Dear Colleagues,

I can’t think of a better way to wrap up the first full week of classes than by sharing my appreciation for your efforts in welcoming all of our students to campus. As those of you who attended the opening divisional meeting heard me say, I consider myself lucky to have had a long career at JMU, and seeing the Quad full of students brings me back to my initial years as an assistant professor here.

This will be a busy semester for Academic Affairs, and I look forward to working with you. Please reach out to me with your questions anytime.

I’m also excited to kick off this year’s series of Friday emails and appreciate the chance to showcase your accomplishments. Below are some recent highlights.

• In recognition of Dr. Kristen St. John's contributions to Arctic geosciences and geoscience education, a new Eocene Arctic fossil species has been named in her honor. The September 2026 issue of the Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology includes High Arctic Middle Eocene Dinoflagellate Cysts, which describes seventeen new species from the high Arctic mid Eocene. Among them is Hystrichosphaeridium? saintjohniae nov., which notes: “Named for Dr. Kristen St. John, Paleoceanographer and Educator at James Madison University (JMU), Harrisonville, Virginia, USA, shore-based participant of IODP Expedition 302, in acknowledgement of her important contributions to Arctic geosciences and geoscience education in general.”
  
  
• Andy Markelz, associate professor in the College of Education, recently published A Child Welfare Worker’s Guide to Special Education with Bloomsbury Press. This timely resource provides child welfare professionals with practical guidance for understanding special education law, navigating educational systems and advocating effectively for children and youth involved in child welfare services.
  
  
• Samantha Collier, director of the College of Business Office of Professional Development and Engagement, earned the Ratcliffe Meritorious Service Award from the Virginia Association of Colleges and Employers (VACE). This award celebrates individuals who have made lasting, meaningful contributions to career services, college recruiting and professional development.
  
  
• Collaborative Writing at Work: A Playbook for Teams, co authored by Dr. Meghalee Das, assistant professor in the School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication (WRTC), was recently released by Parlor Press. The book offers a practical framework that integrates design thinking and Agile methodologies to help teams improve their collaborative writing processes and produce stronger workplace documents. Dr. Das was awarded a $5,000 CAL Course Development Grant to support the development of a new WRTC graduate course, Design Thinking in Technical Communication, informed by the approaches outlined in the book.
  
  
• Artificial intelligence continues to be a growing area of research and publication across disciplines. Associate professor and instructional designer in JMU Libraries Dr. Nathaniel Taeho Yu published a book in Korean titled Homo Communicus: The Future of Foreign Language Education in the AI Era with Kyung-Hee University Press. The book presents a research-grounded examination of the profound transformation that generative AI is bringing to language teaching and learning. Written for foreign language educators, applied linguists and educational researchers, the manuscript traces a continuous arc from the foundations of human language to the pedagogical, professional and policy implications of AI-driven platforms reshaping classrooms worldwide.
  
  
• The international interdisciplinary journal for research, policy and care Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies recently published an article co-authored by John Gyourko, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work. “Connecting Families Through Cash Transfers and an Enabling Environment in Colombia, Mexico, and the Philippines: A Qualitative Study” explores the impacts of cash transfers and mutual aid support groups on children and families living in low-resource communities in Columbia, Mexico and the Philippines.  

It may be early in the semester, but I expect quite a few of you have highlights that you haven’t shared yet. Please send your updates to provost@jmu.edu.

Sincerely,

Fletcher

Academic Affairs faculty and staff can email to contact the provost directly.

This is an open line of communication allowing faculty and staff to ask questions, but it is not a substitute from the crucial interactions they have with their academic unit head, department head and dean.

Students should contact AcademicQuestions@jmu.edu with questions.