School of Arts

Department Faculty

Administration

Dr. Marius M. Carriere, Dean and Chair of History and Political Science
Dr. Stephen E. Grice, Chair of Literature and Languages
Dr. Tracie Burke, Chair of Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Paul A. Haught, Chair of Religion and Philosophy
Dr. Talana Vogel, Chair of Education and Director of Graduate Education
Dr. Samantha M. Alperin, Director of Undergraduate Education and M.A.T. Program
Ms. Jana B. Travis, Chair of Fine Arts and Speech
Ms. Christina L. Brown, Administrative Assistant and Web Site Coordinator
Mr. Mack Faith, Director of Assessment and Records

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Behavioral Sciences |  Education | Fine Arts and Speech | Global Studies | History and Political Science | Literature and Languages | Religion and Philosophy | Professors Emeriti | School of Arts | Christian Brothers University

Conrad J. Brombach, Professor
"Being a good teacher means communicating and getting students involved in learning."

Tracie L. Burke, Professor, Honors Program Director, and Department Chair
"...I became an expert at milking cows, riding horses and horrifying my parents with daring acts of cowgirl pluck."

Rena Durr, Professor
"My teaching philosophy is that most learning should occur through interaction in the classroom with a teacher who relates to students and engages them by making the subject, whatever it is, interesting and relevant to individual students."

Teri J. Mason, Assistant Professor
Her areas of interest are: medical anthropology, global economic issues, Chinese society and Elvis fans.

Margaret A. Miller, Professor
"In the words of E. B. White 'Learning is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.'"

Elizabeth M. Nelson, Professor
She is trained and does research in the area of human experimental/cognitive psychology.

Maureen E. O'Brien, Assistant Professor
Dr. Maureen O’Brien comes to us from Louisiana State University at Alexandria where she was an Assistant Professor of Psychology.

Rodney J. Vogl, Associate Professor
Dr. Vogl’s most recent interests deal with the impact of technology on cognitive processes, such as group decision making in virtual environments, perceptions of others during online conversations, and identity theft.

Samantha M. Alperin, Assistant Professor, Director of Undergraduate Education and M.A.T. Program
"I am of the teaching philosophy that we all can learn and become open to different teaching and learning styles given the proper instruction."

Wendy J. Ashcroft, Assistant Professor
B.A., Rhodes College; M.E.D., Memphis State University; Ed.D, Memphis State University

Brother Ignatius Brown, Assistant Professor, Director of LANCE Program
"I had a Catholic parochial school elementary education and later attended Christian Brothers College High School. It was there that I came in contact with the Christian Brothers and was inspired to join their ranks."

Ellen S. Faith, Associate Professor, Director of Field Experience, and Accreditation Coordinator
Dr. Faith has transformed the well-known saying of St. John Baptist De LaSalle, patron of teachers and founder of the Christian Brothers, “The work is yours,” into “The work is ours,” with respect to the great need of Memphis and the surrounding locale for excellent teachers and school leaders.

Mr. Mack Faith, Director of Assessment and Records, Staff
Faith’s current work as Director of Assessment and Records grows out of long experience with library work, data base development, and project management.

Merwin A. McCoy, Assistant Professor
"In teaching students in my education classes, I try to model behavior that I expect to see from them in their present and future classrooms. I stress preparedness, professionalism, leadership, and passion for the great Lasallian vocation of teaching. My students should be able to read with analytical skills and be capable of setting and meeting high standards for themselves in their profession."

Brother Michael A. Schmelzer, F.S.C., Assistant Professor
"Teaching and learning are inseparable partners of the same dynamic process. To be a good teacher requires, first and foremost, that one be an open, inquisitive, and indefatigable learner."

Lavern Terrell, Assistant Professor
"My research interests include racial awareness and diversity, school law, and leadership."

Talana Vogel, Assistant Professor, Director of Graduate Education and Department Chair
"Currently, I am focusing on three areas: working conditions in urban school environments, beginning teacher attrition and retention as well as education law."

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J. Thomas Gaines, Visiting Assistant Professor
A nationally recognized voice teacher and member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), his students have won numerous competitions at the local, state, regional and national levels.

Brother Matthew Szatkowski, Assistant Professor
He believes that people should involve themselves in any worthwhile activity for which they have a strong passion.

Jana B. Travis, Assistant Professor and Department Chair
"While extensively traveling the country, Travis noticed the culture and colors of Mexico naturally beginning to seep into her artwork..."

Emily Mathis Forsdick, Director of International Initiatives
"...my happiest moments occur when I am introducing CBU students to the art and culture of some distant place."

Paul W. Berk, Visiting Assistant Professor
B.S., Florida State University; B.A., Florida State University; M.A., Florida State University; Ph.D., Florida State University

Marius M. Carriere, Jr., Dean, Department Chair, and Professor
"I strongly believe that good teaching comes from keeping active in research and professional development."

Karl Leib, Assistant Professor and Pre-Law Advisor
"Sometime soon I hope to teach US Foreign Policy, and maybe someday a course on the politics of space exploration."

Neal A. Palmer, Visiting Assistant Professor
Palmer on World Civilizations: "I enjoy the opportunities the course offers for discussing the commonalties of the human experience and issues of social justice with my students."

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Elizabeth P. Broadwell, Professor
"I grew up listening to the stories of my aunts and uncles, master storytellers who could shape the most ordinary event into a spellbinding narrative."

Mary Terrell Cargill, Professor
"...my interest now has shifted to the stories of people who sometimes exist on the fringes of society, people who too often go unnoticed, despite their accomplishments and their contributions to our world."

Roger R. Easson, Professor
"To paraphrase Huxley, 'If you don't read you can't write. If you can't write, you can't think. If you can't think, then someone else will do your thinking for you.'"

Karen B. Golightly, Assistant Professor
B.A., Rhodes College; M.F.A., Memphis State University; A.B.D., Southern Illinois University

Federico C. Gomez-Uroz, Visiting Instructor
Outside of his university teaching, he has been active in the Latino community of Memphis, focusing mainly in civil rights and social issues.

Stephen E. Grice, Professor and Department Chair
A.B., University of Illinois; M.A., Ph.D., University of Southern Illinois
“The light which puts out our eyes is darkness to us. Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.” Henry David Thoreau

Brother Allen Johnson, F.S.C., Assistant Professor
B.A., LaSalle University; M.L.A., Johns Hopkins University; M.A., University of Pennsylvania

Vincent O'Neill, Visiting Professor
B.A., M.A., University of Windsor, Ontario; Ph.D., University College of the University of London, England

Clayann Gilliam Panetta, Associate Professor and Writing Center Director
Dr. Panetta’s specialty area is rhetoric and composition.

Ann Marie Wranovix, Professor
"On the farm I learned that I much preferred reading a book to chopping cotton or picking butterbeans, and I’ve been reading books ever since."

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J. Burton Fulmer, Assistant Professor
B.A., Georgetown University; M.A., George Mason University; M.A., Vanderbilt University; Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Scott Geis, Assistant Professor
Dr. Geis most enjoys time with his wife, Dee, and daughter, Carly, visiting family, good friends, conversations with colleagues and students, reading, running, racquetball, and listening to good music – especially the Beatles, U2, and the Pat Metheny Group.

David Gides, Assistant Professor and Catholic Studies Graduate Director
Ph.D., M.P.T., M.A., Fordham University

Paul A. Haught, Department Chair and Assistant Professor
B.A., Georgetown University; M.A. University of North Texas; Ph.D. Tulane University

Philip J. Maloney, Associate Professor
B.A., M.A. University of Montana; Ph.D. University of Memphis

Sister Ann McKean, C.S.A., Associate Professor
B.A., Marian College; M.A., Manhattan College; Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Geoffrey D. Miller, Assistant Professor
B.A., Indiana University; M.A., St. Louis University; Ph.D., The Catholic University of America

Rose G. Deal
Doctor of Letters, University of Bari and Naples, Italy

Peter F. Limper
B.A., M.A., Ph.D., Yale University

Kristin A. Pruitt, Former Dean and Founder of FOSA
B.A., Southwestern at Memphis; Ph.D., University of North Carolina

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