Faculty and Staff

About

Dr. Marsha Bayless

Dr. Marsha Bayless received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Emporia State University and her doctoral degree in business education and communication from Oklahoma State University. Bayless joined the SFA faculty in 1989 after serving for several years in universities and community colleges across the nation. She is a member of the Association for Business Communication and has been honored with several awards, such as Distinguished Member, Francis Weeks Award of Merit and Outstanding Educator. Bayless has served as president for the ABC and the ABC Southwestern U.S. region as well as president of the Texas Business and Technology Educators Association. Her research interests include business communication, storytelling, written and oral communication, teamwork, online education, and teaching pedagogy.

Dr. Justin Blount

Dr. Justin Blount has a BBA in Finance from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and a J.D. from the Baylor University School of Law. He is a licensed attorney in the states of Texas and Oklahoma, and teaches courses in Business Law and Business Ethics. His main research interests are in corporate governance and social responsibility, and he has published in top law journals in these areas.

Dr. Tim Clipson

Dr. Tim Clipson is professor emeritus of executive communication and executive leadership in the MBA program at SFA. He earned his EDD from Oklahoma State University in business training and development, his MED from the University of North Texas and his BS degree from Southern Nazarene University. Of the 45 years he taught full time, 36 of those were at SFA. Clipson helped develop and served as the director of SFA 101. He has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards including the Meada Gibbs International Teaching and Research award presented by the Association for Business Communication, the SFA Teaching Excellence Award, and the Nelson Rusche College of Business Teaching Innovation Award.

Debbie DuFrene

Dr. Debbie DuFrene received her doctoral degree from the University of Houston and both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Nicholls State University. She formerly served as department chair and as associate dean of the Rusche College of Business. DuFrene is a member of the Association for Business Communication, having served in various leadership positions at the national and regional levels. She is widely published in scholarly journals and has authored multiple editions of several business communication textbooks. She currently serves as editor of the corporate communication book collection for Business Expert Press. Her research interests include organizational communication, assessment of learning, and technology mediated teaching and learning.

Dr. Jamie Humphries

Dr. Jamie Keith Humphries brings a wealth of private-sector experience in international business management, marketing and sales to his position at SFA. An expert in data visualization, he is able to interpret complex technical information and turn it into manageable business intelligence. He leads a technical product management software team for implementation of analysis and work processes for the Seoul and Tokyo Olympics anti-doping laboratories. Humphries has a Ph.D. in Business Management from Georgia State University, a master’s in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas, as well as degrees in Engineering Management and Information Technology. He earned his undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Microbiology from SFA in 1995.

Dr. Susan Evans Jennings

Professor emeritus Dr. Susan Evans Jennings received her EDD from Grambling State University and her MED and BSE from Southern Arkansas University. Before her 19 years at SFA, she taught three years at Valdosta State University in Georgia and 11 years at Parkers Chapel High School in El Dorado, Arkansas. Jennings has written two textbooks, has been published in numerous journals, and has a lengthy record as a conference presenter. She was a Rusche Faculty Scholar from 2014 through 2018, and was instrumental in the development of the online BBA degree and served as its coordinator and advisor from its inception until her retirement in 2019.

Dr. Christopher McKenna

Dr. Christopher McKenna received his bachelor’s degree in English and economics from the University of Virginia and his master’s degree in English and doctoral degree in English and American studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He joined SFA in 2015 and has industry experience with various companies. He is the founder and president of Macondo Systems, a financial technology consulting company. McKenna worked as the chief technology officer for Smith Breeden Associates, with Bank of America on risk management and compliance technology, senior systems architect and vice president for Bankers Trust Company, senior project manager for Wilco Systems, assistant vice president for Lehman Brothers, and senior associate for Morgan Stanley. His research interests include business communication, student success and career preparedness, information technology and systems development, and business ethics.

Dr. Stephen Shrewsbury

Dr. Stephen Shrewsbury brings more than 30 years of military experience to the classroom. He has a:

  • Bachelor of Science in aviation management from Metropolitan State College
  • master’s degree in management from Florida State University
  • Juris Doctorate from the University of Utah College of Law
  • Master of Law in international and operational law from the Army Judge Advocate General’s Law Center and School
  • and a professional diploma in U.S. aviation law from the International Airline Transport Association and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Prior to joining the SFA faculty in 2017, Shrewsbury served as general counsel and director of legal services for the U.S. Air Force in the United Kingdom and Japan. He also served as general counsel and chief of operations and international law for Pacific Air Forces in Hawaii; deputy general counsel for U.S. European Command in Germany; legal advisor for the Office of Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece; deputy staff judge advocate for the 20th Fighter Wing in South Carolina; and chief of military justice and tort law at the Ogden Air Logistics Center in Utah. From 1993 to 2017 Shrewsbury also worked as an executive trainer and instructor for the U.S. Air Force. His research interests include air and aviation law, corporate ethics, and international business ethics.

Dr. Lucia Sigmar

Dr. Lucia Sigmar is an Associate Professor of Business Communication, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in business communication, leadership communication, managerial communication, and executive leadership. Sigmar has been teaching since 1981, first at the secondary level, and later, in adult and higher education. Her experience in the communications field and in the non-profit and corporate sectors in business and industry informs her teaching pedagogy at SFA. Sigmar holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Delta State University, a Master of Arts in English from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Dr. Drew Thornley

Dr. Drew Thornley earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, an executive Master of Business Administration from Quantic School of Business and Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from The University of Alabama. A licensed attorney in Alabama, he owns a consulting business and is a franchise owner.

Thornley is a seven-time Rusche College of Business Faculty Scholar and a previous winner of the college’s Outstanding Researcher Award. He is also the co-founder of the college’s "Discovering Business" study-abroad program.

Dr. Marice Kelly

Dr. Marice Kelly is an assistant professor of Business Communication and has been teaching in higher education since 2005. Her leadership experiences include being a team leader, registrar and business department chair. She earned a doctorate from the University of Georgia, an MBA from Brenau University, and a bachelor’s in journalism from Georgia State University. Her research interests include business communication, management and organizational development.​

Dr. S. Ann Wilson

Dr. S. Ann Wilson is professor emeritus of business communication. She served as chair of the Department of Business Communication and Legal Studies and was also an associate dean for student services in the Rusche College of Business. Wilson returned to the classroom to teach undergraduate and graduate business communication and leadership courses before her retirement in August 2019. An active researcher and teacher, she has earned awards for teaching, including the department’s Teaching Excellence Award. She was a member of many professional organizations, and served as president of the Federation of Business Disciplines. She holds an MED from Southern Arkansas University and earned her doctorate in educational leadership in higher education from the University of Mississippi.

Dr. Carol Wright

Dr. Carol Wright has a doctorate in Education, an MBA, and a bachelor’s in Accounting, all from SFA. She has served as an associate professor since 2018. Wright is extensively published and has a lengthy record as a conference presenter. She is currently a member of the Association for Business Communication, National Business Education Association, and the Texas Business and Technology Educators Association, as well as other professional groups. Among Wright’s honors are the Distinguished Service Award and the Rusche Faculty Scholar, both in 2019.

Dr. Suhyung Lee

Dr. Suhyung Lee earned his doctoral degree in human resource development, or HRD, from the University of Minnesota and his master’s degree in HRD and bachelor’s degree in education and English education from Hanyang University in South Korea. Lee worked for eight years as an HR manager at a large company in South Korea. His main research interests include career and talent development, leadership, organizational behavior and development, strategic HR, training evaluation, and cultural diversity. 

John Freeman

John Freeman has more than 35 years of legal, compliance and management experience working with the U.S. government, in private practice, and with four international companies in the energy sector. He served as general counsel/chief legal officer for two publicly traded companies, one based in the United States and the other in France. Freeman also served as the first global ethics and compliance director for a publicly traded oil field services company. He teaches business communication and business ethics courses and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in business management from The University of Texas at Austin and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Washington and Lee University School of Law. 

Judi Wells

Judi Wells has a bachelor's degree in political science from SFA and a doctorate in law from the University of Houston School of Law. Licensed to practice law in Texas and North Dakota, Wells is board certified in oil, gas and mineral law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and is a trained mediator. She is a partner with Skelton Slusher Barnhill Watkins Wells PLLC, where she practices oil and gas law, estate planning, probate, and business organization law. She teaches courses in business law, oil and gas law, and negotiations and alternative dispute resolution.

Dr. Kristen Waddell

Dr. Kristen Waddell earned her BBA and MBA from SFA and her PhD in human resource development from The University of Texas at Tyler. Her background is in human resources, organization development and change management. Her experience as a training professional helps her create an engaging environment for students. Her research interests include change management, communication and teams within a virtual environment.

Dr. Juliana Lilly

Dr. Juliana Lilly has over 20 years of teaching and research experience in addition to several years of management experience in for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Her research has been published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Business Horizons, Journal of Management Education and Journal of Managerial Psychology, among others, and she has made numerous presentations at professional and academic conferences.

Dr. Ashley Hall

Dr. Ashley Hall received her BBA and MBA from SFA. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Resource Development from the University of Texas at Tyler. Hall is a member of the Association for Business Communication and has been honored with several research awards including Outstanding Researcher and multiple best paper awards. Her research interests include managerial communication, organizational change, human resource practices, and online education.

Dr. Shirley Luna

Dr. Shirley Luna holds a bachelor's degree in journalism, a master's degree in communication and a doctorate in educational leadership, all from SFA. She retired as director of SFA's award-winning University Marketing Communications team in 2022, where she had worked for more than 20 years. She teaches courses in business communication.

George Paul

A native Houstonian and Baylor University graduate, George Paul earned a master's degree in international management with a concentration in marketing and finance from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

Paul developed go-to-market strategies and implemented international business development, channel marketing and product management in North America, Europe and the Middle East for Austrian and German technology companies.

He also has served as associate professor and lecturer at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, the Graz University of Applied Sciences and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. He has been recognized by leading German technology institutions and organizations for his role as an ambassador of German and Austrian engineering expertise and know-how.

Dr. Thomas Corbin Jr.

Dr. Thomas Corbin Jr. is an attorney and educator with more than two decades of international teaching experience at institutions in six countries on four continents. Before joining SFA in fall 2024, Corbin served as associate professor and chair of the General Business and Management Department at American University in Dubai. A licensed attorney in Michigan, he completed his Juris Doctor at Cooley Law School and his undergraduate work at Eastern Michigan University.

In his official roles, Corbin has been interviewed on international law, globalism, international education and the future of international business. He also has served as an administrator and external program reviewer for online programs in the U.S. and Ecuador. His research focuses on law, management and best ethical business practices.

In his spare time, Corbin previously coached for the Dubai Little League. He and his family love Batman, traveling, history, politics, science fiction, cartoons and Detroit Tigers baseball.