Karen S. Wendling, Ph.D.
Karen Wendling (Chestnut Hill College class of 2003) earned her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While her graduate research focused on detecting gas-phase compounds that contribute to Global Warming using Mass Spectrometry, she has more recently worked with individual student interns to detect various compounds of interest including nicotine in e-juices used for vaping, cocaine contamination of circulating currency, and active ingredients in various herbal supplements. Dr. Wendling firmly believes in the benefits of a Chestnut Hill College education, focusing on hands-on instruction in the lab and direct mentoring in the classroom. Her pedagogical research studies how cognitive apprenticeship theory (CAT) can be applied to undergraduate laboratory learning. Dr. Wendling enjoys teaching a variety of courses at Chestnut Hill, including Analytical Chemistry, Instrumental Analysis, and Principles of Chemistry. She is also the co-coordinator of the annual Harry Potter Academic Conference and continues to explore how science fiction and fantasy can be utilized to improve student learning outcomes.
Kathleen Duffy, SSJ, Ph.D.
Kathleen Duffy, SSJ (Ph.D. in Physics, Drexel University, 1979) is Professor Emerita of Physics, Director of the Institute for Religion and Science at Chestnut Hill College, President of the American Teilhard Association, Associate Editor of Teilhard Studies, and serves on the Board of Cosmos and Creation. Kathleen is the recipient of the Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa from Iona College, New Rochelle, NY, October 18, 2009; was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Catholic Witness, St. Hubert High School in 2005; and received the John Templeton Foundation Quality and Excellence in Teaching Award in 1998.
Her current research interests concern the religious essays of Jesuit paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, his spirituality, and the relationship of his synthesis to modern developments in science. She has published Teilhard’s Mysticism: Seeing the Inner Face of Evolution (Orbis 2014; Catholic Book Award, Catholic Press Association, 2015); Teilhard’s Struggle: Embracing the Work of Evolution (Orbis 2019; Catholic Book Award, Catholic Press Association, 2020); an edited volume of essays about Teilhard’s life and work entitled Rediscovering Teilhard’s Fire (St. Joseph’s University 2010), as well as book chapters and articles. Kathleen also guides evening, weekend, and week-long retreats on topics related to Teilhard’s life and work.
Elliott Tammaro, Ph.D
Elliott Tammaro joined Chestnut Hill College in May 2014. He graduated from Bryn Mawr College, where he received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics. His doctoral work examined the dimensional reduction of higher-dimensional supergravity and warped compactifications within string theory. His current research interests include foundational questions in quantum mechanics and their connection to physics beyond the standard model as well as quantum gravity and functional methods. He primarily teaches introductory mechanics and electromagnetism, but for the last five years has enjoyed teaching in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program (IDHP) at Chestnut Hill College alongside Sister Mary Helen Kashuba, SSJ.
Michael Stilwell, B.A.
R. Michael Stilwell is the Student Success Advisor for the Center for Natural and Behavioral Sciences at Chestnut Hill College. Michael is from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, a town about thirty miles west of CHC, where he graduated Salutatorian of his high school class. Looking to explore more of the world, Michael went to South Carolina for his undergraduate studies at Furman University. During his time at Furman, he was lucky enough to study abroad at Bond University in Queensland, Australia. In 2020, he graduated from Furman University with his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. That following January, Michael began his work as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) at Rainbow Elementary School in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. As an RBT, Michael worked with a wide range of elementary aged students with various socioeconomic and neurological backgrounds for almost two years. Wanting to work with an older population, Michael came to CHC to become the faculty advisor for the Psychology department which eventually grew into the position he currently holds. Michael is now enrolled in the graduate program at CHC seeking his Master of Science in Cybersecurity.
Michael loves anime, movies, reading, and writing. He also loves his two cats, Sunflower and Daisy, as well as his two dogs, Lilly and Leo. His door is open to anyone who may need help.
