JMU Grad Glad To Be Back in the Classroom as Teacher

Toni South is glad to be getting back into a JMU classroom this fall, this time as a teacher. 

The 2005 chemistry graduate is one of 117 new faculty members in JMU classrooms this year, 78 full-time and 39 part-time. 

"The professors here really influenced me," said South, who will teach an introductory class in the department of chemistry and biochemistry and will also work on research. "They were very motivating and they were mentors and friends to me so they were instrumental in me wanting to go on and teach." 

South had been working for Dow Chemical Co. in the Philadelphia area before returning to JMU. 

Mark Gruskin, who will teach in the College of Business, is coming to JMU from Wayne State University in Michigan. He is looking forward to learning from the students he teaches. "Their questions drive us to investigate things and it ultimately expands our viewpoint on things," he said. 

Edwin O'Shea will teach in the department of mathematics and statistics and is coming to JMU from Ireland, where he was involved in research. His research work with a JMU alum and JMU's emphasis on undergraduate education influenced his decision to come here. "I really enjoy the students. I think most of them, they're at an age where they're filled with enthusiasm. In return for wonderful teaching, you get to spend time on things that interest you and so that model really appealed to me," he said. 

Here is a list of the new faculty: 

College of Arts and Letters 

• Danielle Widmann Abraham, Philosophy & Religion 
• Aaron E. Bacue, Communication Studies 
• Frank Daniel Bechter, Sociology & Anthropology 
• JoAnn Benjamin, University Advising 
• David Bleich, Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication 
• Heidi Bollinger, English 
• Rebecca N. Brannon, History and Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies 
• Daisy Breneman, Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication 
• Karl W. Brown, History 
• Samuel Lee Duncan, Philosophy & Religion 
• Peter Eubanks, Foreign Languages 
• Allison Fagan, English 
• Mariagrazia Fiorello, Foreign Languages 
• Samar Fitzgerald, English 
• Andrea Gallo, Foreign Languages 
• Ervie Glick, Foreign Languages 
• Julie Gochenour, School of Media Arts & Design 
• Robert Shelton Hill, History 
• Shelly Lynn Hokanson, School of Media Arts & Design 
• Yongguang Hu, History 
• Jennifer Jacovitch, Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication 
• William Dewey Jennings, Justice Studies 
• Michael K. Kolakoski, English 
• Elinor Spalding Lewis, Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication 
• Alice Neff Lucan, School of Media Arts & Design 
• Melanie Luhn, Foreign Languages 
• Talley Mulligan, School of Media Arts & Design 
• Jemimah W. Mwakisha, Communication Studies 
• Jesse W. Newton, Philosophy & Religion 
• Andre Buel Nicholson, School of Media Arts & Design 
• Susan Opt, Communication Studies 
• Stacey A. Passalacqua, Communication Studies 
• Nicholas Robinette, English 
• Laura Stump, Foreign Languages 
• Kimiko Tanaka, Sociology & Anthropology 
• Jeb Thomas Terrien, Justice Studies 
• Mark A. Trickett, Sociology & Anthropology 
• Nan Zheng, School of Media Arts & Design 
• Robert W. Alexander, Political Science 
• Tom F. Hannon, Political Science 
• Jessica L. Minnis-McClain, Political Science 
• Donald L. Plambeck, Political Science 
• Elisabeth Whitehead, Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication 

College of Business 

• Miguel Bendrao Baltazar, School of Hospitality, Sport & Recreation Management 
• Karie A. Barbour, Economics 
• Merve Kaleagasi Eren, Marketing 
• Alyssa T. Gerlando, School of Hospitality, Sport & Recreation Management 
• Mark R. Gruskin, Finance 
• Gary William Juhan, School of Hospitality, Sport & Recreation Management 
• Ali Muhammad Shahzad, Management 
• Marilla S. Showalter, Accounting 
• Debra G. Wenger, Computer Information Systems & Management Science 

College of Education 

• John T. Almarode, Early, Elementary, and Reading Education 
• Edward Brantmeier, Learning, Technology & Leadership Education, CFI 
• Dannette A. Bronaugh, Exceptional Education 
• Richard Ingram, Learning, Technology & Leadership Education 
• Douglas J. Loveless, Early, Elementary, and Reading Education 
• Jennifer R. Newton, Exceptional Education 
• Kateri Grace Thunder, Middle, Sec & Mathematics Education 

College of Integrated Science and Technology 

• Rachel M. Bavister, Communication Sciences & Disorders 
• Laine P. Bradshaw, Center for Assessment & Research Studies 
• Brendan J. Danker, Kinesiology 
• Elizabeth S. Edwards, Kinesiology 
• Kethera A.J. Fogler, Psychology 
• Kyle Gipson, Engineering 
• Trent A. Hargens, Kinesiology 
• Daniel D. Holt, Psychology 
• Michael S. Kirkpatrick, Computer Science 
• Melissa Leisen, Nursing 
• Jennifer Mangan, Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies 
• Bernice A. Marcopulos, Graduate Psychology 
• Christopher S. Mayfield, Computer Science 
• Jacquelyn Nagel, Engineering 
• Carole L. Nash, ISAT 
• Stacey Pavelko, Communication Sciences & Disorders 
• Andrew A. Peachey, Health Sciences 
• Julie Sanford, Nursing 
• Nathan R. Sprague, Computer Science 
• Deborah Crawford Sturm, Graduate Psychology 
• Timothy Ronald Walton, ISAT 

College of Science and Methematics 

• Elizabeth Victoria Berkeley, Biology 
• Brycelyn M. Boardman, Chemistry 
• Brent D. Cunningham, Chemistry 
• Tracy Deem, Biology 
• Joshua E. Ducey, Mathematics & Statistics 
• Kristen E. Funck, Chemistry 
• Elizabeth Jane Jeffery, Physics & Astronomy 
• John H. Johnson, Jr., Mathematics & Statistics 
• Joanna Mott, Biology 
• Edwin O'Shea, Mathematics & Statistics 
• Deepshika Shukla, Physics & Astronomy 
• Shaleen Shukla, Physics & Astronomy 
• Toni South, Chemistry 
• Julia Stutzman, Biology 
• Shelly Thomas, Biology 
• Cindy Vindman, Biology 
• Shelley J. Whitmeyer, Geology & Environmental Science 
• Nathan T. Wright, Chemistry 
• John Charles Zimmerman, Physics & Astronomy 

College of Visual and Performing Arts 

• Patricia Augsburger, Art, Design & Art History 
• Terry Brino-Dean, Theatre and Dance 
• Meredith Conti, Theatre and Dance 
• William Bryce Hayes, School of Music 
• Lise Keiter, School of Music 
• Adam Larrabee, School of Music 
• Karen Mulder, Art, Design & Art History 
• Jiyoung Oh, School of Music 
• Marc Paxton, Art, Design & Art History 
• Daniel Lawrence Robinson, Institute for Visual Studies 
• Jun Bum Shin, Art, Design & Art History 
• Klaus Shmidheiser, Art, Design & Art History 
• Emilie Johnson Wheeler, Art, Design & Art History 

Academic Affairs 

• Trevor P. Alvord, Libraries & Educational Technology 
• Michael Mungin, Libraries & Educational Technology 
• Erika Peterson, Libraries & Educational Technology 
• Laura Kate Schubert, Libraries & Educational Technology 
• Yasmeen Shorish, Libraries & Educational Technology