School of Liberal Arts Faculty

At the core of the educational experience at Marist is our distinguished faculty.  Offering both sterling educational credentials and deep professional experience, these talented men and women are deeply dedicated to the education and development of our students.  The members of Marist’s faculty share their knowledge with our students, mentor and encourage them, challenge them to think in new ways, collaborate with them on high-level research, and help them become career-ready.  We hear from countless alumni who reflect back on the significant impact their professors had and continue to have on their lives.  Each and every day, Marist’s faculty prove not only that outstanding teaching and outstanding research can go hand-in-hand, but that great teachers have a lasting impact on their students.

Dean, School of Liberal Arts

Martin Shaffer
Associate Professor of Political Science
BA in Political Science from Le Moyne College
MA in Political Science from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at SUNY Albany
PhD in Political Science from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at SUNY Albany

English Department

Chair, Joshua Kotzin
Associate Professor of English and Jewish Studies Coordinator
PhD in English, University of Iowa
MA in English, University of Iowa
BA in English, Stanford University

Matt Andrews
Professor of English/Theatre
MFA, Directing, University of Oklahoma
MA, Theatre, Oklahoma State University
NAST Certificate, Acting, National Shakespeare Conservatory, NYC
BA, English, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 

Jeffrey Canino
Lecturer of English
BA, State University of New York at New Paltz
MA, State University of New York at New Paltz

Kate Chaterdon
Associate Professor of English
BA English, Siena College
MA English, The University of Arizona
PhD Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English, The University of Arizona

Eileen Curley
Professor of English/Theatre, Director of the Theatre Program
PhD in Theatre History, Theory & Literature, Indiana University
MA in Theatre History, Theory & Literature, Indiana University
BA in Theatre (Phi Beta Kappa), Grinnell College

Moira Fitzgibbons
Professor of English
PhD, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
BA, Georgetown University

Lea Graham
Associate Professor of English
PhD, University of Illinois-Chicago
MA, University of Illinois-Chicago
BA, Westminster College

Richard Grinnell
Professor of English
PhD in English Language and Literature, University of Minnesota
MA in English Language and Literature, University of Minnesota
BS in Biology, California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo

Pau-San Haruta
Associate Professor of English
PhD, Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science, University of Delaware
BA, Department of English, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Richard "Rocky" Love
Lecturer of English and Theatre Technical Director
MFA, Technical Production, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
BA, Visual and Performing Arts, West Virginia University

Nick Tsung-Che Lu
Assistant Professor of English
PhD, English, University of North Texas
MA, English, Chinese Culture University
BA, Asia University

Gregory Machacek
Professor of English
PhD, Cornell University
BA, St. John’s University

Stephen Mercier
Lecturer of English
PhD in English, University of Rhode Island
MA in English, University of Rhode Island
BA in Psychology, Clark University

Cara Marta Messina
Assistant Professor of English
PhD English, Northeastern University
MA English, St. John’s University
BA English, St. John’s University

Lisa Neilson
Lecturer of English and Assistant Director of the Honors Program
MA, Empire State College
Paralegal Certificate, Marist College
BA, College of the Holy Cross

Patricia F. Tarantello
Lecturer of English and Director of First Year Seminar
PhD, Fordham University, Department of English
MA, Fordham University, Department of English
BA, Marist College, Summa cum laude with major in English

Stacy Wittstock
Assistant Professor of English and Writing Center Director
PhD Education with a Designated Emphasis in Writing, Rhetoric, and Composition Studies, University of California, Davis
MA English, Washington State University
BA English and Music, Pacific Lutheran University

Sang-Keun Yoo
Assistant Professor of English
PhD, English, University of California-Riverside
MA, English, Seoul National University
BA, English/Philosophy, Seoul National University

Thomas Zurhellen
Associate Professor of English
MFA in Fiction Writing, University of Alabama
MA in English, Western Washington University

History Department

Chair, Kristin Bayer
Associate Professor of History
PhD in History, New York University

Steven Garabedian
Associate Professor of History
PhD in American Studies, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
BA in American Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz

Elana Krischer
Visiting Assistant Professor of History
PhD, History, University at Albany (SUNY)
BA, History, The College of Saint Rose

Nicholas Marshall
Associate Professor of History
PhD, University of California, Davis
MA, University of California, Davis
BA, Oberlin College

Sally Dwyer-McNulty
Professor of History
PhD in History, Temple University
BA in History, Temple University

Fungisai Musoni-Chikede
Assistant Professor of History & Director of African Diaspora Program
PhD, African American and African Studies, Ohio State University
MA, Political Science, Georgia State University
MAT, History, Mercer University, Atlanta
BA, Economic History & Shona, Univeristy of Zimbabwe

Michael O’Sullivan
Professor of History & Director of Global Studies Program
PhD, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
MA, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
BA, Canisius College

Janine Larmon Peterson
Professor of History & Director of the Honors Program 
PhD in Medieval History and Cultural History, Indiana University
MA in Medieval Studies, Fordham University
BA in Medieval Studies, Fordham University

Sergio Pinto Handler
Assistant Professor of History and Latin American and Carribbean Studies
PhD, History, Stony Brook University
Masters in International Development, University of Pittsburgh
BA, Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh

Robyn Rosen
Professor of History
PhD in History, Binghamton University
MA in History, Binghamton University
BA, Brandeis University

David Woolner
Professor of History
PhD, McGill University
MA, McGill University
BA in English Literature and History, University of Minnesota

Department of World Languages and Cultures

Chair, Patricia Ferrer-Medina
Assistant Professor of Spanish and Latin American and Caribbean Studies 
PhD in Comparative Literature, Rutgers University
BA Comparative Literatures, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez

Christian Elguera-Ortiz
Assistant Professor of Spanish

Kevin Gaugler
Assistant Dean, School of Liberal Arts; Professor of Spanish; Director, Weiss Language Center
PhD, Spanish Literature and Film, University of Connecticut, Storrs
MA, Spanish Literature, University of Connecticut, Storrs
BA, Spanish and German, Assumption College

Maureen Michele Melita
Senior Lecturer of Italian
PhD in Romance Languages, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
MA in Italianistica, Middlebury College
BA in Scene Design & Technology, The College at Brockport, State University of New York

Shanaaz Mohammed
Assistant Professor of French
PhD, Florida State University
MA, Florida State University
BA, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine

Laura Quijano
Lecturer of Spanish and Latin American and Caribbean Studies
PhD, Latinx Literatures and Cultures, University of Maryland
MA, Latin American Literatures and Cultures, University of Maryland
BA, Spanish, University of Mary Washington

Ivette Romero
Professor of Spanish
PhD in French and Latin American Literature, Cornell University
BA in French Language and Literature, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez

Paralegal Program

Annamaria Maciocia, Esq.
Senior Professional Lecturer of Law; Director of Paralegal Program
BA, Vassar College
JD, Albany Law School, Union University
Admitted to the New York State Bar

Philosophy and Religious Studies Department

Chair, Henry Pratt
Associate Professor of Philosophy
PhD, Ohio State University
BA, University of Vermont

Sasha Biro
Lecturer of Philosophy and Religious Studies and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Academic Coordinator
PhD in Philosophy, Interpretation, and Culture, Binghamton University
MA in Classics, Bristol University
BA in Philosophy and English, State University of New York at New Paltz

Andrei Buckareff
Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the Cognitive Science Program
PhD in Philosophy, University of Rochester
MA, Texas A&M University

Joseph Campisi
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
PhD, Duquesne University
MA, Duquesne University
BA, University of Western Ontario

Ross Enochs
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
PhD in Religious Studies, University of Virginia
MA in Religious Studies, University of Virginia
BA in Religious Studies, Colgate University

Brian Loh
Senior Lecturer, Religious Studies
BA, History, Northwestern University
PhD, Religious Studies, Boston University

Cathleen Muller
Lecturer in Philosophy; Director of Core/Liberal Studies
PhD, in Philosophy, Ohio State University
MA in Philosophy, Tufts University
BA in English Literature, Swarthmore College

Kristian Sheeley
Lecturer of Philosophy
PhD, Philosophy, University of Kentucky
MA, Philosophy, University of Kentucky
BA, Philosophy and English Literary Studies, Duquesne University

Georganna Ulary
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
PhD, Duquesne University
MA, Duquesne University
BS, Towson University

Political Science Department

Chair, Jessica Boscarino
Associate Professor of Political Science
PhD, Syracuse University
MA, Syracuse University
BA, Middlebury College

Safa Al-Saeedi
Assistant Professor of Political Science
PhD, Northwestern University
MA, Northwestern University
BA, Duke University

Lynn Eckert
Professor of Political Science
PhD, Syracuse University
MA, Temple University
BA, Gettysburg College

Melissa Gaeke
Director of Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership; Political Science Internship Coordinator; Senior Professional Lecturer in Political Science
PhD, University of Southern California
MPP, New York University
BS, Colorado State University

Lee Miringoff
Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion
PhD in Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BA, Clark University

JoAnne Myers
Associate Professor of Political Science
PhD in Urban and Environmental Studies/Public Policy Communication, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
MS in Political Communication, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
BA in Philosophy and Government, Skidmore College

Juris Pupcenoks
Associate Professor of Political Science
PhD, University of Delaware
MA, University of Delaware
BA, Westminster College (MO)