Staff

John P. Slattery, Executive Director 
Slattery holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in the History and Philosophy of Science and Systematic Theology from the University of Notre Dame, as well as degrees in Theological Studies and Computer Science. An ethicist, theologian, and historian of science, Slattery works at the intersection of technology, science, religion, and racism. He is the author of the 2019 Faith and Science at Notre Dame, the editor of the 2020 Christian Theology and the Modern Sciences, and a contributing author to the  2023 book, . His essays have appeared in scholarly journals as well as online in , , ,  and . 

Mia E. Briceño, Director of Programs
Briceño holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts and Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University, an M.A. in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge and a B.A. in Rhetoric in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests and teaching expertise are in the areas of rhetorical theory and criticism, feminist theory and women’s and gender studies.


Reyes-Ton holds a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan. She is a scientist, writer, editor, educator, and singer-songwriter who is passionate about science communication to diverse audiences, from the students she teaches to the faith communities she’s served and written for. She’s worked extensively in science communication, as a writer and editor for for , the American Scientific Affiliation's and . She is the founder of the Mount Carmell Worship Collective, a collaborative of creatives, artists, scholars and scientists exploring the intersection of faith, science, and the arts. She also serves as President of the Science Communicators of Faith, an affiliate group through the ASA, and teaches at Lipscomb University.

Rachael Neilan, Faculty Fellow
Neilan holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Tennessee. She is a Professor of Mathematics in the School of Science and Engineering, where she teaches undergraduate courses in mathematics and applied mathematics. Dr. Neilan has received multiple school, regional, and national awards recognizing her excellence in teaching, scholarship, and mentorship. Her research lies at the intersection of mathematics and biology, with a focus on agent-based modeling and optimal control theory. She develops computational and mathematical models to investigate population dynamics in neuroscience, ecology, social sciences, and disease transmission. Her current work centers on novel models of pain-related neural activity in the amygdala.

Grace Sommers, Budget Manager
Sommers has worked for Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ in various roles since 2004. Currently, in the Office of the Provost, she manages budgeting, financial planning, grants and endowments, contracts, salary issues and is liaison to Human Resources and university financial departments. Prior to working at Duquesne, Grace worked in Institutional Banking and Private Asset Management at Mellon Bank.

Our 2024-2025 Faculty Scholars

This year we proudly welcome our new cohort of faculty scholars from around the country, who will build up each other to strengthen their research, teaching, and writing about ethics, technology, and faith.

Jodi Hunt, Ph.D.

Executive Director of the Neuhoff Institute for Evangelization and Affiliate Assistant Professor of Ministry and Theology, University of Dallas

Brianne Jacobs, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies and Coordinator of Women and Gender Studies, Emmanuel College

Wes E. King, Ph.D.

Assistant Teaching Professor, University of Washington Information School

Faina Linkov, Ph.D.

Faina Linkov, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair of Health Administration and Public Health, Duquesne University

Randall Reed, Ph.D.

Professor of Religious Studies, Appalachian State University

Kate Ward, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Theology, Marquette University

David Widder, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow, Digital Life Initiative at Cornell Tech


Fellows, Affiliated Faculty, and Advisory Board

Meet more of the supportive individuals who contribute to the work of the Grefenstette Center.

2024-2025 Academic Year
Rachael Miller Neilan, Faculty Fellow
Professor of Mathematics and Assistant Chair in the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ

Associate Professor in the School of Communication, and Program Director of the Center for Digital Ethics and Policy at Loyola University Chicago 

Senior Instructor and Director of Business Analytics at Seattle University, and Managing Director of SU’s Initiative in Ethics and Transformative Technologies 

Senior Data and Applied Science Manager at Microsoft specializing in machine learning, and holds a PhD from MIT EECS.
Gerard Magill, Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ Senior Research Fellow 
Vernon F. Gallagher Chair & Professor, Center for Global Health Ethics 

Legacy Fellows

Director of Ethics Programs and Initiatives, School of Engineering, Santa Clara University 
Patrick Juola
Professor of Computer Science, Cybersecurity Studies Coordinator, Joseph A. Lauritis, C.S.Sp. Endowed Chair in Teaching and Technology

Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, and Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, UVA
2024-2025 Academic Year
Valerie McMullen,
Speech-Language Pathology, Rangos School of Health Sciences and Mathematics, School of Science and Engineering '25
Adisyn Moorhead, Biochemistry, School of Science and Engineering '27
Elijah Yannotti-Thomas, Information Systems and Technology, Palumbo-Donahue School of Business and Cybersecurity Studies, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts '27
Fatima Zhantibiyeva, Applied Mathematics, School of Science and Engineering '26
Cathleen Appelt, Associate Professor of Sociology 
Kelly Arenson, Associate Professor and Acting Director of Graduate Studies
Erica Beidler, Associate Professor, Department of Athletic Training
Karoly Bozan, Assistant Professor of Information Systems and Technology
Elizabeth Cochran, Professor of Catholic Studies and Theology
Theodore A. Corcovilos, Associate Professor of Physics 
Georgiana Craciun, Associate Professor of Marketing 
Lyndsie Ferrara, Teaching Assistant Professor of Forensics Science and Law 
Mark Geiger, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Organizational Behavior 
Min Geiger, Assistant Professor of Management 
Morgan Gray, Adjunct Professor, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ
Dina Huehn, Assistant Professor of International Relations 
Kristin Klucevsek, Teaching Associate Professor of Scientific Writing
Edmund M. Lazzari, Assistant Coordinator of External Programs, Teaching Fellow, Catholic Studies
Katherine Lee Wirth Norton, Director of Clinical & International Programs, Assistant Professor of Law, and Director of Family Law Clinic 
Akwasi Opoku-Dakwa, Associate Professor of Management 
Anna Floerke Scheid, Associate Professor of Theology 
Daniel Scheid, Associate Professor of Theology 
Adjunct Faculty, Center for Global Health Ethics 
Mai-Ly Steers, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
Lauren Sugden, Assistant Professor of Statistics
Elisabeth Vasko, Associate Professor of Theology 
Eric Vogelstein, Associate Professor and Director of Ethics in the School of Nursing, and Associate Professor of Philosophy 
Wenqi Zhou, David Warco Faculty Fellow in Information Systems and Technology 
Ken Gormley, President, Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ
David K. Roger, President, Hillman Foundation 
Carol Grefenstette Bates, Founding Partner and Managing Director, Strategic Investment Partners (Retired) 
Hon. Mary Jane Bowes, Superior Court of Pennsylvania 
Edward J. Grefenstette, President, CEO and CIO, Dietrich Foundation 
Matthew Costello, Vice President, Apple 
Brian Patrick Green, Santa Clara University
Hon. Thomas Hardiman, Third Circuit Court of Appeals 
Joan Kiel, Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ 
Maureen Lally-Green, Retired Judge, Superior Court, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Professor Emerita, Thomas R. Kline Law School, Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ
Gerard Magill, Ïã½¶ÊÓÆµ 
Brandon McGinley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Alka Patel, Director of the Technology Strategy Office, Cyberspace & Digital Policy Bureau,U.S. State Department
Michael Quinn, Seattle University