Faculty & Staff

Faculty

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Dr. Matthew Crawford, Chair

Associate Professor

Office: 339C Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4940
Email:
mjcrawford@frostburg.edu

Research Interests:
  • Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis and Analysis Using Natural and Unnatural Amino Acids
  • Local Honey Analysis
  • Developing Safer Methods to Determine Lead Content in Paint Using Microwave Digestion
  • Soil and Water Analysis.
  • Additional Information
    Bio
    Dr. Crawford is an FSU alum that rejoined his alma mater in 2011 after earning his Ph. D. at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. He is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and is the current chair of the Department of Chemistry & Physics. His primary research interests include organic chemistry, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, as well as chemical education for grades K-12. He was the 2014 recipient of the Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award. Dr. Crawford is a member and current treasurer of the FSU Phi Kappa Phi (Honor society). He serves as the FSU advisor of the Chemistry Honor Society (Gamma Sigma Epsilon) and Co-Advisor for FSU Pre-Medical Society. In addition, he serves as a member of the FSU Health Professions Advisory Committee that helps to guide/advise students pursuing an advanced degree and career in the medical field.

    He and his wife Michelle are proud parents of five children: Charlotte, Preston, Henry, Katie, and Marceline. They are avid Disney fans and enjoy traveling as often as they can. Both Dr. Crawford and his wife successfully completed their first Run Disney Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, half and full marathons) in 2022 and are training for a second challenge for 2024.
    Degrees

    Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University
    B.S., Frostburg State University


 

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Dr. Holly Currie

Associate Professor, Director Center for Teaching Excellence

Office: 347 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4359
Email: hncurrie@frostburg.edu

Research Interests:
  • Detection of pharmaceutical compounds in milk
  • Additional Information
    Degrees:

    Ph.D. West Virginia University, 2014
    B.S. California University of Pennsylvania, 2008


 

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Dr. Hang Deng-Luzader

Professor

Office: 245 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4385
Email: hluzader@frostburg.edu

Teaching Interests:
  • Quantum physics, modern physics, particle physics. Specific interest and experience in college preparation and secondary school science
  • Additional Information
    Degrees:

    Ph.D., University of Maryland, college Park
    M.S., Northeastern University
    B.S., Beijing Teachers College


 

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Dr. Katie Gares

Lecturer

Office: 339B Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.3020
Email: klgares@frostburg.edu

 


 

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Dr. Robert Larivee

Professor

Office: 351A Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4091
Email: rlarivee@frostburg.edu

Research Interests:
  • Supercritical carbon dioxide to extract natural gas from Marcellus Shale
  • Chemometric analysis of gas chromatography including retention time prediction and trace component elution
  • Gold nanoparticles as delivery devices
  • Additional Information
    Bio

    Dr. Larivee is a professor of analytical chemistry. He obtained his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Rhode Island College in 1976. He was commission a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1976 and served as an Airborne Ranger in the Infantry until 1981. After working in industry for a few years he continued his education obtaining his graduate degree working under Steve Brown with a specialty in Chemometrics from University of Delaware in 1989. After graduation he obtained a teaching position at Frostburg State University Department of Chemistry. Dr. Larivee’s specialties include environmental chemistry, chemometrics, chemical instrumentation, and chemical education, especially training elementary and middle school teachers in the physical sciences. He is currently the Chair of the Chemistry Department and the Chemical Hygiene Officer.

    Degrees:

    Ph.D., University of Delaware
    B.A., Rhode Island College


 

Dr. John Lynch

Lecturer

Office: 123A Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.3166
Email: jjlynch@frostburg.edu

Teaching Interests:
  • Dynamics, electronics, first-year engineering
  • Additional Information
    Degrees:

    Ph.D., University of Colorado
    M.S., University of Colorado
    B.S., Tufts University


 

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Dr. Fayan Meng

Lecturer

Office: 345 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4157
Email: fmeng@frostburg.edu

 

  • Additional Information
    Degrees:

    Ph.D., Guangxi University
    M.S., Guangxi Normal University
    B.S., Guangxi Normal University

     


 

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Dr. Eric Moore

Professor

Office: 122 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4500
Email: ejmoore@frostburg.edu

Teaching Interests:
  • Introductory physics, senior research and seminar
Research Interests:
  • Physics education, materials characterization and performance
  • Additional Information
    Degrees:

    Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    M.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    B.S., Frostburg State University


 

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Dr. Benjamin Norris

Professor, Master of Environmental Management in Sustainability Coordinator

Office: 309 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4157
Email: bnnorris@frostburg.edu

Research Interests:
  • Development of biorenewable alternatives to petrochemicals
  • Conjugated small molecule chemosensors
  • Application of data analytics to student success and retention
  • Additional Information
    Bio

    Dr. Benjamin Norris graduated with honors from Frostburg State University with a B.S. in Chemistry (minor in Mathematics) in May 2004. As a student at Frostburg, Dr. Norris received the prestigious Regent’s Scholarship, was president of the Student Members of the American Chemical Society, and received the Class of ’59 Leadership Award.

    Dr. Norris pursued graduate studies in Organic and Polymer Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh from Fall 2004 through Summer 2010. He defended his thesis in January 2011, and received his Ph.D. in May 2011. His research included studies toward the development of new palladium-catalyzed multicomponent coupling reactions and the synthesis of sequenced phenylene-vinylene oligomers and copolymers. His development of a new strategy for the iterative synthesis of oligo(para-phenylene-vinylene)s using olefin metathesis has been published in Organic Letters. His study of the relationship between sequence and optoelectronic properties of oligo(para-phenylene-vinylene)s has been published in Macromolecules. While a graduate student at Pitt, Dr. Norris was a Teaching Fellow and received the Hurd Safford Teaching Award.

    Dr. Norris returned to his alma mater as an Instructor of Chemistry in Fall 2010. He was promoted to Assistant Professor in Fall 2011 and to Associate Professor in 2016. He won the FSU Faculty Achievement Award for University and Community Service in 2015. Dr. Norris also holds a Microsoft professional program certification in data science. Dr. Norris served FSU as Chair of the Faculty from 2017 to 2021 and Interim Associate Provost from 2021 to 2023. He is active in NACADA (the Global Community for Academic Advising), serving on the editorial board of the  NACADA Journal, the advisory board for the NACADA Assessment Institute, and the steering committee for the Faculty Advising Community. Dr. Norris was recognized as a NACADA Emerging Leader in 2022. 

    Degrees

    Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
    B.S., Frostburg State University


 

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Dr. Frederick Senese

Professor

Office: 354 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4153
Email: fsenese@frostburg.edu

Research Interests:
  • Applications of artificial intelligence in chemical education
  • Development of web-based narratives and construction kits for chemical education
  • Remote control and access of instrumentation
  • Environmental chemical analysis applied to problems in ethnobotany
  • Additional Information
    Degrees:

    Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
    B.S., The Pennsylvania State University

     


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Dr. Jerald Simon

Associate Professor

Office: 349 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4155
Email: jsimon@frostburg.edu

  • Additional Information
    Degrees:

    Ph.D., University of California
    B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

     


 

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Dr. Jason Speights

Associate Professor, Director of Multimedia Learning Center

Office: 189-D Gira CCIT
Phone: 301.687.4339
Email: jcspeights@frostburg.edu

Teaching Interests:
  • Theoretical Physics; Computational Physics; Astrophysics; Modern Physics; Introductory Physics
Research Interests:
  • Galactic Dynamics and Evolution; Parameter Estimation; Data Analysis; Instrumentation; Multi-wavelength Astronomy

 

Staff 

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Ms. Hayley Baer

Academic Laboratory Manager, Chemistry

Office: 357 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.3131
Email: hbbaer@frostburg.edu


 

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Ms. Crystal Frantz

Administrative Assistant II

Office: 338 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.3458
Email: cafrantz@frostburg.edu

 


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Mr. Duane Miller

Sr. Academic Lab Manager, Physics

Office: 107 Compton Science Center
Phone: 301.687.4156
Email: dmiller@frostburg.edu

 


Emeriti Faculty


  • Dr. Peggy Biser
  • Dr. Robert Doyle
  • Dr. Joseph Hoffman
  • Dr. Paul Hunt
  • Dr. Gregory P. Latta
  • Dr. Stephen Luzader
  • Dr. James Martin
  • Dr. Mary Mumper
  • Mr. Francis Tam
  • Dr. Don Weser