As a language educator and translator, I strive to show students that learning a language is far more than memorizing vocabulary and grammar - it is about unlocking a new way of experiencing the world. Communicating with someone in their own language can be both exciting and deeply enriching, creating meaningful connections beyond words.
Through language study, students gain not only an insider’s perspective on another culture but also a fresh lens through which to view their own. They discover that language learning is never an isolated pursuit; it intersects with history, literature, politics, science, and nearly every other field of study. A foreign language complements virtually any major and opens doors to countless career opportunities. In today’s global marketplace, multilingual graduates distinguish themselves as adaptable, culturally aware, and highly competitive candidates.
Having traveled, lived, and studied extensively abroad, I bring my own stories and experiences into the classroom, interlinking cultural insights into lessons and sharing practical advice. My passion for languages and enthusiasm for teaching fuel my goal of inspiring students not only to learn but also to explore, whether that means traveling, engaging with diverse communities, or embracing their role as global citizens.
Courses Taught
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SPAN 111 Introductory Spanish I
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SPAN 112 Introductory Spanish II
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SPAN 210 Intermediate Spanish I
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SPAN 211 Intermediate Spanish II
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SPAN 232 Spanish for Reading
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SPAN 235 Spanish for Medical Personnel
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SPAN 313 Spanish Civilization
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SPAN 314 Spanish Conversation
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SPAN 315 Advanced Grammar and Composition
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SPAN 317 Spanish for Business
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SPAN 390 Cinema of the Spanish-Speaking World
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SPAN 390 Peninsular Culture and Literature
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SPAN 393 Mujer: Victima o Heroina
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GLOBL 290 Film/Culture: Germany
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LBST 383 Global Cultures through Film
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HNRS 390 Wit of the Mathosaurus
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HNRS 390 Making Meaning with Movies
Educational History
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Vanderbilt University, Ph.D. degree in Spanish, 2004
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University of Notre Dame, M.A. degree in Spanish, 1996
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Duquesne University, B.A. degree in Spanish and German, Summa Cum Laude, 1994
Professional Societies
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ALTA (American Literary Translators Association) (2015 - present)
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ATA (American Translators Association) (2007 - present)
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ACTFL (2019 - Present)
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NEMLA (Northeast Modern Language Association) (2025 - present)
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MLA (Modern Language Association) (1998-2024)
Publications
Articles
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Translation and Introduction to a Selection of Poems by Alja Adam: “Haunted House”, “Double”, “Old Lady”, “Ordinary Things”. American Literary Translators Division. Blog, May, 2024.
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"On the Slovenian Dual in Poetry Translation." SlavFile, Spring 2023: 10-13.
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“Two Anecdotes from the Spirits of Heinrich Böll’s House by Josip Osti.” SlavFile, Spring 2018: 21-23.
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“Interview with SlavFile Poetry Editor Martha Kosir.” SlavFile, Winter 2017: 18-21.
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“The Challenges and Joys of Translating Poetry – On Translating Josip Osti's Todos los amores son extraordinarios, All Loves Are Extraordinary.” SlavFile, Fall 2015: 8-11.
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“Odd Couple Collaboration in Poetry Translation” (Conference Presentation Review). SlavFile, Summer 2015: 7-10.
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“A Portrait of the Poet – Josip Osti, Todos los amores son extraordinarios.” Source, Spring 2015, 63: 20-29
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“Intuition in Literary Translation” (Conference Presentation Review). Source, Winter 2013-14, 59: 9-13.
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“Approximately 25 Dreams of Dagestan” (Conference Presentation Review). SlavFile, Summer 2013: 9-13.
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“The Echo of Translation – From Poetry to Religion and Fable - A Reflection on Select Literary Divisions’ Sessions at the 2010 ATA Conference in Denver, Colorado.” Source, Winter 2011: 8-11.
Book translations
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All Loves Are Extraordinary. Translation into English of a collection of poetry by Josip Osti.Columbus Ohio: Gatekeeper Press, 2018.
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Atrio (Atrium). Translation into Spanish and English of a collection of haiku by Josip Osti. Pittsburgh, PA: Grelin Press, 2016.
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Todos los amores son extraordinarios. Translation into Spanish of a poetry collection by Josip Osti. Pittsburgh, PA: University Store on Fifth, 2014.
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En tierra de nadie (In No Man’s Land). Translation into Spanish and English of a collection of haiku by Josip Osti. Skopje (Macedonia): Cultural Institution Blesok, 2014.
Essay translations
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Translation of a selection of poems and the interview with the poet Josip Osti. A Bridge of Voices: Contemporary Slovene Poetry and Perspectives. Carlson B., Jackson R. and Taylor C. Eds. Bridges Press (2017). Kindle edition.
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Translation of the literary essay “The Poetic World as Home and the World” by Robert Titan Felix from Slovenian into English. The Drunken Boat. Fall/Winter 2006: V.6. ISSN: 1530-7646.
Poetry Translations
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Translation into English of a selection of poetry by Alja Adam. “Angelic Beings”, “Family Geography”, “Rocks”. On the Seawall, May 2025.
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Translation into English of a selection of poetry by Katja Gorecan. “Hana”, “Hana and her Period”, “Hana and Poetry.” Solstice, Winter 2024.
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Translation into Spanish of a selection of poetry by Alja Adam: "Salome", "Fantasmas, Fin de verano", "Enigma", "Jardin del Eden", "Doble", "Cosas Ordinarias." Hispanic Journal, V.44:1, Spring 2023.
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Translation into English of select poems by Alja Adam: “Frog”, “Animals”, “Climbing ropes”. 10 Books from Slovenia, Center for Slovenian Literature, Slovenia 2022.
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Translation into English of a selection of poetry by Katja Gorecan: “Hana and Rain”, “Hana and Lovers.” Plume, Jan. 1. 2022.
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Translation into English of the poem "Frog" by Alja Adam. Amavarati Poetic Prism 2019. Cultural Centre of Vijayawada & Amaravati (CCVA), Vijayawada, India.
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Translation into English of a selection of poetry by Josip Osti: "An Unwritten Poem", "We Lie Naked in the Garden", "You Seem to Know Where You are Going." Solstice, Summer 2019.
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Co-translation with Daniela Vassileva from Bulgarian to English of a selection of poetry by Elka Vassileva: "Sonnet in A minor", "Portrait", "Dilemma 2", "Probably", "I Ask Myself." SlavFile, Spring 2019: 24-26.
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Translation into English of selected poetry and prose by Alja Adam. The Tree of Life (Literature and Art), 2018.
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The Dual of the Heart (Anthology of Modern Slovenian Poetry). A translation of J. Osti's poems "Our Garden of Love" and "Every Time I Say or Write the Word Love." New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 2018.
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Translation into English of selected Slovenian poetry, Slavfile, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008.
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Translation from Slovenian into English of selected poems by Josip Osti. International Poetry Review. Spring 2014: 90-99.
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Translation of selected poems by Artur Becker from German into Spanish. Sirena: Poetry, Art, and Criticism. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009:2, (141-151).
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Translation of selected poems by Jure Jakob from Slovenian into English. Contemporary Slovenian Poetry (14 Poets Born After 1969). 2008:3, (38-40).
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Translation of selected poems by Rhonda Bachelor from English into Spanish. Sirena: Poetry, Art, and Criticism. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007:2, (174-181)
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Translation of selected poems by George Golgo Quintero from English into Spanish. Sirena: Poetry, Art, and Criticism Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007:2, (154-171).
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Translation of selected poems by Maureen Alsop from English into Spanish. Sirena: Poetry, Art, and Criticism. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007: 1, (245-255).
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Translation of selected poems by Lucija Stupica, from Slovenian into Spanish and English. Sirena: Poetry, Art, and Criticism. 2006:1, (22-29).
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Translation of selected poems by Giles Goodland, from English into Spanish. Sirena: Poetry, Art, and Criticism. 2006:1, (114-125).
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Translation of selected poems by Ulrike Draesner, from German into Spanish and English. Sirena: Poetry, Art, and Criticism. 2005:2, (26-32).
Proceedings
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Translation into Spanish of selected Slovenian poetry. Rondas Literarias de Pittsburgh. 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014.
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Translation of the poem “I Loved the Hours of Quinces” (“Quittenstunden liebte ich”) by Marica Bodrožic from German into English for Semana Poética – Week of Poetry (October 23 – October 27, 2011) at Dickinson College, Carlisle PA.
Scholarship-Research
My research centers on translation studies, the philosophy of language, foreign language pedagogy, and film studies. My special love is poetry. I feel that poetry lends itself to the enigmatic workings of the language and the mind, finding itself somewhere at the intersection of both. As a translator, I’ve done numerous poetry translations from English into Spanish and from Slovenian and German into Spanish and English. As a multilingual scholar, I truly enjoy working across a multitude of languages and disciplines. I have always felt that languages offer endless possibilities, but also limitations. Translating is thus finding a balance between possibilities and limitations.
Academic Presentations
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“The Essence in the Recreation of Meaning”, NWPA Humanities and Social Sciences Conference, Gannon University, March 28, 2025.
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“Whose Voices do I Want to Inhabit?” Panel presentation. ALTA 47, Voices in Translation. The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) 47th Annual Conference. Milwaukee, WI, October 25-28, 2024
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“On Translation and Poetry – Martha Kosir and Alja Adam”, June 19, 2024, Oton Zupancic City Library, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Joint presentation on the Fulbright Program. NWPA Humanities and Social Sciences Conference, Gannon University, March 22, 2024.
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“Discerning the Meaning of Phrasal Verbs in Poetry Translation.” American Translators Association 64th Annual Conference, Miami, FL. October 25-28, 2023.
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“The Joys and Challenges of Poetry Translation.” Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) 2022 Annual Conference (Virtual). November 10-12, 2022.
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Values, ALTA 45 (American Literary Translators Association) Virtual Conference. April-November 2022. Alexis Levitin Bilingual Readings, Women in Translation (August 30, 2022) – Presentation of original poetry translations into English.
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“Identity and Cross-Cultural Humor in Translation.” The 2021 Annual Conference of the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA). November 19-13, 2021 (Virtual).
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“In Between”. The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) 43rd Annual (Virtual) Conference. Alexis Levitin Bilingual Readings Series. Presentation of original poetry translations into English. October 18, 2020.
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"The Universality of Human Experience in the Disney-Pixar Movie Coco." The 2019 Annual Conference of the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA). Pittsburgh, PA. November 7-9, 2019.
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"On Understanding and Translating Humor. The Spirits of Heinrich Boell's House." American Translators Association 60th Annual Conference, Palm Springs, CA. October 23-26, 2019.
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The Bread Loaf Translators Conference, Ripton VT. Presentation of original poetry translations at the Bread Loafer Reading Sessions. May 31 - June 6, 2019.
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“Translator as Reader - Subjectivity and Self-Reflexivity in Poetry Translation.” 22nd Annual Conference of the American Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. November 1-4, 2018.
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"Sesión especial de poesía". Presentation of original poetry translations into Spanish at the annual Pennsylvania Foreign Language Conference (PAFLC). Duquesne University. Pittsburgh, PA 15282. September 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013.
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“Flores de otro mundo – The Concept of Transculturality in Spanish Cinema.” 36th Cincinnati Conference on Romance Languages and Literatures, Cincinnati, OH, April 7-9, 2016.
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“Translation and Traffic”. The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) 38th Annual Conference. Bilingual Readings Series 2015. Presentation of original poetry translations into English. Tucson, AZ, October 28-31, 2015.
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American Translators Association (ATA) Annual Conference. Literary Division’s After Hours Café. Presentation of original poetry translations at the annual “open-mic” literary readings. 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010.
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“VoiceThread – Conducting Foreign Language Conversations in the Cloud.” 2013 PSMLA Conference – Languages are Bridges to the World. Pittsburgh, PA, October 17-19, 2013.
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“The Use of the Personal Response System (PRS) in Foreign Language Pedagogy.” 2012 IUP Spring Methodology Conference on Foreign Language Teaching. Blairsville, PA, April 27, 2012.
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“The Ethics of Translation and Translator’s Freedom in Poetry Translation.” 25th Annual Pennsylvania Foreign Language Conference. Duquesne University. Pittsburgh, PA 15282. September 21-22, 2012.
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“Humor and Adversity in Icíar Bollaín’s Flores de otro mundo.” West Virginia University, 35th Colloquium on Literature and Film, Morgantown, WV, September 13-15, 2012.
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“Multiple Identities and Falling into an Abyss in Pedro Almodóvar’s Broken Embraces”. 31st Cincinnati Conference on Romance Languages and Literatures, Cincinnati, OH, May 5-7, 2011.
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“In Search of the Ultimate Understanding in Poetry Translation.” American Translators Association, ATA’s 51st Annual Conference, October 27-30, 2010, Denver, Colorado.
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“The Affirmation of Feminine Power in Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver and Todo sobre mi madre”. West Virginia University, 34th Colloquium on Literature and Film, Morgantown, WV, October 1-2, 2010.
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“The Essence and Re-Creation of Meaning – The Act of Communication in Poetry Translation.” 3rd Biennial Modern Languages Conference, Shippensburg University. Shippensburg, PA, April 24-25, 2010.
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“The Enigma of Poetry Translation – a Journey through Language and Meaning.” 22nd Annual Pennsylvania Foreign Language Conference. Duquesne University. Pittsburgh, PA 15282. September 18-19, 2009.
Service
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University Academic Affairs Committee, Chair (2025-2028)
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Gannon University Review Council (Fall 2021 - )
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Middle States Standard 3 Subcommittee (Spring 2020 – Spring 2023)
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CHESS Rank and Tenure Committee (Fall 2018 – Fall 2021), (Fall 2022 - Present)
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CHESS Academic Affairs Committee (Fall 2010 – Present)
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Honor’s Interdisciplinary Program and Curriculum Development Committee (Fall 2013 – Spring 2018)
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Global Engagement Committee (Fall 2013 - Fall 2015)
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Space Utilization Committee (Fall 2013 – 2016)
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Faculty Senate (2013 – 2014)
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New Ventures Committee (2011 – 2013)
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TEAC – Teacher Education Advisory Committee (2009 – 2011)
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NCATE Conceptual Framework Subcommittee (2010 – 2011)
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GU Internationalization Committee (2009 - 2013)
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ESL (English as a Second Language) Advising Board (2011 – 2012)
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GU Athletic Committee (2010 – 2013)
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Gannon University Review Council (2009 – 2011)
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ERIE GAINS – Environmental Sustainability Sub-Committee (2010 – 2013)