Immaculata University welcomed 12 new full-time faculty members for the fall semester.
The list of the new faculty members with their titles and departments is below, along with a brief biography of their education and most recent work experience.
Melissa Carpenter
Associate Faculty, Biology
Carpenter received a B.S. and an M.S. in biology from Rutgers University. She is completing her Ph.D. at Drexel University. Carpenter had been working in a laboratory at Drexel, researching the endosymbionts of pea aphids.
Thomas Croke
Assistant Professor, Music
Croke graduated from Immaculata with a Bachelor of Arts in music. He earned an M.F.A. in music history from Brandeis University and a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He most recently served as an adjunct professor of music at Ashland University.
Joseph Cunninghan
Associate Professor, Business
Cunningham earned a B.S. in accountancy from Villanova University and an MBA from Widener University. He is a CPA and was most recently an associate professor and program coordinator of accounting at Wilson College as well as an adjunct instructor at Penn State-Mont Alto.
Shayna Finn
Assistant Professor, Psychology and Counseling
Finn earned a B.S. in psychology (clinical track) and an M.A. in clinical mental health counseling, both from Marywood University. She continued her education by receiving a Ph.D. in counseling and supervision from James Madison University. Finn was an adjunct faculty member at James Madison, teaching undergraduate psychology.
Jessica Galbally
Instructor, Nursing
Galbally earned a B.S. in nursing from the University of South Carolina and an M.S. in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University before completing an emergency medicine fellowship at Paoli Hospital. She has been a nurse since 2011, most recently working with Student Health Services at Temple University.
Jeannie Higgin
Assistant professor, Nursing
Higgin earned a B.S. in nursing from the University of Delaware and an M.S. in nursing leadership, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice, from Wilmington University. Since 2016, Higgin has worked at Better Wellness Family Practice as a family/psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She has also served as a preceptor for the nurse practitioner master’s programs at Wilkes and Walden universities.
Heather Krick
Assistant Professor, Nutrition
Krick received a B.S. in Nutrition and Foods from Drexel University, an M.S. in Dietetics from the University of Rhode Island and returned to Drexel to complete a Doctor of Health Science. Krick has served as an assistant professor in the Widener University Department of Nutrition and is a personal care home administrator trainer for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services at Northampton Community College.
Virginia Lindak
Instructor, Arts, Languages and Letters
Lindak earned a B.A. in communication from Immaculata and an M.A. in communication studies from West Chester University. She returned to Immaculata to earn an Ed.D. in higher education. For the past five years, Lindak has served as an adjunct faculty member in the arts, languages, and letters department at Immaculata. She is also a freelance journalist for several local publications.
Melissa Rice
Instructor, Arts, Languages and Letters
Rice earned her B.A. in psychology and an M.Ed from Capella University. She is currently completing a Ph.D. in communication at Liberty University. For the past four years, Rice has been an adjunct faculty member at Immaculata. She is also a public speaker for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the executive program director of Cogwell Listen Up, and serves as the advisor for Immaculata’s Cogwell Club.
Rachael Sanguinetti
Associate Faculty, Music
Sanguinetti earned a Bachelor of Music, with double majors in music education and musical arts, from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. She earned an M.M. in music education from Ithaca College before returning to Eastman to pursue a Ph.D. in music education. Since 2022, she has been an adjunct faculty member in music education at Nazareth University, a guest conductor and graduate teaching assistant (Treble Chorus) at Eastman, and an instructor at the Eastman Community Music School.
Noah Schoch
Assistant Professor, Psychology and Counseling
Schoch earned a B.S. in clinical psychology and an M.A. in clinical mental health counseling, both from Kutztown University. He recently completed his Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from Duquesne University. Schoch was most recently a professional counselor at Clarity Counseling.
Jay Tarnoff
Assistant Professor, Psychology and Counseling
Tarnoff earned two B.S. degrees in psychology and human development and family studies, as well as a B.A. in religious studies from Penn State University. He received an M.Ed. in school psychology and a Ph.D. in school psychology from Temple University. He also earned a second master’s degree in school leadership. For the past decade, Tarnoff served as the owner and psychologist of Polaris Psychological and was the school psychologist and director of clinical services at Woodlynde School.