New Faculty
Martin Sliwinski
Director of the Gerontology Center and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Dr. Martin Sliwinski has significant experience in gerontology, statistics, and psychology and over fifteen years of continuous funding from the National Institute on Aging. Prior to coming to Penn State, he spent nine years in Syracuse University’s Department of Psychology. He is editor of the journal Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, and his research focuses on stress, aging, and working memory. He received his B.A. in interdisciplinary studies from Georgetown University in 1992 and his Ph.D. in psychology from the City University of New York.
Connie Rogers
Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences
Broadhurst Career Development Professor for the Study of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Dr. Connie Rogers studies how changes in the body’s energy levels can impact inflammation, immunity, and cancer risk. Before coming to Penn State, she worked as a senior research fellow at the National Cancer Institute’s Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology. She received her B.S. in Biology and her M.S. in Physiology, both from Penn State; and both a Ph.D. in cell biology and physiology and an M.P.H. with a focus in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh.
Michael Tews
Assistant Professor of Hospitality Management
Dr. Michael Tews’ research focuses on the application of industrial and organizational psychology to the hospitality industry, especially issues relating to employee selection, training, and development; employee retention; and workplace substance abuse. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. in hotel administration from Cornell University and his M.S. in industrial relations from the London School of Economics.
Steven Branstetter
Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Health
Dr. Steven Branstetter’s research interests include youth tobacco use; tobacco cessation; and the influence of family, peers, and social context in adolescent behavior. He shares a joint appointment with Penn State College of Medicine, working in the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute. He received a B.A. in psychology and sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an M.A. in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado Denver, and a Ph.D. in child clinical psychology from the University of Denver.
