Faculty Experts Helping news media find the right expert source
Our faculty at Point Park University are eager to share their knowledge, offering a unique perspective and added value to stories. Their areas of expertise, including the courses they teach and their research interests, are outlined below. If you would like to contact a faculty member or need assistance finding the right person for your story, please contact Lou Corsaro, assistant vice president of public relations, at lcorsaro@pointpark.edu or 412-392-6190.
Community Engagement
- Heather Starr Fiedler, assistant vice president and managing director of the Center for Civic and Community Engagement (CCE). Specializes in new and emerging media technology and online journalism, and is an expert in social media. The CCE is home to university outreach initiatives and the Pioneer Pantry, a food pantry for Point Park students.
Rowland School of Business
- Paige Beal, professor of sports, arts, entertainment and music business (SAEM). Has expertise in entertainment media technology and has had a long career in media marketing and management in radio, TV and online, including with ESPN, CNN, MTV and many others.
- Robert Derda, associate professor and chair of SAEM. Has more than 25 years of experience in professional sports, including full-time work and consultant roles with the Pittsburgh Pirates, NBA, WNBA, Comcast Spotlight, Clear Channel Communications and others.
- Teresa Gregory, professor of community engagement and leadership. Has expertise in arts management and fundraising, and all aspects of development and nonprofit management.
- Helena Knorr, professor of organizational leadership. Areas of expertise include organizational systems, ethical leadership, women in leadership, leading in diverse communities, and gender and power.
- Elaine Luther, professor of business management. Spent 14 years working at three Fortune 500 companies – PepsiCo, Allied-Signal (now part of Honeywell) and Schering-Plough. Her expertise in business issues is varied and includes consumer-related issues, human resources management, tax accounting, business communications, strategic planning and marketing.
- Archish Maharaja, professor of business and director of graduate programs. He is a certified financial planner, certified public accountant and personal finance specialist who has worked as a health care administrator and physician practice manager. His research is concentrated in health care administration and management, and information technology as it applies to health care.
- Sandra Mervosh, associate professor of human resources, chair of the management department and director of the human resource management program. Previously served as president, CEO and owner of Venture Graphics, a project management company specializing in the printing industry. In 2015, she founded a networking organization, Pittsburgh Women Succeeding Together.
- Patrick Mulvihill, associate professor of management and director of the business management program. Has expertise in organizational behavior, management and leadership, as they relate to the intricacies of running a successful business. He is also a commercially rated pilot who monitors the aviation industry.
- Jeffrey Seaman, associate professor of applied computer science. Has extensive experience in the industry with different organizations from biotechnology and financial institutions to communications and the utility space, working as a software engineer, director of IT, and more recently, as a senior application architect.
- Robert Skertich, professor of public administration and director of the public administration and organizational leadership programs. Has an extensive background in public and nonprofit administration, with a focus on public safety and emergency management. He has worked for the American Red Cross and the Department of Homeland Security, and currently serves as a deputy commander with the Disaster Medical Assistance team based in Pittsburgh – part of the Department of Health and Human Services National Disaster Medical System, which coordinates federal medical response during disasters such as the recent hurricanes.
- Ed Traversari, professor, SAEM. Has nearly 40 years of live entertainment expertise, having worked for legendary Pittsburgh concert promotion company DiCesare Engler Productions as production manager, talent booker, director of marketing and general manager of the Chevrolet Amphitheater at Station Square.
School of Communication
- Bernie Ankney, dean. Has nearly 10 years of professional experience in public relations, print journalism and science writing for Conemaugh Health System, Western PA Medicine, U.S. Medicine and Status Report.
School of Arts and Sciences
- Jessica McCort, assistant professor of composition and rhetoric and director of the Honors Program. Her areas of expertise include American women authors, children’s literature, horror and the Gothic in children’s literature, fairy tales, and composition and rhetoric.
- Robert McInerney, professor of psychology. Holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He also is lead analyst, supervisor of research and community practicum coordinator with Operation Safety Net, a Pittsburgh-based street medicine program.
- Andrew Richards, senior lecturer of criminal justice and intelligence studies. He spent 25 years as a federal agent, including serving as a national fraud subject-matter expert for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. He is an expert in fraud and white-collar crime and is listed nationally on Experts.com.
- Robert Ross, professor of social justice studies and community engagement and coordinator of the history program. He has expertise in the Palestinian BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement. His teaching and research interests center on the geographies of capitalism. Another area of interest is 19th-century baseball – he is the author of “The Great Baseball Revolt: The Rise and Fall of the 1890 Players League.”
- Mark Wintz, associate professor of intelligence and national security. Expertise in American foreign policy, international relations, international terrorism, Middle East politics, military history, national security and weapons of mass destruction.
School of Education
- Arleen Wheat, professor of special education. Expertise in special education and educational disabilities, bullying prevention, and safety and training for the prevention of school shootings and violence.
Conservatory of Performing Arts
- Kiesha Lalama, dean, School of Theatre, Film and Animation and executive producer, Pittsburgh Playhouse. She is a choreographer and editor with more than 40 works to date. She has created works for companies all around the United States and has taught master classes and workshops for Cirque Du Soleil, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company and many others.
- Garfield Lemonius, dean, School of Dance, and artistic director of the Conservatory of Performing Arts. Relevant experience/areas of expertise: choreographic theory and practice, dance curriculum development, and instructional theory and practice.