Office and People Directory

Kerry Noonan

Biography

Kerry Noonan holds a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. in Folklore & Mythology from UCLA, and her research focuses primarily on new religious movements, and women’s roles in various religions; she has published articles on Catholic Charismatic women, online religious communities, feminist witchcraft, Goddess spirituality, and New Age religious folk art, and is also a specialist in Celtic folklore, and Chinese vernacular religions. Kerry often incorporates these topics into her Core classes, and twice led a travel course about Harry Potter. She also co-teaches the FLM capstone. Kerry was a professional actor in theater, TV, & film in Los Angeles, appearing in Friday the 13th Part VI, The New Twilight Zone, China Beach, Knot’s Landing, Mr. Belvedere, Family Ties, and Taxi, plus on stage with the Los Angles Theater Center, South Coast Rep, Arizona Rep, the Grove Shakespeare Festival, and co-founded City Stage. She was part of the Irish traditional band The McGuffins. For Champlain Theatre, Kerry directed Rough Magic: A Shakespeare Compilation, Sweeney Todd, The Lion in Winter, and Blue Stockings, as well as appearing as Gertrude in Hamlet, and is now the adviser for The Champlayers. She has been a contestant on Jeopardy! and Win Ben Stein’s Money.

Distinctions & Awards

Champlain College Diversity Award: International 2013; Faculty Internationalization Initiative Grant (Champlain College) 2009

Publications & Abstracts

Publications & Abstracts

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

• American Folklore Society
• American Academy of Religion

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

One of my favorite books is The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin. I’m also a Tolkien nerd, and a Jane Austen fanatic. I could go on and on …
A movie that I love is Fanny & Alexander, directed by Ingmar Bergman.

Favorite Quote

“The idea is like grass. It craves light, likes crowds, thrives on crossbreeding, grows better for being stepped on.”

—Ursula LeGuin, The Dispossessed

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Samone Norsworthy

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Chris North

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Corinne Novetti

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Kelsey O’Connor

Biography

Kelsey O’Connor currently serves as the Director of Residential Life & Student Engagement at Champlain College. A 2014 Champlain graduate with a BS in Event Management, Kelsey has dedicated her career to enhancing the student experience at her alma mater, where she has worked since 2015. Throughout her time at Champlain, she has held multiple roles, from Associate Director of Student Engagement to Area Coordinator, gaining a broad perspective on student activities and residential life. She also holds a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from Champlain College Online.

Originally from Bedford, Massachusetts, Kelsey moved to Vermont to attend Champlain and fell in love with the state’s vibrant community. Outside of work, she enjoys kayaking and spending time with her two golden retrievers, Maple and Frankie.

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April O’Dell

Biography

April O’Dell, CPA, is the Chief Financial and Business Officer at Champlain College, bringing over 12 years of experience in financial leadership within complex operational environments. With expertise spanning financial reporting, budgeting, internal control frameworks, and federal compliance, April has a proven ability to strengthen organizational productivity through transparent communication, collaboration, and holistic problem-solving.

During her time with Champlain, April has overseen initiatives such as an initial public rating with Standard & Poor’s and the issuance of bonds in public markets, reflecting her commitment to innovative financial stewardship. Additionally, her leadership has driven multiple system integrations to enhance efficiency and transparency across financial operations.

April began her career in public accounting at KPMG, LLP, advancing to Audit Manager, where she developed expertise in risk assessment, compliance, and client relationship management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Vermont, graduating cum laude with recognition in accounting.

April is committed to fostering financial resilience in higher education and is known for her holistic thinking, collaborative leadership, and dedication to strengthening institutional outcomes.

Hobbies

Traveling, reading and watching my children play sports

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Connor O’Brien

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Arthur Omran

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Kaitlyn Opperman

Biography

Kaitlyn graduated from Clarkson University with a degree in Computer Engineering and has recently transitioned into an instructor role, taking on adjunct work for the first time in Spring 2023. Prior to this, she worked in the aerospace industry as an embedded software engineer.

Favorite Quote

“Be kind.”

—Anyone

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Albert Orbinati

Biography

Dr. Albert Orbinati is an Associate Professor of Business Administration and Department Chair of Business for Champlain College Online. He is also the owner of North Madison Publishing, LLC. Prior to Champlain, Dr. Orbinati was the Vice President of Continuing Education at Medaille University, Dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Education at Russell Sage College, and Director of Online and Non-Traditional Programs at Utica University. In addition to his career in higher education and publishing, Albert is a commissioned officer in the Vermont Air National Guard (VTANG) where he directs marketing efforts for the VTANG recruiting and retention team. Dr. Orbinati holds a BA in Urban Planning from Binghamton University, an MBA from Champlain College, an MA in Adult Education from Central Michigan University, and a PhD in Adult Education from Capella University. Albert is a lifelong musician and has performed on the stages of Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He enjoys live theater and the performing arts.

Publications & Abstracts

Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Cookbook: Over 100 Science-Based, Superfood Meals for Improved Gut Health, Stress Reduction and Detoxification

Anti-Inflammation Starter Guide: A 5-Step Path to Improve Immune Function, Calm Your Gut, Reduce Stress, and Feel Great!

Spirituality and learning: An exploration into the understanding of spirituality in adult education 

Professional/Scholastic Affiliations

Society for Human Resource Management

Project Management Institute 

Military Officers Association of America 

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Douglas Orr

Biography

Douglas A. Orr is a 30-year law enforcement veteran who has served as a commissioned law enforcement officer in South Carolina, Idaho, and Washington. He is a native of Philadelphia, PA. Over the years, Dr. Orr has assumed various roles such as Collision Reconstructionist, Street Crimes, Truancy, Sexual Assault and Polygraph. He recently retired as a Detective in the Major Crimes Unit of the Spokane Police Department (SPD) in Spokane, Washington. During the last ten years of his tenure at SPD, Dr. Orr specialized in digital forensics, cybercrime, child exploitation, and sexual assault. He was also an adjunct professor for Gonzaga University teaching crime scene investigation.

Dr. Orr also holds membership in various organizations to include High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA), Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), the American Society of Criminologists (ASC), and the Homicide Research Working Group (HRWG). He is certified as an EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE) computer forensic examiner; a Certified Cellebrite Mobile Examiner (CCME), and CompTIA Security+. He is proficient with SPSS.

Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, Washington State University.
M.S. in Cybersecurity, Saint Leo University.
MBA in Human Resource, Saint Leo University.
M.A. in Organizational Leadership, Gonzaga University.

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Nathaniel Orvis

Biography

Nathaniel Orvis was born in Lincoln, VT. He grew up in Middlebury, VT, and attended Middlebury Union High School. Nathaniel currently lives in Middlebury with his beautiful 2 dogs and 3 cats. His favorite season in VT is Fall. Fall is a sign of change; the seasons are changing, children are starting school, but most importantly there are a lot of fall festivals. Nathaniel enjoys festivals and concerts, but Country music is his choice although he listens to a little bit of everything. In March of 2022, he came to Champlain to work and loves his job. When he’s not busy working, he enjoys traveling the United States and is particularly fond of California.

What are your hobbies?

Walking and Geocaching

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

Fire and Ice

Walking the Robert Frost Trail

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Ricky Padgett

Biography

Ricky Padgett brings over thirty years of professional experience and passion to developing leaders and teams to reach their full potential, for themselves and their organizations. Ricky coaches in various industries, including healthcare, health and human services, financial services, technology, start-ups, higher education, pharmaceuticals, and media services. He offers a wealth of progressive leadership experience – from front-line manager to executive – and an experiential and evidence-based approach to his work.

Ricky has served in many leadership roles – from Director of Corporate Accounting and Controller to Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. His experience has included oversight of accounting and finance, human resources, facilities, information technology, and risk management.

Ricky’s coaching approach focuses on improving leaders’ performance and strengthening the connection between their goals and those of their organizations. He works to discover, clarify, and align with what leaders want to achieve, encourage self-discovery, elicit leader-generated possibilities and solutions, and provide a framework for accountability for leaders as they move their work forward. His coaching may include MBTI®, Hogan®, Korn-Ferry ESCI®, and MSCEIT® assessments, resonant leadership exercises, and 360º leadership self-studies. Ricky’s work is grounded in the theories of intentional change, cycle of experience, self-determination, and emotional intelligence, as well as positive psychology concepts.

Ricky holds a MBA with an emphasis in human resources from Florida State University and a B.A. in accounting and business administration from Troy State University. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) and is credentialed by the International Coaching Federation as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). He completed his coach training at Teleos Leadership Institute and holds certifications in MBTI®, Hogan®, MSCEIT®, Korn-Ferry ESCI®, and Conscious Business Coaching, and a European Mentoring and Coaching Council accreditation in Global Individual Team Coaching. In addition to his coaching practice, Ricky is co-director of the THRIVE leadership development program, offering leadership and executive leadership programs in the New England area, and is an adjunct faculty member at Champlain College in the Robert P. Stiller School of Business.

Hobbies

Backyard gardening, chickens, paddleboarding, kayaking, baking gluten free treats, and hiking

Favorite Local Eateries

Sneakers for breakfast; Restaurant Poco for dinner — love the views from the top of Mt Philo

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Furkan Paligu

Biography

Furkan Paligu is an assistant professor of computer networking and cybersecurity in Champlain College. He has his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Marmara University, Master’s degree in Cybersecurity Engineering from Istanbul Sehir University, and Doctorate degree in Digital and Cyber Forensics Science from Sam Houston State University. He has taken part in various information technology and cybersecurity projects in governmental institutions. An extensive part of his work has been focused on large scale projects in complex domains including data leak prevention systems, voice translation engines, customer application and management systems, static code analyzers, malware scanning systems operating on cloud architecture, electronic signature systems, and electronic cash registers.

Publications & Abstracts

PUBLICATIONS & ABSTRACTS

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

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Roland Palmer

Biography

Roland is an alumnus of Champlain College (Class of 1990) and is a native Vermonter who currently resides in Brookfield, Vermont (home of the floating bridge). Roland started at Champlain College in August 2006.

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