State of the University 2025: Guest Panelists

Eric Allard, Ph.D., is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at Cleveland State University. His main research program focuses on emotion processes and well-being across the adult lifespan. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Social and Developmental Psychology from Brandeis University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Psychology and Neuroscience at Boston College. Originally from South Dakota, Eric obtained his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Sioux Falls.

Angelica Catacutan is in her third year as a studentat Cleveland State University, working toward an integrated undergraduate degree in Design + Psychology. She is a first-generation college student from Cleveland, Ohio, with plans to pursue a career as a UX Designer after completing her degree.

Melanie Gagich, Ph.D., is the director of First-Year Writing at Cleveland State University, facilitator of the newly launched AI Teaching and Learning Lab in the Academic Support Hub, and a senior college lecturer in the Department of English. Her teaching and scholarship focus on AI literacy, multimodal composition and open educational practices. She co-authored the open-access textbook “A Guide to Rhetoric, Genre, and Success in First-Year Writing,” and her peer-reviewed work has appeared in “Writing Spaces,” “Composition Forum,” and “The Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy.”

Christopher Joyce is a third-year law student at Cleveland State University College of Law, where he is pursuing his Juris Doctor degree. He earned his bachelor's degree in history and Pre-Law from the University of Findlay. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, he is an active member of the CSU Moot Court Team, where he hones his advocacy and appellate skills. After graduation, he plans to build a career as a criminal defense attorney, dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals and serving his community through meaningful legal work.

Chris Rennison, M.Ed., serves as director of academic technologies within the Office of Instructional Excellence at Cleveland State University. His work focuses on making artificial intelligence and emerging technologies accessible and approachable so that educators and students can use them with confidence and creativity. He chairs CSU’s annual AI Symposium and curates the “AI at CSU” website. He also supports initiatives such as the Cleveland Teaching Collaborative, the AI Faculty Literacy certificate and Connected Gardens, CSU’s urban gardening initiative.

Sarah Rutherford, M.F.A., is an associate professor of Design at Cleveland State University who researches, writes and speaks about pedagogy and learning in higher education. She holds an M.F.A. from the School of Visual Communication Design at Kent State University. A Missouri native, she earned a B.F.A in Visual Communications and a B.A. in English from Truman State University. 

Rebecca Zamarripa is a third-year student at Cleveland State University, studying mechanical engineering at the Washkewicz College of Engineering. While at CSU, she has participated in the Sherwin Williams Engineering Student Success program and received a Choose Ohio First scholarship. She previously earned an associate’s degree from Cuyahoga Community College. In addition to working at Swagelok as an automation engineer in the company’s Career Development Program, she is also a proud mother to her six-year-old son.