Lebanon Valley College Welcomes New Faculty

ANNVILLE, PA (08/24/2015)(readMedia)-- Lebanon Valley College is proud to welcome 11 new faculty members for the 2015–2016 academic year. The College, on the cusp of its 150th year, welcomes these innovative faculty to its Athletic Training, Business Administration, Chemistry, Education, English, and Music programs.

The following individuals are among those that will begin their work at LVC this year. Some of the new faculty members have already been featured in articles on the College website. Read about Joseph Murphy, Matthew Erpelding, Bethany Stiles, and Sharon Davis in their respective articles at www.lvc.edu/news.

Douglas Gautsch, visiting assistant professor of business administration, has two degrees from Lebanon Valley College, including his M.B.A., and received his doctorate in business management from Pace University. A previous adjunct professor at LVC, Gautsch has also taught at Elizabethtown College, Penn State University, and Central Penn College. His research focuses on the impact of leadership on performance.

Donald Roy Geiger, assistant professor of accounting, has professional and academic accounting experience. After early work as a tax advisor, Geiger worked for the federal government as an accountant for the IRS and director of accounting for the Department of the Treasury. He taught accounting courses at Catholic University and Strayer University, and he has studied internet-based technologies, hoping to better communication in accounting. He is currently earning his doctorate of business administration at Argosy University.

Kimberlee Josephson, assistant professor of business administration, has worked in Australia, Pennsylvania, and New York, including teaching positions at LVC, Lycoming College, Temple University, and Rider University. She has a certification in international business from Sheffield Hallam University in England, B.S. from Bloomsburg University, M.S. from La Trobe University in Australia, M.A. from Temple University, and is A.B.D. from La Trobe University where she will soon complete her Ph.D. Much of her work, particularly at Fox School of Business at Temple, integrates an international approach to business, with her research focusing on studies of economic development as it relates to political structure.

Dora Peelen, a native of Hungary, is now a teaching fellow in chemistry, after having previously taught in the department as an adjunct instructor in Freshman Chemistry, Freshman Chemistry Lab, and Organic Chemistry Lab. She has extensive research experience in conductors and biochemistry, publishing many of her findings. A member of the American Chemical Society, Peelen received her Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh.

Michelle Rasmussen, assistant professor of chemistry, received her doctorate in chemistry from Case Western Reserve University. She specializes in electrochemical processes, conducting research at Case Western and the University of Utah. Rasmussen has additional experience as a mentor and graduate teaching assistant.

Jennifer Kuntz '03, visiting assistant professor of education, has specialized in early childhood education, teaching at Bonfield and Lititz elementary schools, as well as serving as an adjunct professor at LVC. She received her master's degree in education from Millersville University. As an undergraduate at LVC, Kuntz received the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association Award for Excellence in Teaching Performance.

Hallie L. Lieberman, teaching fellow in English, received her Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Over the years, she has published a variety of works on sexuality and women's studies, winning several grants and fellowships for her work.

About Lebanon Valley College

Lebanon Valley College is a private, coeducational college founded in 1866 and dedicated to the liberal arts. The College offers 36 undergraduate majors plus self-designed majors and a range of minors, concentrations, and pre-professional options, as well as graduate degree programs in athletic training, business administration, music education, physical therapy, and science education.

The College has 1,573 full-time undergraduate students and 106 full-time faculty. Students can choose from more than 90 clubs and organizations, and 12 study abroad programs. LVC awards generous academic scholarships to those whose high school records demonstrate a commitment to challenge and achievement.