New Faculty 14-15

New Faculty 2014-2015

Chelsea Berns, Assistant Professor of Biology, earned her Bachelor's degree from Colorado State University in Zoology and Music and a Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology.  Previously, Chelsea was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Adams State University in Colorado.  Chelsea's research interests focus on micro-and macroevolutionary patterns of phenotypic evolution in hummingbird beak morphology, however, she enjoys working with salamanders, stalk-eyed flies and, most recently, woodrats. 




Maria Roche-Dean, Director of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, holds a master's degree in Nursing Administration from SUNY-IT and is pursuing her Ph.D. in Nursing at the University of Colorado Denver.  Maria is currently the Nurse Manager for the ER at the Syracuse VA Medical Center.

Maria DeGiglio, Professor of Practice and Director of the Health Care Advocacy and Navigation Program, earned a Bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a Master of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College in Health Advocacy.  She also holds an Advanced Certificate in Applied Research Ethics. Maria is a health advocate with specific experience and expertise in higher education and health care. Prior to her appointment at Utica College, Maria was president and principal of Maria DeGiglio Consulting Group for nine years. She worked in higher education and with health care organizations to design, develop, and teach both online and on ground certificate programs in health advocacy. Maria is a member of the national Patient Advocacy Certification Steering Committee, which is developing a national credential for health and patient advocates. She resides in New Jersey with her husband and mother, for whom she is the primary caregiver.


Ashraf Elmarakby, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, earned his Bachelor Degree in Physical Therapy in 1998 from Cairo University, Egypt. He earned a Master and Doctoral Degree in Physical Therapy for Cardiovascular/ Respiratory Disorders, Geriatrics and Intensive Care Unit from Cairo University in 2005 and 2010, respectively. He worked as instructor at the Department of Physical Therapy for Cardiovascular/ Respiratory Disorder and Geriatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University since 1999, Assistant Lecturer since 2005, and Assistant Professor (Lecturer) at the same department since 2010. Ashraf worked as Assistant Professor at the Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, KSA from 2010 to 2014. He also worked as a Facilitator in the Obesity Management Course in the National Institution for Nutrition under WHO supervision, Cairo, Egypt in 2007.


Megan Foster, Assistant Professor of Special Education, earned her Bachelor's degree from SUNY Geneseo in both elementary and special education.  She earned her Master's degree from Buffalo State College and her Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo, both in Special Education. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Megan was a classroom teacher for many years, working with students with disabilities at all grade levels. She previously worked as a post-doctorate fellow at the University of Florida. Her research interests include students with significant disabilities and inclusion.  Megan enjoys animals, downhill skiing, and water sports.



Austen D. Givens, Professor of Practice in Cybersecurity, earned a BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and an MA from Virginia Commonwealth University. An adjunct at UC since 2011, Givens is currently working toward his PhD in the Department of Political Economy at King's College London. He is co-author of The Business of Counterterrorism: Public-Private Partnerships in Homeland Security, which examines government-business alliances in the post-9/11 era (Peter Lang, 2014). A fluent Italian speaker, Austen enjoys barbecuing, hiking, and rooting for the Atlanta Falcons.



Bernard (Bernie) L. Hyman, Jr. '94, Professor of Practice - Economic Crime Investigation, earned his Bachelor's degree from Utica College and his Juris Doctorate degree from Syracuse University.  An adjunct lecturer at UC since 2009, Bernie currently serves as Bureau Chief of the Oneida County District Attorney’s Economic Crime Bureau. Bernie was the founding member of that unit which has now grown to six members. He was instrumental in fostering the Memorandum of Understanding between Utica College and the D.A.’s Office and supervises the District Attorney Economic Crime Investigation Intern Program. Bernie played an essential role in securing the Crimes Against Revenue Program (CARP) grant for the D.A.’s office from New York State and is in charge of administering the program for Oneida County. As a result, he continues to provide opportunities to UC students to participate directly in the investigation of crimes against revenue including income tax fraud, embezzlement, welfare fraud, workers’ compensation fraud, insurance fraud, and sales tax fraud among others. Bernie has successfully prosecuted numerous felony cases involving investment fraud, elder abuse, embezzlement, larceny, identity theft, and crimes against revenue. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. Bernie also enjoys fishing, golf, and being the Commissioner of a youth baseball league affiliated with Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner-cities program (RBI). The league was founded in 2009 in honor of fallen Utica Police Officer Thomas M. Lindsey.

Jun (John) T. Kwon, Assistant Professor of Government and Politics, earned his Master's degree in Asian Studies from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Georgia.  Previously, he worked as an assistant professor at the University of North Georgia.






Paulina Niechcial, Visiting Professor in Sociology, from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, where she earned a Ph.D. in sociology and completed her master’s in both ethnology and Iranian studies. She spent three semesters studying at the Tehran University’s International Center for Persian Studies, Islamic Republic of Iran, and completed courses at the University of Essex’s Summer School in Social Science Data Analysis, United Kingdom. She was also a visiting scholar at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan in Dushanbe. Her research interests include sociology of religion, religious minorities in the Middle East, identity issues, modern societies of Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. She conducted fieldwork in Poland, Iran, and Tajikistan, and currently she is a leader of the project ‘The Cultural Strategies of War and Reconciliation: Analysis on the Example of the Civil War in the Republic of Tajikistan (1992-1997)’. In addition to an academic career, she has experience in translations, among others she worked as a Polish-Persian/Dari translator in Afghanistan. Paulina enjoys traveling equipped with her camera and reading Scandinavian crime literature.

John Schwoebel, Assistant Professor of Psychology, earned a Bachelor's degree from Castleton State College and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Boston College.  He enjoyed four years of post-doctoral research training in cognitive neuropsychology at the Centers for Cognitive Neuroscience at Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania.  Previously he served as an adjunct professor of Psychology at LeMoyne College.  John's research interests are primarily focused on exploring questions concerning applied cognition and mental enrichment (and founding the ACME Lab).  When he's not involved in teaching or research activities, John spends time enjoying the great outdoors with his two daughters, family, and close friends, photographing nature, and being an ice cream connoisseur.  


Kathryn Silva, Assistant Professor of History, earned both a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in History from the University of South Carolina. She previously worked as an assistant professor of history at Andrews University. Kathryn's current research focuses on the intersection of African American gender and labor histories. Her current book project is a revision of her dissertation on African American women laboring as textile workers in the New South. She has received grants from the John Hope Franklin Research Center at Duke University, the Institute for Southern Studies at the University of South Carolina, and the Archie K. Davis Fellowship from the North Caroliniana Society at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is a native of southeastern Massachusetts and enjoys cooking and working out in her free time.

Carrie Taylor, Assistant Professor of Wellness and Adventure Education, earned Master's degree from the University of Kansas, and a Doctor of Education from Argosy University in Phoenix.  Previously, she was an adjunct professor at Tulsa Community College.