Southeast Spotlights on Faculty
|
Tom Farden
Adventurous, admirable and appreciative are just a few words that could be used to describe Redhawks gymnastics head Coach Tom Farden.
|
|
|
Larry Speight
As the Crisp Bootheel Education Center (CBEC) of Southeast Missouri State University at Malden celebrates 20 years of existence this year, it is easy to see the positive impact it has had on the area. One area educator has been affiliated with the CBEC for most of those 20 years. This fact makes Larry Speight, full-time English instructor for Southeast, very proud.
|
|
|
Dr. Janet Weber
Many of us would be happy if we wrote something that just one person found beneficial. Dr. Janet Weber, professor of nursing, co-authored a textbook that has been used worldwide!
|
|
|
Dr. James Dufek
When asked what he would like students to know about him, Dr. James Dufek, professor of Mass Communication, said, “I love my wife and I love my children.” He also gave this advice, “Never underestimate the value of hard work.” These two quotes say a lot about a hard-working and family-oriented man.
|
|
|
Bob Towner
Father Bob Towner was riding in a dilapidated truck in the middle of nowhere, a mountainous region still lush with vegetation despite the large-scale deforestation taking place throughout the country. The truck had been left behind by American forces after World War II. A dozen other people were crowded in next to him, as well as another dozen sitting on top. They were moving away from their missionary zone, located in one of the poorest, most primitive parts of the Philippines.
|
|
|
Dr. Kenneth Stilson
Dr. Kenneth Stilson, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, continues to challenge the belief that “those who can’t do, teach.” His award-winning play, 'Fire Lily', was picked up by an independent film company with production beginning this summer. His professional and artistic success demonstrates his philosophy: “Only those who can do should teach.”
|
|
|
Belete Muturo
Belete Muturo, an immigrant from Ethiopia, is the director of the McNair Scholar’s Program at Southeast. In addition, he teaches a courses in economics each semester. As head of McNair, he continues the work he has always done, that of helping his community.
|
|
|
Amanda Sinclair
If you’re being charged by a bucking bronco, sometimes it’s a matter of diving in the right direction. For Amanda Sinclair, assistant professor of Health, Human Performance and Recreation and a certified athletic trainer at Southeast Missouri State University, being on guard is a big part of her volunteer work at the rodeo.
|
|
|
Craig Elder
How many athletic trainers get the chance to work closely with Olympic athletes? For Craig Elder, associate professor of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at Southeast Missouri State University, working with professional athletes is just another day on the job.
|
|
|
Christopher Goeke
Christopher Goeke, chair of the Department of Music, has been involved in music for as long as he can remember.
|
|
|
Jim Robins
If you were curious about the interactions of squirrels or flying squirrels within the wooded areas of Southeast Missouri, then Jim Robins is the man you need to see. Robins teaches Biology for Living, Lab Investigations in Biology and Anatomy and Physiology at the Higher Education Centers in Sikeston, Malden, and Kennett Mo. Robins says he has always been interested in ecology and learning about how species evolve over time.
|
|
|
Tom McCune
“My favorite aspect of the job is working with future art teachers,” Tom said. “It is great to experience their enthusiasm and excitement about becoming a teacher, as well as helping them to prepare for a very rewarding career.”
|
|
|
Junior DeLay
Junior DeLay, a political science instructor at the Sikeston Area Higher Education Center (SAHEC), brings real world experience to the classroom. DeLay is currently serving his 23rd year as the Mississippi County Clerk while teaching an introductory political science course at SAHEC.
|
|
|
Donna Speck
By day, Donna Speck teaches students at the Sikeston Area Higher Education Center (SAHEC) about the Periodic Table of Elements, chemical bonding and balancing chemical equations. But when she’s not in the classroom, her students are a whole different breed.
|
|
|
Dr. Michael Aide
Usually when you pot a plant or plant a tree, you’re not thinking about the components that make up the soil. But for Dr. Michael Aide, soil is more than just a pile of dirt.
|
|
|
Kevin McMeel
What most students at St. Vincent de Paul School in Cape Girardeau don’t know is that “The Jell-O Man,” who serves Jell-O once a month at the school, is a construction engineer who teaches in the School of Polytechnic Studies at Southeast Missouri State University.
|
|
|
Dr. Leslee Pollina
Dr. Leslee Pollina has taught psychology to Southeast students for fourteen years. But Pollina has an entirely different set of students besides those in her psychology classes. They don’t turn in papers, tests, or read books on Sigmond Freud and Carl Rogers. Instead, these students focus on sitting, staying, and rolling over. They have four legs, loud barks and wet noses.
|
|
|
Dr. Greg Boyd
If you ask Dr. Greg Boyd why he decided to go into teaching after working 20 years in the manufacturing industry, he will tell you “it was time to put my money where my mouth was and start helping to create manufacturing engineers instead of trying to hire them.”
|
|
|
Dr. David Baird
The next time you pass an antique Packard automobile on the road, look closely, because the driver most likely is Dr. David Baird. Although Baird teaches in the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology, he loves to restore antique vehicles.
|
|
|
Dr. Bruce Hathaway
If you hear singing coming from Dr. Bruce Hathaway’s organic chemistry class, don’t be alarmed. It is just his students performing in the “Organic Chemistry Songfest.” Having students compose and perform organic chemistry songs for extra credit is just one of the unique teaching methods Hathaway uses to help his students learn.
|
|
|
Dr. Jean Benton
Most people can say they have never savored the flavor of durian, a large, spiny fruit found in Malaysia. The fruit is banned on airplanes and in public places because of its horrendous odor, but the flavor is wonderful to the taste buds. Dr. Jean Benton, director of International Programs for the College of Education, had her chance to savor the spiny fruit when she lived in Malaysia for two years as a curriculum consultant for the Ministry of Education.
|
|
|
Mary Virginia Moore Johnson
Mary Virginia Moore Johnson is a woman with an extreme past, and an extremely bright future. A professor in the Department of Accounting, Finance and Business Law at Southeast, Johnson teaches law courses - and with good reason.
|
|
|
Judy Wiles
Dr. Judy Wiles managed and co-owned a regional advertising agency and promotional products firm, where for 10 years, she enjoyed working full time in the world of marketing communications. But the desire to be a part of a community of advanced learning brought Wiles to the next stage of her career—teaching marketing and advertising at the college level.
|
|
|
Dr. Georganne Syler
In her observations of various people she’s encountered, both in her classes and in other countries, Dr. Georganne Syler is acutely aware of a shared behavioral characteristic. “Everybody eats,” Syler said. “It’s the common denominator.”
|
|
|
Dr. Mitchel Gerber
“On your mark…get set…GO!” The air gun explodes, the crowd starts to cheer and hundreds of runners set foot on the long stretch of pavement that will eventually take them to the finish line. This is how Dr. Mitchel Gerber likes to spend his Saturday mornings.
|
|
|
Dr. Dale Haskell
“I think that if you can’t find a way to have fun doing what you do, whether it’s studying, your major, your employment, you need to stop doing whatever that is and find something that will be fun for you. Nobody said you had to settle for something that bores you.”
|
|
|
Cheryl McAllister
Mathematics is more than a science for Cheryl McAllister. It is a passion. McAllister has been a faculty member at Southeast since fall 1992 and loves to teach college age students. She currently teaches the required mathematics courses for elementary and secondary education majors, but in the past has taught several different levels of algebra classes along with trigonometry and a first-year seminar called “The Mathematics of Art.”
|
|
|
Lisa K. Speer
Sherlock Holmes would have a run for his money if he encountered Dr. Lisa Speer, special collections librarian responsible for the University Archives, the Regional History Collections and Rare Books and Manuscripts at Southeast.
|
|
|
Dr. Susan Swartwout
Dr. Susan Swartwout is a person who thrives on change, and she’s made her fair share of changes since arriving at Southeast in 1996.
|
|
|
Dr. Russell Renka
If you ever search for your favorite presidential inaugural speech or wonder which baseball games he attended, you should visit political science professor Russell Renka’s Web site. His zeal for presidents is unmatched, and his site provides ample evidence with its endless supply of links to presidential information.
|
|
|
Julie Ray
Julie Ray is not your average early childhood education professor. While her love for children is evident, her interests are varied -- from motorcycles to knitting.
|
|
|
Professor Fred Jones
An alumnus of Southeast, Fred Jones decided the perfect job was right at home, as an assistant professor in the Department of Communication. A film maker from Jackson, Mo., Jones got his start with a Bachelor of Arts in English degree at Southeast before studying film at the University of Utah.
|
|
|
Dr. Leon Book
Dr. Leon Book, director of Southeast’s First-Year Experience program and professor of foreign languages and middle and secondary education, is definitely a believer in living a well-rounded and varied lifestyle, much like the well-rounded education of the University Studies program that he introduces to first-year students.
|
|
|
Dr. Bonnie Stepenoff
Dr. Bonnie Stepenoff, professor of history at Southeast, strives to inspire a passionate quest for the truth and an appreciation for the physical remnants of history in her students. In addition to encouraging her students in such idyllic pursuits, she also inspires them to break into song.
|
|
|
Professor Barry Bernhardt
Barry Bernhardt, director of University Bands, is a man with a passion for teaching and making great music. As conductor of the Golden Eagles Marching Band, the Southeast Show Band, and the Southeast Symphonic Wind Ensemble, he has many opportunities to shape the minds and influence the talents of young, budding musicians at Southeast.
|
|
|
Dr. Allen Gathman
If it weren’t for an essay answer on a medical school application, Dr. Allen Gathman might be walking the halls of a hospital instead of the Rhodes Hall of Science. After finishing a pre-med degree and taking the MCAT, Gathman had trouble writing about why he wanted to be a doctor. His love of biological research shined through. Instead of heading off to med school, Dr. Gathman decided graduate school would be a better route.
|
|
|
Dr. Edward Leoni
Wearing one of his more than 150 Hawaiian shirts and propping his feet on his desk, Dr. Edward Leoni is, as his colleagues in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation claim, an original, irreproducible piece of work.
|
|
|
Professor Sarah Riley
During the summer months, Professor of Art Sarah Riley and a group of students regularly journey abroad to paint. For a few years she led them to Paris. The past two years, she and Dr. Laura MacCaskey, have led the students to Venice, where they’ve set up with watercolors and painted people, buildings, water and boats — some abstract work, some architecture.
|
|
|
Dr. Sakina Drummond
Growing up in India and having visited six continents, Dr. Sakina Drummond’s travel aspirations are different from most. Instead of visiting foreign countries, she now intends to see “all of the U.S.A.,” saying that there are too many places here to see. So far, Dr. Drummond has visited the eastern and midwestern states and looks forward to traveling west.
|
|
|
Dr. Gabriele Eckart
Sprechen sie Deutsches? Habla español? Foreign language professor Gabriele Eckart can do both. Dr. Eckart, who is a native of Germany, is fascinated by languages and the people who use them.
|
|
|
Professor Ron Clayton
Art Professor Ron Clayton “practices what he teaches.” Not only does he teach at the University, he also is a professional artist who has had gallery shows in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Columbus, Ohio.
|
|
|
Dr. Glen Williams
Everyone has heard the familiar adage “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Southeast communication professor Glen Williams lives by this mantra. Williams is fascinated by the impact of the spoken and written word on every aspect of our society.
|
|
|
Dr. Peter Gordon
If you want to travel or study abroad, you might want to meet Marketing professor Peter Gordon. Having traveled to over 50 countries and driven on six continents, the Australian native wants to reach 100 countries before he retires.
|
|
|
Dr. Alan Journet
He journeys deep into the tropical forests of Costa Rica to research and photograph exotic plants and animals that few people have ever seen. His lifelong mission is to aid in the preservation of endangered ecosystems such as these. This may sound like the plot of Hollywood film, but it’s all in a day’s work for biology professor Alan Journet.
|
|
|
Dr. Walt Lilly
Imagine being blown down an embankment, along with your camera and tripod, by a steam locomotive speeding by at 65 mph as you try to capture just the right photo. Walt Lilly, a biology professor at Southeast, can do more than imagine it – he’s experienced it.
|
|
|
Dr. David Reinheimer
Known around campus for his chromed-out purple pickup truck, Dr. David Reinheimer is a confessed ‘80s hair metal fan who even appears in a music video by Tesla. But there's more to this professor than meets the eye... find out more in this short online introduction.
|
|
|
Dr. Bruce Domazlicky
Southeast economics professor Bruce Domazlicky enjoys teaching the fundamentals of economics while at work, but at home, his favorite pastime is collecting and restoring antique radios.
|
|
|
Dr. Christina Frazier
Dr. Christina Frazier's love of nature works well with her research on viruses such as West Nile that are transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. In fact, she only leaves the outdoors to enter the classroom to teach courses in virology, microbiology, epidemiology and related subjects in the Department of Biology at Southeast.
|
|
|
Dr. John Scheibe
What do reptile and mammal collections, antique car restorations, landscape photography and jazz have in common? The answer is Dr. John Scheibe of the Department of Biology. Find out more in this faculty spotlight.
|
|
|
|
|
