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Benedictine University is an inclusive academic community dedicated to teaching and learning, scholarship and service, truth and justice, as inspired by the Catholic intellectual tradition, the social teaching of the Church, and the principles of wisdom in the Rule of St. Benedict.
Benedictine University aspires to be a thought leader in Catholic higher education. We seek to provide a transformative and integrative educational experience grounded in Benedictine values, helping students shape lives of meaning and purpose as engaged citizens who care for the earth, welcome people of diverse faiths and cultures, and promote the common good.
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Send Dr. Arnold an Email
Phone: 630-829-6534
Dr. Catherine Arnold joined the faculty full-time in 1990. Formerly, she worked as a clinical dietitian, community educator, consultant dietitian, and adjunct faculty member, Dr. Arnold earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology and Graduate Certificate in Advanced Quantitative Methods in Education from Northern Illinois University, and Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from Rush University. She completed Advanced Specialty Training Certificate in Adult Weight Management (by CDR).
Dr. Arnold's research interests include Determining Predictors of Health Behavior Change, Educational Assessment, and Nutrition Education Outcomes Research. To support her endeavors, she was successfully funded by five granting organizations for over $100,000. Her work is published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Over the past ten years she delivered over 40 presentations at local, state, and international conferences.
Dr. Arnold is a past President of the Illinois Dietetic Association (IDA) and West Suburban Dietetic Association, past co-Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee of the IDA, and was recently appointed as a program reviewer by the by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dr. Arnold was the recipient the Outstanding Dietetics Educator Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Alumnae of the Year Award from her high school, and Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award from the IDA. She is listed in Whos's Who in Education, Whos's Who in America, and Who's Who in the World.
Send Dr. Battle an Email
Phone: 630-829-6174
Send Dr. Beezhold an Email
Phone: 630-829-6528
Bonnie Beezhold, Ph.D., M.H.S., C.H.E.S.
Dr. Beezhold joined the tenure-track faculty in 2011. She earned a Master of Health Science degree in International Health (Nutrition focus) from Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Ph.D. from the interdisciplinary Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness doctoral program (Nutrition focus) at Arizona State University. She is certified as a Health Education Specialist (CHES) by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, and leads the department's health education concentration. Dr. Beezhold primarily teaches and mentors graduate students in the MSNW program, but also teaches the undergraduate Health and Nutrition Education course. She is interested in fostering a greater public health perspective among undergraduate and graduate Nutrition students.
Dr. Beezhold's main research focus investigates the link between diet pattern and parameters of mental health in healthy populations, particularly comparing the vegan and omnivore diet. Another research avenue explores health outcomes associated with the hunter-gatherer diet compared to the modern diet. As a member of the American Society for Nutrition, she presents her research annually at the Experimental Biology conference, and her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Beezhold regularly acts as a peer reviewer for numerous nutrition and medical journals such as the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Pediatrics. She is also a member of the American Public Health Association and the National Wellness Institute.
Dr. Krishna Bhagat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health. She received her Ph.D. in Behavioral and Community Health from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has worked as an adjunct faculty member in Public Health at Benedictine since 2015. Her research interests include examining the dominant obesity discourse – which emphasizes an assumed relationship between inactivity, poor diet, obesity, and poor health.
Send Dr. Cheng an Email
Phone: (630) 829-6181
Dr. Susan Cheng joined the Benedictine University's Department of Public Health faculty full-time in 2013 as a tenure-track, assistant professor, and currently serves as the Department Chair. Prior to joining the faculty, she served as an adjunct faculty member for Trident International University in their MPH program. In addition, she served as a Principal Investigator, Project Manager, and Epidemiologist for the Emergency Preparedness Resources for Native Americans project in California from 2002-2013. She earned a MPH in Epidemiology from San Diego State University researching male endogenous hormones and bone mineral density, and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of California, San Diego in the field of HIV research.
Dr. Cheng's primary research interests focus primarily on Maternal and Child Health, special populations, and mental health. She is interested in health outcomes for women and children during pregnancy and in early childhood, in the fields of gestational diabetes, post-partum depression, mental health impact of adverse events, childhood obesity prevention, and infant mortality and birth outcomes. She has several publications in peer-reviewed journals, and has presented locally and nationally at a variety of public health conferences, including the American Public Health Association, Illinois Public Health Association, the World Conference on Disaster Management, and the National Rural Health Association Conference.
Dr. Cheng believes that research should be relevant, timely, and engage student participation and interest. She has created and implemented the annual MPH research symposia to showcase student research projects for the department, several of which were later presented at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting, and some of which are in stages of manuscript writing and publication. She has also mentored a variety of student research projects on a range of topics from drug interaction and toxicity, nutrition and social determinants of health, psychological impact of disasters and outbreaks, tobacco-free campus initiatives, HPV and cancer risks. She believes that a strong research portfolio should include opportunities for student participation and mentoring. She heads the quantitative courses for the MPH program, serves as the assessment and evaluation specialist, and serves on several committees for the college and university.
Dr. Alandra Devall is an associate professor and educational psychologist in the School of Education. She came to Benedictine the first time as a graduate student after receiving her bachelor’s degree at Elmhurst College in Special Education. She spent a year completing her master’s degree here in education and went on to Loyola University of Chicago for her PhD in Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Psychology. She returned to BU in 2002 as an assistant professor, where she has taught 11 different courses in both education and psychology for both undergraduate and graduate programs.
In the fall of 2006, Dr. Devall was appointed the Chair of the Institutional Review Board by the Provost, and has since worked diligently to make the IRB process not only smooth, but user-friendly for students and faculty. Currently, Alandra enjoys mentoring undergraduate, graduate and dissertation students in their research pursuits, and has completed over 40 theses, a few of which she has presented and co-presented at the prestigious AERA (American Educational Research Association), HICE (Hawaii International Conference on Education) and the University of Oxford. Dr. Devall’s primary research interests include educational psychology, teaching with technology, adolescent wellness and improving the outcomes and education of adolescents with behavior disorders. In the past five years, Dr. Devall has presented numerous internationally peer-reviewed presentations, published several articles and book chapters, and continues her research/advocacy on issues including social justice and incarcerated youth.
Send Ms. DeWalt an Email
Phone: 630-829-6548
Nikki completed her undergraduate DPD at Bradley University and MS/DI at Eastern Illinois University.
She has been a clinical dietitian, clinical nutrition manager and has worked in the role of preceptor to students in hospital settings. She has spent the last few years working as a renal dietitian in an independent dialysis unit managing the anemia and bone and mineral disease component of ESRD and doing the patient education. Nikki has taught nutrition as an adjunct instructor and has received her Advanced Specialty Training Certificate in Adult Weight Management.
Nikki is excited for the future of this profession and has a special interest in community nutrition and sustainability.
She has two young boys and can be found at a baseball field, soccer field or football field when not at work.
Valerie Ellinger joined the Benedictine University team in 2011. She is currently the RN-BSN Coordinator of the Central IL Region. She enjoys teaching Health Policy, Community Health Nursing, and the RN-BSN Community & Leadership Clinical Experiences. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing, specializing in Nurse Education, at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (2009) and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at McKendree College (2000).
Previously, Ms. Ellinger has taught at the LPN level. Her specialty areas are Acute Care, Emergency and Psychiatric nursing. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Nu Pi chapter. She serves on several committees, including Benedictine University’s Department of Nursing and Health, Curriculum, RN-BSN, Scholarship and Faculty Outcomes.
Send Dr. Ghaffari an Email
Phone: 630-829-2270
Dr. Ghaffari joined the Benedictine University Department of Nursing and Health in August 2017 as a tenure-track, assistant professor. His academic journey began with studying Medical Technology (B.Sc), followed by Medicine (MD-FMG), Community Health Education/Promotion (M.Ed) with focus on sexuality education and drug abuse prevention, BSN/MSN with focus on nursing administration, and PhD in Education with focus on learning and development. In addition to his medical and clinical background, he is an academically trained Nursing Administrator. He was trained and worked in diverse healthcare arena including acute care hospital, long-term and rehabilitative care, and assisted living. He designed, implemented, and evaluated health promotion programs related to sexuality education and drug abuse prevention for the college students.
Dr. Ghaffari maintains an active qualitative research program aimed at understanding and promoting students' academic and life success. He has developed, tested and published a conceptual model, the Trinity Paradigm of Intelligence, which provides a guiding framework forhis work. His current studies focus on assessing the effectiveness of exercise on student health and exploration of the role of socialization in promoting academic wellness.
Dr. Ghaffari presents nationally and internationally, and has published his findings in several peer-reviewed journals. He has chaired and served as a committee member in many dissertations, DNP and MSN capstone projects, and advised and mentored many undergraduate and graduate students.
Alan Gorr is Professor of Public Health. His professional interests include health promotion, international health manpower development and ethics. His professional preparation include BA from University Iowa, MA from University of Toronto, PhD from University of Iowa and MPH from University of Illinois at Chicago.
Gorr began his career at Augustana College Rock Island where he became Chair of Professional Studies and initated the Health Education Program. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Chicago where he was an Associate Professor in the Center for Educational Development (now the Department of Medical Education). The Center was a partner with the World Health Organization. While there he advised several nations at the health ministry level and worked as a consultant in Egypt, Sudan, India, and Myanmar. Gorr helped design the PhD in Nursing and the Health Education program for the School of Public Health where he held joint faculty appointments. He was co-editor of the Handbook of Health Professions Education.
At Benedictine University he became Chair of Public Health and then Dean of the College of Education and Health Services. While chair he initiated the online MPH program as well as Health Policy, Social Context of Health Care, and updated the Ethics course. He is the founder and director of the Benedictine University's MPH program in cooperation with Dalian Medical University in China.
Dr. Ho taught as an adjunct faculty member before joining Benedictine as an Assistant Professor in Fall 2016. He received his Doctor of Public Health degree in Biostatistics, with an emphasis in statistical genetics and large-scale computing, from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2010). His Master of Public Health in Biometry is from San Diego State University (2004), and he holds a Biology degree from the University of California, San Diego (1999).
As a Senior Lead Statistician Dr. Ho has collaborated with eminent international PIs and led teams of statistical programmers, statisticians, and epidemiologists at a variety of institutions (UNC, UCSD, NIH, NIEHS, CDC, SRA International Inc., Agility Clinical Inc.) for more than 10 years, and he has authored and co-authored over a dozen peer-reviewed articles.
His biostatistical experience in all three major areas of public health—academia, government, and private industry—offers invaluable insight to guiding Benedictine students toward a sector that best fits their career goals.
With superior technical expertise in online communication, SAS, R, and various Big Data analytical tools and languages, Dr. Ho looks forward to expanding Benedictine's analytical course offerings, collaborating with other departments, as well as continuing to teach for the Benedictine University's MPH program at Dalian Medical University in China.
Dr. Ho's special research interests include applying Big Data to further understanding public health, including epigenetic variables for personalized medicine, and social media impacts on health outcomes and choices. He is also interested in determinants of health that emphasize mind-body research.
Dr. Joyce Jeewek joined the school of education faculty full-time in 2006. Formerly, she worked as an elementary teacher, reading specialists, special education intervention manager, principal, district curriculum director, and an adjunct faculty member for Northern Illinois, Lewis and Benedictine Universities. Dr. Jeewek's passion is education! Dr. Jeewek earned her Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, a Masters of Science in Education for Language Arts and Reading, and a Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in Mainstreaming from Northern Illinois University. In 2010, Dr. Jeewek added an ESL endorsement from Benedictine University to her resume.
Dr. Jeewek's research interests include qualitative studies where teachers, as practitioners, examine ways to improve student learning. Her areas of interest include: reading and the language arts, assessment driving instruction, differentiated instruction, effective reading comprehension and writing strategies, family literacy, English Language Learners, children's literature and family literacy. Her work is published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Illinois Reading Council. Dr. Jeewek delivers numerous presentations at local, state, and international conferences. Dr. Jeewek has also had her students present at various conferences. She teaches children's literature, reading and the language arts, and reading assessment courses to both undergraduates and graduate students.
Professional development is important to Dr. Jeewek. She is currently president of the Prairie Area Reading Council and is a voting board member of the Illinois Reading Council. Dr. Jeewek is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi, international education honor society Chapter Services Committee, in charge of developing strategic plans for the organization. She also is a member of both the International Reading Association's Arbothnot and Jerry John's Award Committee and the Illinois Reading Council's Barack Obama Literacy Award Committee. In 2009, Dr. Jeewek was awarded an Honorable Mention Award by the Barack Obama Literacy Fund and received a small library to use in her children's literature courses for future educators. As a Prairie Area Reading Council board member for the past seven years, Dr. Jeewek has been a part of a council that has received both Honor Council and Council of Excellence from both the Illinois Reading Council and the International Reading Association. She has also received numerous membership and speaker grants and membership idea awards from the Illinois Reading Council.
Dr. Mary Jeffery is an assistant professor with the School of Education and is the Assistant Licensure Office and Assessment Coordinator. She came to Benedictine University as an adjunct instructor and student teaching supervisor in January 2011 after teaching and administrating in secondary public schools for over 15 years. After receiving her bachelor’s degree at Illinois Wesleyan University, Dr. Jeffery followed her love of adventure and moved to Arizona where she worked to develop alternative education programs for high school students. She moved from Arizona to Michigan and completed her Masters of Arts in Teaching K-12 Reading at Saginaw Valley State University. Dr. Jeffery recently completed her Doctorate in Education with a concentration in Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction at Aurora University. Her current position marries her varied background and interests; her administrative experience guides her interest in assessment and her teaching experience guides her interest in working with preclinical candidates, advising, and teaching licensure.
Send Dr. Jezuit an Email
Phone: 630-829-6372
Dr. Jezuit joined Benedictine University as an Adjunct MSN Faculty in 2010 and was appointed in August 2014 as Assistant Professor. Prior to joining Benedictine, Dr. Jezuit served as the Director of an Associate Degree nursing program for 10 years and as assistant professor at Northern Illinois University in the BSN program for 6 years. She has served as a doctoral advisor for several students.
Dr. Jezuit has nearly 40 years of nursing experience including critical care nursing and nursing management, curriculum development and program design, ethics, and nursing presentations.
Earned degrees include: PhD in Nursing Ethics from Rush University, Chicago, with a focus on end of life issues. She received her Master of Science Degree in Nursing (MSN) from Purdue University Calumet, Hammond IN as a critical care clinical specialist and Bachelor Science Degree in Nursing from Ball State University in Muncie IN.
Send Dr. Kipta an Email
Phone: (630) 829-6236
Margaret M. Kipta is a highly recognized educator with a long history of teaching in graduate and undergraduate nursing programs. Dr. Kipta has been a faculty member at the Benedictine University Department of Nursing and Health since June 2011. Before coming to Benedictine, she had taught between 2000 and 2011 in the graduate nursing programs at DePaul University and had served as an Interim Director of the Nurse Practitioner programs for 2 years, from 2009 to 2011. Dr. Kipta’s area of expertise include teaching pharmacology courses, pathophysiology courses, physical exam courses, and nursing research courses for the RN-BSN, MSN, DNP and DrAP programs. She was honored with the prestigious DePaul University Excellence in Teaching Award in 2006. Dr. Kipta is a scholar of National Health Service Corps and had served in the U.S. Army Reserves between 2006 and 2014. She holds two national board certifications: Family Nurse Practitioner certification since 2000 and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist certification since 2008. Dr. Kipta’s research interest include: all phases of translational reseach, as well as both directions of translation (from bench to bedside and from bedside to bench), and also in the possibility of extending this type of research to the population level.
Dr. Kathleen Liace is currently an Assistant Professor in the College of Education, Reading and Literacy Program. Formerly Dr. Liace worked as a reading specialist, district curriculum coordinator, and special education teacher in the public school systems. In addition to teaching, Dr. Liace also provided literacy workshops and training for content area teachers as a Project C.R.I.S.S. Trainer (CReating Independence through Student owned Strategies) , to help teachers learn how to incorporate literacy strategies into their content area instruction. Dr. Liace earned her Doctorate of Education in Reading and Language from National Louis University, a Certificate of Advanced Study in Administration and Supervision from National Louis University, a Master of Education in Special Education from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and a Bachelor of Science in Special Education/Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University.
Send Dr. Libner an Email
Phone: 630-829-1153
Dr. Libner joined Benedictine University in August 2011 as faculty and Director of the RN to BSN Program. In August 2014, she assumed the role of Chair of the Department of Nursing and Health. Teaching responsibilities are met in both the hybrid RN to BSN and 100% online MSN Programs. Prior to joining Benedictine, Dr. Libner served many years as a nursing faculty member and chairperson. She taught all levels of medical-surgical nursing, including supervising clinical experiences in over a dozen sites as well as meeting administrative responsibilities.
In 2010, Dr. Libner was appointed to the Illinois Board of Nursing. She served as Vice-chair from 2013-2014, Chair from 2014-2016, and as a member of the Education Subcommittee throughout her tenure on the Board. With a nurse educator colleague, she developed the Illinois Board of Nursing’s Remediation Strategies for programs with poor NCLEX pass rates. Dr. Libner was awarded fellowship in the National Council State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Institute of Regulatory Excellence Fellowship Program pursuing her interest in the implications of nurses' understanding of licensure regulation in Illinois. Dr. Libner currently serves as secretary for the Illinois Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Dr. Libner earned an Ed.D. with a focus in Educational Leadership from Concordia University Chicago, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a clinical specialty in medical-surgical nursing from Loyola University Chicago, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Northern Illinois University. She holds certification as a nurse educator with the National League for Nursing and as a gerontological nurse with the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Send Dr. Milbrath an Email
Phone: 630-829-1327
Dr. Gina Panozzo joined Benedictine University in August 2017 as a tenure track Assistant Professor. Gina is happy to return to Benedictine after being a pre-nursing student there from 2000-2002. Her background includes psychiatric and mental health nursing, home health, hospice, QI/PI management, consulting, former business owner of a consulting agency, and academia. She has taught at the ADN, BSN, RN to BSN, RN to MSN, MSN and DNP levels (didactic, online, and in psychiatric clinical settings). She is passionate about working with underserved and diverse individuals such as the homeless and mentally ill populations. She teaches in state psychiatric facilities and has coordinated numerous food/clothing drives for patients. She is fluent in Spanish. Gina received her BSN from the University of St. Francis, MSN in nursing administration from Aurora University, and DNP in systems leadership from Rush University. She is board certified in psychiatric and mental health nursing. She enjoys tutoring and mentoring students as well as speaking at student professional conferences and lunch and learn sessions. She is a member of two chapters of Sigma Theta Tau International and the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. She is an invited member of the IL APNA Nursing Education Taskforce. Gina received the 40 Under 40 Award in 2016 through the Illinois Nurses Association. Gina's research and publications are focused on reducing readmissions at home health agencies, schizophrenia and therapeutic relationships, interprofessional relationships in mental health and faculty caring. She has been a poster presenter and speaker at numerous conferences regarding psychiatric nursing, student advocacy, and home health quality improvement outcomes.
After a thirty-year career as a high school math teacher, Dr. James Pelech joined the School of Education in June of 2003. Dr. Pelech has earned a Doctorate in Curriculum and Social Inquiry from National Louis University, a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Mathematics Education from Concordia University, a Masters of Business Administration from Governors State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Saint Norbert College.
Dr. Pelech taught mathematics at three high schools. His academic initiatives included cross-curricular teaching and Problem-Based Learning (PBL), new teacher mentoring, and being a member of the North Central Accreditation Team. In 2003 he was Richards High School’s nominee for the “Excellence in Education Award.”
Here at Benedictine Dr. Pelech continues to use PBL and the creation of authentic products in all classes. Examples of authentic products include the design of a multi-media project for a local K-8 school focusing on such topics as “How to prepare for a test,” or “How to organize one’s materials”. It must be noted that these projects are actually used by this school. In an interdisciplinary course involving health services professions, students are asked to design a display for a health fair focusing on underserved communities. Dr. Pelech utilizes Benedictine values in his teaching as he uses ideas from the Rule of Benedict as teaching strategies. In 2016 he was awarded the Kevin Doyle Faculty Award for Leadership in Mission and Catholic Identity.
Dr. Pelech’s research focuses on using action research to enhance student learning. Previous research topics include analyzing how class quizzes can actually increase learning, and examining student time management. He has had two books published. The first one, The Comprehensive Handbook of Constructivist Teaching: From Theory to Practice discusses how to incorporate the Constructivist philosophy into one’s daily teaching. The second book, Guide to Transforming Teaching Through Self-Inquiry, focuses on the use of the Constructivist theory to monitor such teacher activities as personal journal writing, research, and professional development.
In terms of professional development, Dr. Pelech is very involved in a wide range of professional activities and organizations. He is a Fulbright Specialist, and in the spring of 2016 he provided professional development to faculty and students at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. This initiative resulted in an electronic research conference in 2017 between Charles University’s Doctoral candidates and Benedictine undergraduate students. Dr. Pelech’s professional development also includes working with various departments here at Benedictine. He is past President of the Association for Constructivist Teaching, an international organization comprised of teachers, administrators, and researchers. He was one of the founding members of the Benedictine/Saint Ethelreda partnership. In this capacity he works with teachers from this school to improve their teaching; this includes co-teaching at different grade levels. He is also President of the Saint Ethelreda School Board which was named one of the recipients of the National Catholic Education Association’s “Outstanding Board" Award.
Send Dr. Plawecki an Email
Phone: (630) 829-1145
Dr. Karen Plawecki joined the faculty full-time in 2012. Recently, she was the Director of the undergraduate program at the University of Illinois, Champaign. Prior positions include employment as the Director of a Metabolic Research Kitchen, Coordinator of wellness programs, Outpatient Dietitian, and Clinical Dietitian. Dr. Plawecki earned her doctorate in Nutrition from the University of Illinois, and Master of Science in Nutrition Science (Food Science emphasis) from Purdue University.
Dr. Plawecki's research interests include interventions for improvement of Calcium and Vitamin D status in humans. To support her endeavors, she has been successfully funded by grants. She has delivered numerous presentations and her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Plawecki is a past President of the Illinois Dietetic Association (IDA) and Eastern Illinois Dietetic Association, past co-Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee of the IDA, and serves as a Team Lead Reviewer for the by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dr. Plawecki was inducted in the Purdue University Nutrition Science Hall of Fame. She is the recipient the Outstanding Dietetics Educator Award and Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award from the IDA, College of ACES Outstanding Instructor Award, and voted Outstanding Advisor/Mentor. She was listed in Whos's Who Among America's Teachers.
Send Dr. Polyak an Email
Phone: (630) 829-6217
Georgeen Polyak is an Associate Professor at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois.She teaches courses in health systems, health policy, and coordinates on campus student internships.Her primary research interest is in public health services and systems.She has published studies on the performance and funding of public health agencies.Prior to her teaching position, she was Director of Public Health for the Village of Oak Park, Illinois and worked at the Will County Health Department. She is a site reviewer for the Public Health Accreditation Board. She received her doctorate in Public Health Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Send Dr. Richey an Email
Phone: (620) 829-6189
Dr. Richey joined Benedictine University as Adjunct MSN Faculty in 2011 and was appointed in August 2012 as Associate Professor. Prior to joining Benedictine, Dr. Richey served as Associate Professor in Nursing at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa.
Dr. Richey has over 30 years of experience including, mental health nursing, burn nursing, health promotion, nursing management, curriculum development and new program design, nursing research, academia and public speaking.
Earned degrees include: Doctor of Education, specializing in Health Professions Education from College of Saint Mary, Omaha NE. She received her Master of Science Degree in Nursing (MSN) from Drake University, Des Moines, IA, and Bachelor Science Degree in Nursing also from Drake University. In addition, she holds a Diploma in Nursing from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Des Moines, Iowa, (1982).
Dr. Richey completed her doctoral dissertation on Registered Nurses’ Perceptions of Health Literacy and Its Effect on Patient Self-Efficacy and Patient Health Care Decisions. Current research interests include: effectiveness of communication and patient education methods among high-risk patient groups; importance of curricula development that stress health literacy; homelessness and its effect on self-efficacy, patient access and patient health care decisions.
Dr. Richey is passionate about health literacy and about meeting the needs of the underserved and homeless. She is devoted to assisting others in the development of their own areas of passion in the service of nursing leadership and nursing education and sharing her love for the profession with her students.
Send Dr. Ridge an Email
Phone: (630) 829-1160
Alison Ridge joined Benedictine University in June 2012 as MSN Program Director and Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing and Health. Prior to joining Benedictine, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community, Systems, and Mental Health Nursing at Rush College of Nursing in Chicago, IL. Over her twelve years on faculty at Rush, she taught didactic and practicum courses in three pre-licensure programs and taught online at the master's and doctoral level. Her administrative expertise grew during the seven years she served as clinical nurse manager of a geropsychiatry unit followed by eight years as a project director on two NIH funded research grants. She received her BSN, MSN specializing in psychiatric nursing, and DNP in systems leadership from Rush College of Nursing. Her practice has focused on the care of acute and chronically ill adults with mental health issues as well as promoting young children's social emotional development through her work with the Chicago Parent Program, an evidence-based parent training program delivered to diverse parents in community settings. Her research interests include online education and program assessment. She became a Certified Nurse Educator in 2011, is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and the National League for Nursing. She has received recognition in leadership, mentoring, and teaching and was awarded a two-year Wiley Faculty Fellowship in 2014.
Send Dr. Sochacki an Email
Phone: 630-829-6597
Dr. Paula Milas Sochacki joined the university as an adjunct faculty in 2007. In 2017, she was hired full-time as an Assistant Professor and the DPD Program Director. Recently she was Assistant Professor at Dominican University for the undergraduate program. Her previous clinical work experience were primarily within the area of renal and transplant nutrition at the University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago and Fresenius Medical Care North America. She has also been fortunate to work in a wide variety of clinical and community nutrition settings throughout the Chicago-land area.
Dr. Sochacki completed her doctoral degree at Northern Illinois University where her research interests focused on Leadership, Diversity and Career Pathway development of Dietitians. She also received her Master in Public Health (Concentration in Community Nutrition) from Benedictine University. She has been involved in a variety of capacities at both the district and state level. Her recent professional leadership positions are: the West Suburban Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (WSAND) Past-President, Committee Chair and Programming Committee Member. Within the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (IAND) she has continued to be involved as being the Membership Committee Co-Chair and as a Planning Committee Member for the IAND Spring Assembly.
Dr. Sochacki has been the recipient of the: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Scholarship for Doctoral Research, the Dietitian of the Year (2016-2017) and Young Dietitian of the Year (2010-2011) both awarded from Illinois by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Recipient of the Leadership Award in Adult and Higher Education by Northern Illinois University, and was the recipient of the Benedictine University undergraduate commencement Procopian Award.
Dr. Sochacki is passionate about the importance of continuing professional development and the role of leadership within one's professional organization. Her ongoing participation has been evident, and she hopes to encourage all nutrition professionals to acquire influential positions of leadership; where their "voices" can be heard and they can impact decisions related to the future growth of the dietetics and nutrition profession.
Dr. Ovid Wong is a science education professor with Benedictine University since 2007. He has a joint teaching assignment in the College of Science, the College of Liberal Arts and the School of Education. He received his B.Sc. and Dip. Ed. from the University of Alberta (Canada), his M.Ed. from the University of Washington (Seattle), and his Ph.D. in science education from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign).
His experience in public education spans over twenty years from the inner city classroom in Chicago to the suburban office of the assistant school superintendent. For twelve years he was the lead science instructor at the Center for Gifted and Talented Development at Northwestern University. In the summers of 2012 and 2013, Dr. Wong was invited by Dalian Nationalities University in China to train young faculty members representing twelve academic departments in pedagogy and andragogy. In 2013, he was invited by Shenyang Normal University in China to conduct cross-cultural training for faculty and students. The China trips were supported by the Foreign Expert Exchange fund of the Chinese government. In 2017, Dr. Wong was invited by Binh Duong University in Vietnam for faculty pedagogical training.
In 1989, Dr. Wong received the National Science Foundation’s Outstanding Science Teacher in Illinois award and the National Science Teaching Achievement Recognition (STAR) award by the National Science Teacher Association. In the same year he visited the former Soviet Union as the environmental science delegation leader with the student ambassador program. He was the first recipient of the outstanding alumni award by the University of Alberta in 1992 and also the first recipient of the distinguished alumni award by the College of Education at the University of Illinois in 1995. In 2013, he received the Distinguished Faculty Award in recognition of his significant achievements in research at Benedictine University.
Dr. Wong is the author of thirty-two books. He has received the Midwest Book Author ward from the Children’s Reading Roundtable of Chicago. He has written twelve books dedicated to coaching teachers and students to effectively prepare for the state mandated examination across the nation with specific editions for Illinois, Michigan, New York and Ohio. His recent ten books include Using Data Analysis to Improve Student Learning: Toward 100% Proficiency; Pivotal Strategies for the Educational Leader: The Importance of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War; Prioritizing Money and Power: Equalize Student Achievement; Elementary Science with Classroom Experiments; Elementary Science with Classroom Experiments for ISAT; Elementary Science with Classroom Experiments for ESPET; High-Poverty, High-Performing Schools; An Instructor Primer for Adjunct and New Faculty: Foundations for Career Success; Life Decision; and To Learn is To Do: Evangelism ABC.
Send Ms. Young an Email
Phone: 630-829-1146
Ms. Peggy Young joined Benedictine University full-time in 2015 .However, Ms. Young has been connected to BenU for several years, having completed both Benedictine's RN-BSN completion and MSN online programs. Furthermore, she has been adjunct faculty for BenU since 2012 teaching various courses, including Nursing Theory and Community Health. Prior to joining Benedictine full-time, Ms. Young was faculty and Clinical Coordinator for Triton College. Ms. Young has clinical experience in Medical-Surgical, Labor & Delivery and Postpartum nursing. Ms. Young's background also includes extensive experience in quality improvement.
Ms. Young began her research agenda through her involvement in a research project that landed her at Mayo Clinic's Quest for Quality conference. There she presented the research that she and her colleagues conducted with mothers post-delivery. Most recently, Ms. Young completed a two year term as chair of Leadership Succession for the Lambda Upsilon-at-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, following service as both vice-president and president of the chapter. Ms. Young continues as an active member of our chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, while also a member of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN) and a Certified Provider in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ).
Susan Cheng, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Public Health) will be presenting at the ASPHO conference this spring:
Cowell B, Cheng WS, Wang L, Rainusso N, Foster J. Definition of Risk Profile and Toxicities of High-Dose Methotrexate Use in Pediatric Osteosarcoma. American Society Pediatric Hematology Oncology, May 1-4, 2019, New Orleans, LA.
Seashore L, Cheng WS, Foster J. Treatment Outcomes in Children with Relapsed/Refractory Solid Tumors. American Society Pediatric Hematology Oncology, May 1-4, 2019, New Orleans, LA.
Bernhardt M, Mangum M, Cheng WS, Foster J. Management of High-Dose Methotrexate Infusions During an Intravenous Sodium Bicarbonate Shortage. American Society Pediatric Hematology Oncology, May 1-4, 2019, New Orleans, LA.
Susan Cheng, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor) presented at the American Public Health Association in November the following:
Mason T, Battle A, Campbell K, Jackson N, Blevins A, Woodson M, Rodgers C, Langer J, Ali R, Cheng S. Levels of Emotional Intelligence as a Contributing Factor to Substance Use Behaviors among College Athletes: A Quantitative Approach. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. November 2019, Philadelphia, PA.
Mason T, Battle A, Campbell K, Ho L, Jackson N, Ali R, Langer J, Parise I, Cheng S. Follow-up Study: Quantitative Approach to the Effects of Emotional Intelligence, Persistence, and Graduation Rates on Substance Use Behaviors Among African American College Students. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. November 2019, Philadelphia, PA.
Mason T, Campbell K, Battle A, Ho L, Woodson M, Langer J, Ali R, Cheng S. Follow-up Study: Quantitative Approach to Exploring the Social Determinants of Health on Racial Inequities in Preventative Health Care in Young African American Men Versus Young Caucasian Men at Universities in the Midwest. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. November 2019, Philadelphia, PA.
Bonnie Beezhold, PhD, MHS, CHES (Assistant Professor, Nutrition) published an article that was also chosen as the Editor's choice for the June 2018 issue.
"Vegans report less bothersome vasomotor and physical menopausal symptoms than omnivores."
Beezhold B., Radnitz C., McGrath, RE, Feldman A.
Maturitas. 2018 Jun; 112:12-17 doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2018.03.009. Epub 2018 Mar 14.
PMID: 29704911
Dr. Gina Panozzo (Assistant Professor, Nursing) had a poster presentation entitled "Online Teaching Strategies" at the APNA IL Chapter Fall Seminar for NUrse Educators on 11/9/18.
Dr. Gina Panozzo (Assistant Professor) had two articles published in "Home Healthcare Now" in 2018 titled "A Day in the Life of a Psychiatric Home Care Nurse" and "Reach for the Stars".
The COEHS Sixth Annual Faculty Research Forum was held March 26, 2019 with the following faculty presenting:
James Pelech, Ed.D. (Professor - Education) "Student Views on the Effects of Technology on Their Learning and Self-Efficacy or How We Got Our Cage Rattled"
Paula Sochacki, Ed.D., MPH, RDN, LDN (Assistant Professor - Nutrition) "The Secret Recipe: To Leadership and Career Pathway Success in Dietetics"
Lindsey Ho, DrPH, MPH (Assistant Professor - Public Health) "A Quantitative Approach to Characterizing the Joint Socio-demographic, Built Environment and Health Status of Communities"
Masoud (Max) Ghaffari, PhD, RN, MT (Assistant Professor - Nursing) "Comparison of Three Instructional Methods for Teaching Pathophysiology"
Marshall J. Milbrath, PhD Candiddate, M. Ed. (Assistant Professor - Exercise Sports Studies) "Examining Coach Decision-Making"
Dr. Margaret Delaney (Assistant Professor, Nursing) and Dr. Margaret Kipta (Assistant Professor, Nursing) presented "Cultural Competency in Health Care" at an afternoon break-out session at the University's Teach-In on Social Justice (March 4, 2019).
Dr. Gina Panozzo (Assistant Professor, Nursing) presented "Psychiatric Nurses' Perceptions of Therapeutic Alliance with the Schizophrenia Population: A Survey Pilot Study" at the 18th Annual American Psychiatric Nurses Association - IL Chapter Conference (April 2018). She was an APNA-IL Chapter 2018 Research Grant recipient. She further served on the planning committee for the Conference.
Dr. Joan Libner (Professor, Nursing) presented a poster, "Improving Program NCLEX Pass Rates: Results to Implementing Remediation Strategies by The Illinois Board of Nursing" at the National League for Nursing 125th Anniversary Education 2018 Summit.
Drs. Deb Jezuit (Assistant Professor, Nursing) and Gina Panozzo (Assistant Professor, Nursing), Alison Ridge (Associate Professor Nursing) and Elizabeth Ritt (Professor, Nursing) presented a poster, "Graduate Nursing Students' Perspectives of Faculty Caring in Online Education" at the Springfield Memorial Medical Center 25th Annual Nursing Research Conference in March 2019.
Send Mrs. Bowser-Antonich an Email
Phone: 630-829-1148
Cheryl brings a solid background relative to clinical affiliation agreements as a component of her more than 22 years of academic administrative experience that include teaching and serving in several positions of increasing responsibility at Triton College. Her background includes service in the United States Air Force as a medical administrative officer, including as a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. She has an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Nursing and Instructor in Technology (AAS) from the Community College of the Air Force, a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Saint Francis, and ABD in Adult Education from NIU.
Send Mrs. Cecchi an Email
Phone: (630) 829-6215
I began my career at Benedictine University in December of 2001 with the College of Business with the MPH Program. After the 911 attack in New York Dr. Alan Gorr had the foresight to incorporate Disaster Management into the MPH Program. Benedictine University was one of the first education institutions to have such a program.At that time I did not have a Bachelor’s degree but I became very interested in disaster management and sat in the first graduate disaster management class to see what it was all about.I began taking adult undergraduate classes so I could earn the certificate in Disaster Management.I earned the Citizen Emergency Response Term (CERT) certificate which heightened my interest in Disaster Management.I was presented “The Tradition of Hospitality Award” (March 2007) here at Benedictine.Also in 2007, my oldest son, Vince, and I walked together at commencement as the first mother/son to graduate from Benedictine University and was on my way to earn the Disaster Management certificate which I did in May 2009. I now have earned more than 20 FEMA certificates covering a vast majority of emergency preparedness related topics.My other son, Anthony, also graduated from Benedictine University.From the city of Naperville, I earned the Citizens’ Fire Academy certificate (2011), a hands-on program learning everything that firefighters do in an emergency. I am a volunteer for the Emergency Operations Center for Naperville, IL. I am also the Planning Section Chief for the ERRT (Emergency Response and Recover Team) here at Benedictine University and have assisted and opened our emergency shelter during the flooding of April 2013.I can also open a shelter for animals. I earned an Exceptional Achievement Award from the HealthierU Program (May 2012) beating out several faculty and staff members of Benedictine University.I am now enrolled in the Police Academy here at Benedictine University. Outside interests include shopping, HGTV, and, of course, helping our undergraduate and graduate students.
Send Mrs. Divoky an Email
Phone: (630) 829-1147
Erin joined Benedictine University in April of 2015 as an Administrative Assistant for Program Assessment and Technology. Erin graduated cum laude from St. Xavier University in Chicago where she received her Bachelor of Arts in History. After graduating, Erin worked for DeVry University Online and later for DeVry Tinley Park as the Associate Registrar. She has also spent a lot of time lately volunteering at her children's school and as a member of their parent/teacher board.
Erica George has worked at Benedictine for 10 years as Assistant to the Dean. She also coordinates the TIDE (Teacher Inservice DuPage Educators) program with the DuPage County Regional Office of Education (ROE). She has a master's degree in Hospital and Health Administration from The University of Iowa and a bachelor's degree in English from Macalester College. She was a Donald W Cordes fellow at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. She has worked in higher education for most of her career including clinic administration, budgeting, grant projects and personnel resources. Her favorite service project at BU is assisting students in Kindlon Hall with their name cards and hoods at commencement. "It is so fulfilling to see them excited, uncertain and moving forward at the same time when we clap as they leave the building."
Send Ms. Sojka an Email
Phone: 630-829-1152
Ellen earned her B.A.from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI in Political Science with a minor in English Literature. In 2017 she was awarded her Masters of Education with a focus in college student affairs leadership from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI. While at Grand Valley, Ellen served as an assessment intern in the Office of the Provost. She gained additional experience serving on the Student Conduct Board at Grand Valley and also as an assessment intern in the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment of Drake University.
Send Dr. Writer an Email
Phone: (630) 829-6293
Dr. Jan Writer joined the School of Education in 2008. She serves as the Director of Student Placement and teaches courses in the area of special education. She was previously an Associate Professor of Education at Elmhurst College and on the Education faculty at the University of San Diego and the University of Arizona, where she coordinated graduate teacher education programs in the areas of severe disabilities, orthopedic impairments, and multiple sensory impairments. She holds a Ph.D. in special education from the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in severe/multiple disabilities, a master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology from Southern Methodist University, and a bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing therapy from Indiana University.
Dr. Writer has been working in the field of special education for more than 40 years. Prior to joining BU, she was employed as a speech pathologist, a classroom teacher, the coordinator of programs for students with moderate and severe disabilities for a 16-district special education cooperative, a state education agency staff development specialist, a multi-state Deaf-Blind Regional Center education coordinator, an independent evaluator of students with disabilities, an onsite technical assistance provider, a teacher educator, and a parent advocate. Over the past 38 years, she has consulted to programs serving persons with severe disabilities in over 34 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, the U. S. Pacific Trust Territories, and American Samoa.
Dr. Writer is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Council for Exceptional Children, International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Autism National Committee, Autism Society of America, National Coalition on Deafblindness, TASH (formerly The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps), Autism Society of Illinois, and Arc of Illinois. A specialist in public school inclusion and the education of children and youth with low incidence disabilities (autism, orthopedic impairments, intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, sensory impairments, and deafblindness), she serves on leadership committees for multiple national and international organizations in the field of special education. She has further presented at more than 300 regional, state, national, and international conferences on topics specific to the quality education of students with moderate, severe, and low incidence disabilities.
| Name | Department | |
|---|---|---|
| Patricia Brown, DNP, APRN, CCRN-K | BSN Nursing and Health | pbrown@ben.edu |
| Sheila Campbell, Ph.D., RD | Nutrition | scampbell@ben.edu |
| Maureen Casten, MS, RDN, LDN | Nutrition | mcasten@ben.edu |
| Jan Dowell, M.S., M.H.S., R.D., C.S.S.D. | Nutrition | jdowell@ben.edu |
| Lynn Dugan, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. | Nutrition | ldugan@ben.edu |
| David Grotto, MS, RDN, LDN | Nutrition | dgrotto@ben.edu |
| Michel Harris, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., C.D.E. | Nutrition | MHarris@ben.edu |
| Kelly Knopf, MS, RDN, LDN | Nutrition | kknopf@ben.edu |
| Annie Murphy, MPH, RDN, LDN | Nutrition | amurphy@ben.edu |
| Teresa Pangan, Ph.D., R.D.N. | Nutrition | tpangan@ben.edu |
| Monica Pawasarat, MS, RDN, LDN | Nutrition | mpawasarat@ben.edu |
| Linda Roberts, MS, RD, LDN | Nutrition | lroberts@ben.edu |
| Laurie Schubert, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.N | Nutrition | lschubert@ben.edu |
| Jodie Shield, M.Ed., R.D., L.D.N. | Nutrition | jshield@ben.edu |
| Anna Shlachter, MS, RDN, LDN | Nutrition | ashlachter@ben.edu |
| Traci Wessel, M.S., R.D., C.S.G., L.D.N. | Nutrition | twessel@ben.edu |
Christopher Duffrin, Ph.D.
Dean of the College of Education and Health Services
Erica George
Assistant to the Dean
Email: egeorge@ben.edu
Phone: (630) 829-6084
Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
By Mail:
Benedictine University
5700 College Road
Kindlon Hall, Room 258
Lisle, IL 60532
Fax: (630) 829-6281
