CCU welcomes new faculty members
E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration
Timothy Bowie joins the Wall College of Business as academic adviser and lecturer. He earned an undergraduate degree from CCU in business management and a master's degree from the University of Maryland. He was previously a teaching associate at CCU and Horry Georgetown Technical College.
Melissa Clark joins the Department of Marketing and Resort Tourism as an associate professor of marketing. She earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama and a master's and Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi. She was previously an associate professor of marketing at the University of North Alabama.
David Doerring joins the Department of Management and Decision Sciences as a lecturer of management. He earned an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in international business from the University of South Carolina. He was previously employed at AVX Corp. in Myrtle Beach as a Global ORACLE general ledger administrator.
David Fink joins the Department of Management and Decision Sciences as a lecturer of management. He earned an undergraduate degree from Radford University and a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin. He previously taught at Kean University and Centenary College in New Jersey. He is also the president of Compass Associates, a management consulting company in New Jersey.
James Hopson joins the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics as an associate professor of accounting. He earned an undergraduate degree from Dallas Baptist University, a master's degree in accounting and taxation from the University of Houston and a juris doctor degree from Southern Methodist University Law School. He has taught and chaired the Harmon College of Business Administration at the University of Central Missouri.
Spadoni College of Education
Elena Andrei will serve as assistant professor of literacy education in CCU's M.Ed. in Leadership and Teaching program. She graduated from the University of Virginia with an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction. She previously worked as an English as a foreign language teacher in her native Romania and as an English as a second language teacher in Charlotte. Her research interests are second language writing, teacher education, teaching English language learners and non-native English speaking teachers.
Janet Buckenmeyer joins the Spadoni College of Education as associate professor of education and associate dean. She was previously a professor and chair of the Instructional Technology Program at Purdue University. She also held the positions of faculty senate vice chair-elect, chair of the Senate Faculty Affairs Committee and a chancellor appointee to the University Leadership Forum.
Howard Coleman serves as associate professor of educational leadership. He has been a school superintendent, a research director and a high school principal. Previously, he was an associate professor at UNC Wilmington. He has taught graduate courses in leadership, research, school law and educational policy. He provides leadership training and staff development for public schools, government agencies and corporations. He currently serves as a board member for the Southwest Regional Educational Laboratory for Research and Evaluation.
John Delport serves as assistant professor of special education. He graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a Ph.D. in special education with a focus on emotional behavioral disabilities and teacher preparation. He has worked as special education teacher in Seattle and Chicago as well as taught in the general education setting of his homeland, South Africa. His research interests include identifying, understanding and implementing the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed by teachers to develop socially just classrooms and teaching practices.
Thomas W. and Robin W. College of Humanities and Fine Arts
Cara Blue Adams joins the department of English as an assistant professor. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona's MFA program where she also held a lectureship in fiction from 2007-2008. Over the past five years, she has held various full-time editorial positions at the prestigious literary journal, The Southern Review, while also teaching seminars and workshops on fiction, creative nonfiction, and literary editing and publishing at Louisiana State University.
Patrick Brissey joins the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies as lecturer. He earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of South Carolina. His areas of specialization are modern philosophy and history of philosophy. He comes to CCU from the University of South Carolina, where he was a graduate instructor in philosophy.
Gregg Alyn Buck joins the Department of Theatre as technical director. He earned a master's degree at the University of Maryland where he also served as technical director. Buck is a seasoned theatre technician, artist and designer. He specializes in digital processes and computer visualization. His regional designs have been seen in theaters across America.
Jacob Cotton joins the Department of Visual Arts as assistant professor. He earned a B.F.A. in communication design/studio art and an M.F.A. in communication design from Louisiana Tech University with concentrations in printmaking and drawing. Most recently, he was assistant professor at Northeastern State University as well as coordinator of the art program and gallery.
Clay Craig joins the Department of Communication, Languages and Cultures as assistant professor. Craig earned an M.B.A. from Rawls College of Business and a Ph.D. in mass communication from the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. His teaching experience focuses on media planning, principles of advertising and international management.
Amanda Grefski joins the Department of English as lecturer in the first-year writing program. She has a master's degree in English from Centenary College and is completing her Ph.D. in composition and rhetoric at St. John's University. She brings a research agenda in composition studies and a demonstrated commitment to pedagogical innovation, particularly in the area of digital literacy. Michael Gribbin joins the Department of Theatre as assistant professor. He earned a bachelor's degree in piano performance from the University of Denver and a master's degree in vocal coaching and accompanying from the University of Illinois. As a conductor and keyboardist, Gribbin has traveled North America and Asia with various shows.
Mary Guidone joins the Department of Communication, Languages and Cultures as a lecturer of French. She earned a master's degree in French from the University of Illinois and a B.A. in French, with a minor in Spanish, from Central Connecticut State University. She worked at the University of California-Merced, where she assisted with the design and creation of a French basic language program at the recently founded campus.
Jeffry Halverson joins the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies as assistant professor of religious studies. He is a historian of religions and an Islamic studies scholar, receiving a master's degree and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Arizona State University in Tempe, where he was also an assistant research professor. He specializes in Middle Eastern and North African Islam. In 2000-2001, he received a Fulbright research grant to work in Cairo, Egypt, where he was affiliated with Cairo University.
Michael Julius joins the Department of Politics and Geography as a lecturer. He recently earned a master's degree and Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. His research and teaching interests are focused on the development of American political institutions, primarily the presidency and Congress, and the development of democratic/liberal political theory.
 Adam Pelty joins the Department of Theatre as assistant professor. He was formally trained at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan and the United States International University in San Diego and London. He has garnered more than 50 regional acting credits and toured America Europe as well as Broadway. He also created the choreography for the original Broadway production of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and served as resident choreographer for "Billy Elliot, the Musical."
Jose Ortiz-Rosario joins the Department of Communication, Languages and Cultures as a lecturer of Spanish. He earned a master's degree in Hispanic studies at the University of Illinois where he also received his bachelor's degree in Spanish.
Emily Porter joins the Department of Communication, Languages and Cultures as a lecturer. She earned a master's degree from the University of Georgia in communication. Porter will teach oral communication, gender communication and other areas of her expertise.
Uri Rosenheck joins the Department of History as assistant professor. He earned a Ph.D. from Emory University with a specialization in Latin American history. He was a visiting assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. At CCU, he will teach world history and a variety of upper-level courses on Latin American history.
Clifford Sosis joins the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies as a lecturer. He earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in philosophy from Florida State University. His areas of specialization are philosophy of science, epistemology and ethics. He comes to CCU from Mississippi State University where he was an instructor of philosophy.
Jeanne Stewart joins the Department of Communication, Languages and Cultures as a lecturer. She graduated with a master's degree in communication with an emphasis in health communication from East Carolina University. Stewart will teach oral communication, technology, media and other areas of her expertise.
Becky Timms joins the Department of Theatre as assistant professor. She has been dancing professionally for more than 20 years. She has been in many Broadway shows and national tours. Timms was also the associate choreographer for "Thoroughly Modern Millie," which won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Choreography.
Jill Trinka joins the Department of Music as associate professor. She earned a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana, a M.M. (equivalent) from Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Texas at Austin. She has taught in Kodály teacher education programs throughout the U.S. and served as director of both the Kodály Institute of Texas and the Kodály Certificate Program at Portland State University. Trinka has written and recorded four volumes of folksongs for kids. She is an author, recording artist, frequent lecturer, clinician and performer.
Clayton Whitesides joins the Department of Politics and Geography as assistant professor. He earned a Ph.D. in environmental geography from Texas State University. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in geography from Utah State University and Brigham Young University. His research and teaching interests focus on physical geography and human-environment interaction.Â
Casey Woodling joins the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies as lecturer. He earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Florida. His areas of specialization are philosophy of mind and epistemology. He comes to CCU from Belmont University.
John Woodson joins the Department of Theatre as a visiting assistant professor. He has more than 30 years of professional experience as an actor and director and has performed in more than 100 productions across the country. He received his training from the North Carolina School of the Arts. He is presently on faculty at CCU, where he has taught and directed various productions for the last four years.
Todd Wren joins the Department of Theatre as assistant professor. He designs for theater, themed attractions and architecture. He has more than 300 professional design credits and a career spanning more than a quarter century. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama and an MFA in lighting design from Carnegie Mellon University.
Manya Wubbold joins the Department of Communication, Languages and Cultures as lecturer of Spanish. She comes from the University of Portland where she worked as an instructor of Spanish for the past academic year. Wubbold also worked as an instructor of Spanish and academic adviser at Portland State University from 2000 to 2009. She is currently finishing a Ph.D. in Hispanic studies from the University of British Columbia.
 College of Science
Johnson Agbo joins the Department of Chemistry and Physics as an assistant professor of chemistry. He earned a B.S. in mathematics and a diploma in education from the University of Cape Coast. In 2001, he came to the United States for graduate studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. After completing his Ph.D. in chemical physics, he was appointed assistant professor of physics and physical chemistry at Sterling College.
Shaowu Bao joins the School of Coastal & Marine Systems Science as assistant professor of marine systems. He earned a bachelor's degree from Nanjing Institute of Meteorology in China, a master's degree from the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. His research interest includes numerical modeling of a variety of weather events such as tropical cyclones, air-sea-wave interaction, storm surge and inundation and regional climate.
Daniel Bercovici joins the Department of Chemistry and Physics as lecturer in chemistry. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from MIT. He worked for a biotech startup in the Boston area for two years, developing drug delivery systems. He began graduate school at the University of Vermont in 2007 and recently defended his thesis.
Drew Budner joins the Department of Chemistry and Physics as a visiting assistant professor in chemistry. He earned a bachelor's degree from Adams State University and his Ph.D. from South Dakota State University. He spent seven years teaching general chemistry and analytical chemistry at Whitworth University before joining CCU. His current research interests include improving the performance of a Prussian blue modified electrochemical sensor for the detection of hydrogen peroxide and the development of the aroma and flavor profiles of beer brewed from gluten-free grains.
Jason Cholewa joins the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Studies as assistant professor of exercise and sport science. He completed both a master's degree and a Ph.D. in exercise physiology at Springfield College and earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Rhode Island. Most recently, Cholewa was an instructor at the University of Kentucky where he taught strength and conditioning and sport nutrition. His research interests include the impact and applications of resistance training and an evaluation of dietary and performance supplements in sport.
Stephen Firsing joins the Department of Health Sciences as an assistant professor. He earned a master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama. He earned an M.P.A. and bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. His research interests include the measurement of outcomes associated with acquired and developmental disability, chronic illness management, environmental health hazards and health services design and administration.
Kathleen Kuhler joins the Department of Chemistry and Physics as lecturer in chemistry. She earned a Ph.D. from the University of North Dakota. She was previously a visiting assistant professor at CCU. She has also worked several years at Eli Lilly and Company doing basic research in antibiotics and in the anti-allergy group. Recently, she worked on code development for degenerate systems as well as experimental work on the effects of solvent composition on reaction rates and equilibrium.
Sathish A.P. Kumar joins the Department of Computer Science as assistant professor of computer science and information systems. He earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in computer science as well as an MBA from the University of Louisville. His areas of interest include the design and development of cyber security, cloud computing/big data analytics and biomedical/health informatics applications.
Linda Lane joins the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Studies as a lecturer in recreation and sport management. She earned a Ph.D. in recreation and sport management from the University of Arkansas. Her master's and bachelor's degrees in recreation management were earned from Texas State University. She has taught courses in leadership, facility management and leisure in society.
Christopher MacDonald joins the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Studies as an assistant professor in exercise and sport science. He recently earned a Ph.D. in sport physiology at East Tennessee State University. He earned a master's degree in exercise science at the University of Mississippi and an undergraduate degree from Methodist University. His research and outreach interests are the long-term monitoring of athlete fitness and the evaluation of training protocols for athletes across different sports.
Jonathan Meyers joins the Department of Chemistry and Physics as lecturer in chemistry. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of West Georgia and a Ph.D. in chemical biology from Indiana University. His interests include the modification of natural peptides as a means of achieving superior pharmacological properties. His research has resulted in a patent that was licensed to an international pharmaceutical company.
Amanda Siegrist joins the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Science as assistant professor of recreation and sport management. She earned a juris doctor degree from Chase College of Law and a bachelor's degree in sport management from Wingate University. She comes to CCU from KMG Sports Management where she was an attorney and event manager. Her expertises include NCAA legal matters and the impact of sport participation across different levels and environments. She will teach sport law, ethics and event planning and management courses.
Hephzibah Strmic-Pawl joins the Department of Psychology and Sociology as assistant professor of sociology. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master's degree in social science from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Virginia. She was a visiting assistant professor of sociology and a faculty affiliate in African-American Studies at the College of Charleston. Her research analyzes multiracial identity and the persistence of racism.
Raquel Stuart joins the Department of Psychology and Sociology as visiting assistant professor in psychology. She is a licensed mental health counselor practicing in New York. She recently served in adjunct teaching positions for the University of Phoenix at the Jersey City Campus and the College of New Rochelle. At CCU, Stuart will teach theories of personality, abnormal psychology, human relations and other clinical psychology courses.
Joseph F. van Gaalen joins the School of Coastal & Marine Systems Science as lecturer of marine science. He has worked with geological and engineering firms in the Tampa/Orlando area of Florida, including serving as an expert witness in environmental court cases. He earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science from William Paterson University of New Jersey, a master's degree in geological oceanography from the University of South Florida at St. Petersburg and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of South Florida at Tampa.
Brian West joins the College of Science as assistant professor in physics. He earned a bachelor's degree in engineering physics from McMaster University, a master's degree in engineering science from the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College. He earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. in optical sciences from the University of Arizona. He conducted postdoctoral studies in the electrical and computer engineering departments at the University of Toronto and McGill University and taught at Wilfrid Laurier University.
University College
Michele Everett has been hired as a lecturer in University College. She earned a Ph.D. in education from the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Australia. Everett has been a teaching associate in University College since fall 2011.
Brandi Neal has been hired as a lecturer in University College. She was previously an academic adviser in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Advising Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Neal earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. in historical musicology from the University of Pittsburgh.
Student Affairs
Kristeen Mickey joins Counseling Services as a learning specialist. She comes from Massachusetts where she has 18 years of experience as a special education teacher. At CCU, Mickey will assist students in the office of accessibility and disability.
John Paul (JP) Peters joins the staff of Student Activities and Leadership as a volunteer for AmeriCorps VISTA. He was a VISTA member at USC-Upstate last year. Peters graduated from Georgia Southwestern State University.
Sara Peacock joins University College as case manager for the dean of students. Recently, she served as mental health counselor at the Lexington County Mental Health Center, while working in private practice. She has also previously worked at the Counseling Center for the University of South Carolina and Epworth Children's Home in Columbia. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky and an Ed.S. in counselor education from the University of South Carolina.
Jordan Smith joins the staff of Student Activities and Leadership as coordinator of civic engagement and orientation. He recently graduated from Wofford College and was a participant in the Bonner Scholars program there. Smith will be working with CCU's volunteer services and the orientation program.
Beth Stedman joins the staff of Student Activities and Leadership as coordinator of women's leadership initiatives. She will be working on developing new programs for women's leadership.
Ariel Tarosky joins the staff of Student Activities and Leadership as associate director for fraternity and sorority life. She comes to CCU from Carnegie Melon University, where she worked for the past three years as the coordinator of fraternity and sorority life.