2017 Conference Speakers

Clinical psychologist Dr. Joël Núñez has impacted thousands with his unique presentations and writings.  With a talent for translating complex psychological principles into understandable, practical elements that readily apply to his audiences--be they mental health professionals, seasoned educators, or students of all ages--the insights he shares are timeless, contemporary, and deeply resonant.  His passion for empowering learners of all backgrounds to discover, harness, and develop their potential will be evident from his first contact with your group until long after the last.

He is a New Jersey state licensed clinical psychologist. In 1996, he earned a Bachelor's Degree with Honors in Psychology from Drew University in Madison, NJ. He earned a full scholarship to study psychology at Penn State University in University Park, PA. As a graduate student, he was awarded the prestigious Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans on the basis of scholarly merit, academic promise, and potential to contribute to public life in America. Dr. Núñez graduated in 2003 with a Ph.D. in Psychology. He completed his pre-doctoral clinical internship at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/UMDNJ in Piscataway, NJ. Following internship, he worked as a bilingual clinical psychologist at an inpatient psychiatric hospital in Secaucus, NJ, earning his license to practice psychology in 2006. Thereafter, Dr. Núñez worked as a consultant psychologist at a residential facility in Totowa, NJ, where he treated adolescents and adults living with developmental disabilities, severe and persistent mental illness, and other life challenges. He also provided clinical supervision for psychologists-in-training at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Most recently, Dr. Núñez has opened a private practice in Bayonne, NJ where he treats individuals, couples, and families facing various challenges in living. Finally, Dr. Núñez serves as an elder at the Cityline Church of Jersey City where he teaches and provides professional pastoral counseling. He, his wife, and three children live in Northern New Jersey. 

Greg is the Training Manager for Desert Waters Correctional Outreach. Prior to that he worked for Oregon State Corrections nearly his entire adult life—a total of more than 34 years—after graduating from Oregon State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He started his career at the Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP) as an academic counselor in 1975, and became the Staff Training Coordinator at OSP shortly thereafter. He later served as the Leadership Program Manager and as Staff Training/Professional Development Administrator for the Oregon DOC. He was their Labor Relations Administrator when he retired in 2009. His concern for the professional and life skills of the corrections workforce has been his motivation throughout his career. He developed the Six Moving Parts Model of Correctional Employee Training Effectiveness (a research-based system that describes the crucial elements that agencies must have in place in order to ensure efficient and effective use of staff training resources), and coauthored the employee journal entitled Processing Corrections Work. Greg has also instructed at the university and community college levels, and after his retirement, facilitated inmate Parenting classes at OSP.

Michael Pittaro, Ph.D is a 28-year criminal justice veteran, highly experienced in working with criminal offenders. Before pursuing a career in higher education, Dr. Pittaro worked in corrections administration; has served as the Executive Director of a county outpatient drug and alcohol facility; and as Executive Director of a county drug and alcohol prevention agency. 
 
Dr. Pittaro has been teaching at the university level (online and on-campus) for the past 15 years while also serving internationally as an author, editor, presenter, and subject matter expert. Dr. Pittaro holds a BS in Criminal Justice (Who’s Who Among University Students – 1989); an MPA in Public Administration (Summa Cum Laude); and a Ph.D in criminal justice (4.0 GPA – Magna Cum Laude). Dr. Pittaro has contributed to nearly 50 book and scholarly journal publications and serves on three International Editorial Advisory Boards, including the International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, the International Journal of Cyber Criminology, and Elsevier Publishing. He has also served for the past three years as a program committee member of the South Asian Society of Criminology and Victimology and as a federal grant peer reviewer for the United States Department of Justice and National Institute of Justice. Dr. Pittaro also serves as a corrections subject matter expert with Pearson publishing, Savant Learning, McGraw Hill, Cengage Learning, and countless others. He is a regular contributor to In Public Safety, Corrections One, the Huffington Post, and is often interviewed on Tier Talk Internet radio. 
 
Dr. Pittaro is a full-time Assistant Professor with American Military University and adjunct professor with East Stroudsburg University.

Please visit this link to learn more about Dr. Pittaro's expertise in corrections and transformational leadership:  Link