Meet Our Faculty

  • Michelle Ho

    Nursing Faculty

  • Stephan Juliusburger

    Faculty, Culinary Arts & Hospitality

    Stephan fell into a cooking maze as a child and hasn’t found his way out yet. While in school he designed catering events on the side and was appointed Head Chef of a kitchen at age 17. A NY Times review gave him two stars at age 19. From this, at 22 the Grateful Dead made him their national tour chef. Chef Juliusburger turned to the hotel industry, designing and developing food concepts in executive positions with Marriott, Westin, and Sonesta Hotels, Cable Beach Resorts, and Baha Mar, rising to the level of Corporate Director, holding positions in New Orleans, Chicago, Dallas, Bermuda, Argentina and The Bahamas. Stephan holds the Le Cordon Bleu Masters in Gastronomy; he will be published in 2023 as an author of Culture & Cuisine - A Food History of the Caribbean.
  • Anthony Margiotta

    Marine Engineering Faculty

    Anthony Margiotta brings over two decades of expertise in the Marine Engineering field, enriched by his service in the US Coast Guard. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Engineering and is equipped with numerous industry certifications from Yamaha, American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), the American Welding Society (AWS), and Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP). Among his most distinguished achievements are his roles as a Yamaha Maintenance Certification Program Instructor, ABYC Master Technician, and being honored as the ABYC Teacher of the Year in 2021.  His teaching philosophy revolves around the belief that a blend of knowledge, skill, and hands-on experience is essential for cultivating successful marine technicians. He is dedicated to fostering a comprehensive and dynamic learning environment that integrates both theoretical understanding and practical application. By emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving, and meticulous attention to detail, he prepares his students to meet the challenges of the marine engineering field. 

  • Nicole McCoy, Ph.D.

    Supervision & Management Faculty

    Dr. McCoy is originally from Idaho, earning her B.S. at the University of Idaho, followed by a PhD from Colorado State University in Forest Sciences with an emphasis in natural resource economics. After living and working in Utah for 13 years both as faculty and in the private sector, she moved to the Florida Keys in 2012 along with her husband and son. Dr. McCoy returned to school and earned her MBA from Saint Leo University a few years later, joining the CFK faculty full-time in 2019.  Dr. McCoy has taught over 15 different courses at CFK but she primarily teaches macroeconomics, microeconomics, and several upper division business courses.

  • Nina Medyk, PhD, MSW

    College Success Faculty

    Dr. Nina Medyk is a professor at the College of the Florida Keys, teaching many of the student success courses and courses for students with intellectual disabilities in the Project ACCESS program on the Key West campus. Nina holds a Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from the University of Florida, along with a Master of Clinical Social Work degree from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Social Work degree, with a certification in Child Welfare, from Florida Atlantic University. For more detailed information regarding Nina’s work experiences, awards, publications, and expertise, please check out her online portfolio here: https://ninamedyk18.wixsite.com/website .   
    “Before even beginning to teach, I like to focus on understanding students and forming positive relationships, so students feel comfortable asking questions and collaborating in discussions. I believe my roles as an educator are to engage students in the learning process, model professional relationships, inspire inquiry, and encourage students to become the best they can be. My goals as an educator are to be innovative, challenging, conscientious, and most of all, compassionate. If students leave my class with new skills and resources, I’ve done my job. If students leave my class feeling motivated, confident, and appreciated for who they are, I’ve reached my goals.” 
  • Matthew Posey

    Marine Science and Technology

    Matthew Posey, a dedicated learner, has earned an Associate of Applied Science in Marine Engineering, Management, and Seamanship from the College of the Florida Keys. He is currently pursuing a B.S. in Technical Management from Southern New Hampshire University and an AS in Engineering Technology from the College of the Florida Keys. With 17 years of experience as a Chief in the U.S. Coast Guard, Matthew now serves as an instructor at the College of the Florida Keys. In his free time, he enjoys living on his boat and relishing all the Florida Keys offer.

     
  • Lucja Rice

    Diving Business & Technology Faculty

    Scuba diving has been a passion of Lucja Rice for 24 years. She has been a dive professional since 2000, working as a Divemaster and Dive Instructor in Egypt, Cyprus, Croatia, Norway, Poland, and the USA. She is a Master Instructor with Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and Technical Diving Instructor with Technical Diving International (TDI), Instructor Trainer with Emergency First Response (EFR) and she is also Divers Alert Network (DAN) Instructor. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management in 2001 and Master’s Degree in Tourism Economics in 2004 at The School of Economics in Warsaw, Poland.

    Rice is currently employed as a full-time faculty for AAS Diving Business and Technology program at The College of the Florida Keys teaching a full range of courses from basic scuba diving to instructor level courses. She has more than 5,000 dives, over 40 diving certifications and has trained more than 1,200 students. Rice continues her professional development, including training in technical and closed-circuit rebreather diving. She always looks for opportunities to challenge herself during diving experiences with deeper, more complex dives.

  • LaQuinta Roberts

    Nursing Faculty

  • Matthew Semcheski, PH.D

    Marine Resource Management Faculty

    Dr. Semcheski joined the CFK faculty full-time in August of 2020, following working as an adjunct since 2016. After earning undergraduate degrees in Biology and Marine Science at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Semcheski earned a master's degree in Biology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. His thesis focused on the molecular phylogenetics of the snapper family of fishes (Lutjanidae). He remained at Old Dominion University for his doctoral work of examining diversity trends and community composition of benthic and planktonic microalgae of the lower Chesapeake Bay. Throughout his time in graduate school, Dr. Semcheski worked in the Phytoplankton Analysis Laboratory at Old Dominion, carrying out phytoplankton assessment projects for the Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Department of Health, and numerous other studies throughout the mid-Atlantic, Central America, and Europe. Upon beginning his full-time employment at CFK in 2020, Dr. Semcheski was tasked with developing the curriculum for and delivering courses in the new Bachelor of Science in Marine Resource Management degree program. Since then, Dr. Semcheski has taught the following courses: Marine Conservation, Marine Socioeconomics, Nearshore and Offshore Ecology and Assessment, Forensic Marine Science, Marine Resource Economics, Marine Policy and Management, Geographic Information Systems, Coastal and Estuarine Ecology, Seminar in Marine Resource Management, MRM Capstone Course, Oceanography, Marine Biology, and Marine Data Collection.
  • Amber Severson

    Math Faculty

    Amber Severson enjoys working with students and teaching mathematics at The College of the Florida Keys. She has a background in Mathematics Education and Teacher Preparation. She earned a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education from Bemidji University and completed graduate work was at the University of Minnesota.

    Before teaching at CFK, Amber taught at Southwest Texas Junior College and at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, among other universities and high schools in Minnesota.

    Mrs. Severson enjoys cooking and spending time with her family.