Faculty

Department Chair

Stephanie Malinenko, MBA

Department Chair and Associate Professor, Health Promotion

M.B.A., Medaille College; B.S., Buffalo State College

Phone: 716-566-7841

Office: DS345D

Prior to joining the faculty at ̨��Swag, Stephanie was the Executive Director of the Western New York Service Learning Coalition, a network of 10 colleges and universities and over 140 community organizations dedicated to student engagement. Previous to this, she spent over a decade working in the areas of community health and non-profit management. She was responsible for designing, implementing and evaluating community-based programs for frail elders. During that time, she secured and administered over 1.6 million dollars in local and national grants aimed at providing preventative community-based services to frail seniors in order to increase their ability to live independently and delay institutionalized care. In 2008, Stephanie was honored to be selected as one of Business First of Buffalo’s 40 Under 40.

Paulette M. Niewczyk, MPH, PHD

Associate Professor, Health Promotion

Ph. D. Sociology - University at Buffalo; M.P.H. - University at Buffalo; B.S. Psychology - Buffalo State College

Email: pniewczy@daemen.edu

Phone: 716-839-8358

Office: SH101

Paulette Niewczyk is an Associate Professor in the Health Promotion program at ̨��Swag College. Her publications include works investigating inequalities in health and health care and patterns of disease and disability both locally and nationally. She has been involved in research including: cross-cultural studies of suicide, social, behavioral, environmental and genetic factors that contribute to the high rates of asthma in Western New York, and investigating the functional outcomes of medical rehabilitation.

Rebecca Romano Besch, M.S., ATC, CSCS, PES

Clinical Assistant Professor of Athletic Training and Health Promotion

M.S. Athletic Training - California University of Pennsylvania; B.S. Athletic Training - Canisius College

Email: rbesch@daemen.edu

Phone: 716-566-7820

Office: DS345E

Professor Rebecca Romano Besch is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and a Performance Enhancement Specialist. As an Athletic Trainer, Professor Besch has worked with student athletes in a variety of settings. These experiences have driven her work as an educator. She is excited to help mold future athletic trainers and health & fitness professionals into people who will serve and care for others with knowledge and empathy. Professor Besch also enjoys serving as a community and professional rescuer First Aid and CPR/AED instructor.

Justine Tutuska, MPH, LMT, CEIM

Associate Professor, Health Promotion

M.P.H. / Health Promotion Concentration, San Diego State University; B.A. Psychology - State University of New York College at Oswego; NY State License in Massage Therapy - New York Institute of Massage

Email: jtutuska@daemen.edu

Phone: 716-839-8556

Office: SH101

Justine is passionate about community level approaches to health promotion with a particular interest in maternal child health and global initiatives. Past projects have focused on sexual health, HIV education, counseling/testing and prevention, and drug and alcohol prevention initiatives. Justine has created and led international service learning opportunities for the past 7 years, allowing students to explore and reflect upon global citizenship opportunities in Tanzania, Kenya, the Dominican Republic and Uganda. Her teaching emphasizes the importance of holistic approaches, community involvement, civic responsibility and cultural competence. Justine is also a Certified Educator of Infant Massage and the Vice President of the Board of Infant Massage USA, the US Chapter of the International Association of Infant Massage.