Faculty in Dingle

Administration

Robin Cautin Ph.D.

Provost

Robin Cautin completed a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical psychology at Columbia University and a doctorate in clinical psychology at Case Western Reserve University. She is a noted scholar in the history of psychology and clinical psychology in particular. She is co-editor in chief of the five-volume Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology, published by Wiley-Blackwell, January 2015. She was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2014 to 2021.

Mark Beekey Ph.D.

Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Biology

Dr. Mark A. Beekey has a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and specializes in aquatic ecology and invertebrate zoology. He has taught Coastal Ecology in Dingle as part of the 2-week program since 2013. Dr. Beekey's scholarly interests are currently focused on understanding the complex dynamics between human and natural systems along the Dingle Peninsula and developing a model for sustainable tourism.

John B. Roney Ph.D.

Professor of History; Co-Director SHU in Dingle campus; Co-Director Irish Studies Minor; Board, John Moriarty Institute for Ecology and Spirituality; Past Rep, New England Region, American Conference for Irish Studies

John B. Roney is a historian of French history, with a consideration of how smaller European regions interacted with France but sought independence from traditional monarchies, namely Geneva, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Ireland. He was written about religion in society and the interaction of Catholic and Protestant communities and the cultural heritage of coastal communities with a focus on the history of artisan fishing, and the history of tourism in the west of Ireland.

Gary Delaney

Executive Director and Company Secretary of Sacred Heart Campus in Dingle, Ltd

Originally from the city of Dublin, Gary located to Dingle at the age of 23. One of Gary’s most remarkable achievements in Ireland has been the development, as one of a team of four, of a multimillion-euro business which he sold at the age of 36, and which is still trading and continues to provide long term sustainable employment. Since his retirement from this business, Gary has gone on to have a distinguished career in community and business development, before taking over the general management and strategic planning of the Sacred Heart University’s Dingle Campus. In keeping with the SHU ethos of personal responsibility and community engagement, Gary’s business philosophy is deeply people-focused. He continues to be involved in the development of various other community enterprises on a voluntary basis. He is passionate about the development of the SHU in Dingle Campus as an academic institution, as an immersive and valuable cultural study-abroad experience, and as a welcoming and inclusive science-, liberal arts- and humanities-led educational hub, for the local, national and international communities alike.

Grace Flannery Ph.D.

Co-Director, SHU in Dingle campus
Academic Coordinator, SHU in Dingle

Dingle native, Dr. Grace Flannery has a Ph.D. in Zoology from University College Cork and specializes in marine ecology, marine invertebrates and aquaculture. She has worked with SHU in Dingle since 2015 and now oversees all academic and student experience aspects of the campus. Her fields of interest are sustainable tourism and development in Dingle, the development of aquaculture along the Irish coast, and marine conservation.

Declan Devane A.C.C.A.

Manager for Accounting and Administration, SHU in Dingle

Declan is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and has a wealth of experience working previously as Assistant Financial Accountant for Fexco of Killorglin, Co. Kerry; as Finance Administrator for Irish Life Investment Managers of Dublin; as an Accountant for SEB Life International of Dublin; as well as several other institutions. His Bachelor of Business Studies degree is from the University of Limerick.

Ciara Barrett Ph.D.

Student Coordinator, SHU in Dingle
Adjunct Instructor of Communications and Media Arts

Ciara holds a doctorate in Film Studies from Trinity College Dublin in 2015. She has lectured in film studies and audio-visual culture at Trinity, Sacred Heart University in Dingle and NUIG, where she coordinated both the BA in Film Studies and the MA in Digital Media. She has published on a wide range of film-related topics, including performance and representation in Classical Hollywood Cinema, contemporary genre filmmaking and Irish animation.

Irish Faculty

Ciara Barrett Ph.D.

Student Coordinator, SHU in Dingle
Adjunct Instructor of Communications and Media Arts

Fiona Barton M.Sc.

Adjunct Instructor of Nursing

Fiona Barton is a Cardiology Nurse Specialist, Acute Medical Training, and Resuscitation and Cardiology Training Director at Critical Care Training Ltd. where she is involved in Resuscitation training with ACLS BLS Immediate Care; ECG workshops; General Practice workshops; Management of ACS and collapse; and Anaphylaxis training. She is also the Resuscitation Officer, Kerry General Hospital. Fiona has also worked in Cardiology CNS at the Dingle Medical Centre, and Cardiology at the Mater Hospital Dublin.

Caroline Boland M.Sc

Adjunct Instructor of Hospitality, Resort, and Tourism Management

With an MSc in Business and Hospitality Management, Caroline has over twenty-five years of experience working and specialising in tourism and hospitality destination development and marketing, business and network cluster development and identifying untapped tourism product development in Ireland. This has been a key feature of the emergence of the Dingle Peninsula as a leading destination in Ireland with Caroline having been both directly and indirectly involved for over twenty years. Other skills include Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA), American Hotel & Lodging Assoc. 2019; and Online Teaching Strategies, Wiley Education Services, USA 2020.

Dáithí de Mórdha Ph.D.

Adjunct Instructor of History and Anthropology

Dáithí is a journalist and broadcaster at Raidió na Gaeltachta [Irish-language radio service of Raidió Teilifís Éireann], and he teaches History and Archeology of Ireland and the Dingle peninsula at SHU in Dingle. He holds a M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Folklore and Ethnology from University College Cork. His Ph.D. thesis is a study of the impact RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (est. 1972) had on the life and especially the cultural life of the Gaeltacht communities. The story of RnaG is told in the context of folklore and ethnological studies. In 2013 he published The Great Blasket: A Photographic Portrait / An Blascaod Mór: Portráid Pictiúr with the The Collins Press.

Michael Geaney M.Sc

Adjunct Instructor of Exercise Science

Mikey, as he is known, has a solid experience in the GAA as a member of the senior team of the Kerry Gaelic Football team. His MSC degree is in Sports Performance from the University of Limerick, and he has training from Setanta College with a Certificate in Functional Movement and Resistance Training, as well as a QQI Sports Nutrition, Irish Training and Education Centre. He also holds a Bachelor of Business Studies University of Limerick. In addition to teaching in the SHU in Dingle campus, Mikey is a Video Analyst for the Munster RFC Academy.

Dara Jauch

Adjunct Instructor of Communications and Media Arts

Dara Jauch holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Dublin City University and a Higher Diploma in Television and Video Production from Kerry College. Dara has been working as a co-producer and editor with award-winning production companies in Dingle, producing documentaries on Human Rights, art, culture and music for broadcasters like RTÉ, BBC and TG4. As well as working in the field, Dara has taught video production to all ages throughout her 14 year career. Dara is a fluent Irish and German speaker and a Cork native who loves living in Dingle.

Claire Kelly M.Sc

Adjunct Instructor of Coastal Ecology

Claire Kelly has a MSc. in Applied Marine Conservation from Atlantic Technological University, Galway. Hailing from Kilrush in Co. Clare has allowed the opportunity for Claire to conduct research on the resident group of Bottlenose Dolphins in the Shannon Estuary. Her thesis explored the categorisation and longevity of skin lesions on the Shannon Dolphins. Claire's interests include sustainable tourism and marine conservation.

Billy MagFhloin Ph.D.

Adjunct Professor of Irish Folklore

Billy has a Ph.D. in Folkloristics, and a B.A. in Archaeology from University College Dublin. As well as lecturing and tutoring at university level, he also works with Irish television for RTÉ or TG4, but occasionally for international productions, including the BBC, PBS or the National Geographic Channel. He is also an accomplished musician and occasionally works as a tour guide in the Dingle Peninsula. He has taught courses with Sacred Heart University in Dingle in Celtic Religion and Mythology as well as Irish Folklore and History since 2014. Billy’s scholarly interests include pre-Christian religious practices and beliefs, prehistoric archaeology, and folk practices of early modern Ireland. In 2016 he published a book entitled Blood Rite: The Feast of St. Martin in Ireland.

Linda McCarthy MSN

Adjunct instructor of Nursing

Linda McCarthy has over 18 years of professional nursing experience in various medical environments including: critical care, orthopedics, medical, surgical, gynacology, long-term care, pediatric and over eight years of emergency nursing experience. Linda completed a Diploma and Degree in Nursing studies as well as a Higher Diploma in Emergency Medicine and a Masters in Nursing.

Colm Ó Coileáin Ph.D.

Adjunct instructor of Chemistry & Mathematics

Colm is a post-primary teacher of Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science at Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne. He holds a B.Sc. in Science Education from Dublin City University, as well as an M.Sc. in eLearning. His doctoral research investigated the introduction of inquiry-based science education in Gaelscoileanna; his research interests also include minority-language immersion education, action research and teacher reflective practice.

John O’Connor M.Sc

Adjunct Instructor of Anatomy & Physiology
Adjunct Instructor of Nutrition

John is an SENr and AfN registered performance nutritionist currently working with Kerry GAA, Elevate Performance and his own business, Target Nutrition. This work allows him to keep on top of the latest nutrition research. He holds a BSc in Sport & Exercise Science from the University of Limerick and a MSc in Exercise & Nutrition Science from the University of Chester along with several speciality certifications such as Disordered Eating in Athletes from Loughborough University and Food as Medicine from Monash University, amongst others. John teaches The Fundamentals of Nutrition at SHU campus in Dingle.

Shane O’Rourke M.Sc

Adjunct Instructor of Exercise Science

Shane has great experience in exercise science both as an athlete as well as a scientist of sport and movement. In addition to offering courses at SHU in Dingle, he is an Instructor of Exercise Science at the Institute of Technology, Tralee, in coaching, exercise physiology, sport development, human resource development, performance training, and event management. He holds an MSC in Sport and Exercise Psychology, as well as a BA in Sports Management from Waterford Institute of Technology.

Kevin J. Power Ph.D

Adjunct instructor of Philosophy

Kevin J. Power, Ph.D. (University College Cork) is a Cork-born philosophy teacher and musician, now living in Castlegregory, Co. Kerry. His doctoral thesis: “Zazen, Philosophy of Mind and the Practicality of Realising Impermanence” from UCC 2015. Since then, he has lectured in philosophy of mind, environmental ethics, philosophy of death and dying, as well as writing and delivering a unique module entitled 'The Philosophy of Interdependence' for UCC's Adult Continuing Education programme, as well as teaching Bioethics at the Dingle campus of Sacred Heart University. Kevin's writing and music is available through his website www.innerchapter.com.

Jackie Ruttledge MA

Adjunct Instructor of Health Psychology

Jackie is a lecturer in health science at Munster Technological University and was instrumental in setting up the Healthy Campus project. Her work includes lecturing in health and personal wellbeing and health behaviour change, designing, implementing and evaluating health promotion interventions, health policy development and health behaviour research. Jackie holds an M.A in Health Promotion from University College Cork and a B.Sc in Health, Fitness and Leisure Studies from the Institute of Technology, Tralee. Jackie is also a qualified yoga and meditation teacher and a yoga therapist.

Niamh Varian Barry MA

Adjunct Instructor of Music

Niamh Varian-Barry holds a Masters in Music Performance from the Royal Irish Academy of Music and a Bachelors in Music Performance from the Cork School of Music. She is a skilled orchestral and ensemble composer and arranger and has written for the Irish Chamber Orchestra. She worked with top musicians in Ireland and abroad across all genres of music with a specific interest in classical, Irish traditional music and contemporary pop and singer-songwriters. She is a member of the groundbreaking dance music project SuperCéilí and orchestra leader of the Irish Memory Orchestra and has performed in prestigious venues worldwide including New York’s Carnegie Hall.

SHU

Maura Iversen Ph.D.

Dean of the College of Health Profession

Dr. Iversen is Dean of the College of Health Professions and Professor of Pubic Health and Physical Therapy and Human Movement Science at SHU. She is a Senior Lecturer in Medicine, Harvard Medical School and serves as the Senior Behavioral Scientist and Clinical Epidemiologist in the Section of Clinical Sciences, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA and as a Professor Emeritus In Physical Therapy, Movement & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University.

She is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Rheumatology Research Foundation, American College of Rheumatology, Former Trustee of the Arthritis Foundation of Massachusetts and Past President of the ARHP. She reviews grants for national and international funding agencies. She is currently the arthritis media spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association, a Board Member for the Easter Seals of Massachusetts and consultant to the Singapore Ministry of Health.

Kirk Bartholomew Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biology

Dr. Kirk Bartholomew teaches a wide range of topics from our introductory biology sequence, to microbiology and plant biology, to genetics and tropical biology. His specialty is molecular genetics and applies molecular genetic research techniques to a wide variety of biological questions. Current projects are the molecular evolution of sexual development in fungi, genomic investigations of the bacterial communities in Dingle, Ireland, and developing genetic screens to discriminate between and identify different strains of yeast used in brewing beer.

Abby Bender Ph.D.

Assistant Lecturer of Literature
co-Director of Irish Studies Minor

Abby Bender teaches Experiencing Literature, First-year Seminar, and classes in Irish literature and culture, including Irish Women Writers, Irish Drama, and James Joyce. Her research has focused primarily on twentieth-century Irish writing, including a recent book on Irish-Jewish analogies during the literary revival, and essays on Irish women's writing. She earned her Ph.D. in English at Princeton University and previously taught at the College of Mount Saint Vincent and in the Irish Studies program at New York University. Her current teaching and research explore questions of disability, the body, and motherhood in Ireland in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Rachel Bowman Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology

Rachel Bowman, Professor of Psychology, co-teaches Experiential Models of Psychology and Neuroscience that explores applications of environmental enrichment in Dingle, Ireland. Her research focuses primarily on anxiety and learning and memory in a rodent model and examines how these processes are altered by experiences such as stress exposure, environmental enrichment, and environmental toxin exposure.

Maureen Conard Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology

Dr. Conard teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Masters in Industrial and Organizational Psychology program. She holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Connecticut. She involves both undergraduate and graduate students in her research projects which they have presented at regional and national conferences, and at Sacred Heart’s Academic Festival. Prior to Sacred Heart University, Dr. Conard worked as a consultant for corporations and as a testing and validation specialist for a city in Connecticut. Her research projects explore the roles of personality and individual differences in performance and in multitasking.

Mark Congdon Jr Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies

Dr. Mark Congdon Jr. has a Ph.D. in Communication with a concentration in Social Entrepreneurship, Communication Pedagogy, and Educational Leadership. Dr. Congdon’s scholarly interest considers the ways in which community partnerships and pedagogical praxis (i.e., teaching & learning) can work together to advance social justice initiatives in communities.

Bronwyn Cross-Denny Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Health Science and Social Work

Bronwyn Cross-Denny is Associate Professor of Health Science and Social Work, and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Connecticut. Her clinical expertise includes practice with families, children, adolescents, adults, and couples with a variety of issues including mental health, grief/loss, trauma, family issues, parenting, and addiction.

Heather Ferrillo Ph.D., MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE

Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing
Director,1st Professional Degree/2nd Degree

Heather Ferrillo teaches in both the undergraduate and Family Nurse Practitioner program. Her current areas of focus include Adult nursing I and II, Pathophysiology and Nursing Leadership in Ireland. She maintains a current practice as a Cardiology Nurse Practitioner in the Bridgeport area and coordinates/precepts nurse practitioner students that take part in the yearly clinical immersion trip to Kingston, Jamaica, as well as teaches in Dingle, Ireland.

Charles Gillespie Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Catholic Studies, Sacred Heart University

Dr. Charles A. Gillespie’s research and teaching investigate theology, the arts, and culture with a focus on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, critical theories of creation and beauty, and theatre and performance studies. He is a member of the John Moriarty Institute for Ecology and Spirituality. Charlie completed his Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, and he holds a B.A.H. in Humanities from Villanova University and a M.A.R. in Religion and Literature from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale University Divinity School. A longtime theatre-maker, Charlie spent time training in theatre-for-social-change with the Parapanda Theatre Art Lab in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and co-founded experimental ensemble Theatrum Sacrum. He is currently working on his first book, God on Broadway, under contract with Fortress Press.

Christina Gunther Ed.D.

Chair of the Department of Health Science

Christina Gunther is Chair of the Department of Health Science, with a focus on cultural development and conflict resolution. She also manages several global health programs to various regions around the world. Her current research focuses on students’ self-awareness of their own cultural habits and biases in global health programs, reducing gender discrimination through a human security paradigm by empowerment of the individual, and best practices for creating culturally appropriate health care curricula in developing nations.

Robin Hands Ed.D.

Director of Clinical Practice, Isabelle Farrington College of Education

Dr. Robin Hands is the Director of Clinical Practice at the Farrington College of Education, Sacred Heart University (SHU), Fairfield, CT. She began her career as an elementary school teacher and administrator. Before coming to SHU, she was the Director of School-University Partnerships at the University of Connecticut. Her scholarship focuses on teacher education, clinical practice, and school-university partnerships. She was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the National Center for Clinical Practice and Education Preparation (NCCEP) and is a member of the National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) and the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER).

Molly Higbie MA

Executive Director of Student Success and Engagement, College of Health Professions

Molly Higbie is the Executive Director of Student Success and Engagement for the College of Health Professions and teaches in the Health Science program. She focuses on student development and academic success for both undergraduate and graduate populations within CHP through academic advisement and support initiatives. Molly’s research interests include academic support for first-year students and the impact of study abroad on student success. At SHU in Dingle, she teaches Introduction to Global Health and Health Education & Healthy Lifestyles.

Mark Jareb Ph.D.

Associate Dean College of Arts & Sciences
Associate Professor of Biology

Mark Jareb is the Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Strategic Planning for the College of Arts and Sciences. He specializes in Neurobiology/Cell Biology and examines primary cultures of embryonic chick forebrain neurons as a model system to study the development and maintenance of neuronal polarity. His work focuses on how proteins that make the axon functionally unique are trafficked to the correct location. He co-teaches Experiential Models of Psychology and Neuroscience that explores applications of environmental enrichment in Dingle, Ireland.

Kate Kelly MSW

Assistant Clinical Professor of Social Work

Kate Kelly teaches courses on integrated practice and policy practice. She spent much of her childhood in Ireland, then extended her stay from family visits and her father’s working tours for Bord Failte by spending he Junior undergraduate year studying at University College-Dublin and the School for Irish Studies. She was also selected as one of twelve Scholars of the House among her Yale College classmates, which supported her return to Ireland to complete research on the thesis regarding music in medieval Ireland, based on historical documents (particularly annals), Anglo-Irish psalters, and various other elements of Irish iconography (including high crosses and illustrations taken from English sources). Kate’s practice experience includes being a Project Director of a transformative community organizing initiative located at PT Barnum Apartments, serving as Director of Resident Services at the Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport, and a trauma and homeless services specialist at the Department of Veterans Affairs campus in West Haven.

Nathan Lewis MFA

Professor of Art
Chair of Art & Design

Nathan Lewis is Professor of Art, Chair of Art & Design, and the curator of the A&D Gallery at the Edgerton. Nathan teaches painting, drawing, printmaking, design, and art history. His artwork is shown in museums, galleries, and universities throughout the United States and Abroad. SHU has three murals by Nathan. His work has been published and reviewed by the Boston Globe, the New York Times, International Artist Magazine, and the Huffington Post. Recent exhibitions have been in New York, Miami, California, Connecticut, and Venice, Italy. He loves road-tripping, travel, and art history, but really loves teaching newcomers how to paint and helping them find the artist within them.

Rick Magee Ph.D.

Professor of English

Rick Magee is a California native who received his PhD at Fordham University. His research interests include environmental literature, Gothic literature, and Irish literature. His research interests include 19th-century American literature, especially sentimental lit and ecocriticism. He has published articles on Cooper, ecofeminism, and food writing, and he edited a reprint of Cooper’s only novel, Elinor Wyllys. In his free time, Rick is an avid outdoorsman and competitive cyclist, and he is ranked in the top ten in local cycling competition. He teaches ENG 299 Poets and Madmen: Writing and Health in Ireland.

Ellen Massucci MS, SLP-CCC

Clinical Assistant Professor

Ellen Massucci is a Clinical Assistant Professor and the Coordinator of Educational Placements, for the Graduate Speech-Language Pathology Program, in the Communications Disorders Department at SHU, and she worked as a school based certified SLP for 25 years. Ellen also has practiced in a variety of settings including hospital inpatient and outpatient services; homecare; birth-to-three; and private practice, serving both child and adult populations. Her areas of specialty are child language, school-based speech-language pathology, and clinical supervision. Ellen is an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certified speech-language pathologist since 1986, and member of the Connecticut Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CSHA), has served as the State Education Advocacy Leader (SEAL) for CSHA. Ellen is a member of the CT State Speech and Language Guidelines Workgroup, revising the CT State Guidelines for School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists.

James McCabe Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice

James McCabe completed 21 years of service with the New York City Police Department where he held numerous command level positions including the Commanding Officer of Labor Relations, Commanding Officer of the Training Bureau, Commanding Officer of the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst/ Corona, Queens. He was also the Executive Officer of the Police Commissioner’s Office and the 113th Precinct in South Jamaica. He retired in 2006 from the New York Police Department with the rank of Inspector. He teaches Criminal Justice in Dingle and works with local Gardai.

Maura McCarthy Rhodes LCSW, MS

Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work

Maura McCarthy Rhodes teaches in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Her teaching includes the Human Behavior & the Social Environment series, Human Diversity and Social Justice, Children & Families, and Field Seminar. She was the founding director of the Field Education Office in the school during the MSW program development and initial accreditation and served as the Director of Field Education for five years. She was responsible for developing the field placement structure to meet the fast-growing pace of the school for both on campus and online program options as well as the existing Baccalaureate in Social Work program. She has extensive practice experience working with adults who are homeless and leadership expertise in program development, quality improvement, and accreditation.

Gerry McCloghry M.A., M.Ed.

Adjunct Instructor of Business Economics

Gerry McCloghry and Dr. Mamun designed the Issues in Irish Economics course in Dingle. He has visited Ireland for decades, visiting family, cities and villages, where he has experienced the Irish economy first-hand prior to the ‘Celtic Tiger’ and the changes since that time. In addition to teaching Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, he maintains a strong focus on monetary policy and is the advisor to the Fed Challenge Team. This team participates in the annual Fed Challenge competition at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. As an avid cyclist he has done extensive touring in the USA, Canada and Ireland.

Enda McGovern Ph.D.

Chair, Department of Marketing
Professor of Marketing

Enda McGovern teaches Tourism Marketing in Dingle that enables students to work directly with local tourist businesses. He is a native of Donegal, Ireland. His primary interests are Social marketing and bringing a better understanding of commuter behavior to travel demand management and in engaging in persuading commuters to consider alternative modes of transport. More recently, he has focused in examining the public's perception of assessing carbon emissions and how consumers can relate to their carbon footprint as a means of informing themselves more about global warming concerns.

Dawn Melzer Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology

Dawn Melzer teaches at both the graduate (MSAP) and undergraduate levels. She teaches Child Development in Dingle, and has been instrumental in the development of the current project-based course format. Her current research projects involve investigating the role of executive function in the motor development of children and a comparative study focused on assessing creativity in dolphins and preschoolers.

Andrew Miller Ph.D.

Director of the School of Communications, Media, and Arts Graduate Programs
Director of the Sports Communication and Media Graduate Program
Associate Professor of Communications, Media, and Arts

Andrew Miller teaches courses that cover both the theory and practice of media production, such as DVD and Multimedia Production, History of the Motion Picture, Senior Project, Introduction to Media Studies, Sport Culture and Media, Digital Filmmaking. His research includes Sports in film and television, Multimedia journalism, event production, digital film and videoproduction. He has taught in Dingle, and is responsible for managing videoproduction there.

Mathew Moran Ph.D.

Coordinator of the Undergraduate program for Exercise Science
Associate Professor of Exercise Science

Matthew Moran is the Coordinator of the Undergraduate program for Exercise Science. His research interests are in Biomechanics, Autistic Movement Disorders, Running and Related Injury, as well as Large Scale Optimization of Training Data.

Jason Ostrander Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Social Work
Director of the Congressional Policy Practice Internship

Jason Ostrander currently teaches policy, research, and integrative practice courses, both on-ground and online. His scholarly work focuses on political social work, civic and political participation of social workers, policy practice, child welfare, and community-based participator research methods. Dr. Ostrander currently serves on the Board of Directors for Influencing Social Policy and Social Work Democracy Project, the Research Committee and Advisory Board for the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work, and is Director of Research for the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy. Dr. Ostrander's practice experience comprises political social work at the local, state, and federal levels. This experience includes serving as a congressional aide to a former U.S. Congressman.

Sarah Poniros Ph.D.

Lecturer in Biology

Dr. Poniros received her Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield in Biological Anthropology in 2022, a Master of Science in Human Osteology and Funerary Archaeology from the same university in 2015, and a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College in 2013. Her research focuses on investigating phenotypic diversity in archaeological populations and understanding the impact of craniofacial structure on perceived diversity in both forensic and archaeological contexts.

Kristen R. R. Savell Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biology

Dr. Kristen Savell is a biological anthropologist who specializes in human functional anatomy and evolution. Her areas of interest include bioarchaeology, biomechanics, and the evolution of human body form. She is particularly interested in helping students develop a more nuanced understanding of the study of human biology, and regularly teaches am Evolutionary Medicine course in addition to Anatomy and Physiology.

John Rapaglia Ph.D.

Associate Researcher, Biology

John Rapaglia specializes in Marine and Atmospheric Science, and teaches Biology and marine science in Dingle. He has previously worked at SHU in Fairfield, as well as a researcher in the Christian Albrechts University, Germany, and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, in Venice, Italy.

Sally Ross Ph.D.

Director of Undergraduate Programs in the School of Communication, Media, and Arts.
Associate Professor of Communications, Media, and Arts
SHU in Dingle Council

Sara Ross's teaching and research include Irish and other International Cinemas, Women in Film, Silent Film, and Video Production. She has also conducted research on intercultural communication and study abroad pedagogy as it relates to issues of media literacy. In addition to Ireland, she has taught abroad in England, India, and Luxembourg.

Joshua A. Shuart Ph.D.

Professor and Director of Sport Management
SHU in Dingle Council

Joshua A. Shuart, Director of Sport Management, teaches “Sports Marketing” in Dingle. In addition to his long-term research interest in celebrity heroes and endorsements, he is currently engaged in multidisciplinary grant applications focused on Dingle, tourism, sustainability, and the economy with several SHU in Dingle faculty.

LaTina Steele Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biology

LaTina Steele specializes in Marine/Aquatic Ecology, as well as Chemical Ecology. Her research interests include marine community ecology, aquatic/marine plant chemical ecology, invasive plant ecology, and the effects of pollutants on coastal ecosystems. In addition to her involvement in the restoration of coastal habitats in Stratford, CT, she teaches marine ecology in Dingle, and is involved in an interdisciplinary project of sustainable tourism in Dingle.

Christine Susienka Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Dr. Christine Susienka is an assistant professor of philosophy and co-director of the Hersher Institute for Applied Ethics at SHU. Her research and teaching are at the intersections of moral and political philosophy. She is especially interested in questions about the moral foundations of human rights, conditions that enable social trust, and theories of moral responsibility. Dr. Susienka received her B.A. from Colgate University, where she discovered the immense value of international education, and her Ph.D. from Columbia University, where she deepened her appreciation of it. Her education and research have taken her to Scotland, England, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and France. In Dingle, she is co-teaching Tombs, Treks, and Transcendence.

Alvernia University, Reading, PA

Josh Hayes Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Dr. Josh Hayes is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Alvernia University. Dr. Hayes has a Ph.D. In Philosophy from the New School for Social Research and specializes in the history of philosophy, phenomenology, and environmental ethics. He teaches Mind over Matter as part of the two-week Dingle immersion program during the May Short Term Program. Dr. Hayes’ scholarly interests also include Irish philosophy, particularly the work of John Moriarity, and comparative philosophy.

Tracy Scheirer Ph.D. MSN, CMSRN, CNE, RN

Assistant Professor of Nursing

Tracy Scheirer, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Alvernia University and joined the SHU in Dingle team in 2017 as the first faculty member from Alvernia. Professor Scheirer teaches several different content areas of Nursing at Alvernia, including Trans-cultural Nursing. Professor Scheirer enjoys sharing her passion for cross-cultural understanding and its application to healthcare and beyond . Her scholarly areas of interest include nursing education and vaccination in public health.

York College of Pennsylvania

Tamara Schwartz Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity and Business Administration

Dr. Tamara Schwartz is an Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity and Business Administration, a retired U.S. Air Force Officer, and recognized innovator with over 20 years of National Security experience. Tamara was the Chief Technology Officer for Air Force Enterprise Networking, where her thought leadership informed the technology development for the standup of U.S. Cyber Command. Tamara is an affiliate researcher at MIT-Sloan. Her research interests include ethical, “white-box” Artificial Intelligence, emerging technology, and cybersecurity for strategic advantage. Comfortable with ambiguity and the complexity of today's information driven organizations, Tamara is a skilled information and cyber strategist known for her game-changing, collaborative approaches to drive technological, cultural, and process innovation. She received her B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, her M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Dayton, and her Doctorate of Business Administration from the Fox School of Business, Temple University.

The University of Notre Dame Australia

Karen Clark-Burg Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Acting Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery

Karen is currently the Acting Dean of the school. She has worked at the university for a number of years and has worked for many years as a senior leader of the School and is the Chair of the School’s Curriculum Review Committee. Prior to this she has worked in private and public hospitals as a perioperative registered nurse. She held both clinical and non-clinical roles and has experience in management within the health care sector.
Throughout her nursing career, Karen has received a number of scholarships and awards in nursing leadership and management. She is formally qualified with a Master of Business Administration (Executive) and her PhD topic was in relation to the decision making process of Nurse managers'. She is currently on the WA Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. She is the Vice President of the WA Chapter Honor Society of the Sigma Theta Tau International and a member of the Australian College of Nursing and the Australian College of Operating Room Nurses.
Karen has presented at conferences and published locally, nationally and internationally. Her research interests are in the area of perioperative nursing, nursing management, decision making and learning and teaching innovations.