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Peter Chepya, Esq.

Peter ChepyaFormer Academic Program Manager – Legal Studies and Founding Editor, Digital Life & Learning

Professor Peter Chepya passed away Monday, March 25, 2019 after serving the Post University community for almost 30 years. Professor Chepya spent the early years of his life in London, as evidenced by his love of dry humor, The Beatles, and fish and chips with malt vinegar. He grew up in Montreal and after attending law school at McGill University. He moved to CT after graduation and providing service for the Canadian Naval Reserves as well as many other accomplishments. 

Professor Chepya worked at Post University for nearly 30 years, impacting the lives of innumerable students and faculty, and was serving most recently as the Academic Program Manager for Legal Studies. Professor Chepya was a crucial member in the early development of Post University Online, started an online journal entitled “Digital Life and Learning,” and recently wrote and starred in digital shorts called “Pete’s Law” before his death. 

Professor Chepya was not only an incredibly intelligent academic, but also a gifted and creative artist, filling canvases with scenes from all over the world. Please visit your favorite museum and think of him, namely the Yale Center for British Art, which he loved. Professor Chepya was warm, loyal, loving, and strong, with a quick wit and a sharp tongue. He will forever be remembered and missed by those who were fortunate enough to know him.


Academic Background

LLB (Common Law) McGill University School of Law 1980

BCL (Civil Law) McGill University School of Law 1980

MA (Literature with Thesis) York University 1974

BA (Honors English) Loyola of Montreal 1972

Teaching Background

Professor Chepya is the Academic Program Manager for Legal Studies.

Professional Background

Professor Chepya’s experience in the practice of law includes 10 years in international law, transportation law, criminal defense, employment law and environmental law. He was also a legal editor and writer.

Teaching Philosophy

Chepya’s diverse experience is the foundation of his teaching philosophy. His teaching style is student-centered and always includes the latest in all instructional technology, both online and on campus. Professor Chepya encourages mobile connectivity as a learning tool and encourages the use of a students’ smartphones and laptops in his Blended courses. He continues to create new methods of learning and teaching online by including an instructor narrative using e-Personality as the basis of learning the Law in all Legal Studies Program courses.

University Service

Professor Chepya was elected to following positions by his colleagues at Post University:

President of the Faculty Senate, 1999 – 2000; 2006 – 2009; 2012 – 2015

Moderator of the School of Business, 1997 – 1998; 2009 – 2010

Chair of the Curriculum Committee, 1995 – 1996;

Chair of the Academic Standards Committee, 2009 – 2010

He was appointed to the following positions by the President of Post University:

Chair, Integrity Committee, NEASC Accreditation Self Study, 1994 and 2004

Presenter, Legal Studies Program Online, State of Connecticut Department of Higher Education, 1992; 1999

Personal Background

Professor Chepya is past Chairman of the Board of Valley Arts Council (2005 – 2008) and a former Board Member of the West Haven Child Development Center (1995 – 2005)

Research/Academic Interests

His main research interests include e-Government (also called “Digital Government”).

In traditional classroom and online learning his interests extend to the latest concepts in teaching and learning as they apply to instructional design and delivery.

Professional Memberships

Admitted to the Bar

e-Learning Guild

Publications

The following is a selection of his most recent academic publications:

  • Digital Life and Learning: The Academic Journal of the John P. Burke School. Founding Editor, August 2014.
  • Appointed as Member of the Advisory Board by McGraw-Hill: Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism, authored by retired Brigadier General Russell Howard, and James Forest, of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, scheduled for publication in 2011.
  • V-Learning: Distance Education in the 21st Century Through 3D Virtual Learning Environments, Annetta, Springer Publishing, 2010 (Professor Chepya is cited as authority on “Presence Learning” in his book)
  • The International Journal on E-Learning, “Getting Faculty Ready to Teach Online: the Digital Learning Faculty Program”, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, (co-author) July 2010
  • The Community College Enterprise, (refereed Journal) Fall 2007, “A Short Take on Design Challenges in the Mobile Education World”
  • International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, Creating Presence and Community in a Synchronous Virtual Learning Environment Using Avatars, August 2006,  (Professor Chepya is cited as an authority on “Presence Learning” and “e-Personality” in this Journal)
  • Handbook of Information Security: Information Warfare, Social, Legal, and Informational Issues; and, Security Foundations (legal issues reviewer) John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
  • Educause Quarterly Journal, “e-Personality: the Fusion of IT and Pedagogical Technique”, August 2005
  • Journal of Innovation and Quality Management in Higher Education “Internet Delivery of University Courses”, Winter 2002.

Conference Presentations

The following is a list of his most recent presentations at Academic Conferences:

  • Sport and Recreation Law Association: Presentation: Mobile Learning in the Classroom. March 2013.
  • Post University; Shaping the Future: New Possibilities in Online Learning; Presentation: Mobile Explosion (co-presenter with Blackboard, Inc,) Paper: Teaching and Learning  Strategies for Mobile Learning, September 2010
  • NERCOMP 2010  Poster Session: Assessment and Quality at Post University Online: the “QUICC” process: Quality in Craft and Creativity,March 2010
  • E-Learning 2008 Presentation: Instructional Challenges in the Mobile Education World, February 2008
  • E-Learn 2007 World Conference Paper: Creating an Effective Training Curriculum for Faculty Who Teach Online (co-author), October 2007
  • Innovative Teaching Coalition Summer Workshop 2005 held at Sacred Heart University Presentation:  ‘Presence Learning’ in Online Education October 2005
  • Academic Impressions Inc. WebEx Online Conference Presentation: ‘e-Personality’ and  ‘Presence Learning’, November 2005
  • NERCOMP, Northeast Region Computer Users Group. Regional Conference, Worcester MA. Paper: ‘e-Personality’ in Online Teacher Certification. March 2005
  • Duke University, BbSEUG, Blackboard Southeast Users Group Conference. Paper: Online Teacher Certification. September 2004