Patricia Weitzel-O'Neill, Ph.D.
Executive Director 

Patricia Weitzel-O'Neill joined the Roche Center for Catholic Education the summer of 2010 after serving as Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Washington and the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Trinity Washington University in Washington, DC.

As the Executive Director of the Roche Center, she is responsible for the oversight and management of Center personnel, professional development for leadership teams in Catholic education, advocacy work, and facilitating applied research on behalf of the Lynch School of Education and the Catholic school community, both locally and nationally.  Currently, Dr. Weitzel-O’Neill is continuing her partnership with Loyola University Chicago and the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) as they advance and support the implementation of the National Standards and Benchmarks for Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools.  An advocate for Catholic schools, she presents frequently at conferences and serves on various boards and councils and is on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Catholic School Studies, Australian Catholic University.

As Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Washington, Dr. Weitzel-O'Neill was responsible for 29,000 students in 96 early learning, elementary, and secondary schools. During her eight-year tenure, she was credited with strengthening school academic programs, introducing a standards-based curriculum, and enhancing professional development standards. In addition, she was instrumental in the efforts to secure the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, a federal initiative that enabled thousands of low-income children to attend parochial schools.

Prior to serving as superintendent, Dr. Weitzel-O'Neill worked with Trinity Washington University as Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and an associate professor of sociology. She is a graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University and holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in sociology from St. Louis University.

Email: patricia.weitzel-oneill@bc.edu

Theresa Alden
Administrative Assistant
Terri joined the Lynch School of Education in 2005. In her role with the Roche Center for Catholic Education, she coordinates the preparation, organization, and follow up of various Center activities.  Terri holds a B.A. from Boston College.
Email: theresa.alden@bc.edu

Michael Bennett
Managing Editor, Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice
Michael comes to Catholic Education and the Roche Center for Catholic Education with over twenty years of experience researching and writing for a variety of governmental, private and non-profit organizations.  Most recently, Michael served as Policy Analyst for the Boston-based Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy where he served as principal investigator on studies of teacher preparation and evaluation, dropout prevention, and college and career readiness.  Michael graduated with a B.A. from West Virginia University and an M.A. from the University of Notre Dame. He has two young children and recently stepped down as Chair of the Board of KidsArts!, a community-based arts program in Jamaica Plain, MA.
Email: michael.bennett@bc.edu

Charles Cownie
Director, The Urban Catholic Teacher Corps

Charlie joined the Roche Center for Catholic Education in June of 2012 as the Director of the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps (UCTC) of Boston College and the Archdiocese of Boston.  Prior to arriving to Boston College, Charlie was an Associate Director of Campus Ministry at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.  He was also a member of the Educational Partners in Catholic Schools Program (EPICS) at Seton Hall University, which provided him the opportunity to teach in a Catholic high school in New Jersey while also earning an M.Ed.  Charlie graduated with a B.A. from Santa Clara University and also received a J.D. from Loyola Law School.
Email: charles.cownie@bc.edu

Michael James, Ph.D.
Fellow
Michael is a Fellow at the Roche Center for Catholic Education.  Prior to his appointment at Boston College, Michael served as the Vice President for Research and Professional Development with the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Washington, DC, and as a Senior Officer and Dean of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Mount Marty College in Yankton, SD.  Michael is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy of education and educational policy studies and higher education administration from Indiana University. In his current position, Michael serves as the Director of the Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education (IACHE) and also teaches courses at the Lynch School of Education in Higher Education Administration, focusing on Catholic University Leadership.  He is an editor of the research journal, Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice and co-editor for the academic journal, Claritas: A Journal of Culture and Dialogue.  Michael lectures internationally on topics including educational leadership, institutional mission and strategic planning, and educational development.  He is also the lead author of Education’s Highest Aim: Teaching and Learning Through a Spirituality of Communion. 
Email: michael.james@bc.edu

Kristin Melley
Associate Director, Professional Development
Kristin joined the Roche Center for Catholic Education in the fall of 2011 as an Associate Director focusing on professional development and brings 13 years of education experience, as both a classroom teacher and administrator, to her position. For six years she served as the director of a national center for Catholic schools and students. She is passionate about serving the mission of Catholic schools and empowering Catholic school leaders to excel in the many roles they hold. Kristin holds a B.A. from Wheaton College in Norton, MA and an M.A. in theology from Harvard University.
Email: kristin.melley@bc.edu

Meghan Scheffler
Program, Events, and Media Administrator
Meghan has been with the Roche Center for Catholic Education since June of 2007. Meghan coordinates and plans all Roche Center events and conferences and also maintains and updates all of the Center's media outlets.  She also has led several educational programs for the Roche Center, including the Stand Up, Speak Out student leadership conference for Catholic middle school students. Meghan previously worked with the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps (UCTC) for five years, where she worked with many principals from the Archdiocese of Boston and also mentored and supported the UCTC teachers. Meghan graduated with a B.A. from Boston College.
Email: meghan.scheffler@bc.edu

Jenny Small, Ph.D.
Research Coordinator
Jenny joined the Roche Center for Catholic Education in the spring of 2012.  Jenny holds a Ph.D. from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan, an M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a B.A. from Brandeis University. Her research has focused on the spiritual lives of religiously diverse college students and how students use language to define their identities. Her first book, entitled Understanding College Students’ Spiritual Identities: Varied Faiths, Different Worldviews, is available from Hampton Press. She currently serves as the Chair Elect of the ACPA Commission for Spirituality, Faith, Religion, and Meaning, and will assume the Chair position in March 2013.
Email: jenny.small@bc.edu

Carrie Fuller
Doctoral Student
Carrie is a doctoral student in the Curriculum and Instruction Program and works with the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps evaluating and mentoring teachers. Her academic and research interests include teacher preparation and professional development in urban schools, as well as school reform in an international and comparative perspective.  Carrie graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. and earned an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School in 2003.
Email: fullercb@bc.edu

Peter Hlabse
Graduate Student
Peter is a master's student in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in Catholic University Leadership and serves as the IACHE Conference Coordinator at the Roche Center for Catholic Education.  As the graduate assistant to Dr. Michael James, Peter also serves as a research and teaching assistant.  Peter graduated from the University of Notre Dame with dual B.A. degrees.
Email: peter.hlabse@bc.edu

Derek Hoy
Graduate Student
Derek is a master’s student in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in Catholic University Leadership and supports the broad research and programmatic initiatives of the Roche Center for Catholic Education.  Prior to arriving at Boston College, Derek worked internationally in Catholic higher education and served for two years on an inaugural team that established a branch campus for St. John’s University (New York) in Paris, France. Derek received a B.S. from St. John’s University in 2008.
Email: derek.hoy@bc.edu

Matthew Keppel
Graduate Student
Matt is a master’s student in Theological Studies in the School of Theology and Ministry.  As the graduate assistant for the Urban Catholic Teacher Corps, Matt supports the work of the Roche Center for Catholic Education in PreK-12 education in the greater Boston area.  Prior to arriving at Boston College, Matt worked for two years as a junior high math and religion teacher.  Matt received a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University in 2009.
Email: matthew.keppel@bc.edu

Minsong Kim
Doctoral Student
Minsong is a doctoral student in the Education Research, Measurement, and Evaluation program and is currently working with the Two-Way Immersion Network for Catholic Schools (TWIN-CS).  He also works with the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation, and Educational Policy (CSTEEP) at the Lynch School of Education.  Prior to arriving at Boston College, Minsong taught mathematics and physics in Guam and served as an educational consultant in Seoul, Korea before serving a three-year term as a Policy Program Analyst at Mathematica Policy Research in Princeton, NJ.  Minsong graduated from Cornell University in 2001 with a B.S. and received an Ed.M in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University in 2007.
Email: minsong.kim@bc.edu

Caroline Vuilleumier
Doctoral Student
Caroline is a doctoral student in the Education Research, Measurement, and Evaluation program and is currently working with the Two-Way Immersion Network for Catholic Schools (TWIN-CS). Caroline graduated from Boston College in 2007 with a B.A. and completed an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction a year later.  She spent the past four years teaching high school mathematics in a suburb of Boston.
Email: caroline.vuilleumier@bc.edu