Millersville University Faculty Emeriti 2026

Dr. Marlene Arnold, Professor of Anthropology, Emeritus 

 Information coming soon!

 

Dr. Roberta Jill Craven, Professor of english & World languages, Emeritus

Dr. Jill Craven’s career reflects a blend of intellectual rigor; creative vision; and dedication to students, colleagues, and community. She began her professional life at International Business Machines (IBM), where she worked on the National Federal Marketing team with top-secret government defense accounts outside Washington, DC. With a B.S. in Mathematics and a concentration in Computer Science, she brought both technical expertise and strategic insight to her work, serving first as a Systems Engineer and later as a Marketing Representative. Yet even as she thrived in the rapidly expanding worlds of computing and government, Craven recognized the importance of the Humanities in shaping thoughtful, well-rounded leadership. That insight led her back to graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature while teaching courses in comparative literature, film, French, literature, and writing.

Craven's commitment to the humanities and teaching found its fullest expression when she began her second professional career at Millersville in 1999. There, she became a valued teacher, respected leader, and energetic advocate for the arts and literature. She created several new film studies courses and the film minor, and taught courses in film, critical theory, literature, and writing. At the same time, she extended her influence beyond the classroom. For over a decade, she brought Odyssey of the Mind—an international creativity competition for children—to Millersville. She  was instrumental in developing a number of film series, including the Women’s Film Series, the Humanities Film Series, Reel Talk at the Lititz Library, and the Penn Cinema Film Club. Craven also took cinephiles to the Toronto Film Festival, creating a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience.

As her leadership roles expanded, Dr. Craven helped shape the future of her department in lasting ways during her six years as chair of the English Department from 2014 to 2020. She played a significant role in the department's development and modernization. For example, she strengthened the department’s reach and relevance by successfully justifying  six new hires in areas including scientific writing, disability literature, writing and technology, Latina studies, and linguistics. Craven also advocated for the expansion of the writing center, furthering the department’s ability to support students and respond to emerging academic needs.

Craven's influence extended  beyond departmental leadership into university and system-wide service. In 2016, the President and Provost invited Dr. Craven to join the President’s Cabinet as the university’s Cabinet Fellow, where she advocated for LGBTQ protections in the student handbook and transparency in shared governance. In 2018–19, she was selected to attend the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Leadership Institute. Then, in 2019, she was elected to the PASSHE Interim Faculty Council as Millersville’s first representative. That same year, she became Coordinator of Women and Gender Studies and helped guide the program’s transition into Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. In that role, she broadened students’ horizons by taking them to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women conference in New York City.

Throughout these professional accomplishments, Dr. Craven remained equally committed to social justice and advocacy. Through her work with the Gender Issues and Social Justice Committee and The President's Commission on the Status of Women, she helped secure substantive changes to parental leave and advocated for disability rights and awareness. Her dedication to these issues also led her to establish and lead the Demystifying Dyslexia Conference for several years, raising awareness of this  learning difference. In recognition of her advocacy, she served at the state level on The Faculty Council, the ad hoc APSCUF Committee on Disability, and the Faculty Council subcommittee focused on disability rights.

At the heart of Craven's work was commitment to students' academic and personal growth. She advised the American Association of University Women club, the Film Club, and revived the English honor society Sigma Tau Delta, helping students build community, confidence, and intellectual engagement outside the classroom as well as within it.

In retirement, Dr. Craven continues to extend the same energy and passion that defined her career. She lectures on film for Quest, remains involved in film programming, and is politically active.

Dr. Natalia Duushkina, Professor of physics, Emeritus

 

Dr. Natalia Dushkina received M.S. in Quantum Electronics and Lasers from the University of Sofia, Bulgaria, and Ph.D. in Physics from the Central Laboratory of Optical Storage and Processing of Information, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Currently, she is a Professor Emerita of Physics, Millersville University, Pennsylvania, USA. Dr. Dushkina has 23 years of teaching experience in the USA and more than 11 years of international research experience (Bulgaria, USA and six years in Japan). She has co-authored one patent, one book, three chapters in professional books, 34 publications in referred scientific journals and conference proceedings, more than 62 conference presentations and 19 seminars and workshops and has reviewed eight physics textbooks. The areas of her professional interests include structural colors; optics, optical properties of nanomaterials and semiconductors, lasers and laser applications, photorefractive effect, total internal reflection and surface plasmon resonance, diffraction gratings, ultrafast nonlinear optical phenomena, holography; physics education and physics education research.

 

 

Dr. Charles geiger, Professor of geography, Emeritus

Information coming soon!

 

Dr. Len litowitz, Professor of applied Engineering, safety & Technology, Emeritus

Dr. Len S. Litowitz retired in the Spring of 2026 after completing 39 years of distinguished service to Millersville University and a remarkable 43-year career in education spanning grades 3 through post-secondary instruction.

A graduate of Bowling Green State University and the University of Minnesota, Dr. Litowitz joined the Millersville faculty in 1986 and became a driving force in the growth and evolution of the department now known as Applied Engineering, Safety & Technology. Throughout his tenure, he taught in the Energy, Power & Transportation area while also helping prepare future Technology & Engineering Education teachers.

Dr. Litowitz served multiple terms as coordinator for both the Industrial Technology (now Applied Engineering) program and the Technology & Engineering Education program. He played a central role in securing initial accreditation for the Applied Engineering program during the 1990s and helped guide the department through numerous accreditation reviews throughout his career. During much of the past decade, he served as Department Chairperson, where he strongly advocated for students, faculty, facilities, and program growth. He takes particular pride in the department’s recruitment initiatives, the hiring of talented faculty members, and the curricular and laboratory improvements completed within Osburn Hall during his leadership.

An active leader in the profession, Dr. Litowitz served as President of both the Technology & Engineering Education Association of Pennsylvania and the International Technology & Engineering Educators Association. His professional contributions also included securing numerous state grants that brought teachers to Millersville University for summer professional development through Governor’s Institute funding.

A prolific author and presenter, Dr. Litowitz authored a widely used textbook on Energy, Power & Transportation Technology as well as a book documenting the history of firefighting in Lancaster County for the Lancaster County Firemen's Association. His career included more than 40 publications and over 50 presentations at the state, national, and international levels. He also served as principal organizer of the international People’s Attitudes Toward Technology (PATT) research conference, which brought participants from more than 25 nations to Philadelphia in 2017. His international work included extensive travel sponsored by the Technical Foundation of America to study Design & Technology curriculum in countries such as the United Kingdom.

Among his most enduring accomplishments is the Millersville Technology & Engineering Camp, which he co-founded with MU alumnus John R. Brown in 1993. Now approaching its 35th year, the camp annually serves hundreds of children and young adults, introducing them to technologies ranging from traditional woodworking to robotics, coding, video game design, and engineering innovation. The program remains one of his proudest legacies and has inspired generations of future educators, engineers, and technologists.

In retirement, Dr. Litowitz continues to pursue his many passions. He enjoys traveling the world, leading adult trips to Iceland, watching baseball and hockey, scuba diving, and spending time at vacation homes along the New Jersey shore and in St. Croix. Closer to home in Conestoga, he is building a firefighter-themed venue for children’s birthday parties, restoring and driving his antique fire engine, and finally tackling a long list of honey-do projects. Even in retirement, however, he remains connected to the Millersville community, frequently volunteering in the open labs at Osburn Hall on Fridays and assisting students with projects and lab maintenance—continuing a lifetime commitment to education, mentorship, and service.

 

Dr. ellen long, Professor of special education, Emeritus

Dr. Ellen Moynihan Long retired in May 2025 after 20 years of distinguished teaching and service to Millersville University’s Special Education programs within the Departments of Special Education and Educational Foundations. Her time at Millersville marked the culmination of a 43-year career dedicated to working with individuals with disabilities and preparing others to advocate for their rights and inclusion.

During her tenure at Millersville, Dr. Long developed and taught nineteen different special education courses ranging from introductory undergraduate classes to graduate-level instruction. Her teaching focused on preparing both special education and general education teacher candidates to implement inclusive practices for students with disabilities. She developed and modeled pedagogical best practices that effectively prepared future educators in the field of special education. Although Dr. Long possessed broad expertise across special education, her primary areas of specialization were postsecondary transition planning for youth with disabilities and the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Throughout her career, she conducted research and presented nationally and internationally on postsecondary transition planning for youth with disabilities. Locally, Dr. Long represented Millersville University on the Intermediate Unit 13 Transition Planning Committee, contributing to numerous initiatives. Through her sabbatical work and partnerships with local school districts, her courses focusing on developing and writing IEPs became cornerstone experiences for special education teacher candidates.

One of Dr. Long’s greatest passions was advising and mentoring teacher candidates. Over her 20 years at Millersville, she served as both a formal and informal advisor and mentor to hundreds of students. She co-developed and advised the Inclusive Education Secondary Dual Certification Program and collaborated with a cross-departmental team to develop and implement the Professional Development Schools Program, which gained national recognition as a model program.

Dr. Long also served on an extensive number of university, college, and departmental committees. Among her many contributions, she served for three years as Director of Field Services for the College of Education and Human Services, coordinating early field experiences and student teaching placements for approximately 500 teacher candidates each semester. She also served for six years on the committee responsible for developing and implementing the Multidisciplinary Major (MDST), including two years as committee chair. In addition, Dr. Long formally and informally mentored new faculty members and collaborated widely across the university committees and initiatives. Most recently, she played a leadership role in the 2024 development of the Department of Special Education.

Prior to joining the Millersville University faculty in 2005, Dr. Long earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from The Pennsylvania State University, where she also taught special education courses and worked in the Office of Disability Services then taught for 5 years at Juniata College. She previously served as Counselor for Students with Disabilities at Trident Technical College in Charleston, SC. Earlier in her career, Dr. Long taught high school special education in both Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and worked for ten years as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.

In her first year of retirement, Dr. Long has enjoyed spending time with family and friends in Pennsylvania and at her Cape Cod home. She recently earned her American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification, fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a lifeguard and swim instructor. Her other hobbies include reading, yoga, cycling, and thrifting.

Dr. kimberly mahaffy, Professor of sociology, Emeritus

Dr. Mahaffy, emerita professor of sociology, retired in 2025 after 20 years of service with the Department of Criminology, Sociology and Anthropology. For 16 years, she was the coordinator for the Latino Studies minor. She facilitated the Latino Student Leadership Institute from 2013-2023. She has been a strong supporter of student research. She consulted on 32 undergraduate independent research projects, thesis committees and doctoral dissertation committees. In addition to her solo-authored publications, she co-authored articles with several students. She supervised 20 internships through which students gained valuable work-related experience. She was the program evaluator for the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Adult Drug Court and the Millersville Borough Police. She included students in these activities to provide them with transferable skills.
Prior to joining Millersville, Dr. Mahaffy was a lecturer at the University of New Hampshire where she earned her doctorate. She also worked as an assistant planner, bilingual career development specialist, and job readiness instructor in Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts as well as a high school mathematics teacher in New Hampshire. She currently serves as the board president for the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center where she continues to support immigrants.

Dr. jenny monn, Professor of nursing, Emeritus

Information coming soon!

Dr. Thomas neuville, Professor of special education and educational foundations, Emeritus

Thomas J. Neuville, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of Special Education at Millersville University and the founder of Integrated Studies, one of Pennsylvania’s pioneering inclusive postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Over a career spanning five decades, Dr. Neuville has worked at the intersection of higher education, disability rights, community organizing, and systems change. He served as Principal Investigator (2015–2025) for two U.S. Department of Education–funded TPSID grants totaling nearly $5 million, advancing inclusive postsecondary education nationally and contributing to policy, practice, and cultural change within higher education. 
Dr. Neuville’s professional experience includes roles as professor, department chair, dean’s assistant, nonprofit executive director, rehabilitation counselor, and international consultant. He has been appointed by governors and state agencies to numerous advisory panels, including Pennsylvania’s Special Education Advisory Panel and the Least Restrictive Environment Advisory Panel implementing the Gaskin Settlement. His scholarship and teaching are deeply informed by Social Role Valorization, democratic education, and community-centered practice, with publications, films, and keynote presentations delivered across North America, Europe, Russia, and India. A lifelong advocate for inclusion and belonging, Dr. Neuville continues to write, mentor, and consult on issues of disability, education, and moral service systems. He currently serves as President of the Commonwealth Institute.

Dr. jeri robinson-lawrence, Professor of art & Design, Emeritus

Jeri Robinson-Lawrence is Professor Emeritus of Art and Design at Millersville University. She retired in June 2025 after teaching for 37 years. A practicing artist for over 40 years, her work is represented in several major museums, including The Tate Gallery (London, England), the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA, New York, NY), the Victoria & Albert Museum National Art Library (London, England), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago, IL), and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery (Buffalo, NY), among others. Her exhibition record has been substantial and consistent throughout her career. Robinson-Lawrence remains a committed fiber artist, actively participating in national fiber events and offering her leadership skills to the field.

Dr. Theresa russel-loretz, Professor of communication & theatre, Emeritus

Information coming soon!

Dr. mark snyder, Professor of applied engineering, safety & Technology, Emeritus

Dr. Snyder is also an alumnus of Millersville University (B.S.,1984), as well as Eastern Michigan University (M.Ed., 1985) and Virginia Tech (Ed.D., 1992). During his career he provided leadership and/or active involvement to professional organizations such as the Graphic Communication Education Association, Association of Technology Management and Applied Engineering, Flexographic Technical Association, Susquehanna Litho Club, and Epsilon Pi Tau (an honorary society for education in technology). In retirement, Snyder seeks to enjoy traveling as well as pursuing hobbies such as woodworking, gardening, cycling and fishing.

Dr. osman suliman, Professor of economics, Emeritus

Information coming soon!

Dr. philip tacka, Professor of music, Emeritus

Dr. Philip Tacka is Professor Emeritus of Music Education at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He earned his doctorate from The Catholic University of America and pursued advanced study at the Orff Institute in Austria and the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. He has lectured internationally on music education, early childhood education, music theory pedagogy, and Kodály studies in Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Estonia, the Netherlands, England, and China. His research focuses on music perception, cognition, and early childhood learning.

Dr. Tacka writes in collaboration with Dr. Micheál Houlahan, the current chair of The Tell School of Music. Together, they have published sixteen books, eleven with Oxford University Press. These include Kodály Today: A Cognitive Approach to Music Education (Second Edition, 2015), Kodály in the Kindergarten: Developing the Creative Brain in the 21st Century (2015), the Kodály in the Classroom Series Handbooks (2015), and Choral Artistry: A Kodály Perspective for Middle School through College-Level Choirs, Vols. 1 & 2 (2023). They have also contributed to Oxford Bibliographies Online, authored several reference works in music education, composition/improvisation, and music cognition, and published more than 45 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and presented extensively over the past forty years.