Faculty Research Interests

My current research focuses on the interactions between trophic levels in host plant-herbivore-predator/parasitoid systems. I am currently working with the tulip tree beauty moth in the Northeast U.S. looking at interactions between host plants, caterpillars, and fly and wasp parasitoids that attack the caterpillars.

I have also recently begun working with an agricultural system in Texas looking at the interactions between cotton, endophytic fungi, and aphid and beet armyworm herbivores. The endophytic fungi colonize the cotton plants and can affect cotton growth and aphid reproduction. I also work on the evolution of fairy shrimp life history, sex determination, and sexual selection.

My research include: student mental health, faculty-student relationships, resiliency, social justice, ethical tension in academia and faculty relationships.

My research interests all aim to alleviate societal problems. They include alternative refrigerants to R-22 and their physical properties, flammability studies of partially fluorinated hydrocarbons, thermophysical properties of ionic liquids and of their mixtures, and the thermodynamic behavior of medicinally valuable compounds.

I envision communication as a central process in our relational lives, not just a variable. I use a variety of methods to study communication in personal relationships. The majority of my research has focused on LGBTQ+ relational communication, especially the way that socio-cultural factors and shifts, such as marriage equality, affect these relationships. I am also especially interested in studying family communication, especially for marginalized families.

My research interests include Self-care practices; The Internet of Things; Engagement in online learning.

My current research interests include assessing complex sport marketing service quality encounters at professional sport events. The work looks at the encounter from both the service provider's side and the event attendee's side and compares those perceptions.

I primarily specialize in research related to gender, work, and family. The bulk of my research is on work-family conflict and the division of paid and unpaid labor in households. I am particularly interested in health outcomes associated with various aspects of work-family balance. A second area of research examines the effectiveness of high impact practices, such as experiential classroom simulations, in achieving student learning outcomes. While not a primary area of focus, I have also conducted research on how culture and identity shape food patterns and meanings.

My primary interests are in the fields of American federalism and state and local policy agendas. Recently I have been researching how the American federal system has affected the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in four co-authored publications. I am also currently co-editing a book on Teaching Federalism: Multidimensional Approaches, which will be published as part of Edward Elgar’s Teaching Methods series. Much of my research on state politics focuses on Pennsylvania. I have recently co-edited Pennsylvania Politics and Policy: A Commonwealth Reader, Volume 1 (2018) and Volume 2 (2019). I am currently doing research for Governing the Commonwealth: Politics, Policy and Executive Power in Pennsylvania. The book examines how recent Pennsylvania governors have used their formal and informal powers to influence public policy across a range of issues including education, the environment, and social welfare.

I am currently co-authoring research adapting this model to local politics through an exploration of the agendas of large-city mayors as voiced through their State of the City addresses. I am in the beginning stages of writing Governing the Commonwealth: Politics, Policy and Executive Power in Pennsylvania. The book examines how recent Pennsylvania governors have used their formal and informal powers to influence public policy across a range of issues including education, the environment, and social welfare.

My research focuses on the neurobiology of social behavior and how hormones play a role in regulating those behaviors. Together with Widener undergraduate biology majors, I work on projects ranging from brain and behavior studies in songbirds, stress physiology in fish, to testing gene therapy treatments for nervous system disorders in rodents. All of my projects are conducted at Widener, some of which are done in collaboration with researchers at larger institutions.

In my research, I explore the rich, diverse tapestry of human sexuality, recognizing the importance of acknowledging and respecting this diversity. Whether it’s addressing the challenges faced by sexuality professionals, or examining the complex issues surrounding sex, work, and ethics, my research pursuits aim to explore critical aspects of human sexuality in our ever-evolving world.

My main research interests include sexual ethics and diversity, cross-cultural sexuality, and Catholic sexual theology.  I often research justice issues in the field of sexuality, examining issues of consent, sexual behaviors, sexual fantasy, trauma, and sexuality education

My research focuses on consumer behavior and digital marketing, with a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. I investigate sources that generate consumer happiness and improve consumer well-being. My works have been published in the Review of Marketing Research and presented at conferences including Academy of Marketing Science and American Academy of Advertising.

My research focuses on translating teachers' knowledge into classroom practice.

• Change management in workplace organizations
• Corporate culture and ethical leadership 
• How adults learn in the workplace
• Diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace

My research interests include a variety of areas related to hybrid course design and delivery, professional development of faculty, organic collaboration among graduate students, pedagogical considerations for online and hybrid course design and delivery, flexible course design and delivery, and use of educational technology in the learning community.

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Occupational Justice
• Trauma Informed Practice
• Clinical and Professional Reasoning
• Role of Occupational Therapy in Healing Police & Community Relations

My research interests include restaurant management, casino management, human resource management, lodging management, food and beverage management, food safety, organizational behavior/dynamics, labor relations, interpersonal communication dynamics, pedagogy in hospitality education, freshman studies/retention, assessment, and accreditation in higher education.

My research utilizes qualitative and historical inquiry to address issues connected to organizational change and social justice. I am interested in the ways in which institutions and organizations have created, and/or continue to create spaces conducive for liberation, transformation, and love, in pursuit of justice, equity, social change and belonging. Specifically, I am interested in: 

• Equity & belonging 
• Intersections of faith and education 
• African-American experience  
• Pipeline diversification 
• Organizational & social change

• Clinical and Professional Reasoning
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Occupational Justice
• Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

My research interests include forest phenology/climatology, sustainable development, and tropical ecology.

My research interests include the treatment of rape victims by the criminal justice, medical and legal systems, the transformation of rape crisis centers, and the experiences and struggles of rape victim advocates, and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners.   In addition, I have conducted research on the effect of marijuana legalization on crime rates, mock jurors’ understanding of sentencing instructions, and students’ fear of crime on campus.