Hilbert announces new faculty appointments

HAMBURG – Hilbert College has announced the hiring of five new full time professors. Michael Barry, MS (cybersecurity), Kristen Connolly, Ph.D. (criminal justice), Andrew Hill, Ph.D. (biology), Patrick Johnson, CPA (accounting/business), and John Payne, MS (forensic science) have been named assistant professors.  

Michael Barry, who earned his master’s degree in computer science from Nova Southeastern University and a bachelor’s in computer science and statistics from the University at Buffalo, joins the cybersecurity faculty as visiting assistant professor. He has previously served as a lecturer in computer information systems at Buffalo State College; an assistant professor in computer repair technology at Erie Community College, and an adjunct lecturer in computer science at the State University of New York at Geneseo.

Kristen Connolly, Ph.D., who will be an assistant professor of criminal justice, earned her doctorate in sociology at the University at Buffalo. She received her master’s degree from Buffalo State and her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Hilbert College. Connolly has taught at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State College, and Daemen College. Her research and teaching interests include the following topics: criminology, drugs and society, sociology of law, inequality and diversity, race and racism, and medical sociology.

Andrew Hill, Ph.D., joins Hilbert as assistant professor of biology. Most recently, he served as a visiting assistant professor at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. He previously served as full time adjunct lecturer at the University of Florida and visiting assistant professor at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.  Prior to these faculty positions, Hill was a research associate at the University of Chicago and the University of Arizona. He received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a bachelor’s degree in zoology/animal biology from the University of Rhode Island.

Patrick Johnson, CPA, will serve as an assistant professor of accounting/business at Hilbert. He received his master of business administration in Accounting and Finance from St. Bonaventure University and a bachelor’s in Business Administration in Accounting from Niagara University. Most recently, he served as associate professor at Medaille College in Buffalo, teaching both at the undergraduate and graduate level. Previously, Johnson held positions with a local accounting firm and at BlueCross of Western New York.

John Payne, previously adjunct instructor in forensic science/crime scene investigation at Hilbert from 2017-2021, has been named an assistant professor of forensic science/crime scene investigation. He served as a detective, major crimes investigator, and police officer with the Town of Orchard Park Police Department. Payne received his master of science in Criminal Justice Administration and bachelor of science in Criminal Justice degrees at Hilbert College.