Part-Time Faculty

Jon Burchard, M.S.

Adjunct Instructor

jburchard@messiah.edu

Jon grew up in Northern Virginia and attended William and Mary College. His wife is Dr. Melinda Burchard, who also teaches at Messiah College. They just celebrated their 27th anniversary and the birth of their first grandchild.

Jon’s career has mostly been in the people-helping professions, including social work, school counseling, counseling, and education. “I am very interested in learning about and addressing issues of identity, as it relates to spiritual and secular life, and I find the process of student engagement to be essential to student success that leads to a love for learning.”

Jon teaches EDME 504 Family and Community Partnerships.

Asha Dickerson, PhD, LPC, NCC

Adjunct Instructor

ADickerson@messiah.edu

Dr. Dickerson is a National Certified Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia.  Dr. She is an alumna of the University of Alabama at Birmingham having received with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the university. She received her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Auburn University.  Prior to entering academia, Dr. Dickerson served as the Family and Community Service Coordinator for Fellowship House, Inc., a private, non-profit, substance abuse recovery program designed to serve the special needs of individuals who suffer from alcoholism and/or drug addiction and other mental illnesses.  She is very active in several community, state, and national organizations and currently serves as Secretary for the Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development and Chair of the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program Doctoral Advisory Council.  Her clinical and academic specialties include social and cultural diversity, and counseling addicted families.

Fulani A. Doughty, LPC, NCC, CRC, ICAADC, ACS

Adjunct Instructor

FDoughty@messiah.edu

Dr. Fulani A. Doughty, LPC, NCC, CRC, ICAADC, ACS is an Educator, Consultant, and Counselor. He has worked in the behavioral health field since 2003 serving every age group. In addition to clinical mental health and rehabilitation counseling, Dr. Doughty has public education (Special Education; Certified Middle School Counselor) experience serving youth. 

Dr. Doughty's specializations include: general adjustment issues, couples and family issues, educational planning, rehabilitation counseling and addiction.  In addition to counseling, Dr. Doughty's interests include human resource development, organizational development, educational leadership and percussion. In 2013, Dr. Doughty was named a National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) Minority Fellow.

Dr. Doughty is a lifelong learner and has obtained several degrees: Bachelor of Business Administration (UGA) in Management; Bachelor of Art (UGA) in Sociology; Master of Education (UGA) in Human Resources & Organizational Development; Master of Science (Troy University) in Counseling and Psychology; Educational Specialist (UGA) in Professional School Counseling; Doctor of Education degree in Counselor Education and Supervision (CACREP) from Argosy University-Sarasota Campus.   In addition to serving as a lecturer, Dr. Doughty maintains a private practice in Washington, Georgia and is a Ordained Baptist Deacon.

Denise B. Ebersole, PhD, NCC, NCSC

Adjunct Instructor

DEbersole@messiah.edu

Denise B. Ebersole earned a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University, an M.Ed. in School Counseling from Millersville University, and a B.A. in Psychology from Bloomsburg University.  She holds certifications in elementary school counseling (K-6), secondary school counseling (7-12), and as a supervisor of school guidance services (K-12) in the state of Pennsylvania.  She is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), a Nationally Certified School Counselor (NCSC), and she is currently working towards becoming an LPC.  Denise is a high school counselor, an independent educational consultant, and has served as an adjunct instructor for Messiah since 2014.  Previous professional positions have also included serving as a school counseling department coordinator and middle school counselor.

Linda Gemberling, M.S.

Adjunct Instructor

LGemberling@messiah.edu

Ms. Gemberling holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education and her master's degree is in elementary and secondary counseling. Ms. Gemberling retired from Northern York School District after 35 years in public schools.  She spent 11 of those years as an elementary school teacher and 23 years as a school counselor in which she conducted small group meetings, counseled students on academic, personal, and career issues, conferred with parents, teachers, and administrators concerning the needs of the students, and directed meetings for at-risk youth.

Ms. Gemberling has accumulated experience in leadership as the Department Chair of Northern York District Counselors and as a consultant to Messiah College throughout the master's program proposal process.

Marcelle Giovannetti, CADC, NCC

Adjunct Instructor; Engle Center Counselor

MGiovannetti@messiah.edu

Marcelle Giovannetti is currently employed y Messiah College as a full time counselor at the Engle Center for Counseling and Health Services.  Marcelle's employment background includes a rich blend of experiences in Clinical Mental Health, Social Services and Substance Use Disorders.  Her most recent job, prior to coming to Messiah, included an 8 year career in Drug & Alcohol counseling.  Marcelle is a Pennsylvania board certified Drug & Alcohol counselor (CADC), a Nationally Certified (mental health) Counselor (NCC), and she earned her master's degree in Clinical Mental Health counseling from Shippensburg University.  Marcelle has worked with high school, college and adult populations.  She has a great deal of experience in providing college students with educational information about myths and truths regarding substance use.  She is currently working on her EMDR certification and hopes to become a Licensed Professional counselor next year.

Jenny Good, PsyD, M.S.

Adjunct Instructor

JGood@messiah.edu

Dr. Jenny Good is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and earned her PsyD and MS from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Clinical Psychologist.  She also holds a Master's Degree from University of Baltimore in Counseling Psychology.  Her undergraduate work was done at Bridgewater College of Virginia.  She has been an adjunct faculty member for McDaniel College.

Dr. Good's clinical experience includes work in outpatient therapy, family-based therapy, in-home mobile therapy, school-based services, residential treatment, college counseling center, inpatient psychiatric unit, partial inpatient program and providing psychological services in nursing homes.  Dr. Good is happily married to her husband Ben, and has two children and one on the way.

Wendy Merryman, Ph.D., NCC

Adjunct Instructor

wmerryman@messiah.edu

Wendy Merryman earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Walden University. She received her Master in Education degree from Shippensburg University in school counseling and is a National Board Certified Counselor. She also holds Pennsylvania elementary and special education teaching certificates. She has worked in the field of education for over 20 years and provides leadership to various committees in the public school system.

Dr. Merryman is an adjunct professor in Messiah College’s online graduate counseling program. Her research on the relationship between psychological well-being and perceived wellness in online graduate counseling students is published in The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision.

Steve J. Schedler, LSW, CAADC

Adjunct Instructor

sschedler@messiah.edu

Steven Schedler is a licensed social worker who also holds certifications as an Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor and Clinical Supervisor through the Pennsylvania Certification Board.  He also holds the Certificate of Competency in Problem Gambling from the Board. Steven received his B.S. in Psychology from Penn State University and his Master’s of Social Work from Temple University. For over 10 years Steven has served in a variety of roles from direct care staff to Director. He is currently serving as the Clinical Supervisor for a regional provider of outpatient drug and alcohol services in central Pennsylvania.

Ili Rivera Walter, LMFT

Adjunct Instructor

IWalter@messiah.edu

Ili Rivera Walter holds a Master of Arts in marriage and family therapy from Evangelical Theological Seminary and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Family Therapy at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  She is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the states of Florida and Pennsylvania.  Ili works in private practice.  Her professional interests include the use of dialogue in therapy and teaching, as well as the application of systems theory to organizational contexts.  Ili has served as an administrator and direct provider in the field of mental health, and she specializes in couples'€™ therapy.  Ili lives with her husband, Jim, in Sunrise, FL.

Maude S. A. Yacapsin, Ed. D.

Associate Professor of Special Education

MYacapsin@messiah.edu

Dr. Maude Yacapsin earned her doctoral degree in higher education administration and teacher leadership from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb.  She holds Pennsylvania teaching certification in the areas of Special Education and Middle Level Language Arts.  Dr. Yacapsin has extensive experience in utilizing instructional technology platforms for online course delivery.  At Messiah, she teaches courses for both the special education and counseling master's degree programs as well as for the undergraduate teacher certification program. 

Her research interests include instructional technology and online course delivery models, compassion fatigue in preservice educators, and teacher leadership.  She is an active member in several professional organizations and presents at national and statewide conferences each year.  Her published work on preservice teacher stress and online professional development has gained international attention for the benefits to educators.

Alicia R. Young, Ph.D.

Adjunct Instructor

AYoung@messiah.edu

Dr. Alicia Young earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary's School of Psychology in Pasadena, CA.  She also earned a Master's in Christian Leadership from Fuller.  Her research interests include factors that promote thriving and moral development in youth with specific focus on at-risk youth and those exposed to caregiver violence.  She worked on the National Institute of Health funded Positive Youth Initiative. 

Dr. Young is a licensed psychologist currently practicing in a private group practice.  She has also worked in community mental health hospitals, research hospitals, and at Milton Hershey School.  In her clinical role, she specializes in providing individual and family therapy for children, teens, and women with a myriad of diagnostic presentations.  She conducts psycho-educational and psych-diagnostic evaluations using standardized measures to write integrative reports that are useful to the intended audience.