Faculty Profiles

FACULTY AT OLD WESTBURY
Long Island is fortunate to have a faculty with a wide variety of specialties and interests. Some of our faculty were founding members of Empire State College. Students enrolled at any of the Long Island locations can study with mentors at their home unit as well as at any of the other locations.

Melinda Blitzer
Received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Adelphi University in 2003, and also holds an M.A. and B.A. in political science from SUNY Albany. Dr. Blitzer completed her dissertation on “Group Therapists’ Attitudes Towards Counter transference and Dimensions of Personality.” She is currently working on an academic article on Combined Treatment in Psychotherapy” and another on “How to Begin a Therapy Group” which she plans to present as part of a panel discussion at the American Group Psychotherapy Association in February of 2009. Dr. Blitzer’s areas of interest are psychoanalysis and interpersonal group psychotherapy. In addition to mentoring, she works in private practice in Sea Cliff and is completing post-graduate certifications in psychoanalysis and group therapy and group process at Adelphi University’s Derner Institute. Dr. Blitzer was a visiting assistant professor in the department of psychology at Adelphi University from 2005 to 2006 and joined the Empire State College faculty as a full-time mentor in Human Development in September 2007.

Kevin Brown
Mentor LIC celebrating 20 years with ESC
P/T mentor at the Long Island Center focusing on business, management, marketing, consumer behavior, ethics, advertising, research and related subjects. Recently added studies in education administration.
15 years practical experience in Market research, sales management, marketing and Career change into FT education adding 18 years experience in teaching and education administration.
Education: BBA Marketing, Pace University, NY MBA Management, Pace University, NY
MS Education, Long Island University PD Education Administration, CUNY Queens College

Silvia Chelala
I am a mentor in the broad area of Cultural Studies. My educational background includes a BA in English, a MA in American Literature and a PhD in Applied Linguistics. Here at ESC, I work with student in face to face mentoring and at a distance, in structured on-line courses or independent studies. I work with students on writing at different levels. In addition to the work I do at Long Island, I advise and work with students in the Center for International Programs in Prague (Czech Republic) and Tirana (Albania). This work centers mainly in the area of communications. I designed an ELL program and taught skills assessment prior to joining the faculty of this college. I serve as a consultant to higher education institutions both the US and in Argentina. I have a particular interest in issues of cultural diversity.

John S. Dempsey
A member of the New York City Police Department for 24 years and retired as a captain in 1988. He is Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice at Suffolk County Community College, having taught there for 15 years, and has served as a part-time mentor in criminal justice and public administration at SUNY-Empire since 1989. Mr. Dempsey holds AA and BA degrees in behavioral science from the City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; a master's degree in criminal justice from Long Island University; and a master's of public administration degree from Harvard University, the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has published 3 textbooks on policing, investigations, and private security with a total of 7 editions.

Bert Jablon
Bert is a graduate of New York State Albany University, Class of ’52 with a B.S. ’52 and M.A.’55.
Professor Jablon was selected as community ambassador to the Netherlands from Delmar, New York in 1960s.
Employed as History/Political Science/English teacher in New York State schools from 1952 to 1968. A second
Career beginning in 1968 in health care administration at Nassau County Medical Center with emphasis on general administration, grants management, training and education of staff and some personnel/public relations
involvements. Retired from hospital in 1992. President of New York State Public Health Association, Nassau-
Suffolk Region, from 1960s to the present. Air Force veteran 1945-1947; 1950-1951. Bert has been with Empire
State College for at least 30 years, specializing in health care-related topics. Bert was awarded the 2007 Excellence in Public Service Award on June 1, 2007, by the University at Albany Alumni Association. He has
also been an active member of the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island, an organization devoted to reducing smoking at all levels. He is married and father of three sons. He is also an active runner, tennis player and golfer.

Barbara Kantz
Education: B.A. history; M.A. and Ph.D. Latin American history; M.S.W. social welfare.
Other experience: 20 years in the public school system with New York State licenses in social studies and school social work. Taught in Teacher Education Program, SUNY Stony Brook. Private practice in clinical social work with children and adolescents. Mentoring interests: social work, social change and social criticism, disaster and disaster management, Latin America, international inequality, popular culture studies, cultural diversity, family studies, oral and visual history, the public school system, special education, child development, Gestalt Therapy, pedagogy, faculty development.

Michael Krolick
Mentor, Long Island Regional Center B.B.A., M.B.A. (Accounting Adelphi University)
Certificate of Advance Studies in Educational Administration (Hofstra University)
Twenty-four years at Empire State College. My major areas of student contact include: Accounting (Principles I and II, Intermediate Accounting I and II, Cost Accounting, Principles of Auditing, Federal Income Taxation and Advanced Accounting); Law (Business Law I and II, Business Ethics and the Law, Labor Law); Management (Human Resources Management, Organizational Behavior); and Academic Planning. I enjoy
the unique pleasure of being a primary mentor by assisting students prepare individualized degree programs of study. In addition to my individual student mentoring contract work, I also prepare evaluations of experimental learning credits. My basic philosophy of education: I do not teach subjects, I teach students.

Yvonne C. Murphy
B.A., Knox College, Creative Writing and Literature; M.A., New York University, Creative Writing and Literature; Ph.D., University of Houston, Creative Writing and Literature. Significant fellowships: Stanford University, Stegner Fellow; Bucknell University, Younger American Poetry Fellow. Yvonne has published poems widely in literary journals and anthologies in the U.S. and Canada. Her mentoring interests are: Creative Writing, Literature, Popular Culture and Critical Theory. Yvonne has been at the Long Island Center of Empire State College since July, 2000.

Donald Nicosia,
B.S., Physics, SUNY at Stony Brook, M.S., Physics, Polytechnic Institute of N.Y.,
Ph.D program, Physics, Polytechnic University

David Quay
I have been a Mentor at Empire State College for 15 years. My first job was as a Parole officer for the NYS Narcotics Addiction Control Commission. After receiving my Ph.D. in Sociology from the Graduate Center, CUNY, taught at a number of colleges in the New York area. My interests are in the areas of crime, juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, race and ethnic relations and research methods. I am also an avid reader of crime fiction and teach a course on crime and crime fiction.

Ian Reifowitz
As of the spring of 2008, I am in my sixth year as an Assistant Professor of Historical Studies at Empire State College of the State University of New York. My 2003 book, Imagining an Austrian Nation: Joseph Samuel Bloch and the Search for a Multiethnic Austrian Identity was published by East European Monographs and distributed by Columbia University Press. My research interests focus on Austria-Hungary and Central European Jewry, as well as on nationalism and identity more broadly. I have published a number of articles on these themes in various journals, and have also written about pluralism in contemporary America for The New Republic. I earned my Ph.D and M.A. in History from Georgetown University in 2000, and my A.B. in History from Brown University in 1993.

Barbarie Rothstein Education: B.A. liberal arts; M.F.A. sculpture Other experience: Solo and group exhibitions of sculpture and drawing in museums and galleries. Author: published article, art critiques, and book manuscript ready for publication. Mentoring interests: art history, art appreciation, drawing, design, sculpture, and painting.

James Shelland I have been a part-time mentor in historical studies at the Long Island Center since September 1984. My academic background is as follows: Colgate A. B.,, Columbia M. A. (History), New School for Social Research Ph. D. (Political Science).

Jeffrey Sussman, MBA, PhD
A mentor in Business, Management and Economics and have been at Empire State College for 33 years. I have a BA in Mathematics and Economics (CCNY), an MBA (Baruch College), and a PhD (CUNY Graduate Center) in Economics. I work with students in a variety of subjects in the areas of economics, finance, international business, labor relations, and quantitative methods. I have worked in the areas of Arbitration as a member of the American Arbitration Association and as a Financial Planner as a Registered Investment Advisor. The studies that I do with students are in the areas of economics, finance, international business, labor relations, and quantitative methods. In addition to doing Academic Planning with students that I advise, my work with students covers several broad areas. Economics - These studies include the basic micro and macro economics which satisfies the social science general education requirement, money and banking, development and international economics, and the economics of social issues such as poverty, crime, health care, and the environment. Finance - These studies include topics in corporate finance, investments, and financial planning. Labor Relations - These studies include topics in Labor Management Relations, Arbitration, and Labor History. Quantitative Methods - These studies include basic college math, statistics, and quantitative methods.

Dr. Chansak Suwanchaichinda
B.Sc. in public health and biomedical sciences, Mahidol University; M.S. in medical entomology and infectious diseases, the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Ph.D. in medical entomology and biochemical toxicology, Rutgers University-New Brunswick; Postdoctoral in biochemistry and molecular biology, Kansas State University; Guest lecturer at the Faculty of Public Health Graduate Program, Mahidol University; Assistant professor in biological and health sciences at the State University of New York-Empire State College since 2007.

Brian Tomlinson
I have been in the education field for 10 years in many capacities. I have been a high school math teacher in the New York City Public School system, teaching at risk children. I spent time as a college administrator, working with the New York law enforcement community and the US military, in creating specialized academic and training programs to meet their individual needs.
I teach US History, Western Civilization and political science. My focus is US national security, US foreign policy, and the study of terrorism. I am a member of the American Political Science Association, and an inactive member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

FACULTY AT HAUPPAUGE

Ann M. Becker received her doctorate from Stony Brook University in 2005, and also holds an M.A. in History and an M.A. in Teaching Social Studies from Stony Brook. Her BA is from the C.W. Post center of Long Island University, where she also received a degree in History. Dr. Becker’s research interests include Early American history, Revolutionary War pensions, war and society, and Long Island History. She serves as the Assistant Editor for the Long Island Historical Journal, and an article based on her dissertation entitled, “Smallpox in Washington’s Army: the Strategic Implications of the Disease During the American Revolutionary War,” was published by the Journal of Military History in April, 2004. An article entitled, “Smallpox in Washington’s Army: The Development of Inoculation as a Military Medical Procedure,” is forthcoming from Scarecrow Press in S. Barton C. Hacker and Margaret Vining, eds., "Science, Technology, and American Military Institutions: New Research." Dr. Becker is also the co-author of Stony Brook: State University of New York, which was published by Arcadia Publishing in 2002, and authored Images of America: Mount Sinai for Arcadia in 2003. Dr. Becker has been a mentor in Historical Studies at Empire State College since May of 2005, and a primary mentor since August 2007, and has recently accepted a full time position in the Master of Arts in Teaching Social Studies program with the College where she will prepare future teachers

Frances Boyce
Education: B.A. and M.A. economics; Ph.D. economics (in progress).
Other experience: industry analyst in the International Price Program at the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington, D.C. Mentoring interests: management, organizational behavior, strategic management, human resource management, marketing management, gender in management, ethics in management.

Philip J. deCarolis,
Part time Mentor in The Arts, Hauppauge Unit and adjunct faculty member in design at Nassau Community College. Designer/consultant for international firms and recipient of two Design and Engineering Innovative Awards for PlasmaTV/AV (1998, 2003). Holder of twelve (12) design patents, including two in music industry. Designed "Children's Promenades", an interactive educational program for the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concert Series. Registered Expressive Arts Consultant/Educator. Professional member of ASFD, IEACE, ACA, IDSA, PAMA. Earned BPS (1992), MALS (1997)from ESC. Ph.D in Education (1999, Universidad de San Jose.

Marianne Giardini
As a graduate of Empire State College with a BS in Community and Human Services, the encouragement and caring of my mentors was a critical factor in continuing my education. I went on to SUNY Stony Brook to receive a Master of Social Work (MSW) and am now at the end of the academic segment of a Ph.D. in Social Welfare. In May, as a Doctoral Candidate, I begin the dissertation phase with an end, and a new beginning in sight. I have been able to incorporate my work experience and life skills into my new career. These experiences have allowed me to: develop and understand organizational and finance issues in human service organizations; put the theories and skills of counseling to the test of clinical practice; understand how ideologies of American social welfare created injustice and public policy; teach and mentor adults in an academic setting. I have been privileged to be a mentor at ESC since January 2007 and share that knowledge base and skill set with adult learners that have graciously shared their knowledge and lives with me.

Mark Hessler
Education: B.A., M.A., Ph.D. American history

Ivan I. Ivanov, Ph.D.
Ivan I. Ivanov earned his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Computing and Network Technologies from the Technical University at Sofia, Bulgaria. He was a research fellow in leading universities in Great Britain (The University of Nottingham), The Netherlands (University of Twente) and France (INSA, Rennes); he worked in joint European IT projects with partners from France, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Italy, and in cooperation with worldwide technology leaders ensuing developing advanced technological infrastructure, information services, and professional training at educational establishments in Bulgaria. An active technology expert and educator for over 25 years, Ivanov has been researcher, program developer, lecturer, project manager, director and senior administrator in various academic institutions in Bulgaria.

As a full time mentor in Computer Science and Information Technology at State University of New York (SUNY), Empire State College, Long Island Center since 2003, Dr. Ivanov has worked with students from diverse area of studies in emerging technology topics that reflect their educational plans and career opportunities. The studies he teaches cluster in several areas: research on the Internet, computer forensics, and computer business applications; computer organization and architectures, operating systems and systems analysis and design; data communications, computer networks, e-business technologies and electronic commerce; management information technology / systems, computer and information security, and project management. He is an organizer and sponsor for Technology Workshops, forums for Empire State College students to build up researching, analytical, critical thinking and presentation skills; sharing best practice in technology topics as it relates to course projects and professional development to a select group of peers, college alumni and professionals.

Mindy Kronenberg
Mentor in Writng and Literature at Empire State College for 13 years. Her other teaching experience (spanning over 20 years) includes Suffolk Community College, Cornell University (Garden City Extension), community literary programs through Poets & Writers, and she has presented writing programs through BOCES. Ms. Kronenberg has published poems, critical essays, reviews, and fiction in over 300 publications in the US and abroad. She has had three Pushcart nominations, won first prize in the Chester H. Jones Foundation national poetry competition, and was the recipient of a Decentralization grant (branch of the National Endowment of the Arts) for sponsoring a writers conference/book fair. She is the editor of Book/Mark Quarterly Review, the author of Dismantling the Playground, a book of poems, and has a work-in-progress, The Gravity of Desire. Her writing credentials also include scripts for independent film/animation, and corporate/industrial video. Education: Suffolk Community College (A.A.); Empire State College (B.A., English/Cultural Studies); Stony Brook-Southampton (M.F.A., Writing and Literature, 2008). Ms. Kronenberg has been on several editorial boards for various literary publications, most recently The Southampton Review, and she is on the planning committee for the upcoming Southampton Writers Conference.

Toni Raiten-D'Antonio, LCSW,
Mentor in Community and Human Services at the Long Island Center. Her contracts include a wide range of topics in social work, communication, counseling, diversity and personal development areas. When she is not working for ESC, Toni has a busy private psychotherapy practice and has currently published two books, The Velveteen Principles and The Velveteen Principles for Women. She is a frequent motivational speaker, appearing in charitable and educational settings.

Jim Robinson
Mentor in Historical Studies and Social Theory at the Hauppauge Unit of the Long Island Center. He has a Ph.D. in Political Science (NYU); an M.A. in History (NYU); and a B.A. in English Literature. He enjoys teaching world cultures, including the United States, from a historical and political perspective. His interests include bicycling, reading and museums.

Matthew M. Schmidt, Ph. D.
I received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental and Forest Biology jointly from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Syracuse University in 1988, and subsequently completed my Ph. D. in Genetics at Stony Brook University in 1995. I joined the faculty of the State University of New York Empire State College in the Fall of 1994 as a part-time mentor in the life sciences (SMAT), and have continued as Visiting Assistant Professor and primary mentor until the present. During this time I have also served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University teaching various classes through the department of Undergraduate Biology. My current interests include evolutionary biology and genetics, as well as integrating technology with education.

Edward Todd, A.B., Amherst College, A.M., Harvard University, and Ph.D., The University of Chicago. Professor of Business and Economics. Teaches in areas of business, economics, macro- micro- and global economics, behavioral economics, government, and public policy. Career experiences in industry, military, government, public service, government training, senior higher education administration, and traditional higher education teaching

FACULTY AT RIVERHEAD