Getting to Know Chatham's New Professors, Part 1
Fall 2020 isn’t just the first term for our first year and transfer students: a whole new class of professors are getting acquainted with the ChathamU community as well. As vital mentors of students’ academic growth and success, Chatham faculty members are some of the most critical people you’ll meet on campus. Join us as we get acquainted with a whole new crew of Chatham experts in these quick questionnaires, and be sure to stay tuned for Part 2:
Dr. LORRI BIRKHOLZ, assistant professor of nursing
Tell us some of your favorites
Destination to travel: Anywhere with a beach, sand, and sun!
Hobbies: Walking, gardening, watercolor painting
What are you most looking forward to about teaching at Chatham?
I look forward to working with students as they design and implement their Capstone projects which are focused on improving patient care. These students will continue to impact healthcare by leading change and implementing evidence-based practices
Can you tell us a little bit about the kind of research you do / what you’re currently working on?
My research interests center around nursing ethics and ethical cultures. This encompasses moral distress, compassion fatigue, second victim syndrome, and issues around health disparities and social justice. Currently, I am involved in an international study evaluating moral distress in nurse leaders in the U.S and German-speaking nurse leaders in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
What is something students can look forward to in your classes, whether in person or virtual?
I have spent many years in clinical nursing and can relate to the challenges faced by nurses working in today’s healthcare environments. Additionally, I completed my master’s and doctorate degrees using an online format while working full-time. Both experiences allow me to relate well with students as they juggle the demands of work, life, and returning to school to obtain their terminal degree.
TELL US SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES
Movie: Tenet
Destination to travel: Saudi Arabia
Hobbies: Karate, Guitar, weight lifting
Can you tell us a little bit about the kind of research you do / what you’re currently working on?
I am interested in researching strategy, decision-making, business leadership and sustainability. Currently, I am researching “The Economic impact of COVID-19 on Pennsylvania.”
What is something students can look forward to in your classes, whether in person or virtual?
I bring 25+ years of senior leadership and entrepreneurship experience in the tech industry. I strive to be approachable and share with the students the practical side of management in action.
Anything else you’d like to highlight?
Dr. John S. Stakeley, Assistant professor of business management
I have served in the Army National Guard/Army Reserve since 1993. I can help students navigate the Army scholarship programs. I am blessed with three children: Miranda (21), Marissa (19) and Max (17).
Dr. Michelle Niculescu, Assistant Professor of psychology
tell us some of your favorites
Movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Destination to travel: Costa Rica
Hobbies: Running and yoga
How did you first become interested in your field?
In college I fell in love with botany and also had an internship in analytical chemistry at a pharmaceutical company. I wanted to combine my interests, pursuing some sort of medicinal chemistry, looking at plants around the world—I figured I’d get to travel too! I started graduate school in pharmacology and took a course in experimental pharmacology during my first semester. I started with no interest in conducting any animal research, but when we did a lab looking at rodent brain effects after drugs of abuse, I was hooked. I transitioned to more human research and clinical experience, but that connection between brain and behavior remained.
Can you tell us a little bit about the kind of research you do / what you’re currently working on?
My research is currently case driven, improving a computerized clinical decision-making tool to help those that suffer from addiction get the appropriate level of care. Now, I am looking to explore how standardizing assessment in addiction medicine affects outcomes for those patients.
What is something students can look forward to in your classes, whether in person or virtual?
Hopefully an open and supportive space to explore topics deeply. I prefer student interests and questions to lead us on new paths where they can learn the principles through their perspectives.
TELL US SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES
Movie: I have to pick one? I like musicals and science fiction adventure movies, especially ones that take the time to get the science right or at least make it believable. My family and I went to see Jurassic Park on the big screen this summer which was lots of fun.
Destination to travel: Cape Cod, but really anywhere that I get to see the ocean.
Hobbies: tap dancing, horseback riding, swimming, reading science fiction novels
How did you first become interested in your field?
I grew up on Cape Cod, so I’ve been interested in the ocean and the environment all my life. Microbiology and virology became much more interesting in my undergraduate and graduate years—the idea that there are these tiny little things everywhere and they play huge roles in our lives, in all ecosystems, and in global geochemical cycles.
Can you tell us a little bit about the kind of research you do / what you’re currently working on?
Dr. Welkin Pope, Assistant professor of microbiology
I study bacteriophages (or phages for short), which are viruses that infect bacteria. There are 10^31 phages on the planet and they are incredibly diverse. I am particularly interested in the sequences of their genomes and what we can learn about them through comparisons. I am also interested in leveraging what we learn from comparative genomics into developing new tools for the microbial ecology toolbox.
What is something students can look forward to in your classes, whether in person or virtual?
I am getting a reputation for my Zoom backgrounds… Once we are back in person all the time, I plan to incorporate authentic research into my classes and help my students find their very own viruses.
Thanks to these new faculty members for participating. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!
