Speaker’s Bureau
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
The Mercyhurst College Speakers Bureau provides a resource that is both invaluable and free: faculty and administration members with a broad range of expertise who are available to speak to community and professional organizations on subjects spanning business ethics, forensic anthropology, strength training and fitness, spirituality and cross-cultural parenting to name just a few.
To arrange a speaking engagement, please contact the Mercyhurst College Office of Marketing and Public Relations, 824-2552, and ask for (Debbie Morton):mailto:dmorton@mercyhurst.edu .
We ask that you allow three to four weeks advance notice and have several choices in case your preferred speaker is unavailable. Your request should specify the name of your organization, a contact person and a phone number, as well as the date, time and location of your meeting, along with the approximate size of your audience.
For more information about Mercyhurst College, please visit our Web site at www.mercyhurst.edu.
MERCYHURST COLLEGE
501 E. 38th St.,
Erie, PA 16546 (814) 824-2000
Mercyhurst College is a fully accredited, four-year, Catholic comprehensive institution, founded in Erie, Pa., by the Sisters of Mercy in 1926. The Erie campus, located on a picturesque hillside crowning the city, offers more than 100 fields of undergraduate study as well as unique adult programs and seven graduate programs. In addition, it maintains its one- and two-year programs at a campus in scenic North East, just 20 minutes from Erie. Also, in the fall of 2006, Mercyhurst opened its third campus, Mercyhurst West, in neighboring Girard, Pa., and continues to operate a satellite campus in Corry.
A Mercyhurst education combines a rich sense of tradition with a progressive approach to the complexities of modern life. Alumni of Mercyhurst are found in every major profession and in every state in the nation. Current enrollment is approximately 4,000 on its four campuses.
Mercyhurst emphasizes the role of the liberal arts, which provides a basis for sound career preparation and for many other life objectives. With this balance, the college supports a wide range of programs, from dance and art to geology and computer management systems, and also prides itself on its service to students. To this end, it strives constantly to become distinctive in the choice of it academic offerings.
WALKER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATION
Chris Lachapelle, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Director of Sport Business Management
- How to Raise and be a True Student-Athlete
- Teaching, Educating and Winning in Youth Sports
- Gender Issues and Sports
- Communication within an Organization
- Risk and Safety in Sport and at Work
Brian Sheridan, M.A.
Communication Instructor
- Broadcast Journalism
- Political Communication
- Martial Arts and Hong Kong Cinema
- Film, Television and Old Time Radio
Kimberly Zacherl, M.B.A.
Assistant Professor, Walker School of Business
- Genealogy: Manual recordkeeping or Internet research
Brenda Moore
Chair, Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management/ Culinary Arts Associate Degree Programs
- Special Events Planning
- Trends in the Hotel and Restaurant Industry
- Leadership in Organizations
THE HAFENMAIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Phillip Belfiore, Ph.D.
Professor, Special Education
Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Urban Education and Teacher Preparation
- Mental Retardation
- Special Education
- Applied Behavior Analysis
Kathleen Bukowski, Ph.D.
Dean, Hafenmaier School of Education and Behavioral Sciences
- Trends in Education
- Elementary Education
- Special Education
Rob Hoff, M.A.
Chair, Psychology Department
- Happiness Doubed by Wonder: The Psychology of Gratitude
Kathy Weidenboerner, M.Ed.
Director, Interior Design Program
- Interior Design
- Feng Shui
Susan D. Johnson, M.S. Ed.
Instructor, Special Education
- Inclusive Practices: Collaboration & Effective Instruction for Students with Disabilities
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Effective Programming for Students with Emotional Behavioral Disabilities
- Assistive Technology
THE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES
Douglas Boudreau, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of French
- 16th Century French Literature
- French-Canadian Literature and Culture
- Francophone Literature of North Africa
Alice Edwards, Ph.D.
Chair, World Languages and Cultures Department
- International Education in a Changing World
- Literature and the Nation in Latin America
- Childbirth and Women's Empowerment
- Women and Leadership in Higher Education
Thomas Forsthoefel, Ph.D.
Chair, Religious Studies Department
Poet Laureate of Erie County, 2010-2012
- Hinduism/Buddhism/Mysticism/Islam
- Spirituality
- Poetry of the Sacred
Jodi Staniunas Hopper, M.F.A.
Director, Graphic Design Program
- Design Basics/Software (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, FreeHand)
- Creative Idea Generation
- Corporate ID and Branding
Keiko Takioto Miller, M.A.
Assistant Professor of Japanese, French
Director of Asian Cultures Program
- Japanese/Chinese Calligraphy
- Cross-Cultural Parenting and Social Adjustments
- Transculturality and Dynamic Global Communication
- Eco-mythology: Seed, Soil and Spirit
Robert Tavani, M.A.
Assistant Professor of Art
Program Director, Art Therapy
- Art Therapy
C. Noelle Partusch
Associate Professor of Dance
- Liturgical/Sacred Dance
- Selecting a Dance School for your Child
- Dance in Higher Education
Jeffrey Roessner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
- Contemporary Literature/Poetry
- Film Studies
- Popular Music
Kevin Sullivan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Philosophy
- General Issues in Ethics with Special Focus on Bioethics, Medical Ethics and the Ethics of Public Officials
- Issues in Aesthetics and the Arts
Karen C. Williams, Ph.D.
Professor of Spanish
- Spanish Language and Linguistics
- Sociolinguistics
- Second Language Acquisition and World Language Pedagogy
THE ZURN SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS
David J. Dausey, Ph.D.
Professor of Public Health, Director Mercyhurst Institute for Public Health
- Health and Wellness
- Health Care Reform
- Public Health Preparedness
- Bioterrorism
- Infectious and Chronic Diseases
Dennis Dirkmaat, Ph.D., D-ABFA
Chair, Applied Forensic Sciences Department
- Outdoor Crime Scene Recovery
- Forensic Archaeology and Forensic Anthropology
- Mass Fatality Recovery and Victim Identification
Bradley Jacobson, M.A., A.T.C.
Chair, Sportsmedicine Department
- Sportsmedicine
- Health and Nutrition
- Strength Training and Fitness
Darlene Melchitzky, M.S.
Research Associate, Laboratory Director, Biology Department
- Neuroscience and Neurological Research
- Neurobiology of Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders
Mary Ann Owoc, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology/Archaeology
- Erie County's Historic Cemeteries and Gravestones
- Attitudes toward Death and Funerary Practices
- Prehistoric Religion and Ritual
- Neolithic and Bronze Age Societies of the British Isles
Steven Symes, Ph.D., D-ABFA
Associate Professor of Anthropology and Applied Forensic Sciences
- Forensic Anthropology with Emphasis on Bone Trauma, Mutilation and Dismemberment
THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Allan Belovarac, Ph.D.
Professor of History
- Battle of Lake Erie
- War of 1812
Michael Federici, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
- American Politics with an Emphasis on Constitutional Questions
- Political Theory of the American Framers
- The Supreme Court
- The Electoral College
- Alexander Hamilton
Tina Fryling M.S., J.D.
Chair, Kinnane Department of Criminal Justice
- Sexual Harassment and the Court System
- Criminal Law
Frank Hagan, Ph.D.
Professor of Criminal Justice
- Spies
- White Collar/Organized/Political Crime
- International Corruption and Extortion
Randall Howarth, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
- Ancient Rome
- Ancient Greece
- The Middle Ages
Chris Magoc, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of History
- Public History/Museum Studies/Historic Preservation
- Environmental History and Politics
- Yellowstone National Park
- Recent (20th Century) American History
Joseph Morris, D.A.
Associate Professor of Political Science; Director, Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics (MCAP)
- Elections
- Voter Behavior
- Recent MCAP Public Opinion Polls
Brian Ripley, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
Director, The Public Affairs Forum, Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics
- Current Foreign Policy Issues
- History of the Cold War
- Civic Engagement and Democracy
- The 2012 Presidential Campaign
Kristan Wheaton, M.A., J.D
Associate Professor of Intelligence Studies
- International Affairs and International Criminal Law
- Intelligence Analysis and Operations
- Military Analysis and Operations
- Gamesand Game Design
- Game-based learning
NORT EAST CAMPUS
Dr. Tom Staszewski, Ed.D.
Dean of Academic Services, Mercyhurst NorthEast
- Classroom Success… Making it through
another School Year - Motivation and Goal setting
- Creativity and Learning Styles
Jennifer Berke, Ph.D.
Chair, Human Growth and Development Department
- Fostering Your Child's Creativity
- The Disappearance of Childhood
- Behavior Guidance and Disciplining Your Young Child
Judy Lynch, Ph.D.
Instructor, Sociology and American History
- Women in Politics
- Tool and Die Industry in Erie and Crawford County
- Politics and Health Care
Stephen Szwejbka, M.S.
Director, Associate Criminal Justice Program
- Community Policing
- The Role of Police in Society
- Alternatives to Incarceration
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Arthur Amann, Ed.D.
Director, Mercyhurst Public Safety Institute
- Regional Police Academy
- Regional Corrections Academy
- Driving Under the Influence and Drug/Alcohol Abuse
- Probation/Parole/Prison
ATHLETICS
Rick Gotkin
Head Coach, Men's Hockey
- Leadership: Building a Winning Culture
- The Value of Role Models in Our Society
Marty Schaetzle
Head Coach, Football
- Teamwork, Goal Setting, and Determination
Mike Sisti
Head Coach, Women's Hockey
- Motivation and Time Management in Athletics
- How to Market Your High School Athlete in Pursuit of the Right College
- Having a Winning Attitude
