Anthony Balzano, a cultural anthropologist, has taught full-time in higher education since 1983, save for two years of dissertation fieldwork (1985-1986) on land tenure arrangements and the ability to make a living in rural Haiti. Dr. Balzano maintains an active ethnographic research program in the Fond-des-Blancs valley on Haiti's southern peninsula and among émigrés from this valley now living in Stamford (CT), Boston, and Montreal. Dr. Balzano completed his doctoral dissertation at Rutgers University in 1989. Before attending graduate school, he completed a tour of duty as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, teaching O-level and A-level chemistry, biology, and human biology in the Kingdom of Eswatini in southern Africa. Dr. Balazano is a Professor of Anthropology & Sociology at Sussex and facilitates its Community Archaeology Project and Council on Sustained Dialogue. He has been a full-time faculty member since the fall of 1989. He has presented numerous scholarly papers on rural Haiti and curriculum development, especially on issues related to anti-racism. Dr. Balzano has held several leadership roles with the Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges, a section of the American Anthropological Association, and the American Federation of Teachers-New Jersey. Dr. Balzano has 28 years of experience with collective bargaining, representing faculty in higher education. He presently co-chairs the AFT-NJ Social Justice Committee.
Dr. Dina P. Conde is a Professor at SCCC teaching biology courses. She founded the Biology Club and has been a Biology Club advisor since its inception. Professor Conde served the College Community as Science Department Coordinator, Science Department Chair, and Dean of Liberal Arts and Science. She earned a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Rutgers, the State University of NJ, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She has published some of her work and has presented at both regional and national conferences.
Sherry Fitzgerald, Professor of Visual Art, holds an MFA from Marywood University. She currently serves as the Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department and just recently stepped down from her college administrative role as Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Arts and Humanities. She is an accomplished artist and designer who enjoys teaching, sharing ideas with colleagues and students, doing community service, and working on projects that improve our environment.
Dawn Flanders, Ed.S, is an Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Department and serves as the Criminal Justice Program Coordinator. Professor Flanders holds degrees from Ocean County College, Rutgers University, the Seton Hall Police Graduate Studies Program, and the Seton Hall Educational Specialist Program, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in the Education Department at Seton Hall University, specializing in Education, Leadership Management, and Policy. Professor Flander teaches and is the Faculty Advisor for the Criminal Justice Club. She also holds several leadership positions in the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educators. Before moving into higher education, Professor Flanders completed a 25-year career in law enforcement, where she specialized in Community Policing, served as a School Resource Officer, and focused on preventing drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, violence, and gang involvement.
Jason Fruge graduated from Lincoln Technical Institute and began his automotive career with Lexus of Bridgewater. In 2003, Jason left the automotive industry to reenlist in the U.S. Army, where he served in the Infantry to support Operation Enduring Freedom. After leaving military service, he returned to the automotive industry with Lexus. He spent the remainder of his career as a service technician and a team leader/A level technician. Jason started teaching as an adjunct instructor at Sussex County Community College in 2015. In 2018, he was promoted to Program Supervisor for Automotive, Welding, Building Construction Trade, Machine Tool Technology, Optics Technology, and Diesel Technology.
Jumana Hablawi, a professor at SCCC, serves as the Lead Faculty of Biological Sciences and Head of Anatomy & Physiology. Her teaching expertise spans a diverse array of subjects, including Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, Nutrition, and Introductory Human Biology, catering to both Biology majors and non-majors. Professor Hablawi founded the Anatomy Freaks Club, a peer-tutoring initiative designed to enhance students’ mastery of Anatomy & Physiology. In her professional research, Professor Hablawi independently formulated an innovative in vitro diagnostic tool for detecting canine IgG and IgM antibodies targeting B. burgdorferi-specific proteins. Her research contributions extend to pedagogy, focusing on student learning and instructional methodologies in higher education. Professor Hablawi actively participates in academic circles, having presented her findings at various regional and national conferences. Her commitment to teaching is deeply rooted in a desire to positively influence her students’ academic and professional journeys.
Diane Harris is a Mathematics Instructor at Sussex County Community College and is the Math Honor Society Advisor and Organizer for Mu Alpha Theta, the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society. Diane earned a Master of Education degree from Gordon College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Maine, graduating with highest distinction and high honors. Prior to transitioning into higher education, Diane had a career in the pharmaceutical industry specializing in contract pricing, analysis, development, and administration.
Chef Kester, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, is the supervisor for Sussex's Culinary & Hospitality program. He was tasked with the design and launch of the new SCCC Culinary Institute. Kester has worked in some of the best restaurants in New Jersey in a career that spans 20 years. His accolades include being named one of the top five chefs in the state by Inside Jersey in 2015, and he has been a part of several teams that earned coveted 4-star ratings from The Star Ledger. His secret to a great menu is fresh, local ingredients. Kester worked closely with farmers and took a hands-on approach to help establish a sustainable farm for one of his restaurants.
A graduate of Johnson and Wales University, and holds an A.A.S. in Culinary Arts and a B.S. in Business Studies. Chef Kous is the Program Supervisor of Hospitality and an Instructor of Culinary Arts. He considers this the most rewarding position of his career in food service. He is passionate about working directly with food and in operations and teaching his students how to do the same. During his 35-plus years of experience in the food service industry, he has enjoyed cooking in restaurants, resorts/hotels, owning a catering business, and working in the healthcare industry as an executive chef and food service department manager. Chef Kous enjoys working with food as a profession and cooking for family and friends, continually developing his acumen in business, current food trends, and instructing students. His “recipe for success” is always to remember and appreciate the help he has received during his culinary career and to “feed” the same to future generations in the industry.
Nicholas Lionetti is the Program Supervisor of the Exercise Science department at Sussex County Community College. He received his Master’s degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology from East Stroudsburg University in 2015. He is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine in Clinical Exercise Physiology and Exercise in Medicine. During his professional career, Nicholas has served as a Lead Exercise Physiologist working with older adults in assisted living, as an Exercise Specialist in a hospital-based health and wellness center, as a Clinical Intern in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, and as a Personal Trainer for a private business. In addition, he has several years of experience teaching at the collegiate level in Exercise Science and is passionate about helping his students succeed in both the classroom and in the field.
Dr. Melik joins the Sussex community after a successful career in medicine. She is a physician, medical researcher, and registered medical assistant, among other specialties, whose love for academia turned into a teaching career. She has previously acted as the Associate Chair of the Medical Programs at Berkeley College. Dr. Melik lives in Sparta with her family and is excited to make waves in her community.
Sal Paolucci is an assistant professor of Business and Economics, the Chair of the Professional Studies & Social Sciences Department at Sussex, and the Program Coordinator for the Business department. He teaches Introduction to Business, Principles of Marketing, Economics, and Small Business Management. He has earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Montclair State University. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration from Walden University. He is also a Co-Advisor of the SCCC Business & Entrepreneurial Club. He is also a volunteer and Trustee at the ADI (The Anxiety and Depression Initiative), a non-profit organization in northern NJ. He encourages entrepreneurship, social responsibility, and philanthropy in the classroom and beyond. He is strongly committed to student development and creating a productive learning environment.
Professor Deborah Phillips-Lanza is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Social Sciences and Program Coordinator for the Foundations for Success Program. She completed her MA from Montclair State University while working at Stevens Institute of Technology as their Dean of Residence Life for 14 years. She worked towards a doctorate at Stevens and New York University. Professor Lanza has contributed to numerous journals and publications, including the 9th edition of John Gardner’s text Your College Experience: Strategies for Success. Professor Lanza is an award recipient of The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance Project for her work in diversity education and was nominated for The National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience’s First-Year Seminar Award. She was also the creator of “A Freshman Can” Community Service Program to involve students in the fight against hunger and help local food banks, which evolved into a campus food pantry. Professor Lanza feels privileged to teach and mentor students in ways that help them achieve their dream of a college education.
John Sauchelli has been a pastry chef for over half his life and is passionate about creating decadence using natural ingredients. A multi-award-winning hot sauce maker and co-owner of Jersey Barnfire Hot Sauce, John has worked in many fine dining restaurants in New Jersey, New York, and abroad, including Maritime Parc in Jersey City, Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs in Hamburg, NJ, Gramercy Tavern in New York City, and Hotel Nassauer Hof in Wiesbaden, Germany. Most recently, John was the Executive Pastry Chef at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Bedminster, NJ, and is currently a pastry and baking instructor at SCCC. He believes food can be aesthetically beautiful and pleasing to the eyes without being fancy. A fervent gardener, John is seasonally inspired, and the Garden State serves as a muse for his fresh, local, ingredient-driven desserts.
Peter Schoch, Associate Professor of Physics & Computer Science, holds two Master of Science degrees: M.S. in Physics from Lehigh University and M.S. in Space Studies from University of North Dakota. He believes, "Mathematics and physics are at the heart of everything, and explain how and why everything works. Without mathematics you can't begin to solve problems, and without physics you can't begin to model them."
Dr. Leonard Sheehy is the supervisor of The Sussex County Community College Robotics & Makerspace, and the lead faculty member of Chemistry. He has been a robotics instructor for twelve years. Dr. Sheehy collaborated with LEGO as a Master Educator, developing curriculum and consulting on products. Dr. Sheehy is also employed by the United States Army as a STEM instructor. In this position, he works with scientists and engineers to develop and implement hands-on, state-of-the-art content and interactive activities for the institute located on the base at Picatinny Arsenal. Dr. Sheehy is a certified Festo Mechatronics instructor. His current interests include research in robotics, automation, and mechatronics, the development of technologies to assist the developmentally challenged, and the implementation of applications to assist in content distribution in all subject areas. Dr. Sheehy is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment.
After working 36 years as a software engineer and project manager, Computer Science Instructor John Sissler, decided to share his experience and passion with students. He retired from his career in 2018 and began as an adjunct professor, leading to his current position as a full-time instructor. Before joining the SCCC faculty, he accumulated significant experience as a software engineer and project manager, specializing in systems programming, computer-aided engineering, and financial engineering.
Mary Ives Thompson, Professor of English, holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in English Literature from The Catholic University of America and a B.A. in English with a minor in Mass Communications from King’s College. Currently, she serves as the Chair of the English and Humanities department, acts as Instructional Design Faculty Facilitator, and oversees the annual College Novel selection. In addition, she has published and presented nationally and internationally on college instruction and literature topics.
Daniel Warhol, Instructor of English, received his B.A. and M.A. in English from the University at Albany, SUNY, where he focused on modern literature and literary criticism. His Master’s thesis, “The Magic of a Strange Sky: Nature and the Mysticism of Memory in Beckett’s Trilogy”, was published to ProQuest upon completing his degree. He began teaching as an adjunct Instructor at SCCC in 2020. Daniel is also the Faculty Advisor of the College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the Director of the Betty June Silconas Poetry Center, and the Editor of The Stillwater Review.
Christina Winters has always been passionate about science. As the lead chemistry faculty member at Sussex County Community College, she is fully committed to sharing that passion with students in a hands-on, engaging way. With a career that spans 15 years of teaching high school chemistry and working as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry, Christina Winters brings a wealth of real-world experience to the classroom.
