2012 Tenure and Promotions

 

Congratulations to the following faculty members who will begin the 2012-13 academic year as tenured, associate professors:

• Dr. Jason Andrus, biological sciences
• Dr. Shannon Grimes, religious and ethical studies
• Dr. Erin Lindquist, biological sciences
• Dr. Jennifer Olson, education
• Dr. Kelly Roberts, English

Please congratulate the following colleagues on their promotion:

• Carol Finley, Full Professor, Dance
• Kristy Dixon, Assistant Professor, Business

The Board of Trustees approved these tenure and promotion decisions during their spring meeting, March 22, 2012.

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News Director Melyssa Allen and Marketing Writer Gaye Hill attended the 2012 College News Association of the Carolinas conference, March 25-27, in Greensboro, N.C. Allen led conference planning efforts as part of her two-year term as president of the organization, which includes higher education communications professionals from North Carolina and South Carolina. Hill presented about the Meredith Mayhem alumnae giving effort in a session about best practices in higher education communications.

 

Assistant Professor of Religious and Ethical Studies Steven Benko shared the following recent accomplishments. His article, “Ironic Faith in Monty Python's ‘Life of Brian’” will be published in the Spring edition of the Journal of Religion and Film. Benko gave two presentations at the Annual Gathering of Holocaust Educators in Cullowhee, N.C. These presentations were part of a conference organized by the N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching. The first presentation was titled, "The Nature of the Natural" and the second was titled, "Our (Im)Possible Posthuman Future".

 

Benko also moderated a panel on Amendment 1 and same sex marriage in North Carolina The panel was mentioned in media outlets including the News and Observer’s  'Under the Dome,'  NBC-17 and The Daily Tar Heel. Benko was also interviewed by WUNC in advance of the panel discussion.

 

Professor of Dance Alyson Colwell-Waber taught three master classes at the American College Dance Festival - Mid-Atlantic Regionals, held at James Madison University.  Her classes in Advanced Modern Dance Technique and Yoga for Dancers were attended by dance students and faculty from more than two dozen colleges and universities in this region of the country. 

 

Director of The Meredith Fund Jane Mitchell was interviewed by Student Affairs Today for an article about Meredith Mayhem, the College’s fundraising competition for alumnae classes. The story was published in the April 2012 issue of the newsletter for student affairs professionals.

 

Associate Professor of Mass Communication Doug Spero wrote an Op-Ed for Editor & Publisher. The piece focused on the commercialization of the news media, using examples from 2012 presidential election coverage. The Op-Ed is included in the magazine’s March 2012 edition.

 

Associate Professor of Education Marge Terhaar-Yonkers will be leading a program chair invited session at the 2012 Council for Exceptional Children Convention & Expo in Denver, April 13. Her topic is “Voices from the Field: Educators with Disabilities.”

 

The Council for Exceptional Children represents individuals with disabilities, their families and their teachers. In the session led by Terhaar-Yonkers, educators with disabilities will explore their own school experiences, share why they chose special education as their field, and will discuss the barriers they have faced as they work within our profession.

 

The next issue of Campus Connections will be published April 17. Submit items for Faculty/Staff Accomplishments to allenme@meredith.edu.

 

 

In this Issue:

Inauguration Held for Meredith’s Eighth President
Meredith Student Earns State Department Internship in China
Sophomore Monserrat Alvarez Named a Newman Civic Fellow
Engineering Dual Degree Student Selected for NASA Program
Employee Giving Participation Nears Goal
Faculty/Staff Accomplishments

Tenure & Promotions
Upcoming Events
News Briefs

 

Have you presented research or attended a professional meeting recently? Has your department earned an award? Share news of these accomplishments and more with the Meredith community. Faculty and staff are invited to email items to Melyssa Allen, “Campus Connections” editor, at allenme@meredith.edu.