Office of Educational Assessment Staff
Dr. Vanessa Jensen, Ed.D., BCBA-D
Co-Director, Office of Educational Assessment
Dr. Jensen is an associate professor in the Counseling and Human Services Department at the University of Scranton. She teaches courses in Applied Behavior Analysis and also works as a consultant with adults with autism. She has been a faculty member since 2004 and a consultant since 1996. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Scranton 1996 in psychology, philosophy, theology and religious studies. In 1998, she received her master’s degree in elementary school counseling, also from the University of Scranton. She obtained her Ed.D. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Curriculum and Instruction, PK-12 in 2004. She completed her studies in Applied Behavior Analysis through Penn State University and obtained her Behavior Analyst Certification Board ®certification in 2004. She currently holds certifications in Elementary School Counseling, Grades K-6, Special Education, Grades N-12, English, grades 7-12 and 4-8, and Mathematics, grades 4-8. She has served as the chair of the Middle States Periodic Review Report Subcommittee on Institutional Assessment and Planning, Standard 7: Institutional Assessment. She also chaired the Assessment Committee in the Education Department from 2012 to 2017. She served as a member of the Special Education PK-8 and 7-12 Program Development for PDE and a member of the TEAC Inquiry Brief Proposal Committee as well as the CAEP EPP Annual Report Committee. She chaired the TEAC Internal Audit Committee for the Education Department in 2012 and 2013. She has also served as a member of the Curriculum Committee for PDE Program Revisions in 2008 and 2009. She currently serves as the Director of the Graduate Programs in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and has developed the ABA Program Learning Outcomes and Assessment Plan. She has served as an Assessment Fellow in the Office of Educational Assessment since 2014.
Email: vanessa.jensen@scranton.edu
Dr. Satyajit Ghosh, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Office of Educational Assessment
During his long teaching career Dr. Ghosh has always been interested in assessment. He served on various assessment committees: Subcommittee on Assessment, Middle States Accreditation Committee (1997); Committee on Program Evaluation (1994-1996); and the GE Subcommittee of Middle States Accreditation Committee (2006). But it was 2007-2008 when he became very directly involved with educational assessment as he started to work closely with KSOM Assistant Dean Paul Perhach who was the main architect of Kania School’s assessment program. Dr. Ghosh worked as a faculty assessor on every KSOM assessment day that was held between 2008 and 2012. During this time with the help of his departmental colleagues Dr. Ghosh also developed the Student Learning goals for Economics and Finance majors. He continued his assessment related activities through his two recent committee appointments. In 2013 he served on the Institutional Learning Outcomes Working Group and helped to create a “draft” of the institutional learning outcomes—an integral part of University’s assessment plan. He served on the Middle States Monitoring Report Coordinating Committee in 2014. Over the past few years Dr. Ghosh has been developing various interactive teaching tools, based on “active learning models” to “close the loop” in individual course assessment plan and help students attain their learning goals. He presented various research papers containing these alternative pedagogical tools and their assessment in several national and international conferences. Dr. Ghosh has served as a Faculty Assessment Fellow and as Director of General Education Assessment, and served on the 2022 Faculty Senate General Education Review Committee.
Richard Walsh
Assistant Provost for Operations and Data Analytics Officer
Serving as an assessment analyst for the OEA, Richard Walsh began his career at the University in 1998. Throughout his twenty-year employment, Richard has worked in numerous capacities starting as a Software/Database Development and Computer Programming instructor at our Center for Professional Training and Development. His expertise and leadership were considered an integral asset for the University to implement computer training for employees. Ten years ago, Richard transitioned to the Office of the Registrar. His many projects included converting and updating the student reporting system, Argos, and he initiated the digitalization of student records. More recently, Richard has focused his efforts in the areas of technology, budget, curriculum, and assessment within the Office of the Provost.
Past Directors and Staff
Dr. Mary Jane DiMattio, Ph.D.
Dr. Mary Jane DiMattio, Professor of Nursing, served as the inaugural OEA Director since its creation in spring 2014 through summer 2022. Dr. DiMattio, an alumna of The University of Scranton, holds a master’s degree in Nursing Education from Villanova University, and a research-focused doctorate in Nursing from The University of Pennsylvania. She has served in a variety of capacities within and outside of the University in roles related to research, assessment, and continuous quality improvement. Most notably, Dr. DiMattio chaired the Nursing Department’s Evaluation Committee, charged with collecting, monitoring, and reporting outcome data for programmatic improvement and for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accreditation. In addition, she chaired the Quality Committee of the Board at Mercy Hospital and currently chairs the Board of Trustees at Regional Hospital of Scranton. She also participated on the University committee that developed the initial draft ILOs in 2013. Having been a member of the Monitoring Report Coordinating Committee in spring 2014, Dr. DiMattio’s has helped maintain important continuity and institutional knowledge in the development of our assessment processes through and beyond the context of the Monitoring Report. Dr. DiMattio currently serves as Interim Associate Dean in the Panuska College of Professional Studies.
Dr. Cyrus Olsen, Ph.D.
Prof. Nicholas P. Truncale, M.S.
Prior to joining The University of Scranton faculty, Prof. Truncale was a systems engineer for Lockheed Martin working on the analytics of a complex technical system improving the quality of system performance. Within the department of Physics and Electrical Engineering, he has reorganized and revitalized the physics lab and continually assesses the lab’s effectiveness through an assessment plan all teaching assistants and adjunct faculty follow. Prof. Truncale participated in the pilot Intersession Assessment Group in 2014, assessing a GE Natural Science course “It’s Only Rocket Science” he developed. He co-authored a physics program review, participated in a departmental student retention study, and “closed the loop” by helping to enact changes based upon the results of the retention study. In addition to directing general education assessment, Nick has served as a Faculty Assessment Fellow since 2014, and directed the student Provost Assessment Scholars Program. Professor Truncale currently serves as Director of Student Retention and Completion.