NEW FACULTY, ACADEMIC SUPPORT STAFF, and ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF BIOGRAPHIES – FALL 2011

These biographies are of the faculty, academic support staff and administrators who joined St. Lawrence, for took on new roles, between August 2010 and August 2011.

Ndalegwa Amisi is a visiting Swahili Teaching Fellow in Modern Languages.  He comes to SLU as a founding director of Hekima Language Services in Nairobi, Kenya.  For over 20 years he has taught regularly on SLU’s Kenya Semester Program.  This year he will be teaching Swahili courses and working closely with the African Studies Program.

Claire Burkum is the General Biology Assistant Course Coordinator for the Biology department. She was most recently a senior research assistant at Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake, NY, working with infectious disease models.  She received her Master’s degree in Biology from Appalachian State University in 2001, studying fungal communities in high elevation forests. 

Dayle Burgess is the new assistant to the President, effective July 2011.  Dayle worked as Chief of Staff for Assemblyperson Dede Scozzafava for 12 years, with primary responsibilities for office management, scheduling, and constituent relations. She has served 18 years on the Gouverneur Board of Education, the past three years as its president.

Allison Busser M’11 is the Assistant Director of the Office of Academic Services for Students with Special Needs.  In this position, Allie works with students who have disabilities.  She has held this position since January.  Prior to this position she was the Assistant Volleyball Coach at St. Lawrence University.  Allie graduated from Otterbein College with a B.A.  She has also completed the Master’s Program in Counseling at St. Lawrence University.  

Emma Carlson joins St. Lawrence as an Assistant Director for the Adirondack Semester.  Emma is an alumna of Colby College, where she wrote an independent major entitled Environmental Education. Her interest in organic farming and permaculture led her to New Zealand and Mexico.  Emma was introduced to experiential education during a semester at Prescott College in Arizona, followed by her participation in the Adirondack Semester, by far the most profound educational experience of her life thus far. Most recently Emma worked as a wilderness trip leader and program administrator at the Chewonki Foundation in Maine.

Greg Carvel ’93, men’s assistant hockey coach, is a former St. Lawrence hockey captain and an Academic All America during his Saint career. Greg is a three-time winner of the Brian McFarlane award for academic and hockey accomplishment during his playing career. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, he played professionally in Sweden before spending a year as assistant athletic director and assistant hockey coach at Canterbury Prep. He earned his master’s degree in sport management at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1996 and served as an assistant coach at Amherst College. He has 15 years of professional hockey experience, starting as director of hockey operation for the Lowell Lock Monsters of the American Hockey League. He joined the Anaheim Ducks as scouting coordinator in 1999 and was promoted to assistant coach in 2003. He joined the Ottawa Senators as assistant coach in 2004 and was with the Senators through the end of last season.

Roxanne Cliff was selected as the assistant director of security and safety in February 2011.  Roxanne was previously a Sergeant (2009-2011), Security Officer (2004-2009), and Dispatcher (1999-2004) on the University’s Safety and Security staff. Roxanne holds certifications as Security Guard, Emergency Medical Technician and Sexual Assault Awareness Advocate.

Colleen Coakley '02 returns to St. Lawrence as a Laboratory Coordinator in the Psychology Department.  Colleen recently earned her MSc in Sport Psychology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. 

Brenda Crawford, head trainer for men’s hockey and assistant trainer for Division III Sports, comes to St. Lawrence from Clarkson where she was the athletic trainer for the women’s ice hockey program.  Brenda graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in kinesiology and has a second bachelor’s degree in applied health sciences. She earned her master’s degree from Bridgewater State College in 2010. She worked as a graduate assistant hockey trainer at Brown, and an athletic training teaching assistant at Bridgewater State prior to joining Clarkson in 2010.

Ryan Degon has joined the athletic department as head athletic trainer. A Malone native, Ryan comes to St. Lawrence after working as an athletic trainer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. A graduate of SUNY Cortland with a master’s degree from Chattanooga, Ryan also had athletic training experience at Cornell. He is an approved clinical instructor for the graduate athletic training program and holds several health-related certifications.

Max DelSignore, assistant director of alumni &parent programs is a Watertown, N.Y. native. He oversees a myriad of young alumni committees encompassing graduates of the last 15 years. He is also responsible for administering programs, crafting appeals and planning events that promote volunteerism and annual giving.  Max graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcasting and Mass Communications from SUNY Oswego in 2005. He was an award-winning sportswriter and copy editor for the Watertown Daily Times, covering local and collegiate athletics. In 2011, he will earn a Master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from Buffalo State.

Travis Dox recently moved into the position of Student Account Administrator.  He is a graduate of Clarkson University with a degree in Accounting. Travis has worked at St. Lawrence for 8 years, starting in Facilities Operations and then moving to the Financial Services Office as Chief Student Account Clerk in early 2008.  Travis manages the billing and collection of student revenue, while advising and assisting students and families in understanding the financial requirements and resources associated with attendance.

Philip Elvy joins the staff as the Student Loan and Federal Aid Administrator.  He is a graduate of Clarkson University with a degree in Financial Information and Analysis. Phil worked as a Contracts Administrator for Lockheed Martin prior to relocating to the North Country in late 2010.  Phil will manage the disbursement and collection of student loan funds and federal student aid, along with assisting students and families with all aspects of student loans.

Keith S. Evans, Assistant Professor of Economics, comes to St. Lawrence from a pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Environmental Economics and Sustainable Policy at Arizona State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics at Iowa State University. His primary research interests are environmental and resource economics, and microeconometrics. Keith’s research focuses on the behavior of individuals under dynamic settings of uncertainty with learning and on recent advances in estimating Hicksian measures of welfare for non-marginal changes in spatially delineated amenities through the use of equilibrium sorting models. Recent work has involved studies regarding the behavior of fishing cooperatives, markets for tradable property rights, and the remediation of Superfund sites. In the upcoming semester, Keith will teach Environmental Economics and Intermediate Microeconomics.

Tom Evelyn joined St. Lawrence as vice president for communications in June 2011. He previously served as senior director of news and media relations at Bucknell University and assistant vice president for news and information at the University of Central Florida. Tom has a B.S. in journalism from the University of Florida and an M.A. in communication from UCF.

Kelsey Fisher joins the Admissions staff as an assistant director, having graduated in May from Franklin and Marshall College with a degree in history and English literature. During her time there, Kelsey was an admissions student worker, tour guide and college fair intern. She also spent her junior year living, studying and interning in Bath, England. Kelsey will be traveling and recruiting this fall, as well as assisting with the admissions overnight program.

Karen Gibson is Director of the WORD Studio and instructor in the FYP.  She has taught previously at SUNY Potsdam and also at SUNY Canton, where she also directed their Writing Center.  Karen holds two master’s degrees, in Education and in English & Communication.  Her research interest is in the writings of American modernist writer John Dos Passos.

Berna Gueneli comes to St. Lawrence University as Visiting Assistant Professor of German from Austin, Texas. Originally from Kiel, Germany, Berna earned her Ph.D. in Germanic Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2011.  Her research interests comprise 20th and 21st century German film, literature, and culture with a special focus on contemporary German cinema. She will be teaching a number of German language, culture, and film classes.

Aaron Hale comes to St. Lawrence as Visiting Assistant Professor in Government from Seton Hall University.  Aaron earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from The University of Florida in 2009.  His research focuses on state failure and post-conflict reconstruction issues across the African continent.  He has worked and conducted research in several African countries.  At St Lawrence he will teach courses on African Politics and International Relations along with other university courses.

John Huntley comes to St. Lawrence as Visiting Assistant Professor in Geology from a Humboldt Fellowship at Friedrich Alexander Universitaet in Erlangen, Germany.  John’s research focus is antagonistic biotic interactions amongst marine invertebrates from the last 540 million years.  He will teach courses in geology and invertebrate paleontology.

Lyndsay LaBarge ’10 joins the Admissions staff as an assistant director. Lyndsay graduated from St. Lawrence with a B.S. in biology and a double minor in educational studies and African Studies. In addition, her student work experience included working in the Admissions Office as tour guide, ambassador and a summer intern. After graduating from St. Lawrence, Lyndsay attended Boston University obtaining her Ed.M. in Higher Education Administration and worked for the School of Education Graduate Admissions Office. Lyndsay will be traveling extensively this fall, in New York,  New England and in the Pacific Northwest.

Alan Lockard spent three years at Binghamton University, returning to St. Lawrence University as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics.  He previously served in the same capacity in the 2005-2008. He holds the following degrees: B.S in Film from Syracuse University, B.S.M.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hartford, M.S.C.E. in Computer Engineering from Florida Atlantic University, M.B.A from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, M.A. in Economics from Trinity College, and M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from George Mason University. His teaching and scholarship focuses on the economics of the public sector. He will be teaching Principles of Economics and a few upper level courses related to the public sector.

Katrina Johnson joins the Student Life division as special assistant to the vice president and dean of student life to focus on the development of internship opportunities for the University’s New York City Semester program and to assist the Leadership Team and faculty with the administration of the program.  Katrina also will have responsibilities related to our international students.  Katrina served as Assistant to the President from December 2007.  She has a Master of Arts degree from Sioux Falls Seminary and a Bachelor of Religious Studies from Taylor University College. 

Joe Keniston ’05 has been promoted to the position of co-director of athletic media relations. Joe, a former Saint golfer who received his BA in English and completed a Master’s in Educational Administration in 2007 was an Academic All America and a two-year captain in golf.

Jessie Lee, receptionist/confidential 1 in human resources, is a graduate of Baltimore International College. She previously worked in the Admissions Office at St. Lawrence University, and prior to joining the St. Lawrence community was a Financial Services Officer at Daymar Institute in Nashville, TN.

Andrew J. Maciula is technical director/production manager for the Performance and Communication Arts Department and will be teaching courses in Stagecraft and Stage Lighting.  Previously, he served as the technical director for the Department of Theatre at the University of West Florida and the assistant technical director for the Department of Theatre, Speech & Dance at the College of William & Mary.  He received a Master of Arts in Communications from Morehead State University in Kentucky.

Travis Mayne joined St. Lawrence in April as an applications programmer/Web developer for the Information Technology department. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration from SUNY Potsdam and his M.S. in Information Technology from Clarkson University.  

Jillian McKernan-Walley ’93, assistant director of career services, earned her BA degree from St. Lawrence and her master’s degree from SUNY Binghamton.  Before returning to St. Lawrence, Jillian was Coordinator of Pre-Student Teaching at SUNY Potsdam and held various Career Development positions at SUNY Binghamton. 

Prior to joining St. Lawrence as an Assistant Professor in Psychology, Mark Oakes spent his last six years at Hamilton College as a Visiting Assistant Professor and assistant coach for the men's and women's tennis and squash teams. Mark received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Washington in 2005.  His research interests consist of implicit self-esteem, unconscious prejudice, and relational aggression. Mark’s teaching duties include Introductory Psychology, Social Psychology, and Research Methods.

Emma Ogley-Oliver comes to St. Lawrence as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Psychology.  Emma recently completed a Ph.D. program in Community Psychology at Georgia State University.  Her research involves understanding the process of civic engagement to promote social justice. Emma will be teaching Introduction to Psychology, Psychological Science and Public Policy, and Community Psychology.

Mindy Pitre comes to St. Lawrence as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Anthropology.  Dr. Pitre earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Alberta in Canada in 2011.  Dr. Pitre examines human skeletons to understand ancient lifeways and has worked in Canada, the United Kingdom, Egypt, and the Sudan.  She will be teaching a number of courses including the special topics course "Dealing with the Dead."

Drew Pynchon joins St. Lawrence as Assistant Director of Off-Campus Programs.  A 2010 graduate of Dickinson College and an alumnus of the St. Lawrence University Kenya Semester Program from Fall of 2008, Drew will be advising students on all of the non-European off-campus study options offered to St. Lawrence students.

Jeff Rickey joins St. Lawrence University as vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid and comes to us from Earlham College (IN) where he served in the same capacity for 13 years.  Prior to that, he was dean of admissions at George Fox University (OR), his alma mater.  Jeff serves as chair of the Finance Committee of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and is a regular speaker and media contributor on issues of college admissions and financial aid.

Marsha Sawyer, M'80, P'09, joined the St. Lawrence University staff as the Director of the McNair Scholars Program and the Collegiate Science & Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). She has extensive administrative and program management experience at the secondary and undergraduate levels. Her work has focused on establishing collaborations between schools, government, and community stakeholders to promote educational opportunity and healthy development for at-risk youth.   

Michelle Smith M’10, assistant director of career services, has a Master of Science degree from St. Lawrence and a BA from Houghton College.  Her previous position was as career services coordinator at SUNY Canton.  Michelle has also has held internship positions as a counselor at Counseling Services of Northern New York and St. Lawrence University and as a career advisor at SUNY Canton.

Shayla A. Snyder ’11, graduated Phi Beta Kappa in December 2010, although she identifies with the class with which she matriculated.  She received a double major in English writing and Francophone Studies and a minor in European studies.  As a student, Shayla studied in France, was a mentor in the First-Year Program and conducted research as the recipient of a Daniel F. '65 and Ann H. Sullivan University Fellowship.  Shayla also sang and played guitar, tuba, and French horn in different St. Lawrence music ensembles.  Her various responsibilities as assistant director of advancement services and stewardship will mainly involve prospect research.    

Paula Sturge, Director of Budget and Financial Planning, graduated in 1993 from Clarkson University with her BS in Accounting.  She has worked in a multitude of industries from public accounting to manufacturing to dairy to not-for-profit, from which she came to SLU. 

Mary Jane Sweetland '10, graduated with a B.A. in Spanish and fine arts. While a student, she was active as a peer tutor in the Spanish Writing Center, was Team Captain of the Women's Lacrosse Team for two years, served as a member of the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee, and worked in the Admissions Office. As the Assistant Director for Event Planning, Mary Jane is responsible for regional event planning and serves as a liaison to the SAINTS Network Committee and the athletic department on campus. Mary Jane also coordinates the SLU News online publication.

Jill Talbot earned her Ph.D. in Contemporary American Literature and Film from Texas Tech University and she followed that by earning a second Master’s degree in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Colorado at Boulder.  She is the editor of Metawritings: Toward a Theory of Nonfiction, which is forthcoming from University of Iowa Press in 2012.   She is also the co-editor of The Art of Friction:  Where (Non)Fictions Come Together (University of Texas, 2008), as well as the author of Loaded:  Women and Addiction (Seal Press 2007).  Her work has appeared in literary journals such as Under the Sun, Ecotone, Cimarron Review, and Notre Dame Review.  Currently, she is at work on a new memoir.  

Lei (Lizzie) Tang has an M.A. in English Language and Literature from Nankai University (degree awarded 2006) in Tianjin, China.  She is an English Language Instructor Professor/Teacher at Nankai University.

Chad Tessier ’93, Associate Director of Major Gifts, joins Development as associate director of major gifts focusing on Northern New York, Northern Mid-Western states, Eastern Massachusetts, Delaware, Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C.  A North Country native, Chad graduated with a BA in sociology, and continued his post-graduate work here, receiving a master’s degree and Certification of Advanced Studies in Educational Administration.  Chad received a Master of Science in Teaching from SUNY Potsdam.  He was inducted in two National Honor Societies; Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology) and Kappa Delta Pi (Education). While an undergrad, Chad balanced his time between his studies and varsity athletics (football and lacrosse), being a member of the national fraternity Beta Theta Pi, serving on the Greek Council, participating in various community service projects, and worked in athletics.

Elizabeth Thompson ’07, residential coordinator, earned her Master of Arts degree from the University of Michigan.  During her graduate program, Liz was CommonGround Graduate Intern, the Program on Intergroup Relations.   Following graduation, she was the Student Programs and Recruitment Coordinator, College of Engineering Office of Student Affairs, the University of Michigan.  

2011-2012 Fulbright Scholar in Residence, Harinda Vidanage holds a Ph.D. in Politics from the University of Edinburgh. His research interests are in Cyber Politics and new forms of terrorism. His broader research interests focus on South Asian diaspora politics and the use of cyber space as a new form of political space. He will teach in the Government Department at St. Lawrence on contemporary South Asia and will give guest lectures on subjects ranging from cyber politics to new social and political activism.

Deshaya Williams, a three-time All America thrower and the 2003 NCAA Division I women’s discus champion while a student at Penn State, has joined the staff as assistant track and field coach for men and women and assistant coordinator of student athlete development.  Deshaya, who spent last season as a track and field assistant at SUNY Fredonia, will coach the throws for the Saint men and women. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Penn State in 2002 and 2004 and earned a second master’s degree from the Erskine Theological Seminary in 2009. She served as a graduate assistant for the Penn State women’s program and was a volunteer assistant at Clemson University from 2004-2006. She was a three-time Big Ten Champion in track and field.

Cody Witherell ’11 joins the Financial Aid and Student Financial Services offices. Cody will be assisting both offices working on student accounts and student financial aid. While at St. Lawrence, Cody earned his degree in global studies with a minor in educational studies. During his undergraduate years, Cody worked as an admissions clerical assistant and also assisted in the Financial Aid office.

Barat Wolfe’04 comes to St. Lawrence University as a Visiting Instructor in Psychology. She has been completing her Ph.D. at the University of Windsor in Applied Social Psychology. Her research interests are in the areas of health, well-being, and the identities of marginalized individuals such as women, chronic disease sufferers, new immigrants, and youth. She will teach Introduction to Psychology, Health Psychology, and in the FYP and FYS.

New faculty and staff bios from 2009-2010 
New faculty and staff bios from 2008-2009
New faculty and staff bios from 2007-2008
New faculty and staff bios from 2006-2007
New faculty and staff bios from 2005-2006