Wittenberg welcomes 10 new professors

Sep. 30—Wittenberg University has welcomed 10 new professors, who officials say are already "adding their energy and expertise" now that the academic year has started.

"Once again Wittenberg has attracted incredibly talented and curious teacher-scholars to join our faculty," said Provost Brian Yontz, professor of education. "Few things excite me more than thinking about our students learning from faculty members who do great work and feel called to this place. Encounters with great teachers are similar to witnessing a talented artist, a professional athlete, or eating at a phenomenal restaurant."

The newly hired professors include:

John Gulledge, assistant professor of English, is a community-engaged scholar and teacher for classes on early modern literature, disability culture and aesthetics. He has a Ph.D. from Emory University, where he completed a dissertation on Renaissance drama, disability performance, and aesthetic innovation.

Libby Hainrihar, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities, was a faculty member at Capital University, spent more than a decade as a choir director in the Ohio public schools, and serves as membership chair for the Ohio Choral Directors Association. She has a B.A. in music education from Bowling Green State University, an M.A. in conducting from Kent State University and a Ph.D. in musical arts from the Ohio State University.

Collin Johnson, professor of practice, supply chain management, has taught courses in operations management, quality management, statistics, organizational management and project management, and continues to consult with companies on topics related to safety, quality, production, cost savings, training and process improvement.

Jessica Johnson, professor of practice, nursing resource center and simulation laboratory coordinator, teaches sophomore and junior level nursing students, has a background in mother-baby and emergency nursing, and has been a registered nurse since 2010. She has an M.A. in nursing education from Indiana Wesleyan University, a B.S.N. from Wright State University and a B.A. in psychology from Wittenberg.

Alan Ledford, associate professor, program director, master of sport administration, has served as a program director, an assistant athletic director/recreation specialist/adjunct faculty member, coached baseball and basketball at both the high school and collegiate levels, and worked with intramurals and recreational sports. He has a Ph.D. in sport managements from the United States Sports Academy, an M.A. in sport management from East Tennessee State University, and a B.S. in sport administration from Wilmington College.

Sunday Ngwobia, assistant professor of computer science, teaches computer science courses for both majors and non-majors, and his main research interest is cybersecurity. He has an undergraduate degree in computer science from Abia State Polytechnic, a postgraduate degree in computer science from Bayero University Kano, an M.S in computer science from the University of Dayton, and a Ph.D. in computer science and engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

Kristina O'Meara, professor of practice, has had a career in medical-surgical nursing, advanced practice cardiac nursing, interdisciplinary hospice education and undergraduate nursing education. She has a BSN from the University of Lynchburg, an MSN with nurse practitioner certification from East Tennessee State University, and will complete her Ph.D. in nursing practice next year.

Gypsy Schindler, assistant professor of art, specializes in portraiture, writes poetry and creative nonfiction, has experience in mural painting and faux finishes, and has experience in teaching at all levels of drawing, painting and printmaking at several academic institutions. She has a BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design and an MFA from Eastern Michigan University.

Timothy Swartz, assistant professor of biology, is developing local community-based research projects in Springfield and the surrounding region focused on restoring connections between people and nature in residential and urban landscapes. He has his B.S. in biology from Messiah University, an M.S. in natural resources and environmental sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Ph.D. in biology from Temple University.

Theresa Wilson, visiting assistant professor, currently focuses on developing resources to aid in teaching computer science. She was a researcher at the University of Edinburgh and at Johns Hopkins University. She graduated from the College of Wooster with a B.A. in computer science, has a master's degree in computer science and a Ph.D. in intelligent systems from the University of Pittsburgh.