Master of Science in Human Resource Development Faculty & Staff
All Human Resource Development courses are taught by Villanova University’s acclaimed graduate program faculty, who bring real-world expertise into the online classroom – thereby bridging the gap between academic theory and practical applications. These noted experts don’t just know HR, they helped set the standards by contributing to the Body of Knowledge content for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM®) and other leading organizations.
Villanova’s instructors are actively involved with leading industry organizations, including: SHRM Area I Board of Directors; SHRM Workplace Health, Safety and Security Committee; SHRM local chapters; Advisor for Villanova’s award-winning SHRM Student Chapter; Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP); Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists; and the American Psychological Association. They are also widely published, with articles featured in the Journal of Business and Psychology, Journal of Systems Software and International Business Schools Computer Users Group Quarterly; a chapter in SHRM’s HR Strategies for the New Millennium; and A Guide to Successful Business Relations with the Chinese.
Rene Beauregard | Keith Black | David Bush | Lawrence Cozzens | Kenni Crane | Ken DeCarlo | Angela Francesco | John Garber | James Kane | Ginamarie Ligon | Diane Lirio | Megan Mulka | Angela Nader | James O’Keefe | Robert Stokes | Terry Welford
Rene Beauregard, Jr., MS – Mr. Beauregard is a Partner with Meridian Consulting, LLC. He has 15 years of experience leading business transformation, enterprise resource planning (ERP), IT strategy and organizational change management projects. Mr. Beauregard has directed major business transformation projects for clients such as Prudential, Honeywell, Northrop Grumann and Lucent Technologies, and he worked with the world’s top ERP vendor – SAP – to integrate Meridian’s organizational change methodology into the Accelerated SAP methodology. Prior to joining Meridian, he was an Associate Consultant at A.T. Kearny, one of the first North American HR Applications Consultants at SAP and a Compensation Analyst at British Aerospace.
Mr. Beauregard received his Master of Human Organization Science in Human Resource Development from Villanova University and earned a BS from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
Keith Black, JD – Mr. Black is Vice President of Human Capital at Aon Consulting, where he focuses on creating a “Respectful Workplace” platform through education, communication and treatment of employees. His areas of specialization include employment practices training, workplace dispute mediation, workplace investigations, human resources compliance, and labor and employment law. Mr. Black’s previous roles include Vice President of Human Resources and General Counsel at DecisionOne Corporation, Vice President at Counsel Consulting Group LLC, and National Sales Employment Practices Leader and Human Resources Director at AstraZeneca.
Mr. Black earned his JD from Villanova University Law School and BA in Labor and Industrial Relations from Penn State University. He is a certified workplace dispute mediator, and is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and California.
David Bush, PhD – Dr. Bush is the founding Director of Villanova University’s Master of Science in Human Resource Development program. He also serves as a Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Development at Villanova, and his professional and academic specialization involves developing HR metrics for evaluating talent and performance. A respected teacher, researcher, consultant and speaker, Dr. Bush has 30 years of experience working with change management in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and chemicals to manufacturing and transportation. He recently published the Handbook of HR Metrics and has co-authored a volume on healthcare communication and quality. He has written approximately 100 articles for various research and professional publications, and previously served as Associate Editor for the Journal of Systems Improvement.
Dr. Bush holds a PhD in Psychology from Purdue University, an MA in Psychology from the University of Wyoming and a BA in Math and Psychology from the University of South Florida. He has also earned certificates in Human Resources and Project Management from Villanova University and a Divinity Leadership Academy Certificate from the Pennsylvania State University – Great Valley Graduate Center. He was certified by the Goldratt Institute as an Academic Jonah in the Theory of Constraints.
Lawrence Cozzens, PhD – Dr. Cozzens is an experienced learning and organization development professional with expertise in online learning. He is adept at building learning communities and teams, facilitating group interactions and delivering engaging lectures both in person and online. Dr. Cozzens has served in a variety of roles throughout his career, including Performance Consultant and Regional Training Manager at McKesson, Organization Development Consultant at SAP, Organization Development Manager at SmithKline Beecham, Account Manager at Zenger-Miller and HR Generalist at CIGNA.
Dr. Cozzens earned his PhD in Human and Organization Development from Fielding Graduate University. He also has an MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University and a BS in Business Administration from Drexel University.
Kenni Crane, PhD – Dr. Krane is an Organization and Leadership Development Consultant with extensive expertise in change-oriented initiatives as well as leadership and team development. She has experience across a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, financial services, manufacturing and nonprofit. In addition to her role as an instructor for Villanova University, Dr. Krane is on the faculty of West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University in Dubai. Her past employment includes Adjunct Associate Professor at Drexel University and Director of Organizational Development at CIGNA.
Dr. Krane holds a PhD in Psychological Studies from Temple University as well as an MS in Counseling and Human Relations and an MS in Experimental Psychology from Villanova University.
Ken DeCarlo, MS – As Vice President of Project Staffing at DoubleStar, Mr. DeCarlo is responsible for the company’s project recruitment and outsourcing services, and has designed and led recruitment project teams for such clients as Siemens Medical Solutions, SAP, GlaxoSmithKline and Pepco Holdings Inc. He has 20 years of experience in recruitment, staffing management and human resources. Prior to joining DoubleStar, Mr. DeCarlo served as HR Director at chocolate and confectionary conglomerate Mars and HR Director at investment management company The Vanguard Group, helping both industry leaders to achieve aggressive long-term growth goals. He began his career as an HR Generalist with First Fidelity Bank.
Mr. DeCarlo earned MS degrees in Human Resource Management and Psychology from Villanova University and a BS in Psychology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania.
Angela Francesco, JD – Ms. Francesco is a teacher and consultant with extensive experience in human resource management. In addition to leading certificate and degree courses at Villanova University, she is a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton business school. Ms. Francesco was previously employed as Vice President of Human Resources for a pharmaceutical company, where she created and implemented HR strategy for the organization’s research and development operations in the U.S., U.K. and France. She also served as Vice President of Human Resources for the nonprofit MCP Hahnemann University, where she was responsible for recruiting, policy development, employee relations, and training and development.
Ms. Francesco received her JD from Temple University School of Law and earned her bachelor’s degree from Villanova University. She is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania.
John Garber, MS, SPHR®, CSP – Mr. Garber is Vice President at The Addis Group, LLC, where he specializes in enterprise risk management services across a variety of industry sectors. His previous roles include President of Garber & Associates and Vice President of Garno & Addis. Mr. Garber’s experience includes developing employment and safety manuals and risk-management procedures; conducting risk assessments for HR/employment practices; assisting clients with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections; and developing and implementing crisis and emergency management plans. He has published numerous articles and is a contributing author to the Employment Labor Law Audit (ELLA).
Mr. Garber holds an MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University, an MS in Training and Organization Development from Saint Joseph’s University, and a BS in Occupational Health and Safety from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. His certifications include Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR®) and Certified Safety Professional (CSP), and he is a licensed insurance provider in five states.
James Kane, Jr., MS, SPHR® – Mr. Kane serves as Director of Continuing Studies for Villanova University and is an instructor for the university’s ground-based HR certification program. He is dedicated to helping professionals obtain the tools they need to enhance their skills and increase their success through continuing education and certification programs. Mr. Kane was previously Associate Director of Human Resources for Villanova University, a position he held for more than 13 years.
Mr. Kane earned both his MS in Human Resource Development and BA in Political Science from Villanova University. He is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR®).
Ginamarie Ligon, PhD – In addition to her role as Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Graduate Program in Human Resource Development at Villanova University, Dr. Ligon serves as Director of Performance Consulting: Psychological Associates. Her primary area of research is in aptitude treatment interaction, focusing on how organizational interventions can impact individuals’ knowledge, skills, abilities and personality characteristics. Dr. Ligon’s professional interests include the management of innovation as well as the development and early identification of ethical and destructive leadership. As an industrial and organizational researcher, she leads applied projects in creativity, leadership, integrity and workplace climate. She previously worked as a research assistant at the University of Oklahoma.
Dr. Ligon holds a PhD and an MS from the University of Oklahoma as well as a BS from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
Diane Lirio, MS – Ms. Lirio is Principal, Human Resources at Vanguard. Her previous employment includes Manager of Compensation and HRIS at QVC, Compensation Analyst at Albert Einstein Medical Center and Compensation Analyst at Atlantic Financial.
Ms. Lirio holds an MS in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University.
Megan Mulka, MS – Ms. Mulka is an HR Central Information Services Consultant at Pfizer. She previously served as Manager of Executive Development Programs at AMETEK and HR Specialist at Towers Perrin.
Ms. Mulka received her MS in Human Resource Development from Villanova University and her BS in Management Science and Information Systems from Pennsylvania State University.
Angela Nader, MS – Ms. Nader is an organizational development consultant and executive coach with more than 18 years of experience in organizational development, training and human resource management. She is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Aspire Career Network, LLC, which offers a suite of personalized tools designed for the recruiting, outplacement and career management fields. Ms. Nader was previously Managing Partner at BGH Executive Coaching/Consulting and served as Human Resource Manager, Organizational Development Manager and Consultant at Ocean Spray Cranberries. Her clients have included WhiteWave Foods, InformaTraining Partners, The Walters Group, Johnson & Johnson and Progresso/General Mills, among others.
Ms. Nader holds an MS in Human Organizational Science/Human Resource Development from Villanova University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Business Administration from Muhlenberg College. She received coach training through The Coaches Institute (CTI) in San Rafael, California.
James O’Keefe, MS – Mr. O’Keefe’s professional career includes both military and corporate experience. During his 26-year tenure with the U.S Navy, he held a number of leadership positions – which subsequently prepared him for executive roles in private industry. Mr. O’Keefe served with distinction in Vietnam and in Operation Desert Storm. Upon retiring from the Navy, he was hired by SAP as a Human Resource and Sales and Distribution Application Consultant. Mr. O’Keefe has 18 years of direct SAP implementation, training, consulting and sales experience with senior project management responsibility, and he has worked on many successful multi-national SAP implementations. He co-authored two popular books on SAP implementation and integration, and has written and taught SAP HR courses for several large corporations.
Mr. O’Keefe holds an MS in General Management from Salve Regina University, an MA equivalent in International Affairs from the Naval War College and a BS in English from the United States Naval Academy.
Robert D. Stokes, Ed.D – Dr. Stokes is the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Villanova University, where he also teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in Public Administration, Psychology and Education. In addition to his work at Villanova, he has taught online courses and trained faculty in teaching online at institutions such as the University of Richmond, Hofstra University, Fairfield University and Broward Community College. He has published training materials for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM®) and American Payroll Association, and has been recognized by both SHRM and the American Management Association.
Dr. Stokes received his EdD from Indiana University, his master’s degree from the University of Vermont and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond.
Terry Welford, MA – Ms. Welford has more than 25 years of experience in training and development, and currently serves as President of The Welford Group. An accomplished training designer and facilitator, she has led training efforts for a number of Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Welford’s previous roles include Manager of Employee Relations at GlaxoSmithKline, Human Resources Administrator at Air Products and Management Development Specialist at Philip Morris. She is a member of the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, Greater Valley Forge Human Resources Association, Philadelphia Area Coaches Alliance and National Association of Women Business Owners.
Ms. Welford holds an MA in Industrial Relations from Cornell University and a BA in Political Science from Hofstra University. She is a Certified Training Director (Langevin Learning Services), a certified facilitator for AchieveGlobal and BlessingWhite, and a certified Myers-Briggs practitioner.