Dr. Gabriel Barreneche, provost and vice president for academic affairs, recently announced new full-time and part-time faculty members for the 2026-2027 academic year, plus notable academic position changes.
Faculty Promotions
Dr. Rhana Gittens Wheeler, promoted to Associate Professor, Communication Studies with tenure
Mr. Randy Hill, promoted to Senior Lecturer, Film and Media Studies
Special Appointments
Dr. Janelle Pham, Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning
Rank/Title Changes
Mr. Brian Bremer, Lecturer, Film & Media Studies
Dr. Melany Chambers, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies
Dr. Krystal Ghisyawan, Assistant Professor, Sociology
Dr. Nico Gutierrez, Assistant Professor, Music
Ms. Abby Gregg, Lecturer, Studio Art
Mr. Jeffrey Herle, Lecturer, Business
Dr. Bill Shillito, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
New 2026-27 Full-time Faculty
Dr. Derrick Asamoah Owusu – Assistant Professor, Mathematics
B.S., Mathematics; M.S., Mathematics; Ph.D., Actuarial Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Ms. Pamela Brown – Lecturer, Management
B.S., Business Management and Economics, Cornell University
M.S., Management, Organizational Behavior and Development, Georgia State University
Dr. Desmond Fonseca – Assistant Professor, History
B.A., History, and Africana Studies (Summa Cum Laude), Tufts University
M.A., History, University of California, Los Angeles
Ph.D. candidate, University of California, Los Angeles
Mr. John T. Lane ’18 – Lecturer, Philosophy and Core Studies
B.A., Philosophy, magna cum laude, Oglethorpe University
Ph.D. candidate, Philosophy, University of Georgia
Ms. Sarah Morris – University Librarian and Director of the Philip Weltner Library
B.A., History with Honors, Political Science minor, Southwestern University
M.A., Humanities, University of Chicago
M.S.I.S., University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Alexandria Oviatt – Assistant Professor, Biology
B.A., Biochemistry with honors, Barnard College of Columbia University
Certificate in College Teaching, Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching
Ph.D., Chemical and Physical Biology, Vanderbilt University
Postdoctoral Fellow, Michigan State University
Dr. Myles Sherman – Instructor, Physics and Astronomy
B.S., Electrical & Computer Engineering and Physics, Carnegie Mellon University
M.S., Ph.D., Physics, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Certificate of Practice in University Teaching, Caltech Future Faculty and Mentors
Ms. Beth Stevens – Instructor, Psychology
B.A., Sociology, B.S., Psychology, Emory & Henry College
M.A., Psychology, Ph.D., Psychology (in progress), Georgia State University
New 2026-27 Part-time Faculty
Dr. Elena Antoniadou – Adjunct Instructor, Economics
B.A./M.A., Economics, University of Cambridge, Newnham College
M.A., Ph.D., Economics, Stanford University
Dr. Tasnim Ara – Adjunct Instructor, Chemistry
B.Sc., M.Sc., Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Dhaka
Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Wyoming
Dr. Hosain Bagheri – Adjunct Instructor, Physics
B.S., M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Arizona
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State University
Dr. Laurence Bloom – Adjunct Instructor, Core Studies
B.A., Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Georgia
Postgraduate Studies in Talmud and Jewish Philosophy, Ohr Somayach Yeshiva, Jerusalem, Israel
Mr. William (Will) Carter ’12 – Adjunct Instructor, Core Studies
B.A., Playwriting, Oglethorpe University
M.F.A., Playwriting, Boston University
M.A.T., Secondary Education, University of Louisville
Mr. Adrian Elliott – Adjunct Instructor, Chemistry
B.Sc., Chemistry, Morehouse College
M.S., Chemistry, Clark Atlanta University
M.A.T., Chemistry, Kennesaw State University
Dr. Nathan Harris – Adjunct Instructor, Biology
B.A., Neuroscience, Oberlin College
Ph.D., Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco
Dr. Daniel Karcher – Adjunct Instructor, Music
B.Mus., Music Composition, minor: technology in music Oberlin Conservatory
M.Mus., Music Composition, University of Miami
D.M.A., Music Composition, minor: music theory, University of Georgia
Ms. Mary Beth Looney – Adjunct Instructor, Core Studies
B.A., Studio Art, Roanoke College
M.A., Art History, University of Georgia
M.F.A., Savannah College of Art and Design
Mr. Santiago Marquez – Adjunct Instructor, Management
B.A., British and American Literature, Georgia State University
Master of Nonprofit Administration, University of Notre Dame, Mendoza Business School
Dr. Kan Tang – Adjunct Instructor, Chemistry
B.Eng., Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, China
M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, TU Delft, Netherlands
Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Southern Mississippi
Mr. Ben Weatherford – Adjunct Instructor, Music
B.Mus., Guitar Performance, Berklee College of Music
M.Mus., Jazz Studies, Georgia State University
