Faculty Accomplishments
Berkeley College Faculty Research, Publications, and Awards
George Ackerman, PhD, JD
Social Sciences, Division of General Education
Ackerman co-authored Sports & Slowing the Progression of Parkinson’s Disease: A Collection of Personal Stories & Research, published by TogetherForSharon® in 2025.
Kwaku Ampadu-Nyarkoh, PhD
Management, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Ampadu-Nyarkoh published the chapter “Artificial Intelligence Conundrum” in Healing in Africa: Exploring Health and Wellness Across the Continent. He co-authored the book On the Business Side of Healthcare: COVID-19 Era and Beyond, published by Xlibris in 2025. Ampadu-Nyarkoh presented “Re-Africanization in Healthcare Post-Globalization Through Ancestral Praxis” in September 2025 at the 37th Annual Diopian Institute for Scholarly Advancement Conference and “Deglobalizing Era and Human Capital Mismatch: Rethinking Career Readiness for Entrepreneurial Competitiveness in Africa” at the Society of North American Scholars Interdisciplinary Research Conference in October 2025.
Melissa Baralt, PhD
Sciences, Division of General Education
Baralt was the Mistress of Ceremonies for the “Feria de Negocios,” a marketplace for entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state of New Jersey in July 2026. She had the honor of presenting Governor Mikie Sherrill and Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, among other New Jersey legislators. Baralt was also interviewed for broadcast on national TV by Univision on “The use of AI in the classroom and the resources of Google in the classroom.” The interview was held at the Berkeley College Woodland Park Campus and detailed the use of AI in the classroom and how to help students overcome academic challenges in Spanish. Berkeley College was featured, and the segment will air on national television. Baralt also delivered a presentation titled “Know Your Influence” at the Paterson Healing Collective to youth in Paterson, NJ, about self-awareness and the importance of inner strength. Baralt presented “How to Ace the Interview: Master the Art of Impression” at William Paterson University. She was a featured guest on the Teach Me Something podcast, presented by Berkeley College and iHeartPodcasts, where she discussed her experiences as a first-generation professor.
Kristina Belanger, PhD
MBA Program, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Belanger had her article “The Perceived Intensity of Workplace Toxicity by Demographics and the Mitigating Effects of Organizational Support, Engagement, and Employee Well-Being” published in the Open Journal of Business Management. The article, published by Scientific Research, explored the structural embedding of toxicity in the workplace and impacts of mitigation through organizational support.
Dyandra Raye Brown
Fashion, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Brown, founder of the Jo-Anne Vernay shoe brand, was featured in a November 2025 article of Madamenoire titled “America Recycles Day: 10 Black Women Behind The Sustainable Brands Transforming Fashion, Beauty & Home Goods.”
Michael Thomas Cain, MFA
English, Division of General Education
Cain has been recognized multiple times throughout 2026 for his films. He received several awards as Director of the feature film “TOP HATE,” including Best Feature Film at the Dark Fest Film Festival, Best Historical Feature at the Manhattan Film Festival, and Best Feature Film/Best Of Festival at the Indie Gathering International Film Festival. He was awarded Best Feature Film Screenplay in North America of 2026 at the KIDS International Family Film Festival for “Jordey The Christmas Movie.” Cain also received a nomination for Best Short Production at the New York Theater Festival as Playwright and Director of "When In God's Country, Hide In The Closet."
Geralyn Cappelli
Management, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Cappelli earned recertifications from the Human Resources Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) as an SHRM Senior Certified Professional.
Moon Chang
Fashion, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Chang was selected as a premium sponsored brand by Runway 7 and presented the finale showcase for the New York Fashion Week (NYFW) show titled “Moon Chang x Runway 7, NYFW” in February 2026. Chang was invited to sit on the International Jury for the A’Design Award Italy competition for Fashion, Apparel, and Garment Design in 2026.
Yesudas Choondassery, PhD
Humanities, Division of General Education
Choondassery presented “Eco-Ontology and Ethical Praxis: Reimagining Sustainability from the Ground Up” at the 41st International Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities in August 2025.
Barbara Cohen, PhD, JD
Health Services, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Cohen created and taught Defensive Documentation for Nurses, a six-hour continuing education presentation for the professional service workshop program of the State University of New York Research Foundation.
Barbara Crump, PhD, NP-C, AOCNP
Nursing, School of Health Studies
Crump received the NJBIZ - Health Care Heroes 2026-Education award in June 2026, for Excellence in Nursing Education.
Jason Gulya, PhD
Media Communications and English, Division of General Education
Gulya published the article “We Need to Rethink Grading” in The Chronicle of Higher Education in November 2025. Gulya presented the keynote “Are Traditional Grades Making It Harder for Education to Adapt to AI?” at Insight Jam in January 2026. He also presented “Rethinking Assessment” at the San Diego Community College’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit in November 2025. Gulya published the chapter “Ambient AI and the Future of Productive Struggle” in the book What Education Becomes: Teaching and Learning in a Post-AI World in February 2026.
Laura V. Harste, PhD
Sciences, Division of General Education
Harste joined the Access Champions Working Group at the State University of New York, Westchester Community College, dedicated to advancing digital accessibility.
Gene Haynes, EdD
General Business, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Haynes successfully advanced institutional community impact by leading the non-profit organization What IFA Says in surpassing its annual milestone of 10,000 in audience reach in August 2026, achieving the organization's year-end target four months ahead of schedule. In addition, serving as a mayoral appointee to the NYC Transit Riders Council, he was selected to lead the council's upcoming strategic presentation to senior MTA decision-makers, offering multi-agency solutions to address critical subway surfing safety issues.
Heidi Hoefinger, PhD
Social Sciences, Division of General Education
Hoefinger conducted a Student Peer Mentoring Workshop titled “Creating Stronger, More Supportive Peer Relationships – Cultural Sensitivity Training for New Peer Mentors,” which discussed cultural awareness and sensitivity, how to build respectful conversations, and suggestions for inclusive mentoring.
Ruth N. Kaplan, EdD
Humanities, Division of General Education
Kaplan will display two of her pieces, “Sunflower” and “Floral,” at the Art Educators of New Jersey Membership Exhibition 2026 at ARTWORKS in Trenton, NJ, through April 2026.
Andrea Kennedy
Fashion, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Kennedy served on a CURVE NY panel titled “From Sustainability to Sales: How to Drive Conversions by Aligning with Consumer Values,” where she discussed how sales will increase when brands align themselves with consumers’ values.
Samuel Lloyd, DPS
Management, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Lloyd earned recertifications from the Human Resources Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) as an SHRM Senior Certified Professional.
Jay Michaels
Marketing, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Michaels was named to the Board of Directors for the Queens Culture & Arts Network.
Tomicka McMillion, RN, DNP, MSCN
Nursing, School of Health Studies
McMillion participated in a 2025 presentation to the Paralyzed Veteran of America on the 5th edition of Yes, You Can! A guide to Self-Care for Person Living with Spinal Cord Injury. She also contributed to “Evaluating FIB-4 Guided MASLD Care in a VA Spinal Cord Unit,” in the American Journal of Gastroenterology journal in 2025, and “Learning to direct one’s care: barriers and facilitators reported by people with tetraplegia” for the International Spinal Cord Society in 2024.
Filippa Modesto, PhD
English, Division of General Education
Modesto is the author of a peer-reviewed article “The Primacy of Language in Primo Levi’s Survival in Auschwitz” in Rivista di Studi Italiani.
Jeff O'Brien
Allied Health – Surgical, School of Health Studies
O'Brien obtained a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Arizona.
Lori Rassas, JD
Legal Studies, School of Professional Studies
Rassas had her article “Forget ChatGPT: Meet Fred” published on Inc.com.
Theresa M. Reboli, CPC, CBCS
Allied Health – Medical, School of Health Studies
Reboli was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, an honor society with chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and its territories. The mission of Phi Kappa Phi is to "cultivate a community that celebrates and advances the love of learning." Reboli was inducted as an educator by her undergraduate alma mater in March 2026, after being nominated by the college.
Marc D. Shur, PhD
Sciences, Division of General Education
Presentation Physical Anthropology Intersections
June 19, 2026
Shur participated in an American Society of Primatologists panel discussion in June 2026. He represented the Physical Anthropology subdiscipline of primatology along with panelists representing Genetics, Forensic Anthropology, and Osteology. The discussion focused on how the intersections and overlaps in these subdisciplines have evolved over the past 50 years and how each contribute to the larger body of knowledge in Physical Anthropology
Patianne Stabile, DA
English, Division of General Education
Stabile was named President of the New York College Learning Skills Association.
Eileen F. Toplansky
English, Division of General Education
Toplansky published a book titled Won Ton is Not Now Backwards about the correct enunciation and articulation of certain sounds to assist children in gaining control of their speech.
Jonathan Weidenbaum, PhD
Humanities, Division of General Education
Weidenbaum presented “From Affectional Facts to Affordances: The Relevance of American Philosophy for Understanding Humor” to the American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division, in January 2026. He also presented “Between a Broken Cosmos and the Insulated Ego: Jewish Thought and the Drama of Reparation” at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting in November 2025.
Jennifer Yadav
Sciences, Division of General Education
Yadav launched Rescue Vision Films, Inc., a nonprofit film company with a mission to shine a light on untold stories of people in need and to raise funds to support the causes behind those stories.
Gracer Yung, EdD
Accounting and Finance, Larry L. Luing School of Business®
Yung earned a Professional Development Certificate from The Association of College and University Educators.
The accomplishments reflected on this page have been furnished and verified by each individual faculty member, who is solely responsible for such content.
