Meet Our Faculty & Staff

Gerard Brandon, Ph.D., SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Director & Associate Professor
gerard.brandon@villanova.edu
(610) 519-8861

Dr. Gerry Brandon holds both an MS and a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and a BA in Psychology. Gerry is currently the Director of the Graduate Programs in HRD at Villanova University, and is an Associate Professor in the program. He has over 17 years of experience as an HR manager while working for the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), as well as prior experience teaching at Gettysburg College. Connect with him on LinkedIn!

Lawrence Cozzens, Ph.D., SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Assistant Director, Academic Administration & Assistant Professor
lawrence.cozzens@villanova.edu
(610) 519-3968

Dr. Larry Cozzens earned his Ph.D. in Human and Organization Development, an MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University and a BS in Business Administration. Larry is an experienced learning and organization development professional with expertise in online learning. He has served in a variety of roles throughout his career, including Performance Consultant and Regional Training Manager at McKesson, Organization Development Consultant at SAP, Organization Development Manager at SmithKline Beecham, Account Manager at Zenger-Miller and HR Generalist at CIGNA. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Bethany J. Adams, MA, SHRM-SCP
Assistant Director, Faculty Development & Student Support
bethany.j.adams@villanova.edu
(610) 519-8336

Bethany holds a BA in Psychology and a MA in Organizational Management. She is currently the Assistant Director of Faculty Development and Student Support in Villanova's HRD program. She previously has worked for Blue Baker, LLC as the HR Director and Starbucks Coffee Company as a General Manager and Corporate Trainer.  She has experience teaching in both an online and traditional classroom for Villanova University and Blinn College. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Marie Pelcin
Senior Administrative Assistant
marie.pelcin@villanova.edu
(610) 519-4770

Marie holds a BA in Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania and a MS in Adult Learning and Leadership from Kansas State University.  She is currently the senior administrative assistant for Villanova’s HRD program and has served in various roles in higher education administration and academic publishing throughout her career. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Katina Sawyer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
katina.sawyer@villanova.edu
(610) 519-8915

Dr. Katina Sawyer earned her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Women’s Studies, and holds a BS in Psychology from Villanova University. Katina is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate Programs in HRD within the Psychology Department at Villanova University. Katina also has extensive experience in HR consulting, having previously worked with SHL-Previsor, as well as being a team member on numerous independent consulting projects. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Christian Thoroughgood, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
christian.thoroughgood@villanova.edu
(610) 519-6280

Dr. Christian Thoroughgood holds both a Ph.D. and an MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and a BA in Psychology and Economics. Christian is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate Programs in HRD within the Psychology Department at Villanova University. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

David Bush, Ph.D.
Founding Director
david.bush@villanova.edu

Dr. David Bush holds a PhD in Psychology and an MA in Psychology. 

David is the founding Director of Villanova University’s Master of Science in Human Resource Development program. He has 30 years of experience working with change management in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and chemicals to manufacturing and transportation. He recently published the Handbook of HR Metrics and has co-authored a volume on healthcare communication and quality. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Doug Allen, MS, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
douglas.allen@villanova.edu

Doug holds an MS in Counseling Psychology and a BS in Education. He has over 30 years of HR experience. Currently, Doug is a Management Consultant and Certified Executive Coach. Previously, Doug was the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for a large health care system located in New Jersey. He has been an adjunct faculty member at Villanova for over 20 years. In 2015, he was named the Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Christopher Barton, MBA, SPHR
christopher.barton@villanova.edu

Christopher holds an MBA in Global Business and a BS in Business Finance. Chris is the President and Founder of outplacement, career transition and training firm Barton Career Advisors. Chris is a former Fortune 100 financial services executive and has more than 25 years of experience working with professionals of all levels at some of the nation’s top companies. These include credit card giant MBNA America where he was SVP, Director of HR Strategies and Recruitment and Citizen’s Financial Group where he ran recruitment in an eight state region. Chris served as Chief Administrative Officer for entrepreneurial venture ComputerTraining.com, where he led Human Resources, Call Center Operations and Sales. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Keith Black, J.D.
keith.black@villanova.edu

Keith received a B.A. in Labor and Industrial Relations from Penn State University and a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law. Keith is currently Vice-President of Human Resources for Philadelphia Media Network, owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. Previously, he practiced labor and employment law, and worked for the legal department of Zeneca Corporation (later AstraZeneca), serving as the dedicated legal representative for the human resources functions of the organization's three distinct business units. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Melinda Bremley, Ph.D.
melinda.bremley@villanova.edu

Melinda holds a BS in Industrial Psychology and an MS and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Melinda brings over 20 years of professional consulting experience to the Bremley Partners team. She has extensive experience helping organizations set up and maintain strong, predictive assessment systems. Melinda research interests include the analysis of personality, leadership, and problem-solving skills and their impact on executive success. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Ronald Harris Bordelon, MS, PHR, CPM
ronald.bordelon@villanova.edu

Ron holds an MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University, and is ABD earning a Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Organizational Development from the Indiana Institute of Technology. He is Deputy Superintendent and Chief Facilities Officer for the Louisiana Department of Education Recovery School District. Ron brings a unique blend of both public and private sector approaches to organizational development. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Suzann C. Boylan, MS, SPHR
suzann.boylan@villanova.edu

Sue received her BA in Psychology from Montclair State University and her MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University. Sue is currently an HR Executive Advisor at SAP SuccessFactors helping clients to maximize the value of integrated Human Resource planning.  Sue is a valued speaker and panelist in HR Forums, including her role as a keynote speaker at the Workforce Analytics Conference, presentations at the HR CHRO Summit, and more. With over 30 years of global HR executive experience, Sue has worked across multiple industries including financial services, regulated uilities, insurance, pharmaceutical and software/services.  Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Lisabeth E. Capozzi, MS
lisabeth.capozzi@villanova.edu

Lisabeth holds a BA in Psychology and an MS in Experimental Psychology concentrated in Organizational Psychology from Villanova University, and is presently pursuing her doctoral degree in Adult Education. Her current research interests include organizational creativity, creating meaning in higher education through arts based knowing, and complexity science. Lisabeth has over 20 years of experience in the field of training and development in Fortune 500 companies in technology, communications, banking, manufacturing and engineering. Lisabeth served as Director of Human Resources for Comcast from 2006 - 2012. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Maureen Curley, MS, MA, CPLP
maureen.curley@villanova.edu

Maureen holds a BA in Psychology, an MA in Liberal Studies, and an MS in Human Resource Development. Maureen has over 10 years of experience in the learning and development field, focusing on instructional design and learning systems.  She is currently a Senior Trainer at PJM Interconnection. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Amanda Cushman, MS, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Amanda is currently a Ph.D. candidate majoring in Business Administration, specializing in Industrial Organizational Psychology. She also holds a M.S. in HR Development, B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies, and is SPHR and SHRM-SCP certified. Amanda currently works on the Product Strategy team in the HR Services department at Conduent, Inc. Her expertise in RFP creation/management, business case creation, business process redesign/improvement, change management,  communications, and employee training has enabled her to lead project teams to successfully go-live and maintain over twenty different business and HR-related projects throughout her career. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Barbara Lee Davidson, Ph.D., MBA
barbara.davidson@villanova.edu

Dr. Barbara Davidson earned her Ph.D. in Group Processes and Adult Education, and her MBA in Industrial Relations and Organizational Behavior, from Temple University. Barbara is an HR and Organizational Effectiveness Executive and Consultant with significant successes designing and implementing programs across all functional areas of HR and OE. In addition to her consulting activities for both not-for-profit and for-profit organizations, Barbara participates with the Board of the Philadelphia HR Planning Society as an active member of the Programs Committee. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Paul DeCecco, MS HRD, MS Counseling 
paul.dececco@villanova.edu

Paul is a graduate of the MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University, holds a Master of Science in Counseling, and a BS in Psychology. Paul is a Talent Management Specialist at Arkema in King of Prussia, PA.  While at Arkema, he has had project work in employee engagement, management of the Online Learning Management System and also manages the Education Assistance Program for Arkema. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!  

Jodi Dickinson, MS
jodi.dickinson@villanova.edu

Jodi is a graduate of the MS in Human Resource Development program from Villanova University and holds a BS degree in Psychology. Jodi has worked in the HR field for more than 20 years and is currently the Senior Vice President of HR for the Nobel Learning Communities, Inc, and also serves on the Board of Directors for Penn State - Brandywine. Previously, she served as the Associate Vice President of Human Resources for ARAMARK, and served on the Board of Directors for CityLit and Philly SHRM. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Melodie Dorminy, MBA
melodie.dorminy@villanova.edu

Melodie holds her MBA in Management Information Systems and a BS in Accounting. Melodie is a human resource professional with over 30 years of experience in Human Resource and Finance roles.  She has worked in various  industries in a variety of roles, including pharmaceutical, consulting, utilities, and manufacturing.  Her expertise lies in HRIS systems including project planning, implementations, acquisitions and divestitures.  She is currently a Global HRIS Reporting and Analytics Manager for a pharmaceutical company. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Angela Francesco, JD, SPHR, GPHR
angela.francesco@villanova.edu

Angela holds her Juris Doctorate (JD) and earned her bachelor’s degree from Villanova University. Angela is a teacher and consultant with extensive experience in human resource management. In addition to leading certificate and degree courses at Villanova University, she is a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Ms. Francesco was previously employed as Vice President of Human Resources for a pharmaceutical company. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

John Garber, MS, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CSP
john.garberjr@villanova.edu

John holds an MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University, Post Masters in Advanced Human Resources Applications from Villanova University, an MS in Training and Organization Development, and a BS in Occupational Health and Safety. John is Managing Director at KMRD Partners, Inc., where he specializes in human capital strategies, organization development, enterprise risk management, talent management, and learning & development services across a variety of industry sectors. He has published numerous articles on human resources, risk management and safety topics and is a contributing author to the Employment Labor Law Audit (ELLA). Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Brendan D. Hennessy, JD
brendan.hennessy@villanova.edu

Brendan earned his Juris Doctorate (JD), and holds a BS in History. He is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Brendan serves as an adjunct professor teaching employment law. In addition to teaching, he actively practices law on behalf of employers and employees.  In the past ten years, he has handled hundreds of cases representing clients in court as well as before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC). Brendan also serves as a pro bono mediator with the EEOC. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Deborah J. Hormann, MS, PHR, CHCR
deborah.hormann@villanova.edu

Deborah holds her MS in Human Organizational Science/Human Resource Development from Villanova University and a BS in Business Administration. Deborah is a human resource professional with over 30 years of experience working within a wide variety of industries and sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing and real estate. Her expertise lies in recruitment, training, management, employee relations, career coaching, compliance, project management and leadership development. She is currently a Sr. Talent Strategist; her client work focuses on talent management and leadership development. She has been employed at The Children’s Hospital for 12 years. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Philip Kenney, MS
philip.kenney@villanova.edu

Philip holds both an MS and a BS in Human Resources Management. Philip's roles have included serving as the Vice President of Human Resources for Vitality Foodservice, Vice President of Human Resources for Lykes Bros., and various regional HR roles with Owens Illinois. Philip's HR career extends over 29 years in manufacturing, consumer goods, transportation and education with specific experience in HR regulatory compliance, benefits administration, talent management, human capital development, labor relations and strategic HR development. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Joseph Kwiatkowski, MBA
joseph.kwiatkowski@villanova.edu

Joe received his undergraduate degree in Management and Marketing and his MBA in Organizational Dynamics University of Pennsylvania.  Joe holds additional degrees in Information Technology, Industrial Engineering and Bank Finance.  

Currently, Joe is the COO of Pinnacle Commodities Exchange, where he co-designed and implemented this international company that specialized in brokering multiple grades of crude oil between foreign corporations, foreign corporations and US companies, other international commodities brokers and government officials. Prior to this role, Joe has worked in a variety of positions in the financial industry, including VP of Bank of Delaware, VP for American Express Centurion Bank, Senior VP of MBNA America, and Senior VP of Strategic Operations Development and IT at Credit Suisse. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Lyle Leritz, Ph.D.
lyle.leritz@villanova.edu

Dr. Leritz earned his Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, a BA in Psychology and an MS focused on Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis. Lyle is a Research Manager at the Economic Research Institute. Lyle has worked as a researcher and product manager at ERI since 2004 focusing on salary surveys, executive compensation, cost of living, and job analysis. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Diane Lirio, MS, SPHR
diane.lirio@villanova.edu

Diane holds a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations and an MS in Organizational Dynamics. Diane is the VP of Compensation at the Bancorp. Prior to that, she was with Vanguard since 1995. Previously she worked in the compensation field for a number of Philadelphia-area firms, including QVC, Albert Einstein Hospital, and Atlantic Financial. Diane currently serves on the Board of Directors of PEBA (Penjerdel Employee Benefits and Compensation Association) and was president of the board in 2011 and 2012. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Allen McMillin, MS, PHR
allen.mcmillin@villanova.edu

Allen earned his MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University, and holds a BS in Labor and Industrial Relations. Allen currently works as the Director of Compensation at Rite Aid Corporation and has had a long career in healthcare human resources, working for the University of Maryland Medical System, Crozer- Keystone Health System and LifeBridge Health as the Manager of Compensation.  In addition to his full time career, Allen is an adjunct faculty member at Villanova University and teaches courses in HR Metrics/Statistics and Compensation in the MS in Human Resource Development program. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Joseph Micucci, MA, MS
joseph.micucci@villanova.edu

Joseph holds a BA in Philosophy and an MA in Education both from Villanova University, as well as an MS in Human Resources. Joseph is currently Associate Executive Director of the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor, an organization that services the needy and disenfranchised in South Philadelphia. Joe has been an active practitioner in the field of HR for over 35 years. He has served on the Pennsylvania Governor’s Healthcare Leadership Council, the Governor’s Allied Health Taskforce and as the lead HR practitioner with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Healthcare Industry Partnership. He was the named “Distinguished Human Resource Professional of the Year” by the Society of Healthcare Human Resource Professionals of Pennsylvania. Joseph has taught classes at Villanova University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Immaculata University. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Anabel Pichler, MS
anabel.pichler@villanova.edu

Anabel holds an MS degree in Public Administration. She is the VP of Compensation and Benefits at Armstrong World Industries, where she is responsible for thinking differently about Armstrong’s Total Rewards and developing innovative strategy, design, and communication of worldwide Compensation and Benefits programs. Prior to joining Armstrong, Anabel had enterprise-wide leadership of DuPont’s executive compensation programs. Anabel has over 20 years of experience in Total Rewards and Human Resources, both in consulting and corporate environments, in public companies and privately-held companies. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Joseph Piergiovanni, M.Ed, SPHR
joseph.piergiovanni@villanova.edu

Joseph earned his M.Ed. in Instructional Systems from Penn State University and a BA in Communication Arts from Villanova University. Joe is a learning and development professional with over 20 years of human resources management and development experience. He has held leadership positions in the manufacturing, technology, and financial services industries. He currently leads the Project Management Office in Vanguard University®. Joe’s areas of interest include: instructional design, rapid design, and Agile for Learning development. Joe has over 15 years’ experience in both traditional and online adjunct faculty roles. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Richard Powell, MBA
richard.powell@villanova.edu

Richard has an MS in Finance and a BS in Economics. Richard is a financial professional with extensive experience in the financial services industry. Some of his past positions include, Vice President, Controller, Accounting Manager, Information Systems Coordinator, Senior Financial Representative and Trainer.  He has taught in the on campus program since 1999 and in the distance learning program since 2010. In addition, Richard has taught Finance at Ursinus College. 

Janet Steinwedel, Ph.D.
janet.steinwedel@villanova.edu

Dr. Janet Steinwedel is the President of Leader’s Insight, an Executive Coaching and Leadership Effectiveness consultancy, a business she started in 2005 after 20 years in HR holding senior positions in leadership development, change and OD. She has her Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University and some post doctoral studies in Jungian psychology. She is a published author of The Golden Key to Executive Coaching which is an integration of analytical psychology and leadership coaching. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Patricia A. Sullivan, Ph.D., SPHR, SHRM-SCP
patricia.sullivan@villanova.edu

Dr. Patricia Sullivan is Founder and CEO of Profit by Design, HR Consulting (PDHR), specializing in leadership coaching and development.  With over 20 years in leadership roles, as a human resources executive she has led results driven projects in ISO and FDA regulated industries, with a culture focus on high performing organizations.  Dr. Sullivan's research is in leadership effectiveness, self-awareness and organizational commitment. Dr. Sullivan earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Adult Education; she was awarded undergraduate and graduate degrees from Temple University, majoring in HR Management. Connect with her here on LinkedIn!

Enio E. Velazco, Ph.D.

enio.velazco@villanova.edu

Dr. Enio Velazco holds both a Ph.D. and an MS degree from Case Western Reserve University, an MS degree from Rutgers University, and a BS degree from Universidad de Lima. He did post-doctoral work at the Harvard Business School, the Wharton Business School, and the Center for Creative Leadership.

Enio has over 25 years of global human resource executive and leadership experience. He currently provides human resources and business transformation advisory services at SAP. Prior to joining the German multinational, he led global HR transformations in the manufacturing, technology, and consulting industries. He partnered in the design and rollout of several enterprise-wide talent management, leadership development, post-merger integration, organizational restructuring, learning, and culture transformation programs. Enio is a popular conference speaker, a published author, and a board director. His areas of interest include strategic human resources, talent management, learning, organizational development, and business analytics. Connect with him on LinkedIn!

Ed Wallace, MBA
edward.g.wallace@villanova.edu

Ed is President and Chief Relationship Officer of The Relational Capital Group. He  consults with and speaks for corporations and associations across the globe with a client list that is a Who’s Who of Fortune 500 companies. He is the author of Fares to Friends, Creating Relational Capital, Business Relationships That Last,  and his most recent #1 Bestseller The Relationship Engine. In addition, Ed is currently on the Executive Education faculty of Drexel’s LeBow College of Business and Villanova University’s Human Resources Master’s program. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!

Matthew B. White, MBA, SPHR
matthew.white@villanova.edu

Matthew holds an MBA from Villanova University, and a BS in Psychology. Matthew is currently the Director of Human Resources - North America for BDP International, and formerly the Director of HR at Aqua America. Matt has specialized experience and knowledge in the functional areas of Employee/Labor Relations, HRIS/Payroll Systems, Compensation/Classification, Recruitment, Benefits, Budgeting, Training and Change Management.  He possesses a strong background in counseling, coaching and mentoring employees, Managers and Company Officers. Connect with him here on LinkedIn!