Criminal Justice Faculty

Criminal Justice B.S. | M.S. Administration of Justice | Faculty
Advisory Board | Seminars | Study Abroad | Criminal Justice Association

Full-Time Faculty

Joseph P. Aviola, Jr. is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and holds a Master of Science degree in Administration of Justice from Wilmington University (Board of Trustees Leadership Award recipient). Prior to joining the faculty on a fulltime basis he served as a Delaware State Trooper for over 21 years. He retired as the Director of the Public Information Office and has other law enforcement experiences including patrol, criminal investigations, recruit training, and administration. He is a master certified State Police Academy Instructor, who has recognized expertise in the area of Police Ethics. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Supervision and Leadership. He is the Coordinator of the Graduate Criminal Justice program at Wilmington University.

Debra L. Berke, is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Master of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies. She also holds a Ph.D. in Family Studies from the University of Delaware. Prior to joining the faculty on a fulltime basis she taught family studies and women’s studies at Messiah College for 15 years. She also directed the Gender Studies Project at Messiah College. Dr. Berke has been a consultant for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the State of Delaware. She has served as Chair of the Family Policy Section of the National Council on Family Relations as well as President of the Family Science Association. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Family Relations. Dr. Berke is a Certified Family Life Educator and the Coordinator of the Undergraduate Psychology program at Wilmington University.

Stephanie Berridge, is a graduate of Rider University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and a major in Finance. She also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Monmouth University, and plans to complete a doctorate from The George Washington University in 2009. The doctorate from George Washington will be in education with a focus on human and organizational studies. Prior to joining Wilmington University, she worked in the financial services industry for 25 years.

Adrienne M. Bey, Ph.D., LCSW, is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. from the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy, with a concentration in Human Development and Family Studies. She further holds a Master of Social Work Degree from Delaware State University and is a licensed mental health clinician in Clinical Social Work. Dr. Bey has over 20 years of experience working with youth and their families, and extensive experience working with adolescents and young adults in community-based settings. Dr. Bey’s employment history includes working for the State of Delaware’s Department of Services for Children, Youth, & Their Families as a Master Family Service Specialist in the Division of Family Services and as a Juvenile Probation Officer. Dr. Bey also worked with the U.S Department of Justice’s federal Weed and Seed community development initiative and served as the Wilmington, Delaware site coordinator. Her responsibilities included developing, implementing, and evaluating human service programs and activities with the goal to raise the quality-of-life of City of Wilmington residents. Dr. Bey has worked in the community and with local school districts to provide parent education workshops, has worked as a family life counselor for at-risk youth and families, and has been a life coach. Dr. Bey has also been involved as a facilitator, developer, and consultant to faith-based human service programs. She is the coordinator of the M.S. degree program in the Administration of Human Services at Wilmington University; where she also served for 3 years as an adjunct faculty member with the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Master’s Degree program.

Johanna Bishop, is a graduate from Central Michigan University and Wilmington University, and has taken courses at Michigan State University, Western Michigan University, the University of Northern Colorado, University of Delaware, and The George Washington University. Prior to joining the faculty on a fulltime basis, she worked with the chemical and petrochemical industries in establishing Process Technology Technician competencies, consulted as corporate trainer for Fortune 500 companies, and worked in the nuclear power industry. Johanna is the Coordinator of the Behavioral Science program.

Thomas B. Cupples holds a bachelor's degree in social sciences from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Saint Joseph's University, and a Doctor of Education from Argosy University of Sarasota. His area of research includes victimology with a concentration in the phenomenology of female rape victimization. Dr. Cupples is a twenty-five year veteran of the FBI with areas of expertise in crisis management, hostage negotiations, organized crime, white collar crime and criminal behavior. He continues to consult in the corporate community on issues of workplace violence and crisis matters, and has appeared on local and cable television as an expert on these issues. Dr. Cupples is a member of the Wilmington University Speakers Bureau. He has several years experience teaching full time on the college level and served as the Coordinator of Criminal Justice Programs at Wilmington University before being appointed as the Dean of Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Cupples currently serves as Assistant Vice President in the Office of the President.

Patrice Gilliam-Johnson, is a graduate of Morgan State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She further graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park where she graduated with both a Master of Science and Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Dr. Gilliam-Johnson taught for over 20 years at other institutions of higher learning prior to joining the faculty at Wilmington University as a full-time Associate Professor. Also, during her career she has served as a consultant to Fortune 500 organizations and governmental agencies who were experiencing organizational complexities and served as a Research Psychologist for organizations like the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Labor and the District of Columbia Court System.

Doris G. Lauckner, is a graduate of Seton Hall University with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. Dr. Lauckner had been an adjunct instructor in the Master of Science in Community Counseling program since 2000, and, is now the Assistant Coordinator of the program. Dr. Lauckner has been working in the field of mental health for more than 20 years. Presently she has a part-time private practice as a health psychologist providing consultations, assessments and counseling for patients in a large medical practice in Sussex County. Dr. Lauckner also specializes in conducting forensic evaluations for the Board of Parole, the Public Defender's Office and private attorneys.

John J. Malarkey, III, is a Professor in the Division of Behavioral Sciences. He has been with Wilmington since 1986. His Ph.D. is in Sociology, his Master's is in Counseling Psychology, and his Bachelor's is in History. Prior to teaching he had a private practice in career counseling with additional experience in training and development. His clinical work was in mental health crisis diagnostics and evaluation. He is a veteran having served as a small unit commander in the US Air Force at Keesler Technical Training Center, Biloxi, MS. He grew up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. His academic interests are in urban, community, and organizational social systems. He enjoys conflict simulations, strategy games, science fiction, classical and Jazz music listening, drawing and tai-chi.
Rebecca A. Mattern,, received her B.A. from Elon University in Psychology and her doctorate from the University of Delaware in Educational Psychology. Prior to becoming a full-time faculty member, she taught as an adjunct for both Wilmington University and the University of Delaware. Her academic interests include creating learning environments that enhance student learning and motivation. As the Coordinator of the Psychology and Behavioral Science programs in Dover and Georgetown, she particularly enjoys her role in providing support to adjunct faculty, serving as the Internship Advisor, and working with other faculty members to continually grow and improve the Psychology and Behavioral Science programs.

Lorraine Sitler graduated maxima cum laude from LaSalle University with a bachelor degree in Criminal Justice. She received dual master degrees from Bryn Mawr College in Social Services and Law and Social Policy. She was a Public Information Officer for the Delaware Department of Justice acting as the spokesperson for the Attorney General and staff. She previously worked in the Criminal Division of the Attorney General’s Office as the Director of Victim/Witness Services, managing staff and providing services to families of homicide victims. She has served on numerous committees related to crime victims including the Delaware Children’s Advocacy Center Planning Committee, the Attorney General’s Task Force on Child Victims, and the Domestic Violence Task Force. She has been the Chair of the Delaware Victims’ Rights Task Force, helping to author Delaware’s Victims’ Bill of Rights. Lori also chaired the Criminal Justice Council’s Sexual Assault Protocol Committee which developed Delaware’s rape evidence collection kit.

Kirk R. Trate is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in the Administration of Justice. He further holds a Master of Science Degree in the Administration of Justice from Wilmington University. He is also a graduate of the 199th FBI National Academy class in Quantico, Virginia and the 124th Session of the Pennsylvania State University Justice and Safety Institute’s Police Executive Development Program (POLEX). He is a former Pennsylvania State Police Captain and Academy Training Division Director, retiring from that Department in October 1997. During his career in the Pennsylvania State Police, his assignments included: Staff Services Section Commander, Troop L, Eastern Regional Crime Laboratory Commander, and Patrol Supervisor, Troop L. Mr. Trate served as the Criminal Investigation Technical Advisor to the Regional Criminal justice Initiative in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Prior to his service in Bulgaria, he was the Executive Director of the Lebanon Crime Commission in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Chief of Police for the City of Reading Pennsylvania, Police Commissioner for Spring Garden Township, Pennsylvania and Deputy Chief of Police of Muhlenberg Township, Pennsylvania. He is the Coordinator of the Undergraduate Criminal Justice Program at Wilmington University.

Christian A. Trowbridge graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and was awarded a Juris Doctorate from Temple University School of Law He has ten years of experience as a prosecutor in the Office of the District Attorney of Chester County, Pennsylvania. Before joining the faculty on a fulltime basis he served as one of four Deputy District Attorneys in an office of thirty-two lawyers and forty support personnel. He directly supervised trial attorneys including the domestic violence unit. As a senior trial attorney he prosecuted major criminal felony cases. Most recently he was cross-designated to the United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania as a Special Assistant United States Attorney as part of a federal initiative designed to combat gun violence. He is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania. He is the Coordinator of the Graduate Criminal Justice program at Wilmington University.

James M. Walsh, is a Pastoral Counselor in private practice in Newark, DE and is an Assistant Professor at Wilmington University. In his private practice Dr. Walsh provides a broad array of counseling services including individual therapy, couples counseling, and counseling for compulsive gamblers and their families. At Wilmington University he an Assistant Professor for the MS in Community Counseling program, where he teaches and provides clinical supervision for intern students. Dr. Walsh was appointed by Governor Ruth Ann Minner to membership on the Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals, a Board of the Division of Professional regulation. He is a Psycho Forensic Evaluator consultant for the Office of the Public Defender in Delaware. Dr. Walsh has taught graduate courses in Pastoral Counseling at Neumann College and has provided training workshops for several years for the State of Delaware’s Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health on a variety of topics, mostly incorporating spirituality in a therapeutic milieu. He received his Ph.D. in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola College in Maryland. Jim has also had extensive training at the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, a clinical tool that incorporates spiritual values as a psychological intervention in stress management.

R. Craig Williams, Ph.D., holds a Ph.D. in Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology from the University of Minnesota and an M.A. in Counselor Education (Substance Abuse Counseling Specialty) from the University of Iowa. He also received an M.A. in Economics from the University of South Carolina, and a B.A. in Economics from the University of West Florida. Dr. Williams’ has practiced counseling at a number of college counseling services including: The University of Minnesota, University of Iowa, University of St. Thomas, and the University of Georgia and has also been the clinical director of community counseling agencies in Georgia and Delaware. He maintains a small private practice as a counseling psychologist in Wilmington with a generalist focus. Dr. Williams has taught counseling at Northern Illinois University, Marquette University, Johns Hopkins University, and at Wilmington University where he has been the Coordinator of the MS in Community Counseling (MSCC) program since 2003.

Melissa A. Zebley is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and holds a Master of Science in Administration of Justice from Wilmington University (Division of Behavioral Sciences Academic Excellence Award recipient). She is employed as a Delaware State Trooper and serves at the rank of Lieutenant. Her experiences include work in patrol, as an instructor at the State Police Academy, and as the Director of the Public Information Office. She currently works at State Police Headquarters as the Fiscal Executive Officer. She is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Supervision and Leadership. Ms. Zebley currently serves in the capacity of Criminal Justice Program Assistant with responsibilities primarily at the Georgetown site.