INFORMATION FOR
Dr. Barbara Andrew is the Dean of the Honors College at William Paterson University, a role in which she is dedicated to fostering academic research, intellectual curiosity, creative expression and community engagement among high-achieving students. With a passion for creating transformative educational experiences, Dr. Andrew leads the Honors College in offering rigorous academic programs, interdisciplinary opportunities, and a supportive environment that challenges students to excel academically and to be empowered to make a meaningful impact on their communities and the world.
Under Dr. Andrew’s leadership, the Honors College at William Paterson University has seen significant growth, with enhanced programs that provide students with unique opportunities for research, leadership, and service. She is committed to preparing students for the challenges of the modern world, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and civic responsibility.
Currently, Dr. Andrew also serves as the Academic Affairs Fellow for Student Success. coordinating the What Works for Student Success Conference, in addition to helping with other retention and persistence initiatives.
Before joining the Honors College, Dr. Andrew had an extensive career in higher education, with a focus on student success, curriculum development, and interdisciplinary studies. She served previously as Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Liberal Studies at William Paterson and has held a variety of leadership roles in academic associations. Her leadership style emphasizes collaboration, mentorship, and the cultivation of a student-centered academic culture.
Dr. Andrew earned her Ph.D. in Philosophy at Stony Brook University and has an academic background that includes both teaching and research in feminist philosophy, ethics, social and political philosophy, and existentialism.
Jan Pinkston is committed to helping students achieve their academic and personal goals. In addition to teaching Honors 1010 courses, she serves as a mentor to students who are facing various challenges throughout their academic career. Jan is responsible for planning and coordinating Honors civic engagement opportunities, including the annual Honors College Coat Drive, and large-scale events such as an annual University-wide awards ceremony and various events showcasing student research. Throughout her career at WP, Jan has contributed a signifigant amount of service to the University including serving over ten years on the Executive Board of AFT Local 1796, and as a member of various Senate and University-wide committees. She currently serves as the Honors SGA Club advisor, and as a member of the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Expression Senate Council and a member of the University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Jan was appointed to Honors at William Paterson in January, 2000. She has an M.A. in English from William Paterson University and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Illinois.
Ashanti Jones, MSW is a passionate advocate for education and social justice, whose journey has been deeply intertwined with William Paterson University (WPUNJ). Ashanti graduated from WPUNJ in 2015, where she found her calling in psychology and Africana World Studies. Since then, she has been committed to fostering education excellence both within and beyond the classroom. She obtained her master's degree in 2018 and In 2021, Ashanti returned to WPUNJ, this time as an adjunct professor in the community and social justice studies program. With her firsthand experience as a student and her dedication to empowering others, Ashanti strives to create an inclusive and dynamic learning environment where students can thrive and realize their full potential. A lifelong learner, she is currently pursuing her Ph.D., driven by her passion for research and her desire to make a lasting impact in her field.
Joining the William Paterson Honors College staff in Spring 2024, Hannah Comia is an academic support coach, helping students reach and maintain their Honors goals and commitments. As a pianist and coach, she works with the WP Chamber Choir, Opera Workshop, Musical Theatre Ensemble, and Voxtet. She also teaches piano minor students and coaches vocal students. Recently, she became the Piano Coordinator for the Music Mentors Program at WP. She has an M.M. in Piano Performance from Syracuse University and a B.M. in Piano Performance from William Paterson University. While at Syracuse University, she worked with the Graduate School, training other Teaching Assistants and helping with programming for the school.
Honors College Office Assistants
Track Directors
Dr. David Gilley (Interim Biology Track Director), Professor in the Department of Biology, joined the William Paterson faculty in 2006. He earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Neurobiology & Behavior at Cornell University, and was a Research Fellow at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Tucson, Arizona before coming to WPU. His current research focuses on honey bee foraging behavior, particularly how colony-level behavior is shaped by interactions among individuals and how both may be impacted by climate change.
Dr. John Malindretos has had a diverse background in the areas of academia, entrepreneurship and industry. He has taught at St. John’s and Rutgers universities in addition to WP. At former universities, he developed an internship program in which he placed numerous students with permanent employment. He has been nominated for excellence in instruction and research. He has over one hundred presentations in Finance, Accounting and Management. Additionally, he has published more than one hundred book chapters and refereed journal articles. Moreover, he has co-authored a monograph in International Finance. Dr. Malindretos was instrumental in bringing scholarly journals to the Cotsakos College of Business. The first was entitled The International Journal of Finance of which he was the Co-editor. The second is the Journal of Business in Developing Nations of which he is the editor in chief. Dr. Malindretos managed and owned a real estate firm for about 15 years. He has consulted for commercial banks and investment banks. He has had a career in Wall Street that spans a dozen years. He associated himself with a few firms, the most notable of which was Salomon Smith Barney. He founded and managed an investment bank as the Chairman of the board of directors.
Dr. Diamond is a licensed neuropsychologist (NJ) specializing in clinical neuropsychological assessment and neurorehabilitation. His research focuses on the neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience of memory, executive function, attention/concentration, information processing and mood/anxiety using standardized, computer-based and brain imaging/autonomic measures in healthy and in clinical populations. A practicing clinician, he has published extensively and presented at numerous national and international conferences.
Dr. Learmonth is a developmental psychologist with a research focus on the development of memory and spatial ability. Most of her research is with infants and young children, using techniques such as deferred imitation and search tasks (both real world and virtual) to examine the changes in memory and spatial ability over the first six years. Her specific research is currently on the development of long-term memory in infants and the use of landmarks and geometric features in spatial memory and navigation. She is also currently working on a project that will look at early spatial competence and memory binding as a window into infantile amnesia. Recent publications by Dr. Learmonth have appeared in Developmental Psychobiology, Psychological Science, Memory and Cognition, and the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology.
Dr. Christopher Dylan Herbert is an Associate Professor at William Paterson University. He teaches one-on-one voice lessons, teaches Music History, advises students, manages and coordinates the Vocal Program, directs Opera Workshop, and is the Music Honors Track Director. He holds a B.A. in Music from Yale University, an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University, and D.M.A. in Voice from The Juilliard School. He was the baritone in the critically acclaimed ensemble New York Polyphony from 2010 to 2020. His is current research focus is on the music of the eighteenth-century Ephrata Cloister of Pennsylvania. www.christopherdylanherbert.com
Dr. Martha Witt, Professor of Creative Writing and English, is a novelist, essayist, translator, and short story writer. Her work has appeared in numerous national and international journals. Her novel, Broken as Things Are (Holt, 2004; Picador, 2005), and her several book translations from Italian have met with critical praise. With an MA from Johns Hopkins University’s Writing Seminars, an MFA from New York University, and an EdD from Teacher’s College, Columbia University, Professor Witt is interested in helping students discover and pursue their creative interests.
Dr. Danielle Wallace holds a B.A. in Black Studies from the State University of New York College at New Paltz, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in African American Studies from Temple University. Dr. Wallace’s research interests include Black families, gender and sexual politics, and the socio-political roots of Africana Studies. Her current scholarship and publications center on Black student activism and Black male/female relationships, especially the dating, marriage and mate selection ideals of Black men and women.
Dr. K. Molly O’Donnell is a modern German historian with broad teaching areas in European social history, women’s history, and the history of imperialism. Her courses train students to trace their family histories, research the everyday lives of ordinary people in the past, use role-playing, literature, and information technology to examine the past, and explore the intersections of class, race, and gender. Her research explores the impacts of German women’s colonization in Southwest Africa through the Nazi era, particularly on interracial rumors, gossip, and violence.
Dr. Marianne Sullivan is Professor of Public Health. She is the author of Tainted Earth: Smelters, Public Health and the Environment, Rutgers University Press (2014). Her recent articles concern environmental justice, childhood lead exposure, community research partnerships, and environmental data and governance.
