Faculty Senate

Dr. Lisa Wisniewski is a professor of Sociology at Goodwin University. Lisa completed her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) focused on Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford in 2017. Her research has focused on immigrant students, first-generation college students, and effective teaching practices using Universal Design for Learning. Dr. Wisniewski presents regionally, nationally, and internationally. Most recently she served as the State Chair for the Connecticut American Council on Education Women’s Network. Her work in the community focused on the immigrant experience has led to invitations to the White House and the Polish Consulate of New York City. As an advocate for college access for first-generation students, she has worked with several groups and organizations throughout Connecticut to support students navigate the college process. Lisa created and hosts a lecture series called Community Conversations that began the conversation on the war in Ukraine and presents lectures on immigration, citizenship, democracy, social issues, and globalization that has garnered a national and international audience. In addition, she serves as the host of Goodwin Teaches: Universal Design for Learning Stories in Higher Education podcast.

Dr. Parth M. Desai is the program director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Goodwin University and an associate professor within the School of Nursing & Health Professions. Dr. Desai recently graduated from the Universal Design for Learning Institute and is now a Senior Teaching Fellow. He completed his terminal degree from Chatham University obtaining his doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Dr. Desai completed his masters and undergraduate education in occupational therapy at Boston University. He has been practicing as a occupational therapist since 2008. He has advanced his academic career from an adjunct instructor in 2015 to now program director as of 2019. He has focused his time on curricular development and enhancement with the focus on transitioning dedicated students to robust healthcare clinicians. Dr. Desai has presented on Mindfulness within the Classroom at New England’s Education Assessment Network. He is proud to be employed at Goodwin University as he clearly demonstrates a passion in providing the highest level of education to his students represented by receiving the University’s Make a Different Award in 2017. Dr. Desai still practices as a dedicated occupational therapist and has earned his master certification in manual therapy allowing him to practice and provide therapy in a niche specialization of pain mitigation. He enjoys spending time coaching his son and daughter’s soccer teams as well as traveling with them and the love of his life.

Moriah Maresh is an assistant professor of English at Goodwin University. She is a proud Buckeye, having earned her BA in English with a minor in Creative Writing from The Ohio State University. After returning to Connecticut, she pursued her MA in English at Central Connecticut State University, where, through the lens of Structuralism and Levi-Strauss’s Culinary Triangle, she explored the oft-ignored cultural, psychological, religious, and theoretical implications of food’s role in literary works. Recently, she completed the MFA Creative Writing program at Fairfield University. She entered the program with an interest only in fantasy but ended up graduating as a published nonfiction writer. Her creative nonfiction can be found in Helix Literary Magazine and the Connecticut Literary Anthology. In addition, Moriah has served as an editor for the EL&LE global conference, and her academic writing has been published internationally. Her current projects include a fantasy novel, a collection of nonfiction essays, and an exploration of incorporating food studies into academic pedagogy. Outside the office, Moriah enjoys expanding a fledgling farm with her husband and their beehives, German Shepard, and mini horse.

Dr. John Kania is professor of English and ESL. He began his career in education at the elementary level teaching nearly all grades from preschool through graduate school. John is one of Goodwin’s Universal Design for Learning (UDL) trained teaching fellows, and his primary area of expertise is assisting students who struggle with reading and writing. John has presented and co-presented with Goodwin colleagues regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Stella Kim, MSN, RN, PHN joined Goodwin University in fall 2024 as a full-time faculty member in the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program. She currently teaches Fundamentals of Nursing I and Growth and Development I to first semester students.

She earned her Master of Science in Nursing Education from Azusa Pacific University, where she also completed her Bachelor of Science through the bridge program. She began her nursing journey at Los Angeles City College, where she obtained her registered nurse license. Drawing from her own educational path, Stella encourages her students to continue advancing their practice through higher academic degrees and specialized certifications.

With six years of clinical experience in maternal child health and five years of teaching experience, Stella brings both practical expertise and a passion for education to the classroom. She is also certified as a public health nurse (PHN), which reflects her commitment to community health promotion and education for diverse populations.