Our Department has approximately 5,000 living alumni, many of whom retain ties and connections to the Department. Several of our alumni have helped to arrange career and internship opportunities for our current students. Hundreds support the Department’s undergraduate programs through cash gifts, which fund various enrichment opportunities for our students (study abroad, internships, and research expenses). Many others have agreed to lend an ear and provide advice to current students, by participating in the Alumni Mentorship and Advising Program.
The following alumni have agreed to serve as informal advisors to our current students. The biographical information we provide below gives a guide to the experiences each person has had since leaving Penn State. If the individual has provided contact information, we have included it here with the understanding that students and recent Penn State graduates who have questions about career paths, courses, internships, or other related items may contact them.
Note that the list is arranged in alphabetical order. Our alumni include a great number of professionals in the law and related fields, in government or in positions where they deal with government, and in various private sector places of employment. Please read through the entire list and find an alumnus/a or several alumni who have career experiences you would like to know more about. Then feel free to contact them with your questions.
Note to students: Please review the materials below and be respectful of the time that you request of our volunteer alumni. These individuals are looking forward to hearing from you and willing to answer your questions. As former Penn Staters themselves, they have a feel for what you’ve gone through and are willing to help you think about careers or other questions. Good luck!
Note to alums: These biographical statements come from what you have sent us, and have been edited for consistency of format. If you would like to have your name removed, edit or change your entry, or know another alumnus/a who would like to join the program, please email Donna Bahry, Professor and Head, at dlb46@psu.edu.
Amy Appleton Ruth
Amy Appleton Ruth is an attorney for AT&T Prepaid Card Organization. She drafts and reviews contracts, negotiates contracts, supervises and assists outside counsel in negotiating and drafting contracts with a leading consulting firm, analyzes state legislation relating to advertising of prepaid phone cards and modifying corporate practices for compliance, reviews and edits advertising/marketing materials, and researches and prepares legal memoranda on issues under New York law. A recent graduate of Pennsylvania State University, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with minors in French and International Studies in 1996. Ms. Ruth attended The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law (Washington, D.C.) and earned her Juris Doctorate (Cum Laude) and Comparative and International Law Institute Certificate in 1999. Ms. Ruth’s previous experiences are an indication of how she has prepared for her current position. She has previously interned at MBNA America Bank, Law Department and the American Society of International Law, researching and preparing legal memoranda and analyzing documents. She is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and New York.
Andrew Kreider
kreider.andrew@epa.gov
(w) 215-814-3301
Andrew Kreider is a project manager in the brownfields program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office in Philadelphia, PA. He is responsible for managing approximately $4 million in federal grants to state & local governments and redevelopment authorities for the environmental investigation of contaminated properties across the Mid-Atlantic region. Prior to joining the Philadelphia office, he worked for 5 years at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC, where he
cooperated with private industry on greenhouse gas emissions reductions,coordinated audit reviews of the Superfund program, and represented EPA as a speaker at several national and international conferences. Before beginning his career at EPA, he spent a summer doing grassroots organizing for an environmental nonprofit in the San Francisco, CA area. He graduated from PSU in 1996 as a University/Schreyer Scholar with a B.A. in Political Science. Outside of work, he currently serves as a
member and the immediate past Chair of his township's Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) where he is coordinating fundraising and volunteer efforts to convert a 25-acre parcel of open space into a
community park for passive recreation and nature education.
Ann M. Gedmark
ann_m_gedmark@yahoo.com
Ann Gedmark received her B.A. in Foreign Service and International Politics as well as a minor in Spanish in 1991 from Penn State. In 1996, she received her M.A. in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh. From 1991 until 1993, Ann worked as an administrative assistant for the International Dairy Foods Association. From 1993 to 1994, she worked as a research assistant for Datex, Inc. and was under contract to the US Agency for International Development, Center for the Environment, Office of Energy. She was a consultant for DevTech in 1995 and was a research analyst for Longwood Information Services in 1998. From 1998 until 1999, Ann was a research analyst for the Catholic University of America. From 1999-2000, she provided a similar service to the University of Utah and the Department of Institutional Analysis. From August through November of 2000, Ann worked as a systems analyst for Infovision, Inc. Currently, Ann is Chief Operating Officer and a systems analyst for Alta Interactive, Inc in Utah.
Brian J. Clark
clarkbj@bipc.com
(w) 717-237-4823
Brian Clark is a shareholder with the Harrisburg office of the law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll. He heads the Environmental Practice Group in Harrisburg and also is a member of the Government Relation Group. Mr. Clark has a diverse and extensive practice that covers three primary areas: environmental counseling, administrative and commercial litigation and governmental relations. He concentrates his practices on counseling clients on commercial transactions involving complex environmental regulatory matters and energy management issues. Mr. Clark chairs the Environmental Affairs Committee of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and serves on the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board Rules Committee. Mr. Clark is also on the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Resources Council. Mr. Clark formerly was Majority Counsel to the Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. In this capacity, he drafted major state environmental laws, including the state Superfund Act, the Storage Act, and the Municipal Waste Planning, Waste Reduction and Recycling Act. An active lecturer on environmental topics for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Chamber of Business and Industry, he has authored a variety of articles, book chapters and handbooks. Recently, Mr. Clark co-authored an article published in The Legal Intelligencer, entitled “Using Pollution Legal Liability Insurance to Protect Purchasers from Claims.”
Bruce R. Miller
Brm11@psu.edu
19871 PSU graduate in Political Science, Bruce Miller was founder and President of the Employee Benefits Corporation of America, McLean, VA. EBCA markets group insurance plans in the Mid-Atlantic region, including health, life, dental, and disability insurance. He is Chairman of the Liberal Arts Development Council, and a member of the Mount Nittany Society and the executive committee of the National Council for Penn State Philanthropy. He is a member and past Chair of the Political Science Board of Visitors. Along with Dean D. LaVigne, he endowed the Bruce R. Miller and Dean D. LaVigne Graduate Fellowship and the Bruce R. Miller and Dean D. LaVigne Distinguished Graduate Fellowship in Political Science, and the Bruce R. Miller and Dean D. LaVigne Endowed Scholarship in Political Science; he also supports the Center for the Performing Arts, the Blue Band, and Penn State Athletics.
Carole Lewis Anderson
clanderson@suburbancapital.com
(w) 301-340-2266
Carole Lewis Anderson holds a BA degree from Pennsylvania State University (1966) and an MBA in Finance from New York University (1976). Ms. Anderson is a Principal of Suburban Capital Markets, Inc. and President of MASDUN Capital Advisors. From June 1988 to November 1990, Ms. Anderson was President and Chief Executive Officer of MNC Investment Bank and Managing Director. She was a director of MNC Commercial and an advisory director of MNC Ventures. Prior to joining MNC Investment Bank as a Managing Director in May 1987, Ms. Anderson served for two years as Senior Vice President for Corporate Development of Hasbro, Inc. Earlier, she was Managing Director, Mergers and Acquisitions, at PaineWebber, Inc. in New York City. She was chosen Alumna of the Year (1987) by Penn State University and Alumni Fellow (1990) by the Penn State Alumni Association, as Woman of the Year (1985) by Savvy Magazine and was named to the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers (1984). She was a founder and director of the Forum for Women Corporate Directors in New York City. As a Penn State Fellow she has taught and chaired seminars. Ms. Anderson served as a Director of VICORP Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ) from 1994 to 2001. She is a Trustee (and former Chair of the Executive Committee) of the Hasbro Children's Foundation. Ms. Anderson was a member of the Board of Trustees of the AARP Mutual Funds, managed by Scudder Kemper (1995-2000) and of the Corporate Advisory Council of WREI, The Women's Research and Education Institute in Washington (1995-2000). As a Trustee of Mary Baldwin College (1987-1997) she served on the Governor's Task Force for the establishment of the Virginia Women’s Institute of Leadership (VWIL) in 1993, and served as a member of the Joint Advisory Council for VWIL. She was a Member of the Board of the Association for Corporate Growth of Washington, DC from 1993 to 1996 and of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) of Maryland in the mid-1990s.
Channing W. Riggs
criggs@pillsbury.com
(w) 612-330-4763
Channing W. Riggs earned a dual major in Political Science and Economics from Penn State University in 1982. He is currently the Director of Government Affairs for Pillsbury, responsible for federal, state and local government affairs. Prior to joining Pillsbury, Mr. Riggs lived in Washington, DC working for the Department of Transportation and Nestle doing a range of public affairs and government affairs jobs. Additionally, Mr. Riggs spent 18 months at Nestle headquarters in Switzerland learning about worldwide operations.
Charles M. Oberly, III
coberly@ojlaw.com
(w) 302-576-2000
Charles M. Oberly, III, received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Penn State University in 1966. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School. He is a Partner in the Law Firm of Oberly & Jennings, P.A. His field of specialty is commercial, corporate and civil litigation, government relations, internal corporate investigations and criminal defense. He is a member of the Society of Attorneys General Emeritus Network. He has also argued before the Supreme Court, arguing Delaware v. Prouse, in 1979. He is currently an instructor at the University of Delaware, in the College of Criminal Justice. He is the founder and Co-editor of Delaware Law Monthly, a publication begun in 1979, which reports all the significant decisions of Delaware’s Courts.
Charles Wellman Mitchell
cmitchel@lww.com
(h) 410-823-0830
(w) 410-528-4211
Charles Wellman Mitchell earned his B.A. from Penn State University in both History and Political Science. He later went on to earn an M.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland. Mr. Mitchell is currently Executive Editor at Lipincott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to that, he was Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Urban & Schwarzenberg Medical Publishers. In addition to that Mr. Mitchell is a Freelance Writer for the Baltimore Sun and has been keynote speaker at several events. Furthermore, he has served as an instructor at the Community College of Baltimore and has contributed to numerous publications.
Christian P. Marrone
http://www.defenselink.mil/dodgc/olc/
(h) 703-697-1172
(w) 703-697-1305
Christian Marrone holds a BA degree from Pennsylvania State University (1997), an MGA in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania (2002) and law degree from Temple University School of Law (2002). Mr. Marrone is currently serving President George W. Bush as the Director of the Office of Legislative Counsel of the Department of Defense and is the youngest serving member of the Senior Executive Service within the Department. In this position, Marrone has two primary missions. First, he is responsible for the Department's legislative program, which includes developing, coordinating, and submitting annually the largest and most complex piece of legislation in the Federal Government -- the National Defense Authorization Act. Mr. Marrone's second mission is to serve as legal counsel to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. In this role, he is responsible for managing the Department's compliance with Congress' oversight requests. Prior to serving in this position, Mr. Marrone served in the Bush Administration as Counsel to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. Before joining the Bush administration, Mr. Marrone served as Legal Counsel to the 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee and Legal Counsel to the Pennsylvania State Republican Committee for the Victory '04 Bush/Cheney Campaign. From August of 2002 to May of 2004 Mr. Marrone served as an Assistant District Attorney in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Prior to his work as a prosecutor, Marrone worked for five years as the Special Assistant to the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee. He was the recipient of the Philadelphia Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award in 2002 and the Pennsylvania State University Scholar Athlete Award for Academic Excellence from the Student Advisory Board. Mr. Marrone has had a law article published in Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is a member of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, the Phi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, the 1995 Rose Bowl Championship Team, and the 1995 Big Ten Conference Championship Football Team.
Craig W. Fisher
craigfisher@yahoo.com
Craig Fisher (graduated from Penn State with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in Middle East Studies. From 1994-1996, Craig provided Internet services for the Seta Corporation to the Us Agency for International Development (USAID). From 1996-1997, he was a Senior Internet Applications Developer within Legal Information Services for MCI Corporation. From 1997-1998, Craig was the Web Team Manager (Small Projects and Hosting) for the NDC Group, which is now Xpedior. From 1998-1999, he became a Partnership Manager for Allaire and was also certified a s an Allaire instructor for the NDC Group. From April 1999 until December of 2000, Craig was the managing director of training and web development for Project Control Solutions, Inc. Today, Craig is President and CEO of Alta Interactive, Inc., a small web application development and training firm in Utah.
David D. Reel
dreel@hbar.org
(w) 804-282-0400 (Extension 8)
David Reel currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Home Building Association of Richmond in Richmond, Va. He is also President of The Gladstone Group LLC, a management and public affairs consulting firm. He has over thirty years of experience in association management, government service and lobbying. He has received six (6) Association Excellence Achievement Awards from the Executive Officers Council of the National Association of Home Builders. He has been appointed to numerous study commissions and advisory boards on housing issues including The Bucks County Housing Finance Board, The Community Alliance for Affordable Housing, The Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Policy and The Mayor’s Community Housing Development Organizations Selection Committee. He is a Past President of Memphis (TN) Society of Association Executives and the Delaware Valley Society of Association Executives. He is a member of The American Society of Association Executives, the Virginia Society of Association Executives, The Cabinet of the Chesterfield County Business Council, the Executives Roundtable of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce and The Pennsylvania Society. Mr. Reel received a BA in Political Science (With Distinction) at University Park in 1975 and an MPA in Public Administration at Penn State Harrisburg in 1988. He is a Life Member of the Penn State Alumni Association. He is available to provide career information on association management and public affairs.
David Levdansky
dlevdansky@pahouse.net
(w) 412-384-2258 (Elizabeth, PA)
(w) 717-783-1020 (Harrisburg, PA)
David Levdansky received two B.A. degrees from Penn State in 1978; one degree in Political Science and the other in Labor Studies. In 1980, he received his M.A. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Levdansky started out working for the United States Steel Corporation in the late 1970s. He was also a research assistant and organizer for the United Steelworkers of America in Pittsburgh. He then took a job with the Air Line Association in Washington D.C. as an associate economic analyst. He has volunteered for the Mon Valley Unemployed Organizing Committee and was a project staff organizer for the AFL-CIO Co-operative organizing campaign in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has worked as an independent consultant for the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, he is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and serves on following committees: Commerce and Economic Development, Environmental Resources and Energy, Game and Fisheries, Transportation, Democratic Policy, Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee. Mr. Levdansky is also the Chairman for the Subcommittee on Railroads.
David M. Kleppinger
dkleppinger@mwn.com
(w) 717-237-5214
David M. Kleppinger graduated from Penn State University in 1997 with Highest Distinction and received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Temple University School of Law Cum Laude in 1980. Mr. Kleppinger currently chairs the Energy, Communications and Utilities Law Group at the law firm of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC. The ECU Law Group includes fixed utility, government relations, transportation and general administrative and appellate court practices. Mr. Kleppinger’s practice focuses primarily on the fixed utility service area, which includes electricity, natural gas, water and telecommunications. The bulk of his representation is on behalf of larger industrial companies in each of the four primary areas. Mr. Kleppinger has practiced exclusively in the fixed utility area for over 20 years and in that time span has appeared before the state regulatory commissions of several states and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Mr. Kleppinger is also a board member of the Hershey Baseball Association and the Jonathan Eshenour Foundation.
Deborah Miller
debmiller@psualum.com
Deborah Miller received her degree in May 1985 (after having the privilege of studying abroad in Exeter, England and participating in the University Scholars program) and also went on to earn a JD at George Washington University in 1990. After that, she practiced law in Washington DC and worked at West Publishing (a legal publishing company) in Minnesota in various capacities up until May 2002. In May 2002, she joined the US Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer. She served as Vice Consul to the United States Consulate General in St. Petersburg, Russia. Currently she is the Political/Economic Officer for the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. Ms. Miller welcomes any questions from students thinking of taking the foreign service exam and embarking on this career.
Donald DiFrancesco
ddifran@earthlink.net
(w) 908-757-7800
Donald DiFrancesco is a 1966 PSU graduate in Insurance and Real Estate. He is a partner in the law firm of DiFrancesco, Bateman, Coley, Yospin, Kunzman, Davis & Lehrer, Warren, N.J. The firm specializes in representing corporate management in labor and human relations issues as well as general corporate and real estate practices. Mr. DiFrancesco is also the former New Jersey Senate President and former Governor of New Jersey. Member of Sigma Chi Fraternity. Member, Political Science Board of Visitors. Along with his wife, he established the Donald and Diane DiFrancesco Scholarship in the College of the Liberal Arts.
J.D., Seton Hall University
Donald J. Butler
(w) 570-544-6775
Mr. Butler earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Penn State University. Mr. Butler’s military education includes the Quartermaster Officer’s Basic Course, the Quartermaster Officers Advanced Course and Command and General Staff College. Donald J. Butler is the Chief of the Asia,Pacific and Americas Central Case Management Division of the Asia, Pacific & Americas Directorate, United States Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC). He has been employed at USASAC since 1979. His assignments have included: Support Services Supervisor (1979-1980), Chief, ROD Branch (1980), Admin Officer (1981-1982), Supply Technician assigned to the Saudi Arabian Program (1983-1984), Supply Systems Analyst 1984-1989), Case Closeout Monitor (1989-1993), and a Central Case Management Branch Chief (1994-2000). He was commissioned a second lieutenant through ROTC in 1975. His active duty assignments included being a Platoon Leader with the 102nd QM Co. (POL), Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He has also held numerous assignments in the U.S. Army reserve: POL Staff Officer, 378th S&S Battalion (1983-1985), Company Commander 814th Supply Co. (RP)(1985-1988), Chief, Supply & Service Division, 1079th USAR Garrison (1988-1991), Chief, Logistics Services Division, 2374th Signal Detachment (1991-1992) and S4, 367TH MP Group (1993-1994).
Elena Wilken
Currently, Elena Wilken is a corporate trainer for Janus Mutual Funds in Denver, Colorado. As a Corporate Trainer, she develops and delivers a variety of training solutions in addition to providing “needs analysis and facilitation”. Prior to attaining her current position, Ms. Wilken served as a manager in North American Title’s Information Services Department, a tour director for various drum and bugle corps, and a staff researcher for Worldwatch Institute.
Frank W. Deffer
(w) 202-254-4041
Frank Deffer has been the Assistant Inspector General for Information Technology at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since the inception of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in March 2003. He is responsible for conducting audits and evaluations of DHS information technology management and security programs, and reporting on those programs to the DHS Secretary and to the Congress. Prior to that, he was the Director, Information Management Division, Office of Audits, with the Department of State OIG. Before coming to the State Department, from 1984 - 1998, Mr. Deffer served in a number of positions at the U.S. Government Accountability (GAO). While at GAO, as an Assistant Director in the Accounting and Information Management Division, Mr. Deffer directed audits of Defense and government-wide information technology acquisition programs and produced dozens of reports for the U.S. Congress. Mr. Deffer is a graduate of Penn State University, where he earned both his Bachelor of Arts (75) and Master of Arts (81) degrees in Political Science. Mr. Deffer is also retired from the U.S. Army Reserve, where he last served as a Major in the Medical Service Corps.
Gerard Kosinski
Gerald.Kosinski@courts.phila.gov
(w) 215-683-7244
Gerard Kosinski graduated from Penn State in 1976 with a B.A. in Political Science and received his J.D. in 1981 from Temple University. In 1982, he established a neighborhood law office in Philadelphia. In that same year, Gerard was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a State Representative serving the 175th legislative district as a democrat. He served as a member of the Education, Labor Relations, and Judiciary Committees for ten years and he was Chairman for the Courts Subcommittee for seven years. In 1992, he decided not to seek a sixth term in office and returned to his law practice and also worked as a government relations specialist from 1993 to 1994 for Milliron & Associates in Harrisburg. In 1995, he was appointed as the Undersheriff of Philadelphia, the chief legal officer within the Sheriff’s Office. Gerry has taught continuing legal education classes at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and Widener University’s School of Law as well as taught classes on Practical Politics at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He has worked as a fill-in talk show host on WWDB-FM (Philadelphia) from 1994-1996 and has appeared on BBC Regional Radio since 1992 as a commentator on American Politics. Currently, he is a Democratic Ward Leader for the 45th Ward in Philadelphia. He was elected Judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court in November, 2003 and began sitting in January, 2004.
Glenn A. Thomas, CGFM
Glenn A. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at The Pennsylvania State University, he later earned his degree in Master of Business Administration, Finance and Accounting at The University of Pittsburgh. Currently, Mr. Thomas is a Senior Applications Consultant specializing in Federal agency implementations. For over 12 years, he has worked inside and outside the federal government and has consulted for federal agencies as both a systems and financial analyst. Currently, Mr. Thomas supports both SAP partners and federal clients in implementing SAP’s Federal Industry Solution. As a manager, Mr. Thomas has guided federal clients in meeting new federal accounting standards using their legacy systems as well as in conducting acceptance testing for their new software acquisitions. Mr. Thomas is working towards Master’s Certificate in Project Management and is a Certified Government Financial Manager.
Gregory J. Wawro
gjw10@columbia.edu
(h) 212-854-8540
Associate Professor at Columbia University in the Department of Political Science. His teaching and research focuses on American politics (including Congress, elections, campaign finance, and political economy) and political methodology. Professor Wawro is the author of Legislative Entrepreneurship in the U.S. House of Representatives (University of Michigan Press, 2000) and has published articles in The American Journal of Political Science, Legislative Studies Quarterly, the Journal of Law Economics and Organization, and Political Analysis. His academic awards include E.E. Schattschneider Award, the Milton J. Esman Award, the CQ Prize for best paper presented in the Legislative Studies Section at 2002 APSA meeting, a Mellon Foundation Graduate Fellowship, and a John M. Olin Faculty Fellowship. He has been a visiting scholar at the Center for Basic Research in the Social Sciences at Harvard University. Professor Wawro is currently completing a book manuscript entitled Redoubtable Weapon: Obstruction and Lawmaking in the United States Senate (with Eric Schickler), which is a historical analysis of the cause and consequences of filibusters.
James D. Newell
jdnewell@klettrooney.com
(w) 412-392-2027
A 1984 graduate of PSU in Political Science, James Newell is a shareholder in Klett Rooney Lieber & Schorling, a Professional Corporation. Klett Rooney is a 150 attorney Mid-Atlantic region law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, with offices in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, PA, Wilmington, DE, Newark, NJ, and Washington, D.C. Mr. Newell is the Practice Manager of Klett Rooney's insolvency and creditors' rights practice, and the former Chair of the Firm's Recruiting Committee. He is a member of the Political Science Board of Visitors. Along with his wife Deborah, he established the Newell Fund in Political Science.
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center 1987.
James McMaster
jmmaster@voicenet.com
(w) 215-860-2171
James McMaster has been in private general practice in Bucks County since 1977. Since 1983, he has practiced under the firm name of Smith and McMaster, P.C. He graduated with a B.A.in 1974 from the Pennsylvania State University. Concurrently, with his law school studies, he took courses in Public Administration at Penn State’s Graduate Center, then located in King of Prussia. He received his J.D. from the Rutgers University School of Law (Camden, New Jersey) in June 1977. Mr. McMaster has extensive experience in litigation, real estate, zoning and land use matters, governmental law and negotiations (labor and other) and in a variety of matters and clients. He is admitted to practice law before the Courts of Pennsylvania, the Federal District Courts for Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition to his law experience, Mr. McMaster is deeply involved with the Bensalem community. He has held and continues to hold various positions, including Director of the Bensalem Chamber of Commerce and a Board Member and Vice-President of the Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit No.22. Additionally, he has been involved in local politics, having been recently elected Board President of the School District of Bensalem Township. One side note of interest: Mr. McMaster has a deep interest in Bucks County and is the eighth generation of the McMaster family to live in Bucks County.
James R. Antoniono
jantoniono@damdpc.com
(w) 724-836-0700
James Antoniono is a general partner in the law firm DeBernardo, Antoniono, McCabe and Davis. His practice is chiefly involved in personal injury and real estate cases. James has also participated in many other spheres of political science. He served in the military from 1964-1968 and he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. He has served on various state and local committees, including the Democratic State Committee. He ran for State Representative in 1974 and was a delegate to the 1996 Convention. James was President of the Undergraduate Student Government while at Penn State and graduated in 1971. He earned his Masters degree at Rutgers University in 1972 and graduated with his JD from Duquesne University School of Law 1980.
James R. Reehl
jrreehl@aol.com
(h) (412) 331-5008
James R. Reehl earned his Bachelor of Arts from Penn State University in 1969. In 1984, Mr. Reehl earned his Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Mr. Reehl is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and in the State Courts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia; in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fourth and District of Columbia Circuits; and in the U.S. District Courts for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Northern District of West Virginia. From 1984 to 1999, Mr. Reehl was General Counsel to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 23. He represented the Union and its members in over 300 labor arbitration cases; represented the Union in federal and state courts, and before the National Labor Relations Board, he also provided counsel to the Union’s executive and field staff in grievance handling and other labor law issues. He was also a Hearing committee member and chairman of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court o Pennsylvania from July 1991 to July 1997. In that position he, reviewed the proposed disposition by Disciplinary Counsel of complaints of professional misconduct against attorneys; heard cases of alleged misconduct brought by Disciplinary Counsel and made recommendations to Disciplinary Board. Currently adjunct professor teaching undergraduate courses in Labor Relations in Division of Administration and Management, he also serves as an instructor for Union Leadership Academy, teaching various labor law classes to union members and officers. He has presented papers to the UFCW Attorney’s Conference as well as to the American Bar Association/National Labor Relations Board Institute.
James W. Clarke
jclarke@email.arizona.edu
(w) 520-621-5052
James W. Clarke (Ph.D., 1968; M.A., 1964) is Professor of Political Science and University Distinguished Professor at the University of Arizona where, since 1971, he has taught courses on race and public policy, and violent crime and political order. Professor Clarke’s teaching has been recognized with a number of awards, among them the Burlington Northern Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching, and has twice been selected as Outstanding Teacher in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Additionally, he is the author of a number of articles and four books on criminal violence: American Assassins: The Darker Side of Politics (1982); Last Rampage: The Escape of Gary Tison (1988); On Being Mad or Merely Angry: John W. Hinckley, Jr. and Other Dangerous People (1990), and The Lineaments of Wrath: Race, Violent Crime, and American Culture (1998). In 1999, Professor Clarke was a Fulbright Scholar to Ireland.
Jeffrey Bower
Eandb1@aol.com
(w) 814-234-2626
Jeffrey Bower: Attorney/Partner, Eisenstein & Bower, LLP, State College, PA; Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association; Visiting Faculty, Penn State Department of Public Administration, Spring, 1993; former Chairman, Centre County Board of Commissioners; former Legislative Counsel, Federal Maritime Commission; Liberal Arts Society Alumni Board of Directors; Recipient, 1997 Liberal Arts Alumni Society Service to Society Award; Board of Directors, Central Pennsylvania Easter Seal Society; Vice President, Centre County Community Foundation; former Treasurer, Friends of the Palmer Museum of Art; Governor Emeritus, Centre County Historical Society; former Chairman, Pennsylvania Easter Seals, former member, Board of Directors, National Association of Counties and National Easter Seals; Participant, Liberal Arts Career Exploration Information Sessions, 1997; former Advisory Board member, Pee; Tau Kappa Epsilon; Phi Alpha Delta; Nittany Lion Club; Life Member, Penn State Alumni Association
Jeffrey Hyde
jeffrey.hyde@gecapital.com
(w) 203-316-7032
Jeff Hyde is a 1977 PSU graduate in Pre-Law and Secondary Education. He is Senior Tax Counsel—GE Capital Corporation, Stamford, CT. GE Capital is an international affiliate with General Electric engaged in commercial finance, consumer finance, equipment management, and insurance. He is a member of the Political Science Board of Visitors.J.D., Dickinson School of Law. Member of Dickinson School of Law Century Club.
John M. O’Donnell
jodonnell@littler.com
(w) 412-201-7640
Mr. O’Donnell is an attorney with Littler Mendelson, a national employment and labor law firm in Pittsburgh. He worked formerly at Stokes and Murphy, representing clients in the hospitality industry, primarily in areas of labor and employment law. He handles claims in areas of employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. He has been responsible for union negotiations, awareness training, and managing union representation election campaigns, as well as the training of management with respect to employment law and related human resources managements policies and practices. He is a certified instructor in Hospitality Law, American Hotel and Motel Association. Mr. O’Donnell graduated from Penn State in 1967 with a B.A. in Political Science. He received his J.D. in 1973 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and was the Book Review Editor of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review. Additionally, he has completed Senior Management Programs at Case Western and Rive Reine/University of Lausanne. Mr. O’Donnell’s experience is the result of working for a three-person law firm engaged in general practice, for the Stouffer Corporation/Nestle Enterprises, and Uarco Incorporated. While at the firm, he was a founding member of an employer coalition involved in managing costs of employee health care and developed the earliest pre-certification programs, as well as some of the earliest managed care programs involved in employee health plans. At Uarco Incorporated, he was the Vice President of Human Resources and General Counsel. While there, he developed policies and procedures to increase quality and productivity, as well as Peer Review, productivity based compensation, and alternative dispute resolution process. In addition, he set up and managed a manufacturing operation in Mexico City from 1993-1995. Mr. O’Donnell is also a Vietnam veteran (1970-71) and was awarded the Bronze Star, Air Medal, and Army Commendation Medal.
Jonathan Feinberg
jfeinberg@krlawphila.com
Jonathan Feinberg is a civil rights lawyer, working as an associate for the Philadelphia law firm of Kairys, Rudovsky, Epstein & Messing. The firm specializes in high-impact social reform litigation on behalf of minority or indigent clients, as well as criminal defense work. At Penn State, Jonathan was a University Scholar and graduated in 1997 with a B.A. in political science. After graduation, he worked as a legal assistant for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania for one year. He then entered the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Upon graduation from UPenn in 2001, Jonathan entered a federal judicial clerkship in Philadelphia, and, in September, 2002, began his current employment.
Joseph Kernen
Joseph Kernen received his B.A. from Penn State in 1986 and his J.D. from NYU in 1989. He is currently a partner in a large Philadelphia law firm. His areas of practice include commercial litigation, employment matters and insurance and surety litigation. Career highlights included cases representing several leading manufacturers of motor vehicles in breach of contract and fraud matters and defending First Amendment rights for commercial on-line services and telecommunication companies. He has also argued cases pertaining to intellectual property. He has represented select plaintiffs in personal injury matters, which resulted in six-figure and multi-million dollar settlements. Recently, Joseph successfully tried to verdict a multi-million dollar breach of contract case for a major technology company.
Katharina Fachin Lucas
katharina.fachinlucas@nichols.edu
Currently, Katharina Lucas is the director of the Teacher Preparation Program and coordinates the Outreach Program at Nichols College. A Pennsylvania native, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the Pennsylvania State University and completed a thesis that allowed her to study teachers’ understanding of, agreement with, and implementation of a school reform at a high school. She went on to study elementary education at the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Master’s degree through a program called S.T.A.R.T (Student Teachers as Researching Teachers). Ms. Lucas earned a doctorate from the University of New Hampshire. For her dissertation, she helped to coordinate and studied a mentoring program for sixth grade girls at six different schools. Ms. Lucas has worked in different types of school districts, both urban and suburban, and has been exposed to the disparities present in funding and culture between those two kinds of public schools. Furthermore, she has studied the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs at eleven different colleges and universities. Throughout her experiences, Ms. Lucas has been able to work with students of all ages, from first grade to graduate students. Currently, Ms. Lucas is working closely with undergraduates and teachers at local middle schools and high schools. Her primary research interest continues to be how people develop an understanding themselves through interactions with others.
Larry John
Larry.john@anser.org
(h) 703-276-2747
(w) 703-416-3199
After graduation, I had a career as an Air Force officer, and earned an MA in Public Administration from Northern Michigan University in 1983. I first joined my current employer, Analytic Services, Inc. (www.anser.org) on retirement in 1994, working as a Senior Policy and Operations Analyst providing programmatic, strategic planning and enterprise architecture support to a variety of Air Force and Joint Staff decision makers in the Pentagon. My clients included the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I left ANSER in 1999 to become a Principal Enterprise Architect and the Director of Government Services for Ptech, Inc., a small firm headquartered in Boston. At Ptech (now GoAgile, www.goagile.com), I customized the firm’s modeling software to meet the needs of military and Government clients, and taught enterprise architecture modeling and analysis to system developers, engineers, architects and program managers in the US and abroad. I returned to ANSER in 2003 as a Principal Analyst specializing in strategic planning, performance management, and systems architecture and engineering for Government enterprises at all levels. I am currently pursuing a Master’s in System Engineering through a company-sponsored program with Stevens Institute of Technology.
Leo Christenson
leo.christenson@so.mnscu.edu.
(w) 651-297-4575
Leo Christenson is the System Director for Planning for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in St. Paul, MN, a position he has held since 1997. Prior to that, he was the Director of Planning at the Department of Children, Families, and Learning, Minnesota’s state-level K-12 education department. Mr. Christenson graduated from Penn State in 1985 with an Honors Degree in Political Science and holds a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota and is currently working on his Ph.D. in the same.
Linda Crandell
L3griffi@Hewitt.com
(w) 407.471.2193
(h) 407.843.3088
After graduating from Penn State University, Ms. Crandell worked for the Walt Disney World Company in Orlando, Florida, for four years as an Entertainment Coordinator. Presently, Ms. Crandell works for Hewitt Associates, a global management consulting firm specializing in human resource solutions.
Lori Forter Ridyard
lridyard@teleflex.com
(w) 610-948-2806
Lori Forter Ridyard earned a B.A. in Political Science from Penn State in 1989 and a law degree from Temple University in 1995. She also received a paralegal certificate in Administrative and Regulatory Law in 1990 from The Philadelphia Institute. Lori currently serves as Assistant General Counsel for Teleflex Incorporated, a publicly-traded manufacturing company with corporate headquarters in Limerick, Pennsylvania. In her role as Assistant General Counsel, Lori supports Teleflex's Aerospace Group and Global Information Technology Departments by providing a broad range of legal services, including contract review nd negotiation and regulatory compliance.Prior to joining Teleflex, Lori Served as Counsel and Assistant Secretary at AGL Life Assurance Company, where she provided general corporate, investment management and regulatory advice to a group of financial services companies. Previously, Lori was an associate at the law firm of Fox, Rothschild, O'Brien & Frankel, LLP (Exton, PA) where she was engaged in general corporate, health care, and maritime matters. Lori began her legal practice at Goldman, Marshall & Muszynski, P.C. (Philadelphia, PA), a health care boutique firm. A native of Butler, PA, Lori currently resides with her husband and son in Spring City, PA. She is a Nittany Lion Club member, life member of the Penn State Alumni Association and a former Vice President and Director of the Chester County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association.
Maritheresa F. Frain, Ph.D.
Maritheresa Frain is the Director of the CIEE Study Center in Seville and Resident Director for the Liberal Arts and Advanced Liberal Arts Programs. Her career with CIEE in Sevilla began in 2001. Maritheresa is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She completed her undergraduate work in International Politics at The Pennsylvania State University and went on to pursue her MA and Ph.D. in International Relations at Georgetown University. While living in DC, Maritheresa was an employee of the International Monetary Fund and a visiting professor at Georgetown. In l989, she received a grant to work in office of the Portuguese Prime Minister (Aníbal Cavaco Silva, currently the President of Portugal). Since that time she has lived and worked in Greece, Russia, Switzerland, Madrid and now Seville. Maritheresa has published extensively on issues related to Spanish and Portuguese politics and defense issues. After having lived abroad in so many different cultural settings, Maritheresa enjoys working with American students in Seville as they discover for themselves the joys and challenges of becoming a truly global citizen. Maritheresa is married to a “sevillano”, Juan, and they have a nine year old daughter, Carmen.
Mark D. Weller
mark.weller@us.lindegas.com
(h) 440-349-3562
(w) 216-642-6653
Mark D. Weller earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University. He later earned his Master of Business Administration and his Juris Doctor from the Cleveland State University. He was a Tax Consultant with a then Big 8 accounting firm in addition to being a business associate with the Cleveland law firm of Walter & Haverfield; and subsequently General Counsel of, and then Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, AGA Gas, Inc. He is currently Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Linde Gas in Independence, Ohio.
Mark J. Stevenson, CFA
markjcfa@aol.com
(h) 814-234-5787
(w)570-327-2178
Mark J. Stevenson is a Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager for MTB Investment Advisors. He manages over $200 million in personal, institutional and retirement plan money for clients throughout Central Pennsylvania and is a Director on the Asset Strategies, Manager Strategies and Portfolio Strategies Groups within MTBIA. He Co-Manages the MTB Managed Allocation Funds and M&T's Portfolio Architect mutual fund wrap product. Mark Co-Chairs the Portfolio Realignment and Asset
Allocation Committees for MTBIA's Advisory Services Consulting Group. Prior to joining M&T Bank, Mark was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager for Keystone Financial Bank, N.A. He managed personal and institutional money and was the Portfolio Manager for Keystone's Governor Lifestyle Funds. Before joining Keystone Financial Bank, N.A. in 1990, Mark was an Evaluator/Auditor with the United States General Accounting Office, National Security and International Affairs Division in Washington, D.C.; Security Clearance: Top Secret. Prior to that service he was a Data Analyst with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Washington, D.C.; Security Clearance: Secret. Mark holds a B. A. degree in Pre-Law from Penn State University (1983) and a M. A. degree in International Economics and U.S. Foreign Policy from American University, Washington, D.C (1989). He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation (1999). Mark lives and works in State College, Pennsylvania.
Martin Erim
Erim@FRVentures.com
Martin Erim is a 1973 graduate in Political Science. He is founder and President, First Renaissance Ventures, McLean, VA., engaged in arious investment and business activities in the defense, homeland security, and intelligence sectors. He established the Erim Fund for Political Science and is Chairman of Americans for Strong National Security, a political donor group. Along with his wife Muzeyyen, he established the Erim Fund in Political Science.Member, Political Science Board of Visitors.J.D., Washington College of Law, American University.
Mary Benefield Seiverling
Mseiverling@state.pa.us
(w) 717-772-2749
Currently, Mary Benefield Seiverling is the Senior Counsel, Department of General Services, in the Office of Chief Counsel of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She was formerly Senior Deputy Attorney General in the Criminal Law Division of Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General. She has represented the Commonwealth in appellate cases and assisted in supervising the statewide investigating grand juries. She has argued more than 50 appeals, including cases in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the intermediate appellate courts of Pennsylvania. She was counsel of record on a states’ amicus curiae brief in a death penalty case in the United States Supreme Court and has been involved in a number of other USSC cases. Her peers have given her the highest rating a lawyer can receive, Martindale-Hubbell A-V. After attaining her B.A from the Pennsylvania State University, she earned her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law. Prior to her present employment with the Commonwealth, Mrs. Seiverling has served as a general practice associate for Hepford, Zimmerman, and Swartz. a general practice law firm. Mrs. Seiverling is the author of Equal Rights Amendment Chapter of Pennsylvania Constitutional Law.
Meena Bose
Meena.bose@usma.edu
Meena Bose is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Her teaching and research interests include the American Presidency, American Foreign Policy, American Politics, and International Politics. She is the author of Shaping and Signaling Presidential Policy: The National Security Decision Making of Eisenhower and Kennedy (Texas A&M University Press, December 1998). An earlier version of the book received the first annual Best Dissertation on the Presidency Prize from the Center of Presidential Studies, Texas A&M University, in 1997. She graduated from Penn State in 1990 with a major in Foreign Service and International Politics, with a minor in English. She completed her graduate work in Politics at Princeton University.
Michael J. Gilotti
mjg0525@yahoo.com
(w) 860-403-5433
Mr. Gilotti has extensive experience in the insurance industry, beginning his career as an agent with Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company in 1971. He then joined Planned Marketing Associates in Dallas distributing retirement products through cooperatives and associations. He was instrumental in developing the industry's first wholesaling initiative for annuities through independent broker/dealers while at Security First Group, where he served as Group Vice President and National Sales Trainer. In 1982 Mr. Gilotti joined with senior executives from E.F. Hutton to form Eden Financial Group, a national wholesaling firm that distributed life insurance, mutual funds and annuity products to the bank and broker/dealer community. At Eden, Mr. Gilotti was in charge of all insurance operations and responsible for the continuing development of income and traditional wealth accumulation insurance products. Mr. Gilotti subsequently headed Aetna's variable distribution to banks and broker/dealers. From 1999 to 2005, he was Executive Vice President of Phoenix Variable Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Phoenix Companies, Inc. He is currently a consultant to the financial services community with primary emphasis on distribution methodology and retirement management solutions. He is Chairman of the National Association for Variable Annuities (NAVA); founding member of the Retirement Management Executive Forum; member, Board of Advisors to Fundquest Retirement Management Solutions, and Board of Advisors to the Leadership Coalition.Member, Political Science Board of Visitors.
Peter A. Smerick
agigroup@erols.com
(w) 703-330-0697
Peter A. Smerick has a B.A. degree in Political Science from Penn State University and a Master of Education degree from the University of Virginia. In the 1960’s, he served as a U.S. Army combat photography officer in Vietnam and Special Agent for the Naval Investigative Service, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1970, he became an FBI Special Agent. In 1976 he was promoted to the FBI Laboratory, Washington, D.C., as a Supervisory Special Agent. In 1985, he was assigned to the FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia, as an instructor in forensic science and crime scene management techniques. He also provided training for the Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Belize, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. In 1988, he became a Criminal Profiler-Violent Crime Analyst for the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC), FBI Academy. He has testified before both Houses of Congress. Since 2002, Mr. Smerick has been a President and CEO of The Academy Group, Inc., Manassas, Virginia, which is the largest association of former FBI Criminal Profilers/Violent Crime Analysts in the world. Mr. Smerick was a contributing author for the FBI’s “Crime Classifications Manual,” (1992), and produced an article for Bank Security & Fraud Prevention Magazine (April 1998), dealing with violent crime analysis in negligent security cases. He provides expert commentary for the television, radio, and print media regarding violent crime analysis.
Peter Stone
Peter.stone@stanford.edu
Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, having received his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in 2000.
Phillip W. Spayd
pspayd@mediaone.net
(w) 617-565-6200
Philip W. Spayd is the Director of Field Operations for the U.S. Customs Service’s North Atlantic Customs Management Center, Boston, MA. In his present position, Mr. Spayd directs all the commercial and inspectional activities of approximately 500 Customs employees throughout the six New England states. On October 1, 1995, U.S. Customs underwent a major reorganization nationwide, replacing regions and districts with management centers and ports. At that time, Mr. Spayd’s title of Northeast Regional Commissioner was changed to Director, Customs Management Center. Mr. Spayd was appointed Northeast Regional Commissioner in August 1988. Prior to this appointment, he was District Director of Customs in Norfolk, Virginia and before that, Director of Labor Relations at Customs Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He began his government career in 1973 and started working at Customs in 1978. During the period of March 1998 through July 1998, Mr. Spayd was stationed in Sofia, Bulgaria serving as the U.S. Advisor to the Bulgarian Government on Counter-Proliferation. In 1992, Mr. Spayd received a Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award for innovative management. He is a Harvard Senior Executive Fellow. Mr. Spayd earned a bachelor degree in political science from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in labor and industrial relations from the University of Massachusetts.
Priscilla Skillman
skillman@courtexcellence.org
(w) 202-785-5917
Priscilla Skillman received her B.A. degree in political science in 1967. Upon graduation Priscilla went to Washington and has been there ever since. She worked for several years in the United States Department of Labor providing employment counseling and job training programs throughout the United States. In 1971, she attended law school at George Washington University, going full-time while cutting back her Labor Department job to half-time. Upon completion of law school, Priscilla worked as chief of staff to a newly elected Pennsylvania congressman, Bob Edgar, for 4 years and later ran her own law practice for just over a decade. She is currently Assistant Director of the Council for Court Excellence, which is a law-related public policy organization that works to improve administration of justice in the courts and related agencies in Washington. Her various careers and positions have therefore meshed interest in the law with that in public policy. Her current position allows her to combine these two long-standing interests.
Reed M. Smith
reedsmith@aol.com
(h) 814.867.5719
Reed Smith majored in International Relations as a student at Penn State in 1951. Later, in 1954, Mr. Smith earned his Master’s degree from Penn State and began a career as an educator. He taught night school at CCNY and Brooklyn College from 1953-1955 and also taught at a private prep school in New York City. He later went on to become an Associate Professor at Baldwin-Wallace College, University of Pennsylvania, Bradley University (where he also was appointed Department Head), and Wright State University. Mr. Reed was also published by the Penn State University Press in 1963, publishing his book titled, State Government in Transition. He focused on Public Administration, American Government, Soviet Government, Governments of Eastern Europe and Peace Studies. He retired in 1995 but remains active in the State College Peace Center, ACLU, Amnesty International, Quaker Peace groups, and various other like-minded organizations.
Rhodes Cook
rhodescook@aol.com
Rhodes Cook is the editor of a web site (http://www.rhodescook.com/) and a bimonthly political newsletter, The Rhodes Cook Letter; author of a variety of election-related books, and of a number of free-lance pieces for the Washington Post and Public Perspective, the latter a publication of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. He was also a contributing editor for Public Perspective.
He has published The Presidential Nominating Process: A Place for Us? (2004, Rowman & Littlefield); the 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002 editions of America Votes (by CQ Press), a biennial compilation of nationwide electoral data begun in the 1950s by Richard M. Scammon; U.S. Primary Elections 1995-1996 and 1997-1998; U.S. Presidential Primaries, 1968-1996, a compilation of county-by-county presidential primary results over the last third of the 20th century; as well as a pair of guidebooks on the presidential nominating process – Race for the Presidency, Winning the 2000 Nomination, and Race for the Presidency, Winning the 2004 Nomination. He is also co-author of How Congress Gets Elected. He graduated from Penn State in 1969 with a B.A. degree and received his M.A. in history in 1973. He joined the Washington-based Congressional Quarterly (CQ) in 1974 as a researcher and was a writer for the magazine from 1975 through 1997.
Rich Forgette
rforgett@olemiss.edu
(w)662-915-7401
Rich Forgette graduated from Penn State with a B.A. degree in Political Science in 1985. He went on to receive his graduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Rochester. Rich worked on Capitol Hill from 1996 to 1997 as the William Steiger Congressional Fellow for the American Political Science Association. He taught political science at Miami University of Ohio in Oxford before moving to the University of Mississippi, where he is now Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department. His main research and teaching interests are the U.S. Congress and congressional elections.
Robert J. Nassif
(w) 202-395-4830
Robert Nassif is currently in the Operations Branch of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) National Security Division and is responsible for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps operations and maintenance portfolio. These accounts provide funds for the routine training, maintenance, and day-to-day operations of the Armed Forces. Originally from Altoona, Pa., he holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Political Since from the Pennsylvania State University (summa cum laude). He studied on Fellowship at The American University and earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a concentration in public financial management. Mr. Nassif has held a variety of positions. Before entering The American University, he participated in a cooperative educational/professional program as a Research Assistant with the Asylum Branch of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. After he received his MPA in 1995, Mr. Nassif took a position in the Executive Office of the President as a Legislative Analyst with the Resources-Defense-International Branch of the OMB, where he served with distinction. His portfolio included coordinating the Administration’s positions on all substantive legislation pertaining to the Department of Defense, the Armed Services, and the CIA.
Spencer Klein
sklein@omm.com
(w)212-326-2015
Spencer Klein received his B.A. from Penn State in 1986 and his J.D. from Hofstra University in 1989. He is currently Global Head of Global Head of the O’Melveny and Myers LLP mergers and acquisitions practice, which includes contested M&A transactions, proxy contests, and takeover defense counseling. He was previously part of the mergers & acquisitions group of the Shearman & Sterling law firm. He is a member of the Political Science Board of Visitors.
Stacey Hecht
hecsta@bethel.edu
(w)651-638-6468
Stacey Hecht graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Penn State in 1989. Honors Thesis work on the topic of accountability in public higher education led to her decision to pursue graduate work in Political Science. Stacey earned her Ph.D in Political Science at the University of Minnesota. Her focus was on American Politics and Political Theory. Her research has focused mainly on welfare policy but also on religion and politics and undergraduate education. She is currently an Assistsant Professor of Political Science at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Stella Tsai
Stella Tsai grew up near Middletown, Pennsylvania, home to Three Mile Island. She received a B.A. with honors and distinction in political science from The Pennsylvania State University in 1985 and received a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1988. After all these years, she has finally entered government service as she had hoped to do when she was awarded the Mabel A. Alexander Scholarship: She is now Chair of Administrative Law at the City of Philadelphia Law Department, supervising the Labor and Employment and Health and Human Services Units. Previously, she was a shareholder of the law firm of Christie, Pabarue, Mortensen and Young, A Professional Corporation. She has been active in numerous bar, community and political activities, including a term as President of Philadelphia VIP, a pro-bono referral agency. She is married to Paul McCarthy, a big PSU football fan except when they play UVA, and has a son named Atticus Tsai-McCarthy, who always roots for PSU.
Steven H. Lupin
slupin@hrmml.com
(w) 215-661-0400
Steven H. Lupin is Managing Partner of the Law Firm of Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. He concentrates his practice in all aspects of commercial litigation, banking litigation, personal-injury litigation, including medical malpractice, and motor-vehicle negligence. In 2006 Steve served as Secretary of the Montgomery Bar Association, and in 2006 he is serving as the MBA's Treasurer. Steve is a past president of the Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Association. He writes a regular column on commercial litigation for the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, for which he has served as a member of the Board of Governors. Additionally, Steve was named a “Super Lawyer” in Commercial Litigation by Philadelphia Magazine for 2005 and 2006.
Steven Randy Smith
Stevenrandysmith@yahoo.com
(w) 425-388-3783<
Steven Randy Smith is a Penn State graduate. He is currently Executive Analyst for the Snohomish County Executive Office in Everett, Washington. He worked previously for the Conference of State Legislatures in Washington, D.C. as a Research Analyst II.
Suzanne M. Lord
slordpsu@comcast.net
(w) 619-892-5880
Ms. Lord received her Bachelor of Arts from the Pennsylvania State University. She then proceeded to get her Master in Arts degree from the San Diego State University. From 1999-2000 she was President of Business Development for Cimtek Commerce, Inc., and prior to that was Sales Manager for Safeskin Corporation from 1994-2000. Subsequently, she worked in business development and sales and marketing for Metametrics. She is currently Vice President for Sales Administration at Number 21, in Franklin, TN. She is a member of the Pennsylvania State University Alumni Association-Life Member and Student Recruiter in addition to being a member of the Skull and Bones Honor Society.
Thane J. Fake
thane.j.fake@usdoj.gov
(w) 202-616-3781
(h) 443-394-9346
Thane Fake received a B.S. in Public Service from Penn State in 1998. In 1993 and again in 1997, he worked with the Presidential Inaugural Committee. In 1996, he worked for the Democratic National Convention. From 1993 through 1999, he worked with Political Americana, a political resource firm. In May of 1999, he received a Presidential Appointment as Staff Assistant to Attorney General, Janet Reno. Thane has also been a Political Affairs Intern as well as a Presidential Correspondence Intern in the White House. He was a volunteer for the Clinton/Gore campaign in 1992 and again in 1996. While at Penn State he was President and Treasurer for the Penn State York Student Government Association as well as a council member for the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments. Currently, he is a budget analyst in the Justice Management Division for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Thomas Kozlik
tkozlik@hotmail.com
(w) 312-525-4694
Thomas Kozlik received his graduate degree in 1999. He has worked for the City of Philadelphia in the Deputy Mayor’s Office, the Commerce Department, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, and UBS PaineWebber Inc. in New York City. He is currently the Associate Director of UBS in Chicago.
Thomas R. Dye
tomrdye@aol.com
(w)561-684-1777
Thomas R. Dye is President of the Lincoln Center for the Public Service, a nonprofit civic and educational organization serving the citizens of Florida and the nation. He was formerly McKenzie Professor of Government at Florida State University. He received his B.S. and M.A. degrees from Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Pennslyvania. He is the author of numerous books an articles on American government and public policy, including The Irony of Democracy, now in its 11th edition; Politics in States and Communities, and Understanding Public Policy, both now in their 10th editions; not to mention various other books. His popular textbook, Politics in America is now in its 4th edition. His latest books, Top Down Policymaking, Chatam House 2001, describes the role of big campaigning contributors, foundations and think thanks, interest groups and the media in policy formation in Washington. His books have been translated into many languages, including Russian and Chinese, and published abroad. He has served as President of the Southern Political Science Association, President of the Policy Studies Organization, and Secretary of the American Political Science Association. He received the Outstanding Alumni Award in 2001 from Penn State’s College of Liberal Arts. He has taught at the University of Georgia, and served as visiting scholar at Bar-Elan University, Israel, and the Brookings Institution, Washington, and elsewhere. He is listed in the Heritage Foundation Guide to Public Policy Experts, as well as most major biographical directories including Marquis’ Who’s Who in America.
Timothy J. Daniels
Vballtim74@aol.com
(w) 202.234.4355
Timothy J. Daniels earned his Bachelor in Arts in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University and his Master’s in Public Policy from American University. He is presently a Budget Policy Analyst for the District of Columbia Government Budget Office and was a Research Coordinator for Callahan & Associates in their Publications Department, prior to that he was a Research Associate for their Corporate Executive Board. He has been a recipient of the Penn State University Eric A. Walker Award for Character, Scholarship, Leadership, and Citizenship in addition to the Penn State University John W. Oswald Award for Outstanding Leadership in Student Government.
Vicki Ferrence Ray
ferrencerayv@hoby.com
(w) 570-374-1778
Vicki Ferrence Ray graduated from Penn State in May of 1995 with a B.A. in Political Science and in Sociology. She went on to earn a Master of Government Administration (M.G.A.) at the Fels Center of Government at the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. She worked as an Assistant Deputy Mayor in the City of Philadelphia's Mayor's Office of Management and Productivity during the later portion of the Rendell Administration, where she served as a project director for a multi-phased, multimillion-dollar government reengineering project. Subsequently, she was employed as a Growth Management Strategist for Refinery, Inc., a strategic web design and technology company in Huntingdon Valley, PA. While there she was promoted to be Director of Planning and Development reporting directly to the CEO. In January 2004 she returned to government work, this time providing consulting services to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of General Services regarding Governor Rendell's Strategic Sourcing Initiative to save taxpayers over $100 million. In October 2004 Vicki moved to the not-for-profit arena as Director of National Programs, Central Region, for Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY). http://www.hoby.org
Walter C. Uhler
waltuhler@aol.com
(w) 856 338-3688
Walter C. Uhler received BA's in Political Science and Russian Language in 1973 and an MPA from Penn State in 1992. Since 1976, he's been a civil servant, employed as weapons acquisition executive in the Department of Defense, and currently serves as Business Operations Chief of the Defense Contract Management Agency's Lockheed Martin Delaware Valley organization. His negotiations with defense contractors have saved DOD hundreds of millions of dollars. He also is an independent scholar specializing in Russian and military history. His numerous articles, op-eds, and reviews have been published in The Nation, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the Journal of Military History, Russian History, the San Francisco Chronicle, Moscow Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Defense News and Naval War College Review among other journals magazines and newspapers. His article, "National Missile Defense and Russian-American Relations," remains posted on the website of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. In 2000, at the invitation of Mikhail Gorbachev, he participated in the State of the World Forum in New York, which coincided with the UN's Millennium Summit. In 2002, he presented testimony about missile defense to state legislatures in Vermont and California. That same year he gave interviews to radio stations across the country (as well as to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) on that subject. In 2004 he was elected President of the Russian-American International Studies Association, which holds an annual conference at St. Petersburg University, Russia. His biography can be found in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World and Who's Who in Finance and Industry.
Wayne D. Palmer
Wayne_Palmer@santorum.senate.gov
(w) 202-224-6324
In 1986, Mr. Palmer earned his B.A. in Political Science from Penn State, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honors in English and American Studies. From 1987-1990 he held various positions with Dun & Bradstreet in Allentown, PA. From 1991-1992 he was Regional Affairs Consultant for the PENJERDEL Council in Philadelphia, PA. In 1992 he earned a his M.G.A from the University of Pennsylvania and from 1992-1995 he worked as a Presidential Management Intern in Washington, D.C. From 1995-1999, Mr. Palmer worked as Senior Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Rick Santorum. From 1999-2001, he was Legislative Director for U.S. Senator George Voinovich. In January 2001, he rejoined the staff of U.S. Rick Santorum, to serve as Policy Director.
William Bogdan
wbogdan@lgglaw.com
(w) 415-397-2800
William Bogdan (Bill) is a partner with the litigation firm of Lynch, Gilardi and Grummer in San Francisco. He specializes in trials and appeals dealing with employment, discrimination, product liability and construction issues. He also lectures around the country (and a few international locations) on these same topics. Bill was a charter member of the University Scholars Program and participated in other undergraduate activities before graduating in 1983. He then attended the Boston University School of Law, graduating in 1986.