Dr. Gabriel Barreneche, provost and vice president for academic affairs, recently announced new full-time and part-time faculty members for the 2024-2025 academic year, plus notable academic position changes.

Faculty Promotions

Dr. Nick Bujak promoted to Associate Professor of English with tenure
Mr. Jonathon Nooner promoted to Associate Professor of Scenic Design and Technical Theatre with tenure
Dr. Janelle Pham promoted to Associate Professor of Sociology with tenure
Ms. Christina Price Washington promoted to Associate Professor of Studio Art with tenure
Dr. Justin Wise promoted to Professor of Psychology

Mr. Ronald Burgess promoted to Senior Lecturer of Film and Media Studies
Dr. Melany Chambers promoted to Senior Lecturer of Communication Studies
Dr. Stephen Goodwin promoted to Senior Lecturer of German Studies
Dr. Lejla Ibrahimbegovic promoted to Senior Lecturer of Core Studies
Dr. Jamie Iredell promoted to Senior Lecturer of Core Studies
Dr. Judith Levy promoted to Senior Lecturer of Core Studies
Dr. Jaclyn McWhorter promoted to Senior Lecturer of Core Studies
Dr. Rebecca Schmerer promoted to Senior Lecturer of Core Studies

Division Chairs

Division I – Dr. Kate Keib (2023- 2026)
Division I – Dr. Katharine Zakos (Fall 2024) –service during Dr. Keib’s sabbatical
Division II – Dr. Glenn Sharfman (2024-2027)
Division III – Dr. Mariel Meier (2023-2026)
Division IV – Dr. Lisa Hayes (2024-2027)
Division V – Dr. Drew Huey, Business Department Chair (2024-2027); Dr. Cassandra Copeland, Economics Department Chair (2023-2026)
Division VII – Dr. Sarah Terry (2024-2027)
Division VIII – Dr. Mario Chandler (2023-2026)
Division IX – Dr. Brian Patterson (2022-2025)
Core Director – Dr. Judith Levy (2023-2026)

Rank/Title Changes

Mr. Hunter Jonakin, Assistant Professor, Studio Art

New 2024-2025 Full-time faculty

Mr. Brian Bremer
Instructor, Film and Media Studies – Division I
B.A., Theater Arts, Pepperdine University
Hearst 314

Ms. Hannah Brown
Technical Services and Systems Librarian
B.S., Psychology, Georgia College & State University
M.L.I.S., University of Kentucky

Krystal Ghisyawan, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor, Sociology – Division IV
B.A. Anthropology and South Asian Studies, York University, School of Liberal Arts – Toronto
Ph.D., Sociology, University of the West Indies – St. Augustine, Trinidad

Ms. Abigail (Abby) Gregg
Visiting Assistant Professor, Studio Art – Division I
B.F.A., Painting; B.F.A., Art Education, University of Georgia
M.F.A., Studio Art, San Francisco Art Institute

Dr. Carley Haulk
Instructor, Chemistry – Division III
B.S., Chemistry, North Carolina State University
Ph.D., Analytical Chemistry, Florida State University

Dr. Elizabeth Jensen
Associate Professor, Chemistry – Division III
B.A., Chemistry & Biology, Luther College
Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry, Iowa State University

Dr. David Laws III
Assistant Professor, Chemistry – Division III
B.S., Biochemistry, Coastal Carolina University
Ph.D., Chemistry, Emory University

Dr. Sylvester Makoko
Assistant Professor, Accounting – Division V (Hammack School of Business)
B.S., M.B.A., Accounting, Alabama A & M University
D.B.A., Accounting, Creighton University – Heider College of Business

Dr. Courtney Mullis
Inaugural Director of the Writing Center, and Assistant Professor, English – Division VII
B.A., English, Coastal Carolina University
M.A., English, Wake Forest University
Ph.D., English Literature, Duquesne University

New 2024-2025 Part-time faculty

Dr. Jason Britton Brown
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.S., Engineering (magna cum laude), minor: Mathematics, Baylor University
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Ph.D., Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Hsi Chen (David) Chang
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.S., Mathematics, Georgia State University
M.Ed., Ed.S., Ph.D., Mathematics Education, Georgia State University

Mr. Judson Duke
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.F.A., M.F.A. (with distinction), Art: Drawing and Painting, University of Georgia

Dr. Joel Elliott
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.S., Journalism, Toccoa Falls College
Dual M.A., Sustainable International Development and Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Ph.D., International Conflict Management, Kennesaw State University

Ms. Meredith Emery
Part-time Instructor, Art – Division I
B.F.A. (with Highest Distinction), Studio Art, (minor: Geography), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
M.F.A. Candidate, University of Georgia

Dr. Elizabeth Ferszt
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.A., English (cum laude), University of Michigan
M.A., English, University of South Carolina
Ph.D., English; Spanish-cognate, Wayne State University
J.D. (in progress), WMU Cooley Law School

Dr. Vannetta Davis Gainer
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.S., Mathematics Education, M.S., Mathematics, Florida State University
Ed. Specialist, Mathematics, Ed.D., Instructional Leadership, Nova Southeastern University

Mr. J.P. Gingras
Part-time Instructor, Accounting – Division V (Hammack School of Business)
B.B.A. (magna cum laude), M.B.A., Accounting; Finance; Economics, St. Bonaventure University

Mr. William Gladney
Part-time Instructor, Chemistry – Division III
B.S., Chemistry, Tougaloo College
M.S., Biomedical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center
D.Sc. (in progress), Chemistry, Clark Atlanta University

Ms. Laura Hackman
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.S., Theater, Towson University
M.F.A., Theatre Directing, The Catholic University of America

Dr. Shehab Hashim
Part-time Instructor, Chemistry – Division III
B.A., Economics (summa cum laude), B.S., Bioengineering (summa cum laude), University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D., Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Georgia State University

Mr. Everett Jackson ’15
Part-time Instructor, Public Health – Division III
B.S., Biology with Urban Ecology Certificate, Oglethorpe University
M.P.H., Global Health & Community Health Development, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University

Ms. Karen Jones
Part-time Instructor, Chemistry – Division III
B.A., Chemistry and Music, Agnes Scott College
M.S., Chemistry, Georgia State University

Dr. Mariam Kaleem-Ahmed
Part-time Instructor, Biology – Division III
B.S., Biology, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
M.S., Biological Science, St John’s University-New York
Doctoral degree in Medicine, University of Ghana/ Family Health Medical School

Ms. Amber Monroe
Part-time Instructor, Communication Studies – Division I
B.A., English, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
M.A., Communication, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Wake Forest University
Ph.D. Candidate, Communication, Georgia State University

Dr. Hellena Moon
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.A., Honors Political Science (magna cum laude; minor: East Asian Studies), Boston College
A.M., Regional Studies East Asia: Korean History, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
M.Div., Harvard University, Divinity School
Ph.D., Religion, Emory University

Ms. Sarah Moon
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.F.A., Lamar Dodd School of Art
B.F.A., University of Georgia (magna cum laude)
M.F.A., Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, Washington University – St. Louis

Mr. Topher Payne
Part-time Instructor, Theatre – Division VII

Ms. Monica Reeves
Part-time Instructor, Biology – Division III
B.S., Biology, University of South Alabama
Ph.D. (in progress), Genetics and Molecular Biology, Emory University

Mr. Eric Flohr Reynolds
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.A., Philosophy, George Mason University
M.A., Philosophy, New School for Social Research
Ph.D. Candidate, Comparative Literature, Emory University

Ms. Sherry M. Shephard-Massat
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
M.A., Museum Studies, Johns Hopkins University
M.F.A., Dramatic Writing, New York University

Dr. Antonio J. Smith
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.A., American History, Evergreen State College
M.Ed., Secondary Education, Grand Canyon State University
Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction, Capella University

Mr. Billy Spearman
Part-time Instructor, Computer Science – Division IX
M.S., Computer Science, Alabama A & M University

Ms. Carolyn Taylor
Part-time Instructor, Core Studies – Core
B.S., Geology, University of West Georgia
M.S., Geology, M.Ed., Science, Georgia State University

Dr. Alison Wakeford
Part-Time Instructor, Psychology – Division IV
B.S. (magna cum laude), Psychology, University of Georgia
M.A., Experimental Psychology, American University
Ph.D., Behavior, Cognition, and Neuroscience, American University

Ms. Margaret Ward
Part-time Instructor, Chemistry – Division III
B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison
M.S., Chemistry, Texas Woman’s University