Advisory Council
Mission Statement
The Kutztown University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council supports the mission of the College as it fosters personal, civic, and professional growth that will guide students to meaningful careers and lives of purpose. Council members offer their expertise and active support to the dean in promoting the College and University, with an eye to strengthening relations with alumni, community organizations, industry partners, and others who believe in the power of education to transform lives and communities.
responsibilities
Advisory Council members will act as advocates, ambassadors, advisors, and philanthropic supporters.
Advocates: Vocally support CLAS and Kutztown University. Champion the value of a twenty-first century college education rooted in the liberal arts that provides interdisciplinarity, meaningful coursework, and experiential learning to help students lead lives of purpose and ongoing growth in an increasingly complex world.
Ambassadors: Contribute to a networked community by fostering connections between alumni contacts, community groups, workplaces, and others who may form mutually beneficial relationships with our CLAS community.
Advisors: Provide feedback and suggestions to the dean during and between Advisory Council meetings, especially regarding promoting CLAS, creating opportunities for students, and facilitating relationships with alumni and regional partners.
Philanthropists: Offer a suggested annual donation of $250 or more to the CLAS Foundation fund to support College scholarships, programs, and experiential learning. This gift and advocacy can be made during the 1866 Minute Giving Challenge each fall where you can also encourage others to support the CLAS mission. Additional contributions and advocacy for University initiatives or affinity groups of interest can be supported year round based on your philanthropic goals.
Commitment and Communication
Meetings: At least three times per year (fall semester, spring semester, and summer), with at least one of these meetings held in person. If a Council member cannot participate in two consecutive meetings, the dean will schedule a time to touch base.
Additional Interactions: Invitations to events, occasional requests for feedback, periodic communications about CLAS activities and achievements, and other communication depending on Council members’ interests and ideas.
Terms: Three years, to begin on July 1, with renewal possible for a second term.
Advisory Council Members
Rob Reeder
Rob Reeder is a 1996 graduate of Kutztown University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, minored in history, graduated with high honors, and played on the men's soccer team and rugby team. He also holds a Master of Arts in English from Duquesne University. Rob has worked at Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institue since April 2016 as a Software Documentation Specialist, developing cybersecurity training, technical documentation, and quality-assurance processes. Previously, he managed technical communication, corporate testing, information technology management, technical support, corporate communications, and custom service. Rob was recently appointed to KU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Advisory Council. He has also been a fly-fishing guide and instructor for many years in western and central Pennsylvannia.
Layshan Gilliard
Layshan Gilliard earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Kutztown University and a master's degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from West Chester University. She is the Director of Engagement at the Lenfest Scholars Foundation, where she leads scholars and alumni engagement initiatives, community partnerships, and events that support nearly 600 Scholars and Alums across Pennsylvannia. Her career has focused on higher education, student success, and nonprofit leadership, with previous experience at the University of Pennsylvannia, Campus Philly, and Reading Area Community College. Layshan has remained connected to Kutztown by returning to campus to speak with the Advisory Board. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, Marvel movies, plants, and music.
Grant Fickes
Dr. Grant Fickes graduated with honors from Kutztown University in 2019, earning a B.S. in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science and receiving the Chambliss Gold Medal. He later earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of South Carolina and served as a research mathematician with the United States Department of Defense before joining Atombeam Technologies, a California-based technology startup, where he is a Senior Research Analyst. In his current role, Grant combines the mathematical and computational skills he developed at Kutztown to design and provide theoretical foundations for innovative software algorithms. He and his wife, whom he met at KU, live in York, Pennsylvannia. Grant enjoys returning to campus to speak with students and faculty, and in his free time he enjoys tending to his 15-acre property, woodworking, spending time with family, and playing the saxophone, an acitivity that provided many memorable experiences during his time at KU.
Richard Courtney
Dr. Richard S. Courtney holds a Bachelor's degree in Earth Science and a Master's in Geography, both from California State University, Northridge. His doctorate in Geography is from The Ohio State University. Dr. Courtney began his KU career as a one-year full-time temporary faculty member in the Department of Geography. He was then hired as a tenure-track assistant professor. Later he was promoted to Associate Professor. During his KU tenure, Dr. Courtney chaired the department for 18 years and co-chaired ChairNet(the meeting group for all KU deparmtent chairs) for over ten. He also served many years on the Committee on Committees. He retired after 31 years in KU in August of 2025. Dr. Courtney remains a Kutztown resident, and he is pleased to assist the CLAS Advisory Council.
Nancy Kostas
Nancy graduated from Wilson College with a BA in Biology. She was offered a teaching position at her local high school without any teaching credentials. While teaching she fulfilled these with a Masters in Secondary Education from Kutztown State College. Later she earned a Doctor of Education degree from Lehigh University. Her entire career of almost 39 years was in teaching high school biology. During those years she served as a department chair as well as on committees for Middle States evaluation and reorganizing the curriculum into career pathways, and teaming students. Nancy served on Wilson's Alumni Association Board and received an award for her contributions to the revitalization of the college. She also served on the Board of Trustees during which it voted to become a coed college. Her volunteer activites include museum docent, planning for and working at a history day camp for children, president of her retirement community's resident council and landscape chair.
Gary Duckwall
Gary Duckwall retired as Global HR Director at Minerals Technologies Inc. in October 2025 after a 33 year career in manufacturing management, human resources and organizational development. Prior to that, he was employed at PPG Industries for 10 years in engineering and management roles. He earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and an MBA in Management and Organizational Behavior from Georgia State University. Throughout his career, Gary focused on designing and implementing high performance work systems that empower and provide growth opportunities for employees, develop effective leaders while optimizing product quality and productivity. He has extensive facilitation and training experience in North America, Asia, Europe and South America. Gary's daughter, Amanda, graduated from Kutztown University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design. His son, Joe, earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Bucknell and a M.S. in Software Engineering from Penn State. A native of Wisconsin, Gary now lives in Kutztown with his wife Lise and hopes to share his learnings and experiences with the students and staff at KU.
Jonathan Fernezan
A proud Kutztown University alumnus with a B.S. in Information Technology, Jonathan is a software engineer at Guardian Life, specializing in backend development and automation. Beginning as an intern, Jonathan progressed through the company's early career program to assume a full-time engineering role. As a U.S Army Veteran, Jonathan brings discipline and dedication to all pursuits, including service as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Whitehall Fire Department. Jonathan demonstrates a passion for public service alongside technical exellence. Jonathan remains actively engaged with Kutztown University, having hosted job shadows for students at the Guardian Life office in Bethlehem, spoken at the university, and mentored university students.
Julie Schenck-Brown
Julie Schenck-Brown, a Licensed Master Social Worker, received her Bachelors in Social Work from Kutztown University in 1993 and her Master of Social Work from the University of Kentucky in 1997. She has almost 30 years of professional practice in mental health and medical settings, with experience in program development and research. Julie facilitates the Crisis Intervention Team program for Huntsville Police Department (Alabama) to optimize the City's response to behavioral health crisis situations. Julie attributes her education from Kutztown as being vital to working with community partners on crisis reform and reducing stigma associated with mental illness. A Fellow of the National Speleogical Society, Julie serves as the Chair of their Preserves and & Acquisitions Committee, Julie enjoys cave exploration and surveying as a hobby, which she started as a freshman at Kutztown under the encouragment of her mentor, the late Dr. Percy H. Dougherty, Professor Emeritus.