Meet the Staff

Dr. Christian M. M. Brady, dean, came to the Schreyer Honors College in August 2006, from Tulane University, where he directed the honors program at Tulane University and previously directed the university’s Jewish studies program. Dr. Brady holds two advanced degrees from the University of Oxford, a graduate diploma in Jewish studies, and a doctorate in Oriental studies with a concentration in ancient Hebrew and Jewish literature, the former obtained simultaneously while completing a master’s degree in biblical and theological studies from Wheaton College. His baccalaureate degree, in Near Eastern studies and history, is from Cornell University.

Dr. Brady possesses a unique blend of dynamic teaching, focused academic research, and broad administrative experience. When asked about his plans for the honors college, he replies, “Schreyer Scholars will become the standard of undergraduate excellence in intellect, character, moral fortitude, and leadership. Any high school student in Pennsylvania and the United States who wants to become a leader in any field or industry will look to the Schreyer Honors College and Penn State.”

Upon looking into Dr. Brady’s office, one can immediately see his many academic interests, as demonstrated by bookshelves full of much-loved books, with vintage Macintosh computers used as bookends. His connection with students is evidenced by a Jelly Belly machine given to him by a former student. The video "Conversation with the Dean" offers insights into how the dean puts students first.

Dr. Brady enjoys living in State College with his wife, Elizabeth, daughter Isabel (Izzy), and son Mack. His brother, Steve (retired Lt Col USAF), is an assistant professor of Business Administration at Penn State’s Capital College. He encourages Scholars and alumni to contact him any time via email at cbrady@psu.edu or instant messenger (AIM drcbrady).

For the dean’s latest thoughts on life at the Schreyer Honors College, see his dynamic blog and podcasts at http://engage.shc.psu.edu. The podcasts feature engaging conversations with Scholars, his State of the College address, and his vision for the future of the honors college.

Dr. Judy Ozment, associate dean, joined the Schreyer Honors College administration in June of 2003, but has been a part of Penn State since 1986. Before starting as associate dean of the SHC, she was a member of the faculty at Penn State Abington where she earned the rank of associate professor of chemistry.

Dr. Ozment works with all curricular and academic aspects of the SHC, including course scheduling, advising, thesis issues, the Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate programs, and many other facets of the college.

She earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of California at Davis and her doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of Utah, after which she held a post-doctoral fellowship at University of Washington in Seattle.

The California native is delighted to be surrounded by the interesting collection of high energy people at the SHC. She describes her job as highly service-oriented. Her inspiration comes from students who strive for excellence despite all odds, and she wants them to know that she's here to help them in making progress toward meeting their academic goals.

Dr. Ozment has a wide range of hobbies and leisure activities, from crocheting, reading fiction, and writing chemistry textbooks to riding roller coasters and attending PSU football games. If you have any questions or would like to meet with Dr. Ozment, she can be contacted at o96@psu.edu.

Dr. Michele "Mitch" Kirsch, director of administrative operations, joined the SHC in August 2005. In her new position, Dr. Kirsch is responsible for the management and operations of the college as well as recruiting and marketing. She brings a wealth of experience to this position, having served as the MBA admissions director at both Penn State and Indiana University. Dr. Kirsch received her B.A. in history and a teaching certificate from Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA, M.S. in education from Indiana University in Bloomington, and doctoral degree in counseling and personnel from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. You may reach Dr. Kirsch at msk11@psu.edu.

Marc McMullin, director of development. Marc previously served as a regional major gifts director at Duke University, and was employed within Penn State's Division of Development and Alumni Relations as a director of major gifts for the Florida and Philadelphia regions and the director of major gifts in the College of Engineering. Marc is responsible for the oversight and management of fundraising and alumni relations efforts for the SHC. Together with the academic leadership of the college, he will develop the college's fundraising plans and related activities in order to secure private philanthropic support.

Marc graduated with honors from West Chester University and served as a combat engineer with the United States Marine Corps from 1987-1993. You can contact Marc
at 814-863-4543 or mem185@psu.edu.

Dr. Richard Stoller is the Coordinator of Selection and International Programs, a position he has held since 1998.  He graduated from Wesleyan University and holds a Ph.D. in Latin American History from Duke University.  Prior to coming to Penn State he taught at Dickinson College and Philadelphia University.  He has published several articles about 19th and 20th century Colombian history, and he has translated articles for Latin American Perspectives and a book for Duke University Press. He represents the SHC on Penn State’s Education Abroad Advisory Committee, which he chaired for three years.

Scholars are encouraged to contact Dr. Stoller (rjs27@psu.edu) for information about international research and study opportunities.

Donna Meyer, coordinator of student programs, began her career at Penn State in the University Scholars Program in 1989 and years later assumed the role of the College's first coordinator of alumni relations. Today, Donna coordinates student engagement and signature programming. She serves as co-advisor to the SHC Student Council, supervises the Scholars Assistant Team, coordinates the fall orientation for incoming Scholars, and manages the SHC mentoring programs.

Donna is a graduate of Centre Business School, Inc. and a 2006 graduate of Leadership Centre County. In her spare time, Donna enjoys traveling, barbershop and doowop music, baseball, musicals and playing the piano. You can contact her at dlh15@psu.edu.

Roberta Hardin, coordinator of student records and services, joined the Schreyer Honors College in 2003. Roberta is responsible for monitoring student records, overseeing semester grade audits, annual academic plans, thesis proposal reports, and graduation checkouts. She began her career at Penn State in 1977 and has worked in Audio Visual Services, the Office of Student Aid, and the Office of the University Registrar. She holds a bachelor's degree from Penn State in General Arts and Sciences with a Social Science option and is currently pursuing a master's degree at Penn State.

Roberta resides in State College with her husband, Keith, and son. She enjoys singing in the church choir, crocheting and quilting, and attending her son's basketball games. She lives by the “Three R’s” creed: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for your actions.

Scholars with questions regarding their status in the college are encouraged to drop by or make an appointment to meet with Roberta. You may reach her at rhh1@psu.edu.

Marion Dennis, coordinator of information technology services, joined the Schreyer Honors College staff in December of 2003. He came to SHC from Optical Image Technologies, where he worked as a quality assurance coordinator and network administrator. Prior to his experience with Optical Image Technologies, Marion was the senior systems engineer at Omnicorp/Enron and a senior technical consultant at Swan Technologies. In addition to his 18 years of experience in information technology, Marion is a member of the International Association of Computer Information Systems.

An accomplished musician, Marion aspires to become a voice instructor. He also plays the violin, viola, trumpet and guitar. Marion’s other hobbies include gardening, landscape design, and weightlifting. An avid fan of history, especially the Colonial American time period, he and wife, Beth, enjoy Christmas seasons in Williamsburg, VA. They also enjoy spending time with their cats, Shorty & Miss Lilly. You can reach Marion at mdennis@psu.edu.

Tammy Williams, development coordinator, joined the Honors College in January 2007. She started her career at Penn State in 2000 with the Office of University Development and while there worked in several roles supporting the fundraising efforts for the Honors College, Student Affairs, Undergraduate Education, International Programs, and Educational Equity. In her new position, Tammy works closely with Marc McMullin developing the college's fundraising plans and implementing programs for special reunions, parent volunteers, and regional alumni groups.

When not following various women’s volleyball teams with her husband, Dave, Tammy is often visiting her daughters, working in her gardens, reading, or redecorating her house. She is noted for her annual cookie blitz where she and a friend bake thousands of cookies around Christmastime as gifts for family and friends. You can contact Tammy at tawilliams@psu.edu.

Chris Arbutina, college relations coordinator, has been a member of the SHC staff since February 2007. Prior to joining the honors college, Chris worked at Penn State Outreach in Continuing Education and with Penn State Public Broadcasting. Her background also includes journalism (she was the features editor at the Centre Daily Times) and nonprofit marketing and volunteer management. In the SHC, Chris' role is to promote the college to prospective students and their families and regularly update alumni and friends of the college's news and activities.

Chris is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, weed whacks her perennial gardens each fall in the hopes that lush blooming plants will follow in the spring, enjoys knitting (but can't yet purl), and can make apple strudel from scratch. She enjoys many outdoor activities, including kayaking and cross-country skiing. You can contact Chris with questions at chrisarbutina@psu.edu.

Lisa Kerchinski, coordinator of career development, is responsible for career and professional programming as well as counseling and advising Scholars regarding internships, scholarships, graduate school applications, and job searches. Lisa joined Penn State in 2003 as a graduate program coordinator and continuing education instructor at The Lancaster Center. At University Park, Lisa has served as the internship coordinator for the College of the Liberal Arts, a career coach for the Smeal MBA program, and as the assistant director of alumni career services. Prior to joining Penn State, Lisa was employed in higher education in career development, student affairs, development, and continuing education.

Lisa earned her bachelor's degree in communications at Bowling Green State University and her master's degree in higher education administration at Indiana University. You can reach Lisa via e-mail at esk10@psu.edu.

Corinna Bressler, business manager and stewardship coordinator, began her career at Penn State in 1992 in the College of Agriculture. Throughout her tenure, she has worked in various colleges on the University Park campus. Her responsibilities include managing the SHC’s financial records and scholarships and serving as office manager. You can contact Corinna with financial questions at cxz7@psu.edu.

Carol Gardner, administrative assistant to the dean, came to the Schreyer Honors College in March 1998. She began her career at Penn State in 1985 and has worked in Intercollegiate Athletics, the Center for Sports Medicine, and the Eberly College of Science before coming to the SHC. Carol’s primary responsibility is providing support to the dean. She manages the dean’s calendar and assists the dean with strategic planning, budget, and annual reports. She provides administrative support to the SHC Faculty Advisory Committee and the External Advisory Board, as well as various committees and task forces. In addition, she is responsible for mentoring the Director’s Council and their administrative staff to improve team and college productivity.

Carol enjoys spending time with her family, vacationing at the beach, reading, and spoiling her grandkids. You can contact Carol with questions at clg3@psu.edu.

Lori Campbell, administrative assistant to the associate dean, has worked for the college since December 2001. Her job involves working with honors curriculum, keeping the associate dean's calendar, organizing the integrated undergraduate/graduate programs, and assisting with managing several major events throughout the year.

Lori lives in Centre Hall, and has worked for PSU for 20 years. She completed her bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Sociology in Fall 2007. She enjoys spending time with her grandbaby, and is an active member in the Central PA Stang Gang. You can contact Lori at LoriSHC@psu.edu.

Rosanna Mersinger, staff assistant, provides administrative support to the Director of Administrative Operations and the Coordinator of Student Programs. Her other responsibilities include: assisting Scholars with general housing concerns, sending the weekly listserv announcements, and also serving as support to the four Schreyer Honors College Scholar Assistants. If you have questions or concerns in any of these areas, stop by her desk in C-005 Atherton Hall.

Rosanna lives in Coburn with her husband Duane. They have two daughters and four grandchildren. She is very active in fundraising events which support her local fire company and she enjoys reading. Feel free to stop by and say hello when you are in Atherton Hall. You may contact Rosanna at rlm29@psu.edu.

Margene Dillon, staff assistant, joined the Schreyer Honors College staff in August 2005. She comes to the SHC from Penn State’s Office of Donor Relations and Special Events where she worked since July 2000. Her responsibilities include providing support to the director of development and alumni relations and the development coordinator.

Margene and her husband reside in the Julian area. She has three grown children, two sons and one daughter. Her interests outside the office include family, church and community volunteering. She is a volunteer at Mount Nittany Medical Center, Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society, and Relay for Life of Centre Hall. She and her husband enjoy traveling to Ocean City, MD and New York City during the holiday season. You may reach Margene at mld13@psu.edu.

Lynne O’Cain, staff assistant. Lynne joined the Schreyer Honors College in August 2005 after working at HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital in Pleasant Gap for fourteen years. Her responsibilities include assisting Scholars with Honors Option/Independent Study forms and Thesis Proposal Reports. She also provides assistance to the coordinator of student records with graduation checkouts and thesis submissions as well as with planning and organizing the medals ceremonies. Lynne also greets visitors and responds to inquiries regarding the college.

Lynne spent over five years living abroad while serving in the U.S. Air Force and enjoys sharing travel stories with the students. She lives in Howard with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs. She is a volunteer twirling instructor for the Aristokat Twirling Corps and is involved with the Bald Eagle Area Music Boosters. You may reach Lynne at lmo11@psu.edu.

Karen Fedisson, staff assistant to the Coordinator of Selection and International Programs joined the honors college in January 2007, after working nearly nineteen years at Supelco. She lives in Pleasant Gap with her husband Joe, daughter Michelle, and tabby cat “Baby.” Her son Michael lives nearby in Zion with his wife Amanda and son James. Karen has an identical twin sister and two other sisters. She is a member of the Centre Hall Lions Club and enjoys playing bingo. You may contact Karen at kef10@psu.edu.