Warren Sackler, Associate Professor

M.S., New York University; B.S., Michigan State University
Campus Address: Eastman Building (#01) 4254
Office Telephone: 585-475-5266
Email: wgsism@rit.edu or warren.sackler@rit.edu
Research interests include: cost control in foodservice.

More

Warren Sackler is an associate professor in the Hospitality and Service Management Department and has been at RIT since 1984.  His scholarly work focuses on cost control in the foodservice industry.  Sackler is also a contributor to Restaurant Startup and Growth Magazine.  Currently, Sackler is on the advisory committee for NRA for Alcohol Awareness certification and exams.

Dr. Schneider’s research interests include critical infrastructure (community resiliency & sustainability), Hazardous Materials/Process Safety, and Risk and Decision-making.

Dr. Schneider is a full professor and the Russell C. McCarthy endowed chair in CAST.  She joined RIT full time in fall 1997, creating and teaching courses in corporate EHS management system design, occupational health &  safety and risk management. She previously served CAST as the faculty associate for scholarly affairs, guiding scholarship & research with CAST.  She is the Region 2 OSHA Ed center  Technical PI, and is a member of the NIH peer review for her health and risk expertise.  She has served on the NIOSH - National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health NORA (research agenda) review committee, testified before the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure concerning infrastructure risk management, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Offshore Windfarm Safety & Health.  She also serves as treasurer of the Genesee Valley Safety Conference Board, and is a former chemist for the local hazmat team.

Previous to RIT, Dr. Schneider was the Director of EHS for ITT/Goulds Engineered products (Fluids) Division, Safety & Health Manager for Mobil, and an Environmental Engineer for ITCorp/ Eastman Kodak Company.  She earned her doctorate (Sc.D.) from UMASS Lowell, her MS in Industrial Hygiene from University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, and her BA in Comprehensive Science: Chemistry & Biology from Roberts Wesleyan College. Her recognitions include being the only person to certify three separate facilities to OSHA VPP STAR status (best in class), Commendation for meritorious service for hazmat response, NYS Pollution Prevention award, ITT excellence in engineering award and multiple nominations for the Eisenhart Award.

Michael Slifka is an assistant professor in the Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology/Packaging Science Department. He joined RIT in 2006 as a tutor in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. He is currently pursuing his doctoral degree from Purdue University. Slifka's research interests focus on changing the manner in which engineering students are taught. Additionally, he feels it is important that today's students understand the influence they can have in tomorrow's world. He works to instill a passion to change current products and technologies for better or new uses, breaking currently accepted paradigms and creating new ones.

Product design is another area of focus for Slifka. He has over 30 years in industry, 23 of which were in interdisciplinary product design crossing industries such as consumer, medical instrumentation, military, aerospace, and heavy industry products, qualifies me as a strong resource for today's students. He also serves as a research source for an aerospace company. In his work, Slifka has investigated new technologies for use in electronic products. The goal of this work is to increase the ability to effectively cool today and tomorrow's electronic/electrical systems. During this work, the manner in which products are designed was investigated and a recommendation was submitted for improving their design process to be more effective, yet vastly, more efficient.

Slifka is an active member of the American Society for Engineering Education and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He has been nominated for RIT's prestigious Eisenhart Excellence in Teaching Awards and received a PLIG Grant.

Research Interests include: changing the manner in which engineering students are taught.

Edward A. Steffens, Assistant Professor

M.B.A., B.S., Rochester Institute of Technology

Campus Address: Eastman Building (#01) 4272
Campus Telephone: 585-475-2063
Email: easism@rit.edu
Research interests include:  Leadership, Negotiation, Global Education, On Line Learning

More

Edward A. Steffens is an assistant professor in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department in the School of International Hospitality and Service Innovation.  He has been on faculty at RIT for 37 years.  Previously, he was the Director of Special Events at RIT.  Steffens interests are focused on leadership, negotiation, global education and on-line learning.  He is actively involved with the Past Presidents’ Council Rochester Visitors Industry Council, Meeting Professionals of Western NY, Meeting Professionals International, International Board of Directors, National Business Travel Association of Western NY, member of the Board and Program Chair
Steffens has earned certificates of appreciation from the RIT College Activities Board, Student Government, FITL, Visitors Industry Council, Public Relations Now Conference in the College of Liberal Arts and PhiDelta Theta Fraternity.