New Faces on the Hill

Shawn Occhipinti, safety officer, received a degree in criminal justice from MVCC.  Shawn has worked as an alternate safety officer since September and is currently working the midnight shift from Saturday through Tuesday.  He has worked as a licensed security officer in the Rome City School District and Sangertown Mall.  Shawn has also volunteered with the Special Olympics, assisting the athletes with their events and tallying the results.  (socchipi)

Neal Keating, visiting assistant professor of religious studies, completed his Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the State University of New York at Albany.  His research concerns Iroquois/Haudenosaunee culture and history, focusing on the relation between social power and visual expression in Iroquois painting from the 16th through the 20th centuries.  In addition to teaching at the University of Albany and at Cobleskill College, he taught extensively at the Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave, N.Y., where he served as curator of education as well as associate director.  His wife, Julia Ravenscroft, is a medical anthropologist and research scientist at the University of Albany.  They have a daughter, Emma, who is nearing completion of kindergarten.  They enjoy gardening, music and the unpredictable climate of upstate New York. (nkeating)

Scott MacDonald has returned to the Hill as visiting professor of comparative literature.  Scott has programmed independent media at colleges and universities, at art museums, and at film festivals for 25 years, and is committed to introducing teachers and scholars in fields other than film studies to the world of alternative cinema.  He has taught film studies, American literature and American studies at Utica College of Syracuse University (where he is professor emeritus), and has also been a visiting professor of film history at Bard College.  His wife, Patricia O?Connor, is a financial coach and a personal consultant under the moniker Financial Cleansing. (smacdona)

Michael McCormick, assistant professor of biology, received his degree from Ohio State University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan where he was also an adjunct professor and post-doctoral fellow.  He has also been a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana, West Africa, and a member of its staff in Washington, D.C. and Sierra Leone.  Michael was born in Texas, and spent his childhood in England and West Virginia.  His wife, Alma, is an environmental attorney specializing in environmental justice and public interest law.  They have 3-1/2-year old twins, Abby and Evan.  Their hobbies include jogging, hiking and camping. (mmccormi)

Carlos Permell, coordinator of support services and employment, will oversee the social service support system and employment opportunity portions of the ACCESS project.  Carlos was most recently program director of the Education and Work Consortium in New York City.  He has extensive experience in community-based development, revitalization and poverty programs.  He received a bachelor?s degree in professional studies and a master?s in administration from Metropolitan College of New York, where he has also been an instructor. (cpermell)