Caldwell Welcomes New Faculty Caldwell University – Caldwell University

Caldwell University welcomed several new faculty members this fall semester.

Ellina Chernobilsky, Ph.D., acting vice president for Academic Affairs, said the University is delighted to welcome such accomplished faculty. I believe that the new faculty will contribute to the success of our students not only as classroom faculty but also by being great role models outside of the class.

Maria Agapito, Ph.D. has joined the School of Natural Sciences. She was previously chair of the Biology Program at Bard High School Early College in Newark. At Bard, she was one of 35 science teachers in the country to receive a grant from the Society of Science & the Public to pursue research. Agapito worked in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where she conducted research in developmental biology, neurology and ethanol toxicology, using C. elegans as an animal model system.She served for several years at Kean University as adjunct professor in the School of Natural Sciences.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in chemistry and a Master of Science in Biology with a concentration in molecular biology from Montclair State University. She completed her doctoral training in neuroscience at Rutgers and was accepted to the National Institute of Health IRACDA/INSPIRE postdoctoral program.

Agapito has published peer-reviewed articles in professional journals, presented at national conferences and obtained prestigious fellowships. She is the president of the New Jersey Academy of Science and serves as a convener for the North Jersey Life Sciences Industry Partnership. Her long-term goal is to change the face of America by enhancing curiosity, educating and mentoring students to enter STEM-related fields to create a diverse population of role models for the generations to come.

Daniel Cruz, Ph.D. rejoins the School of Psychology and Counseling, having previously served on the faculty at Caldwell. Cruz is an assessment psychologist and neuroscience researcher, is licensed to practice psychology in New Jersey and is board-certified in counseling psychology with a concentration in psychological and neuropsychological assessment and consultation.

Cruz is past president of the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey and an officer of the board of trustees for the New Jersey Neuropsychological Society. He completed an APA-accredited child and adolescent psychology internship at Rutgers University-University Behavioral Health Care and postdoctoral training in outpatient mental health, severe and persistent mental illness, and psychological, educational and neuropsychological testing and intervention. His research focuses on developmental disorders, including developmental trauma, complex PTSD, autism and ADHD. Cruz is the founder of the Neuroscience Institute for Trauma. He holds a Master of Science degree from Rutgers and a Ph.D. from Seton Hall University.

Steven Kreutzer, Ph.D. joins the School of Business and Computer Science, bringing much higher education and corporate business experience.

He previously served at Bloomfield College where he was professor of computer science and chair of the Division of Business. He was active in shared governance as chair of several committees including technology, tenure and advancement and enrollment management. Kreutzer was faculty council chair and faculty chair and served as the faculty representative on the Academic Affairs Board Committee for many years.

Early in his career Kreutzer worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories where he wrote software used by tens of thousands of people and did work advancing the effectiveness of large-scale software development organizations. He performed assessments of large-scale development teams and did technology due diligence for potential acquisition targets. Kreutzer worked as a management consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and at AIG where he held senior management positions and led a team that developed, maintained and supported a large-scale data warehouse. He led an internal management consulting organization, focusing on operations and strategy.

Melissa Sepe, M.A., N. joins the Caldwell School of Nursing and Public Health as an assistant professor, having previously served as an adjunct. Her clinical experience includes critical care, outpatient care and community health for pediatric and adult populations. She brings leadership experience, having served as an adult nurse practitioner responsible for the care of cardiac patients in the office setting, as an advanced practice nurse overseeing clinical operations and education for an emergency department nursing staff and as head nurse at a local private school during the COVID-19 pandemic. While in the Overlook Hospital Emergency Department, Sepe was the nurse leader for the acute myocardial infarction team when the department received the Mission Impossible Award in recognition of outstanding patient care. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Villanova University and a Master of Arts in Nursing from NYU.

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