Also Appears on the Cannabis Cultivation Panel and Discipline Assemblage

Rob Mejia is an Adjunct Professor at Stockton University where he teaches the Introduction to Medical Cannabis and Preparation for Cannabis Internship classes. As one of the leads for the hemp/cannabis internship program he has helped place dozens of students in valuable internships. He is also creating new curriculum for the cannabis studies department focusing on social justice and cannabis and integrated cannabis media. He is often called upon to speak about cannabis at events and to diverse audiences.

Presenter of Opening and Closing Remarks

Dr. Ekaterina Sedia is currently the coordinator for Stockton's interdisciplinary Minor in Cannabis Studies. Dr. Sedia holds a Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Rutgers University, and she has been teaching classes in ecology and botany at Stockton since 2001. Her research focuses on plant and honeybee ecology.

Also Appears on the Discipline Assemblage & Summary

Marne Coit is a faculty member at NC State University, where she teaches food, agricultural and hemp law. She runs NC State Extension's Hemp Law Program. She earned a master’s degree in environmental law and a juris doctorate from Vermont Law School, and holds an LLM in food and agricultural law from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville. She is co-author of the book “Food Systems Law: An Introduction for Non-Lawyers,” published in July 2020.

Dr. Gerry Berkowitz is a professor of plant molecular and cell biology since 1996 in the Dept. Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at UConn. He teaches courses in organic vegetable production, and agricultural technology and society and cannabis. Research (funded variously by NSF, USDA, and DOE) focus includes plant cell signal transduction and response to biotic stress, publishing >100 refereed articles. Prior to his appointment at UConn, he was a Professor at Rutgers University in NJ for 13 years. He has also served as a Director of Programs in Cell Signal Transduction and Physiological Systems in the Biology Directorate for three years at the National Science Foundation.New to cannabis research, he has received funding from Connecticut MMJ grow facilities, venture capital companies, and CBD production firms; working with graduate students and dozens of undergraduates on cannabis research. Current work focuses on studying factors regulating production of cannabinoids in cannabis flowers. He developed and co-taught a course on cannabis horticulture at UConn.

Also appears on the Discipline Assemblage & Summary

Koral C. Fritz is a licensed attorney in Michigan and a professor at Lake Superior State University, where she instructs students majoring in cannabis business. In addition to cannabis business courses, Koral teaches business law, collective bargaining, and labor law. She also serves as an advisor for the student-run Cannabis Studies Club on campus. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Spanish from the University of Michigan and both a Juris Doctor and a master's degree in Food and Agriculture Law and Policy from Vermont Law School. Koral grew up in Muskegon, Michigan and she has spent time living in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Sault Sainte Marie, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. 

Jennifer Maden is the Assistant Dean and Director of Graduate Studies at the Rohrer College of Business of Rowan University. Jen has a passion for creating a shared vision among stakeholders in complex situations and building pathways to achieve goals. She is a leading team member within Rowan’s Cannabis Institute for Research, Policy, and Workforce Development, and is the Annual Conference Chair for MAACBA (Mid-Atlantic Association of Colleges of Business Administration). She is an avid gardener and is utilizing urban gardening techniques to create a compact yet thriving mini-orchard surrounded by pollinator-friendly native perennials in her backyard.

Dan Grodberg graduated from Stockton University with a Minor in Cannabis Studies in the summer of 2021. During his time at Stockton, Dan was president of the school's chapter of the Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency as well, he was a participant in helping to launch the Cannabis and Hemp Research Initiative as a part of his internship for the minor program. Currently, Dan works as a Dispensary Network Representative for Bennabis Health, a startup healthcare company helping medical cannabis patients get more affordable access to their medicine.

Tom began his Cannabis Career at Compassionate Care Foundation of New Jersey as a Project Manager in 2013 establishing internal control standards and standard operating procedures for their Medicinal Marijuana facility, shortly thereafter Tom was promoted to Dispensary Manager and later oversaw the operation of the second Medical Marijuana Facility to open in NJ. Presently Tom is a 9 year Adjunct Instructor at Stockton University who created the class “Medical Marijuana in NJ” in the fall of 2015. He is also the CEO of TAO Consulting LLC, who advises the Cannabis Industry.

Benjamin Southwell is an Assistant Professor of Bio Analytical Chemistry at Lake Superior State University. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Chemistry from Lake Superior State University (LSSU) and Central Michigan University, respectively. He teaches courses in Forensic Science, Instrumental Analysis, and Cannabis Chemistry. He has developed and taught four courses related to cannabis chemistry and lead the effort to offer a Cannabis Production Certificate at LSSU. Current work focuses on studying the analytics of cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis products as the Coordinator for the LSSU Cannabis Center of Excellence.

John Fraser is an associate attorney with Grewal Law PLLC and leads the firm’s Cannabis Law division. His practice focuses on cannabis law, business law, general litigation, sexual abuse litigation, criminal defense, and appellate law.

John regularly advises and assists entrepreneurs seeking to operate cannabis-related businesses within Michigan’s regulatory framework. He is currently serving as the Chairperson of the Cannabis Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. In addition, John is an adjunct professor of law at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School where he teaches a course on Medical Marijuana and the Law. He also regularly lectures and presents on cannabis law topics to attorneys and the community.

Dr. Lesley Judd is an Assistant Professor of Plant Science at SUNY Cobleskill. She has strived to bring cannabis education to the college; and now has a cannabis minor that includes three new cannabis courses. Her goals are to develop courses directly related to workforce development and teach the skills needed in the industry, as well as create a path for non-traditional students to take in order to gain experience and knowledge.

Samuel Haiden is a research assistant in the Berkowitz lab at UConn’s Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory, and a teaching assistant for UConn’s Horticulture of Cannabis class. He is currently studying the regulation of trichome initiation and cannabinoid biosynthesis genes by transcription factors, which are proteins that bind to DNA, modulating the production of mRNA transcripts. Previously to taking on the position of research assistant in order to earn a Master’s degree in Plant Science, Sam was a caregiver in the state of Maine, where he cultivated both marijuana and hemp for patients under Maine’s Adult Use Medical Marijuana Program. In nearly a decade of cultivating cannabis on a personal and a commercial level, Sam has had experience in indoor cultivation operations, field operations, and greenhouse operations, growing cannabis for both THC and CBD. In addition to providing cannabis products to Maine MMP patients, Sam has also acted as a consultant for commercial operations, helping them to streamline SOP’s, increase yields, reduce cost, and strengthen their IPM routines. His goals are to begin breeding cannabis cultivars with ideal chemotypes and growth characteristics for the production of a variety of commodities, by identifying genes of interest and utilizing marker-assisted selection. In addition to growing and studying cannabis, Sam also enjoys vegetable production, cooking, yoga, rock climbing, and writing. 

Marguerite Bolt is the hemp extension specialist at Purdue University in the Department of Agronomy. She received her bachelor’s degree in entomology from Michigan State University and her master’s degree in entomology from Purdue University. Her research has focused on hemp-insect interactions and plant chemistry. She is currently working on her doctorate degree in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue, focusing on disease management in outdoor grown hemp. In her role as an extension specialist, she is serving as a catalyst to link growers to production facilities and the research community through online resources, field days, and workshops. She has used several different platforms for online resources and education, including a non-credit course through Purdue Online. This course aims to help people new to the hemp industry that are interested in taking a course focused on production as well as botany and genetics of the cannabis plant, history, processing and economics. https://www.eventreg.purdue.edu/info/hemp-essentials/

Jason Wilson M.S. is a natural products scientist and educator with formal degrees in philosophy, biology, and education from the University of Mississippi and Southern Oregon University. He began developing the Curious About Cannabis workshop series back in 2013 before legitimate Cannabis degree programs existed. While in the academic world, he taught for Southern Oregon University, developed a college curriculum, and worked with the University of Georgia training Ph.D. students interested in studying Cannabis. He also helped the University of Georgia get some Cannabis testing methods going in their agricultural lab. He has interviewed many prominent scientists involved in Cannabis research and is extremely knowledgeable in many Cannabis science topics including chemistry, ECS, botany, and more.

Dr. Linda Klumpers started cannabinoid research in 2006, founded Cannify in 2016, and helped develop an online educational information tool to translate complex, scientific information about cannabis into simple reports. She is also co-founder of Verdient Science, which provides clinical and translational pharmacology expertise to improve the quality of product development and clinical testing. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professorship of Pharmacology at UVM where she teaches courses involving Cannabis and Humans and covers modes of administration, pharmacology, and the endocannabinoid system. She aims to provide objective, science-based education.

Words we can all relate to from Linda: “It’s so important to talk about evidence-based research. I want to convey this is what we know, and this is what we don’t know…I’m not trying to take sides, but I do care about people not taking science seriously.”

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindaklumpers/

Valentina Fiero recently graduated from the Cannabis Studies program and is working as a Cultivation Technician for Ayr Wellness. She has always had a passion for hands-on plant work, which led her to grow cannabis for the benefit of her community. 

Thomas Crouse graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy with his Doctorate of Pharmacy in 2019. He currently practices in a Medical Marijuana dispensary in Torrington Connecticut, where he dispenses and supervises the care of 2000 patients. He teaches Medical Marijuana classes for the state colleges and is passionate about clinical research in the field.

Kelly Judge Goldberg is an award-winning educator who teaches Restorative Justice and Cannabis, as well as Introduction to Cannabis at Olive-Harvey College (OHC). She has served as the Education Subcommittee Chair for OHC’s Cannabis Advisory Council since its inception two and a half years ago. Kelly sits on the Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Health Advisory Committee. Kelly also serves as a Youth Education Policy Group member for the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition, an Education and Policy Committee member for the Illinois Women in Cannabis, and a member of Chicago NORML. Kelly is a cannabis advocate whose passion for the plant is founded in its medicinal properties and fueled by its restorative justice potential to right the wrongs of the War on Drugs.

Enrique Lavin is publisher and editor of NJ Cannabis Insider, New Jersey’s foremost industry trade journal and events group from NJ Advance Media, which also provides content for NJ.com and The Star-Ledger newspaper. Previously, he served as NJ.com’s Opinion editor, collaborating with The Star-Ledger Editorial Board, while managing op-eds and producing town halls. Prior to NJAM, Lavin held several senior editor positions at The Star-Ledger, including AME of Features and Entertainment. A professional journalist for 30 years, he also has worked in Spanish-language media and as a Latin music and culture writer for the Los Angeles Times and other publications. He lives in Cranford, where he is raising two children with his wife of 23 years.

Jessica Gonzalez is a cannabis and trademark attorney, a cannabis adjunct professor, policy advocate and consultant. An Ecuadorian immigrant, Jessica has dedicated her career to uplifting communities harmed by cannabis prohibition through advocacy and education. In 2020, Jessica led the social impact committee for NJ CAN 2020, the coalition that ran the most successful cannabis legalization campaign in the U.S.

Through her advocacy work, Jessica has helped shape cannabis policy on the statutory, regulatory, and municipal levels in New Jersey and has helped advise on social equity efforts in over 7 different states. In 2021, Jessica gave the first cannabis industry presentation to the United States Patent and Trademark Office to educate federal trademark examiners on the state of the U.S. cannabis industry. As a cannabis attorney, Jessica has assisted clients navigate the legal cannabis industry in the areas of trademark and state licensing applications. 

Most recently, Jessica’s consulting company, Veridis Quo, was selected by the New Jersey Business Action Center to serve as the inaugural consultant to develop and launch the NJ Cannabis Training Academy.

Jessica has been recognized as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People” in Cannabis by High Time’s Magazine, “Top 40 under 40 Rising Stars” by Marijuana Venture Magazine and Cannabis Now, designated as a “Cannabis Law Trailblazer" by the National Law Journal and awarded “Community Game Changer of the Year” by NJ Cannabis Media.

Jessica is also an alumnus of the New Jersey New Leaders Council, a national organization that selects civic leaders in their respective fields. She's been quoted and featured in numerous media outlets such as New York Times, MJBIZ Daily, Rolling Stone, PBS, Cheddar, and the Cannabis Business Times. 

Alejandro Rodriguez is a 2020 graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law. He is passionate about social justice, and his passion for justice led him to join the Flynn Law Office. Alejandro is currently a Professor at the Cannabis Law Clinic, a first-of-its-kind clinic that provides pro-bono legal services to social equity applicants. Alejandro also has experience in various legal issues, including immigration, employment law, and civil rights actions. He enjoys playing basketball in his free time or hiking.

Thomas Gianfagna is a Professor in the Plant Biology Department at Rutgers-The State University of NJ. He holds a PhD in Plant Physiology from Cornell University. He teaches Introduction to Horticulture and Greenhouse Hemp Cultivation and Postharvest Processing. His research interests include postharvest disease and quality control in fruits and vegetables, and he has authored or co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed publications in Horticulture and Plant Physiology.

Steven Philpott Jr. is a Marine Corps veteran and current biological science researcher exploring the biosynthesis of secondary metabolite production in cannabis plants in response to their environment. His education in human performance and plant physiology are the foundations of his diverse experiences throughout the cannabis sector. His passion for cannabis lies within his desire to help educate about cannabis as a plant and to separate nature's creation from the stigma and misinformation of the War on Drugs.

Kyle Howard is an Assistant Professor in the chemistry department at York College of Pennsylvania. He developed a passion for teaching while completing his PhD in organic chemistry.  His research interests have shifted from organic synthesis and methodology to chemical education and using cannabis in the healthcare field.  Recently, he has worked with colleagues at YCP to develop a cannabis chemistry bachelor of sciences degree program. Kyle hopes to train the next generation of chemists in the field of cannabis research.  

Jodi Schwartz is a 20 year old senior at Stockton University. She has just finished her Holistic Health minor and will be graduating in May with a B.A in Psychology, concentration in Forensic Psychology, and minor in Cannabis Studies. She is also the founding president of Stockton’s cannabis club, Cannabis Ospreys; Creating Professionals in Cannabis and an intern for NJ Cannabis Insider. Jodi has a passion for educating society on cannabis and advocating for destigmatization, along with helping others reach their full potential while using cannabis.

My name is Jackson Rund and I'm originally from a small town 45 minutes West of Minneapolis Minnesota called Buffalo. During my junior year in high school, my home was raided by police for growing cannabis and I was facing up to 10 years if convicted. I'm blessed to say the case was dropped and I was granted the ability to pursue my passion legally. Now, I am double majoring in both the B.S. Cannabis Business program & B.S. Cannabis Chemistry program at Lake Superior State University, and I hold VP positions on the school's Student Government and Cannabis Club. Advocating for cannabis and reform of the US drug policies is something I'm very passionate about which is why I also recently established a Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) chapter at my university to be able to spread correct education to my peers as well as provide tools and the best ways to promote harm reduction. I'm very excited to be involved in this industry and I believe that we're all going to play small parts in the large wave of change that is coming.

With multifaceted experiences stemming from operations management to emerging business strategy, Faye is a strategic leader who thrives in challenging situations, including complex negotiations, international business and acquisitions, new business process implementation, and workforce sustainability.Before launching PG Partners, LLC, a subsidiary of Pure Genesis, LLC, Faye began her agile career successfully serving in diverse leadership capacities with Kraft General Foods, Campbell Soup, and Vlasic Foods International. As a creative business partner and respected team builder, Faye successfully transitioned into retail leadership with the Home Depot, Target, and CVS Pharmacy where she led significant market teams to drive business excellence through global go to market strategies, supply chain optimization, customer engagement, pharmacy operations as well as diversity and inclusion, while leading team first.Today Faye serves as a multi-state cannabis operator, educator and consultant offering safe, quality-driven, and efficacious products and services, with business-centric engagement. As Co-founder and CEO of a Minority & Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE), Faye’s mission is to provide education, access, and advocacy through broad-ranging community first business streams. Faye’s diversity of support and leadership, coupled with her ability to start, grow and run several business entities has also prepared her for the development and soon to be launched line of CBD products that PG will bring to market in 2021.A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Faye was the first African American female to graduate from the school of Industrial Engineering from West Virginia University. She earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Saint Joseph's University and Executive Education certifications in supply chain management and product development from The Harvard Business School.

Hugh Giordano’s union interest was sparked when he was a student and employee of Philadelphia University in 2001. It was here that he helped lead two organizing campaigns to unionize the dining service employees at the school, and encouraged his adjunct professors to speak to the American Federation of Teachers in order to organize. At age 24, Hugh ran for State Representative in Pennsylvania, garnishing the most votes of any third-party candidate in a three-way race. Hugh became a member of UFCW Local 152 as a deli clerk at Brown’s ShopRite in Roxborough, Pennsylvania while he finished college in 2005. While working for Brown’s, he interned with both Local 1776 and Local 152.Today, Hugh is a Union Representative/Organizer for UFCW Local 152, meeting potential new members and encouraging unions across the tri-state region. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Philadelphia University and a master’s degree in Legal and Ethical Studies from the University of Baltimore.Most recently, Hugh has helped pass major labor legislation in New Jersey to make it easier for workers to join a union, specifically in cannabis.

Michael Zaytsev is the Academic Director of LIM College’s Business of Cannabis degree programs, the first accredited Business of Cannabis Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs offered in New York State.

Mike Z has been a committed and impactful Cannabis education advocate since 2014, when he founded High NY, now one of the world’s largest cannabis community education and business networking groups. 

 

As an executive advisor and business coach, Zaytsev has supported leaders at Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bain & Company, Microsoft, Google and across the Cannabis industry. He is a top-rated mentor at Founder Institute and has served as a Cannabis Industry Mentor for the National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps. Michael Zaytsev is also the bestselling author of "The Cannabis Business Book." 

 

Prior to discovering his calling in Cannabis, Mike Z began his career at J.P. Morgan and Google. His mission is to end Cannaphobia through education and to build community through Cannabis. He's a proud alumnus of Stuyvesant High School, Claremont McKenna College, and the Quantic School of Business and Technology. 

Paul Seaborn is an Assistant Professor of Management at the McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia. In 2014, while at the University of Denver, he published one of the first-ever teaching cases on the marijuana industry and in 2017 developed and taught the first-ever Business of Marijuana course at any AACSB-accredited business school. He is also a co-founder of The CannaTech Group, a cannabis technology advisory firm.

Tauhid Chappell is an Executive Board Member and a credentialed Parliamentarian of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, the first and oldest association of Black journalists in the country.

An 8-year veteran of the media industry, he’s worked as a social media editor at The Washington Post, joined the Philadelphia Inquirer as an audience engagement editor, then moved to the Free Press, a media policy nonprofit focused on equitable access for broadband and internet, the break up of media conglomerates, equity and reparations in media and the defense against government surveillance. 

After organizing two cannabis conferences focused on media and equity in Philadelphia, he's combined forces with dozens of stakeholders and has organized the Philadelphia CannaBusiness Association, Pennsylvania's first Black-owned, Black-led cannabis nonprofit aimed at healing the damage done by cannabis prohibition and mass incarceration. 

Bonnie Rabin teaches the Introduction to Hemp and Medical Cannabis Course each semester at the University of Cincinnati. It is an integral part of the 15- credit Cannabis Studies Certificate offered to all its students.  

Bonnie is an educator in the cannabis “field” since 2018. She established her own business: Medical Marijuana Patient Care to educate physicians, patients, caregivers and the public. At the Ohio Marijuana Physicians Association, she trained physicians and wrote the Industry News Blog.  Bonnie uses community organizing skills “cultivated” during her master’s program in social work at Boston University to create active Medical Marijuana Meetup branches throughout Ohio. These networking events bring together patients, healthcare professionals and business owners to educate everyone, reduce the stigma and ignite us all. 

This educator’s mottos are “The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see” (by Alexander K. Trenfor) and “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” (by Mahatma Gandhi).  

John W. Lipford, J.D. is an Affiliate Professor of Instruction in Grand Valley State University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program.  He holds undergraduate degrees from Miami University (OH) in journalism and psychology, a master's degree in higher education and adult learning from GVSU, and a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law. Prior to beginning his career with GVSU in 2010, John practiced employment, civil rights, and insurance law in Michigan and represented individual plaintiff litigants, as well as individual and corporate defendants, in a variety of cases.

 

At GVSU, John has historically instructed human resource management, hospitality law and legislation, and geotourism courses. Most recently, John designed new curricula and stackable credentialing in cannabis operations at GVSU (badge, certificate, and minor). These are interdisciplinary and community-focused, and novel to higher education in both Michigan and the U.S., with respect to their focus on hospitality and tourism infusions within communities.

Relevant to students from diverse academic disciplines, these curricula also examine a variety of topics, including American history, law, human resources, economics, international studies and more. Students explore cannabis through the lens of community health and addiction, social and restorative justice, and how to be a responsible operator when it comes to regulating both employee, guest, and medicinal use of cannabis.

 

Virginia Moore is an Assistant Professor at Cornell University in the School of Integrative Plant Science. Her research focuses on plant breeding for sustainable cropping systems and includes hemp, forages, cover crops, and perennial grains.

Dr. Ara Karakashian (Dr. K) has been the Dean of the School of Business, Culinary Arts, & Hospitality Management since 2020. Dr. K has taught Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, Business, & Humanities courses since 2007. He has also coordinated the culinary arts and baking & pastry programs at the college. Currently, Dr. K is also leading the Accounting, Baking and Pastry, Supply Chain Management, and Cannabis programs at the college.  

Recently, Dr. K has led the implementation of Cannabis curriculum at HCCC. Working with 4 local retail dispensaries, he helped negotiate agreements to provide for co-marketing opportunities, special events, scholarships, externships, and preferential employment of HCCC graduates. Recently, the Board of Trustees of HCCC approved an agreement with LIM College in New York City, serving as one of the first articulation agreements for cannabis between a community college and a baccalaureate-granting institution in the United States.   

 

Dr. K is a graduate of Rowan University and Johnson & Wales University and most recently completed the Diversity & Inclusion Certificate program with Cornell University. He is a first-generation college graduate who believes in establishing opportunities, fostering success, and launching successful futures for all graduates. 

Natalie Cox, MA, PhD, is a professor of anthropology at City College of San Francisco. Her research focuses on the immigration challenges faced by Bay Area African immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Her teaching interests include cultural and medical anthropology, the anthropology of religion, biological anthropology, and the anthropology of cannabis.

Matthew DeBacco is a three-time University of Connecticut graduate, receiving his Bachelor of Science primary major in Pathobiology and a secondary major in Horticulture along with a minor in Molecular and Cellular Biology. He continued on to earn a Masters in Agronomy studying organic suppression of powdery mildew in cucurbits and analysis of the degradation of fiber pots in a field plot setting. From there he pursued an additional Masters in Education at UConn, followed by a Ph. D. in Education completed through Ashford University.

He has worked with growers across Connecticut with nutrient management plans and one-on-one consulting. This required diagnosing plant problems while offering guidance for growers and providing reports for grower alerts. In addition to this, he has taught five different college courses at the University of Connecticut, with the most recent being the nation's first Cannabis Horticulture course offered at a public university.

As a hobby, he enjoys growing giant pumpkins and has held the Connecticut state record twice, with his largest being 1,885.5 pounds.

Dr. Steven Johnson earned his PhD in chemistry from Michigan Technological University focusing on heterologous expression of proteins. After completing a postdoctoral position working on the use of the botulinum toxin for the delivery of therapeutic cargo to neural cells, he accepted a faculty position at the University of New England.

In 2013, Dr. Johnson returned to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to join the faculty at Lake Superior State University. During his time at LSSU, he has served as co-chair for the School of Physical Science, chair for the School of Science and Medicine, and now, as Dean for the College of Science and the Environment. As Dean, LSSU introduced a bachelor’s degree in Cannabis Chemistry, which prepares graduates for the burgeoning cannabis sector in the State of Michigan and beyond.

 

To meet the State of Michigan’s emerging needs for cannabis testing, LSSU introduced its bachelor’s degree in Cannabis Chemistry in 2019. Shortly thereafter, an associate’s degree in Cannabis Science, certificate in Cannabis Production, and a bachelor’s degree in Cannabis Business were added.

To support the degrees, LSSU opened the Cannabis Center of Excellence, which contains an analytical lab, processing lab, and hemp growth laboratory. The center contains well over 3 million dollars in state of the art instrumentation. Over the last four years, LSSU has positioned itself as a leader in cannabis education while supporting and collaborating with the cannabis industry. Our in house capacity extends beyond chemistry, with expertise in business, sociology, and law, to mention a few.

Jonathan Jankowski is an Instructional Support Assistant at SUNY Morrisville in the horticulture department and is directly involved with most cannabis labs and activities on campus, instructing the lab sections for CANA 101 and CANA 301 in which the students get a hands-on experience in all aspects of the cannabis plant from seeds to sale.

CANA 101 is in the fall semester and the students study the plants in a research and demonstrations plot looking at growth habits, flower development, stigma and trichome changes, as well all learn harvesting and drying and packaging techniques.

In CANA 301 during the spring semester students in lab grow a plant from seed to harvest indoors in a tent learning several lighting, environment, and nutrient properties. In addition, students do ethanol extraction and rosin pressing to demonstrate value added processes using the falls harvested product. Jonathan Jankowski works hand and hand with Professor Kelly Hennigan.

Dr. Magnus Thorsson is a professor of Entrepreneurship in the College of Business at Johnson & Wales University where he has been a faculty member since 2011.

 

Magnus holds a Ph.D. in Hospitality Management from Iowa State University and a Masters in teaching from Bennington College. His research interest is consumer motivations for innovations. For his dissertation Magnus studied consumer psychographics relating to sustainable practices in service entities.

 

Magnus has managed operations in the service industry over the last 30 years including kitchens at NY Hilton, in-room dining services at the Washington, DC Hilton, and specialty food retail stores in VA. In 2000 magnus purchased a 30-room ski-lodge in VT which he ran successfully until he joined academia in 2011. During this time Magnus also launched several successful entrepreneurial ventures.

 

Concurrent with his professional career, Magnus has operated as a policy entrepreneur in municipal roles since becoming an American citizen in 2005. He won two consecutive elections to serve as Town Selectman in Dover, VT serving on issues of economic development and environmental resources. In Barrington, RI Magnus serves to advice Town Council on resilience, renewable energy, and policy implementation including first police service EV in RI.       

 

In 2017 Magnus proposed a program in Cannabis Entrepreneurship at Johnson & Wales University. The four-year major combines the theories of entrepreneurship with the practice of cultivating cannabis. Students learn hands on botanic practices as well as pitching conceptual value creation. The innovative program is the first of its kind in the world.

Her current areas of research are statistical approaches for clinical and pharmaceutical data, Models for health sciences and biological data, and educational research. Dr. Pontiggia joined University of the Sciences in 2005 as Assistant Professor of Statistics, got promoted to Associate Professor in 2012 and Full Professor in 2016 and she also served in several administrative roles. In July 2020 she joined Thomas Jefferson University and she is currently the Associate Dean of Academic Programs for the College of Health Professions and Professor. During her tenure as a faculty, she has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in statistics and she has also been very active in research with numerous collaborations that resulted in more than 40 peer-reviewed publications. After joining Thomas Jefferson University, Dr. Pontiggia spearheaded the creation of the MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Business that was launched in Fall 2021.

Learn more at:

○       https://www.jefferson.edu/academics/colleges-schools-institutes/health-professions/emerging-health-professions/faculty-staff/faculty/Pontiggia.html

○       https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-pontiggia-9412574/

Dr. Magnus Thorsson is a professor of Entrepreneurship in the College of Business at Johnson & Wales University where he has been a faculty member since 2011.
Magnus holds a Ph.D. in Hospitality Management from Iowa State University and a Masters in teaching from Bennington College. His research interest is consumer motivations for innovations. For his dissertation Magnus studied consumer psychographics relating to sustainable practices in service entities.
Magnus has managed operations in the service industry over the last 30 years including kitchens at NY Hilton, in-room dining services at the Washington, DC Hilton, and specialty food retail stores in VA. In 2000 magnus purchased a 30-room ski-lodge in VT which he ran successfully until he joined academia in 2011. During this time Magnus also launched several successful entrepreneurial ventures.
Concurrent with his professional career, Magnus has operated as a policy entrepreneur in municipal roles since becoming an American citizen in 2005. He won two consecutive elections to serve as Town Selectman in Dover, VT serving on issues of economic development and environmental resources. In Barrington, RI Magnus serves to advice Town Council on resilience, renewable energy, and policy implementation including first police service EV in RI.       
In 2017 Magnus proposed a program in Cannabis Entrepreneurship at Johnson & Wales University. The four-year major combines the theories of entrepreneurship with the practice of cultivating cannabis. Students learn hands on botanic practices as well as pitching conceptual value creation. The innovative program is the first of its kind in the world.

Multi-faceted professional and scholar with a passion for information science research, experiential education, and entrepreneurialism. Research interests and focus include the hemp industry, cannabis informatics, information practices of cannabis nurses, and knowledge management. Adjunct professor for the Rutgers School of Communication & Information undergraduate IT and Informatics program and Masters of Information program. National teaching team member for the NSF I-Corps - Northeast Hub. Executive experience in strategic and operational roles in HR Technology and market research. Successful innovator and entrepreneur in high-tech staffing, online recruiting, and talent management.

 

Learn more at:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/connie-pascal-phd-67a110/