CELEBRATION OF FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP, PROMOTION & TENURE
Celebration of Faculty Scholarship, Promotion and Tenure
“This University-wide event, hosted by the Provost and Dean’s Council, offers faculty a platform to share and be recognized for their recent scholarly and creative work. Faculty were invited to present their achievements through various mediums, including posters, videos, audio, art, or published articles and books. Faculty excellence in teaching, mentoring and advising is evident through student engagement, degree completion and postgraduation accomplishments, but faculty scholarship and professional contributions are not always obvious to the campus community. This event intentionally showcases such achievement.
The gathering seeks to foster informative exchanges and learning opportunities where faculty are encouraged to present their research, innovation and creative work, sparking conversations that may inspire future collaborations or discovery.”
Cheers
to the Faculty at Millersville University!
COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
PRESENTER
Dr. Victoria Khiterer
Dr. Amber Nicole Pfannenstiel
Prof. Line Bruntse
Prof. Heidi Leitzke
Dr. Marco Antolin
Dr. Joseph Cernuto
Dr. Justin Mando
Dr. Barry Atticks
TITLE OF PRESENTATION
Book: Bitter War of Memory: “The Babyn Yar Massacre, Aftermath, and Commemoration” (Purdue University Press, 2025)
Open Pedagogy as Graduate Pedagogy: Supporting Graduate ProfessionalDevelopment
Ripple Effect, Sculptural Mural
Exhibition Highlights
Ernest Hemingway, Archibald MacLeish and Langston Hughes: The Creation of the “Good Cause” Myth during the Spanish Civil War
Presenting the MU Wind
Ensemble: The Spring 2025 Wind Ensemble Per formance at PMEA
Intellectual Risk, Writing and GenAI
Jόlakötturinn: The Icelandic Music Video
LOMBARDO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
PRESENTER
Dr. Colleen O’Connell
TITLE OF PRESENTATION
Healing Through Movement: Trauma-Informed Strategies for physical Education, Sport and PETE Physical Ed
PRESENTER
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES
TITLE OF PRESENTATION
Dr. Janet Bertoni
Autism on the Seas: Internship at Sea PRESENTER TITLE OF PRESENTATION
Dr. Janet Bertoni
Dr. Jennifer Burke
Dr. Jason Petula
Dr. Sarah Jackson
Dr. Heather Girvin
Dr. Rachel MacIntyre
Dr. Elizabeth Powers-Costello
Dr. Jennifer Frank
Autism on the Seas: Internship at Sea
Beyond Borders: Sharing Knowledge and Building Connections With Teachers in the Philippians
MU Around-the-World (Summer 2025)
Mapping More Humanizing Worlds in Books for Young Readers
Building Paths Between Silos: Partnering With Horses to Learn and Train Across Disciplines
An Evaluation of Group Factors on Body Image Intervention Outcomes
Advancing Community-Engaged Scholarship Through the Center for Public Scholarship and Social Change. From Reggio to Millersville: Innovations in Research, Teaching and Service
Food for the Poor: Examining the challenges of Charitable Food
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
PRESENTER
Dr. Jingnan Xie
Dr. Daniel Albert
Dr. Judith Cebra-Thomas
Dr. Kristen Baker
Dr. Jessica Fellmeth
Dr. Jeremiah Mbindyo
Dr. John Haughery
Dr. Aaron Haines
Dr. Laura Weise Cross
TITLE OF PRESENTATION
Leveraging Intra- and InterReferences in Vulnerability Detection Using Multi-Agent Collaboration Based on LLMs
Cr ystal Structures of Transition Metal Catalysts and Precursors
Developmental Biology Laboratory Experiments in Classical and Experimental Embryology.
Developing New Methods for Synthesizing Pharmaceutically Relevant Compounds
Scaffolded Research Approach Engages Undergraduates At all Levels
Removal of Nanoparticles From Solution Using Activated Carbon and MesoporousSilica
Robotic WorX Model: Bridging Education, Business and Community
Student Research on Coastal and Terrestrial Biodiversity at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station
Habits That Matter: Linking Student Behavior to Academic Success
PRESENTER
Dr. Kristen Lawson
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
TITLE OF PRESENTATION
The Critical Importance of Multicultural Academic Advising in the 21st Century
Dr. Frank Vitale
Prof. Michele Santamaria
School as Subject: Place-Based Education and the Millersville Institutional Legacy Initiative
Institutional Change as Opportunity: Advocating for Students and Information Literacy
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
DR. VICTORIA KHITERER Professor, History
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation
TITLE: Bitter War of Memory: The Babyn Yar Massacre, Aftermath, and Commemoration (Purdue University Press, 2025)
ABSTRACT: “Bitter War of Memory: The Babyn Yar Massacre, Aftermath, and Commemoration” discusses the Holocaust in Kyiv and efforts to memorialize the Babyn Yar massacre. Babyn Yar is one of the largest Holocaust sites in the Soviet Union and modern Ukraine, where the Nazis and their collaborators killed virtually all the Jews who remained in the city during the occupation. After the war, Soviet ideology suppressed commemoration of the Holocaust, instead conceptualizing the universal suffering of the Soviet people during the war. Police dispersed unauthorized commemoration meetings of Jewish activists at Babyn Yar. A monument “for one hundred thousand citizens of Kyiv and prisoners of the war” was erected in Babyn Yar in 1976, but the Holocaust was not mentioned in its inscription. With the collapse of communism, state anti-Semitism ended. Holocaust commemoration became an important part of national memory politics in independent Ukraine. However, heated debates continue about the commemoration of the Babyn Yar massacre.
CITATION: Book presentation by Victoria Khiterer, “Bitter War of Memory: The Babyn Yar Massacre, Aftermath, and Commemoration” (Purdue University Press, 2025).
DR. AMBER NICOLE PFANNENSTIEL Associate Professor, English and World Languages
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation
TITLE: Open Pedagogy as Graduate Pedagogy: Supporting Graduate Professional Development
ABSTRACT: As graduate educator-researchers, our work explores the ways graduate pedagogical approaches must include graduate professional development as central to curricular design. This presentation will share the open pedagogy approach used as we worked with eight DSW students to write, revise, peer-review and publish the Open Educational Resource (OER) Becoming Reflective Educators. Our approach is centered by professional development, which included publishing with graduate learners.
CITATION: L. Foels, L., & A. N. Pfannenstiel (Eds.) August 5, 2025. Becoming Reflective Educators: Perspectives from Social Work Scholars-Practitioners. OER Commons https://oercommons.org/courses/becoming-reflective-educatorsperspectives-from-social-work-scholar-practitioners-edited-by-leonora-foels-and-anicole -pfannenstiel
LINE BRUNTSE
CO-AUTHORS:
Dr. Leonora Foels
Professor,
Social Work
Prof. Associate Professor, Sculpture
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Applied Research, Community-Engaged Scholarship and Creative Activity
TITLE: Ripple Effect, Sculptural Mural
ABSTRACT: Working title for Large-Scale Sculptural Mural for SACA-Tec Centro
SCULPTOR: Line Bruntse, associate professor of sculpture in the Department of Art & Design at Millersville University of Pennsyvania. Commissioned by the Spanish American Civic Association TecCentro. Concept developed by artist in collaboration with representatives for SACA – Tec Centro. The project is underway for installation in May-June 2026.
The sculptural mural celebrates the personal, family and community impact of the work they do at Tec Centro. It comprises glazed ceramic tile motifs with cast bronze sculpture. During the past year, there was a collaboration between Tec Centro representatives and student intern Morgan Scott. The elements for the mural have been created by Line Bruntse. The next phase is working with the engineer to get it safely installed to open to the public with a community event projected for early June 2026. On view will be project drawings and samples of the sculptural elements.
CITATION: Like ripples spreading and intersecting when throwing pebbles in a pond, SACA Tec Centro job training impacts the individual, their family and their community. The mural comprises cast bronze and glazed stoneware tiles in a 70x14-foot mural on the exterior of the building in celebration of the nonprofit work they do to impact communities.
HEIDI LEITZKE
Prof. Associate Professor, Art & Design and Director of the Eckert Art Gallery
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Creative Activity
TITLE: Exhibition Highlights
ABSTRACT: Garden of Connecting Paths SOIL Art Gallery, Seattle, Washington March 6–9, 2025 This exhibition grew from the metaphor of a garden, where seeds of inspiration and roots of thought spread through teaching, collaboration and collective dreaming. The participating artists were students, classmates, teachers, friends and collaborators whose works reflected the outdoor spaces they visited, tended, and imagined. Created across Pennsylvania, New York, California, Washington, and Mexico, the pieces incorporated media such as paint, thread, plaster, clay and collage. Curator Quinn McNichol invited Leitzke to participate in this gathering of artists, a community linked by shared histories and creative cross-pollination. She presented a thread painting titled “Wildflower Wall”, which depicts an impromptu and magical type of garden, in the exhibition.
Out Reach “I Like Your Work Artist Catalog, Spring 2025 Out Reach brought together 30 contemporary artists whose practices expanded, bent and assembled across a wide range of media. The exhibition emphasized transformation and connection, where materials and motifs moved fluidly between figuration and abstraction, individuality and collectivity. Selected from hundreds of submissions, the participating artists reflected a shared drive to move beyond boundaries through repetition, assemblage or experimentation with form and color. Curator Leah Triplett, Director of Exhibitions and Contemporary Curatorial Initiatives at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) and a widely published writer and independent curator, selected Leitzke’s “Windstorm” for inclusion in this online exhibition and print catalog. “Windstorm” is a colorful painting in which Leitzke added felted wool to her typical media of paint and thread, resulting in rich texture and ephemeral airiness.
In Good Company The Demuth Museum, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, April 5-June 15, 2025 Community played a central role in Charles Demuth’s life, and his social network extended far beyond Lancaster County to the most prominent voices in the avant-garde artistic circles of the early 20th century. From crowded underground jazz clubs to portraits, both formal and in his poster portrait style, Demuth often portrayed his friends in his work. Leitzke was invited to participate in this special exhibition, where Lancaster artists used the theme of friendship as inspiration to create new work. For the exhibition, she presented an original gouache painting titled “Drawing with Janell at Sunset.” Here is the artist statement Leitzke wrote that was presented alongside her painting at the Demuth Museum; “Painting outside with friends is one of my favorite things. One evening, I sat at my friend Janell’s picnic table, painting a vase of late-summer wildflowers she had just picked from her yard. As the sun set, our shadows were cast onto the white siding of her house, revealing our silhouettes sitting close together. I realized that the colorful flowers in the foreground were not the subject of my painting, but a frame to our friendship, revealed in this image.”
CITATION: Quinn McNichol, curator. A Garden of Connecting Paths. March 6-29, 2025. SOIL Art Gallery, Seattle, Washington. Leah Triplett, curator. Out Reach, “I Like Your Work” Artist Catalog, Volume 17, Spring 2025. In Good Company, April 5- June 15, 2025. The Demuth Museum, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
MARCO ANTOLIN
Prof. Associate Professor, World Languages
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation, Creative Activity
TITLE: Ernest Hemingway, Archibald MacLeish and Langston Hughes: The Creation of the “Good Cause” Myth during the Spanish Civil War
ABSTRACT: The historical circumstances of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) led to an enormous amount of poetry in the English-speaking world and a great interest in the translation of poems by Spanish poets into English. Whether it was with the intention of portraying the brutality of the war and its reverberations throughout society, or making sense of what was happening or trying to understand the emotional and mental layers of human experience, most of the poetry about the Spanish Civil War was shaped by political undertones often obscured or distorted by propaganda, fear, and manipulation. Consequently, various myths that came about from the interpretations of events were reinforced explicitly by various writers or inferred from their works.
In this paper, I address three myths of the war that were reinforced by the work of three American writers: Archibald MacLeish’s prose poem “Air Raid,” Ernest Hemingway’s movie “The Spanish Earth,” and Langston Hughes’ poems based on his conversations with soldiers and personal experience of the war. One of these myths is the belief that Guernica represented a new form of air warfare that specifically targeted civilians. Another one is the consideration of Madrid as a bastion of the democratic resistance. The third one is the racialized nature of the conflict.
CITATION: Ernest Hemingway in the Spanish Civil War: From the Creation of the Myth of the “Good Cause” to the “Carnival of Treason.” Hispanic Journal. Spring 2024.
DR. JOSEPH CERNUTO
Assistant Professor, Tell School of Music, Director of Bands
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Applied Research, Creative Activity
TITLE: Presenting the MU Wind Ensemble: The Spring 2025 Wind Ensemble Performance at PMEA
ABSTRACT: One of the biggest achievements a collegiate wind band can have is being selected by a jury of musical experts to perform at the annual state conference for music educators. This past year, the Millersville University Wind Ensemble, led by Dr. Joe Cernuto, was selected to perform at the PMEA (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) annual conference – one of only two collegiate ensembles across the state. This was also the first time that a Millersville-based ensemble has been
selected to perform at this important conference in at least 30 years. The poster and accompanying video performance will serve to outline the process behind application and selection to the event, the creative and scholarly act of putting together a conference-appropriate program, and details about the performance itself – the culminating creative activity.
CITATION: Joseph Cernuto. “Presenting the MU Wind Ensemble: The Spring 2025 Wind Ensemble Performance at PMEA.” Video and poster presentation, April 10, 2025.
DR. JUSTIN MANDO
Department Chair/Associate Professor
of English
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Pedagogical Research and Innovation, AI in the Classroom
TITLE: Intellectual Risk Writing, and GenAI
ABSTRACT: This work centers intellectual risk-taking as a rhetorical and pedagogical framework useful for instructors who teach through writing, especially as they respond to the proliferation of GenAI. Through over a decade of research into the topic and through our roles as writing instructors and academic leaders, we find that students who deliberate over intellectual risks as a part of their writing process are more invested in their own learning. These students better understand the stakes of actively engaging in their own intellectual development, which serves as a strong counter to the temptation to unethically use GenAI. This new technology gives students an easy way out of the often frustrating and unsettling labor of writing, so a primary risk they now face is simply relying on their own abilities as writers. To help students grapple with this risk, we invite students to consider six topoi (commonplaces) of intellectual risk that range from inventional to ethical to formal aspects of writing. Through these topoi, we assist our students as they deliberate over safer and riskier approaches to writing. A key point is that we do not aim to create risk-takers out of everyone; rather, our goal is for learners to go through the deliberative process of considering intellectual risks. This process helps learners better understand the stakes of their academic work for themselves and others. In this space to share faculty research, I will emphasize strategies that integrate intellectual risk into curriculum design, faculty development and classroom practice. Note: This is a project in development that stems from the recently published/presented work by members of this research team. We intend to develop this article,which links intellectual risk to GenAI, for a special issue of
CITATION: Mando, Justin and Alexis Teagarden. “Intellectual Risk, Writing, and GenAI.” (in development).
DR. BARRY ATTICKS
Professor, Tell School of Music
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Creative Activity
TITLE: Jόlakötturinn: The Icelandic Music Video
ABSTRACT:
This project involved producing the music video and short film “Jólakötturinn” along with its song, earning critical acclaim for its inventive blend of music and gothic horror storytelling against Icelandic landscapes. The film received glowing independent reviews and endorsements from industry leaders - including Hollywood composer Jeff Rona, Grammy winner Jim Peterik, and Grammy-nominated producer David Ivoryhighlighting its cinematic quality and powerful music. The project was widely covered in television, print, online, radio, and podcast media, and achieved notable recognition with top awards at every film festival entered. Public screenings took place in major venues, and the video saw extensive global reach with more than 7,600 YouTube views, not including festival audiences.
CITATION: Dr. Barry Atticks, executive producer and songwriter for the music video “Jόlakötturinn”, filmed in Iceland in 2024.
College of Education & Human Services
DR. JANET BERTONI
Department Chair/Professor, Special Education
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Community Engagement Scholarship
TITLE: Autism on the Seas: Internship at Sea
ABSTRACT: Autism on the Seas is a travel organization dedicated to matching professional volunteer staff with families traveling with their exceptional-needs children ages 3 and up. The purpose of this internship program is for education students at Millersville University to work alongside the professional volunteer staff in a service-learning model to provide support to families while learning about the challenges families experience when traveling. Learn about the experiences of four recent Autism on the Seas student interns in this presentation.
CITATION: Bertoni, J., Brooks, K., Lau, B., Rocap, M., & Tregea, T. (2025). Autism on the Seas: Students at Sea Internship. Presented at the Fall 2025 Faculty Celebration, Millersville, Pennsylvania.
DR. JENNIFER BURKE
Associate Professor, Early, Middle and Elementary Education
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Community Engaged Scholarship
TITLE: Beyond Borders: Sharing Knowledge and Building Connections With Teachers in the Philippines. Burke’s work focused on strengthening social and emotional learning (SEL) in classroom practice through the delivery of a Goodwill Webinar given in July 2025 online to over 3,000 teachers. Filipino teachers engaged in strategies designed to promote student well-being, resilience and empathy while supporting academic learning. The project emphasized culturally responsive approaches, ensuring that SEL strategies were adapted to the local context and aligned with the Department of Education’s priorities. Dr. Jason Petula delivered a Goodwill masterclass on “Teaching Climate Change in K-12 Classrooms.” Key takeaways included scaffolding conceptual understanding of fundamental concepts, such as conservation of mass and energy, carbon cycle, etc.
CITATION: Jennifer Burke and Jason Petula (2025, Fall). Beyond borders: Sharing knowledge and building connections with teachers in the Philippines [poster presentation]. Faculty Scholarship Celebration, Millersville University, Millersville, Pennsylvania.
COAUTHOR:
Dr. Jason Petula
Associate Professor, Early, Middle and Elementary Education
DR. JASON PETULA
Associate Professor, Early, Middle and Elementary Education
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Pedagogical Research and Innovation, High-Impact Experiences, Including Undergraduate Research
TITLE: MU Around-the-World (Summer 2025)
ABSTRACT: May–June 2025: Four Millersville University of Pennsylvania students participated in a bold university initiative to highlight global partnerships and open new study-abroad possibilities in nontraditional study-abroad locations. The experiences ranged from facilitating a middle school afterschool program on model rocketry in Sweden to shadowing teachers in a private school run by an alumnus in Indonesia. The program included experiences in Sweden, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and South Korea.
CITATION: Petula, J. (2025). MU Around-the-World (Summer 2025). Office of International Programs and Services, Millersville, Pennsylvania
DR. HEATHER GIRVIN
Associate Professor, School of Social Work
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation
APPLIED RESEARCH: Pedagogical Research and Innovation: Active Learning Strategies
TITLE: Building Paths Between Silos: Partnering With Horses to Learn and Train Across Disciplines
ABSTRACT: A persistent complaint across disciplines is that the academy works in silos, limiting collaboration and contributing to territoriality that undermines learning, research, professional performance and the quality of services. Lone Oak Animal-Assisted Educational & Therapeutic Services (Lone Oak) creates paths for interdisciplinary collaboration by harnessing innovation; utilizing experiential frameworks, creating awe and joy, and learning from our herd in its natural setting. Lone Oak’s community model offers therapeutic and educational services to students, and team building and content-rich training to diverse professionals across Lancaster County. By centering the experiences that occur organically in nature, partnering with equines and integrating cutting-edge, evidence-based strategies, we provide opportunities for learning and healing that reflect diverse perspectives and incorporate historically discrete disciplines. Lone Oak, created and led by faculty members Heather Girvin and Abigail Wilson, is a nonprofit 501c3 organization that embodies social work values to improve educational and therapeutic practices.
CITATION: Heather Girvin and Abigail Wilson. “Building Paths Between Silos: Partnering with Horses to Learn and Train Across Disciplines.”
COAUTHOR:
Dr. Abigail Wilson
Adjunct Professor, School of Social Work
DR. RACHEL MACINTYRE Assistant Professor, Psychology
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Applied Research
TITLE: An Evaluation of Group Factors on Body Image Intervention Outcomes
ABSTRACT: The Body Project is a group body image intervention for college students. It fosters a supportive environment among participants; however, the social aspects of the intervention have been underexamined. We examined two group factors that may predict decreases in
intervention outcomes. Participants who perceived greater similarities between themselves and other members and greater closeness with the group experienced significant decreases in several outcomes. These factors are important to evaluate and generate in intervention modifications.
CITATION: MacIntyre, R. I., Howard, L. M., & Heron, K. E. 2025, March. An Evaluation of Group Factors on Body Image Intervention Outcomes. Paper presented to the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, New York.
DR. ELIZABETH POWERS-COSTELLO
Professor, Early, Middle and Elementary Education & Director of the Center for Public Scholarship and Social Change
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Community-Engaged Scholarship
Scholarly/Creative Work Pedagogical Research and Innovation: Active Learning Strategies
TITLE: From Reggio to Millersville: Innovations in Research, Teaching and Service
ABSTRACT: Since August 2020, our collaborative work has deepened cross-cultural approaches to early childhood education by integrating Reggio Emilia’s pedagogical principles into teacher preparation research, and community engagement. Alessandra Landini’s Fulbright residency has supported innovative course redesign, faculty workshops and public lectures that connect Italian and U.S. practices of observation, documentation and democratic pedagogy. Together, we have advanced participatory research, student scholarship and community partnerships centered on equity, creativity and child-centered learning.
CITATION: Landini, A., Powers, B., & Méndez, H. (Nov. 2024). From Reggio to Millersville: Innovations in Teacher Education. NAECTE, Orlando, Florida. Powers, B., & Landini, A. (2023). Reggio-Inspired Pedagogies in U.S. Contexts. CPSSC Faculty Fellows Symposium, Millersville University.
2ND SCHOLARLY PRESENTATION
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Community Engaged Scholarship
TITLE: Advancing Community-Engaged Scholarship Through the Center for Public Scholarship and Social Change.
ABSTRACT: Since August 2022, the Center for Public Scholarship & Social Change (CPSSC) has advanced interdisciplinary, community-engaged scholarship connecting faculty, students, and community partners to address social and educational inequities. Our work includes participatory research with local organizations, facultyled action projects on educational justice, and student public scholarship initiatives amplifying youth and marginalized voices. These efforts integrate teaching, research,
and service while building sustainable partnerships that impact policy and practice.
CITATION: Advancing Public Scholarship and Community Engagement Through the CPSSC
DR. SARAH JACKSON
Assistant Professor, Early, Middle, and Elementary Education
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation
TITLE: Mapping More Humanizing Worlds in Books for Young Readers
ABSTRACT: From “Winnie the Pooh” to “The Wizard of Oz”, maps have long beem featured in children’s literature, helping ground readers in both fictional and real worlds. Drawing on critical Peritextual Analysis (CPA), this work helps readers of children’s liturature to citically analyze the maps that accompany the texts they read. We explore questions like the following: How do maps in books limit or expand our understandings of place, history, and culture? How can maps both represent and hide the people that live in a place? How can maps both perpetuate and refute cultural biases about people and places? We also provide specific strategies to assist teachers as they help their young students navigate these maps in humanizing ways.
Author names and affiliations: Dr. Sarah Jackson, EMEE, Millersville University; Dr. Rebekah Degener, University of Minnesota, Mankato; Dr. Nithya Sivashankar, Texas State University, San Marcos.
Timeline: This work focusing on maps in children’s books is a new application of a framework (CPA) developed by my colleagues and myself. We will present it for the first time at a conference in November 2025.
CITATION: Jackson, S. E., Degener, R., & Sivashankar, N. (November 20-23,2025). Mapping More Humanizing Worlds in Books for Young Readers [conference presentation]. NCTE Convention, Denver, Colorado.
DR. JENNIFER FRANK
Associate Professor, The School of Social Work
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Community Engaged Scholarship
TITLE: Food for the Poor: Examining the Challenges of Charitable Food Programs
Abstract: In 2023, approximately 13.5% of households were food insecure in the United States. Many of these households regularly depended upon charitable food resources in their communities to supplement their food needs. This research explores the policies and procedures of food pantries in non-urban areas within a Pennsylvania county. Four themes emerged from interview and survey data with food pantry coordinators: collaboration, insularity, authenticity of relationships, and positionality of the giver/receiver. This resulted in an exploration of goals of these charitable food resources: efficiency, authenticity, and a commitment to meeting needs. We identified these domains as necessary for charitable food resources to be successful in addressing food insecurity. This research revealed the longstanding commitment of many charities to preserve the historical positionality of the giver and receiver rather than casting food as a human right.
Citation: Frank, J.M., Watson, D., Glazier, M., Lindstrom, P., & Graeff, J. (2025). Food for the Poor: Examining the challenges of charitable food programs.
Lombardo College of Business
DR. COLLEEN O’CONNELL Assistant Professor, Wellness and Sport Sciences
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Pedagogical Research and Innovation, Culturally Relevant Teaching
TITLE: Healing Through Movement: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Physical Education, Sport and PETE
ABSTRACT: Trauma is an overwhelming experience of harm that can disrupt how individuals perceive movement, regulate emotions and engage physically, particularly when the body is under stress. Physical activity offers opportunities to mediate these effects through relationship and skill building, repetitive movements and gradual exposure to stress. At the 2025 SHAPE National Convention, our team presented two sessions that approached trauma-informed pedagogy from complementary perspectives. In Session 1, we focused on preparing Physical Education Teacher Education faculty to integrate trauma-informed strategies into methods and skills courses from a curricular perspective. In Session 2, we developed an interactive session to provide educators with a structured lesson plan and activity framework for implementing trauma-informed practices into elementary physical education and sport contexts. Together, these sessions advanced trauma-informed pedagogy as a vital component of culturally relevant and inclusive physical education practice.
CITATION: Cloud, K., Gagne, E., O’Connell, C. S., Bottino, A., & Moosbrugger, M. E. (April 3,2025). Moving Through Trauma: Strategies for Healing Through Physical Education and Sport [conference presentation]. Society of Health and Physical Educators of America (SHAPE) National Convention, Baltimore, Maryland.
CITATION: Bottino, A., Cloud, K., O’Connell, C. S., Gagne, E., & Moosbrugger, M. E. (2025, April 1). Healing through movement: Integrating trauma informed pedagogy in PETE [Conference presentation]. Society of Health and Physical Educators of America (SHAPE) National Convention, Baltimore, MD.
College of Science & Technology
DR. JINGNAN XIE Associate Professor, Computer Science
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation
TITLE: Leveraging Intra- and Inter-References in Vulnerability Detection Using Multi-Agent Collaboration Based on LLMs
ABSTRACT: As AI technology advances, early detection of code vulnerabilities becomes increasingly critical, helping to prevent exploitation, reduce remediation costs, enhance user trust and improve system performance. Recently, Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown remarkable performance across various tasks using fewshot learning. This study aims to adopt LLM-based agents in a multi-turn discussion framework, enhanced by a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) strategy to improve response quality. Our multi-agent approach transforms a single LLM into a highly collaborative intelligence through multi-turn self-collaboration with diverse personas, leveraging their combined expertise to enhance the accuracy of code vulnerability detection and improve inference capabilities. To effectively utilize few-shot learning samples, we employ intra-references to extract a small number of similar samples from the training data and inter-references to obtain samples from external data. The experimental studies are carried out on the extension of TreeVul dataset, and our model achieves promising results across different evaluation criteria. Furthermore, we also apply our model to detect code vulnerabilities in low-resource languages and exhibit competitive performance as well.
CITATION: C. N. Tsai, J. Xie, C. M. Lai, & C. S. Lin, “Leveraging Intra- and Inter-References in Vulnerability Detection Using Multi-Agent Collaboration Based on LLMs.” Cluster Computing, Springer (2025) (accepted).
DR. DANIEL ALBERT
Associate Professor/Dept. Chair, Chemistry
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation
TITLE: Crystal Structures of Transition Metal Catalysts and Precursors
ABSTRACT: Novel triazolium salts and rhodium and iridium transition metal catalysts have been synthesized, characterized and analyzed to understand factors that influence molecular structure. The crystal structures of these compounds provide insight into stabilizing intermolecular interactions, changes to the structure of ligands and steric interactions. Crystal structures and analyses arising from three
peer-reviewed articles that have been published in the past year will be presented.
CITATION: Lerch, T. G., Albert, D. R., Gau, M., Rajaseelan, E. “Syntheses and crystal structures of 4-benzyl-1-ethyl-1,2,4-triazolium bromide and its corresponding NHC complexes of rhodium and iridium.” Acta Cryst. E, 2025, E81, 350–357, DOI: https://doi .org/10.1107/S2056989025002671
DR.
COAUTHOR:
Dr. Ed Rajaseelan
Professor, Chemistry
JUDITH CEBRA-THOMAS Associate Professor, Biology
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Pedagogical Innovation, Active Learning Strategies
TITLE: Developmental Biology Laboratory: Experiments in Classical and Experimental Embryology
ABSTRACT: This work is designed primarily for use as a laboratory manual in college-level embryology and developmental biology courses and as a companion to developmental biology textbooks. It explores several model animal systems and a variety of the scientific approaches that have been used to study them. It includes both classical embryological observations and manipulations, and more modern techniques, including organ culture and the disruption of developmental processes through pharmacology. The experiments described in the lab manual are designed for two- to three-hour laboratory periods. The introductory protocols in each chapter can be adapted to introductory biology or cell biology courses, while the later protocols are more suited to an advanced course in developmental biology. The manual also includes extensive illustrations, preparation guides and appendices to aid the instructor in setting up each lab. “This manual was developed with funding provided by PASSHE to support the Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PAADOPT) consortium. Open Educational Resources (OER) are instructional, learning and research materials that are made available as open-source content and in the public domain or that are licensed to allow users free and perpetual permission to reuse, revise and redistribute.”
CITATION: Cebra-Thomas, J. A., & Smith, M. E. (2025). Developmental Biology
Laboratory: Experiments in Classical and Experimental Embryology. (First). The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT).
DR. KRISTEN BAKER
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation
TITLE: Developing New Methods for Synthesizing Pharmaceutically Relevant Compounds
ABSTRACT: The Baker Laboratory focuses on developing new synthetic methods for biologically active compounds. The first project aims to improve the synthesis of benzisothiazoles, while the second project explores the trifluoromethylation of unactivated primary aliphatic systems using a selective photoinduced hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) strategy. Progress on these projects will be presented, including the work completed during summer 2025 by four undergraduate researchers who gained hands-on experience in synthetic chemistry.
CITATION: Consigliere Picco, L., Patterson, J. J., Nickey, A., Astudillo, S, Dravk, B., Allen, N., Terrazas, O., Marshall, A., Nightingale, S., Baker, K. M. Synthesis of Benzisothiazoles. MU Chemistry Seminar Series, 2025.
DR. JESSICA FELLMETH
Assistant Professor, Biology
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation; Pedagogical Research and Innovation
TITLE: Scaffolded Research Approach Engages Undergraduates at All Levels
ABSTRACT: Oftentimes, biomedical research entails sophisticated methods and complex background information, leaving undergraduates (especially freshmen and sophomores) without the ability to truly engage in the work they are doing,- or worse, to be relegated to menial tasks. A lot of time and training is necessary on the part of the research advisor to bring students up to speed to the point where they are able to successfully complete more highly skilled experiments, and then they graduate and the process starts anew. I have specifically developed my research program around the idea of scaffolding skills so that students can immediately jump into meaningful work and slowly increase their skills and knowledge and progressing into subsequently more complex experiments. This allows me to accept students into my lab as secondsemester freshmen, which is much earlier than most research programs typically do.
CITATION: Fellmeth, J.E., Wolfinger, B., Zaman, H., Walters, E., Holmes, M., Koser, J., & Agan, J. Scaffolded Research Approach Engages Undergraduates at All Levels.
DR. JEREMIAH MBINDYO
Professor, Analytical/Technical Chemistry
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation
TITLE: Removal of Nanoparticles From Solution Using Activated Carbon and Mesoporous Silica
ABSTRACT: There are currently many and increasing uses of nanoparticles, defined as colloidal particles with a diameter of 100 nm or less, in consumer products. Examples include: sunscreens, cosmetics, medical diagnostic kits, antibacterial coatings on textilesAs their use increases, nanoparticles are likely to find their way into sewage systems and eventually into waterways. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop methods for removing nanoparticles from colloidal suspensions. The use of activated carbon and mesoporous silica to remove Au nanoparticles from colloidal suspensions was investigated. Au(gold) nanoparticles were synthesized using citrate reduction methods. Activated carbon was purchased commercially. Mesoporous silica was prepared by the Stöber synthesis method and functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane. Nanoparticle removal was quantified using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Both activated carbon and functionalized mesoporous silica were effective in removing Au nanoparticles from colloidal suspensions.
CITATION: Martinez, K.& Mbindyo, J.K. N. Removal of Nanoparticles From Solutions Using Activated Carbon and Mesoporous silica. Poster presented at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Section of the American Chemical Society Education Night at York College, Pennsylvania, April 15, 2025.
DR. JOHN HAUGHERY
Associate Professor, Automation & Robotics Engineering Technology Program Coordinator
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation; Applied Research; Community-Engaged Scholarship
TITLE: Robotic WorX Model: Bridging Education, Business, and Community
ABSTRACT
The rapid adoption of automation and smart manufacturing technologies requires an agile, prepared workforce. Robotic WorX, a collaborative initiative between Precision Cobotics, Millersville University and regional partners, demonstrates how publicprivate partnerships can build a replicable workforce model that benefits industry, education and the community. Beginning as a grassroots effort to connect K–12 students with real-world robotics, the program has grown into a pre-apprenticeship
pathway linking high school and two-year, and four-year education with industry apprenticeships and careers. Key impacts include manufacturers de-risking automation investments through student-led innovation projects college students advancing their technical and leadership skills by mentoring peers, universities expanding program visibility and enrollment, and employers gaining access to a prevetted talent pipeline. Since 2022, the program has engaged over 2,000 individuals through internships, job shadows, lab tours, industry projects, and community events. With more than $1M in grants and cost-share and in-kind contributions, Robotic WorX has also generated measurable outcomes in STEM experience, teamwork, career motivation and career pathway awareness (all p < 0.05). The initiative’s financial justification component further supports industry by assessing return on investment for new automation solutions developed by the program participants, linking student learning to tangible business value. This poster shares lessons learned and strategies for scaling workforce development models that align educational pathways with the evolving needs of advanced manufacturing and smart industry.
CITATION:
Haughery, J. R., Bridgen, J. M. (2025). Robotic WorX Model: Bridging Education, Business and Community. (Poster) Celebration of Scholarship, Millersville University, Millersville, Pennsylvania.
DR. LAURA WEISE CROSS
Associate Professor, Human Anatomy and Physiology; Cell & Developmental Biology; General Biology
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Pedagogical Research and Innovation: Scholarship of Teaching
TITLE: Habits That Matter: Linking Student Behavior to Academic Success
ABSTRACT: This pilot study investigates the relationship between student habits and academic performance across three levels of undergraduate biology courses (i.e., 100, 200 and 300/400). Most data were collected from laboratory courses. The primary objective was to identify which observable classroom behaviors and digital engagement metrics correlate with final course grades. Data were collected through direct classroom observation and digital learning platform (D2L) analytics. Twelve student habits were tracked, including tardiness, absences, cell phone use, times students stepped out of the classroom, class engagement, group assessment scores and use of D2L resources. Classroom maps were used to record individual student behaviors during each session, which were later transcribed into spreadsheets. Despite challenges in consistently tracking certain behaviors - such as note-taking methods and preparedness - sufficient data were gathered to conduct statistical analysis using general linear models. Due to the non-normal distribution of most explanatory variables, model selection was adjusted to accommodate non-normal predictors. The final model identified four key predictors of academic performance: number of bathroom visits, class engagement tardiness, and absences. Notably, frequent departures from the classroom negatively impacted grades, while active class engagement was positively associated with higher performance. Tardiness and
and absences showed moderate predictive value. Surprisingly, group assessments and D2L usage were not strong predictors, possibly due to grading inflation and varied student dependency on digital tools. The study highlights the importance of consistent classroom presence and engagement while questioning the reliability of peer evaluations and digital resource usage as indicators of success. Limitations include difficulty in tracking temporal changes in habits and excluding data from students who withdrew. Expansion of this research effort will incorporate longitudinal tracking and include withdrawal data to better understand the dynamics of student behavior and academic outcomes.
COAUTHOR: Dr. Aaron Haines, Professor, Conservation Biology.
DR. AARON HAINES
Professor, Conservation Biology
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Discovery, Research and Innovation Applied Research and Community-Engaged Scholarship
TITLE: Student Research on Coastal and Terrestrial Biodiversity at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station
ABSTRACT: At the Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Virginia, Millersville University students and faculty are collaborating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, and Virginia Marine Resources Commission on interdisciplinary research. Marine projects include trawl surveys to identify fishes, invertebrates and algae while tracking marsh productivity across subtidal and coastal habitats. Students are also investigating microplastics in fish guts to assess anthropogenic impacts, including the impacts of climate change throughout the region. Complementary terrestrial studies compare two unique camera trap systems for monitoring small mammals and herpetofauna. By evaluating detection efficiency, image quality and deployment logistics, students are advancing noninvasive biodiversity monitoring methods. Collectively, these projects provide hands-on research training, address ecological knowledge gaps and support regional natural resource management efforts.
CITATION: Haines, A. M., Kumar, A., Didear, D., & Weaver, C. 2025. Student Research on Coastal and Terrestrial Biodiversity at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station. Millersville University Departments of Biology and Earth Sciences.
COAUTHORS:
Dr. Dominique Didier, Professor, Biology, Dr. Carolyn Weaver, Associate Professor, Biology, Dr. Ajoy Kumar, Professor, Earth Sciences
University College
DR. KRISTEN LAWSON
Associate Professor/Dept Chair, Exploratory Studies & Student Development
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Academic Advising or Mentoring; Pedagogical Research and Innovation
TITLE: The Critical Importance of Multicultural Academic Advising in the 21st Century
ABSTRACT: The student population in higher education has shifted over the last 20 years, and the completion of postsecondary education has decreased to 47% (Lumina Foundation, 2018). Not surprisingly, income of parents is still the number-one factor for whether a person will attend college (Bailey & Dynarski, 2011). When discussing multicultural students, this can include the following factors: race and ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion and English Language Learners (ELL) (Robinson, C., & Williams, T. N., 2020). Specifically, gaps in completion rates among race still exist: Asian, 68.9%; White, 66.1%; Hispanic, 48.6%,and Black: 39.5% (Shapiro et al., 2017). Impactful practices for multicultural academic advising include: 1. Incorporate a culturally responsive approach of academic advising as teaching; 2. Create shared responsibility for student success 3. Monitor student progress and proactively responding to changing needs 4. Make early meaningful connections. Presented at 2024 NACADA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
CITATION: Lawson, K. The Critical Importance of Multicultural Academic Advising in the 21st Century. 2024 NACADA Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
DR. FRANK VITALE
Assistant Professor, University Archivist & Special Collections Librarian, Library
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Pedagogical Research and Innovation; Discovery, Research and Innovation; High-Impact Experiences, Including Undergraduate Research
TITLE: School as Subject: Place-Based Education and the Millersville Institutional Legacy Initiative
ABSTRACT: “School as Subject: Place-Based Education and the Millersville Institutional Legacy Initiative” assesses an ongoing initiative begun in 2023 by Prof. Frank Vitale in the University Archives & Special Collections to encourage high-impact student-faculty
collaborative research into the history of the University. Grounded in place-based studies, the Millersville Institutional Legacy Initiative (MILI) supports early-career undergraduate students in selfdirected original research projects. “School as Subject” reviews the first two years of the MILI, including the work of two MILI interns which has resulted in posters and presentations at Made in Millersville and multiple regional conferences. Collaborations with Dr. Nicole Pfannenstiel on MILI programming to engage the broader University community in Millersville’s history will also be discussed.
CITATION: Bryanna Nase and Frank Vitale IV. “From Carlisle to Millersville: Networks of Institutional Legacies of Indigenous Education.” Paper presented at the Central Pennsylvania Native American and Indigenous Studies Symposium, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, April 20, 2024. Frank Vitale IV. “Studying the School: Place-Based Education, Indian Boarding Schools, and the Millersville Institutional Legacy Initiative.” Paper presented at the Society for the Study of Curriculum History 2025 Annual Conference, Denver, Colorado and Virtual, April 23, 2025. Frank Vitale IV and A. Nicole Pfannenstiel. “Studying Our School: Place-Based Research and Programming Through the Millersville Institutional Legacy Initiative.” Paper presented at the Pennsylvania Historical Association 2025 Annual Conference, York, PA, October 10, 2025, [forthcoming].
COAUTHORS:
Dr. Amber Nicole Pfannenstiel
Associate Professor, English
MICHELE SANTAMARIA Assistant Professor, Library
SCHOLARLY/CREATIVE WORK: Applied Research
TITLE: Institutional Change as Opportunity: Advocating for Students and Information Literacy
ABSTRACT: Supported with a case study of general education reform at a midsized regional public university, the paper demonstrates the value of working within the library to respond and anticipate change. Moreover, the paper illustrates how to leverage the library and individual librarians’ social capital. Implementing these complex strategies at various levels of the University system allows librarians to advocate for big-picture, sustainable changes. These changes can make the difference between information literacy (IL) as a “nice to have” curricular competency and establishing it as an essential and scaffolded curricular element. This type of curricular transformation has value from the perspective of information literacy advocacy, but the paper will go further and argue that the most significant value of this advocacy lies within librarians’ ability to be advocates for student learning in a holistic and democratizing manner. Identifying strategic opportunities and partners created by a changing environment was pivotal to this advocacy, as was leveraging our social capital. The paper will demonstrate how that social capital was accrued through committee involvement, leadership positions, professional relationships and strength
CITATION: Santamaria, M., M. Gold, & K. Higham. “Institutional Change as Opportunity: Advocating for Students and Information Literacy.” Democratizing Knowledge + Access + Opportunities, ACRL 2025 Conference Proceedings. Ed. Dawn Mueller. Association of College and Research Libraries, Chicago: 2025
COAUTHORS: Melissa Gold Assistant Professor, Library
Krista Higham Associate Professor, Library
Congratulations!
TENURED FACULTY
COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Professor Jonathan Strayer, Communication and Theatre
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN SERVICES
Dr. Ann Marie Licata, Educational Foundations
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Dr. John Haughery, Applied Engineering, Safety and Technology
Dr. Patrick Stewart, Mathematics
Dr. Carolyn Weaver, Biology
Dr. Jingnan Xie, Computer Science
PROMOTED FACULTY
RANK OF ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
NON-COLLEGE FACULTY
Professor Ryan McGovern, Intercollegiate Athletics
Dr. Wendy Wheeler, Intercollegiate Athletics
Professor Heather Wolfe, Intercollegiate Athletics
RANK TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Professor Dorothy Frey, Art and Design
Dr. Jeffrey Gemmell, Music
Professor Jonathan Strayer, Communication and Theatre
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN SERVICES
Dr. Jason Davis, Special Education
Dr. Ann Marie Licata, Educational Foundations
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Dr. John Haughery, Appliced Engineering, Safety and Technology
Dr. Chad Hogg, Computer Science
Dr. Isaac Ligocki, Biology
Dr. Patrick Stewart, Mathematics
Dr. Carolyn Weaver, Biology
Dr. Jingnan Xie, Computer Science
NON- COLLEGE
Professor Krista Higham, Library
RANK OF PROFESSOR
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN SERVICES
Dr. Deborah Tamakloe, Special Education
Dr. Charlton Wolfgang, Early, Middle and Elementary Education
COLLEGE OF ARTS HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Dr. Barry Atticks, Music
Dr. Lowery Woodall, Communication and Theatre
FACULTY RECOGNITION
MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY EMERITI 2025
Dr. Sharon Brusic
Professor of Applied Engineering, Safety & Technology, Emeritus
Dr. James Fenwick, Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus
Dr. Michael Gumpper, Professor of Economics, Emeritus
Dr. Timothy Miller, Professor of English and World Languages, Emeritus
2024-2025 FACULTY MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Dr. Brian Trout, Associate Professor of Accounting and Finance
Inspired by the vision of Dr. Aileen Hower and Dr. Miriam Witmer, the 2024-2025 Pedagogically Innovative Educator (PIE) Series featured the innovative practices of one PIE faculty or faculty group from each college.
Departments nominated or faculty/faculty teams applied, with the deans of each college selecting their college’s innovative educator(s).
Departments and colleges defined what innovation means within their disciplines. Fall 2024 College of Education and Human Services
Dr. Jennifer Frank
College of Science and Technology
Dr. Eleanor Casas
Lombardo College of Business
Dr. Ankur Nandedkar
Spring 2025
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Professor Heidi Leitzke
Dr. Theresa Russell-Lorentz
University College
Professor Greg Szczyrbak
Professor Michele Santamaria