Focus on Faculty
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we spoke to some of Berkeley’s dedicated professors to get their insights on timely topics such as what excites them about their roles, the ways in which students inspire them, and their advice for the next generation of leaders. We thank them for their commitment and the important part they play in preparing our students for success and continuing the reputation of Berkeley College.
Faculty Accomplishments
Kwaku Ampadu-Nyarkoh, PhD, Management, Larry L. Luing School of Business®, presented “Healthcare in Post-COVID Africa, Higher Education Myopia or Hyperopia? Rethinking, Rebuilding, and Mapping the Future through Decolonization of Curriculums and Scholarship” at the Accra Bespoke Innovative Conference at The University of Ghana in May 2023. Ampadu-Nyarkoh also published book reviews of “Africa and Sustainable Entrepreneurship: A Pathway to Economic Self-Reliance” and “Mindset Matters: The Corner Stone of Sustainable Entrepreneurship” in February 2023.
Melissa Baralt, PhD, Division of General Education, was an honoree at the Event USA Entertainment Purple Festival 8th Annual International Women’s Day in March 2023. Baralt also received the Women’s Celebration Award for Service in the Community from the Paterson City Council and the Women’s Community Service Award from New Jersey Senator Nellie Pou at the Women’s History Month celebration, both in March 2023. Baralt was honored for her community service to the City of Paterson by New Jersey Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly at a Hats for Hope event in April 2023.
Brian J. Callahan, AIA, Interior Design, School of Professional Studies, received the 2023 Bergen County Historic Preservation Award from the Bergen County Historic Preservation Advisory Board and the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs in May 2023. Callahan was recognized in the category of “Historic Preservation” for his work converting a colonial revival residence built in 1905 in Westwood, NJ, to law offices.
Kléber P. Castro Pacheco, PhD, Management, Larry L. Luing School of Business®, presented “Educational Model for Tourism on Higher Education” at the University of Havana in Cuba, and “Smart Tourism Destination Platform of Cuenca Ecuador” at Istanbul University in Turkey, the University of Wyoming Haub School for Environment and Natural Resources, and The University of Arizona Department of Agricultural Education, Technology, and Innovation. Castro Pacheco also served as an international consultant in tourism and economics for PROYECTUR, an international consulting company for tourism and economics, from August 2022 to March 2023.
Yesudas Choondassery, PhD, Division of General Education; Patricia Greer, JD, Provost; and Heidi Hoefinger, PhD, Division of General Education, presented “Diversity is Good for Business: DEI in the Workplace” to the Woodbridge Metro Chamber of Commerce – Business Owner Resource Center on April 12, 2023.
Yesudas Choondassery, PhD, Division of General Education, is the author of “Human Rights, COVID-19 and Health Equity: How Can Human Rights Advance Health Equity?” which was published in the International Multidisciplinary Research Journal in September 2022. The paper investigates the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) legal and moral appeal and how it can address health disparities and promote health equity.
Barbara Cohen, PhD, JD, PMHNP-BC, RN, FNYAM, Health Services, Larry L. Luing School of Business®, presented “Supervising Direct Service Providers for Nurses” at the SUNY Rockefeller Professional Service Workshops Program in April 2023. This workshop, approved for Continuing Nursing Education credits by the North East MultiState Division of the American Nurses Credentialing Center, assists nurses supervising direct service providers in residential settings through improved communication, working relationships, and patient safety.
Jason Gulya, PhD, Division of General Education, is the author of “The Humanities in the Age of AI: A Professor’s Reflection,” which was published in Higher Education Digest in February 2023, and “Allegory in Enlightenment Britain: Literary Abominations,” a book published by Palgrave Macmillan in December 2022. Gulya presented “5 Strategies for Leveling Up with ChatGPT” at the Distance Education Conference in February 2023.
Jodie Hirsch, IT Management, Larry L. Luing School of Business®, was re-certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP). The PMP certification represents leadership experience and excellence in project management.
Kirk Johnson, DMH, Division of General Education, is the author of “Exploring Social Determinants of Health: COVID-19 Vaccine Challenges and Solutions in Communities of Color,” which was published in Review & Expositor in December 2022.
Filippa Modesto, PhD, Division of General Education, presented “A Schopenhaurin Interpretation of Pirandello” at the AATI 2023 Conference in July 2023. This paper explores Pirandello’s affinity with Schopenhauer’s theory of ethics, primarily through a study of his critical essay “On Humor,” published in 1908, and a study of Schopenhauer’s “The Two Fundamental Problems of Ethics,” a work that contains his essays “On the Freedom of the Will” and “On the Basis of Morals” (1840).
Gina Robertiello, PhD, Justice Studies, School of Professional Studies, is a member of the Mantoloking Shores Property Owners Association and works with the Brick Township Police Department on its Neighborhood Watch Team.
Patianne Stabile, DA, Division of General Education, presented “Building Habits and Relationships: Embedding Support Staff in Developmental Writing Courses” to the New York College Learning Skills Association (NYCLSA) in March 2023. The presentation showcased how Berkeley College’s Foundations of Critical Writing course demonstrates to students the resources available to help them be successful in college.
Jonathan Weidenbaum, PhD, Division of General Education, is the author of “The Individual, the Social, and the Not Yet Being: Ecstatic Naturalism and a Metaphysics of Responsibility,” which was published in Ruch Filozoficzny in April 2023. Weidenbaum presented “Martin Buber’s Philosophy of Dialogue: An Alternative Non-Duality” to the Existentialist Society of Melbourne, Australia, in June 2023; and “The Philosophy of Humor” to the Agnostics Group of Melbourne, Australia, in April 2023.
Gracer Yung, EdD, Accounting and Finance, Larry L. Luing School of Business®, presented “The Power of Learning” at the CUNY Showcase in June 2023. The lecture provides advice to students on how to overcome learning challenges and take responsibility for their own learning.
The accomplishments reflected on this page have been furnished and verified by each individual faculty member, who is solely responsible for such content.
