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Twenty-five faculty members with expertise in musical theatre, library media, kinesiology, history, business administration, psychology, biology, human resources, art, chemistry, English, mathematics, communication, education and family and consumer sciences have been hired for the 2007-08 academic year at East Central University.

The new faculty members include:

Dana Ayers

Dana Ayers, instructor of communication and fine arts center programming coordinator, taught at Southeastern Oklahoma State University from 1999 to 2007 and was director of both musical theatre and The Chorvettes StageWorks Company. She was music director of the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival in Durant from 2000 to 2006.

A professional actress and  instructor of voice, acting and piano, she was assistant music director and a vocal performer for the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City for five years and a guest artist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra for six years. She was an adjunct instructor at Oklahoma City University and taught at the University of Maine.

Ayers is pursuing a doctorate in humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas. She received a master of music degree in opera performance from OCU and a bachelor of music education degree from the University of Central Arkansas. Both degrees were summa cum laude.

Staci Capps

Staci Capps, instructor of education in ECU's new Westward Expansion Grant, had been the library media specialist at Homer, Byng and Francis Elementary Schools. She previously taught early childhood education in the Byng School District for six years.

She earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and a master of education degree/library media, both from ECU. She has begun work toward a doctorate in library and information services at the University of North Texas.

Kevin Carey

Kevin Carey, instructor of kinesiology and assistant football coach, had been the offensive coordinator/offensive line/linebackers football coach at Tuttle High School since 2005, the year Tuttle won the Class 3A State Championship.

Carey previously was a defensive coordinator at Anadarko High School; defensive coordinator, assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator at Cisco (Texas) Junior College; and held coaching positions at high schools in Georgia and at Hastings College in Nebraska and Ottawa University in Kansas.

He was a three-year starter at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and graduated from Sterling (Kan.) College with a degree in physical education. At Sterling, he was team MVP and earned unanimous all-conference honors as an offensive lineman. He has a master's degree in teaching from Hastings College.

Dr. Bradley Clampitt

Dr. Bradley Clampitt, assistant professor of history, was a visiting assistant professor of history last year at Texas A&M University. He taught history classes as a teaching fellow at the University of North Texas from 2001 to 2006 and was a teaching assistant at UNT from 1999 to 2001.

Clampitt has a book manuscript about the Civil War under review with a university press and has had several articles published in professional refereed journals.

He received a bachelor's degree from ECU in 1997 and master's and doctoral degrees from UNT where he was named the College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Fellow of the Year in 2005-06 and UNT's outstanding master's student in 2000-01 and doctoral student in 2002-03 and 2004-05.

Dr. Patrick M. Doran

Dr. Patrick M. Doran, associate professor of business administration, will begin teaching next January after leaving Zayed University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he has taught information systems since 2002.

He has taught at the University of New Brunswick in Canada, Hawaii Pacific University, Oklahoma City University, Saint Mary's University and the University of Georgia. A native of Canada, he also has taught courses in Malaysia, Hong Kong, England, Poland and Canada.

Doran holds a doctorate in management information systems from the University of Georgia  and a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting from the university of New Brunswick.

Dr. Jerry N. Duncan

Dr. Jerry N. Duncan, assistant professor of psychology, is a licensed psychologist who has had a private practice since 1984. He also is a licensed marriage and family therapist and is certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology.

Duncan has taught part-time at ECU since 2005. He has been a prison chaplain and a counselor/psychometrist at the Oklahoma Cerebral Palsy Center in Norman.

Duncan earned bachelor's degrees in psychology and sociology from ECU, a master of education degree in counseling psychology from Georgia State University, a doctorate in counseling psychology from Oklahoma State University and a graduate certificate in gerontology from OSU.

Dr. Stephen D. Fields

Dr. Stephen D. Fields, assistant professor of biology, has been an associate and senior research scientist at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in Oklahoma City since 1996. He will help develop ECU's new molecular biology program.

Fields also has been a guest lecturer at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center since 2004. He was an adjunct instructor at OU from 1999 to 2005 and was a teaching assistant at OU, where he earned a doctorate in plant cell biology in 1996, and at Southwest Missouri State University from 1988-1990 where he earned a master's degree in biology. He has a bachelor's degree in biology education from Greenville (Ill.) College and taught high school a year in Colorado.

He was president of the Oklahoma Microscopy Society in 2000-01 and has received several research grants and awards for his research.

Dr. David Hall

Dr. David Hall, assistant professor of human resources, has operated his civil law firm in Shawnee since 2003 and has been a prosecutor for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation since 2004, including providing training to local law enforcement on Indian law.

He was an assistant district attorney for Pottawatomie County for three years, a research assistant/legal intern for the Oklahoma Indigent Defense Service and a patrol officer for the Oklahoma City Housing Authority. He is a star certified instructor for the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia and an instructor fot the Citizen Potawatomi Nation STOP VIOLENCE Program.

Hall received an associate degree from Rose State College, a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Oklahoma and a juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Peggy Hart

Dr. Peggy Hart, coordinator of the ECU @ Ardmore Nursing program and associate professor of nursing, was a member of the ECU nursing faculty from 1983 to 1993. She has taught science in Talihina and Ardmore since 2002.

From 1994 to 1999 she was director of nursing services, assistant administrator and administrator at Jeblah Baptist Hospital in the Republic of Yemen. She has been an instructor of nursing at Louisiana State University at Alexandria, George C. Wallace Community College and Pearl River Junior College.

She holds three degrees in nursing, a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master's degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and a doctorate from Texas Woman's University.

Aaron Hauck

Aaron Hauck, assistant professor of art, completed a master of fine arts degree in sculpture at Montana State University this year. The program included a semester studying and teaching in Italy.

He was one of 12 emerging artists selected for the Oklahoma's Collectible Young New Artists exhibition in 2006 at the JRB Art at the Elms Gallery in Oklahoma City.  In addition to his MFA thesis and senior thesis shows, his work has been exhibited in Joplin, Mo., and Bozeman, Mont.

He studied photography at Mullsjo Folkhogskola in Mullsjo, Sweden, as part of earning his bachelor's degree in art education from Missouri Southern State University in 2004.

Cindy Keefer

Cindy Keefer, director of ECU's new Westward Expansion Grant and instructor of education, had been Ada Junior High School's library media specialist since 2001.

Previously, she was the school library media specialist and public librarian at the Kennedy Library of Konawa, a joint public school/community library, from 1996 to 2001. She was a librarian at Hayes Grade Center in Ada for two years. She has been a teacher in San Antonio, Moore and Wewoka.

Keefer earned a bachelor's degree in education/elementary education from ECU and a master of library information science from the University of Oklahoma.

Marc Allan Klippenstine

Marc Allan Klippenstine, assistant professor of psychology, expects to receive a doctorate  in psychology this fall from York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Klippenstine, whose research interests involve the intersection of law and psychology with particular emphasis on jury and juror decision making, earned a bachelor's degree in psychology with honors from the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada, and a master's degree in psychology from York University.

He held teaching and research assistantships at both universities from 1997 through 2003 and presented a number of guest lectures in the Psychology Department at York University.

Dr. Matthew Marlow

Dr. Matthew Marlow, assistant professor of chemistry, previously was a quality control technical liaison/project manager for Cody Laboratories Inc. in Cody, Wyo.

He was a graduate research assistant at the University of Wyoming while completing his doctorate in analytical chemistry in 2005 and his master's degree in inorganic/analytical chemistry in 1999. He received a bachelor's degree in chemistry magna cum laude in 1995 from Lourdes College in Ohio.

Matt McGaha

Matt McGaha, compliance officer and instructor of kinesiology, began his duties at ECU on an interim basis last spring. He previously was an instructor and assistant women's basketball coach at ECU in the fall 2005 semester. He taught and coached for Latta Schools from 2000 to 2005.

He taught at Prague High School from 1995 to 2000 and was its teacher of the year in 1997-98. He was an assistant coach for boys and girls basketball teams and was head girls basketball coach from 1998 to 2000. His 1999-2000 team was the Class 3A state champions with a 27-1 record. In 1999 he was the 66 Conference All-Star Game coach and the 66 Conference coach of the year.

McGaha received an associate's degree in biology from Eastern Oklahoma State College and a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree in education in secondary education (principal), both from ECU.

Dr. Jennifer L. McMahon

Dr. Jennifer L. McMahon, associate professor and chair of the English and Languages Department, was an associate professor of English and philosophy last year at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

She taught in the philosophy program at Centre College, Danville, Ky., from 1997 to 2005 and received several teaching awards. She was the department chair from 2001 to 2005.

McMahon earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Skidmore College in New York and master's and doctoral degrees in philosophy from State University of New York at Buffalo.

Dr. Garold Mills

Dr. Garold Mills will be a lecturer of history for the fall semester. He has been a lecturer at the University of Oklahoma since 1992 and is a founding member of the OU Center for Peace Studies.

He has a bachelor's degree in religious studies from Southwestern College, a master's degree in Near Eastern history from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate in anthropology/land of Israel studies from Haifa University. He has participated in archeological digs in Israel and Italy.

Eric Monroe

Eric Monroe, instructor of kinesiology and athletic trainer, is a licensed athletic trainer and had been the head athletic trainer for the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz since last March. He is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

He was a graduate assistant athletic trainer from July 2005 to March 2007 at the University of Central Oklahoma while he completed his master of education degree. He was a student athletic trainer at Southern Nazarene University where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in athletic training. He was a student athletic trainer at the Boston Marathon in 2005.

Dr. Robin M. Murphy

Dr. Robin M. Murphy, assistant professor of English and languages, completed her doctorate this spring at Bowling Green State University in Ohio where she was a graduate instructor and research assistant and was awarded a non-service fellowship to complete her dissertation.

She also taught as a graduate assistant at Northeastern State University while completing two master's degrees in education and in composition and rhetoric. She received a bachelor's degree in English literature from Oklahoma State University. She previously was an adjunct instructor at Rogers State University and Tulsa Community College.

Murphy is a section editor of Computers and Composition Online and an assistant section editor of Kairos, both online journals in the composition field.

Dr. Noel Sagullo

Dr. Noel Sagullo, assistant professor of mathematics, completed his doctorate in mathematics this spring at the University of Colorado. He was a graduate instructor and teaching assistant at CU and a teaching assistant at New Mexico State University where he received a master's degree in mathematics. He also has a bachelor's degree in computer science from Rutgers University.

Sagullo also was a software engineer for Raytheon in Aurora, Colo., for nearly five years.

Steven J. Sawyer

Steven J. Sawyer, head men's and women's cross country coach, coordinator of intramural sports and instructor of kinesiology, was an assistant cross country coach at ECU the past two years.

He was a four-year All Conference runner at ECU from 2000 to 2004. He also was a three-year Academic All Conference honoree, a two-year Academic All American and was a member of the Lone Star Conference Cross Country Runners-Up Team for four years.

He earned a bachelor's degree in health, physical education & recreation/education and a master of education degree with a secondary education - sports administration option, both from ECU.

Linda Schaefer

Linda Schaefer, instructor of communication, has been a freelance photographer, video producer and writer for 20 years for numerous news media, including the Atlanta Journal & Constitution, Time Magazine, Parade and Catholic Digest.

She is the author of a book, "Come and See," a photojournalist's journey into the world of Mother Teresa, and is developing a second book and a documentary on her legacy after shooting video and photographs of her work while living six months in India.

Schaefer was a video producer and editor for the Cable News Network from 1984 to 1987 and a producer/writer for corporate videos in the Atlanta, Ga., area from 2001 to 2003.

She has a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography and graphic design from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in broadcast journalism from New York University.

Nanette J. Schmitt

Nanette J. Schmitt, assistant professor of education, has been an adjunct instructor for ECU's program in McAlester since 2004. She was a 5th grade teacher for McAlester Public Schools  from 1999 to 2003 and taught three years in Los Angeles.

She received a bachelor's degree in human development from Warner Pacific College in Portland, Ore.; a master of education degree from George Fox University in Newberg, Ore.; and hopes to complete a doctorate in educational administration, curriculum and supervision this winter at the University of Oklahoma.

David M. Thorn Jr.

David M. Thorn Jr., head women's volleyball coach and instructor of kinesiology, previously was assistant volleyball coach for a year and head coach for nine years at the University of Texas - Pan American.

His teams had the most wins and the best winning percentage in school history. He was voted independent coach of the year by all NCAA Division I independent coaches in 2000 and a number of his players earned athletic and academic honors.

Thorn received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Whitman College in Washington and a master of education degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas - Pan American.

Betty L. Townsend

Betty L. Townsend, instructor of family & consumer sciences, has taught at Ada Junior High School since 1997 and taught at Ada High School from 1971 to 1982. In between, she owned a home-based business, was co-owner of BeBaTos Gift Shop and was a certified fashion consultant for Doncaster Clothing, Doncaster, England, and the owner of an Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics franchise.

She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in education from ECU and has done post-graduate studies at Oklahoma State University and ECU.

Dr. Janet Wansick

Dr. Janet Wansick, assistant professor of mathematics, had taught at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa since 2002. She taught mathematics for McAlester Public Schools for 10 years and also taught part-time for Eastern Oklahoma State College and Southeastern Oklahoma State University at EOSC's McAlester campus.

Wansick earned both a bachelor's degree in mathematics education and a master's degree in secondary education from ECU. She completed a doctorate in higher education administration at Oklahoma State University in May.

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