Several educators join MC faculty for 2008-2009 academic year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2008
Contact: Karen B. Eldridge, Director of News and Public Information
865.981.8207; karen.eldridge@maryvillecolleg.edu

Last month, Maryville College welcomed to its campus three full-time faculty members and three visiting professors, bringing the total number of full-time faculty members to 79.

In the College's Division of Languages and Literature, Dr. Kelly Battles has joined the faculty as assistant professor of English. Graduating with honors, Battles received her bachelor's degree in English and history from Alma College in Alma, Mich. She earned both her master's and doctoral degrees in English from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. Her doctoral dissertation was entitled "The Antiquarian Impulse: History, Affect, and Material Culture."

With research interests ranging from gothic literature to the historical novel, Battles has various manuscripts under submission. Her article "‘You laugh at much of this … and I forgive you': Walter Scott's Oldbuck and the Rehabilitation of Antiquary" is currently under review for Nineteenth-Century Contexts, an international, interdisciplinary journal.

As a professor at Michigan State University, Battles taught courses on women authors, British literature, creative nonfiction and literary analysis.

Dr. John Grossenbacher has joined the faculty in the Natural Sciences Division as an assistant professor of chemistry. He graduated cum laude from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry. He went on to complete his doctoral degree in analytical chemistry from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. His dissertation, "A Study of the Nitrates of Volatile Organic Compounds," was completed in 2001.

Grossenbacher taught general and analytical chemistry as a teaching assistant. He also served as a principal investigator and senior research scientist for Griffin Analytical Technologies in West Lafayette, Ind. His research and teaching interests include analytical and environmental chemistry, analytical instrumentation and qualitative and quantitative analysis.

In the last five years, Grossenbacher has been awarded more than $750,000 in grants for research involving mass spectrometry. He was heavily involved in both the design and software programming for the Griffin 300™ Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer.

As a visiting instructor of Spanish at the College, Daniel Hickman is teaching introductory Spanish courses this academic year.

In addition to Spanish, Hickman is certified proficient in Italian and Latin.

He graduated cum laude from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, concentrating his studies in Spanish and international business. He received his first master's degree in Spanish literature from UT in 2003 and his second in teaching Spanish from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in 2005. Hickman is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Spanish literature from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

His previous appointments include graduate student instructor of Spanish at UT and associate instructor of Spanish at Indiana University. He has also worked as an English teacher for Langtrac Centro de Idiomas, a foreign language institute for students and professionals in Puebla, Mexico.

Ms. Jennifer Olander joined the College's Division of Fine Arts as visiting instructor of music. She earned a bachelor's degree in music from Maryville College in 2005 and then went on to earn a master of music degree in accompanying from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

With a background in piano, oboe, voice and guitar, she worked as a music theory tutor and library assistant at the College and served as music director for the Tennessee Valley Players in 2006. She was also a part-time graduate assistant for UT, accompanying musical groups for lessons and recitals.

Dr. Phillip Sherman, who joined the Maryville College faculty in 2006 as a visiting instructor of biblical studies and ethics, was hired in a tenure-track position as assistant professor of religion.

An expert in Hebrew Bible and classical Jewish hermeneutics, he holds a doctorate in Hebrew Bible from Emory University in Georgia, a master of divinity degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University and a bachelor's degree from Emory & Henry College in Virginia. His doctoral dissertation was "Translating the Tower: Genesis 11 and Early Jewish Interpretation."

From 2002 until 2006, he taught various religion and biblical studies courses at both Candler School of Theology and Emory University.

Ms. Summar West has returned to campus for a second year as a visiting instructor of English composition. A Maryville College alumna, West attended the College on a full-tuition scholarship and majored in history and English. She graduated magna cum laude in 2001, then attended the University of Chicago, where she received a master's degree in social sciences.

West was a part-time instructor in the College's Division of Humanities during the 2006-2007 academic year. She has taught English at Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tenn., and at Webb School of Knoxville.

Four new part-time instructors welcomed

New part-time instructors for the 2008-2009 school year include Mr. Alan Eleazer, Mr. John Fischbach and Mr. Steve Fitchpatrick, all of whom joined the Division of Fine Arts last month; and Mr. Matthew McDonald, who is teaching in the Humanities Division.

Eleazer is a guest adjunct conductor for the Maryville College Community Chorus; Fischbach is teaching ART121: Introduction to Drawing, and Fitchpatrick is teaching FNA140: Introduction to the Fine Arts (Theatre).

McDonald is teaching the East Asian section of WRC320: World Culture.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state‘s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2011 semester was 1,078.