Students in all three departments will benefit as the college augments its faculty, welcoming new experts and celebrating changing roles of existing academics for the 2024-25 academic year.
A highlight of this year’s hires in the Department of Educational Studies is the appointment of Bryan Warnick as the inaugural Daniel Tanner Foundation Endowed Professor in Curriculum Studies on Adolescence and Democracy. As a professor of the philosophy of education and educational policy, Warnick’s work corresponds well with the purpose of the professorship.
Tanner, ’55 PhD, was a leader in the field of curriculum studies and adolescent education and development. He established the endowment in 2022. His purpose was to carry on the scientific investigation of prevailing problems of democracy, such as racism and violence, and how they can be addressed by adolescents, our leaders of tomorrow. Tanner passed away in September 2023 at the age of 97.
Roger Goddard, chair of the search committee, a professor and the Novice G. Fawcett Endowed Chair in Educational Administration, described Warnick’s expertise as including research around some of the most pressing problems facing adolescents in democratic societies. These problems include school shootings, the inequitable use of discipline and punishment of adolescents within schools and climate change.
“Dr. Warnick is an esteemed philosopher with considerable leadership experience,” Goddard said. “His appointment in this role will expand our intellectual contributions in the areas of adolescence and democracy and enhance our ability to prepare future scholars in these areas.”
“His contributions to the field include award-winning work on student rights in schools and education in times of climate change. He has also done notable work on the role and limitations of parents’ rights and the ethics of school punishment.”
“We are enthusiastically looking forward to his service as the inaugural endowed professor. We are immensely grateful to our alumnus, Dr. Daniel Tanner, for making this possible.”
In another area of the Department of Educational Studies, the Counselor Education Program will be boosted by the arrival of Demetrius Cofield as assistant professor. He has particular expertise in clinical mental health and addictions.
Also in the Counselor Education Program, Assistant Clinical Professor Tanya Middleton will transition to an assistant professor on the tenure track. She will continue to direct placement in the field for graduate students studying to be school counselors.
Two of the Dean’s Diversity Postdoctoral Fellows will transition to become visiting assistant professors. This program uses a cohort approach to recruit several postdoctoral fellows for two-year appointments. The program prepares them for tenure-track faculty roles in the college, with emphasis on developing a track record of equity, diversity and inclusion in their research, teaching and service.
This year, two of the fellows will become visiting assistant professors in the Department of Educational Studies.
Tuba Gezer will join the Quantitative Research, Evaluation and Measurement Program.
Leslie Morrow will join the Educational Policy Program.
In the Department of Human Sciences, three-time alum Zach Chaplow transitions from being a postdoctoral researcher to become a visiting assistant professor in the Health and Exercise Science Program.
New faculty member Lauren Roberson arrives from Indiana University of Indianapolis to be an assistant professor in the Human Nutrition Program.
On the Marion Regional Campus, the Department of Teaching and Learning welcomes two new faculty members.
Jared Crossley will become an assistant professor specializing in literacy and literature for children and adolescents.
Abigail Stebbins will be an assistant professor with expertise in elementary education, also referred to as primary education. Her special interest is in social studies teaching.
Click on the images to read each person’s detailed bio.
