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.
Staff Contacts:
Departments
Administration
Frances Lucas, Ph.D.
President
B.A., Mississippi State University; M.A., University of Alabama;
Ph.D., University of Alabama
Higher education administration
Women in higher education
Current trends in higher education
Student affairs
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
Todd Rose, Ph.D.
Vice President for Campus Programs and Alumni
B.A., Southern Methodist University; M.A., Baldwin-Wallace College; Ph.D. University of Southern Mississippi
Academic administration
Time management
Organization
Goal setting
Leadership
Richard A. Smith, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President and Dean of the College
A.B., Whittier College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Rochester
Academic administration
Research and teaching expertise
American politics and policy
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
Brent Fogt
Assistant Professor of Art
B.A., Austin College; B.F.A., University of Texas; M.F.A., University of Michigan; M.S., Georgetown University
Contemporary Art
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
Kevin Maloney
Sports Information Director
B.S., Mississippi State 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
Carl G. Brooking, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics and Quantitative Management
B.S., Millsaps College; M.S., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Economic policy
Quantitative analysis
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
Michael Gleason, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Classics
A.B., A.M., Ph.D., Brown University
Ancient and medieval history
Latin and Greek
Anglo-Saxon
Old Norse
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
Luran Buchanan
Special Events Coordinator
B.A., Millsaps College
Arts and Lecture Series
Planning special events
Real estate
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
Brent Lefavor
Associate Professor of Technical Theatre
B.A., M.A., Brigham Young University; M.F.A., University of Southern Mississippi
Lighting design
Technical direction
Millsaps Players’ season
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
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