Social Sciences Faculty

Colby-Sawyer's social sciences and education professors are trained experts, educators and practitioners who have spent years studying, researching and working with groups and individuals.

They have published and presented on a variety of significant cultural topics and issues including developmental disabilities, criminology, gender and sexuality, addiction, abuse, poverty and economic inequality — and they invite you join in their research while encouraging you to make your own discoveries in subject areas that matter to you. Small classes help faculty get to know you as they advise you in academics as well as career planning and graduate school options.

 

Rosa Cho

Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences
603.526.3881 | rosa.cho@colby-sawyer.edu

Professor Cho is a researcher with experience in human rights advocacy and various social justice areas. She has worked across a wide variety of NGOs, including Amnesty International USA, Re:Gender (formerly, the National Council for Research on Women), and grassroots social service organizations. Her research interests are on poverty, inequality, labor, and qualitative research – especially as they intersect with race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class in the U.S. and globally. Read more.

R. Todd Coy

Professor, Department of Social Sciences
603.526.3636 | rcoy@colby-sawyer.edu

Professor Coy joined the faculty in 2005. He earned his Ph.D. from Tufts University and his B.A. from the University of Houston. His teaching areas include biological psychology, drugs and behavior, human sexuality, research methods and statistics. His general research interests include the biological basis of behavior and psychopharmacology including nicotine and caffeine. Read more

Kathleen P. Farrell

Professor, Department of Social Sciences
603.526.3660 | kfarrell@colby-sawyer.edu

Joined the faculty in 2009. Honors B.A. in sociology from Trinity College; C.T. and Ph.D. in sociology from Syracuse University. Professor Farrell's primary research and teaching interests include gender and sexualities, with an emphasis on inequality studies. In her courses, Professor Farrell focuses on the interdisciplinary and practical implications of sociology. Read more

Amy Lyon

Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences
603.526.3658 | amy.lyon@colby-sawyer.edu

Amy Lyon joined the faculty in 2018 and landed her dream job as a full-time professor at her alma mater. She earned her master’s degree at Dartmouth College and her doctorate in educational leadership at New England College. After working for 33 years in the public-school setting, she is now “teaching teachers,” and is able to share her wealth of practical knowledge and experience with her students. Read more

Alberto Cabrera, PhD, LCSW

Assistant Professor of Social Work, Department of Social Sciences
alberto.cabrera@colby-sawyer.edu

Alberto joined the faculty in 2026. He holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Houston, an MSW from Baylor University and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Houston. Alberto's research agenda centers on dismantling barriers to mental health care within marginalized communities, with specialized focus on empirically supported treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As a mental health therapist and scholar-practitioner, he is committed to advancing culturally responsive, evidence-based interventions that address systemic disparities and improve treatment outcomes for underserved populations. Read more

Laura Krishnan-Mackie

Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences
603.526.3658 | amy.lyon@colby-sawyer.edu

Laura joined Colby-Sawyer in 2024. She received her MSW degree from Smith College and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Springfield College. Laura worked as a clinical social worker in community-based and university mental health settings for nearly a decade before entering higher education in social work in 2020. Read more

Russ Medbery

Professor, Department of Social Sciences
603.526.3870 | rmedbery@colby-sawyer.edu

Professor Medbery joined the faculty in 2001. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in exercise and sport science, an M.S. from Purdue University in kinesiology with a sport psychology specialization, and a B.S. from Trinity College in psychology. Read more

Anne Ouwerkerk, EdD

Assistant Professor, Child Development 

Anne Ouwerkerk joined the faculty at Colby-Sawyer College in 2026 as assistant professor of child development. She earned a doctorate in Pre-K-12 leadership from New England College, a master's in education from Antioch University New England and a bachelor's in child studies and early childhood education from Concordia University. She also holds a graduate certificate in nature-based early childhood education and autism spectrum disorders.  Read more

Viola Schmid-Doyle, Ed.D.

Clinical Director and Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences 
603.526.3676 | viola.schmiddoyle@colby-sawyer.edu  

Viola Schmid-Doyle joined the faculty as clinical director and assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences in 2026. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching at Washington University in St. Louis and her Doctor of Education in curriculum, teaching, learning and leadership at Northeastern University. Read more

Mikaela Scozzafava

Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences
mikaela.scozzafava@colby-sawyer.edu

Dr. Scozzafava joined the faculty in 2025. She holds a Ph.D. in human development and family studies from Iowa State University, an M.A. in education and human development from the University of Colorado Denver and a B.A. in psychology from Keene State College. While working as a substitute teacher during her master's studies in Denver, she realized her passion for teaching and working with students to support their growth. Before coming to Colby-Sawyer College, she was a lecturer at UC Denver and Iowa State University. Read more

Kate Turcotte

MSW Program Director,
Professor, Department of Social Sciences
603.526.3750 | kate.turcotte@colby-sawyer.edu

Professor Turcotte joined the Social Sciences and Education department in 2013. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of New Hampshire and teaches Introductory Sociology, Social Problems, Social Theory, Sociology Through Film and Race and Ethnic Relations. Professor Turcotte's areas of interest include poverty, issues associated with economic and social inequality, as well as individual and community well-being. Read more