Marywood University deans, Lori E. Swanchak, Ph.D., dean for the College of Health and Human Services; Jeffrey Johnson, D.M.A., dean for the College of Arts and Sciences; and James J. Sullivan, M.Arch, RA, AIA, dean for the College of Professional Studies, recently announced new faculty members for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jodi La Coe, Clarks Summit, Pa., assistant professor for the School of Architecture, will teach architecture studio and environmental systems at Marywood Dr. La Coe is a registered architect who, prior to joining Marywood, taught architectural/urban design, history and theory, design/build, integrative design and building technologies, and digital/manual representation at Penn State University (2003-2014) and the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center of Virginia Tech (2014-2020).
She earned a Ph.D. in Architecture and Design Research in 2019 from Virginia Tech for her dissertation, Constructing Vision: László Moholy-Nagy’s Partiturskizze zu einer mechanischen Exzentrik, Experiments in Higher Spatial Dimensions, which interpreted and contextualized a multimedia drawing for a theatrical production intended to change the way that the audience would experience the world through sensory bombardment.
Dr. La Coe’s research interests include bridging the art and science of historical visualizations of space—the connection, interactions, and inspirations in the relationship between the architectural imagination and cultural histories—as documented in her recent publications: “Perception and Apperception in László Moholy-Nagy’s Mechanical Eccentric” in SenseFACTORY (2019), “Dreaming the Fourth Dimension: László Moholy-Nagy’s Inversions” in Ceilings and Dreams: The Architecture of Levity (Routledge, 2019), and “Quadrature: The Joining of Truth and Illusion in the Interior Architecture of Andrea Pozzo” in Interior Architecture Theory Reader (Routledge, 2018). Her additional research interests include architecture, history, representation, technology, theory, and theater.
Kaitlyn Eck, Ph.D., Freeville, N.Y., assistant professor in the nutrition and dietetics program, earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from SUNY Plattsburgh, her master’s degree and dietetic internship from Rutgers University, and her doctoral degree in nutritional science from Rutgers University.
Dr. Eck’s research interests include eating and weight-related knowledge and behaviors of athletes, as well as the development of behavior change interventions. Excited to be joining the Nutrition and Dietetics department at Marywood, she said, “I am happy to be joining the Marywood community. The passions and drive of my colleagues and students are inspiring, and it’s a pleasure to be joining such a friendly and welcoming group.”
In her free time, Dr. Eck enjoys running and hiking with her husband and two dogs. When she is not outside being active, she can likely be found in her kitchen baking up a sweet treat.
Kate M. Kocyba, Ph.D., Barneveld, N.Y., tenure-track assistant professor of architectural and art history in the art department, earned her bachelor degree in history and art history from SUNY Potsdam, her master’s degree in art gallery and museum studies from Manchester University in England, and her doctoral degree in art history from the University of Missouri.
Prior to coming to Marywood, Dr. Kocyba taught at the University of Alabama, was an architectural historian for the U.S. Forest Service, and served in AmeriCorps on a preservation/restoration construction team in West Virginia.
Dr. Kocyba said, “I am thrilled to be joining Marywood University because at its core it is a liberal arts institution. I am ready to explore the field of art and architectural history with these creative students of all majors and provide another perspective to seeing the world around them.”
While her dissertation was on the dissemination of Gothic Revival church architecture and its association with Anglican/Episcopalian identity, Dr. Kocyba’s current interest is in architecture and material culture related to New Deal programs. At Marywood, she will be teaching architectural history courses, art history survey courses, and Modern Art and Nineteenth Century Art.
Rachael Stevens, Ph.D., Peckville, Pa., is transitioning from an adjunct instructor at Marywood University to a full-time faculty member in the early childhood and elementary education department. Dr. Stevens earned her Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of the Cumberlands. She is certified in many areas, including K-12 administration and elementary education, to name a few. She has extensive teaching experience in a variety of K-12 settings.
At Marywood, Dr. Stevens will teach early childhood curriculum; elementary curriculum and instruction: science; educational psychology; and elementary curriculum and instruction: science (graduate). Her areas of interest include elementary and early childhood instruction and curriculum development, teacher retention, and education policy.
Excited about joining the Marywood community as a full-time faculty member, Dr. Stevens said, “The education department, along with the entire campus, has been so warm and welcoming—making me feel right at home. I look forward to working with incredible colleagues and amazing students as they journey in becoming the next generation of teachers.”
Sara Melick, M.S., Catawissa, Pa., is transitioning from an adjunct lecturer to instructor of environmental science in the science, mathematics, and computer science department. Ms. Melick earned her bachelor of science degree in biology from Marywood University and her master of science degree in environmental studies from The University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
Prior to teaching, Ms. Melick worked in California for Save the Bay and the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Control Board. She has her Geographic Information System (GIS) certificate and is a TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) advisor.
Ms. Melick said, “From the moment I stepped foot on campus as a prospective student, I have always felt at home at Marywood. I am excited to continue my work with students and colleagues across campus in promoting the core values and caring or the earth and all creation through a commitment to sustainability.”
At Marywood, Ms. Melick will be teaching environmental science courses, as well as physical science and general biology. Her areas of interest include sustainability, plastic pollution, and water quality.
Derek J. Parker, M.A., Ph.D. candidate, Brookville, Pa., is joining Marywood University as a per annum instructor in the psychology and counseling department. Mr. Parker is currently finishing his Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from Liberty University, where he expects to graduate this spring. He received his master of arts degree in professional counseling from Liberty University and his master of science degree in rehabilitative sciences from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Prior to coming to Marywood University, Mr. Parker served as a clinical supervisor of a child and family resiliency team (CFRT) program and worked as a drug and alcohol counselor at CenClear, where he worked for the last four years, focusing his work in the field of addictions.
Mr. Parker is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Pennsylvania. Heavily involved within his profession, he currently serves as treasurer of the American Counseling Association (ACA). He is actively involved in advocacy and has a desire to advocate for his profession as well as social justice issues. His areas of interest are addictions, supervision, professional identity, and social justice issues.
Serving as an instructor in the psychology and counseling department at Marywood, Mr. Parker will teach courses in group processes in counseling, human sexuality, and practicum.
Mr. Parker said, “I am so blessed with the opportunity to pursue my dream of being a counselor educator at Marywood University. The University staff have been very helpful in making me feel welcome and assisting with this transition. I am so excited to become part of the Marywood family and to work with the amazing staff and students.”
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., he currently resides in Brookville, Pa. with his two daughters, Caitlyn and Madelyn. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors, running, walking, exercising, reading, exploring, and learning new skills. He is very actively involved in his local church and in a global men’s ministry.
Joshua Berman, M.A., joins Marywood University as a per annum instructor in the School of Architecture. Mr. Berman is a designer and educator who received his master’s degree in studio arts/interior architecture from Marywood University and his bachelor of arts degree in history from King’s College.
Through a cross-disciplinary blend of a non-design and design-based master’s program, Mr. Berman has developed experience towards a critical inquiry of historical, cultural, and physical structures, and the ways in which they collectively inhabit the built environment. He will teach courses in interior design studios.
Anticipating teaching and working with students and faculty in the School of Architecture at Marywood, Mr. Berman said, “I am very much looking forward to my continuity within the Marywood community. I have found Marywood University and the School of Architecture to be home to an empowered and passionate group of faculty and students. I look forward to working alongside these incredible colleagues and students to help nourish design’s capacity to act as an agent for social change within the campus and community.”
Mr. Berman’s research focuses on exploring ideas of authenticity and nostalgia, specifically as they relate to materiality and communities’ collective memory.
Evan Buco Harger, A.B.D, Monongahela, Pa., joins Marywood University as an instructor of music, where he serves as the director of orchestral activities. He teaches courses in music history, world music, conducting, as well as other subjects. Mr. Harger is currently in the process of completing his doctoral of musical arts degree in orchestral conducting from Michigan State University, where he is a student of Kevin Noe.
His guest conducting engagements have included the Oregon Mozart Players, the St. Petersburg State Symphony, the Maryland Chamber Winds, and the Riverside Chamber Orchestra. An advocate for teaching applied philosophy to music majors, he has presented at the Oxford Conducting Studies Institute on John Dewey’s Philosophy of Mind and how it can inform rehearsal culture. Additionally, he has also presented on the pedagogy of contemporary music and early music for music students. His research interests include history, the pedagogy of conducting, and the intersection of philosophy of music with music education and music teaching, as well as enjoying reading the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Mr. Harger is delighted to be joining the faculty at Marywood University, and he looks forward to meeting all of the wonderful orchestra directors and string teachers in the area. He said, “I am so excited about joining the Marywood Community! The Symphony Orchestra and Chamber orchestra students truly exemplify our Core Values. I look forward to working alongside incredible colleagues and students to help bring meaningful artistic experiences to the entire campus and community.”
Michael Koscho, M.S., Heilwood, Pa., joins Marywood as an assistant professor of practice in the University’s science, mathematics, and computer science department. He received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown and his master’s degree in computer science from Colorado State University.
Prior to joining Marywood, Mr. Koscho served as a computer technology instructor at Fort Peck Community College on the Fort Peck Reservation in Northeastern Montana. There, he taught classes in programming, networking, security, database design, web design, operating systems, as well as several math courses. In the industry, he worked as a software engineer, where he developed web applications, native Windows applications and, for the past four years, Android and iOS mobile applications.
Mr. Koscho will teach courses including programming in C++, introduction to computer security, security policy and implementation, and senior capstone. He said, “It’s an absolute honor to be joining the Marywood community. I’m excited to be part of a University that focuses not only on academics, but in helping its students reach their full potential as responsible global citizens. I look forward to getting to know and serve my students and colleagues in any way that I can.”
In addition. Mr. Koscho speaks thirteen languages. Among them are Java, Swift, SQL, and PL/SQL. His areas of interest include object-oriented design and network security.
Theodocia (Theo) Zayac, B.S., M.B.A., Dunmore, Pa. joins Marywood University’s School of Business and Global Innovation as an instructor. She graduated with a bachelor of science degree in accounting and earned her master of business administration from The University of Scranton.
Prior to joining Marywood, Ms. Zayac worked in public accounting and higher education in financial administration roles. In addition, she serves as president of The Jude Zayac Foundation, a local non-profit.
Ms. Zayac will teach Accounting I courses for the fall 2020 semester. Her areas of interest include non-profit organizations.
Excited to join Marywood, Ms Zayac said, “Marywood and its campus has been a part of my life in so many different ways, for as far back as I can remember. I am looking forward to contributing my talents to this wonderful community.”
Liyang Ding, M.Arch., is joining Marywood University as a tenure track assistant professor in the School of Architecture. Mr. Liyang Ding earned a master’s degree in architecture and is currently a doctoral degree candidate in architecture, both at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Liyang Ding will be teaching courses in construction technologies and architectural design. His interests are in fabrication technologies related to craft, joints, and open source architecture.
Elizabeth Andrzejewski, M.S., Elmhurst, Pa., joins Marywood University as a per annum instructor in the School of Architecture. She is a designer and maker trained in architecture. Ms. Andrzejewski is teaching courses in construction technologies and architectural design. She earned her master of science degree in architecture and is currently completing her doctoral degree in architecture, both at Pennsylvania State University. As a Ph.D. candidate, Ms. Andrzejewski is researching metal as a material, digital fabrication and building methods, open-source housing, and the universal joint.
Ms.Andrzejewski’s work to date as a Wachsmann scholar has been published as part of the summer research Bauhaus Lab 2018 in The Art of Joining: Designing the Universal Connector. She approaches the design of prefabricated housing solutions through design, hands on making, and full-scale testing of prototypes. She enjoys applying her industry experience and personal experience with low-tech fabrication methods such as blacksmithing with newer methods of fabrication such as CNC controlled methods and additive manufacturing.
In the spring of 2020, Ms. Andrzejewski led a Penn State student group in the production of the Living Chapel, a musical art installation and program to promote the wellness of our environment, the United Nations 2030 agenda, the Laudato Si’ Encyclical, which is currently installed at the Botanical Gardens of Rome.
Ms.Andrzejewski, who previously taught at Marywood as an adjunct instructor, said, “I look forward to contributing to the education of my home community through Marywood's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and excellence in scholarship.”
Timothy Pyles, Ph.D., joins Marywood University as theatre director in the music, theatre and dance department. Prior to coming to the University, Dr. Pyles was an assistant professor of acting and voice at the University of South Dakota. He earned his doctoral degree in theatre history, theory, and dramatic literature, with a minor in philosophy, from Indiana University. Dr. Pyles also earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Wheaton College, Illinois; and his master of fine arts degree in acting from Southern Methodist University. He is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
Growing up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, he has lived all over the United States, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Utah, Indiana, and most recently South Dakota. At Marywood he will be teaching Introduction to theatre, acting, directing, script analysis, theatre history, and dramatic literature. His research interests include Shakespeare, Chekhov, Theatre and Philosophy, and Theatre and Religion. This fall, Dr. Pyles is planning to direct a performance piece using Shakespeare’s Sonnets, titled “The Sonnet Project.”
Dr. Pyles said, “I am thrilled to be joining Marywood University as the director of theatre. I am passionate about theatre’s potential to entertain, to provoke thought and critical reflection, and, most of all, to create empathy. I am looking forward to working in the caring community of Marywood.”
Chunchao Lane, Ph.D., joins Marywood University as a tenure-track faculty member in computer science and information security. Dr. Lane was most recently in the computer science department at Eastern New Mexico University. He earned his doctoral degree from Texas Tech University in 2016 and has two recent publications focused on “erasure coding” EC, a security method by which data is broken apart and stored in non-continuous fragments.
Stuart Badner, Psy.D., CSP, joined Marywood University in mid-March as an associate professor of practice and the program director for school psychology. Dr. Badner earned his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Spalding University and a certificate in school psychology from Eastern University.
As an educator, Dr. Badner has taught at both undergraduate and graduate levels, including doctoral level students in clinical and school psychology, at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. His areas of interest include school psychology preparation; working with collaborative teams; and development of trauma-sensitive schools and practice. He has also maintained an affiliation with the American Red Cross, National Headquarters Disaster Services, since responding to the Flight 93 crash on September 11, 2001.
In addition to his psychology work, Dr. Badner is helping make a difference in his local community. In 2009, Dr. Badner and his wife, Cheryl, became principal owners of a waste consulting firm. Since then, they have been helping businesses, organizations, schools, and communities in Northeast Pennsylvania significantly reduce their waste and recycling expenses, while dramatically improving their carbon footprint.
Balancing both work and recreation, Dr. Badner enjoys living a healthy, active lifestyle by running, swimming, and cooking and eating organic foods whenever possible. As an outdoor enthusiast, he has worked for years as a whitewater river guide and currently teaches skiing as a professional ski instructor at a local mountain. Dr. Badner resides in Greentown, Pa., with his wife, Cheryl, their two daughters, Zoe and Erika, and the family dog, Max.
Kathryn Tullio, MS, RDN, LDN, returns to Marywood University as an instructor of practice in the nutrition and dietetics department. She received her bachelor of science degree in nutrition and dietetics and her master of science degree in foods and nutrition, both from Marywood University. Mrs. Tullio,a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist for the past 17years, brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to the classroom.
Mrs. Tullio has been teaching at Marywood University for the past two years. She is teaching courses in Nutrition I, Nutrition II, Food Systems Management I & II, Community Nutrition, and Nutrition Education.
She resides in Dunmore, Pa., with her husband, Jonathan, and their two children, Nicholas and Allison, along with their two pet turtles, Tuck and Chuck.
Christina Car Gigler, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, assistant professor of practice and coordinator of Marywood’s Lehigh Valley master of social work program, has been at the University for 13 years, but she recently completed her first year in her new role as the Lehigh Valley MSW coordinator.
Mrs. Gigler has extensive practice experience as a clinician and clinical supervisor in a variety of child welfare settings, including psychiatric, diagnostic, residential, and foster care programs. She has developed and facilitated local, regional, state, and national presentations on topics of clinical supervision, field instruction, crisis intervention, social media, self-care, and ethics. She has been in leadership positions with the National Association of Social Workers, Pennsylvania Chapter, most currently as a member of the Ethics Committee.
Married to her husband for 28 years, Mrs. Gigler has a 23 year old daughter and a 21 year old son, along with two black lab dogs. Her hobbies include maxing out her steps on her Fitbit, hiking, kayaking, traveling, and staying involved in volunteer efforts in the Emmaus and Lehigh Valley community.
Christina “Tina” Kulp, LCSW, returns to her role at Marywood University as the director of field education for the Lehigh Valley and Pocono campuses. Mrs. Kulp is a graduate of Marywood University's School of Social Work, from which she holds a master of social work degree, and she is currently entering her final year as a doctoral social work student. Her dissertation focus is mental health access for older adults in rural Pennsylvania. She has worked in the geriatric, nonprofit, and healthcare fields for more than 19 years.
Mrs. Kulp is a licensed clinical social worker with post-graduate certificates in gerontology and palliative/end of life care. She was chosen as one of 30 clinicians nationwide to develop items for the Advance Palliative and Hospice Social Work Certification test and holds a certification in this area as well. She has presented at national and state conferences for the past several years. Her research interests are in rural mental health, interprofessional education, palliative and end of life care, and program development.
Mrs. Kulp has been married for 35 years and has three beautiful grandchildren. She is an avid animal lover, a voracious reader, and raced sled dogs as a child.
For additional information about Marywood University's 2020 New Faculty members, please visit marywood.edu/academicaffairs/new-faculty/index.html