Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Leslie Cecil, professor of anthropology, geography and sociology, was named Regents Scholar, the highest honor the university may bestow upon a member of the faculty, during the April meeting of the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents.
A member of the faculty since 2007, Cecil reached the rank of professor in 2019 and directs SFA’s Archaeological Field School. She has served as department chair and on the Faculty Senate.
Cecil earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, a master’s degree from the University of Montana and a doctoral degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Regents also approved additional promotions and appointments:
BUSINESS
Faculty appointments for the Rusche College of Business included Doug Milbauer, lecturer, and Brian Nagy, assistant professor, management and marketing.
The promotions of Emiliano Giudici to professor of economics and finance and Rajat Mishra to associate professor of management and marketing were approved. Mishra also was awarded tenure.
EDUCATION
Faculty appointments for the James I. Perkins College of Education included Rohelle Cade, associate professor, and Sarah Irvin, assistant professor, human services and educational leadership; and Summer Pannell, associate professor, educational leadership; Marisol Diaz, assistant professor, elementary education; Nathanial Walker, assistant professor, human sciences; Robyn Whitehead, assistant professor, kinesiology and health science; and Eric Torres, associate professor/associate chair, educational studies.
The following promotions were approved: Kristina White, assistant professor of kinesiology and health science; Jim Ewing and Mark Montgomery, associate professors of elementary education; Flora Farago, associate professor of human sciences; Daniel McCleary, associate professor of human services; and Chrissy Cross and Barbara Qualls, associate professors of secondary education. Tenure was awarded to Cross, McCleary, Qualls and Lydia Richardson, human services.
FINE ARTS
Eden Collins was appointed assistant professor of art.
In the School of Music, Tamey Anglley, Tod Fish and Bradley Meyer were awarded tenure and promoted to the rank of associate professor. Promotions were approved for Neal Cox, professor of art, and CC Conn, professor of theatre.
FORESTRY AND AGRICULTURE
Promotions were approved for Joey Bray, professor of agriculture; Sheryll Jerez, professor of environmental science; Yanli Zhang, professor of forestry; and Jared Barnes, associate professor of agriculture. Barnes also was awarded tenure.
LIBERAL ARTS
Janice Cho and Stephanie Williams-Turkowski were appointed as assistant professors of mass communication.
Promotions to professor were approved for Elizabeth Tasker-Davis, English and creative writing; Gabriela Miranda-Recinos and Jessica Sams, languages, cultures and communications; and Scott Sosebee, history. Regents approved the promotions of and awarded tenure to Charles Gregory, associate professor of government; Aryendra Chakravarty, associate professor, history; and Lauren Brewer, Kyle Conlon, Sylvia Middlebrook and Nathan Sparkman, associate professors of psychology. Tenure was awarded to Gregory Drury, psychology, and Kristin Bailey-Wallace and James Morris, social work.
SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS
Faculty appointments included Jeremy Becnel, professor, and Jianjun Zheng, assistant professor, computer science; Jason Bruck and Zeljko Radulovic, assistant professors of biology; and Carl Ziegler, assistant professor and director of the SFA Observatory.
Other appointments include Dari Amos, nursing clinical placement coordinator, and Martha Lee, STEM Center outreach coordinator.
The following promotions were approved: Matibur Zamadar, associate professor, Odutayo Odunuga, professor, chemistry and biochemistry; Kevin Stafford, professor of geology; Christopher Ryan, associate professor of nursing; Dennis Gravatt, professor of biology; Nicholas Long, professor of mathematics and statistics. Zamadar and Ryan also were awarded tenure.
Philip Reynolds was promoted to librarian IV, and appointments were approved for Jescelyn Villarreal, assistant director, Campus Recreation; Tammie Jackson, teacher, Early Childhood Lab; and Omar Narvaez, security specialist II, Information Technology Services.
In athletics, Michael Bell was approved as creative video producer, and two former quality control coaches, Myles Carelock and Cameron Rogers, were approved as assistant football coaches.
Other changes include Sarah Sargent, from development assistant to director-advancement services; Shelby Childress, from accounting clerk III to project coordinator, physical plant; and Rhylie Gachot, from assistant director-orientation programs to interim director-orientation programs, student affairs programs.
Three longtime faculty members, Gloria Gresham, Gary Mayer and Shiyou Li, were honored with the title of professor emeritus. J.B. Watson was honored as associate professor emeritus.
Faculty development leave was granted for Odutayo Odunuga, chemistry and biochemistry, and Shaun Roberts, art, for fall 2020. Heather Olson Beal, secondary education and educational leadership, and Jane Long, mathematics and statistics, will participate in faculty development leave during spring 2021.
Regents approved the retirements of employees with 156 years of combined service: D’Nese Haddox, associate director, residence life; Bruce Lanham, construction manager, physical plant; Norman Markworth, professor of physics, engineering and astronomy; David McFarland, assistant director, audit services; and Elyce Rodewald, arboretum education program coordinator, agriculture.