Humanities Division

The Humanities Division manages the following degree concentrations: Criminal Justice, Education Studies, Human Services, and Liberal Arts. Eight full-time instructors comprise this division. Biographical sketches follow.

Mr. Francis X. Healey
Professor Frank Healey’s entire life has been built around the "need to know". As a youngster, he was known as a curious child who always "had his nose stuck in a book". Books on sports, history, and aviation appealed strongly to him.

Mr. Healey attended high school in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, and completed his college studies at the University of Scranton, where he majored in English. His goal of becoming a high school teacher was achieved shortly after graduation, when he joined the faculty of Susquehanna Valley High School, in upstate New York.

He continued his education at the University of Scranton and in 1966 earned a master’s degree in psychology and counseling. From a former college classmate, he learned that Lackawanna College was building a new Humanities Department and was searching for an experienced teacher. Mr. Healey inquired about the opening, interviewed for the position, and in 1965 was appointed Instructor in Speech and Psychology.

Over the course of his long career at Lackawanna, Professor Healey has also served as Director of Counseling, Director of Cooperative Education, and Chair of the Humanities Division.

Mr. Healey has always felt a sense of community and is deeply involved in community organizations. Currently, he is president of the Newton Lake Association and is particularly concerned with water management and watershed protection. A founder of several radio control aircraft organizations, he has published over 100 technical articles on aviation history and aeronautical design. His other passions are photography, boating, and enjoying time at Newton Lake with his family.

At commencement ceremonies on May 20, 2000, Professor Healey was awarded the Seeley Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service, the highest honor bestowed by the College’s Board of Trustees.

Mr. Barry A. Staples
Mr. Barry A. Staples is Professor of Social Science at Lackawanna College. He earned an A.S. Degree in Business Administration from Lackawanna in 1968, a B.S. Degree in Business Education from Bloomsburg University in 1970, and an M.A. Degree in Counseling from Marywood University in 1983.

Mr. Staples first joined Lackawanna College in 1971 as the College’s newly appointed admissions counselor. Since that time, he has taught numerous courses in the business area and currently teaches Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Drugs & Behavior, and other social science courses.

In his spare time, he enjoys golf and fishing.

Dr. Chet Muklewicz
Dr. Chet Muklewicz first experiences at Lackawanna College were as a student. He attended the College after being discharged from the US Army and serving one year in Vietnam. In addition to receiving an associate’s degree in business from Lackawanna College, his academic credentials include a master’s degree in counseling and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, both from Marywood College, and a doctorate in adult education from Temple University.

Dr. Muklewicz is a Pennsylvania licensed psychologist, and he holds certifications or certificates of training as a Pennsylvania teacher, National Certified Counselor, family therapist, divorce mediator, and custody evaluator. He has received advanced post-doctoral clinical training in family therapy at the Family Therapy Training Center of the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center, University of Pennsylvania. 

At Lackawanna College, he has been a counselor, Act 101 Director, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, and now a professor of psychology. He also maintains a private practice providing individual psychotherapy, couples counseling, family therapy, and divorce mediation. Throughout his career he has worked with disadvantaged students, persons with disabilities, and children of divorce. He has authored several books on those subjects and provides training to professionals throughout the United States.

He is married to Ann Gerrity Muklewicz and has two children, Maggie and Daniel. He has been a life-long runner at Lake Scranton and he enjoys traveling to warm, sunny places and listening to Jimmy Buffet.

Mr. David Lohman
David W. Lohman is an Associate Professor of History, having served Lackawanna College since May of 1976. Prior to that date, Mr. Lohman was an instructor at the old Wilkes-Barre Business College, where he began his teaching career in 1974. Since 1976, when the College absorbed the Business College, he has taught continuously for Lackawanna College for more than 23 years. He specializes in the College’s global history survey course but also teaches U.S. History, American Government, and the Vietnam War.

Mr. Lohman did not start his college education until after his discharge from the United States Air Force, on 31 July 1970. He enrolled as a freshman at Staten Island Community College, from which he graduated with honors in 1972, with an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts. He continued his studies at Richmond College, an upper-division college within the City University of New York (C.U.N.Y.) system, where he majored in history and minored in political science.  He graduated from Richmond in June of 1974, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in history. While a student at Richmond, he was a member of the Dean’s List/President’s List for three of his four semesters.

Beginning in September of 1977, Mr. Lohman began work on his Master’s Degree in history at Bloomsburg State College (now University), while continuing his responsibilities as a full-time Instructor in History at Lackawanna College. He earned his Master’s Degree in History from Bloomsburg in May of 1979, attaining a Grade Point Average of 3.94 during his two years of study there.  Since his 1979 graduation, Mr. Lohman has continued his post-graduate studies at Wilkes University; to date, he has earned fifteen credits in sociology. He has also served, periodically, as an adjunct professor of history for Wilkes University.

Although his vocation is that of a teacher, Mr. Lohman, like so many of his teaching colleagues, has also served the College in a number of diverse roles: he has served as a member of several standing committees, and as the Committee Chair of the Curriculum Committee. He also served for thirteen years as the coordinator and work place inspector for the College’s Cooperative Education Program, both at the old Wilkes-Barre Center campus and at the Main Campus in Scranton. In addition to these responsibilities, Mr. Lohman continues to serve Lackawanna College in several other official capacities.

Mr. Lohman has been married to former Rachael Walison for 27 years and resides in Plains Township, Luzerne County. In addition to being a college academic, he enjoys hobbies not directly related to his disciplines. He enjoys playing the guitar and riding motorcycles, which he has been doing for more than 33 years. Along with his professional memberships, he is also a Life Member of the American Motorcyclist Association, as well as a member of the Eight (8) Gallon Club of the American Red Cross, having donated more than eight gallons of blood since 1974. He serves his community in several capacities, including as a Board Member, Friends of the Osterhout Free Library, as an active supporter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.), and as a choir member of the Plains United Methodist Church. Both he and his wife are supporters/members of various wildlife associations, such as the National Wildlife Federation and Wolf Haven.

Mr. John A. Rettura
Professor Rettura lectures in both English and Philosophy. He attended the University of Scranton and earned a Master’s Degree in English in 1978. Mr. Rettura received his undergraduate degree in both English and Philosophy in 1975, also from the University of Scranton. He has also attended the State University of New York and Cornell University in pursuit of a doctoral degree in Philosophy.

Mr. Rettura recently completed 20 years of teaching at Lackawanna College. He also has taught at Luzerne County Community College, Wilkes University, Marywood University, and College Misercordia. He has published numerous essays and poems.

As for community involvement, at present, Mr. Rettura is President of Opera Northeast, host of Vox Dominica (aired on WUSV), Chairman of the Lackawanna County Boccie Tournament, President of Mid-Valley Boccie League, Chairman of the Columbus Day Boccie Tournament, and President of the Stinkin’ Stoogie Society of Scranton. He is also an active member of UNICO National’s Scranton Chapter, the Societa Sportiva Italiana, and the DIVA Productions Company.

Mr. Rettura is married and the father of three children.

Mr. Thomas Musewicz
Thomas Musewicz, a Scranton native, joined the Humanities Division at Lackawanna College in 1999 after having served as an adjunct instructor in English for 22 years. He teaches all courses in the English Department, as well as Applied Ethics.

A graduate of the University of Scranton in 1975 with an A.B. in English, Mr. Musewicz also earned an MPA (Masters in Public Administration) from Marywood University in 1981. He has worked as an Economic Development Specialist in the Office of Economic and Community Development for the City of Scranton, and as a Field Operations Supervisor in the 1980 local U.S. Census Office. In keeping with his life-long interest in politics, Mr. Musewicz has been involved in many local political campaigns. He also ran as a delegate in the 1988 presidential race, and has served four terms as a Democratic Judge of Elections with the City of Scranton.

Mr. Musewicz is married to Suellen Lewis Musewicz, Dean of Student Services at the College. They have a daughter, Margaret Louise. His interests include fishing, gardening, politics, and history.

Mr. Gary Shoener
Prior to accepting a teaching position at Lackawanna College as an instructor in the Criminal Justice program, Professor Gary Shoener completed over twenty years of full-time service with the Pennsylvania State Police, mainly in Criminal Investigation. He also has seventeen years of cumulative experience in various teaching positions. These include teaching at Lackawanna College in the Act 120 program, conducting in-service training for municipal police officers and working in various segments of the Constable program. In addition, Mr. Shoener has taught at the Scranton State School for the Deaf, Tempesta Driving School (a private school) and various other programs. Currently, he is in his fourth semester as an instructor in the Criminal Justice Degree Studies Program at Lackawanna College.

Mr. Shoener’s academic credentials include a Master of Science Degree in Education of the Hearing Impaired from Bloomsburg University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in Mathematics and Sciences from East Stroudsburg University. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in 1980. Upon receiving his undergraduate degree, Mr. Shoener taught from 1975 to 1980 at the Scranton State School for the Deaf in conjunction with pursuing graduate studies. He also taught secondary level Mathematics and Driver’s Education primarily to students having hearing impairments. Upon completion of the graduate program, Mr. Shoener began his career with the Pennsylvania State Police, where he continued to apply his teaching background and experience to the development of the Department’s needs in various areas of instruction. Mr. Shoener was particularly involved in the state police Peer Contact Program and a youth oriented program known as Camp Cadet.

Mr. Shoener and his wife, Michele, who is a Para-Professional in the North Pocono School District, have one son, David, a junior at North Pocono High. The family resides in Moscow, Pennsylvania.

Ms. Emelia Angeli
Emelia (Emy) Angeli is Chair of the Communication Arts and Humanities Divisions.  Ms. Angeli earned her bachelor of arts degree in English (writing track) from East Stroudsburg University in 1996 and has received her Master’s degree in Communication Arts from Marywood University in 2002.  She is also a member of the Alpha Epsilon Lambda Honor Society.  Prior to her faculty appointment, Ms. Angeli served as the Writing Specialist/Writing Lab Director for the College’s tutoring lab. Before pursuing a career in academia at Lackawanna College, Ms. Angeli was the director of alumni relations and grants writer for the College.

In addition to her career in academia, she is currently the CEO of her own company, Angel Star Media. Her corporate professional activities include working with various local and out of town individuals, businesses, and organizations addressing specific public relations needs. Her day to day activities include: speech writing, community representation (including corporate responsibility communication), video production, writing press releases and public service announcements (PSAs), feature writing, grant writing, creating brochures, and basic consulting regarding attaining organizational/personal objectives. Her other corporate relations include: strategy & planning, media analyst relations, research, crisis communication, thought leadership, business programs, financial communication.  She is a volunteer for many non-profit organizations involved with cancer awareness and animal rights.

Ms. Angeli resides in Moosic with her Akita, Buca and is an avid runner. She also teaches fitness classes and in her spare time loves to travel.