The Institutional Review Board members serve on a volunteer basis and are profiled below.
The minimum composition of the board is established by institutional policy. The chair is a faculty member elected from within the board. The policy regarding board membership is described in the IRB Guidebook.
Chair
Timothy J. Runge, PhD, NCSP, BCBA (Pennsylvania State University)
Runge is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Runge was a school psychologist in public schools and consultant for the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network prior to his current position. Runge continues to provide consultative support to schools implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for academics and behavior. Runge is the lead on the statewide evaluation of Pennsylvania’s School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports initiative. Runge’s research interests include behavior support at the individual, classroom, and school-wide level; literacy assessment and instruction; curriculum-based assessment; and measurement of responsiveness to intervention.
Members
Kristy Chunta, PhD, RN, ACNS (West Virginia University), associate professor, Department of Nursing and Allied Health
Chunta is a licensed registered nurse (Pennsylvania) and holds certification as a clinical specialist in medical-surgical nursing. She earned her diploma in nursing from the Conemaugh School of Nursing; bachelor of science in nursing and school nurse certification from the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown; and master of science in nursing with role preparation in education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Chunta teaches undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses. She is vice president of the board of trustees for the Lucas Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides support to families who have lost a newborn. Her research interests include recovery of open-heart surgery patients, transition to clinical practice, and simulation. Chunta is a reviewer for clinical, research, and nursing education-based journals, including the American Journal of Nursing, Heart & Lung, and Nurse Education Today. She can be reached by email at kchunta@iup.edu or by phone at 724-357-2408.
Alex Heckert, PhD (University of Iowa), professor, Department of Sociology
Bethany Jackson, CRA, Director of Research Services and Compliance, School of Graduate Studies and Research
Jackson has a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Grove City College and has earned the designation of certified research administrator (RACC). She manages research policies and ethical compliance for the university, manages the IRB Manager system, and oversees the operations of the IRB Office. Jackson can be reached at bjackson@iup.edu.
Steve Kleinman, PhD (Ohio State University), Assistant Director of the Department of Communications Media
Luz Marin, ScD (University of Massachusetts, Lowell), assistant professor, Department of Safety Sciences
Richard Neff, MD (Drexel University College of Medicine), Chief Medical Officer, Indiana Regional Medical Center.
Neff trained in family medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Family Medicine and Community Health Residency in Philadelphia. Before medical school at MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine/Drexel University, he received a bachelors of arts degree in music with college honors from Earlham College, completed the course work for a master’s in music history and theory at Penn State University, and is currently working on an MBA at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Most recently, he hails from Flagstaff, Arizona, where he worked for Northern Arizona Healthcare, working in a number of positions, including as chief medical officer for Flagstaff Medical Center, serving as NAH IRB member, then its chair, as well as serving as a community member on Northern Arizona University's IRB. As part to his role supervising research, he worked to facilitate research collaborations between the university and the health system. Richard can be reached via email at rneff@indianarmc.org or by phone at 724-357-7178.
Kelli R. Paquette, EdD (Wilmington University), professor and chairperson, Department of Professional Studies in Education
Paquette is an IUP alumnus, earning her undergraduate degree in elementary education. She is a former Delaware elementary school teacher certified in grades K-6 (Pennsylvania) and grades 1-8 (Delaware), and she is also certified as an elementary school principal, reading specialist, and program specialist ESL. Paquette teaches undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses in her department. Her research interests include literacy development and research-based best instructional practices. She is a reviewer for Early Childhood Education Journal and presents at various international, national, and regional conferences. She can be reached by email at kpaquett@iup.edu. or by phone at 724-357-2400.
Margaret Reardon, PhD (Florida International University), associate professor, Department of Psychology
Reardon received her BA in psychology from State University of New York College at Geneseo, and her master's and doctoral degrees in psychology from Florida International University with a focus on legal psychology. She teaches courses in statistics and research methods at both the undergraduate and graduate level, along with undergraduate courses in her area of specialty such as Forensic Psychology and Actual Innocence. Reardon's current scholarly interests include juror evaluations of forensic evidence, perceptions of police use of force, and beliefs in justice. Reardon is a member of the American Psychology-Law Society and the Association for Psychological Science and regularly consults on legal cases involving eyewitness evidence.
Jennifer Roberts, PhD (University of Nebraska), professor, Department of Criminology
Roberts has been a long-standing member of the IRB, including serving as chair from 2014-2023. She is currently the IRB’s Expedited Reviewer. Within the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, she teaches a variety of courses across the undergraduate and graduate levels. Her research interests include the study of violence and the use of the survey methodology with criminological samples. She may be contacted by email at jroberts@iup.edu or by phone at 724-357-5610.
Mark Sloniger, PhD (University of Georgia), professor, Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Science
Mark Sloniger holds the position of professor of Exercise Science. He completed his doctorate at the University of Georgia and a post-doctoral NIH Research Training Fellowship at Duke University Medical Center. Sloniger has been recognized as an American College of Sports Medicine Fellow as a result of his research accomplishments and service to the college. He is a past president of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter of ACSM and maintains memberships within ACSM and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is certified by the NSCA as a strength and conditioning specialist. Sloniger serves the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Science through his work on various committees, which includes chairperson of the departmental Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects. Additionally, he is director of the Human Performance Laboratory housed within the department. Sloniger can be reached by email at sloniger@iup.edu or by phone at 724-357-5508.