Member Profiles
2020-2021 Co-Chairs
Dr. Audeliz (Audi) Matias
Department of Natural Sciences at the School of Undergraduate Studies
I am a geologist fascinated by how planetary surfaces have changed through time. In particular, my research has focused on the study of impact craters, geological structures caused by the collision of small objects with the surface of planets such as Venus and Mars. I also conduct research in STEM teaching and learning with focus on how we can increase access and better serve students with online science courses. My interest in geology developed very early on as I am originally from Puerto Rico, which is in the Caribbean, a very geologically active region. At the young age of 13, I wanted to learn more about earthquakes and to study geology. I earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Geology from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez and a doctorate in Geological Sciences from Northwestern University. As a faculty member at SUNY Empire, I teach primarily courses in geoscience and environmental science such as Introduction to Geology and Energy: The Issues and the Science, as well as Introductory Astronomy.
Dr. Lila Rajabion
Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the MS in IT Program, Division of Liberal Studies at the School for Graduate Studies
I am Assistant Professor and a coordinator of the MS in IT Program. I am teaching and developing curriculum for the MSIT with concentration in Cyber Security and Web design. I have over 20 years of experience conducting research and providing consulting in various dimensions of IT combined in the academia and private sectors. I also have significant professional experience in providing leadership in the areas of systems analysis and design, cybersecurity, enterprise software application development, and IT project management for local and global projects. In addition, I have conducted various needs-based training programs. I have written many publications and have participated in research grants in Women & Information Technology which is focused on Women in STEM discipline. I am a long-time advocate for increasing participation and retention of women and minorities in the IT workforce, I has worked on a many project in this domain for many years.
2020-2021 Members
Dr. Eileen M. Angelini
Associate Dean, School for Graduate Studies
I am an Associate Dean of the School for Graduate Studies at SUNY Empire State College. As associate dean, I lead the academic operations of the School for Graduate Studies. My duties and responsibilities include: Direct supervision of the school’s faculty; Oversight of faculty recruitment, professional development, and review; Collaboration with assistant deans and faculty on academic program review and accreditation; Work with academic division chairs and faculty on policies and processes to ensure course quality; and Participation with key stakeholders on strategic initiatives and budget planning. I also serve on SUNY Empire State College President’s Task Force to Enhance Diversity and Inclusion. The task force is represented from a diverse background of faculty and staff from across the state and internationally. Charged with assessing the current diversity and inclusivity climate, the task force will develop an action plan to enhance existing efforts and recommend the necessary steps to link equity initiatives to SUNY Empire’s educational mission. Although my graduate work and undergraduate major were in French studies (B.A. from Middlebury College, M.A. and Ph.D. from Brown University), I also have a minor in Mathematics.
Catherine (Cathy) T. Gleason
Associate Department Chair, Department of Natural Sciences at the School of Undergraduate Studies
I have been teaching college biology courses since 1982. I earned my B.A. in Biology from SUNY Oneonta in 1978 and my M.S. in Environmental Biology from George Mason University in 1982. I began my teaching career in Virginia at Northern Virginia Community College and then continued at Hudson Valley Community College and Albany College of Pharmacy in New York. In 2004, I found my calling here at SUNY Empire State College when I transitioned to online learning. Not only did I discover, to my surprise, that I enjoyed teaching students in a totally online environment, but I found my true passion when I started to design my own online courses in Genetics, Ornithology, General Biology I & II, and Genomics and You. Over the years, I assisted in revisions of many other biology courses and added a variety of lab activities to many of them (at-home lab kits, virtual labs, field activities). Currently I am the Associate Department Chair, overseeing all the online courses in the Natural Sciences Department. I am proud to have been a part of the early introduction of online science courses and proud to continue to be a part of their ongoing improvement. It has been gratifying to use creativity in design and then witness firsthand the effectiveness of a variety of online teaching tools.
Dr. Sujatha Kadaba
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Sciences at the School for Undergraduate Studies
I am a visiting assistant professor at the Department of Natural Sciences. I enjoy motivating students to appreciate the complexity of Biological Processes. My career in Biology started when I earned my bachelor’s and master's in Plant Biotechnology from India. I got my Doctorate from Marquette University in Genetics and Molecular Biology, where I earned several Awards for outstanding research. After my Doctorate, I decided to pursue my long-time goal of educating students and encouraging them into STEM fields. I have taught various biology courses for science and non-science majors and recently started developing and teaching online courses for SUNY Empire State College. I am very interested in researching more about inclusion, diversity, and completion rates in Online courses and how this compares to in-person classes. I am also interested in designing a unique online course that incorporates new technology to enhance learning experiences. I am currently working on developing some pilot lessons to experiment. I am also involved in coordinating distance learning laboratories for our online courses. I am actively involved in encouraging girls into STEM. I do this by coaching elementary kids to participate in STEM activities such as Future City Competition. Outside of my regular teaching responsibilities, I am an active volunteer for the AIM for Seva organization which provides opportunities to needy children by building residential schools in rural areas of India. The organization has built 13 schools all over India where children who do not have access to schools reside here and get their education.
Dr. Gohar Marikyan
Professor, Department of Mathematics at the School for Undergraduate Studies
I am a Professor and an advisor of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Metropolitan Center of Empire State College of the State University of New York. I hold a Ph.D. degree in Mathematics (research Ph.D. in Mathematical Logic) and MS degree in Computer Science (research master’s degree in Theory of Algorithms). I continue to actively pursue my research in mathematical logic as it applies to computer science. I am also interested in the history of math education as it applies to the development of teaching methodology. My work with students is in two broad areas: Mathematics and Computer Science. In addition to these areas, I also teach business-related math and computer courses. I teach studies in groups, one-on-one, on distance, blended, and online at undergraduate and graduate levels. I am currently working on a novel titled "I Wish I could Touch You Again" and on a couple of short stories from the series "Life is Stranger than Fiction." I also continue my research on Anania Shirakatsi’s 7th century manuscript that will culminate in "Anania Shirakatsi's Tvabanutiun: World's Oldest Manuscript On Arithmetic, Part 2." The third book project is a colorful book on Armenian dolls.
Frieda Mendelsohn
Mentor, Department of Computer Science and Technology at the School of Undergraduate Studies
I have been a mentor at SUNY Empire State College for over 35 years. My degrees are in Economics; in addition, my work for the Center for Learning and Technology (Faculty Fellow) allowed me to develop additional expertise in computing technologies, technology mediated communications, and both usability and accessibility in web design. My areas of interest are in the broad areas of systems and policy: economic, information, technology, and college. All of these areas involve problem-solving, including the definition of the problem, imagining alternatives, working through to the logical conclusions for each of the alternatives, highlighting tradeoffs, and evaluating options. In several cases, my interests lie at the intersection of one or more of these areas; e.g., Economic Issues and Strategies for IS concerns economic concepts of information goods and network effects — both essential for understanding economics of information technology. I have applied my knowledge of systems and policy to service to SUNY Empire State College by engaging in various governance activities: I am currently Governance Convener for Niagara Frontier and College Senator/Governance Convener for the School of Science, Mathematics, and Technology.
Dr. Eileen O'Connor
Professor, Division of Education at the School of Graduate Studies
My work in STEM fields began as an analytical chemist when I worked for government and for industry. I moved IBM when it opened and analytical Instrumentation area in the 1980’s. I switched from the lab instrumentation division to mainstream IBM in the mid-1980’s. Simultaneously I pursued a Masters in Civil Engineering in Environmental Health Science and Engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of New York (presently NYU: Engineering), while beginning to work in higher education as an instructor in chemistry and in basic computer applications. In 1998, I completed a PhD from the University at Albany in science, mathematics, and technology education achieving a Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation award for my work on The Use of Atomic and Molecular Models in Learning Chemistry. I have worked in the higher education area in education, science and STEM education, and instructional technologies since the late 1990’s and began my career at SUNY Empire in 2004. I enjoy teaching in education, STEM education, and basic and emerging technology education. These important and empowering areas are welcoming to all individuals and are in great demand.
Starra Sherin
Mentor, Department of Mathematics at the School of Undergraduate Studies
I have over 20 years of experience teaching undergraduate courses in the areas of mathematics and accounting. Most recently, I have become a mentor to students seeking degrees in the area of Science, Mathematics and Technology who are also enrolled in a partnership program with the Center for Allied Health Education. I enjoy working individually with these students as they work toward preparing themselves academically to become future sonographers and radiation technicians.
Dr. Diane Shichtman
Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair, Department of Computer Science and Technology at the School for Undergraduate Studies
A major focus of my work has been social issues associated with to technology, with a particular focus on teaching social, professional, and ethical issues surrounding computing. I am also involved with a digital humanities project examining humanities questions related to popular media using the tools of computer science and mathematics and the techniques of the social sciences. As a faculty member at SUNY Empire State College, I am an Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair. I have also worked outside of the college in the information systems industry, mainly doing database work as a consultant (I did database design and development and Oracle-authorized instruction) and project management. I also volunteer, including providing project management support in a not-for-profit volunteer-based setting. Among my degrees, I have a Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and an MBA from the University at Albany, along with an MA from the New School for Social Research. I also hold a PMP (Project Management Professional certification) from PMI.
Dr. Diana Siberio-Perez
Associate Professor, Department of Natural Sciences at the School for Undergraduate Studies
I am originally from Puerto Rico, where I completed my bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. My M.S. and Ph.D. were completed at the University of Michigan in Macromolecular Science and Engineering. Because of my background, at SUNY Empire State College I teach mathematics, physical science, and chemistry courses. Outside of academia, I enjoy biking, hiking, hammocking, and crocheting among other things.
Dr. Hope Sun
Associate Professor, Division of Business, Management and Leadership at the School of Graduate Studies
I am a full-time mentor and associate professor in School for Graduate Studies MBA, at Empire State College, Saratoga Springs. I was trained in computer information technology, instructional technology, and computer security through formal and continuing education. I have involved in the integration of emerging technologies in teaching, learning, and research. Mostly, I work with graduate students from MBA. I enjoy working with students at all levels, face to face, blended, and online using Web .2.0 technology. My teaching and interest include areas of Management Information system, Tools and Processes in Project Management, Information Security, e-business, IT project management, Healthcare informatics, Emerging Technologies, and Digital Forensics. Currently, I am also serving as a Chair, Division of Business, Management, and Leadership, and coordinator for the Advanced Graduate Certificate in Project Management.
Dr. Sylwia E Starnawska
Associate Professor and Coordinator of Global Finance and Investment Advanced Certificate, Division of Business, Management and Leadership at the School for Graduate Studies
I joined the MBA team of School for Graduate Studies of SUNY Empire State College as an Assistant Professor from D’Youville College, Buffalo NY and in 2017, I was promoted to the Associate Professor rank. I also held academic positions at University of Podlasie (Poland), Central Piedmont Community College and University of Phoenix (North Carolina). I was a Coordinator of the Bologna Process for creation of the European Higher Education Area and implementation of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), both supporting the Lisbon Strategy execution in the European Union. I received MSc and PhD in Economics from Warsaw School of Economics (Poland), and MBA in Financial Management from University of Exeter in England (UK). I have over 10 years of successful international business experience in management of financial institutions, mainly MNCs. I was involved in international corporate finance, global capital markets and international investments. The British Government recognized me with an award of scientific scholarship. I served for CNBC as a guest speaker and a professional marketing face from London (England). I also hold Investment Management Certificate required in the UK to manage global mutual funds. My research interests focus on international financial markets; multinational strategic management; value-based management and shareholder value creation; global portfolio management. I serve as an active reviewer for economics textbooks, and academic papers and research for international conferences of the Academy of the International Business and I am a member of the American Economic Association (AEA), the American Finance Association (AFA), and the Financial Management Association (FMA).
Dr. Victoria Vernon
Associate Professor, Department of Accounting, Finance, Economics and Management Information Systems at the School of Undergraduate Studies
I am an economist interested in applied labor economics, especially in the topics of economics of marriage, immigration, education, remote work, wages, and household allocation of time. My research projects use large datasets and econometrics techniques to explore links between, for example, telework and wages, marriage and unpaid work, studying in college and leisure. I teach econometrics, business analytics, international economics, economics of gender, work and family, economics of crime, and international political economy. Before joining SUNY Empire State College, I taught at SUNY/FIT and Princeton University. I received my Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin, M.A. in Economics from Indiana University, and BS in Economics from Ukraine where I grew up. I published articles in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Research in Labor Economics, IZA Journal of Labor Economics and Review of the Economics of the Household. I am a member of American Economic Association and a consultant for American Council of Education.