Michael Furnari

Sociology and Criminal Justice
Adjunct Lecturer

Email: MFurnari@Caldwell.edu
Office: 973-618-3374
Location: Visceglia 312

Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Lowell, Criminology and Justice
M.A. University of Massachusetts Lowell, Peace and Conflict Studies
B.S. University of Massachusetts Lowell, Criminal Justice

Michael Furnari is an instructor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Caldwell University. He received his Ph.D. in criminology and justice studies from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a concentration in security studies. His research focuses on the evolution of organized criminal networks in Japan, and he was able to complete extensive fieldwork in Japan during his studies with the help of the Japan government’s Monbukagakusho funding. His current research focuses on drivers of minority representation in criminal organizations in Japan.

Alan G Petersen

Sociology and Criminal Justice
Adjunct Lecturer

Email: apetersen@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3000

B.A., University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth
M.A., John Jay College of Criminal Justice
MFS., George Washington University

Michael Galvin

Finance
Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Finance

Email: mgalvin@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3230
Office Location: Rosary Hall, 1st Floor

Office:
Mon: 9am-4pm
Tues: 9am-4pm
Wed: 9am-4pm
Thurs: 9am-4pm
Fri: 9am-4pm

Michael Galvin, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Finance, comes to Caldwell from Montclair State University where he was appointed Interim Vice President for Finance and Treasurer in March 2022. He had started at Montclair in 2014 as its Controller and was promoted to Associate VP for Finance in 2017. Prior to joining the higher education industry, Mr. Galvin had a 26-year career in the not for profit industry serving as the VP for Finance and Treasurer for the American Lung Association and Muscular Dystrophy Association. Mr. Galvin earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Rutgers University and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Global Management Accountant in the State. Mr. Galvin is a member of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Susanne Galvin

Career Planning and Development
Director

Email: sgalvin@caldwell.edu
Office Phone: 973 618-3536
Office Location: Aquinas Hall 109

Susanne Galvin has nearly 20 years in higher education, focusing on creating experiential and internship programs, employer connections, and guiding people toward meaningful careers. She holds a Master’s Degree from Rutgers Graduate School of Education.

Xiaolei Gao

Natural Sciences
Associate Professor of Chemistry

Email: xgao@caldwell.edu
Office: 973-618-3506
Office Location: Visceglia Hall, 142

Dr. Gao got her Ph.D degree in Organic Synthesis from Brandeis University and worked in the field of drug discovery at Merck Research Laboratories for 10 years before she changed her career path to become a chemistry professor.

Dr. Gao has published over 30 papers on highly reputable scientific journals and was granted 48 patents in drug discovery.

Dr. Gao has extensive experience in mentoring students for their independent award research.

Lakeisha Garrett

Leadership and Management
Adjunct Lecturer

BS, Management Science, Kean University MS, Accounting, Rutgers University
MBA, Business Management, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Patricia Garruto

Mathematics
Professor

Email: pgarruto@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3392
FAX: 973-618-3365

B.S. Mathematics – Seton Hall University
M.A.T. Master of Arts in Teaching, Mathematics – Montclair State University
Ed.D. Mathematics Education – Montclair State University

Dr. Garruto received her Ed.D. in studying techniques for improving mathematics comprehension for college students who struggle with basic skills. Additionally, she serves as co-principal investigator on a university STEM grant that focuses upon supporting and strengthening the mathematics and science skills of college students who major in STEM subjects. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, vacationing at the Jersey shore, and traveling.

Kenneth Gattie

Business and Computer Science
Adjunct Professor

Email: kgattie@caldwell.edu

Kenneth C. Gattie Adjunct Professor of Business Analytics B.S. Business Administration, Bucknell University M.B.A. , finance and Accounting, University of Chicago

Mohamed Gebril

Business and Computer Science
Assistant Professor of Business Administration

Email: mgebril@caldwell.edu

Dr. Mohamed Gebril is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Caldwell University, combining a strong academic background with extensive corporate experience in the manufacturing industry.
As a lifelong learner, Dr. Gebril views education as a continuous journey of growth and innovation. Throughout his career, he advanced from design engineer to management roles, gaining valuable insight into how organizations operate at every level. Along the way, he became a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering. Driven by a desire to apply business principles to real-world challenges, he pursued an MBA, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and earning the Outstanding MBA Graduate Award, and later completed a Doctorate in Business Administration.
His dissertation research focused on bridging the gap between business academia and industry practice, demonstrating how evidence-based strategies and technology can improve decision-making and organizational outcomes.
A holder of two U.S. patents, Dr. Gebril brings a rare blend of technical expertise, managerial experience, and academic insight to the classroom. His teaching philosophy emphasizes equipping students to connect theory to application and succeed in today’s dynamic, technology-driven business world.

Murat Genc

Business and Computer Science
Adjunct Instructor

Email: mgenc@caldwell.edu

Murat A. Genc, M.S., M.A. Adjunct Professor of Computer Science B.S., New York Institute of Technology M.A., Psychology, Pace University M.S. Information Network and Computer Security, New York Institute of Technology

Deborah Giordano

Education
Certification Officer and Office Manager

Email: dgiordano@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3407
Location: Visceglia 232
FAX: 973-618-3580
Office Location: Visceglia Hall, Room 232

Office:
Mon: 8:30am-4:30pm
Tues: 8:30am-4:30pm
Wed: 8:30am-4:30pm
Thurs: 8:30am-4:30pm
Fri: 8:30am-4:30pm

Debbie previously worked in the Registrar’s office for 11 years and then came to the Department of Education in 2014. She is available to any student, staff or faculty member who may need some assistance. She is very honored to be part of the Education family at Caldwell University.

Athena Giordano

Education
Adjunct Professor

Email: agiordano1@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3407
Office Location: Visceglia Hall

Athena started her career in Caldwell University in 2004. She graduated with a BA in Elementary Education/Psychology in May, 2009, then in June, 2009 was certified in Special Education. In August of 2012 she came back for her Middle School certification in Math. She then returned to Caldwell for her Masters Degree in July, 2013 and was given her Supervisor certification in October of 2014. Athena started out tutoring for the School of Education in Praxis 1. She in turn became an adjunct teaching two UG courses in the spring of 2018 and is doing so to the present day. She has become very important part of the School of Education family.

Beth Gorab

Media Relations, President’s Office
AVP for University Communications & Chief of Staff

Email: bgorab@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3217
Office Location: Werner Hall, 312

20+ years of experience in fundraising, relationship building, marketing and communications, special events management and corporate sponsorship. Former small business owner. Graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.

Laura Greenwald

Music
Professor, Department Chair and Director of Vocal Studies

Email: lgreen@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3520
Office Location: Visceglia Hall, 217

Laura Greenwald is the Music Department Chair and Director of Vocal Studies at Caldwell University where she teaches voice, Women in Music, Music and the Arts, and directs the University Chorale and Opera/Music Theatre Workshop. She directed the Caldwell University Concert Series for twenty years, presenting professional concerts and recitals to the community, and prepared the University Chorale as the chorus for the Garden State Opera for seven seasons.
The Chorale performs at all University masses and has performed in concerts with other choirs at Carnegie Hall, Princeton University Chapel, and on campus. In 2011, Dr. Greenwald was honored to receive the Caldwell College Excellence in Teaching Award.
Dr. Greenwald sang with Ember, the Schola Repertory Singers, and the select Schola Sing Solo! of Schola Cantorum on Hudson for over 10 years including performances in the chorus with the NY Philharmonic and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. She has performed in concerts and recitals in Ohio, Vermont, and the New York Metropolitan area specializing in the music of women composers.
Dr. Greenwald earned her DMA from the Manhattan School of Music, her BME from Baldwin-Wallace College, and an MM in Voice Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. She is the choir director at the Church of the Holy Innocents in West Orange and the proud mother of trumpeter, Andrew Strom.

Anthony Grosso

Student Life
Dean of Student Life

Email: agrosso@caldwell.edu
Office: 973-618-3229
Office Location: Newman Center, Graduate Admissions Suite

Mr. Grosso joined Caldwell University as its Director of Admissions in 2024 after a more than 20-year career in public education across New Jersey. He served as a classroom teacher, school principal, and superintendent in multiple school districts, where he focused on building supportive learning environments that addressed the diverse academic needs of students.

During his tenure as a superintendent, Mr. Grosso collaborated with Caldwell University to establish a dual enrollment program, providing high school students with early access to college-level coursework and a head start toward higher education. His career reflects a strong commitment to expanding educational access and strengthening pathways from secondary to postsecondary education.

Mr. Grosso earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University.

Alice Hallaran

Residence Life and Conduct
Residence Life

Email: ahallaran@caldwell.edu

MSEd- Hofstra University

Cindy Hamilton

Academic Affairs
Clinical Supervisor

Email: cihamilton@caldwell.edu
Building : #104 Art Therapy Center

B.A. University of Connecticut

M.A. Caldwell University LPAT, ATCS, ACS, LPC, ATR-BC

John Hannum

Education
Associate Professor

Email: JHannum@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3609
Office Location: Visceglia Hall, 237

Office:
Mon: By Appointment
Tues: By Appointment
Wed: By Appointment
Thurs: By Appointment

B.A. Seton Hall University

M.A. Seton Hall University

Ed.D. Rutgers University

I have been an educator for over 52 years, having served as a 5th grade teacher, vice-principal and principal of a K-8 elementary school, principal of a 5th-8th grade middle school, principal of Newton High School and Superintendent of High Point Regional High School. I received my Ed.D. from Rutgers University where I served as an Adjunct for over 25 years. As a consultant for Stockton University’s ETTC, I have trained many
school district staff members in New Jersey and Pennsylvania covering various topics including: behavior management policies, 504 planning, Intervention and Referral Services and the Danielson Staff Evaluation model.

As an Associate Professor at Caldwell, I have taught Freshmen Seminar and Graduate School of Education courses both online and face-to-face. I coordinated the Masters in Higher Education Program and served as the lead instructor for Capstone courses in that program. I have also volunteered my time to assist with advising students in academic recovery, and I enjoy my advising responsibilities in the School of Education. I review books for the AASA School Administrator Magazine. I also served as a coach to a sitting principal in a K-8 school.

I am very interested in the possibilities inherent within the developing AI technologies, particularly as applied to education. Although it appears this is a difficult time to be an educator, it is also an exciting time with many significant changes on the horizon. It is my belief that my students will be at the forefront of those changes.

Maya Lordo Harlow

Nursing and Public Health
Adjunct Instructor

MA in Health Administration, New Jersey City University

Tara Harney-Mahajan

English
Associate Professor; Co-Director Honors Program

Email: tharney@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3456
Office Location: Visceglia Hall 250

About

Dr. Tara Harney-Mahajan received her B.A. from Le Moyne College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Connecticut. Her research interests include twentieth- and twenty-first-century Irish and South Asian literature with a focus on women writers and feminist postcolonial theory. Dr. Harney-Mahajan currently teaches College Writing, Global Literature, Foundations of Western Literature, Contemporary South Asian Literature, The Irish Novel, and Modern and Contemporary Irish Drama. Her scholarship has been published in journals such as Women’s Studies, New Hibernia Review, and the Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies. In 2021, with Dr. Claire Bracken (Union College), she co-edited a collection of essays entitled Post-Celtic Tiger Ireland and Contemporary Women’s Writing: Feminist Interventions and Imaginings, published by Routledge. In 2022, in Screening Contemporary Irish Fiction and Drama (Palgrave Studies in Adaptation and Visual Culture), she published a chapter on representations of Ireland’s architecture of containment in recent films. She is currently working on a collection on Tramp Press with Dr. Mary Burke (University of Connecticut).

Dr. Harney-Mahajan also serves as co-editor of the literary and cultural studies journal LIT: Literature Interpretation Theory which publishes four issues a year: 2 general issues and 2 special issues (with guest editors).

Jessica Hauck

Psychology
Adjunct Lecturer

Email: jhauck@caldwell.edu
Location: Werner Hall

Jessica Hauck is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Art Therapist, and Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Caldwell University. She has 8 years of experience teaching undergraduate psychology and art therapy classes. Jessica has been involved in research related to ethics in the field for over 10 years, and is the author of 8 peer-reviewed publications, and 9 conference presentations, most of which relate to the field of ethics and/or diversity. She is also the co-editor for Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Creative Arts Therapies: A Case-Based Approach, which presents an art therapy specific ethical decision-making model. Additionally, she owns a private practice and has over 8 years of experience working with clients of all ages using a variety of interventions, implementing both psychotherapy and art therapy. Jessica typically uses a person-centered and solution-focused approach in her work, and believes in the importance of an authentic therapeutic relationship based on acceptance and empathy. In her free time, Jessica enjoys creating art and spending time in nature.

Kelly Hawken

Nursing and Public Health
Clinical Instructor

Email: khawken@caldwell.edu
Office Location: Student Center

Received BSN at Seton Hall University and a Master’s in Nursing Education at William Paterson University. Background primarily in OB and Pediatrics. Involved in nursing education for 19 years.

Tom Hefter

Music

Email: thefter@caldwell.edu

M.A., William Paterson University
B.A. in Philosophy, Kean University

Sharon Herman

Finance
Accounts Payable Clerk

Email: sherman@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3920
FAX: 973-618-3465
Office Location: Rosary Hall

Office:
Mon: 8AM – 4PM
Tues: 8AM – 4PM
Wed: 8AM – 4PM
Thurs: 8AM – 4PM
Fri: 8AM – 4PM

I have been working here since January 2024. Spent 16 years working in the private sector. Graduated from Dominican College with a degree in Finance.

Bob Herr

Enrollment Management and Communications
Vice President for Enrollment Management

Email: rherr@caldwell.edu

Bob Joined Caldwell University in 2026 bringing over 35 years of admissions and enrollment management experience in higher education.  He oversees undergraduate and graduate admissions, student financial services, and assists with retention and net revenue initiatives.  Bob most recently served as the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at St.  Joseph’s University, New York.  Prior to his tenure there, he was the Vice President for Enrollment Management at Paul Smith’s College and Drew University.  He also previously worked at Wagner College, Seton Hall University, The George Washington University, NJIT, and Stevenson University. Bob serves as the co-chair for the School-College-CBO Relations Committee for the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC) as well as the Admissions Practices Liaison to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

Philip Hess

Business and Computer Science
Adjunct Lecturer

Email: phess@caldwell.edu

B.S. Juniata College

M.B.A. Caldwell University

Mike Holland

Academic Success Center
Academic Coach

Email: mholland@caldwell.edu
Office Location: Aquinas Hall 102

Mike Holland is an Academic Coach for Caldwell University. He has his Master Degree in Organizational Management from Misericordia University.

Christine Horstman

Enrollment Management and Communications
Asst. Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Email: chorstman@caldwell.edu
Phone: 973-618-3411
Office Location: Rosary Hall, 209

Personal motto: Great is finite; better is infinite. Let’s keep aiming for better.

After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Speech Communications and Public Relations from Miami University in Oxford, OH, Christine traveled to New York City where she spent her early years working both back of house and front of house in high profile restaurants while pursuing opportunities in playwriting and performance. Her journey back into the office began in 2004, where she has since served in various marketing and communications capacities for non-profit, start-up, corporate and creative organizations. She has spent the past decade exclusively in higher education enrollment marketing and communications. In her free time, she can be found doing research for and writing her novel, crafting pub quiz games for local establishments, and, when it’s NFL season, screaming at her beloved Detroit Lions on TV.

Mengjie Huang

Business and Computer Science
Associate Professor

Email: mhuang@caldwell.edu
Office Location: Werner Hall 219

B.A. Renmin University of China
M.S. University of Notre Dame
Ph.D. University of Rochester

Dr. Huang joined the Caldwell University faculty in August 2025. Her research examines voluntary disclosure, internal firm information quality, the role of accounting information in real decisions, CEO incentives, and asset pricing. Her work has been published in Contemporary Accounting Research, China Accounting and Finance Review, and Algorithms. Her teaching experience includes financial accounting, managerial/cost accounting, intermediate accounting, and accounting for managers. Dr. Huang earned her Ph.D. in Accounting (minor in Finance) from the University of Rochester in 2016. Before joining Caldwell, she taught at Fordham University.

Hector Loyola Irizarry

Natural Sciences
Assistant Professor of Microbiology

Email: hloyola@caldwell.edu
Office: 973-618-3273
Location: Raymond 303A

Dr. Loyola Irizarry is a microbiologist, bioinformatician, and biology education researcher. He obtained his B.Sc. in Industrial Microbiology with a certification in Biochemistry from the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez. After completing his bachelor’s, he started his PhD in Biomedical and Biological Sciences at Cornell University, where he used computational tools to identify potential genetic constructs for gut microbiome engineering. Once he obtained his PhD, he gained additional experience in biology education through his postdoctoral work at Florida International University. There, he taught a bioinformatics-driven research course, mentoring students in individual projects focused on the structural characterization of biomedically relevant proteins. Dr. Loyola Irizarry’s own postdoctoral research focused on how participation in research and mentoring experiences can influence students’ career development. At Caldwell, he is teaching Microbiology and performing research that combines his interests in bioinformatics, the human gut microbiome, and biology education.