Directory - Employee

A Maine native, Cynthia was a member of the first class of nursing students to be awarded a BSN from Husson University in 1986. She earned her MS from Arizona State University in the critical care track. She has 15+ years’ experience as a nurse educator and is working on her Certificate of Advanced Studies in Nursing Education. She has had 25+ years’ experience in critical care, vascular access education and medical-surgical nursing. She currently maintains a clinical practice in infusion therapy. Her professional interests are critical care and trauma, women and cardiac disease, infusion therapy, and vascular access.

Tommy Lasorda, Manager of the LA Dodgers, said, "The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a persons determination". So often students and prospective students entertain me with all the reasons why they can't be successful in their nursing program. They say, I have children to care for, I have to work full-time, I don't have the financial resources to pay for college, and/or I have a husband, mother, father, sick aunt, dog to care for and the housework, too! These words are uttered with conviction and sincerity. I usually respond to them with Tommy's words of wisdom and the story of my own struggle to complete my bachelors and master programs as a single mom with two small children and three part-time jobs. One of the things I have always loved about Husson is the small class size and family atmosphere that pervades the nursing program. The faculty and my peers were instrumental in my success as an undergraduate nursing student here at Husson, and I hope I provide the same support and nurturing to the students in my role as nursing faculty

Dr. Phipps joined the Husson School of Pharmacy as Lecturer in Pharmacology in August, 2009. He earned a BA in Biochemistry and Physiological Sciences in 1972 from Oxford University, UK, and a PhD in Respiratory Physiology from London University, UK in 1977. Roger completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Cardiovascular Research Institute, San Francisco in 1977 to 1978. In 1981 he accepted a position as Director of Asthma Research at Mount Sinai Hospital, Miami Beach, with an adjunct Associate Professor appointment at the University of Miami. In 1988, Roger gave up the academic life and went to work in the pharmaceutical industry. He accepted a position as Principal Scientist at Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, located first in upstate New York and later in Cincinnati, Ohio. At P&GP, Roger worked mainly on therapies to treat respiratory and bone disorders. After 20 years at P&GP Roger moved to Maine in 2008 to head the Bone Genomics and Cancer group at the Maine Institute for Human Genetics & Health in Bangor, before his appointment at Husson University.

During his time in academia and industry, Roger has authored over 50 peer-reviewed research manuscripts and 7 review chapters, and continues to serve as an ad hoc reviewer for several bone-related journals. He has given over 25 invited presentations at National and International meetings.

Outside of work and family, Roger's passion is football (soccer). He played for over 20 years before taking up refereeing in 1982. Since then he has refereed at all levels from Under 6 through professional.

After 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry the move back to academia is both challenging and exciting for me. I hope that my background can give the students a different perspective on the drug discovery, development and approval process.

Professor Plebani has worked for more than a decade in the field of mental health in both clinical and administrative positions in the service of children, adolescents and adults with psychiatric issues. Throughout his professional career, he has worked in settings as diverse as psychiatric hospitals, community-based treatment facilities and the Adolescent Reception Detention Center at Riker's Island Correctional Facility. He holds an undergraduate degree with dual concentrations in Psychology and Sociology from Drew University in New Jersey. His graduate studies were undertaken and completed at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, resulting in an advanced degree in Forensic Psychology. Professor Plebani is presently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Safety through Capella University. Particular academic and research interests include Criminal Profiling, Psychopathy, and the Psychology of Cults.

Apart from Professor Plebani's responsibilities as a faculty member in the School of Legal Studies at Husson University, he has served as a member of the Law Enforcement Oral Boards for the University of Maine, Holden, and Orono Police Departments. Additionally, he maintains an active relationship with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as an off-site instructor for topics including Deviant Behavior, Mental Health and Crisis Stabilization and Law Enforcement Interactions with the Mentally Ill.

"Some men see things as they are and say, 'Why?' I dream of things that never were and say, 'Why not?'" - Robert F. Kennedy

It has always been my belief that learning is an intensive, life-long process. Within the classroom, I am an advocate of blending the academic and practical aspects of Criminal Justice. As students meet the eventual challenges of the professional world, it is of the utmost necessity that they can translate conceptual and theoretical material into real world application. My teaching style reflects a belief that higher education is a distinctly cooperative effort between students and faculty members that benefits the individual scholar, the school and the broader society in which all are imbedded. Therefore, I strive to provide an educational experience that challenges students to ask, "Why not?"

Marielle Postava-Davignon joined the Husson community in 2012 as its first biology Laboratory Supervisor. She comes to us with ten years of experience teaching in diverse laboratory and field settings in the Boston area and abroad. Although her Ph.D. research at Northeastern University specialized in social insect nesting behavior and immunity, she is fascinated by all forms of science. This is exemplified by the double minor in chemistry and geology that accompanied her B.S. in biology from SUNY Fredonia, and her teaching experience in a wide array of classes such as General Biology, Ecology, Anatomy & Physiology and Microbiology, and Biology & Society. In both her teaching and research, Marielle takes any opportunity made available to bring her work outside of the traditional university classroom or lab setting. For two years she taught high school biology for the Health Careers Academy in Boston as part of an NSF GK-12 program, and she spent six summers studying tropical termites on the island of St. John, USVI as part of an Earthwatch Student Challenge Awards Program. Marielle looks forward to taking advantage of what the Maine outdoors has to offer in her classes at Husson, and continuing to share her love of science with her students.

My goal as a teacher has always been to make science accessible to everyone. Science shouldn’t just be for academics, although the language in which science is presented often makes it feel like it is. When I teach, I try to give each student personal attention and tailor my techniques to match their strengths. I try to stimulate their curiosity so they are encouraged to explore what they are learning further, and learn to ask questions. Whenever possible, I use hands-on examples or take students outside of the classroom to broaden their horizons and experience the natural world first-hand. I love science, I get excited about science, and I hope to share this with my students to the point where they find something that makes them feel the same way.

David Prescott taught as an adjunct professor at Husson for seven years before joining the University full time in 2011 as Director of Healthcare Studies. David attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine where he earned a B.A. with a double major in psychology and music. After an unsettled year living for brief periods on Martha’s Vineyard; Bristol, England; and Raymond, Maine he spent the next decade in the great Midwest, completing an M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Nebraska and a clinical psychology predoctoral internship at Indiana University Medical School. He worked for 17 years at Acadia Hospital, a psychiatric treatment facility in Bangor, as a psychologist, program director, and quality improvement director.

David has always found teaching to be among his greatest interests and passions. His areas of professional work have included improving the integration of primary care and mental health, improving healthcare quality and organizational performance, and the use of measurement and applied research in healthcare settings. His clinical interests include bariatric surgery, group psychotherapy, and treatment of schizophrenia. Husson’s Healthcare Studies major allows him to pull together these many areas of interest to help prepare the next generation of the healthcare workforce in an industry that provides endless academic and practical challenges.

Living in Hampden, with his wife Diana (also a psychologist) and 3 daughters, David also spends some of his time working for Hampden Psychological Consultation. An avid runner and not-quite-so-avid hiker, he spends what free time is left enjoying the many benefits of living in Maine.