Childs named dean of SFA College of Sciences and Mathematics

Dr. Kimberly Childs named new dean of Stephen F. Austin's College of Sciences and Mathematics.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Following a national search, Dr. Kimberly Childs was named dean of Stephen F. Austin State University's College of Sciences and Mathematics by the Board of Regents Tuesday.

A professor of mathematics at SFA, Childs has been serving as interim dean for the past year and also directs the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Research and Learning Center. She has previously served as associate dean in the college.

Childs, a native of Galveston, joined the faculty of the SFA Department of Mathematics and Statistics 16 years ago after teaching in high schools in Galveston and Jacksonville, as well as at Lon Morris College. She earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics from Dallas Baptist University and her master's in mathematics teaching from SFA. She received a doctorate degree in mathematics education from Texas A&M University.

The Board of Regents also approved numerous additional faculty and staff appointments, changes of status, promotions and retirements at the meeting Tuesday. Faculty appointments included: Erik Byker, assistant professor of elementary education; Donald Gooch, assistant professor of government; David Rex-Galindo, assistant professor of Latin American history; and Daniel Bennett and Jennifer Gumm, assistant professors of biology.

Staff appointments included: Samantha Mora, alumni events and engagement director in Alumni Affairs; Suzanne Heffernan, aquatics coordinator in campus recreation; Anne Uhyrek, accountant III in the controller's office; June Parker, graphics shop supervisor; Maureen Havard, physican assistant in health services; Wayne Meier, programmer/analyst I in information technology services; and Donna Parish, marketing communication specialist in public affairs.

Staff appointment in athletics included: Kevin Carberry, Richard Olin and Troy Rogers, assistant football coaches; Daniel Georgalas, assistant volleyball coach; Joshua Jorgensen, coordinator of athletic operations; and Samantha Robinson, athletic academic services assistant. In addition, Nathan Schneider moved from athletic academic services assistant to assistant football coach.

Additional changes of status were approved for the College of Liberal and Applied Arts: Kwame Antwi-Boasiako, from associate professor of government to associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Government; Mark Barringer, from associate professor of history and associate dean to associate professor and chair of the Department of History; and Robert Szafran, from professor of social and cultural analysis to professor and chair of the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis.

Changes of status in the Department of Information Technology Services included: William Croft, from instructional systems administrator to systems programmer I; Daniel Duplechian, from programmer/analyst II to programmer/analyst III; and Allena Kendall and Jacquelyn Vose, from programmer/analyst I to programmer/analyst II.

Other changes of status approved by the regents included: Jennifer Bailey, from associate director of Project ENLANCE to director of Project CONFIANZA in the Department of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership; Fred Allen, from director of bands to professor of music and director of bands; and Randall Scott, from coordinator to director of Piney Woods Area Health Education Center.

The following retirements were approved by the Board of Regents: Mitzi Blackburn, alumni activities/events director; Florence Elliot-Howard, associate professor of general business; Debbie Ellisor and Mary Pack, clinical instructors of nursing; and Betty Johnson, professor of general business.

The Board of Regents also approved numerous faculty promotions. To assistant professor: Erin Bailey and Tamara Harris, nursing; and Adam Akerson, Tracey Hasbun and Robin Johnson, Elementary Education.

To associate professor: Linda Black, Kerry Roberts, Mark Seaman, Sandra Stewart and Janet Tareilo, secondary education; Mario Ajero, music; Todd Brown, economics and finance; Wesley Brown, geology; Wilma Cordova, social work; Dianne Dentice, sociology; Jeremy Heider, psychology; George Hunt, accounting; Matthew Kwiatkowski, biology; Alan Larson, human services; Steven Marsden, English; Michael Maurer, agriculture; Matthew McBroom, Daniel Scognamillo and Pat Stephens-Williams, forestry; Kefa Onchoke, chemistry; Karren Price, criminal justice; Le'Ann Solmonson, human services; and Scott Sosebee, history.

To professor: Charlotte Allen, management, marketing and international business; Christopher Ayer, music; Angela Bacarisse, theatre; Lesa Beverly, Roy Joe Harris and Sarah Stovall, mathematics; Dean Coble and Warren Conway, forestry; Joyce Johnston, modern languages; and Emmerentie Oliphant, social work.

To professor emeritus: Alan Nielsen and Allen Oster, theatre; and Dillard Tinsley, management and marketing.

In addition, Greg Bailey was promoted to librarian II, and Jennifer Brancato was promoted to archivist II.

The following SFA faculty members were granted tenure by the Board of Regents: Mario Ajero, Gene Moon and Jorge Salas, music; Brian Beavers, Jeremy Becnel and Kent Riggs, mathematics; Linda Black, Kerry Roberts, Mark Seaman, Sandra Stewart and Janet Tareilo, secondary education; Todd Brown and Mikhail Kouliavtsev, economics and finance; Wesley Brown, geology; Wilma Cordova and Emmerentie Oliphant, social work; Dianne Dentice, sociology, Tracey Hasbun, Jannah Nerren and Claudia Whitley, elementary education; Jeremy Heider, psychology; George Hunt, accounting; Matthew Kwiatkowski, biology; Alan Larson and Le'Ann Solmonson, human services; Steven Marsden, English; Michael Maurer, agriculture; Matthew McBroom, Daniel Scognamillo and Pat Stephens-Williams, forestry; Kefa Onchoke, chemistry; Karren Price, criminal justice; and Scott Sosebee, history.

Dr. Brian Oswald, professor of forestry, was named Regents Professor for the 2012-13 academic year.