Staff
Maxwell King
Co-Director
As Co-Director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media, Maxwell King directs strategic planning, mission-driven program development, and external relations and resource development. Before assuming his position at the Rogers Center in 2008, Mr. King spent nearly a decade as President of The Heinz Endowments, where he provided leadership in advancing environmental issues, economic opportunities for the disadvantaged, the promotion of literacy, civic design, early childhood education, and education and academic reform in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Prior to joining The Heinz Endowments, Mr. King worked as a journalist for nearly 30 years, including his position as Editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer from 1990 to 1998. Mr. King serves on the boards of the Center on Media and Child Health at Harvard, The Pittsburgh Foundation, the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; he is a member of the executive committee, and past board chair, of the Council on Foundations. He received his B.A. cum laude from Harvard University and attended the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
Rita Catalano
Co-Director
As Co-Director, Rita Catalano is responsible for day-to-day Center management, project administration and budgeting, program development, and grantseeking. Ms. Catalano has been at Saint Vincent since 1988, working primarily as director of foundation and government grantseeking. As Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement, she was part of the planning team for the Fred Rogers Center; in 2005, she assumed the full-time position of Center Associate Director. Ms. Catalano’s career also has included administrative, editorial, and program coordinating experience at the Center for Research in Human Development and Education at Temple University, the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh, and Tufts University. Ms. Catalano received a B.A. in political science from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut, and an M.A. in political science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Br. David Kelly, O.S.B.
Archivist
As Archivist for the Fred Rogers Center, Br. David oversees the cataloging, indexing and organization of materials related to Fred Rogers’ personal and professional life, formulates and implements archival usage and access policies, and manages the collection of digitized print and video materials. Over the last three decades, Br. David has held a variety of teaching and administrative positions at Saint Vincent College and Seminary and has served on a variety of key committees of the College and the Archabbey. In addition to his work with the Fred Rogers Archive, Br. David is Director of Libraries at Saint Vincent and Assistant Professor of Canon Law at Saint Vincent Seminary. Along with his bachelor’s degree in English, Br. David holds graduate degrees in religious studies, political science, canon law, and library science.
Michael Robb
Learning Network Program Manager
As Learning Network Program Manager, Michael Robb is overseeing planning and development for one of the strategic initiatives of the Fred Rogers Center, the Early Learning Network. Mr. Robb has been involved in issues surrounding media and children for over a decade. He has published research on the impact of electronic media on young children’s language development, early literacy outcomes, and problem solving abilities in a variety of academic journals, including Child Development and Developmental Science. Mr. Robb has also supervised community educational outreach efforts for KCET/PBS, helping parents and teachers to make the most of quality children’s programming. He was the recipient of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship, awarded to students for research on the relationship between children’s use of media and learning. Mr. Robb holds a B.A. in child development from Tufts University and an M.A. in psychology from University of California, Riverside.
Emily Uhrin
Assistant Archivist
As Assistant Archivist, Emily Uhrin assists the archivist in the cataloging and preservation of the materials in the Fred Rogers Archive. Emily is a 2005 graduate of Saint Vincent College where she studied English and worked in the library as a student assistant. Her enjoyment of library work led her to the School of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. She received her M.L.I.S. in 2007 with a concentration in Archives and Records Management. While studying at Pitt, Emily worked for the Fred Rogers Center as an intern, completing an inventory of files that were housed at Family Communications, Inc. She also worked at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History Library to gain field experience.
Cindy Scarpo
Administrative Assistant
As Fred Rogers Center Administrative Assistant since 2004, Cindy Scarpo provides administrative support for Center senior staff and serves as special projects coordinator for all major Center events, including national symposia, issues briefings, webinars, and annual meetings of the Rogers Center’s Advisory Council. In this role, she arranges for venues, coordinates travel and lodging, prepares presentations and materials, and serves as the point of contact with participants and vendors. Ms. Scarpo also manages the Center’s website and office operations. Prior to joining the Fred Rogers Center staff, Ms. Scarpo was employed as a medical biller at a local hospital. She also spent several years as a full-time mother, during which time she volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America and her church. Ms. Scarpo graduated from Seton Hill University summa cum laude in 2003, with a B.A. in business management. She has completed post-baccalaureate, graduate-level coursework in operations management through the Saint Vincent College business administration program.
Dawn Edmiston, DM
Saint Vincent College Faculty Consultant
Dr. Dawn Edmiston, Assistant Professor of Management and Marketing at Saint Vincent College, serves as marketing consultant for the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. In this role, she supports the promotion of the Center’s Web site and develops social networking channels. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Edmiston held management positions with IBM Business Consulting Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers Management Consulting Services, and Discovery Communications (to include the Discovery Channel, TLC, Travel Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Channel Online). Her educational background includes a Doctor of Management from University of Maryland University College, with Phi Kappa Phi honors. She received the 2008 Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Alice L. Beeman Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation. Her research has been published in the International Journal of Educational Advancement, Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, and the American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education Proceedings. Dr. Edmiston received an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is an alumnae of the international exchange programme at London Business School.
Deanna Klick
Saint Vincent College Student Assistant
As Student Assistant, Deanna Klick provides support to the Fred Rogers Center staff. She is a Junior enrolled in the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government at Saint Vincent College and is majoring in Marketing. Ms. Klick is involved in several Saint Vincent College activities including Women in Business, the Marketing Club, Activities Programming Board, Orientation Committee, and The Company.
Christopher Zombek
Saint Vincent College Student Assistant
As Student Assistant, Christopher Zombek provides support to the Fred Rogers Center staff through video production; converting and editing digital files using the Center’s non-linear video editing system; support for transmissions via webcasts, webinars, and videoconferencing; and maintaining video file documentation. He is currently enrolled in the Saint Vincent College School of Social Sciences, Communication, and Education and is a Sophomore Communications Major focusing on Media Production. Mr. Zombek is involved in several Saint Vincent College activities including Jazz Ensemble, PRSSA, and Campus Ministry.
