Dr. Kris Gossett

Dr. Kris Gossett is a 45 year old faculty member in the Business Administration Department at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is also the club advisor for the Mercyhurst Modern Cinema Club. Originally he is from Muncie, Indiana. I had him as my professor this semester for his 21st Century Cinema class. He graduated from Delta High School in Muncie in 1992. Following graduation from highschool, Dr. Gossett attended Otterbein College where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1996. He furthered his education by attending Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky and acquiring a Masters in Business Administration in 2000. Further studies at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana earned him a Doctorate in Business Administration in 2011.

He was attracted to Mercyhurst University because he always wanted to teach at a small, liberal arts school. Other schools that Dr. Gossett considered when searching for a teaching position were Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, but got the job at the University when he was recruited by one of his fellow classmates from Anderson University.

Although he enjoys teaching in the Business Administration Department, Dr. Gossett has many other interests that he was willing to share with me. He enjoys playing golf and tries to go out every chance he gets. He also plays basketball and it’s no wonder because he is quite tall and muscular in build. He is apparently surrounded by women in his family because he has no brothers and no male cousins. A fact that really surprised me was that he has watched approximately 825 movies at movie theaters since 2004. It is a passion of his. Every year for the past 3 - 4 years, Dr. Gossett has arranged campus trips to Toronto, Canada for the annual T.I.F.F. (Toronto International Film Festival). My family and I had the pleasure of joining him this year and we look forward to going again next year. 

Jacob Chichester

Jacob Chichester is a second year graduate student at Mercyhurst University located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Originally from Livonia, New York, Jacob was drawn to Mercyhurst as a result of the strong program in Criminal Justice that the University offers. Jacob made a point of saying that the beautiful campus was also a big factor in his decision to choose Mercyhurst.

Jacob graduated from Mercyhurst University in May of 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Law Enforcement. In July of 2018, he received his Act 120 Certification from the Mercyhurst North East Municipal PoliceAcademy. Now, at age 23, Jacob is a second year graduate student in the Criminal Justice Program.

Along with his studies, Jacob is Hall Director for Residence Life and Student Conduct (Police Academy experience must come in handy here). He resides in Warde Hall where he oversees the coed residence hall, supervising a staff of 8 RA’s and a building with over 300 students.

Jacob loves the outdoors. During his undergraduate years at Mercyhurst, he ran Cross Country for the school from 2014-2017. In fact, another reason that he chose Mercyhurst is the great Cross Country coaching staff that they have. Running isn’t the only outdoor activity that Jacob enjoys. He also likes to spend time hunting, hiking, and golfing.

Some interesting facts that Jacob shared had to do with his studies abroad. As an undergraduate he had the opportunity to study both in Dungarven, Ireland and Rome, Italy. The experience was fun and educational. Last and definitely not least, Jacob said that he is engaged to be married. He has known his fiancé since the age of 3 years old. They met at pre-school and apparently hit it off and never looked back. This gives a new meaning to the term, childhood sweethearts.