51ºÚÁÏ

51ºÚÁÏ recognized faculty members during a promotion and tenure ceremony held on April 20, 2023. 

Thomas A. Brettell, Ph.D., Department of Chemical, Physical & Forensic Sciences, was promoted to Professor Emeritus, effective upon his retirement after the 2022-2023 academic year.  

Since joining 51ºÚÁÏ in 2006, Brettell has taught undergraduate and graduate forensic chemistry, separations, and analytical chemistry courses. For the last three years, he has served as chair of the Department of Chemical, Physical & Forensic Sciences. Prior to coming to Cedar Crest, Brettell served for 31 years in the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences, where, as Director, he oversaw the operation of the state’s regional forensic laboratory system. Brettell has served on eight different standing faculty committees at Cedar Crest and served as advisor for Alpha Epsilon Kappa for over ten years. A well-respected subject matter expert in the areas of analytical chemistry, forensic drug chemistry, and toxicology, Brettell has been active in leadership positions in national and international forensic science professional organizations, and has served on the editorial boards of several peer-reviewed journals. 

Catherine M. Zurawski, DNP, CRNP, FNP-C, Director of Graduate Nursing Programs, was awarded tenure. 

Zurawski joined 51ºÚÁÏ School of Nursing in the fall of 2019 as the Director of Graduate Nursing Programs. She has taught nursing students from LPN through DNP levels, and never tires of witnessing the moments of transition from apprehensive student to competent caregiver. Highlights of her time at 51ºÚÁÏ include work on four grants from the PA Department of Health to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes, COVID testing with NP students at homeless shelters during the height of the pandemic, leading the first cohorts of Nurse Practitioner students to program completion, and guiding the College’s first DNP students through completion of their scholarly projects. 

Roxann E. Wagner, MSN, School of Nursing, was promoted to Senior Instructor 

Born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, Wagner attended Northampton Community College and obtained her Practical Nurse License. She provided compassionate care to the elderly population until she returned to nursing school in 2004. Wagner’s dream was to attend and graduate from the 51ºÚÁÏ Nursing program, which she achieved when she completed her bachelor’s in nursing at Cedar Crest in 2005. She then served the women and children’s population in several capacities until she returned to her alma mater to earn her MSN with a specialty in women and children’s health. Wagner served as an educator for the LVHN Reilly’s Children’s Hospital until January 2016, when she was offered the opportunity to teach at her alma mater. She is honored to be able to give back to the students at 51ºÚÁÏ School of Nursing the exceptional rigorous education that made her the educator she is today. 

Carol J. Ritter, MS, Department of Chemical, Physical & Forensic Sciences, was promoted to Senior Instructor 

Ritter has served as a full-time instructor in the Department of Chemical, Physical & Forensic Sciences since 2016 and previously as a half-time instructor from 2003-2009. Ritter previously worked as a forensic scientist with the Pennsylvania State Police Crime Laboratory analyzing evidence for the controlled substance section. She was even involved with a few drug cartel cases that required armed guards around the lab while analysis took place! After two years, Ritter decided she wanted to utilize her biochemistry degrees and work in the serology section, analyzing sexual assaults and violent crimes, where she continued for 18 years. She now teaches in the forensic science and crime science master’s programs where she is a female version of Dexter, minus the serial killer part.  

Congratulations to all! 

To learn more about the faculty members recognized at the ceremony, please visit the academic department websites.