Alumni News-2018

CHRIS FERLAND (Ph.D. 2010) was promoted to associate vice president for institutional research and effectiveness at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville in January. He had served as assistant vice president for institutional research and effectiveness since August 2014.

CAROL FLOWERS (Ed.D. 2017) became the assistant vice provost of faculty affairs at Emory University in August 2017. She had been director of operations and special assistant to the provost since March 2015.

TORIE A. JOHNSON (Ed.D. 2017) has transitioned into an expanded role as the associate commissioner for academic relations of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Academic Relations Department. Johnson had been the executive director of SECU. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey outlined expectations for the new department, “By broadening the scope of our academic initiative, we will be able to establish a stronger platform to articulate how SEC universities are impactful and influential including and beyond intercollegiate athletics.”

CALEB KEITH (Ph.D. 2017) is now assistant provost for instructional effectiveness and strategic priorities at the University of the Ozarks. He had previously served as director of institutional effectiveness.

HEIDI LEMING (Ph.D. 2013) was promoted to vice chancellor for student success at the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) in December 2017. She oversees the newly created Office of Student Success, which is responsible for the system’s completion agenda work, high impact practices, advising, and enrollment management. TBR is the first system running an AACRAO/NASPA Comprehensive Student Record project, and Leming is spearheading this effort. Earlier this year, she served as a consultant at the USG MomentumYear Summit in Atlanta.

KRISTEN LINTHICUM (Ph.D. 2018) accepted a government relations associate position in the UGA’s Government Relations Office upon completion of her degree.

CLAIRE MAJOR (Ph.D. 1998), professor/chair of the Department of Educational Leadership, Technology, and Policy Studies at the University of Alabama, has co-authored (with E. Barkley) a new book titled Interactive Lecturing: A Handbook for College Faculty. In addition to providing a synthesis of relevant, contemporary research and theory on lecturing as it relates to teaching and learning, this book features tips on how to deliver engaging presentations and provides student assignments to reinforce individual comprehension during the lecture.

KELLY ROSINGER (Ph.D. 2015) is profiled in the latest issue of the Washington Monthly as a rising higher-education policy voice and “an expert in experimental and quasi-experimental research methods.” She also was interviewed on the Matt Townsend radio show, discussing barriers students face going to and getting through college. She is assistant professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies and a research associate in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Penn State University.

TIFFANIE SPENCER (Ph.D. 2017), assistant director for diversity, retention, and student services at the University of Vermont, is now an affiliated faculty member with the College of Education at UVM and began teaching classes in the fall.

DINA SWEARNGIN (Ed.D. 2015) is professor of nursing and chair of the Department of Health Services at Point University since summer 2017. She was previously a nurse educator at the College of Health at Clayton State University.

ROBERT THOMAS (Ph.D. 2005) is professor of Practice in Leadership at the Institute of Leadership & Entrepreneurship at Georgia Institute of Technology and also directs activities for the Cowan-Turner Servant Leadership program. He is in his seventh year of serving with these programs at Tech.

CHRISTINE LOMER (LACOLA) THOMSON (Ed.D. 2011) became the executive director of executive development programs at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in January.

WESLEY WICKER (Ed.D. 1990) is one of four principal partners of Columns Fundraising consulting firm, which was established two years ago and has grown to 24 staff members in six states. They have a client list that includes nonprofit organizations from California to Maine, with a strong presence in Georgia.