior, and earnings management. Dr. He earned a PhD in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Cincinnati and is a certified public accountant in the state of Alabama. Athanasios Mihalakas Assistant Professor Department of Business Administration and Economics Mr. Mihalakas entered academia after spending nine years as a policy analyst in international trade issues for the federal government. He has a Master of Laws degree from University College London and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on the impact of trade agreements on national economies.
The School of Education and Human Services Louanne Bakk, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Social Work Dr. Bakk’s research focuses on the impact of public policy initiatives designed to assist older adults, with a particular emphasis on racial, ethnic, and gender disparities. She has extensive agency experience, having served as director of access and benefits assistance at an agency in Michigan for four years. Dr. Bakk earned her PhD at Michigan State University. Trevor Gates, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Social Work Dr. Gates earned his PhD in Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research is focused broadly on organizational issues, and particularly on the workplace experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. He most recently taught as an online instructor at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ. Youngoh Jo, PhD Instructor Department of Criminal Justice Dr. Jo, who earned his PhD at Sam Houston State University, has worked for several criminal justice agencies including as a psychologist for a juvenile training school and a police department and as a co-leader of psychology and sociology programs for a probation office and a prison. Dr. Jo’s research focuses on criminological theory testing and criminal justice administration. Jeffrey Linn, PhD Associate Professor Department of Educational Administration Dr. Linn returns to Brockport, where he spent 11 years as an associate professor of education before returning to the public school system—most recently serving as a primary school principal. Dr. Linn, who earned his PhD at Penn State University, will focus his research on public schools and equity, teacher evaluation, and leadership for public schools.
Younkyeong Nam, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Education and Human Development Dr. Nam’s research interests focus on two primary areas. The first involves science teachers’ understanding of the concept of Earth as a system and their teaching practices. Dr. Nam, who earned a PhD in Science Education from the University of Minnesota, is also interested in science teachers’ beliefs, perceptions, and practice of teaching diverse learners. Noelle Turner, PsyD Assistant Professor Department of Criminal Justice Dr. Turner joins Brockport from Niagara University, where she was an instructor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She earned her Psy.D. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. A former Marine, her interest focuses on the intersection of mental illness and the criminal justice system, particularly as it relates to veterans. Carol Wade, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Education and Human Development Dr. Wade joins Brockport from Harvard University, where she served as a post-doctoral fellow after earning her PhD from Clemson University in 2011. Dr. Wade says she finds working with students when they have those “aha” moments to be rewarding and inspiring. She currently researches teacher pedagogical practices that predict performance in college calculus. Ryan Yeung, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Public Administration Dr. Yeung joins Brockport from Rutgers University-Camden, where he was a visiting assistant professor of Public Administration. His research is focused on public budget and finance issues and social policy, particularly in the field of education. Dr. Yeung earned his PhD from the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
The School of Health and Human Performance Susan Lowey, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Nursing Dr. Lowey joins Brockport after completing her PhD in Health Practice Research from the University of Rochester and 20 years in nursing. Her research focuses on improving palliative/end-of-life care for older adults in the community setting. Dr. Lowey believes that an effective teacher fosters a curiosity and love of learning. Dana Voelker, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education Dr. Voelker says that her experiences as a former competitive figure skater and college ice hockey player have shaped her interest in research that promotes rewarding sport and physical activity experiences for youth. She completed her PhD in Psychosocial Aspects of Sport & Physical Activity from Michigan State University in 2012.
The School of Science and Mathematics Joshua Blose, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Dr. Blose researches biophysical chemistry, particularly understanding how the environment inside a cell influences the stability, structure, and function of nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA. At Brockport, he aims to provide valuable learning experiences for his students in the classroom and independent research. He earned his PhD from Penn State University.
David Lerach, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor Department of Earth Sciences Dr. Lerach says he has been fascinated by severe weather and meteorology since childhood. Today, his research interests lie in mesoscale meteorology, with specific interests in severe storms and tornadoes. Dr. Lerach earned his PhD in Atmospheric Science in 2012 from Colorado State University, where he also served as a graduate research assistant. Kanchana Mendes, PhD Lecturer Department of Biology Dr. Mendes earned her PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Oklahoma before going on to teach at the University of Texas, a Texas high school, and, most recently, Finger Lakes Community College. Dr. Mendes has developed a growing interest in bioinformatics software and plans to incorporate that into her research. Bernardo Ortega, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Biology Dr. Ortega’s research aims at understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate ion transport in the kidneys and their alterations during aging or disease, which helps understand blood pressure regulation and electrolyte balance. He earned his PhD from the University of Sheffield and served as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Maryland since 2008. Carly Reed, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Dr. Reed is planning to begin exploring the photophysical properties of small molecules, containing transition metals, for application in bulk heterojunction and dye-sensitized solar cells, as well as stable inorganic semiconductors to catalyze the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen. She earned her PhD from The Ohio State University.
Office of the Vice Provost Timothy Stoller, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor Delta College Dr. Stoller’s research focuses on the narrative imagery of Martin Luther’s early spiritual writings and the bearing these writings have upon current understandings of Luther and the significance of his work. He comes to Brockport from the University of Northern Iowa, where he served as a visiting faculty member after earning his PhD from the University of Iowa.
Library Information Technology Services Kenneth Wierzbowski Assistant Librarian Drake Memorial Library Mr. Wierzbowski will focus on assessment of library services for the patrons of the Drake Memorial Library. He aims to engage in additional scholarly research related to this topic and in other areas relating to technology and libraries. Mr. Wierzbowski comes to Brockport from Buffalo he has served as a librarian at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and the Lackawanna Public Library. While in Lackawanna, he secured grant funding to expand Arabic language materials for the area’s growing Arab community.
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