Paul F. Clark
Ph.D., Labor and Industrial Relations/Public Administration, University of Pittsburgh
M.S., Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University
Dr. Paul F. Clark is director and professor of the School of Labor and Employment Relations. His research interests include employment relations in the U.S. health care industry; union structure, government and administration; union member commitment and participation; and new union member orientation and socialization. He is the author of four books, including Building More Effective Unions, first published by Cornell ILR Press in 2001, second edition 2009. His research has appeared in the leading scholarly journals in industrial and labor relations and applied psychology.
Antone Aboud
Ph.D., Collective Bargaining, Labor Law, and Labor History, Cornell University
M.A., Government, Cornell University
Dr. Antone Aboud is a professor of practice and director of online programs for the School of Labor and Employment Relations. From 1985 through 2012, he was a full-time consultant, developing risk management and investigatory policies and practices as well as management, leadership, and supervisory training. He has authored training programs taught in more than 40 states and the District of Columbia.
Doug Allen
B.A., Labor Studies, Penn State
Doug Allen is currently a professor of practice in Penn State's Department of Labor and Employment Relations. During his career, he served as the executive director of the Screen Actors Guild, AFL-CIO, and as the assistant executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) for nearly 20 years. In that capacity, he was executive director Gene Upshaw's deputy. He took the lead in developing the highly successful "Players Inc." collective licensing program. Prior to his position with the NFLPA, he worked for the AFL-CIO's Committee on Political Education.
George Apaliski
B.S., Education, Mansfield University
George Apaliski was a teacher in the public school system of Pennsylvania for five years and spent 30 years working for the Pennsylvania State Education Association and five years working for the National Education Association. He has extensive experience in contract negotiations (from both the union and management perspectives), mediation, fact-finding, grievance processing, arbitration, employee relations, management in a union environment, and fiduciary responsibilities.
Matthew Barkley
MPS, Human Resources and Employment Relations, Penn State
B.A., Psychology, California State University
Mathew Barkley is the human resources director for the Pepsi Beverages Company Southwest area of Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas. He is responsible for developing the strategic people agenda for approximately 1,700 sales, manufacturing, and supply chain employees. His diverse background includes more than 11 years of experience in human resources and another 8 years of sales leadership and operational roles in the consumer electronics, telecommunications, and health care fields.
Valerie Braman
M.S., Educational Administration, Gwynedd Mercy University
B.A., Literature, Brown University
Valerie Braman is a lecturer in labor and employment relations courses and a labor educator. Previously, she was employed by the American Federation of Teachers as a staff representative and affiliate organizer. She also served as an instructional reform facilitator and bilingual English teacher at Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia.
Kathleen Conlan
M.A., Labor Studies, University of the District of Columbia
B.A., Economics, Georgetown University
Kathleen Conlan has worked in the labor movement all her adult life. She started in the Research Department of Service Employees International Union, and she retired as the education director for the Laborers' International Union of North America in 2012, where she was responsible for developmental classes for the union's leadership. She also served in the AFL-CIO legislative department. She taught online and residential classes at the National Labor College from 2000 until 2014.
Myrna Covington
Ph.D., Workforce Development, Penn State
M.S., Workforce Development, Penn State
B.S., Business Administration, Robert Morris University
Dr. Myrna Covington has worked in higher education, government, and in private industry in various professional capacities. These positions have often involved her supervision of others and development of leadership talent. In addition to teaching in the field of higher education, she has been committed to mentoring student groups and leaders.
Renata Dash
J.D., DePaul University College of Law
B.A., Political Science, DePaul University
Renata Dash is an attorney who specializes in labor and employment law. She first practiced labor and employment law for the private sector at a nationally recognized law firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, later moving to a position as the associate general counsel in-house at an international labor organization. She holds licenses in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Tennessee, and before the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Sixth and Seventh Circuits.
Michael Eggert
J.D., Duquesne University School of Law
B.A., Labor and Employment Relations, Penn State
B.A., Sociology, Penn State
Michael Eggert began his career as a field examiner for the Pittsburgh Regional Office of the National Labor Relations Board. Subsequently, he was a private attorney in employment and labor law for nearly 11 years, representing a variety of clients that included employers, individual employees, and several union locals. Between 1998 and 2009, he held positions as the director of human resources for the cities of Altoona, Pennsylvania, and Port Orange, Florida, and for The Arc of Centre County, Inc., Pennsylvania.
Nicholas J. Enoch
J.D., University of Dayton
MBA, University of Dayton
B.A., Labor Studies, Penn State
Nicholas Enoch is a partner with the Phoenix/Denver/El Paso law firm of Lubin & Enoch, P.C., which focuses on the representation of labor unions throughout the Southwest. He routinely appears before arbitrators as well as all courts and administrative agencies in matters arising under traditional (e.g., National Labor Relations Act, Railway Labor Act, Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act) and nontraditional labor and employment law.
Kathleen M. Evans
MLS, Library Science, Kutztown University
B.A., English, Bloomsburg University
Kathleen Evans is a 15-year-veteran of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, where she gained experience as a field representative in negotiating contracts, grievance processing and arbitration, training members in advocacy, expert witness testimony in fact findings, and dealing with various employment issues for teachers and school support personnel. She has also been a classroom teacher, librarian, and local union president.
Elaine Farndale
Ph.D., Cranfield University of Management, United Kingdom
M.A., Personnel Management, Kingston University, United Kingdom
B.A., French and Modern Dutch Studies, University of Hull, United Kingdom
Dr. Elaine Farndale's areas of specialization and research include international and comparative human resource management (HRM); the power, professionalism, and roles of the HR department; HRM and firm performance; change management and HRM; eHRM and new HR delivery mechanisms; and HRM and employee engagement. She has presented numerous papers at international conferences and has published articles and chapters in both the practitioner and academic press. Dr. Farndale has also worked as an HR specialist for several years.
Kayla Follmer
Ph.D., Psychology, Penn State
M.S., Psychology, Penn State
MBA, Illinois State University
B.S., Public Relations, Penn State
Dr. Kayla Follmer is an assistant professor at the Perdue School of Business, Salisbury University. Prior to completing her graduate work in psychology, she served both as director of administration and director of member services for the Foodservice Consultants Society International.
David I. Goldman
J.D., Columbia University
B.A., History, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
David I. Goldman serves as a U.S. administrative law judge (ALJ). In this capacity, he adjudicates cases for the National Labor Relations Board. Prior to that, he served as an ALJ for the Social Security Administration, hearing claims for social security disability. Prior to becoming an ALJ, he served as assistant and then associate general counsel for the United Steelworkers of America, AFL–CIO, CLC, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dennis S. Gouran
Ph.D., Speech, University of Iowa
M.S., Speech, Illinois State University
B.S., Speech, Illinois State University
Dr. Dennis S. Gouran, a specialist in group communication, has received awards for scholarship, including the Distinguished Scholar Award from the National Communication Association, and Penn State's Faculty Scholar Medal for the Social and Behavioral Sciences. He is the author of more than 100 books, articles, and reviews dealing with communication in groups.
Tara Habasevich-Brooks
Ph.D., Sociology, Penn State
B.S., Labor Studies, Penn State
Dr. Tara Habasevich-Brooks' current research interests include work and family, and women's employment and child care. Previously, she worked for several years as an HR manager. In addition to teaching, she currently works as a research consultant for various clients and as a financial caseworker.
Thomas Hall
B.S., Education, Penn State
Thomas Hall has provided human resources and management engineering consulting services to the University and state government for more than 35 years. He has also served as a human resources manager, lead classification analyst, and employment recruiter. In addition, he has worked as a management consultant, conducting activity-based costing studies, staffing analyses, productivity assessments, survey administration studies, and a wide range of human resources consulting services to academic and administrative departments.
Julie Hartley
M.S., Applied I/O, Colorado State University
B.S., Labor and Industrial Relations, Penn State
Julie Hartley has served in a variety of human resource management roles for more than 20 years. She is the director of human resources at Foxdale Village, Inc., a continuing care retirement community in State College, Pennsylvania. Prior to that position, she was human resources manager at the Centre Area Transportation Association in State College. She has achieved both SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications.
Jill Jensen
Ph.D., U.S. History, University of California, Santa Barbara
Dr. Jill Jensen serves as an instructor with the School of Labor Studies and Employment Relations and as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Redlands, California. She has focused on the study of comparative labor law and social policy, human rights, and global labor markets and trade. Her academic work analyzes the history of the International Labor Organization and its attempts to formulate and monitor international labor standards in the global economy.
Taesung Kim
Ph.D., Workforce education and Development, Penn State
M.Ed., HRD, Yonsei University, South Korea
B.A, Education, Yonsei University, South Korea
Dr. Kim has more than 10 years of experience as an internal manager and external consultant in the field of human resource development and management. Most recently, he worked for KPMG Korea, a Korean member firm of the KPMG global network that provides audit and business advisory services, as a senior manager in the Learning and Development Center. He served simultaneously on the HR Steering Group, the Labor-Management Council, and the Promotion and Communication Steering Group.
Mark Linsenbigler
M.S., Industrial Health and Safety, Penn State
B.S., Safety Sciences, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Mark Linsenbigler is employed as the occupational health and safety manager at Penn State. His background includes occupational safety and health experience in a variety of industries, including light and heavy manufacturing, construction, and municipal environments. He is also recognized as a certified safety professional by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
Charles Lumpkins
Ph.D., History, Penn State
M.A., History, University of Maine
MLS, Library Science, Simmons College
B.S., History and Sociology, Boston State College — University of Massachusetts
Dr. Charles Lumpkins' research focuses on the history of working-class African Americans. He is the recipient of several honors, including the Illinois State Historical Society Certificate of Merit for Scholarly Publication for his article "American Pogrom: The East St. Louis Race Riot and Black Politics." He has also written about the civil rights movement in Maine, notably in an article reprinted in Maine's Visible Black History: The First Chronicle of Its People (2006), edited by H.H. Price and Gerald E. Talbot.
Mary MacDonald
M.S., Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University
B.S., Labor and Employment Relations, Penn State
Mary MacDonald served as director of the health care division of the American Federation of Teachers, representing more than 100,000 nurses and health professionals, for 20 years. Prior to that, she worked for the National AFL-CIO in their Education and Community Services Divisions and staffed the AFL-CIO Labor Law Task Force. She has taught a variety of courses as a labor educator for Cornell University. She frequently speaks on health care industry issues, and she has served as the chair of the Maryland Health Care Foundation.
Allison Maurer
Ph.D., I/O Psychology, Saint Louis University
M.S., I/O Psychology, Saint Louis University
B.S., Business Administration, Fontbonne University
Dr. Allison Maurer has extensive experience in both the science and practice of management in the government (e.g., United States Secret Service and Department of Justice) and other business areas (e.g., Panera Bread, March of Dimes, and Badges for Vets). Her current research interests fall broadly into two categories: personnel selection and managerial decision-making. She has also taught a range of management courses at more than seven higher education institutions, including Penn State.
Sean Moeller
M.S., Human Resources and Employment Relations, Penn State
B.S., Labor and Industrial Relations, Penn State
Sean Moeller works as the director of administrative services for the College of the Liberal Arts. One of his responsibilities is to oversee human resources for the College. Originally from lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania, he spent several years serving overseas in the United State Marine Corps.
Leonard Pollack
Ph.D., Instructional Systems, Penn State
M.Ed., Counselor Education, Penn State
B.A., Psychology, Indiana
Dr. Leonard Pollack has been committed to improving the performance of individuals and organizations throughout his career. He is a certified executive coach and has expertise in the areas of leadership, performance management, survey creation and administration, organizational development, group facilitation, change management, and strategic planning. Before joining Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts, Dr. Pollack served as the director of the University's Human Resource Development Center and Strategic Services.
Brian Redmond
Ph.D., I/O Psychology, Graduate Center; City University of New York
M.A., I/O Psychology, New York University
B.A., Psychology, Castleton State University
Dr. Brian Redmond is an associate teacher professor in LER. He had worked in several organizations (manufacturing, financial, education, management, and service) before deciding that education was his true calling. He still occasionally performs organizational consulting, specifically, leadership assessment and online education. Dr. Redmond teaches and authors courses in leadership that span the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels. He has been teaching online since 2004. He has published and presented research and applied solutions regarding online education since 2003.
Emily Riggs
M.S., Human Resources and Organization Development, Manhattanville College
B.S., Human Resources and Marketing, University of Arizona
Emily Riggs, principal at Talent Matters Consulting, provides solutions for business and human resources leaders that focus on achieving results through people. These solutions include designing effective organizations, realizing the potential of top talent, accelerating leadership effectiveness, building high-performing teams, and developing capability through continuous learning. Most recently, as the director of Global Talent Management at Campbell Soup Company, she has set the strategies for, and implemented, cutting-edge talent processes.
Timothy Shick
M.A., Industrial and Labor Relations, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
B.S., Human Resource Management, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Timothy Shick has been in the field of human resources for 12 years, working in health care, service, and manufacturing settings, in various HR capacities. He is currently a part-time consultant, as well a lecturer. The past eight years he has been a part-time faculty member for Penn State. His major areas of interest are staffing, training, labor and employee relations, and policy.
Patricia Shope
Ph.D., Training and Organizational Development, Penn State
B.S., Human Resource Management, Juniata College
Dr. Patricia Shope, in addition to teaching in higher education, has held human resources and training positions in health care, manufacturing, community development, and secondary education. She is also a self-employed consultant specializing in organizational leadership, human resources, and customer service training. Dr. Shope has entrepreneurial experience as owner/vice president of a franchise operation and economic development consulting.
Sherron Sparks-Hain
Ph.D., Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Capella University
M.S., Organizational Leadership, Geneva College
P.S., Human Resources, Geneva College
Dr. Sherron Sparks-Hain has more than 20 years of business consulting, coaching, and training experience. She is the founder and CEO of Sparks Business Institute and Sparks Business Services. This experience, along with her educational background, makes her especially effective in working with adult learners as well as entrepreneurs, executives, and their teams. She also engages in public speaking on business and women's issues.
Kristoffer Smemo
Ph.D., History, University of California, Santa Barbara
M.A., History, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
M.A., Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
B.A., History and Political Science, Hamline University
Dr. Kristoffer Smemo has published and presented widely on issues related to labor history. He is a member of the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, and the Labor and Working-Class History Association. His most recent submission, scheduled for publication in 2018, is titled, "The Rise and Fall of a 'New Dealized' Liberal Republicanism," in Beyond the New Deal Order, ed. Gary Gerstle, Nelson Lichtenstein, and Alice O’Connor (University of Pennsylvania Press).
Leslee Spiess
Ph.D., Business and Management, Newcastle University, Australia.
MBA, Newcastle University, Australia
Dr. Leslee Spiess' research interests include the structures and processes surrounding labor regulation, management strategy, and employee representation. She has taught comparative employment relations for several years. She served for many years in the Royal Australian Air Force as an air traffic controller and also worked in the hospital sector as a diagnostic radiographer.
Maja Vidovic
Ph.D., Human Resource Management, University of Zagreb, Croatia
M.S., Human Resource Management, University of Zagreb, Croatia
B.S., Human Resource Management, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Dr. Maja Vidovic has been a member of the organizing committees for several scientific conferences, focused on knowledge management, the contemporary role of trade unions, and international human resource management — both in Croatia as well as in the United States. She was the Academy of Management's Human Resources Division's ambassador for Croatia, and is the author of several book chapters and many scientific papers, predominantly focusing on human resource management.
Michael Wasser
M.S., Human Resources and Employment Relations, Penn State
B.S., Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Penn State
Michael Wasser is the legislative and outreach director for the Department for Professional Employees (DPE) of the AFL-CIO. DPE consists of 22 unions representing nearly four million people in professional and technical occupations, ranging from NASA scientists and teachers to paramedics and actors, in Hollywood and on Broadway. Prior to DPE, he was a senior policy analyst for Jobs With Justice, and he served on the labor relations staff for General Motors at one of its assembly plants.
Justin Zartman
J.D., Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
B.A., Labor and Industrial Relations, Penn State
B.A., Political Science, Penn State
Justin Zartman works for the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) negotiating teachers' contracts and representing teachers at arbitration and state labor board hearings. Prior to joining CEA, he worked for the National Labor Relations Board in their Fort Worth, Texas, office.