College of Health Sciences Week

Jarrett Rose, PhD, Assistant Professor of Community & Behavioral Health
Topic: The Sociology of Psychedelic Science, Culture, and Medicine

Dr. Jarrett Rose is a sociologist and an assistant professor in both the Community & Behavioral Health Program and the Sociology Program. Dr. Rose does research in both global health (on the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in West Africa) and in the fields of psychedelic science, culture, and medicine. His research has been published in journals such as Social Science & Medicine, Sociology of Health & Illness, Journal of Psychedelic Studies, and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 
 

Nicolas DePaula, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Informatics
Topic:  Research on health communication, and the impact of information technology policies on healthcare.

Dr. DePaula’s work addresses issues at the intersections of information systems, government communication and public health. His work has appeared in Government Information Quarterly, JMIR Infodemiology, Media and Communication, Social Science Computer Review and other prominent outlets.
 

Andriana Semko, MBA, Coordinator of Health Information Management
Topic:  Beyond the Chart: AI vs. Human Expertise in Nursing Interventions and Balance Socks Technology

Andriana Semko is a Program Coordinator and faculty member in Health Information Management at SUNY Poly. She has been teaching since 2016 and is passionate about integrating technology, data analytics, and systems thinking to prepare the next generation of HIM professionals for leadership in healthcare innovation.
 

Hadar Hazan, PhD, Assistant Professor, Community & Behavioral Health 
Topic:  Early Signs of Psychosis

Dr. Hadar Hazan is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Community & Behavioral Health program at SUNY Polytechnic Institute and an affiliated researcher at Yale School of Medicine. Her research examines early psychosis, insight, and the role of culture in mental health treatment and recovery. She is dedicated to bridging clinical science and practice through culturally responsive approaches to assessment and intervention.

Daniel Gilmore, PhD, MPH, Oneida County Director of Health

Dr. Gilmore has been the Director of Health for the Oneida County Health Department since December 2020.  Prior to his appointment as public health director Dr. Gilmore had been the Environmental Health Director for the Oneida County Health Department for 13 years.

Dr. Gilmore earned his doctorate in forest resources from the University of Maine and developed an interest in public health when he was on the faculty of forestry in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Minnesota.  While there, he collaborated with colleagues from the College of Agriculture on bird borne vectors for human diseases.

Dan was born and raised in Oneida County and returned in 2006 to lead a sustainable forestry initiative for a non-profit organization in the southern Adirondacks. He then had an opportunity to transition his career into public health. Dr. Gilmore then pursued his MPH as a part-time student through SUNY Albany.
 

Caryn Schweinsberg, Community and Behavioral Health Alum
Project Director of the SUNY Poly Liberty Partnerships Program

Caryn is a graduate of SUNY Poly with a B.S. in Community and Behavioral Health. Caryn’s professional interests are in the areas of school prevention, mental health support and social emotional learning to promote positive outcomes in children and adolescents. Prior to assuming the Director role for LPP, Caryn worked for several local non-profit agencies serving vulnerable populations experiencing mental health and substance abuse challenges. Caryn is currently working on her master's degree in social work. 
 

Stephanie DePerno, HIM Alum
Health Information Management Director, Inpatient
Office of Mental Health
Central New York Psychiatric Center

Stephanie graduated from SUNY Poly in 2013 and started working at CNYPC as a Health Information Management Technician I. In 2018, she was promoted to her current position as the Health Information Management Director for the inpatient setting. She earned her master's in Technology Management with a concentration in Health Informatics from SUNY Poly.
 

Michelle Phillips, HIM and HI alum
Michelle is a dedicated professional in the field of health information and informatics, combining a strong background in medical coding with a passion for education and student development. Currently serving as the Medical Coding Supervisor at Frontier Science Technology and Research Foundation in Amherst, New York. With over 18 years of experience at the organization, she oversees coding operations, ensures regulatory compliance, manages workflow efficiencies, and collaborates across teams to maintain data accuracy in clinical research. Michele also leads staff training, supervises recruitment, and contributes to the creation of departmental procedures and tools.

In addition to her professional role, Michele has been an Adjunct Lecturer at SUNY Poly. Michele teaches undergraduate courses in Health Information Management and Health Informatics, where she develops curriculum, evaluates student performance, and fosters engaging virtual learning environments.

Michele earned her Master of Science in Health Informatics from SUNY Polytechnic Institute, where she was recognized as the Health Informatics Outstanding Graduate Student, and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Health Information Management. She also holds an Associate in Applied Science in Business Management and a certification in medical coding and billing from Bryant & Stratton College.

Her professional certifications include Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) and Certified Professional Coder Apprentice (CPC-A). Michele is actively involved in her community, serving as a board member of the Newfane Alumni Association, Secretary and Member of the Newfane Lions Club, and a member of the Lockport Elks Lodge #41.
 

Stephanie Hisgen, Nursing

Dr. Hisgen was appointed as Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient and Clinical Services at Columbia Memorial Hospital in January 2022.  In this position she has implemented a Nurse Residency Program, reduced hospital acquired conditions, improved nursing recruitment and retention, and is leading the organization on its first ever Magnet journey. Dr. Hisgen has accrued decades of nursing leadership and senior management experience at health care organizations in our region and across the nation, including as: Corporate Director of Nursing for Prospect Medical Holdings, a 17-hospital health system operating in five states; Chief Operating Officer of Visiting Nurse Service Northeastern New York; Director of Nursing Recruitment at SUNY Upstate Medical University; and Director of Nursing Excellence at Glens Falls Hospital. She also served as an advisor to the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention.

Dr. Hisgen received her Associates Degree in Nursing from Maria College in Albany, her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from SUNY Poly, her Masters of Public Health from SUNY Albany. Dr. Hisgen holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Duke University, Durham, NC. She also has her Nurse Executive Advanced Certification.  

Laura McMillen, Nursing

Laura started her career as a Nurse’s Aide at St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy. She earned her RN Associates in Science from Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing.  Laura continued to work at St. Mary’s for six years per diem on Medical Surgical units and PCU while simultaneously working the weekend track for Visiting Nurses Association as an admission clinician. During this time, Laura was certified in chemotherapy/biotherapy treatment. Five years later, she started her Bachelors in Science at SUNY Poly. She was then accepted into the accelerated program for Masters in Science. During this time she left the hospital, and worked for Anthem, Inc. to learn more about the health insurance industry.  Laura also worked briefly as an infusion nurse for New York Oncology Hematology. She ended her RN career working as a per diem home care nurse for Visiting Nurses Association.  

Laura received her Master’s in Science and Bachelors of Science from SUNY Poly in 2019, where she was on the President’s List and President’s Excellence List several times. Laura was also a member of Sigma Theta Tau. Prior to graduation, Laura was hired at a St. Peter’s Internal Medicine office in Albany NY, where she remains six years later. She participates as a chair for the Advanced Practitioner Committee where she continues to advocate for Advanced Practitioners within the St. Peter’s family.  

Stacey Flenory MSN, FNP-BC, PMHNP

Project Title: Advancing Health Equity Through Health Literacy: Implementation of the Brief Health Literacy Screening (BHLS) as the Sixth Vital Sign at UCHC, Bronxdale

Haley Szczepanik MS, FNP, PMHNP-BC

Project Title: Transforming Patient Centered Medical Homes: Implementing Trauma-Informed Care to achieve the Quadruple Aim

Morgan Hawes, BSN, RN, TTS 

Project Title: Translating Evidence into Practice: Implementation of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy toolkit to improve anxiety outcomes in children within a community behavioral health system

Pat Roach, DNP; Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing & Coordinator of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Program
Title:  Academic Resilience Amid Pandemic Worries in High School Students 

Dr. Patricia Roach is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). She is the Program Coordinator for the PMHNP Certificate of Advanced Study and Doctorate in Nursing Practice programs at SUNY Poly. Her practice focus is working with children and adolescents at Clinton Therapy & Testing Center.  Research interests include Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), nursing leadership and integrative health practices including breath therapy.

Krystyna de Jacq, PhD; Assistant Professor of Nursing
Title:  Self-Administered Screening Tool Compared to Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM-5 Disorders: Implications for Practice & Research

Dr. Krystyna de Jacq is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. She earned her PhD from Columbia University School of Nursing in 2018, where she also completed her MSN and PMHNP training.
Dr. de Jacq's research focuses on mental health stigma, nursing attitudes toward mental illness, and the psychological well-being of healthcare workers. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and presented her work at national conferences, including the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and Eastern Nursing Research Society. Previously, she served as Founding Director of Pace University's online PMHNP program from 2019 to 2022.
In addition to her academic role, Dr. de Jacq maintains an active clinical practice providing psychiatric evaluations and medication management. She has over 15 years of clinical experience working with diverse populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness and co-occurring disorders. Her teaching expertise spans psychopharmacology, evidence-based practice, and psychiatric-mental health nursing at both the graduate and doctoral levels.
 

Jacqueline Montgomery
Chief Nursing Officer of Ellis Medicine, Albany NY

A SUNY Poly alum, Jackie Montgomery has gone on to grow throughout nursing leadership over a 14-year career. Currently, she serves as the Chief Nursing Officer of Ellis Medicine, a community hospital with multiple campuses in Schenectady, NY. Focusing on the need for flexibility and creativity inside of the healthcare space is a significant part of that role, and allows for seamless transition into the future of nursing. Outside of work, Jackie is a wife and mother to three young daughters. It is her goal to inspire both the nurses within Ellis in their care for the community as well as her daughters in their observance of her professional growth and the opportunities available to women. 

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Three Insights for the Future

Nic DePaula, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Health Informatics at the College of Health Sciences at SUNY Poly. His work addresses issues at the intersections of information systems, government communication and public health. His work has appeared in Government Information Quarterly, JMIR Infodemiology, Media and Communication, Social Science Computer Review and other prominent outlets. 

Medicine and Technology

Dr. Jacque Kpodonu, MD; Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard University 

Medical Robotics

Yu Zhou, PhD, Associate Professor; Civil & Mechanical Engineering 

Bioinformatics

Amir Manzourolajdad, PhD; Assistant Professor, Computer Science  

Dr. Patricia Roach  

Program Coordinator, PMH  

Dr. James Demer

Child Psychiatrist 

Dr. Krystyna de Jacq

Assistant Professor of Nursing