Faculty & Staff
Staff
Art Amann, Ed.D., director of the Public Safety Institute, holds a doctorate in higher education leadership and a master's degree in criminal justice. He is the former warden and chief adult probation/parole officer for Erie County, and is the chairperson for the Courts and Corrections Subcommittee under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency. In addition to his work with the PSI, Dr. Amann is a faculty member in the Mercyhurst College criminal justice program.
Phone: (814) 725-6230
E-mail: aamann@mercyhurst.edu
Bill Hale, project administrator for the PSI, holds a master's degree in administration of justice from Mercyhurst College and an M.B.A from the University of Phoenix. A retired Millcreek Township police officer, Mr. Hale has also worked as a consultant in the area of intelligence analysis and policy assessment for various federal, state and local criminal justice agencies. He is a member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Planners and the Police Futurists International. His responsibilities with PSI include curriculum development and providing technical support to area agencies.
Phone: (814) 725-6137
E-mail: whale@mercyhurst.edu
David Rockwell, manager, Northwest PA Emergency Response Group
Phone: (814) 725-6382
E-mail: drockwell@mercyhurst.edu
Shirley Williams, project administrator for the PSI, received her master's degree in the administration of justice and a bachelor's in criminal justice-corrections/sociology from Mercyhurst. She is involved with community wellness programs such as Safenet Domestic Violence, DWI Awareness, and Terrorism Awareness & Prevention. Her role with PSI includes the administration and management of educational programs, media relations, and the annual Mercyhurst College Kinnane Criminal Justice Conference.
Phone: (814) 725-6106
E-mail: swilliams@mercyhurst.edu
John Villa, logistics coordinator for the PSI, is a retired United States Navy cryptologist and an active member of Neighborhood Watch. His responsibilities include scheduling and facilitating all activities generated through PSI and the Center, as well as fiscal/budgetary reports.
Phone: (814) 725-6240
E-mail: jvilla@mercyhurst.edu
Faculty
Edward T. Brennan, director of the Mercyhurst North East criminal justice program, and instructor of sociology and criminal justice, earned his master's in counseling and bachelor's in political science at Gannon University. He spent over 31 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections as a superintendent and has extensive experience in all aspects of corrections, including community corrections and institutional design. He is involved in criminal justice research as well as consulting with governmental agencies on corrections issues and has taught at numerous colleges and universities.
Phone: (814) 725-6230
E-mail: ebrennan@mercyhurst.edu
Steve Szwejbka, instructor of criminal justice at MNE, received his master's degree from Mercyhurst College and his bachelor's degree from Buffalo State. He worked as a police officer for 21 years before joining Mercyhurst.
Phone: (814) 725-6122
E-mail: sszwejbka@mercyhurst.edu
Pete Yaksick, D.Ed., an instructor in criminal justice and sociology at MNE, earned his doctorate in urban education from Morgan State University and his master's and bachelor's, both in political science, from Edinboro University. Prior to joining Mercyhurst, Dr. Yaksick worked as a broadcast journalist, primarily working in crime and investigative reporting at various stations throughout Pennsylvania, and also anchored a nightly newscast with WSEE-TV in Erie. Dr. Yaksick serves as president of the MNE Faculty Senate.
Phone: (814) 725-6397
E-mail: pyaksick@mercyhurst.edu