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LOL Class of 2005 Biographies

Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz ‘89
After attaining his B.S. from West Chester University, Kevin received his M.S. in exercise physiology/athletic training from the University of Pittsburgh in 1992.  In 1995, Kevin received his Ph.D. in sports medicine from the University of Virginia.  Currently, Kevin is a professor and director of the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC.  He also serves as the director of graduate studies for exercise and sport science.  Kevin holds a joint appointment in the Department of Orthopedics, and is a core faculty member for the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center and the UNC Doctoral Program in Human Movement Science.  Over the past 12 years, Kevin’s research has focused on sport-related concussion.  Kevin has been the recipient of 11 funded research grants, and has published over 35 journal articles and 5 textbook chapters related to concussion in sport.  Kevin was the recipient of the 1997 Kenneth Knight Outstanding Research Manuscript for the Journal of Athletic Training, and is the recipient of the 1999 NATA-REF New Investigator Award for Athletic Training Research.  He was awarded fellowship in the American College of Sports Medicine in May 2003.  Kevin was recently appointed chair of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at UNC-Chapel Hill effective July 1, 2005 and will assume this role as the youngest chair among the University’s 115 departments and curricula.

While at WCU, Kevin held a variety of leadership positions. He was The Quad News Editor (86-87) and the Co-Editor (87-88).  He is a member of the Friar’s Society.  He served as the interim aquatics director for one year and was an officer in the Student Athletic Trainers Club.  While in college, Kevin was awarded the Swope Scholarship and a physical education scholarship.

Kevin met his wife, Amy Mergehenn, Class of ’90 at WCU and has been married since 1992.  They have three children, Jacob, Nathan and Adam.

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Major Boyd Miller ‘92
Boyd attained his B.A. in political science with a minor in public administration in 1992.  After his first year at WCU, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and actively served in the reserves during his tenure at WCU.  Upon successful completion of Officer Candidates School he received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps.  Boyd is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-2002) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003).  He is currently serving with the United States Northern Command, which is the geographic combatant command responsible for Homeland Defense and providing civil support to other federal agencies when domestic events require military support.  Also, in 2000, Boyd served as a volunteer instructor for “The Presidential Classroom”—an academic and leadership development experience in Washington, D.C. for high school juniors and seniors interested in government and politics.

During his tenure at WCU, Boyd was a member of Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity and was president of his chapter in 1992.  He was a member of the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society and served that group as president as well.  He also was an active member of the Semper Fidelis Society from 1990-1992.  Boyd worked as a student director of Sykes Student Union from 1991-1992.  He also found time to volunteer and provided service to the Police Athletic League, Brian’s Run, UNICEF, and the East Ward playground construction project.  Boyd was awarded the National Kappa Delta Rho Foundation Scholarship Award, the Inter-Greek Council Outstanding Fraternity President Award, and was elected to Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges.

Boyd lives in Colorado with his wife, the former Laura Tisch of Bridgeport, WV.  Boyd and Laura have one son, Andrew.

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Professor Herbert Lee ‘59 M ’63
Herb graduated from WCU in 1959 with a degree in elementary education.  In 1963, Herb returned to WCU to complete a master’s degree in education. In 1968 Herb taught in the Elementary Education Department and shared time in the Office of Admissions. He is responsible for the beginnings of what we now know as the Academic Development Program. He also taught in the Department of Kinesiology.  Herb has coached football, advised service organizations, including the Friar’s Society, ZBT and the Caribbean Student Association.  In 1986, Herb moved to the Pre-Major (undeclared) Advising Center and is currently an associate professor and the chair of the Department of Educational Services.  Herb served as a director emeriti of the WCU Alumni Association. 

While a student at WCU, Herb was a member of the Friar’s Society, a member of the Black Caucus and a three-year football letter winner for Coach Killinger.  Herb was recognized for his outstanding athletic achievement by the Killinger and Sturzebecker foundations in their Hall of Fame.  He was the first winner of the prestigious Civility Award at WCU.  He was also awarded the WCU Alumni Service Award.  Two scholarships have been created in Herb’s name to honor him—the Herbert Lee (Alumni) Scholarship and the Herbert Lee (Health Sciences) Scholarship.

Herb loved West Chester University and in his words, “will always remain connected at the hip.”  Sadly – WCU lost one of its treasures when Mr. Lee passed away at the age of 68 on August 9, 2006.  He is survived by his wife Elen James Lee with whom he shared 34 years of marriage, and his sons, Adam J. Lee and Joshua B. Lee. 

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Mr. Garrick Weaver ‘93 M ‘95
Garrick received a B.A. degree from West Chester University in history. After a number of years in banking and restaurant management, he returned to WCU and continued his education, graduating with a M.S. in counseling-higher education in 1998.  Following graduation, Garrick worked for The Placers, Inc. and then Randstad North America in various capacities related to high volume recruiting and human resources outsourcing for Fortune 500 companies in Delaware and Pennsylvania. He then spent four years at Keystone Helicopter Corporation in the Human Resources Division, building their recruiting department from the ground up.  This included hiring 400 aviation-related professionals while also assisting with human resources generalist functions.  Currently, Garrick is employed at the CBI Group where he serves as a human resources consultant serving small and mid-sized businesses with recruiting and general human resources outsourcing.  In the past, Garrick has owned and run several small businesses and it is his goal to return to the role as a business owner within the next 3 years.

Garrick’s community involvement has included being a chairperson for the Greater Valley Forge Human Resources Association and president of the Garnet Ridge/Garnet Hills Homeowners Association. Garrick served on the WCU Alumni Association from 1997-2000 and then again from 2004-present, where he is currently the chairperson for several committees.   He has volunteered for the President’s Summit for Service in Philadelphia as well as participated in numerous events to benefit non-profit groups throughout the Philadelphia area.

As an undergraduate student, Garrick was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and served as the alumni relations director. He was an active member of SAC (Student Activities Council) serving in many roles, including president.  He was also a member of the Order of Omega, the Residence Hall Association and the Sykes Union Advisory Board. 

In graduate school, Garrick was a graduate assistant for the Department of Student Activities. As part of his master’s degree program he did practical internships with the Office of New Student Programs at WCU as well as the Student Life Office at Delaware County Community College.  He was a Lifeskills Seminar facilitator and an intern for SSI, Inc.  He also serves on the Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Board, most notably as president. 

Garrick lives in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania with his wife, Debra, (Master’s 1997) and his daughter Lauren.

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Dr. John Villella ‘76 M ‘82
John Villella received a B.S. in 1976 and a M.M. in 1982 from West Chester University.  He went on to earn a Ed.D. from Widener University.  Prior to teaching at WCU, John taught in a public school setting for seven years.  He has been on the WCU faculty in the School of Music for 21 years.  Currently, John is chairperson of the Applied Music Department and the director of the symphonic, concert and marching bands.  He has also supervised student teachers and has been an instructor of instrumental techniques and materials courses.

John is the president of Vivace Productions, Inc, the national leader of summer camps, including band leadership training and the marching band and band front workshops.  He often serves as a guest conductor, adjudicator, guest lecturer, and director of music festivals in the US, Canada and Europe.

While a student at WCU, John was a member of Phi Mu Alpha, the Student Government Association and the Friar’s Society.  He also performed with the Criterions and Statesman jazz ensembles, symphonic band, opera and musical pit orchestras, brass choir, and the marching band.  

John lives in West Chester with his wife Colleen and his son Evan.  They are members of the Westminster Presbyterian Church.

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Ms. Sherrell (Washington) Mickens ‘93
Sherrell graduated from West Chester University with a B.A. degree in liberal studies with a minor in early childhood education and Spanish.   She continued her education at Drexel University and received a M.S. in the science of instruction in 1996 and then another M.S. in educational administration from Gwynedd-Mercy College in 2001. She is currently enrolled in the mid-career doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania with an expected completion date of 2007.  Sherrell is currently employed as an elementary school principal in the William Penn School District in Pennsylvania.   Prior to her work in this district, she also was a principal in the Allentown School District.  Sherrell has also worked as an assistant principal in Allentown and a teacher in the Upper Darby School District. Immediately following graduation, Sherrell was employed by the Philadelphia School District in an educational program for teen mothers. 

Sherrell held a variety of student leadership positions while at WCU.  She was the president of both the Black Student Union and the Black Greek Council.  She was also the president of her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta, Theta Lambda chapter.  Sherrell also served on the Student Government Association finance committee.  During her undergraduate years, Sherrell worked in the FHG Library and as a painter in the residence hall summer renovation project.  She is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society. 

Sherrell is married to Kendrick Mickens, Sr., Class of  1993.  Sherrell and Kendrick and their children live in Springfield, Pennsylvania.  In her free time, Sherrell enjoys distance running, crossword puzzles, Stephen King novels and going to the movies.

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Mr. Mark Barnes ‘93|
Mark is a native son of North Philadelphia.  He graduated from Roman Catholic High School, earned a B.A. in geography & planning from WCU in 1993, and completed a M.A. in geography & urban studies from Temple University in 1996. 

He has held mid-level management positions in the City of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, and the National Urban League movement.  Mark served also as an adjunct faculty member at Temple and Eastern universities teaching urban society courses and nonprofit marketing and public relations to undergraduate and graduate students, respectively.           

Mark founded the Global Alumni Presence Project in 2001.  The Project featured roundtable discussions for WCU faculty and staff on increasing the number of alumni of color in the University’s institutional advancement efforts; self-improvement seminars for college graduates across the Philadelphia metropolitan area; and recognition awards for racially and culturally diverse professional organizations, graduate-level fraternities and sororities, and alumni associations.     

He was the president of the Black Caucus Chapter of WCU’s Alumni Association from 2000-2001.  Mark chaired the Marketing and Public Relations Committee of the Philadelphia Neighborhood Housing Services’ Board of Directors, and currently serves on the board of directors for the Delaware Valley Consumer Credit Counseling Services.  He also was an advisory board member for the United Way’s Teaming for Technology Program, Southwest Enrichment Community Center’s Technology Program for Teens and the YMCA’s Achiever’s Program. 

While at WCU, Mark played WCU football, held a work-study position at the FHG Library, was a peer counselor in the ADP program, was a short-order cook in the Ram’s Head Deli, and provided campus security as a Public Safety officer.  He also presided over the Zeta Psi Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity while on campus, and is the present chairman of its developing alumni society.

Mark and his wife, Orien, live in Philadelphia’s Burholme neighborhood.

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Ms. Robin (Gritz) Laird ‘91
Robyn attained her B.S. in criminal justice in 1991. Upon graduating, Robyn was a probation officer in the Camden, NJ juvenile probation program.  In 1997, she began working in the sub-program of terrorism, international and domestic for the FBI.  In 1999, Robyn received a M.S. degree in criminology from St. Joseph’s University.  She is currently assigned to FBI Headquarters as a supervisory special agent in the counterterrorism division. 

While at WCU, Robyn was active in Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, serving as the president.  She was also the president of the Inter-Greek Council and served on the Pan-Hellenic Council as well.  She was a student representative to the Student Life Committee and to the Sykes Student Union Expansion Committee.  Robyn was voted Outstanding Greek Woman of the Year in 1990.  She was selected to represent WCU at the first PASSHE Women’s Consortium.  Recently, she was invited back to WCU to speak in the Women in Residence Program and several criminal justice classes.

Robyn makes her home in Reston, VA with her husband, David, who is an occupational health and safety engineer with Human Genome Sciences in Rockville, MD.

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Mr. Phil Tripp
Arriving in 1987, Phil began his work at WCU as the director of orientation and parent relations. Ten years later, in 1997, Phil was hired as the assistant director of the Twardowksi Career Development Center.  Phil is the advisor to Sigma Phi Epsilon, Penn Tau chapter and has been actively involved with the group since 1989.  He was also the advisor to the International Student Association from 1994-1996. Currently, Phil serves as the SCUPA bargaining unit president, campus representative and website coordinator.  He also is the chair of the Delaware Valley Education Association.   Phil has been recognized three times as the Advisor of the Year and has also received the Alumni Association Staff Recognition Award and the Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Award.  Active in MACUHO (Middle Atlantic Association of College and University Housing Officers), Phil received the Distinguished Service and Newsletter Award. 

Phil is a noted prankster and pun teller and has published two jokes in Reader’s Digest.  Each year, Phil can be seen playing Santa Claus for the WCU Children’s Center.  Phil is married to Maggie Tripp, also employed at WCU as the director of service learning and volunteer programs.

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