Five Alumni Will Discuss Careers in Psychology, Neuroscience Fields Tuesday

Five alumni will return to campus to discuss their careers in psychology and neuroscience and network with students Tuesday, Nov. 11, at a dinner panel event sponsored by Career Services.

Dinner will start 6 p.m. in the Faculty Dining Room of Marquis Hall. A $10 refundable deposit is required for reservations. To inquire about the waiting list, call Career Services at x5115.

Cheryl Mascitelli ’01, a behavioral neuroscience graduate who earned a master of medical science in the physician assistant program at Arcadia University, has been an OB/GYN physician assistant at Christiana Care in Newark, Del., for the past six months. The best part of her job is the variety, she says.

“I get to care for patients, but I have a lot of flexibility in my position,” says Mascitelli.

“Medicine is a constantly changing field,” she adds. “You have to be reading, studying, and learning every day.”

Jarrod Spencer ’96, a psychobiology graduate, has been a postdoctoral fellow in clinical psychology at Warren Counseling Center in Phillipsburg, N.J., for the past two years. Previously, he interned in behavioral health at Jersey Shore Medical Center. He earned a master’s at West Chester University in 1998 and a Psy.D. at Illinois School of Professional Psychology in 2002.

The best part of his job, says Spencer, is the fact that he’s in a private practice, which provides flexible hours, good pay, and the ability to pursue areas of interest. The primary challenges are the volume of information related to psychology and business that must be learned, and pacing himself in terms of work volume. Getting more practical experience as an undergraduate would have been beneficial, says Spencer.

Tim Hylan ’88, a economics and business graduate, is a senior director and team leader in neurology research within the regional medical and specialist team at Pfizer, Inc., in New York City, where he has worked the past four years. He previously worked at Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis, Ind. He earned a Ph.D. in economics from Penn State University in 1993.

Hylan enjoys being at the nexus of many different functions, as well as managing and developing people. Finding the right person for a job can be difficult, notes Hylan, who admits that he didn’t realize the importance of mathematics and science before entering his field.

Matthew Coble ’01, a behavioral neuroscience graduate, has been a research technician and quality control manager at Penn State College of Medicine’s Center for Sleep Disorders Medicine in Hershey, Pa., for the past year. He previously worked for Lieberman Research Worldwide in Los Angeles, Calif.

The high points of his job are “having the opportunity to work in a dual laboratory setting (clinical and research), providing diagnostic care to people who need help with sleeping disorders, and managing a diverse staff.”

The greatest challenge is playing different roles at once that each require unique skills, says Coble, who wears the hats of coordinator, supervisor, researcher, and patient care provider. It takes a long time to get established in the healthcare industry, he adds, so it is important to secure the right courses and credentials as soon as possible.

Nancy Davies-Hathen ’76, a liberal arts graduate, has been administrator of cardiovascular clinical services at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network for the past 16 months. Her previous work places have included Giuffre Medical Center’s Comprehensive Addictions Program, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Penn Hospital, Cooper Hospital University Medical Center, Hahnemann University Hospital, and Einstein Medical Center. She earned an M.Ed. at Lehigh University and an M.S.N. at University of Pennsylvania.

The best part of her job is “working with a collaborative, multidisciplinary team to improve the care provided to a cardiac patient,” she says. As the top challenges, she cites having to juggle the many, ever-increasing job responsibilities and providing care to patients with ever-decreasing resources.

Earlier this semester, six alumni in the non-profit sector served on a dinner panel:

• Jessica W. Charmont ’97, Mitzvah Project coordinator at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, formerly a Peace Corps volunteer in St. Lucia, West Indies;
• Tripti Thomas ’96, consultant with the United Nations Development Programme in New York, who previously worked at the World Bank and holds an M.A. in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government;
• Janeese Armero Carter ’97, lifesharing/family living specialist at the Indian Creek Foundation in Harleysville, Pa., who holds an M.A. in forensic psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice;
• Beverly Kendall Gordon ’00, curatorial assistant at the Bucks County Historical Society in Doylestown, Pa., who previously worked at the African American Museum in Philadelphia and holds an M.A. in history from Villanova University;
• David Shriner-Cahn ’75, vice president of finance and operations at the Jewish Education Service of North America in New York City, who holds an M.S. in chemical engineering from Cornell University; and
• Julie DeMotte ’97, associate regional director at Church World Service/CROP in Whitehall, Pa., who holds an M.A. in social research from Lehigh University, where she formerly worked as community service coordinator.