2021 Faculty Accomplishments

Jason Bintz, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Director of the Mathematics Program

• Co-authored “The Optimal Controlling Strategy on a Dispersing Population in a Two-Patch System: Experimental and Theoretical Perspectives” in The Journal of Theoretical Biology.

Emily Christensen, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Hygiene Officer

• Included in a news release published by The University of Missouri describing cancer prevention research in which Dr. Christensen participated during her dissertation research.

Trevor Egli, Professor of Sport and Fitness Leadership

• Co-authored “Faith Integration and Sports Psychology Consulting: A Case Study” in Building Consulting Skills: An International Case Study Collection.

Gyasi Francisco, Assistant Professor of English

• Proposed, designed, and implemented a new “Introduction to College Writing” course for students lacking high school preparation for Johnson’s English Composition courses. Additionally, was instrumental in the rollout and design of our new English Composition II course across the University.

Kendra Fullwood, Associate Professor of English in Rhetoric & Composition

• Submitted a research proposal and was awarded an Appalachian College Association Faculty Fellowship Grant which supported a one-semester leave for spring 2021. The $15,000 grant allowed her to interview preachers and congregants for an article-in-progress, “Shaping at the Point of Dialogue: Rhetorical Invention in Traditional Black Church Practices.” She presented her initial finding to a workshop of the Rhetoric Society of America’s Summer Institute.

James Gorman, Professor of History

• Guest lectured on transatlantic evangelical missionary origins of the Stone-Campbell Movement for the Restoration History course at Maritime Christian College and Alberta Bible College.
• Participated in a Black History Month panel hosted by Black Student Ministries and Students Promoting Social Unity on Johnson’s Tennessee campus.
• Published three chapters in Answered by Fire: The Cane Ridge Revival Reconsidered, including one chapter on the Second Great Awakening, one chapter on the religious “exercises” at the revivals, and one chapter on women exhorters at the revivals.
• Taught a four-week series on Christianity and racism in American history for the Becoming Beloved Community initiative at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Knoxville.
• Participated in an interview and led a group discussion about the book he co-edited, Slavery’s Long Shadow: Race and Reconciliation in American Christianity.
• Participated in two episodes of the Common Grounds Unity Podcast, discussing the “DNA” of the Stone-Campbell Movement as covered in his book, Among the Early Evangelicals: Transatlantic Origins of the Stone-Campbell Movement, and discussing the content of the book he co-edited, Slavery’s Long Shadow: Race and Reconciliation in American Christianity. See episodes #36 and #37.
• Joined the American Religion Section Committee for the Christian Scholars Conference.

Shawn Grant, Associate Professor of Humanities, Director of Florida First-Year Studies

• Selected to serve as a Scholar in Residence for the C. S. Lewis Foundation. He will be traveling to Oxford this May, staying in Lewis’s former residence, the Kilns, and conducting research.

Amie Hadley, Visiting Assistant Professor and Site Coordinator for Sport and Fitness Leadership

• Completed her graduate certificate in Anatomy and Physiology, authorizing her teaching of Anatomy and Physiology on the Florida campus.

Landon Huffman, Professor of Sport and Fitness Leadership

• Served as a delegate to the Sport Leadership and Development Summit in Madrid, Spain, and served as a panelist on the Sports Chaplaincy and Academia webinar in the series “Sports Chaplain & Character Coaches.”

Jason Mead, Associate Professor of History

• Served the School of Arts and Sciences by stepping in as acting dean for the humanities in spring 2021 and acting dean for the sciences in fall 2021.

Cindi Norton, Faculty Coordinator for the School of Arts and Sciences

• Transitioned from her role as professor of health sciences to a new role as faculty coordinator for the School of Arts and Sciences.
• Served on the East Tennessee Regional Health Council for the state of Tennessee, a demanding responsibility during the pandemic.

Gary Stratton, Professor of Spiritual Formation and Cultural Leadership, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences

• Delivered a plenary address at the Association of Biblical Higher Education President’s Conference.
• Participated as an invited delegate to the annual meeting of the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts at Boston College.
• Authored “A Different Kind of Teacher: Following Jesus from Student to Disciple,” used in Tennessee’s first-year studies courses this fall and published by Abilene Christian University Press next year.

Mark Weedman, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics, Associate Dean for Experiential and Graduate Education

• Delivered a paper entitled “Augustine’s Use of Imitatio in Confessions 7” at the Tracing Global Late Antiquity Conference.

Ron Wheeler, Professor of English and Literature

• Published a poetry collection, Collecting Dust: Sonnets Thus Far.

Joseph Gordon, Professor of Theology

• Led a six-part Zoom teaching series for local ministers, church leaders, and laypeople titled “Reading the Bible in the 21st Century,” hosted by St. Brendan’s Anglican Church in Maryville, Tennessee.
• Recorded an interview titled “A Theology of Scripture” for Anthony LeDonne’s “Introduction to Biblical Interpretation” course at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
• Published “‘Redrawing the Map’: Insights from the Work of Robert M. Doran on the Place of Christian Scripture in the Dialectic of Culture” in Intellect, Affect, and God: The Trinity, History, and the Life of Grace, edited by Joseph Ogbonnaya and Gerard Whelan.
• Published a geographic distribution note on the Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis Rhombomaculata) published in Herpetological Review—his first herpetology/biology publication! He is the first person to document the presence of this secretive species in Sevier County, Tennessee, since records have been kept.
• Presented “Irenaeus on Genesis: The Unity of First and Last Things in the Economic Work of God” at the Christian Scholars Conference at Lipscomb University.
• Presented “Identifying Scripture in the Data: ‘The Bible’ is the History of Christian Scripture” as the keynote address for the Toronto School of Theology Graduate Students’ Association Conference.
• Presented via Zoom “Psychic Conversion and Christian Scripture” at the 46th annual Lonergan Workshop of the Lonergan Institute at Boston College.

Heather Gorman, Professor of New Testament

• Published a review of Christopher R. Hutson’s First and Second Timothy and Titus in Restoration Quarterly.
• Published a review of Channing L. Crisler’s Echoes of Lament and the Christology of Luke in Review of Biblical Literature.

Gregory Linton, Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost

• Presented on “Effective Faculty Organization and Governance” at the Association for Biblical Higher Education Academic Officer’s Forum.
• Published a review of Thomas B. Slater’s Revelation as Civil Disobedience: Witnesses Not Warriors in John’s Apocalypse in Review of Biblical Literature.
• Served as team chair for a virtual accreditation visit for the Association for Biblical Higher Education.
• Served as editor-in-chief for the 16th volume of the Biblical Higher Education Journal, released by the Association for Biblical Higher Education. This is his fifth year serving in this role.
• Presented “Collecting, Analyzing, and Using Outcomes Data” for the Association for Biblical Higher Education Chief Academics Officers Flagship Gathering.

Rafael Rodriguez, Professor of New Testament

• Published his major review of Scot McKnight’s Reading Romans Backward: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire in Interpretation.
• Co-convened a “continuing seminar” entitled “Methodology and Memory Research in Jesus Studies” as part of the Catholic Biblical Association’s 83rd Annual General Meeting. The seminar hosted 20 scholars from around the world to discuss the current state of historical Jesus research, with three recent publications serving as the starting point for the discussion.
• Voted onto the editorial board of Catholic Biblical Quarterly.
• Appointed to serve as one of three judges to select “Best Book Relating to the New Testament” for the Biblical Archaeology Society.
• Participated in an episode of the “Faith in the Folds” podcast on the book of Romans.

Christopher Beard, Ph.D in Leadership Studies Program Director

• Made two presentations at the Appalachian College Association Summit: “Innovating Online Christian Education for Transformation: Using Adult Learning Theory to Shape Online Christian Higher Education Experiences” and “The Institutional Review Board and Social Science Research: Standards, Potential Issues, and Recommendations.”

John Stricklen, Assistant Professor of Business and Public Leadership

• Completed coursework in the pursuit of a Doctor of Business Administration degree and is currently completing his dissertation.

Ruth Reyes, Assistant Dean of the School of Communication and Creative Arts, Professor of Music

• Featured interview on Episode 11 of The Waypoint Podcast of Waypoint Church Partners: Ruth Reyes on Worship – the preparation, the performance, the battlefield, aired June, 2021
• Rehearsal accompanist for the Epcot Christmas Candlelight Cast Choir
• Member (keyboardist) of The Walt Disney Orchestra during the Epcot Christmas Candlelight Processional Service (3 shows)

Brent Brewer, Professor of Intercultural Studies

• Awarded a $1,000 “Christian Leadership in a Multifaith World Grant” by the Interfaith Youth Core and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; will be used to implement the Christian Leadership in a Multifaith World curriculum and support the bridge-building project with Tayseer Seminary.
• Presented a seminar at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies on his research on Johnson students engaged in interfaith dialogue.
• Served on the board of directors for Church Planters of the Smokies.
• Served on the board of directors for two Zimbabwe Missions: ACTIVE Ministries and Africa Development Mission Trust.

Kendi Howells Douglas, Assistant Dean of the School of Intercultural Studies, Professor of Intercultural Studies

• Served on the Continuation Committee for the International Conference on Missions.
• Edited and published three books for Urban Loft Publishers: City, Story, Us: A Journey of Resistance, Hope and Surrender by Susan Spousta; Lost Faith by Seth Bouchelle; Hidden Power and False Expectations: Muted Group Dynamics Between Prison Ministry Volunteers and Incarcerated Women by Linda Barkman.

Gerald Mattingly, Professor of Intercultural Studies

• Submitted an essay on “The Location of Mount Sinai: A Southern Sinai View (Jebel Musa),” for the Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Pentateuch.
• Continued research project with Karak Resources Project, an archaeological research project based in Jordan.

Linda Whitmer, Dean of the School of Intercultural Studies

• Presented “They Call Him Father: The Metaphoric Image of God as Father among Modern Shona in Zimbabwe” at the Christian Scholars Conference at Lipscomb University.
• Published a review of James E. Plueddemann’s Teaching Across Cultures: Contextualizing Education for Global Mission in the Biblical Higher Education Journal.
• Accepted a position on the Executive Committee of the North American Region, Mission Study 2021-22, of the World Council of Churches’ Commission on World Mission and Evangelism. She is the only representative from the Christian churches/churches of Christ on the Executive Committee.
• Served as Ph.D. Head Supervisor for Regina Foard (2019 JU graduate) at the Oxford Center for Mission Studies.
• Continued missiological research being published by Wipf and Stock Publishers in 2022.
• Served on the Board of Directors for EnterMission.
• Served on the Continuation Committee for the International Conference on Missions.
• Served as a Volunteer Specialist for Pioneer Bible Translators.

Steve Whitmer, Intercultural Studies Online Program Director and Professor of Intercultural Studies

• Served as Associate Editor for MissionalPreacher, a publication of the American Society of Missiology.
• Served as a board member for Tavriski Christian Institute, Kherson, Ukraine.
• Served as a volunteer specialist for Pioneer Bible Translators.
• Served on the Continuation Committee for the International Conference on Missions.

Kenneth Woodhull, Executive Director of Urban Alliance and Professor of Intercultural Studies

• Served as president of Missio International.
• Continued to lead the US organization that partners with Missio Link International, an indigenous Christian ministry with projects in Romania and Serbia.

Nicole Saylor, Professor of Social & Behavioral Sciences

• Awarded full status as a Certified Family Life Educator by the National Council on Family Relations.
• Trained and certified as a Building Strong Brains Facilitator for the state of Tennessee so she can provide education and training for various professionals on the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences.
• Published “Supporting Families in Special Needs Adoption” in CFLE Network, a quarterly newsletter published by the National Council on Family Relations.

Karen Eastep, Director of Clinical Experience and Early Childhood Learning Center

• Serves on the Tennessee Department of Education comprehensive state review team and the Association of Christian Schools International comprehensive national review team.

Roy Miller, Dean of the Templar School of Education

• While serving his tenth year on the board of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Miller was appointed chair of the Department of Education Leadership & Policy committee.

The School received a $5,000 grant from the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR). Professors Missy Drinnon and Roy Miller serve as Tennessee state committee members.

Marla Black, Associate Librarian, JUFL

• Continued to index three current titles for Christian Periodical Index: Stone-Campbell Journal, International Journal of Urban Transformation, and Journal of Youth Ministry.
• Served as a copy editor for Urban Loft Publishers.
• Served as a panelist for the Florida Library Association’s Fall Webinar series: Career 411.

Dave Eveland, Instructional Designer & Technologist

• Completed coursework and activity for completion of an Ed.S. with Regent University.

Andrew Frazier, Registrar

• Participated in the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers 2021 U.S. Registrar Career Profile Report for which he submitted a personal essay titled, “Wow, I Wish I Knew That before I Became a Registrar.”

Carrie Beth Lowe, Library Director, JUTN

• Completed the course “Reading, Transcribing, and Abstracting Old Documents” at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh virtual institute.
• Participated in The Connection, a virtual professional development conference during the month of March.
• Continued to index nine publications for the Christian Periodical Index.

Kirk McClelland, Professor of Service Learning, Director of Service Engagement and First-Year Programs

• Redesigned Tennessee’s first-year studies program and created an on-campus freshman Cornerstone retreat to accommodate last-minute University protocols responding to the Delta variant.