FACULTY AND STAFF
Program Director
Kate Meloney has served as the director of the Villanova Program at SCI–Phoenix (formerly SCI-Graterford) since August 2015. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Lewis & Clark College, and a Master of Social Services and a Master of Law and Social Policy, both from the Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. In addition to her responsibilities as director of the program, Meloney serves as the academic advisor to all students at SCI–Phoenix. With her extensive education in social work and more than 20 years of experience working with incarcerated individuals, Meloney brings an incredibly valuable perspective to the program, rooted in a comprehensive understanding of the prison system and a respect for the value and dignity of all individuals.
Assistant Director
Matthew Puffer, PhD, joined the Villanova Program at SCI-Phoenix as assistant director in July 2025. He was previously associate professor of Humanities and Ethics in Christ College, the Honors College at Valparaiso University, and has held fellowships and visiting positions at Westminster College, University of Cambridge, as an Imbesi Family Fellow in the Augustinian Institute and as a Catherine of Siena Fellow in the Ethics Program at Villanova, and as a postdoctoral fellow at the UVA Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. He holds a PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from NC State.