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New faculty members with a wide range of expertise have begun teaching this fall at East Central University. Classes began Monday [AUG. 16].

New faculty members at East Central University this fall are Mindie Dieu (front row, from left), Jeri Hargrave, Karin Perry, Lorraine Latimore, (middle row) James Hunter, Theda Schwing, Jenna Owens, Andrew Wells	and (back row) Jack Green, Viki Vogt, Steven Phillips, Kyle Davis and Ben Johnson. Not shown is Taryn Chubb.
New faculty members at East Central University this fall are Mindie Dieu (front row, from left), Jeri Hargrave, Karin Perry, Lorraine Latimore, (middle row) James Hunter, Theda Schwing, Jenna Owens, Andrew Wells and (back row) Jack Green, Viki Vogt, Steven Phillips, Kyle Davis and Ben Johnson. Not shown is Taryn Chubb.

New faculty members are:

Taryn Chubb

Taryn Chubb, assistant professor of art, has been an instructor in the First Year Writing Programs at Cornell University as well as a graduate teaching assistant. She expects to complete her doctorate in art history at Cornell later this year. She also was a graduate assistant at Southern Methodist University from 2003 to 2005 while she completed a master's degree.

Chubb also received bachelor's degrees in art and Spanish from Hood College in 2003.

Kyle Davis

Kyle L. Davis, instructor of kinesiology and assistant athletic trainer, has been a seasonal intern for the Indianapolis Colts since 2008, assisting in treatments and rehabilitation of injuries, field coverage, stadium set-up and other duties. He was a graduate assistant at ECU in 2007-2008 and at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee in 2006-2007. He is certified by the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

Davis earned a bachelor's degree from ECU in health, physical education and recreation, with a concentration in athletic training, in 2006 and a master's degree from ECU in sports administration in 2008.

Mindie A. Dieu

Mindie A. Dieu, lecturer in English and languages, has taught since 2003 at community colleges in Oklahoma City and at the University of Oklahoma as either an adjunct or graduate teaching assistant. She also taught in the Washington State Prison System through Walla Walla Community College.

Dieu is finishing a doctorate at OU in education -- instructional leadership and academic curriculum/English education and anticipates graduating next spring. She completed a master of education degree at OU while teaching as an adjunct at ECU in 2004-05. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Oklahoma State University and an associate degree in biology from Tulsa Community College.

Dr. Jack Green

Dr. Jack Green, assistant professor of education, has been the assessment coordinator for teacher education since 2006 for Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo. During that time he also completed two superintendent internships as he worked toward Missouri state certification for superintendent (K-12). He has been an assistant middle school principal in Joplin and Norman. At Norman High School he was site coordinator of athletics, site technology contact, chair of the Business Education Department and a business/computer science teacher.

Green received three degrees, all in education, a bachelor's degree from Missouri Southern State University, a master's degree from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany and a doctor of education degree from Saint Louis University.

Dr. Jeri Hargrave

Dr. Jeri Hargrave, assistant professor of nursing, has been a nurse practitioner at the Family Health Center of Southern Oklahoma in Tishomingo and at Family Medicine Specialists in Shawnee. She has taught at Oklahoma Baptist University.

Hargrave holds a doctor of nursing practice degree and a master of nursing degree, advanced family nurse practitioner, both from Texas Woman's University, and a bachelor's degree in nursing from ECU. She also received a diploma in nursing from the St. Anthony School of Nursing in Oklahoma City and an associate degree in nursing from Tulsa Junior College.

James Hunter

James Hunter, lecturer in English and languages, taught last year at Tarrant County College's Northwest Campus. He was a writing center tutor for one semester and a graduate teaching assistant for nearly two years at Virginia Polytechnic and State University. He also was a full-time paramedic for two years in Ohio and an operations accountant for JPMorganChase in Ohio.

Hunter earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Miami (Ohio) University in 2002, an associate's degree in paramedicine from Lorain County (Ohio) Community College and a master's degree in English in 2009 from Virginia Polytechnic and State University.

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson, instructor of English and languages, taught Spanish 35 years and was head of the Foreign Language Department for 33 years at Victoria (Texas) High School. He also was the golf coach 26 years and taught at different times at the University of Houston-Victoria.

A native of Ada, Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish from ECU. He served six years in the Oklahoma National Guard and was the developer and director of continuing education at Valley View Hospital for three years and developed the Ada Area Center for Continuing Education. He also holds a master's degree in Spanish from Stephen F. Austin State University and earned a counselor's certificate from the University of Houston-Victoria.

Lorraine Latimore

Lorraine Latimore, assistant professor of sociology, taught at the University of Oklahoma from 2005 to 2009. Between 2000 and 2005 she was a project manager and co-principal investigator of a National Science Foundation Grant and a graduate teaching assistant at North Carolina State University. She also was a graduate research and teaching assistant at Washington State University.

Latimore received a bachelor's degree in sociology from OU in 1996, a master's degree in criminal justice from Washington State University in 1997 and a doctorate in sociology from North Carolina State University in 2005.

Jenna Owens

Dr. Jenna Owens, assistant professor of political science and director of the Legal Studies Program, had been a licensed legal intern and practicing associate attorney for the Neal Law Office in Ada since 2008. She also held other paralegal/legal assistant positions.

A native of Ada, Owens earned a juris docorate in 2009 from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in 2006 from ECU.

Dr. Karin Perry

Dr. Karin M. Perry, project administrator of the Westward Expansion Grant, is a National Board Certified Teacher who began teaching at Lakeview Elementary School in Norman in 1999 and became a library media specialist in 2001. She had been the library media specialist at Whittier Middle School in Norman since 2005 and an adjunct instructor at Rose State College in Midwest City since 2009.

Perry received a degree in elementary education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1998 and a master of library and information studies degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2001. She completed a doctorate in instructional leadership and academic curriculum/English education this summer at OU.

Dr. Steven Phillips

Dr. Steven Phillips, assistant professor of communication studies, had taught 16 years at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas and had been chair of the Department of Speech Communication since 2005. He began his teaching career at Ouachita Baptist, from 1983 to 1985, then taught five years at the University of Montana.

Phillips received a bachelor's degree in drama and religious education from OBU, a master's degree in speech communication and drama from Arkansas State University and a master's degree and doctorate, both in communication arts and sciences, from the University of Southern California.

Theda M. Schwing

Theda M. Schwing, instructor and librarian, was a graduate assistant at Kent State University in 2009 while she completed a master's degree in library and information science. As a Suzuka English Fellow from 2005 to 2008 for the Suzuka (Japan) Board of Education, she worked with 26 teachers to present English lessons in Suzuka junior high schools to help improve the students' ability to communicate in English with foreigners.

Schwing also graduated magna cum laude in the University Honors Program at Miami University in Ohio in 2005 where she earned bachelor's degrees in mathematics and integrated mathematics education and minored in Japanese.

Viki Vogt

Viki Vogt, instructor of nursing, had taught at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton since 1990 and had been freshman-level associate degree nursing coordinator since 2005. She was a nursing and hospital education coordinator at McAlester Regional Health Center from 1987 to 1990 and a relief house supervisor and charge/staff nurse from 1982 to 1987. She also was a nurse at Ardmore Memorial Hospital for two years.

Vogt received a bachelor's degree in nursing with distinction and a master's degree in nursing, both from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Dr. Andrew Wells

Dr. Andrew Wells, assistant professor of math, just completed his doctorate in mathematics at Iowa State University where he had been a graduate teaching assistant since 2005. He received Iowa State's Graduate College Research Excellence Award this spring and Teaching Excellence Award in 2007.

Wells received a bachelor's degree in mathematics and the Sigma Xi Research Award from Hope College in 2005.

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