Merrimack College Welcomes New Faculty for 2022

Twenty-four scholars representing a wide range of disciplines and specialties joined Merrimack’s faculty ranks for the start of the 2022-23 academic year.
View of the church steeple.
Merrimack is thrilled to introduce 24 new faculty members to campus where they’ll bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the College.

Meet the newest members of the Merrimack faculty. These new faculty join a community of scholars whose rigorous studies, innovative research and collaborative teaching are vital to the College’s mission. Through a dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, Merrimack faculty make significant contributions to society and are sought-after authorities in their fields.

Mark Benander, Ph.D.

Mark Benander, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Practice, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Ph.D., Counseling Psychology,University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
  • M.S., Psychopharmacology, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Boston, MA
  • M.Ed., Counseling Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
  • B.S., Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
  • Research Interests: Trauma; Austism; Psychopharmacology; Online Graduate Learning in Mental Health Counseling.

    Teaching Interests: Psychopharmacology; Counseling Theory; Counseling Skills, Assessment and Diagnosis.

    Amanda Carlson, Ph.D. (ABD)

    Amanda Carlson, Ph.D. (ABD), Assistant Professor, Accounting
    • Ph.D., Accounting, University of Wisconsin – Madison
    • M.S., Accountancy, Bentley University
    • M.B.A., Accountancy, Bentley University
    • A.B., History and Literature, Harvard University
    Research Interests: Audit Innovation and Data Analytics; Revenue Recognition Audit Quality; Auditor Judgment and Decision Making; Experimental and Qualitative Methods.

    Teaching Interests: Auditing; Data Analytics; Financial Accounting and Reporting; Fraud and Forensic Accounting; Nonprofit and Governmental Accounting.

    Philip Cole, R.N., D.N.P., M.B.A., M.S.N.

    Philip Cole, R.N., D.N.P., M.B.A., M.S.N., Assistant Clinical Professor, Nursing
  • D.N.P., Nursing, Capella University, Minneapolis, MN
  • M.B.A., Business, Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, UT
  • M.S.N, Nursing Informatics, Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, UT
  • BSN., Nursing, Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Research Interests: Resuscitation Medicine, Procedures, and Communication; Electronic Medical Record Efficiency; Nursing Communication; Efficiency of Emergency Medical Service Use; High Fidelity Simulation during Resuscitation Education.

    Teaching Interests: Emergency Nursing; Critical Care Nursing; Health Assessment, Pharmacology; Cardiac Electrophysiology; Medical Terminology.

    Amanda Cremone-Caira, Ph.D.

    Amanda Cremone-Caira, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Psychology
  • Ph.D., Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA
  • B.S., Psychology and Biology, Merrimack College
  • Research Interests: Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience; Executive Function; Sleep; Socioemotional Outcomes, Learning and Memory; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Health Disparities.

    Teaching Interests: Cognitivie Electrophysiology; Science Writing; Research Methodology.

    Rebecca Legro, M.S.

    Rebecca Legro, M.S., Assistant Professor of Practice, Compass Program
  • M.Ed., Higher Education, Merrimack College
  • B.A., Communication and Media, Merrimack College
  • Research Interests: Qualitative Research; Mentorship in Higher Education; Student Development; Adult Learning Theory; Employee Engagement.

    Teaching Interests: Critical Inquiry; Conflict Resolution; Student Development Theory.

    Kristy McDowell, Ph.D.

    Kristy McDowell, Ph.D., Lecturer, Director of Environmental Sciences and Sustainability Program
  • Ph.D., Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
  • B.S., Ecology and Evolution, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
  • Research Interests: Conservation Biology; Disease Ecology; Ecotoxicology.

    Teaching Interests: Environmental Science

    Christine McLaughlin, Ph.D. (ABD)

    Christine McLaughlin, Ph.D. (ABD), Assistant Professor of Practice, Compass Program
  • Ph.D., (ABD) European Modernism, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
  • M.A., English Literature, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
  • B.A., English and Philosophy, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
  • Research Interests: European Modernism; English Composition and Rhetoric; Academic Support, Tutoring, and Advising.

    Teaching Interests: Twentieth-Century Modernism; English Composition and Literature; English Language Learning and Student Success.

    Angela Mousseau, Ph.D.

    Angela Mousseau, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Practice, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
  • M.A., Mental Health Counseling, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
  • B.S., Psychology and Sociology, Union College, Schenectady, NY
  • Research Interests: The Development of a Sense of Purpose in Adolescents and Young Adults.

    Teaching Interests: Statistics; Positive Psychology; Culturally Competent Practice and Leadership; Child Psychotherapy; Psychological Assessment; Research Methods.

    Lien Nguyen, Ph.D.

    Lien Nguyen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Practice, Public Affairs
  • Ph.D., Public Administration and Policy, School of Public Service, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
  • M.P.A., Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
  • B.E., Accounting, Academy of Finance, Vietnam
  • Research Interests: Capital Financing; Water Infrastructure Financing; Fiscal Health; Nonprofit Governance, Privatization and Accountability; Accounting Standards and Financial Reporting.

    Teaching Interests: Government Finance – Capital Financing; Government Revenue and Fiscal Health; Public Management and Policy Analysis; Quantitative Methods; Nonprofit Management.

    Jhansi Prathuri, Ph.D.

    Jhansi Prathuri, Ph.D., Instructional Professor, Computer and Data Sciences
  • Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
  • M.Tech, Computer Science and Engineering, Andhra University College of Engg., Visakhapatnam, India
  • B.Tech, Computer Science and Engineering, Nagarjuna University, Guntur, India
  • Research Interests: Cyber Security; Machine Learning; Big data Analytics; Algorithms.

    Teaching Interests: Design and Implementation of Cryptographic Algorithms using Chaotic Functions; Machine Learning; Big Data; Cryptography; Chaotic Cryptography; Non-linear Dynamics.

    Septime Sessou, Ph.D. (ABD)

    Septime Sessou, Ph.D. (ABD), Assistant Professor, Communication & Media Studies
  • Ph.D., Media & Communication, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
  • M.S., Communication for Development and Social Change, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
  • M.A., French Language and Literature, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin
  • B.A., French Language and Literature, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin
  • Research Interests: Environmental Communication; Global Media; Communication for Development and Social Change; Sub-Saharan African Media and Cultural Theory.

    Teaching Interests: Intercultural Communication; Environmental Communication; Organizational Communication; Media, Culture and Identity; Communication and Advocacy.

    Amy Shafrir, Sc.D.

    Amy Shafrir, Sc.D., Assistant Professor, Nutrition & Public Health
  • Sc.D., Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • M.S., Public Health Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
  • B.S., Biology, Stonehill College, Easton, MA
  • Research Interests: Reproductive Health Epidemiology; Endometriosis; Chronic Pain Conditions; Health Disparities and Access to Healthcare; Biology Markers for Disease.

    Teaching Interests: Public Health; Epidemiology; Chronic Disease Epidemiology; Reproduction Health; Quantitative and Research Methods.

    Brian Zager, Ph.D.

    Brian Zager, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Practice, Compass Program
  • Ph.D., Speech Communication, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
  • M.A., Communication Studies, Suffolk University, Boston, MA
  • B.A., Communication, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
  • Research Interests: Rhetoric; Media; Philosophies of Communication.

    Teaching Interests: Communication Skills.

    Paul T. Zipper, Ph.D.

    Paul T. Zipper, Ph.D., Lecturer, Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Ph.D. Sociology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
  • M.S., Administration and Justice, American University, Washington, DC
  • B.S., Criminal Justice, Media Systems and Management, Westfield State University, Westfield, MA
  • Research Interests: Youth Firesetting; Criminal Investigation; Fire and Explosion Investigation; Methamphetamine Investigation.

    Teaching Interests: Theoretical Criminology; Criminal Law and Procedure; Juvenile Justice; Hate Crimes; Criminal Investigation Research Methods.

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