McDaniel College Welcomes New Faculty for 2026–27 Academic Year
McDaniel College in Westminster is welcoming an accomplished group of faculty members for the 2026–27 academic year. Their backgrounds span higher education, healthcare, filmmaking, business, technology, and international affairs, bringing a wealth of professional experience to the college.
The new faculty appointments and promotions cover eight academic fields: business administration, cinema, computer science, counseling, nursing, occupational therapy, political science, sociology, and speech-language pathology.
Source and credit: This summary is based on an article written by my friend Cheryl Knauer, published on Patch on September 10, 2026. Her original article includes detailed biographies and additional information about the faculty members. Her original article may be found here: https://patch.com/maryland/westminster/mcdaniel-college-announces-new-full-time-faculty-members-beginning-tenure-track
Meet the new faculty and academic leaders:
Crystal Barchacky — Occupational Therapy: An assistant professor specializing in pediatric occupational therapy, children's mental health, and trauma-informed care.
Hollis A. Caswell — Nursing: An assistant professor and nursing simulation coordinator with extensive experience in neonatal and pediatric intensive care and innovative nursing education.
Hillary D. Cooper — Speech-Language Pathology: A medical speech-language pathologist specializing in swallowing disorders who also co-founded a nonprofit providing education and resources for people with swallowing difficulties.
Anna Grasso — Occupational Therapy: An associate professor with experience in pediatric and adult rehabilitation, clinical education, home safety, and fall prevention for older adults.
Amani Hagmagid — Cinema: An assistant professor and independent filmmaker with experience in directing, producing, screenwriting, television, and feature-film production.
Stephanie Hall Rutledge — Counseling: A professor and program director with extensive experience in counselor education, university leadership, and accreditation. Her interests include grief and loss, counseling ethics, and equine-assisted psychotherapy.
Lori W. Hockley — Business Administration: An associate professor and director of the Global Fellows program, which prepares students to understand international issues and develop intercultural skills. She is also overseeing student research on climate change's effects on Carroll County businesses.
Kristina Kelley — Business Administration: An instructor with professional experience in finance, banking, project management, and graduate-level finance education.
Syed Marjan — Sociology: A new faculty member whose research interests include political sociology, policing, terrorism, extremism, and criminal justice.
Sandra Thomas-Lalmansingh — Nursing: An assistant professor with more than 40 years of nursing, education, research, and healthcare leadership experience. A retired U.S. Navy Nurse Corps commander, she also served in military healthcare operations and at the National Institutes of Health.
Mark Anthony Thompson Sr. — Computer Science: The endowed professor of Computer Science and Technology Innovation, bringing expertise in cybersecurity, digital forensics, computer networks, and artificial intelligence. His appointment is the first faculty hire for McDaniel's planned School of Business and Technology, scheduled to open in fall 2027.
Aqil Shah — Political Science: Promoted to associate professor, Shah is an internationally recognized scholar of political violence, civil-military relations, and security issues in South Asia. He also advises the college's National Model United Nations program and oversees its National Security Fellows program.
A noteworthy addition to McDaniel's future
These appointments reflect the college's commitment to connecting academic instruction with real-world experience. The new faculty bring expertise from universities, hospitals, military service, research institutions, the film industry, and professional business settings.
Among the highlights is the appointment of Mark Anthony Thompson Sr., whose position helps launch McDaniel's faculty recruitment for its planned School of Business and Technology. Meanwhile, the college's nursing and occupational therapy programs gain faculty with substantial clinical experience, and students in cinema, business, counseling, and political science will benefit from instructors with diverse professional and research backgrounds.
Founded in 1867, McDaniel College offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs, emphasizing experiential learning and close collaboration between students and faculty.
McDaniel College in Westminster is welcoming an accomplished group of faculty members for the 2026–27 academic year. Their backgrounds span higher education, healthcare, filmmaking, business, technology, and international affairs, bringing a wealth of professional experience to the college.
The new faculty appointments and promotions cover eight academic fields: business administration, cinema, computer science, counseling, nursing, occupational therapy, political science, sociology, and speech-language pathology.
Source and credit: This summary is based on an article written by my friend Cheryl Knauer, published on Patch on September 10, 2026. Her original article includes detailed biographies and additional information about the faculty members. Her original article may be found here: https://patch.com/maryland/westminster/mcdaniel-college-announces-new-full-time-faculty-members-beginning-tenure-track
Meet the new faculty and academic leaders:
Crystal Barchacky — Occupational Therapy: An assistant professor specializing in pediatric occupational therapy, children's mental health, and trauma-informed care.
Hollis A. Caswell — Nursing: An assistant professor and nursing simulation coordinator with extensive experience in neonatal and pediatric intensive care and innovative nursing education.
Hillary D. Cooper — Speech-Language Pathology: A medical speech-language pathologist specializing in swallowing disorders who also co-founded a nonprofit providing education and resources for people with swallowing difficulties.
Anna Grasso — Occupational Therapy: An associate professor with experience in pediatric and adult rehabilitation, clinical education, home safety, and fall prevention for older adults.
Amani Hagmagid — Cinema: An assistant professor and independent filmmaker with experience in directing, producing, screenwriting, television, and feature-film production.
Stephanie Hall Rutledge — Counseling: A professor and program director with extensive experience in counselor education, university leadership, and accreditation. Her interests include grief and loss, counseling ethics, and equine-assisted psychotherapy.
Lori W. Hockley — Business Administration: An associate professor and director of the Global Fellows program, which prepares students to understand international issues and develop intercultural skills. She is also overseeing student research on climate change's effects on Carroll County businesses.
Kristina Kelley — Business Administration: An instructor with professional experience in finance, banking, project management, and graduate-level finance education.
Syed Marjan — Sociology: A new faculty member whose research interests include political sociology, policing, terrorism, extremism, and criminal justice.
Sandra Thomas-Lalmansingh — Nursing: An assistant professor with more than 40 years of nursing, education, research, and healthcare leadership experience. A retired U.S. Navy Nurse Corps commander, she also served in military healthcare operations and at the National Institutes of Health.
Mark Anthony Thompson Sr. — Computer Science: The endowed professor of Computer Science and Technology Innovation, bringing expertise in cybersecurity, digital forensics, computer networks, and artificial intelligence. His appointment is the first faculty hire for McDaniel's planned School of Business and Technology, scheduled to open in fall 2027.
Aqil Shah — Political Science: Promoted to associate professor, Shah is an internationally recognized scholar of political violence, civil-military relations, and security issues in South Asia. He also advises the college's National Model United Nations program and oversees its National Security Fellows program.
A noteworthy addition to McDaniel's future
These appointments reflect the college's commitment to connecting academic instruction with real-world experience. The new faculty bring expertise from universities, hospitals, military service, research institutions, the film industry, and professional business settings.
Among the highlights is the appointment of Mark Anthony Thompson Sr., whose position helps launch McDaniel's faculty recruitment for its planned School of Business and Technology. Meanwhile, the college's nursing and occupational therapy programs gain faculty with substantial clinical experience, and students in cinema, business, counseling, and political science will benefit from instructors with diverse professional and research backgrounds.
Founded in 1867, McDaniel College offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs, emphasizing experiential learning and close collaboration between students and faculty.
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