McDaniel College announces new faculty and promotions

Crystal Barchacky is assistant professor of Occupational Therapy.

A certified occupational therapist, Barchacky specializes in treating infants and children. Her expertise includes pediatric mental health and trauma-informed care. 

Barchacky previously served as assistant professor of Occupational Therapy at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. She has also held academic positions at Winston Salem State University in Winston Salem, North Carolina, and Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

She has experience as an early intervention occupational therapist, including with Washington County Public Schools in Maryland, and as a pediatric occupational therapist, most recently with Little Communicators in Loudoun County, Virginia.

A graduate of Methodist University, Barchacky earned a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. She obtained a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Winston Salem State University and holds a Doctor of Occupational Therapy with a concentration in mental health from Bay Path University in Massachusetts. 

Barchacky is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Maryland Occupational Therapy Association, and World Federation of Occupational Therapists. She is the author of several journal articles and has been invited to speak at professional conferences.

Hollis A. Caswell, DNP, RN, RNC-NIC, CHSE, CNE, has joined the college as assistant professor of Nursing and simulation coordinator for the McDaniel College Kahlert Nursing Education Center. 

Caswell served as assistant professor of Nursing and nursing simulation coordinator at Hood College, where she developed and revised nursing curricula to align with accreditation standards, integrated evidence-based simulation experiences throughout the program, and mentored undergraduate nursing students. She also served as faculty advisor for the Nursing Club and Hood’s chapter of the National Student Nurses Association. Previously, Caswell was a nursing simulation faculty member at Stevenson University. She said that throughout her academic career, she has been committed to advancing experiential learning and preparing future nurses through innovative teaching, simulation, and interprofessional education.

As a nursing educator and clinician with expertise in neonatal and pediatric intensive care, Caswell maintains an active registered nurse license from the Maryland Board of Nursing and holds national certification in neonatal intensive care nursing. Before transitioning to academia, she practiced as a neonatal intensive care nurse at Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Medical Center and later served as both a neonatal intensive care nurse and education coordinator for pediatric medicine intensive care at Boston Children’s Hospital. 

Caswell is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) and an emerging leader in healthcare simulation and nursing education. She was selected to participate in the National League for Nursing (NLN) Simulation LEAD Program, a highly competitive leadership development initiative designed to prepare emerging simulation leaders to advance excellence and innovation in nursing education through mentorship, scholarship, and professional leadership.

She earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Educational Leadership from Chamberlain University in Chicago, a Master of Science in Nursing from Stony Brook University in New York, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. 

Caswell is actively involved in numerous professional organizations, including the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation (INACSL), National League of Nursing (NLN), Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), American Nurses Association (ANA), Maryland Nurses Association (MNA), Maryland Clinical Simulation Resource Consortium Advisory Board, and the Maryland Community and College Simulation Users Network. 

Hillary D. Cooper has joined the faculty in the college’s new Speech-Language Pathology program.

Cooper is a medical speech-language pathologist with expertise in evaluating and treating patients with swallowing difficulties. She began her career in an outpatient private practice, serving active-duty military personnel, their dependents, and retired servicemembers. She later worked in long-term care facilities, acute care, and home health before starting her own private practice in 2016. In 2018, she founded North Louisiana Swallow Solutions, a mobile provider of flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).

In 2019, Cooper co-founded the Dysphagia Outreach Project, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting individuals with swallowing difficulties by providing education, supplies, and resources. She is a frequent guest lecturer, podcast guest, and produces dysphagia content for www.dysphagiaoutreach.org/shop and www.dysphagiainformedconsent.com. An article she authored, “Bold Solutions to Shortages of Dysphagia Services,” was published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in the July 2026 issue of The ASHA Leader news magazine.

She is a recipient of multiple Awards for Continuing Education (ACE) from ASHA, including the Presidential Impact Award in 2025. She also was awarded a meritorious poster submission for her health equity research at the 2025 ASHA convention, which earned her a research career development award and grant from the Dysphagia Research Society, where she also serves as a member.  

Cooper began teaching in the Speech-Language Pathology program at the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2020. She has served as a board member of the Louisiana Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Council of State Association Presidents.

A graduate of the University of Houston, Cooper earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Communication Disorders. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Learning and Organizational Change from Baylor University, where she has been nominated for Baylor’s Outstanding Graduate Research Award for her health equity work and dissertation titled “Barriers and Facilitators to Shared Decision-Making for Modified Diets by Speech-Language Pathologists in U.S. Nursing Facilities: A Multiple Case Study.”

Anna Grasso has joined McDaniel as associate professor of Occupational Therapy.

Grasso most recently served as an associate clinical professor and academic fieldwork coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Drexel University, formerly Salus University. In this role, she was primarily responsible for arranging all clinical placements for occupational therapy students.  

She previously taught as an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Ithaca College, where she graduated with both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She also earned a post-professional clinical doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Temple University. 

Grasso has experience as an occupational therapist working in both pediatric and adult settings. She currently works in community-based practice, focusing on supporting the ability of older adults to age in place through home safety and fall prevention education and recommendations. 

She has also provided occupational therapy services at the University of Maryland Medical Center, University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute, Sinai Hospital, and Kennedy Krieger High School in Baltimore, as well as the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, and The Center for Discovery in Harris, New York.

A member of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Grasso has had articles published in peer-reviewed journals and professional publications. She has also presented at conferences throughout the United States.

Amani Hagmagid joins McDaniel as an assistant professor of Cinema.

An independent filmmaker, Hagmagid has worked in production and casting for numerous television and feature film projects, including Apple TV’s “Swagger” and “The Pirate King.”

She also has experience as a director, producer, and screenwriter. 

Her short films include “She’s Gone” about a young woman struggling with controlling her social anxiety on the day of her sister’s wedding, which premiered at the 2025 Dayton Black Women’s Film Festival. She is currently finishing her latest film, “I Need You to Hear Me, But I Can't Speak,” which looks at what estrangement can look like through the lens of a Muslim convert, her daughter, and her mother."

Hagmagid earned a Master of Fine Arts from American University, concentrating in fiction filmmaking, and a bachelor’s degree in Cinema from Virginia Commonwealth University with minors in History and Creative Writing. 

She has taught and presented as a guest lecturer in directing, cinematography, and film studies at both American University and Virginia Commonwealth University.

 Stephanie Hall Rutledge is program director and professor of Counseling.

Rutledge brings extensive experience in higher education, academic leadership, and accreditation to her role. Throughout her career, she has focused on developing and strengthening counseling programs and the preparation of future counselors.

She has held a number of faculty and leadership roles at universities across the country. Most recently, she served as the founding department chair and program director of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Emory & Henry University in Virginia. Previously, she was chair of the Department of Professional Counseling at Monmouth University in New Jersey and has also taught at Fairfield University, Eastern Kentucky University, and National Louis University.

Rutledge has served as a site visitor and team chair for the Council of Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) since 2007. Through this work, she has evaluated counselor education programs across the country and gained extensive experience in accreditation standards, program assessment, and student outcomes.

In addition to academic leadership and accreditation work, Rutledge is a subject matter expert for the National Board for Certified Counselors and has served as an editorial board member for national and state professional journals. She is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and has presented at national and international professional conferences. Her teaching and research interests include grief and loss, ethics in counseling, and equine assisted psychotherapy.

Rutledge received a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Kentucky, master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance from Louisiana Tech University, and doctorate in Counselor Education from the University of New Orleans (now Louisiana State University New Orleans).  

Lori W. Hockley is associate professor of Business Administration. She has also been appointed director of McDaniel’s Global Fellows program, a structured three-year program designed to enhance students’ understanding of global issues, develop heightened intercultural competency, and cultivate the skills and attitudes important to leading successful lives in a global context. McDaniel students earn a Global Fellow designation on their transcript upon completion of the program. 

Hockley, who joined McDaniel in 2021 as a lecturer in Business and coordinator of Business Internships, also served as a senior consultant for Aegis Performance Group, an organizational development and management consulting firm. In spring 2026, she was a visiting professor at McDaniel’s European campus in Budapest, Hungary. 

As the 2026 recipient of the Nora Roberts Faculty Award, which provides McDaniel faculty members with financial support for projects that enrich student learning through community engagement activities, Hockley is currently overseeing a group of student researchers in the Department of Economics and Business Administration who are serving as Sustainable Business Fellows. The students are gathering real-world data on the effects of climate change on Carroll County businesses. The students plan to present their research findings at both the college’s Global Issues Colloquium and Academic Symposium in spring 2027. 

Previously, Hockley taught at Gettysburg College and Harrisburg Area Community College, including courses in organizational behavior, principles of management, human resources management, and international business. She also has held administrative positions at Harrisburg Area Community College, Hood College, Mount St. Mary’s, and Hagerstown Community College.

Hockley is involved as a member of the advisory council for the McDaniel Women’s Leadership Network and is co-founder of WE Women Empowered, a professional networking group in Adams County, Pennsylvania. She was inducted into Delta Kappa Gamma, an international professional honor society for women educators, and Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines.

As an undergraduate at Mount St. Mary’s, Hockley had the opportunity to study abroad at the Collège International de Cannes in France, where she earned a certificate in French language proficiency.  After graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and French and a concentration in Business from the Mount, she went on to receive an M.B.A. with a concentration in International Business from the Mount and a Doctor of Management from the University of Maryland University College, where she participated in the executive leadership development program.

Kristina Kelley has joined the faculty as an instructor of Business Administration.

Kelley previously taught graduate-level finance courses in the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary.

She has professional experience as a project manager and analyst for Crossroads Group, Inc.; an account transfer specialist at Raymond James; and a trust fund specialist and relationship banker for Huntington National Bank, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Kelley earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, and a master’s degree in Finance from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where she served as a teaching assistant and special projects graduate researcher. 

She is in the process of completing her doctorate in Management from the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Syed Marjan has joined the faculty in McDaniel College's Department of Sociology. 

Marjan is currently completing his doctorate in Sociology at the University of North Texas, where he earned a master’s degree in Sociology and previously served as a teaching fellow. He also holds a master's degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at Arlington. 

His research interests include political sociology, terrorism and extremism, policing, and quantitative research methods. 

He has extensive university teaching experience across sociology, criminology, and criminal justice. Courses he has taught include Introduction to Policing, Dynamics of Terrorism, Organized Crime and Corruption, Women, Crime, and Social Policy, Research Methods, Quantitative Data Collection, and Introduction to Sociology. 

Marjan is a member of the IJIS Institute’s Criminal Justice Data Quality Working Group, the American Society of Criminology, and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. His scholarly work includes conference presentations and journal articles.

Sandra Thomas-Lalmansingh, Ph.D., has joined the faculty as assistant professor of Nursing. She brings more than 40 years of experience as a nurse, educator, researcher, and healthcare leader to her role at McDaniel.

A retired Commander in the United States Navy Nurse Corps, Dr. Thomas-Lalmansingh served for 20 years in diverse clinical, operational, and leadership roles. Her assignments included the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland; Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune in North Carolina; and Naval Hospital Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, she served as Nurse Manager aboard the USNS Comfort, providing leadership in military healthcare operations.

Following her distinguished military career, Thomas-Lalmansingh joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a Senior Clinical Research Nurse Educator. For over 12 years, she supported oncology clinical research trials and educated clinical research staff, contributing to advances in cancer treatment, patient care, and clinical research education.

Thomas-Lalmansingh transitioned to academic nursing in 2007, holding faculty appointments at Hood College, The Catholic University of America, and Howard University before coming to McDaniel College. Her teaching, scholarship, and service focus on preparing future nurses through evidence-based practice, clinical excellence, leadership development, and student-centered learning.

She earned a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Phoenix, a Master of Science in Nursing from The Catholic University of America, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Thomas Jefferson University. She also holds a certificate in Personnel Administration and Industrial Relations from the New Hampshire College of Graduate Studies.

An active member of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, the Navy Nurse Corps Association, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Thomas-Lalmansingh has received numerous honors recognizing her leadership and service. Her military awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.

Mark Anthony Thompson Sr. has joined the college as endowed professor of Computer Science and Technology Innovation. 

This new professorship is the first faculty hire for McDaniel’s new School of Business and Technology, which is scheduled to open in fall 2027. Funding for the position includes a $2 million grant from the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), administered by the Maryland Department of Commerce, matched by a bequest from the late alumnus Jonas Eshelman. 

Thompson brings expertise in cybersecurity, computer network security, digital forensics, and artificial intelligence. Most recently, he served as senior research associate in the Virginia Tech National Security Institute’s Intelligent Systems Division, which advances national security through interdisciplinary research, technology, policy, and talent development.

Previously, Thompson taught computer science and engineering at the University of North Texas and computer information systems and mathematics at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. His professional experience also includes teaching high school mathematics and working in information systems in a variety of roles. 

His scholarly work has been published in journals and other peer-reviewed publications, and he has been invited to deliver lectures and presentations at conferences. 

Thompson earned a doctorate in Computational Analysis and Modeling from Louisiana Tech University. He received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Computer Engineering from Tulane University, followed by both a master’s degree in Mathematical Sciences and M.B.A. in Business Administration from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Aqil Shah, who joined McDaniel in fall 2025 as a visiting professor in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, has been promoted to associate professor of Political Science. 

He is also the college’s National Model United Nations advisor and oversees McDaniel’s National Security Fellows program, providing McDaniel students with robust knowledge, skills, and experience in national security as well as the ability to specialize in an area of interest, such as interstate conflict, intra-state political violence, cybersecurity, ethics, and human rights. 

His research focuses on civil-military relations, hybrid regimes, political violence, and security issues in South Asia, with recent work examining state coercion and mass protests in Bangladesh. Previously, Shah taught at Barnard College, Georgetown University, University of Oklahoma, Dartmouth College, and Princeton University. 

He has served as a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow and a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He has also held consulting appointments at the World Bank and United States Agency for International Development’s Center for Democracy, Rights and Governance; and fellowships at the National Endowment for Democracy; Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law; and the Harvard Society of Fellows. Shah has been an analyst and consultant on South Asia for Social Science Research Council, the International Crisis Group, and the Asia-Pacific Governance Program of the United Nations Development Program.

He is the author of “The Army and Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan” and has contributed articles to journals including International Security, Foreign Affairs, and Journal of Democracy. His commentary and op-eds have appeared in The Washington Post and New York Times with his most recent article on the protests in Kashmir that have resulted in civilian deaths by security forces published by Time magazine (“The Other Side of Paradise: How Pakistan Crushed Protests in Kashmir,” Aug. 17, 2026).

A Rhodes Scholar, Shah earned a Master of Philosophy in International Development from the University of Oxford. He holds a doctorate in Political Science from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from the University of the Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan.