Faculty and Staff Experts for Media

Need an expert to comment on your story? Stockton University can quickly setup interviews with our faculty and staff experts on a variety of topics.

Featured Experts

Jane Bokunewicz

Jane Bokunewicz
Director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism and Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies
Expertise: Atlantic City and New Jersey casino industry, New Jersey hospitality and tourism

Kimberly McKenna
Interim Director of the Coastal Research Center
Expertise: New Jersey beach erosion, coastal flooding, storm damage, shoreline retreat and climate change

Alyssa Maurice

Alyssa Maurice
Head of Research and Assistant Director of William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy
Expertise: New Jersey politics and polling

To secure an interview, please contact Mark Melhorn, associate director of News and Media Relations at mark.melhorn@stockton.edu.

Browse Our Experts

d19e146Atlantic City and New Jersey casino industry, New Jersey hospitality and tourismGeneral business, economy, public policy, national and New Jersey business topicsSouth Jersey arts and cultureState and metropolitan area economies, South Jersey regional economy, labor markets, public policy, and urban/regional economicsClimate change, sustainability, wind energy, offshore windSouth Jersey historyNew Jersey politics and pollingNew Jersey beach erosion, coastal flooding, storm damage, shoreline retreat and climate changeCannabis StudiesHolocaust and genocide studiesShipwrecks, deep-sea diving and sharksFire ecology, forest ecology and management, treesSouth Jersey and Atlantic City history, rare books, Stockton University archives, local history and government documentsAstrobiology, deep-sea marine life, microbial life in PinelandsCriminal justice, incarceration, police contact with people with mental illness, mental health and suicide in prisons and jails, and prisoner re-entryNearshore marine life, invertebrates, shellfish, habitat restorationAstronomy, astrophysics, climate physics, food physics, and physics educationImmigration, economics of immigration, refugee policy, impact of immigrant and refugee workers in the U.S. labor markets.Maple syrup production in South Jersey, Holocaust and genocide studies, mathematicsEarthquakes, structural geology, tectonics, rock magneticsLocal, state and national politics. U.S. foreign policy, international trade, the United Nations and labor relations.

First Name	Last Name	Expertise	Role
Jane	Bokunewicz	Atlantic City and New Jersey casino industry, New Jersey hospitality and tourism	Director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism and Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies Jane Bokunewicz Atlantic City and New Jersey casino industry, New Jersey hospitality and tourism Director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism and Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies Jane Bokunewicz worked 22 years in the Atlantic City casino industry with 12 years as Vice President of Administration at Tropicana. Bokunewicz has worked with LIGHT since 2012. She was lead researcher on several LIGHT studies, including a study on millennial entertainment preferences that received international media coverage and several studies on underage gambling and college gambling behavior. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Michael	Busler	General business, economy, public policy, national and New Jersey business topics	Professor of Business Studies and program chair of Finance Michael Busler General business, economy, public policy, national and New Jersey business topics Professor of Business Studies and program chair of Finance Michael Busler is an economist and a public policy analyst. He teaches courses in Finance, Financial Institutions, Introduction to Financial Management, Game Theory, Graduate Managerial Economics and Graduate Financial Management. He has been interviewed by Newsmax, NTD News and NJ Spotlight News. His syndicated columns have appeared in BizPac Review and the Washington Times. He has a weekly column on Newsmax's website.
Michael	Cagno	South Jersey arts and culture	Executive Director of the Noyes Museum of Art and the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University Michael Cagno South Jersey arts and culture Executive Director of the Noyes Museum of Art and the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University Michael Cagno was instrumental in creating the Glasstown Center Arts District and the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts in Millville, NJ. He served as the Executive Director of the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts from 2000-2006. He is also an adjunct professor at Stockton and the President of the Ducktown Neighborhood Development Corp. in Atlantic City. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Oliver	Cooke	State and metropolitan area economies, South Jersey regional economy, labor markets, public policy, and urban/regional economics	Associated Professor of Economics and Editor of the South Jersey Economic Review Oliver Cooke State and metropolitan area economies, South Jersey regional economy, labor markets, public policy, and urban/regional economics Associated Professor of Economics and Editor of the South Jersey Economic Review Editor of the South Jersey Economic Review, which provides the region’s stakeholders and policymakers timely, high-quality research that focuses on the regional economy since 2006. Teaches courses in urban/regional economics, economic history, political economy and macroeconomics. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Patrick	Hossay	Climate change, sustainability, wind energy, offshore wind	Professor of Sustainability Patrick Hossay Climate change, sustainability, wind energy, offshore wind Professor of Sustainability Patrick Hossay has been a professor at Stockton for 27 years and initially taught Political Science for 13 of those years. He helped form Stockton's Sustainbility program 14 years ago - one of the first such degree programs in the nation. Patrick has been frequently quoted in media stories about climate change and how it affects New Jersey. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Tom	Kinsella	South Jersey history	Distinguished Professor of Literature Tom Kinsella South Jersey history Distinguished Professor of Literature Tom Kinsella is the director of the Alliance Heritage Center and the South Jersey Culture & History Center. The Alliance Heritage Center was created to preserve and disseminate the history and culture of the Alliance Colony in Salem County and related Jewish farming communities. The South Jersey Culture & History Center helps foster awareness within local communities of the rich cultural and historical heritage of southern New Jersey. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Alyssa	Maurice	New Jersey politics and polling	Head of Research for the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University. Also the head of the Stockton Polling Institute Alyssa Maurice New Jersey politics and polling Head of Research for the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University. Also the head of the Stockton Polling Institute Alyssa Maurice manages the Stockton Polling Institute, a nationally ranked nonpartisan statewide polling firm that conducts public opinion polling in New Jersey and survey research for Stockton faculty, government agencies and private clients. She also hosts the center's Hughes Center Conversations podcast. Alyssa is available for comment on national, state and local politics, or to speak about pre-election polling, issue polling, public opinion and policymaking, political communication, and media and politics. She can also provide federal, state and local election analysis with expertise in voting behavior, election administration, and trends in partisan affiliation among demographic groups. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Kimberly	McKenna	New Jersey beach erosion, coastal flooding, storm damage, shoreline retreat and climate change	Interim Executive Director of Coastal Research Center Kimberly McKenna New Jersey beach erosion, coastal flooding, storm damage, shoreline retreat and climate change Interim Executive Director of Coastal Research Center Stockton's Coastal Research Center originated in 1981 to assist local municipalities with coastal environmental issues related to recurring storm damage and shoreline retreat. Since then the CRC has been working on shoreline monitoring and assessment programs with the State of New Jersey and several municipalities in New Jersey. The CRC has also been a resource for geotechnical data working on numerous projects with federal, state and municipal governments. The CRC’s continuing mission is to monitor and assess New Jersey’s coastal zone resources. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Robert	Mejia	Cannabis Studies	Adjunct Professor Robert Mejia Cannabis Studies Adjunct Professor Rob Mejia is an award-winning adjunct professor of Cannabis Studies, where he teaches Introduction to Medical Cannabis and Preparation for Cannabis Internship. He also created two new courses Cannabis & Social Justice and Integrated Cannabis Media. As one of the leads for Stockton’s hemp/cannabis internship program, Rob has helped place dozens of students in competitive and meaningful industry internships. He also played a key role in establishing CHRIS (the Cannabis & Hemp Research Initiative at Stockton), a hub for research, education and community engagement. Rob is the author of several cannabis books, including The Essential Cannabis Book, The Essential Cannabis Journal, and Cannabis Careers. A committed educator and advocate, Rob is frequently invited to speak about cannabis to diverse audiences, including medical patients, industry professionals, policymakers, and community groups. Through curriculum development, authorship, public speaking, and consulting, he continues to advance thoughtful, equity-minded cannabis education locally and nationally. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Irvin	Moreno-Rodriguez	Holocaust and genocide studies	Director of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez Holocaust and genocide studies Director of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez is a distinguished bilingual Holocaust educator whose research focuses on the role of Latin America during the Holocaust and the histories of Holocaust survivors in southern New Jersey. By focusing on Latin America’s role during the Holocaust and by leading tours and programs of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center in Spanish, Irvin has made Holocaust education accessible to new audiences across the United States. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Steve	Nagiewicz	Shipwrecks, deep-sea diving and sharks	Adjunct faculty in School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Steve Nagiewicz Shipwrecks, deep-sea diving and sharks Adjunct faculty in School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Steve Nagiewicz is a licensed ship Master with more than 40 years of experience scuba diving. He is the former Executive Director and Fellow of the Explorers Club, a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, and a member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, Society for Historical Archaeology, Nautical Archaeology Society, and the Register of Professional Archaeologists. Steve teaches courses in Marine Archaeology, Marine Underwater Technology and Maritime History. He has appeared in episodes of the TV shows "Nat Geo Wild" and "Drain the Oceans." He has also been interviewed on 6ABC and Fox29 in Philadelphia. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Matthew	Olson	Fire ecology, forest ecology and management, trees	Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Matthew Olson Fire ecology, forest ecology and management, trees Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Matthew Olson has a Ph.D. in Forest Resources from the University of Maine. His research interests include ecology and management of forests with an emphasis in forest regeneration. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Heather	Perez	South Jersey and Atlantic City history, rare books, Stockton University archives, local history and government documents	Special Collections Librarian Heather Perez South Jersey and Atlantic City history, rare books, Stockton University archives, local history and government documents Special Collections Librarian Heather Perez has a passion for preserving the history of Atlantic City and South Jersey. In 2023, she collaborated with the Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation to publish a book titled 'Chicken Bone Beach.' The book explores the space along the Atlantic City shoreline that local families and African American vacationers occupied from the 1900s-1960s. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Lauren	Seyler	Astrobiology, deep-sea marine life, microbial life in Pinelands	Assistant Professor of Biology Lauren Seyler Astrobiology, deep-sea marine life, microbial life in Pinelands Assistant Professor of Biology Lauren Seyler is an assistant professor of microbiology in the School of Natural Sciences Biology Program at Stockton, and an affiliate research scientist at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. Her current research describes microbial activity and biogeochemical cycling in a variety of environments- including bog iron seeps in the Pinelands and in estuarine/marine sediment. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Christine	Tataro	Criminal justice, incarceration, police contact with people with mental illness, mental health and suicide in prisons and jails, and prisoner re-entry	Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice Christine Tataro Criminal justice, incarceration, police contact with people with mental illness, mental health and suicide in prisons and jails, and prisoner re-entry Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice Christine Tartaro has a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University and is a Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice. She is an expert in corrections, suicide in correctional facilities, jail design, police contact with people with mental illness, correctional treatment of individuals with mental illness, and criminal justice education. Prior to joining Stockton, she worked at the New Jersey Department of Corrections, where she evaluated state residential community release programs. Dr. Tartaro does consulting and expert witness work in the area of suicide in custody. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Christine	Thompson	Nearshore marine life, invertebrates, shellfish, habitat restoration	Associate Professor of Marine Science Christine Thompson Nearshore marine life, invertebrates, shellfish, habitat restoration Associate Professor of Marine Science Ph.D. MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. Courses: Introduction to Marine Biology, Ecology, Invertebrate Zoology, Scientific Exploration Research interests: oyster restoration and habitat monitoring, plankton ecology and larval dispersal, image analysis techniques for marine science Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Joseph	Trout	Astronomy, astrophysics, climate physics, food physics, and physics education	Professor of Physics Joseph Trout Astronomy, astrophysics, climate physics, food physics, and physics education Professor of Physics Projects include studying the impact of urban heat on tomatoes in Philadelphia's community gardens, revitalizing the Stockton Observatory for astronomy research, analyzing vitamin E content in locally grown wheat, and exploring AI tools like ChatBots in Physics Education. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Ramya	Vijaya	Immigration, economics of immigration, refugee policy, impact of immigrant and refugee workers in the U.S. labor markets.	Professor of Economics Ramya Vijaya Immigration, economics of immigration, refugee policy, impact of immigrant and refugee workers in the U.S. labor markets. Professor of Economics Ramya Vijaya has published multiple books and articles on immigration and refugee policy. She has also been featured in several media outlets on the topic of migration including the Washington Post and Marketplace, a radio program featured on NPR stations. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Judith	Vogel	Maple syrup production in South Jersey, Holocaust and genocide studies, mathematics	Stockton Maple Project director, Professor of Mathematics Judith Vogel Maple syrup production in South Jersey, Holocaust and genocide studies, mathematics Stockton Maple Project director, Professor of Mathematics Judith Vogel has led the Stockton Maple Project, which has been creating syrup in South Jersey for years as part of a study to investigate the science and economic potential of a maple syrup industry in nontraditional syrup production regions, such as southern New Jersey. She is also a Professor of Mathematics and an associate faculty member in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Jeffrey	Webber	Earthquakes, structural geology, tectonics, rock magnetics	Associate Professor of Geology Jeffrey Webber Earthquakes, structural geology, tectonics, rock magnetics Associate Professor of Geology Jeffrey Webber is the Geology program chair at Stockton. HIs current research interests incorporate many aspects of structural geology, metamorphic petrology and rock magnetism within the context of field geology. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image
Tina	Zappile	Local, state and national politics. U.S. foreign policy, international trade, the United Nations and labor relations.	Director of the Wililam J. Hughes Center for Public Policy and an Associate Professor of Political Science Tina Zappile Local, state and national politics. U.S. foreign policy, international trade, the United Nations and labor relations. Director of the Wililam J. Hughes Center for Public Policy and an Associate Professor of Political Science Tina Zappile's research on multilateral trade agreements, multilateral development banks and U.S. foreign policy has appeared in World Development, International Studies Perspectives and Routledge’s RIPE Series in Global Political Economy. Download Photo Download High Resolution Image