WMU trustees approve tenure and promotions for faculty

Contact: Deanne Puca
July 11, 2016

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The Western Michigan University Board of Trustees approved the tenure of 20 faculty members and promotions of 40 faculty members at its June 29 meeting. The changes are effective with the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year.

Faculty granted tenure

The names of those granted tenure, along with their unit or program affiliations, are:

  • Dr. Kyle Brink, Department of Management.
  • Timothy Broadwater, Department of Aviation Sciences.
  • Dr. Christina Chin, Frostic School of Art.
  • Dr. Martha Councell-Vargas, School of Music.
  • Dr. Yvonne Ford, WMU Bronson School of Nursing.
  • Dr. Regina Garza Mitchell, Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology.
  • Dr. Brian Gogan, Department of English.
  • Dr. Megan Grunert-Kowalske, Department of Chemistry.
  • Dr. Valerian Kwigizile, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering.
  • Dwandra Lampkin, Department of Theatre.
  • Dr. Leah Omilion-Hodges, School of Communication.
  • Dr. Kelley O’Reilly, Department of Marketing.
  • Dr. Sharon Peterson, Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology.
  • Dr. Doris Ravotas, School of Interdisciplinary Health Programs.
  • Dr. Jagjit Singh Saini, Department of Accountancy.
  • Mary Ellen Sartoris, School of Social Work.
  • Dr. Thomas Schultz, Department of Accountancy.
  • Dr. Michelle Suarez, Department of Occupational Therapy.
  • Dr. Luchara Wallace, Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies.
  • Dr. Zee-Sun Yun, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Faculty promoted to professor

  • Dr. Heather Addison, School of Communication.
  • Dr. Jeffrey Angles, Department of World Languages and Literatures.
  • Dr. Fritz Allhoff, Department of Philosophy.
  • Dr. Sharon Carlson, University Libraries.
  • Dr. Stephen Craig, Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology.
  • Dr. Chad Edwards, School of Communication.
  • Dr. Steve Feffer, Department of English.
  • Dr. Jon Holtzman, Department of Anthropology.
  • Dr. Ashlyn Kuersten, Department of Gender and Women’s Studies.
  • Dr. Kelly McDonnell, Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology.
  • Dr. Alhassan Mumuni, Department of Marketing.
  • Dr. Kapseong Ro, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
  • Dr. Eli Rubin, Department of History.
  • Dr. Matthew Steel, School of Music.
  • Dr. Susan Steuer, University Libraries.
  • Dr. Maarten Vonhof, Department of Biological Sciences.
  • Dr. Udaya Wagle, School of Public Affairs and Administration.
  • Dr. Zijian (James) Yang, Department of Computer Science.

Faculty promoted to associate professor

  • Dr. Kyle Brink, Department of Management.
  • Dr. Christina Chin, Frostic School of Art.
  • Dr. Martha Councell-Vargas, School of Music.
  • Dr. Yvonne Ford, WMU Bronson School of Nursing.
  • Dr. Regina Garza Mitchell, Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology.
  • Dr. Brian Gogan, Department of English.
  • Dr. Megan Grunert-Kowalske, Department of Chemistry.
  • Dr. Valerian Kwigizile, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering.
  • Dr. Leah Omilion-Hodges, School of Communication.
  • Dr. Kelley O’Reilly, Department of Marketing.
  • Dr. Jagjit Singh Saini, Department of Accountancy.
  • Dr. Thomas Schultz, Department of Accountancy.
  • Dr. Michelle Suarez, Department of Occupational Therapy.
  • Dr. Luchara Wallace, Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies.
  • Dr. Zee-Sun Yun, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Faculty promoted to Master Faculty Specialist

  • Dr. Thomas Edmonds, Department of Finance and Commercial Law.
  • Julie Evans Little, School of Music.
  • Dr. Doris Ravotas, School of Interdisciplinary Health Programs.

Faculty promoted to Faculty Specialist II

  • Theresa Bieszka, Center for English Language and Culture for International Students.
  • Sara Clark, Department of Occupational Therapy.
  • Dr. Dee Sherwood, School of Social Work.
  • Dr. Cynthia Visscher, Department of Comparative Religion.

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