Rider welcomes new full-time faculty

As students prepare for their fall classes. the newest faculty members of Rider are also getting ready for the start of the semester. Joining Rider University this year are fourteen new faculty who offer a vast array of academic, research and real world job experience to share with students and the Rider community. 

Prior to joining the Conducting, Organ & Sacred Music Department of the Westminster College of the Arts as an Assistant Professor I of Choral Musicology, Carolann E. Buff received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Musicology from Princeton University, her M.M. in Early Music Performance from Longy School of Music and her B.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of California. She has taught as a guest lecturer at Princeton, Boston, Tufts and Harvard. 

Mack S. Costello, Ph.D. will be joining the Department of Psychology as an Assistant Professor I. Costello earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Psychology from Western Michigan University and his B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Classical Studies from the University of Florida. His research interests include decision making as it relates to behavior models of gambling, behavioral medicine and functional assessment and treatment. 

Lauren Delisio comes to the Department of Teacher Education as an Assistant Professor I after earning her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Central Florida, her M.S. in Elementary Education from Pace University and her B.A. in Communications from Rider. Delisio also worked as a graduate research associate from the Department of Children, Family and Community Services at the University of Central Florida and has presented her research at several national conferences. 

Susan M. Dougherty will serve as an Assistant Professor II in the Department of Teacher Education. With her Ph.D. in Education from Boston University, M.Ed. in Reading Education from Rutgers and her B.S. in Elementary and Kindergarten Education from Penn State, Dougherty focuses her research on nonfiction literature, family engagement and school readiness. She has taught early education classes at Rutgers and worked in their reading specialist program and provided clinical and teaching instruction at Boston University. In addition, she has a decade of experience teaching elementary education in New Jersey public schools. 

Meng-Chen Hsieh, Assistant Professor I in the Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management, earned a Ph.D. in Statistics from NYU, and a M.S. in Banking and Finance and a B.S. in Business Administration  from the National Chengchi University in Taiwan. Hsieh has also worked as a senior statistician for the Affirnion Group in Stamford, CT, and for other industry leaders. 

Shahla Hussain will take on the role of Assistant Professor I in the Department of History. While earning a Ph.D. in History from Tufts University, Hussian focused on questions of identity, sovereignty and self-determination in Kashmir (1900-2000).  Hussain also received a M.A. in Medieval Indian History and a B.A. in History from the Jamia Millian University in New Delhi and received  a dean's dissertation fellowship from Tufts, as well as the American Institute of Pakistan Fellowship and the Tufts Global Leadership Grant.  

David A. Laviska will serve as Assistant Professor I in the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics. With a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Rutgers University, a M.A. in Chemistry from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Chemistry from Cornell, Laviska has taught at Lafayette College and The College of New Jersey, and studied as an associate scientist at Rutgers. In 2011, he received the Rutgers Chemistry Award for Excellence in Leadership and Service. 

Jamie Rogers Ludwig will join the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics as an Assistant Professor I. Having earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Texas, and a B.A. in Chemistry from Illinois Wesleyan University, Ludwig has also taught at Elon University and served as a postdoctoral research assistant at the University of North Carolina. At the University of Texas, Ludwig was a Welch Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry. 

Anubha Mishra joins the Marketing, Advertising and Legal Studies  Department as an Assistant Professor II.  Prior to teaching as an Assistant Professor at the University of Idaho in the College of Business and Economics, Mishra earned her Ph.D. in Retailing and Consumer Sciences from the University of Arizona and her M.B.A. in marketing from Pune University in India. She also has a B. Com. from the Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce in India. In 2014, Mishra received the Gary Michael Idaho Power Fellowship in recognition of excellence in teaching, research and services. 

Olivia K. Newman will begin her appointment as an Assistant Professor I in the Department of Political Science. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. from the New School for Social Research and her B.A. from Evergreen State College.  

Tricia Nolfi will serve as Assistant Professor I for the Department of Graduate Education, Leadership and Counseling. With an Ed.D. in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education from the Graduate School of Education of Rutgers, a M.Ed. and a B.S. in Communication from Ohio University, Nolfi has also taught in the Executive M.B.A. Program at Rutgers and worked as the assistant director of marketing and communications for Continuing Studies and as the assistant dean for the student center and student activities. 

Dino Presley will be joining Rider's coaching staff as the assistant men's basketball coach.  A NCAA Division I Assistant Coach since 1997,  Presley comes to Rider from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he helped NJIT compile a program-record 21 wins and advance to the semifinals of the College Insider.com Tournament. He has also worked at Marshall, Saint Bonaventure, UMBC, East Carolina, Towson and Drexel University.

Daryl Robinson will start as an Assistant Professor I of Organ in the Conducting, Organ & Sacred Music Department. Having received his Master of Music in Organ Performance from Rice University and his B.M. in Organ Performance from the University of Houston, Robins has served as a concert organist for several years. In 2012, he received the first prize in the American Guild of Organists National Young Artists Competition. He also has an extensive amount of performance experience in churches and university's across the country. 

Joan M. Serpico will be taking on the position of Assistant Profess I Librarian in the Moore Library. Serpico earned a M.L.S. from the University of Maryland, a M.A. in teaching from Trinity College and a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame. She has worked at the Mount Laurel Library, Rutgers University and the University of Maryland University College.