ISSUED: 22 August 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University begins the new academic year when classes start Monday, August 27. First-year students move into the residence halls Thursday, August 23, and convocation for the class of 2022 will take place on Friday, August 24, at 9 a.m. in the Butcher Center.
Students will find a few new faces when they start classes Monday. Shepherd is welcoming a number of new full-time professors this year. They include Dr. Marat Akopian, Tbilisi, Georgia, visiting assistant professor of political science and former visiting assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Austin College, Sherman, Texas; Brittany Batts, Leesburg, Virginia, lecturer/assistant women’s basketball coach, who was previously the women’s assistant basketball coach at Bridgewater College in Virginia; Dr. Samuel Greene, Alexandria, Virginia, assistant professor of political science, who was an associate professor of strategic studies at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C., and National Defense College, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and Dr. Sargon Hasso, Park Ridge, Illinois, visiting assistant professor of computer and information sciences, who previously was a computer science instructor at Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, and the AAA Computer Training Center.
Other newly hired professors are Emily Hester, Cedar City, Utah, lecturer/head coach women’s soccer, who was a former assistant women’s soccer coach and adjunct instructor at Southern Utah University; Tirell Hiatt, Frostburg, Maryland, lecturer/director of academic advising/assistant football coach and former offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for Frostburg State University; Dr. Amanda Mandzik, Pine Grove Mills, Pennsylvania, assistant professor of economics, who was an assistant teaching professor at Penn State University; Dr. Jennifer Penland, Alpine, Texas, acting chair and associate professor of education, who previously worked at Sul Ross State University as director of experiential learning and as interim chair for the Department of Homeland Security and Criminal Justice and was previously employed at Shepherd as an assistant professor of education; Anthony Schiera, Indiana, Pennsylvania, lecturer of English, who was temporary English faculty at Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Maria Skowronski, Myersville, Maryland, clinical faculty/director of the intensive English language program, who was previously a graduate assistant for Shepherd’s intensive English language program; and Dr. Samuel Stinson, The Plains, Ohio, lecturer of English, who was previously an English instructor at Ohio University.
Adjunct faculty who have now been given full-time appointments include Michelle Files, Martinsburg, visiting assistant professor of accounting; Dr. Arnetta Fletcher, Frederick, Maryland, visiting assistant professor of family and consumer sciences; Carol Goolsby, Martinsburg, visiting lecturer of business administration; Dr. Cecilia Melton, Harpers Ferry, visiting assistant professor of environmental studies; and Dr. George Ray, Charles Town, visiting assistant professor of computer science, mathematics, and engineering.
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