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Office of Communications and Marketing > Experts Guide

Experts Guide

Office of Communications and Marketing

 

Millsaps College's Experts Guide lists faculty and staff who are available to respond to media requests and comment on current events and various topics of interest. Many Millsaps College faculty and staff members are recognized experts and have significant real-world experience in their fields, including business, ancient civilization, public policy and medical ethical issues. 

Browse the Expert Guide below by pressing CTRL+F, typing in the topic or expert you're looking for, and pressing ENTER.

For assistance in identifying the right expert or arranging an interview, please contact Kara Paulk, public relations coordinator, at (601) 974-1034 or paulkkg@millsaps.edu. For general inquiries related to communications and marketing, contact our office at (601)-974-1033 or communications@millsaps.edu.

Staff Contacts:

Patti Wade, Director of Communications
wadepp@millsaps.edu

Kelley Matthews, Graphic Designer
matthkd@millsaps.edu

Jason Bronson, Web Content Editor
bronsjm@millsaps.edu

Lucy Molinaro, Web Manager
molinll@millsaps.edu

Nell Luter Floyd, Publications Manager
floydnl@millsaps.edu

Kara Paulk, Public Relations Coordinator
paulkkg@millsaps.edu

 

Departments


Administration

 

Charles R. Lewis, Ph.D.
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
B.M., Sanford University; M.M., Ph.D., Florida State University

Fundraising
Choral conducting
Church music
Medieval/Early Renaissance art
Institutional Advancement

Patti P. Wade
Director of Communications and Marketing
B.S., M.S., University of Southern Mississippi

Communication
Integrated Marketing Communication
Public Speaking

 

Adult Learning

Nola Gibson, Ph.D.
Director of Continuing Education
B.S., Mississippi University for Women, M.A., Ph.D., University of Mississippi

Continuing education
Advanced placement

 

Art/Fine Arts

Elise L. Smith, Ph.D.
Professor of Art History
B.A., Florida State University; M.A., Vanderbilt University; Ph.D., University of North Carolina

Art
Art history
Museum studies
Women in the arts
Gardening

Sandra Murchison
Associate Professor of Art
Chair of the Art Department
B.F.A., Alfred University; M.F.A., Louisiana State University

Drawing
Printmaking
Painting

Maline Werness
Teaching Fellow in Art
B.A., University of California-Davis; M.A., University of Texas-Austin; Doctoral Candidate, University of Texas, Austin

The Ancient Maya
The Modern Maya (especially Yucatec Maya)
Mexican Art and Architecture (especially in the Yucatan)
Ancient Mesoamerica
Ceramics

 

Athletics

Tim Wise
Athletic Director
Head Men's Basketball Coach
B.A., Millsaps College; M.S., Southern Mississippi University

Jim Page
Associate Athletic Director for Development and Baseball Head Coach
B.S., Millsaps College

Collegiate baseball
Baseball

Biology

Debora Mann, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
B.A., University of Miami; M.S., Vanderbilt University; Ph.D., Clemson University

Human lactation (breastfeeding)
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Conservation biology
Endangered species
Ecology of non-native species

Sarah Lea McGuire, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
B.A., Mississippi College; M.S., University of Southern Mississippi; Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine

Molecular biology of the cell cycle and cancer
Molecular genetics
Cloning

James P. McKeown, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
B.S., University of the South; M.A., University of Mississippi; Ph.D., Mississippi State University

Agriculture - cotton
Pest management - transgenic varieties
Plant growth regulators

Robert Nevins
Associate Professor of Biology
A.B., Washington University; M.S., University of Missouri

Microbiology
Botany
Bagpipe enthusiast

 

Business - Else School of Management

Ajay Aggarwal, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Quantitative Management
B.Tech., Indian Institute of Technology;
M.S., M.B.A., Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Quantitative modeling
Expert systems
Neural networks
Computer modeling

Diane Baker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Management and BBA Director
B.S., Concordia College; M.B.A., Ph.D., University of Oklahoma

Human resource management
Organizational behavior

Jesse D. Beeler, Ph.D.
Professor of Accounting
Hyman F. McCarty Jr. Chair of Business Administration
B.S., M.B.A., Southwest Missouri State University; Ph.D., University of Texas, Arlington

Business issues
Accounting
Welfare reform

Bill Brister, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Finance
B.S., M.B.A., University of Southern Mississippi; Ph.D., University of Arkansas

Corporate finance
Forensic economics
Welfare economics and reform

Kimberly Burke, Ph.D.
Professor of Accounting
Assistant Dean of the Else School of Management
B.B.A., M.S., Texas Tech University; Ph.D., Oklahoma State University

Auditing
Financial accounting
Fraud Examination
Assurance services
Business ethics
Deaf Children - advocate for Speech & Language

David H. Culpepper, Ph.D.
Professor of Accounting
B.S., M.B.A., Millsaps College; B.S., Belhaven College; Ph.D., University of Alabama

Business valuation
Financial accounting
International accounting
Domestic and export taxation

M. Ray Grubbs, Ph.D.
Professor of Management
B.A., Millsaps College; M.B.A., Mississippi College; Ph.D., University of Mississippi

Human resource management
Changing role of managers in today's work force
Business process re-design
Strategic planning
Technology solutions for business problems
Management strategy

Howard McMillan
Dean of the Else School of Management
B.S., University of Mississippi; A.M.P., Harvard Business School

Investments
Banking
Finance

Walter Neely, Ph.D.
Professor of Finance
B.S., M.B.A., Mississippi State University; Ph.D., University of Georgia

Investments
Financial markets
Corporate Finance
Louis Wilson Investment Club
International Finance

Penelope J. Prenshaw, Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing 
B.S., M.B.A., University of Southern Mississippi; Ph.D., University of Houston

Marketing strategy
International marketing
Consumer behavior
Customer satisfaction

Patrick A. Taylor, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Economics
B.B.A., University of Mississippi; M.B.A., Ph.D., University of Alabama

Micro economics
Industrial organization
Managerial economics
Economics and religion
Administration of Business Education

Susan Taylor, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
B.A., B.S., Blue Mountain College; M.S., Ph.D., Louisiana State University

Health economics
Macroeconomics
Political economy

 

Chemistry

Jimmie M. Purser, Ph.D. (also see Computer Science)
Professor of Chemistry and Computer Science
B.S., Millsaps College; Ph.D., University of North Carolina

Chemical education
Molecular modeling
Inorganic chemistry
Hiking and fishing enthusiast
Faculty development
Internet
Multimedia

Lee L. Lewis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Chemistry
B.A. Mississippi College, Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi

Polymers related to fiber optics
Pre-health advisory committee
Liaison for Jackson First Baptist Church's college ministry

Kristina L. Stensaas, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Chemistry
B.A., Ph.D., University of Wyoming

Organic chemistry
Singlet oxygen chemistry
Sulfur oxidations
Photochemistry (Photooxidations)

Timothy J. Ward, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry
Associate Dean of the Division of the Sciences
B.S., University of Florida; Ph.D., Texas Tech University

Analytical chemistry
Separations of drug isomers
Priority pollutants
Chemical education outreach
Health program advisor
NCAA faculty representative

 

Classics

Holly Sypniewski
Associate Professor of Classics
B.A., University of Cincinnati; M.A. and Ph.D University of Wisconsin-Madison

Augustan Poetry
Vergil and Vergilian Imitators
Hellenistic Poetry
Latin Love Elegy

 

Computer Science and Internet

Jimmie Purser, Ph.D. (also see Chemistry)
Professor of Chemistry and Computer Science
B.S., Millsaps College; Ph.D., University of North Carolina

Internet
Multimedia

William Bares, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Ph.D., North Carolina State University

Computer graphics
Animation
Artificial Intelligence
Graphic Stimulations
Video Games
Virtual Reality
Conversational Agents

Damon E. Campbell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
B.A., Lewis-Clark State College; M.B.A., Ph.D., Washington State University

Information Systems
eCommerce
eCommerce Customer Relationship Management
Databases
Online Advertising

Donald R. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer Science
B.S., M.S., Ph.D., University of Southwestern Louisiana

Databases
Software engineering
Algorithms
User interfaces

Robert Shive, Ph.D. (also see Mathematics)
Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science
B.A., M.S., Southern Methodist University; Ph.D., Iowa State University

Internet
Computing
Legal consulting related to computing

 

Education

Anita M. DeRouen, Ph.D.
Director of Writing and Teaching/Assistant Professor of English
B.A., University of Louisiana at Lafayette; M.A., Northwestern State University;
Ph.D., University of Georgia

Writing
English Literature
Digital cultural/writing/internet culture
College pedagogy
Knitting

Stacy L. DeZutter, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Education
B.A., Rhodes College; M.A., University of Pittsburg;
Ph.D., Washington University of St. Louis

Creativity
Children's play
How people learn
Constructivist teaching methods
Social and cultural factors in education
Conceptions of teaching in American culture

Connie Schimmel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Education
B.A., Vanderbilt University; M.A., San Francisco State University;
Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley

Child development
Special education
American sign language
Reading research and remediation for students who are at risk, learning disabled
Deaf and hard of hearing
Deaf culture
Implications of brain research in the classroom

Marlys Vaughn, Ph.D.
Professor of Education
B.S., M.Ed., Mississippi State University; Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi

Performance assessment
Portfolio assessment
Reading instruction

 

English

Eric Griffin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
B.A., Pomona College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Iowa

English Renaissance literature and culture
Literary history
Renaissance historiography
Nationhood and ethnicity in the Early Modern period
Anglo-Hispanic literary and cultural relations
Shakespeare

Anne MacMaster, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
B.A., Rice University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Virginia

American literature
Women's studies

Suzanne Marrs, Ph.D.
Professor of English
B.A., Ph.D., University of Oklahoma

Southern literature
19th century American literature
Eudora Welty

Gregory Miller, Ph.D
Professor of English
B.A., Vanderbilt University; M.A., Stanford University;
Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley

19th century American poetry
Contemporary poetry
Renaissance literature
Emily Dickinson
George Herbert
Sudan/Sudanese refugees

Peggy Whitman Prenshaw, Ph.D.
Millsaps College Humanities Scholar in Residence
B.A., M.A., Mississippi College; Ph.D., University of Texas-Austin

Southern literature and culture
American women writers
Autobiography and non-fiction prose

Austin Wilson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
A.B., Valdosta State College; M.A., University of Georgia;
Ph.D., University of South Carolina

Contemporary literature
Southern literature
Faulkner
Creative writing
Teaching writing

Financial Aid

Patrick James
Director of Financial Aid
B.P.A., Mississippi State University; B.A., Mississippi University for Women

FAFSA
Federal Stafford Loan program
State financial aid (MS)
Perkins Loan Program
College financial aid
Student financial aid
Federal aid programs

 

Food Services

David Woodward
Chef  /Manager
A.O.S., New England Culinary Institute

Food preparation and characteristics
Nutritional information

 

Geology

James Harris, Ph.D.
Professor of Geology
B.S., Eastern Kentucky University; B.S., University of Houston;
M.S., Ph.D., University of Kentucky

Geophysics
Earthquakes
Geologic hazards

Zachary A. Musselman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Geology
B.S., Bloomsbury University; M.S., Texas Christian University;
Ph.D., University of Kentucky

Geomorphology
Rivers
Earth Surface Processes

 

History

David C. Davis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
Associate Dean of Arts and Letters
B.A., William Carey College; M.A., Baylor University; Ph.D., Northwestern University

African and Middle Eastern history
Contemporary global issues
World history

Amy W. Forbes, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
B.A., Louisiana State University; M.A., M.Ed., University of Georgia;
Ph.D., Rutgers University

18th and 19th century French history

Robert S. McElvaine, Ph.D.
Professor of History
Elizabeth Chisholm Professor of History
B.A., Rutgers University; M.A., Ph.D., State University of New York at Binghamton

Modern U.S. history
The Great Depression
1960s
Popular culture
Women, men and religion
Democratic party politics

William K. Storey, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
A.B., Harvard University; M.A., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University

Gun control
Environmental issues
Writing about history
History of South Africa
Britain and the former British Empire
World history
Technology

Kristen Tegtmeier Ortel, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
B.A., Cornell College; M.A., Suny Binghamton; Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Slavery in U.S. South and Caribbean
Women's history and women's rights
19th century U.S. history
African-American history
Civil War and Reconstruction
Civil Rights
Abortion
Gay and lesbian Issues

 

Institutional Advancement

Charles R. Lewis, Ph.D.
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
B.M., Sanford University; M.M., Ph.D., Florida State University

Fundraising
Choral conducting
Church music
Medieval/Early Renaissance art
Institutional Advancement

 

Library (Millsaps-Wilson Library)

Thomas Henderson
College Librarian
B.A., University of Southern Mississippi; M.L.S., Florida State University

Library research
Research fundamentals

Debra McIntosh
College Archivist
B.A., Auburn University; M.B.A., Mississippi State University

Millsaps history

 

Mathematics

Connie Campbell, Ph.D.
Professor of Mathematics
B.A., Huntingdon College; M.S., Ph.D., University of Mississippi

Graph theory

Mark Lynch, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Mathematics
B.S., Millsaps College; Ph.D., Louisiana State University

Hyperspace theory

Robert Shive, Ph.D. (also see Computer Science and Internet)
Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science
B.A., M.S., Southern Methodist University; Ph.D., Iowa State University

Internet
Computing
Legal consulting related to computing

Tracy Sullivan
Instructor of Mathematics
B.A., M.S., University of Mississippi

Statistics
Math theory
Jogging enthusiast

 

Modern Languages

Gail Buzhardt
Instructor of French
B.A., Millsaps College; M.A., Mississippi State University

French language
Colonial Mississippi's French heritage
Immersion Institutes for French teachers

Claudine Chadeyras, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of French
Chair of Modern Language Department
Licence, Universite de Picardie, France; M.A., Ph.D., University of Iowa

Short narratives of the Renaissance
French film
French literature

Priscilla Fermon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of French
B.A., Lehman College; M.A., Harvard University; Ph.D., University of Virginia

Honors program at Millsaps
Phi Beta Kappa
France
French language

Ramon Figueroa, Ph.D..
Associate Professor of Spanish
B.A., University of Massachusetts; Ph.D, University of Minnesota

Literature and Culture of the Spanish Caribbean
Latin American Experience in the United States

Robert J. Kahn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Romance Languages
Director, Millsaps Summer Program in Costa Rica
B.A., State University of New York at Buffalo; M.A., Middlebury College; Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Spanish American literature
Foreign language pedagogy
20th Century Spanish American drama

Judith G. Caballero Navarro, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Spanish
B.A., B.F.A., M.A., and Ph.D, University of Arizona
XVI-XVII Century Spanish Theatre

Picaresque novel
Cervantes and El Quijote
Second language acquisition
Chicano theatre (first wave-Luis Valdez)

 

Performing Arts

Cheryl Coker
Associate Professor of Music
B.M.Ed., M.M., M.A., University of Southern Mississippi

Women and music
Vocal literature
Vocal pedagogy
Choral music education
Conducting
Church music

Timothy Coker, Ph.D.
Professor of Music
B.M., M.M., Ph.D., University of Southern Mississippi

Choral music education
Conducting
Church music

Rachel Heard, D.M.A.
Assistant Professor of Music
B.M., M.M., The Juilliard School, D.M.A. Rutgers University

Private Music Instruction "How to find a teacher"
History of the Piano
Musical performance and history of 18th and 19th century Europe

Lynn Raley, D.M.A.
Associate Professor of Performing arts
B.M., Southern Methodist University; M.M. University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; D.M.A. Rutgers University  

Music history
Piano literature and performance
Contemporary music (including experimental and avant-garde)
Contemporary music theory and analysis
World music, general (more focused on Arabic, Chinese music)

 

Philosophy

Theodore G. Ammon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Philosophy
B.A., Mississippi State University; M.A., Ph.D., Washington University

Othello, Betrayal and Trust
Business ethics
Writing

Kristen Brown, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Philosophy
B.A., Stanford University; M.A., Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Philosophy of trauma, violence and torture
Continental/European philosophy (especially Nietzsche, de Beauvoir, Sartre)
Ethics
Ancient philosophy (Plato, Aristotle)
Existentialist philosophy
Buddhism

Patrick D. Hopkins, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Philosophy
B.A., University of Mississippi; M.A. and Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis

Ethnics and Social Issues
Biomedical ethics - genetic engineering, euthanasia, abortion
Reproductive technology
Religion and medical ethics/Religion and social issues
Technology ethics - internet ethical issues, artificial intelligence
Nanotechnology
Transhumanism
Gender issues and sexual ethics - gay rights/gay marriage, women's rights,  religion and gender/sex, pornography
Environmentalism
Science and social issues - evolutionary theory, science and religion
Intelligent Design and Evolution
Arguments for theism/atheism

Steven G. Smith, Ph.D. (also see Religious Studies)
Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Director of the Heritage Program
B.A., Florida State University; M.A., Vanderbilt University; Ph.D., Duke University

Theology
Aesthetics
Aesthetics of rock music
Philosophy of human nature
Philosophy of history
Gender
Ethics
Film studies
TV ads

 

Physics

Asif Khandker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Physics
B.S., University of Dacca (Bangladesh); M.S., Southern Illinois University;
Ph.D., Louisiana State University

Physics
Car innovations (automobile technology)
Millsaps' James Observatory

Shadow JQ Robinson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Physics
B.S., University of Kentucky; M.S., University of Kentucky; Ph.D., Rutgers University

Physics
Astronomy
Theoretical nuclear physics

 

Political Science

Iren Omo-Bare, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
B.A., M.A., University of Delaware; Ph.D., Louisiana State University

Comparative politics
International relations
African politics
United Nations

Michael Reinhard, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Director of Millsaps' Public Management Program
Ph.D., The University of Chicago

Congress
Public policy
Bureaucracy
Terrorism
Japan
Central Asia and Asia
Middle East

Ashleigh Smith Powers (see also Psychology)
Assistant Professor of Political Science and Psychology
ABD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Political psychology
State and local politics
Women and politics
American Government
Political Behavior

 

Psychology

A. Kurt Thaw, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
B.S., Georgia Southern University; Ph.D., Florida State University

Physiology of the taste system
Effects of gut-peptides on feeding
Satiety actions of cytokines

Ashleigh Smith Powers
Assistant Professor of Political Science and Psychology
ABD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Political psychology
State and local politics
Women and politics
American Government
Political Behavior

 

ReligiousStudies

James Bowley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
B.A., Grace College; M.Phil, Hebrew Union College; Ph.D., Hebrew Union College

Ancient History
Biblical Studies (OT and NT)
Jewish Studies
Dead Sea Scrolls
Jewish-Christian Studies

Blake Couey, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant  Professor of Religious Studies
B.A., Mercer University; M.Div. Princeton Theological Seminary;
Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary

Ancient Religions
Biblical Studies
Hebrew
Aramaic

Annie Blakeney-Glazer
Faculty Teaching Fellow
B.A., Michigan State University; M.A. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Ph.D. (expected) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Religion in America
Religion and Sports
Religion and Modernity
Capitalism
Postmodernism

Darby Kathleen Ray, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Director of Faith & Work Initiative
B.A., University of the South; M.A., Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Religion in American culture
History of Christian thought
Contemporary Christian theology
Women and religion
Religion and the environment
Town-Gown relations
Service-Learning

 Steven G. Smith, Ph.D.  (also see Philosophy)
Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies  
B.A., Florida State University; M.A., Vanderbilt University; Ph.D., Duke University

Theology
Philosophy of human nature
Gender
Ethics
Film studies
Aesthetics
Islam

Lola L. Williamson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies 
B.A., Rollins College; M.L.S., Rollins College; M.S., Florida State University;
M.A., Florida State; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Hinduism in the United States
Hinduism in Jackson, Miss.
Asian traditions
North American religions


Security and Safety

John Conway
Director of Campus Life
B.A., Mississippi State University; M.S., Jackson State University

Campus crime and prevention
Campus safety

Sociology - Anthropology

George Bey, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology and Anthropology;
Associate Dean for International Education
B.A., University of New Mexico; M.A., Ph.D., Tulane University

International Education
Study abroad
Native American cultures
Ancient civilizations
World archaeology
Popular culture

Michael Galaty, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology
B.A., Grinnell College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin

Archaeology/Anthropology
Human origins/evolution
Native American issues
History/current affairs in Balkans

Julian Murchison, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology-Sociology
B.A., Kenyon College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Michigan

Cultural Anthropology
East Africa
Anthropology of religion
Health and illness in cross cultural perspective
HIV/AIDS Pandemic 
Traditional medicine
Running/Marathons
Spirit Possession

 Ming Tsui, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Sociology
B.A., Honan Teacher's University (China);
M.A., Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook

Sociology of marriage and family
China
Sociology theory
Sociology of elderly population

 

Student Life

Brit Katz, Ph.D.
Vice President and Dean of Students
B.A., Mississippi State University M.S., Mississippi State University;
Ph.D., University of Mississippi

Student life
Student issues
Emergency management