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Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025
Faculty 鈥� S
Sabbaghi, Omid
Omid Sabbaghi
Associate Professor of Finance and Director of Graduate Business Programs, teaches investments and corporate finance. He received both his M.B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, where he studied finance and econometrics. During his graduate studies, he was the recipient of an Oscar Mayer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of California-Berkeley, triple-majoring in Economics, Statistics, and Applied Mathematics. He joined the University in 2009.
Sanchez-Castano, Eliana
Eliana Sanchez-Castano
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Clinical Dentistry, teaches restorative dentistry to dental students, has a special interest in the implementation and integration of CAD/CAM dentistry technologies into the dental curriculum. She has a D.D.S. degree from University of El Bosque, Bogota Colombia, a Master’s Degree in Hospital Management, and an Implant Fellowship Certificate from The Ohio State University. She joined the University in 2010.
Santora, Michael
Michael Santora
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, teaches courses on control systems, signal processing, engineering computation and problem solving, hardware & software integration and senior design. His areas of interest and expertise are analysis, modeling, and control of chaotic and complex systems. Applications range from robotic systems, electric machines, to active noise cancellation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Gonzaga University, and a Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Idaho. He joined Detroit Mercy in 2017.
Saunders, Mitzi M.
Mitzi M. Saunders
Professor, McAuley School of Nursing, has been the program coordinator for the Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS) program since 2010. She has over 20 years of experience as a certified Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist. Saunders is committed to growing the numbers of AGCNSs nationwide and showcasing the impact of the CNS role. She actively speaks on practice issues affecting nursing and remains involved in legislative processes at the state and national level. She is the newly elected President for the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. Her research interests are family caregiving, CNS role and methods in on-line learning. Saunders is dually certified by the Association of College and University Educators in effective teaching practices in higher education and as a Telehealth Healthcare Provider.
Saunders, Timothy R.
Timothy R. Saunders
Clinical Professor, Division of Clinical Dentistry, Assistant Dean of Clinic Administration. His primary responsibilities are related to the administration of the Corktown and UHC clinics. Dr. Saunders earned his D.D.S. degree from Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska in 1972. He completed his GPR training at Scott Medical Center, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois in 1973. Dr. Saunders attended the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota for his residency training in Prosthodontics and Maxillofacial Prosthetics from 1974 to 1977. Dr. Saunders spent 24 years actively practicing and teaching prosthodontics and maxillofacial prosthetics in the United State Air Force, retiring in 1995. He joined the faculty of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, in 1996, retiring in 2010. Dr. Saunders joined the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry in 2011.
Scheys, Joshua
Joshua Scheys
Assistant Professor, Division of Integrated Biomedical Sciences, teaches human physiology to dental students and Integrated Biomedical Sciences to dental hygiene students. Additionally, he is the faculty advisor for the Student Research group at the dental school. His research interests include beta-cell biology and secretory signaling pathways. Dr. Scheys received a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan Brehm Center for Diabetes Research. He joined the University in 2014.
Schroeck, Nicholas J.
Nicholas J. Schroeck
Associate Dean for Experiential Education and Associate Professor of Law, received his J.D. from Wayne State University Law School and his B.A. from Elmhurst College. He is an environmental law expert whose work focuses on air pollution, water pollution, environmental justice, transportation, and citizen suit enforcement. and directs the Environmental Law Clinic. Schroeck previously served as Executive Director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center and has litigated many cases on behalf of prominent environmental advocacy organizations. He appears regularly in the news media to discuss a range of environmental and climate issues. joined the University in 2018 as the Director of Clinical Programs and Associate Professor of Law. He was appointed Associate Dean of Experiential Education in 2019.
Scott, Sarida
Sarida Scott, J.D.
Assistant Professor of Community Development, Director of Master of Community Development Program, has served as the Executive Director for CDAD since September 2012. Prior to coming to CDAD, she worked at Michigan Community Resources, holding positions as Legal Director and Chief Program Officer. She has worked in the community development industry and local government, combined, for more than fifteen years. Sarida received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and her B.S. in Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Sarida’s work experience has been concentrated in the areas of nonprofit legal compliance, education and community engagement. Additionally, she has served on a number of boards and is currently serving as a board member for Wayne Metro and the Michigan League for Public Policy. Sarida is also a member of the Advisory Council for the Detroit Revitalization Fellows Program. She lives in the University District with her husband and daughter.
Serowoky, Mary L.
Mary L. Serowoky
Clinical Associate Professor, McAuley School of Nursing, teaches in the Family Nurse Practitioner program. Serowoky’s scholarship interests include adolescent wellness and risk and protective factors including yoga and mindfulness practices. She maintains an active primary care practice in school-based health and serves as a consultant for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Child and Adolescent Health Centers Program. Dr. Serowoky was honored by the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners in 2021 with the NP of the Year Award. Serowoky earned her B.S.N. from Mercy College of Detroit, her M.S.N. from University of Detroit Mercy and her D.N.P. from Wayne State University. She joined the University in 2012.
Shawash, Nart
Nart Shawash
Associate Professor of Mathematics, teaches courses such as Differential Equations, Advanced Engineering Mathematics and Multivariable Calculus, where he emphasizes geometric visualization of ideas using tools such as Matlab and Maple as means for concept motivation before derivation of formulas or proving theorems. He received his Ph.D. degree from Oakland University in 2008, with a dissertation on symmetric interconnection networks, and his undergraduate degree is in electronics engineering from PSUT, Jordan. Current interests include graph theoretical modeling, implementing and analyzing graph drawing algorithms and dynamical processes on symmetric and random graphs. Shawash joined the Mathematics Department in 2008.
Shaw-Gallagher, Marlene
Marlene Shaw-Gallagher
Associate Professor, College of Health Professions, Physician Assistant program. Professor Shaw-Gallagher teaches Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures I, II, III and is a clinical rotations coordinator. She is an alumnus of Detroit Mercy's Physician Assistant program and has a background in internal medicine and interventional radiology. She has been working in nephrology for the past eight years and has received a grant from the National Kidney Foundation to study interventions aimed at preventing the progression of chronic kidney disease in diabetic patients. Professor Shaw-Gallagher holds a B.S. in Biology-Zoology/Biological Anthropology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and a M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies from Detroit Mercy. She is pursuing her PhD at the University of Michigan Medical School in Health Infrastructures and Learning Systems. She has been at Detroit Mercy since 2017.
Shepherd, Kathi R.
Kathi R. Shepherd
Associate Professor, Assistant Dean of Educational Development and Assessment, co-directs the dental hygiene board review and all courses in the community health curriculum. Additional teaching includes lecturing in the oral health assessment and prevention dental hygiene courses. Her publications and professional presentations focus on both dental education and dental hygiene care. She received a Certificate in Dental Hygiene and a B.S. from the University of Detroit and a M.S. from the University of Detroit Mercy. Shepherd joined the University in 1985.
Sherowski, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Sherowski
Assistant Professor of Law, received her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and her J.D. from The Ohio State University. Sherowski is a nationally recognized expert in learner-focused pedagogy, and has written and presented extensively on making legal education more transparent, accessible, and accountable to students. Professor Sherowski previously worked was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Franklin County, Ohio who tried juvenile, felony, and appellate cases. She later opened her own law practice, which focused on juvenile, disability, and education law. After teaching at The Ohio State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Mercer University, she joined the University in 2020 as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law. In 2022, she was promoted to Assistant Professor of Law.
Shivnen, Jennifer S.
Jennifer S. Shivnen
Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant (PA) Program, College of Health Professions
Professor Shivnen teaches Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures I, II, III and is a clinical coordinator. Shivnen is an alumna of Detroit Mercy’s PA program, with clinical background in urgent care and primary care. Her interests include research, mentoring others and volunteering in her local community.
Shoemaker, Daniel P.
Daniel P. Shoemaker
Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Information Assurance Program. Shoemaker is full-time professor at Detroit Mercy and the director of the University's master's program in cybersecurity. He is currently a Distinguished Visitor for the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and a senior researcher at Detroit Mercy's Center for Cyber Security & Intelligence Studies. He is a former chair of the Department of Computer & Information Systems at Detroit Mercy, a role for which he served for 25 years. As the co-chair for the National Workforce Training and Education Initiative, he was one of the authors of the DHS Software Assurance Common Body of Knowledge (CBK). He also helped author the DHS IA Essential Body of Knowledge and serves as a subject matter expert for the NIST-NICE workforce framework. Shoemaker enjoys editing journals, and his publications number into the hundreds. Shoemaker joined the University in 1985.
Shounia, Tarik
Tarik Shounia
Clinical Associate Professor, is the director of the mobile dental program, Titans for Teeth. He teaches clinical Pediatric Dentistry to dental students. Prof. Shounia received his B.D.S. from University of Baghdad, D.D.P.H. from Royal College of Surgeon of England, M.Sc. from London University - England, and D.D.S. from University of Detroit Mercy. His area of interest includes pediatric and preventive dentistry, and dental public health. Dr. Shounia joined the university in 2014.
Siddiqi, Marina
Marina Siddiqi
Clinical Assistant Professor, teaches Oral Diagnosis to accelerated dental students. She co-directs, as well as lectures in didactic courses focusing on diagnosis, treatment planning, oral lesions and the link between systemic and oral health to pre-dental, first and second year dental students, and accelerated dental students
Prof. Siddiqi earned a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan. She completed a Master of Science in Oral Biology and Master of Science in Dentistry in Oral Medicine from the University of Washington. She earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from University of Detroit Mercy.
Prof. Siddiqi was one of the pioneering dental faculty at Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest all female university. Prof. Siddiqi continues to maintain an active membership in the American Academy of Oral Medicine. She joined the university in 2017.
Sinutko, Jaime M.
Jaime M. Sinutko
Assistant Professor, McAuley School of Nursing, teaches in the classroom and online for the MSON undergraduate students. Sinutko earned a B.S.N., M.S.N. in education, and Ph.D. in educational leadership with a focus on higher education administration from Oakland University. She also assumed leadership and teaching responsibility at Oakland University, Rochester College, and Chamberlain College of Nursing. Much of her academic leadership work revolved around nursing program creation, recruitment, accreditation, and funding. Prior to these academic roles, Sinutko worked as an emergency nurse for 10 years with a passion for triage and trauma care.
Slowik, Linda H.
Linda H. Slowik
Professor of Psychology and Department Chair, teaches classes related to the field of industrial/organizational psychology, research methods, statistics and developmental psychology in service to the psychology department and the master's in community development in the School of Architecture and Community Development. Slowik's research applies theories and principles of motivation to real-world problems, with special focus on how individual differences interact with environmental context factors. Her projects have explored the academic ecosystem as a psychological environment, the dynamic experience of work, as well as other applied problems such as dental compliance, use of plug-in hybrid vehicles, energy conservation in low-tech construction and the meaning and use of office space. Her work has been published in scholarly outlets such as the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Human Relations, the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology and the Academy of Management Review. Slowik holds a doctorate and a master's degree in Industrial/Organizational psychology from Wayne State University and joined the University in 2004.
Smoczer, Cristine
Cristine Smoczer
Assistant Professor, Prof. Smoczer teaches biochemistry, genetics, and nutrition to dental students. She holds a medical degree from University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Romania and a Ph.D in Developmental Genetics from the University of Windsor, Canada. Following postdoctoral research at Wayne State University. She joined the university in 2016.
Snyder, Katherine E.
Katherine E. Snyder
Dean of the College of Engineering & Science, previously served as interim dean and associate dean of Academic Affairs for the College of Engineering & Science from 2010-2017. She has held other administrative roles including the director of the Seven-year Dental Program and chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. She is the principle investigator (PI) of a $300,000 grant from the Ford Motor Company for a Ford Mobility App project, and is co-PI for the ReBUILDetroit grant, a $21.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. In addition, she serves on the academic board for Detroit Loyola High School. Before joining University of Detroit Mercy as a faculty member in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department in 1994, Snyder taught high school in southwest Detroit. She earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics and Computer Education at Wayne State University. She also holds a B.S. degree in Mathematics and a M.S. degree in Computer Science from the University of Detroit. Her field of study includes the appropriate and effective use of technology in mathematics and computer science education, particularly computer algebra systems.
Sordyl, Claudine M.
Claudine M. Sordyl
Associate Professor, Division of Clinical Dentistry, teaches physical assessment, management of medical emergencies, basic life support (re)certification courses, pain and anxiety control, and medical history taking. She is also involved in teaching protocols on nitrous oxide inhalation/parenteral sedation preparation and monitoring the sedated patient to dental, dental hygiene and post doctoral graduate students. As a research study nurse, she coordinates study participants in pain control research involving pharmaceuticals and techniques. Her publications and local/national professional presentations deal with subject matter on preoperative assessment and emergency preparedness of sedated patients, medical emergencies in the dental office setting, local anesthesia, and nitrous oxide. She has received several speaking engagement awards. Sordyl holds a B.S. in Nursing and a M.S. in Health Services Administration from University of Detroit Mercy. She joined the University in 1989.
Spreitzer, Jil
Jill Spreitzer
Associate Librarian, Reference, McNichols Campus Library, provides reference services, instruction in database searching, and research skills instruction. She facilitates collection development for civil/architectural/environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, communication studies, health services administration, and digital media studies. Spreitzer holds a B.S. degree in Biology from University of Michigan and a M.S.L.S. degree in Library Science from Wayne State University. She joined the University in 1999.
St. John, Julie
Julie St. John
Assistant Professor of Comparative Legal Writing and Research, has experience in civil litigation, family law, real estate, and wills and estates. She teaches Comparative Legal Writing and Research. She teaches in the Canadian & American Dual JD Program. In addition to teaching, Professor St. John is the faculty advisor for the Moot Court Board of Advocates. St. John holds a B.A. and LL.B. from University of Windsor and a LL.M. from Wayne State University. She joined the University in 2004.
Stanard, Virginia
Virginia Stanard
Assistant Professor and Director, Master of Community Development, teaches courses in urban design, community development, and real estate development. Stanard is a principal at City Form Detroit, a Detroit-based urban design practice. In these roles, Stanard has implemented an interdisciplinary and collaborative model of teaching, research, and practice focused on community-based design and planning. Stanard received her Master of Architecture and Master of Urban Design from the University of Michigan and her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia. Stanard began at the University in 2006 as an urban designer at the Detroit Collaborative Design Center and joined the faculty in 2015.
Steffka, Mark
Mark Steffka
Faculty in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science, teaches electrical/electronic circuit design, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and communication systems. He has extensive experience with military HF/VHF/UHF secure communications, spacecraft instrumentation, automotive control systems, and on-vehicle antenna systems for terrestrial and satellite applications. In 2018 he retired from General Motors as the global vehicle engineering technical leader for the antenna group. Prior to that, he was a team leader and EMC Technical Specialist with General Motors Global Propulsion Systems. He holds patents on methods for electromagnetic interference reduction, and vehicle antenna systems. He is the author (or co-author) of a number of publications including books and technical papers presented international conference/symposiums. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Electromagnetic Compatibility Society, a member of SAE International, and has had numerous technical and organizational leadership roles both within IEEE and SAE. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Science from Indiana Wesleyan University. He joined the university as an Adjunct Professor in 2006, and became a full-time faculty member in 2018.
Stevens, Jonathan
Jonathan Stevens
Associate Professor of Chemistry, teaches physical chemistry, computational chemistry, and general chemistry. His research focuses on the application of theoretical quantum chemistry to mechanisms of chemical reactions. Stevens holds B.S. degrees in chemistry and mathematics from Miami University of Ohio and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago. He joined the University in 1998.
Stewart, Traci
Traci Stewart
Assistant Professor, McAuley School of Nursing, completed their doctorate of nursing practice at Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan where they also finished their MS and BSN. Dr. Stewart is an adult acute care nurse practitioner certified in palliative care. Dr. Stewart's DNP project examined the knowledge, attitudes and acceptance of nurses, educators and students working with and caring for LGBT patients and coworkers. Dr. Stewart’s clinical practice is varied, including experience in the Emergency Department, Cardiology, Trauma and Sleep Medicine. While employed at the VA they also served as the LGBT Veteran Care Coordinator. Most recently they have obtained their certification as an End of Life Doula. Dr. Stewart is currently an Assistant Professor teaching full time in the College of Health Professions at the University of Detroit Mercy, where they take pride in integrating LGBTQ cultural awareness into each course.
Stocker-Schneider, Julia
Julia Stocker-Schneider
Associate Professor, McAuley School of Nursing, is lead faculty and coordinator of the Nursing and Healthcare Leadership and Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) graduate Nursing programs. She has 19 years of experience teaching nursing leadership and management, quality improvement, and nursing informatics at the graduate level. Stocker-Schneider earned her doctorate from the University of Michigan with a research focus on the measurement of nursing-sensitive outcomes in the home care setting. She gained nursing informatics experience through her work in the development of the Hands-on Automated Nursing Data System (HANDS) at the University of Michigan. She has over six years of home care leadership and quality improvement experience, including four years’ service as director of Nursing at two Medicare-certified home healthcare agencies. Stocker-Schneider is passionate about developing nurse leaders who are systems thinkers, grounded in improvement, beginning with a clinical microsystem approach, and who support informatics integration, and utilize nursing and outcomes data to inform decisions leading to systems change. She has been a certified clinical nurse leader (CNL) since 2016. She joined the University of Detroit Mercy in 2003.
Streit, Sigrid
Sigrid Streit
Associate Professor of English and Director of Writing across the Curriculum. In her capacity as director of writing across the curriculum, Streit collaborates with departments and individual instructors to support the integration of writing across disciplines at the University. Her research and teaching interests include the relationship of knowledge to embodied practices and teaching and learning in multimodal settings. Streit co-authored Gilbert Austin’s Chironomia Revisited: Sympathy, Science, and the Representation of Movement" (2020 Southern Illinois University Press). Her current research explores the role of movement and its ability to form implicit arguments in the context of complementary and alternative medicine. Streit has taught at Stanford University and Penn State prior to coming to Detroit Mercy. She holds a doctorate and a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Composition from Kent State University and a second Master of Arts from Dresden University of Technology, Germany. In 2021, she received the University's Faculty Achievement Award. Streit Joined the University in 2015.
Sturm, Conrad
Conrad Sturm
Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, currently teaches Comparative Legal Writing and Research in the Canadian & American Dual JD Program. He joined the University in July 2023 with a background in teaching legal skills and business law courses at law schools in Canada, the United States, and Qatar, since January 2005. Before joining the University, Professor Sturm taught at Qatar University College of Law from 2011 to 2023. Professor Sturm earned an Honors Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) from McMaster University (Canada), a J.D. from Nova Southeastern University (U.S.A.), and an LL.M. from the University of Sydney (Australia).
Stone, Carl
Storks, Levi
Levi Storks
Assistant Professor of Biology, teaches courses in the areas of genetics and biostatistics. Dr. Storks’ is a neuroethologist whose research focuses on the connection between cognition and the brain in ectothermic species, such as lizards and fish, using behavioral, neuroanatomical, and molecular techniques. He received his B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University and his PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri. He received a National Science Foundation Research Fellowship to complete his postdoctoral work at the University of Nebraska Omaha. He has published in journals such as Integrative and Comparative Biology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, and Biology Letters. He attends conferences for the Animal Behavioral Society and Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Dr. Storks joined the University in 2024.
Sumner, Gregory D.
Gregory D. Sumner
Professor of History and Department Co-Chair, teaches courses on 20th-century American politics and culture. Sumner is the author of Michigan POW Camps in World War II (2018), Detroit in World War II (2015), Unstuck in Time: A Journey Through Kurt Vonnegut's Life and Novels (2012) and Dwight Macdonald and the Politics Circle: The Challenge of Cosmopolitan Democracy (1996). A fellow of the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In addition, he was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Rome (2001, 2010). He holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Arts and a doctorate from Indiana University and a Juris Doctor from University of Michigan Law School. He joined the University in 1993.