New faculty put teaching first

James Madison University’s commitment to teaching has secured 124 new faculty members for the 2012-13 academic year, 77 of them full time.

At an orientation event hosted by the Center for Faculty Innovation, new faculty cited JMU’s reputation for quality instruction as a primary factor in their decision to come to Madison.

JMU “aligns very well with my focus, which is having one-on-one experiences with students who are engaged in their education,” said Dr. Mary O’Donnell, an assistant professor of foreign languages, literatures and cultures who came to JMU from South Dakota State University. “There’s a high quality of student here, and also I’m interested in working with preparing (foreign language) teachers, and I know that at JMU teaching is very important.”

O’Donnell will be teaching Spanish language classes in the fall as well as a graduate-level course on the methodology of second-language instruction.

Dr. Roger Tomhave, assistant professor of art and art education, has first-hand knowledge of JMU’s K-12 teacher education programs, having recently retired as fine arts coordinator for Fairfax County Public Schools, where he oversaw the hiring of new teachers in the areas of dance, theater, the visual arts and music. “We hire about 60 of these teachers a year,” he said. “The most teachers we hired from any one university was James Madison University.”

Tomhave will teach two courses in the fall in the art education program. “I’m very pleased to be here and to be a part of the great (teacher) training program that exists here at James Madison,” he said.

Other new faculty members were drawn to JMU for the balance afforded between teaching and research.

“Some of the other universities that were looking at me were research heavy, but JMU gave me the opportunity to build relationships with the students and help prepare them for their future careers,” said Dr. James A. Williams, an assistant professor in the School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management. “I hope to be a spark … that inspires them to go out and be the best leaders possible.”

Williams came to JMU from Iowa State University, where he recently completed his Ph.D. and taught courses in the school’s hospitality management program. His research interests include the link between participation in youth sports and the development of leadership skills.

Nursing instructor Chris Fasching-Maphis will return to JMU in the fall, this time in front of the classroom. She began her undergraduate degree at Madison in the 1980s and recently completed her master’s degree in nursing. She has worked at area hospitals and health care agencies, most recently at Augusta Health and the Community Services Board in Harrisonburg.

“I’m very much looking forward to shifting gears into the faculty role,” Fasching-Maphis said, adding that what she looks forward to the most is simply “getting started.”

A list of new faculty members at JMU:

College of Arts and Letters

Brooke Bernard, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Paul Bogard, English

Heather Carmack, Communication Studies

S. Nicole Cathey, Political Science

Angela Crow, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Sabrena C. Deal, Media Arts and Design

Carol Del Vitto, Foreign Languages

Ashley Demyan, Justice Studies

Danielle DeRise, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Kirsten Dyck, History

Hong Wei Embree, Foreign Languages

Sheila Fielding, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Elliott Fullmer, Political Science

Evan Jay Friss, History

Maria Galmarini, History

Walt Allen Ghant, History

Joanne D. Hartog, History

Robert Shelton Hill, History

Tatjana M. Hocke, Communication Studies

Rebecca Ella Howes-Mischel, Sociology/Anthropology

Elizabeth Kalbfleisch, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Elizabeth Kissling, Foreign Languages

Alan Jay Levinovitz, Philosophy and Religion

Joseph Loyacano, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Chacha Mahiri, Foreign Languages

Fred Mayhew, Political Science

Sean McCarthy, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Benjamin Meade, Justice Studies

Cathryn Molloy, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Daniel Moore, Foreign Languages

David Nahm, Justice Studies

Yuho Nemoto, Foreign Languages

Susan Norman, Political Science

Mary O’Donnell, Foreign Languages

Alex Parrish, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Tara Parsons, Justice Studies

Anne M. Porter, Sociology/Anthropology

Rita Poteyeva, Justice Studies

Alyssa Barrie Reid, Communication Studies

Lew Stern, Political Science

Courtney Swartzentruber, Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

Erin C. Tarver, Philosophy and Religion

Jennifer Taylor, Political Science

Clare M. Terni, Sociology/Anthropology

John L. Verburg, Sociology/Anthropology

Alexandra Vilela, Media Arts and Design

Yun Ju (Louisa) Wang, Foreign Languages

Isaac C. Woo, Communication Studies

Qian (Elf) Zhang, Foreign Languages

College of Health and Behavioral Studies

Diane Babrel, Nursing

Lindsey Burdick, Nursing

Lisa Carmines, Nursing

Kit Ying “Vivien” Chan, Psychology

Nicholas A. Curtis, Psychology

Laureen Donavan, Nursing

Christine Hansen, Nursing

S. Jeanne Horst, Graduate Psychology

Stephanie Hudy, Health Sciences

Christina Lam, Nursing

Kristina Liskey, Health Sciences

Claire W. Lyons, Psychology

Chris Fasching-Maphis, Nursing

Nancy Puffenbarger, Nursing

Arlene Renalds, Nursing

Julie Strunk, Nursing

Janna Taft Young, Psychology

Miranda Trent, Nursing

College of Integrated Science and Engineering

Elise Barrella, Engineering

Samy El-Tawab, Integrated Science and Technology

Frederick M. Garst, Integrated Science and Technology

Justin Henriques, Engineering

Laura R. Hopkins, Integrated Science and Technology

Jalal Abbas Jaleel, Integrated Science and Technology

Larissa Mark, Integrated Science and Technology

Samuel Morton, Engineering

College of Business

Ida Marie Alcantara, Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics

Vinod Changarath, Finance

Woo-Sik Choi, Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management

Angela I. Flannery, Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management

Kemper Funkhouser, Finance

Jonathan Ross Gilbert, Marketing

Ram Gupta, Marketing

Elizabeth Hoge, Marketing

Karen J. Jansen, Management

Marlena Y. Jarboe, Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics

John P. Karabelas, Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics

Joshua Ray Pate, Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management

Kathryn Mary Schumann, Finance

James Arthur Williams, Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management

College of Education

Keri Stevenson Bethune, Exceptional Education

Aaron Thomas Bodle, Early Elementary Education

Barbara Franklin, Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education

Natalie Gainer, Early Elementary Education

Katie M. Tricarico, Early Elementary Education

College of Science and Mathematics

Christopher Edward Berndsen, Chemistry

Costel Constantin, Physics and Astronomy

Jennifer Lauren Courtwright, Biology

Keigo Fukumura, Physics and Astronomy

Oliver Jacob Hyman, Biology

Elizabeth J. Jeffery, Physics and Astronomy

Jarrett Lancaster, Physics and Astronomy

Heather Lynn Mills, Mathematics and Statistics

Jessica Ann Newnam-Baicy, Biology

John M. Siegfried, Mathematics and Statistics

Alexis Johnston Stevens, Mathematics and Statistics

Eva Marie Strawbridge, Mathematics and Statistics

Isaiah Sumner, Chemistry

Bisi T. Velayudhan, Biology

Shanil N. Virani, Physics and Astronomy

Gerald Robert Weniger, Biology

Cassandra L. Williams, Mathematics and Statistics

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Audrey Barnes, Art, Design and Art History

Jean Brumfield, Art, Design and Art History

Jeffrey E. Bush, Music

Leslie Cozzi, Art, Design and Art History

Dymphna DeWild, Art, Design and Art History

Zachary Dorsey, Theatre and Dance

Jesse Harrod, Art, Design and Art History

Rebecca Lustig, Theatre and Dance

Edwin Roa, Theatre and Dance

Jun Bum Shin, Art, Design and Art History

Evelyn Tickle, Art, Design and Art History

Roger Tomhave, Art, Design and Art History

Christopher Whitmore, Art, Design and Art History