Faculty & Staff Biographies Dr. Cliff Toliver Dr. Cliff Toliver serves as the Director of Missouri Southern State University’s First-Year Experience Program and teaches a keystone class in the program, MIDS 100, The University Experience: Transitions within an International Context. In addition, he is an Associate Professor of English in the Department of English and Philosophy, offering classes in early British literatures and literatures for children and young adults. Dr. Toliver holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas/Austin and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law. He came to Joplin and MSSU in 2001 from Austin, Texas, where he taught courses in English language and literatures and served as Chair of the Division of Humanities at Huston-Tillotson University, a small, historically black, four-year institution. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he studied and taught in Germany. He travelled widely during that time, visiting about 50 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia. Dixie Williams Dixie Williams earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Communication from Missouri Western State University. After completing her Bachelor’s degree Dixie attended Eastern Illinois University where she earned her Master of Science degree in College Student Affairs. Dixie has had the opportunity to work with many students in her 7 years of Student Affairs work. She has worked one on one with first year, upper-class, co-educational, Greek, international, and graduate-level students to address and meet their needs. Dixie is committed to all students and their degree completion. Dixie’s experiences as a higher education professional have provided her with intuition and perspective for the educational purpose of being involved in student life and development for today’s college students. Dixie is committed to student success for all students who come to campus. Stephenie Bergen Stephenie Bergen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in Spanish from MSSU. During her time as a student, she served as secretary of Sigma Tau Delta and as a staff member on the inaugural issue of bordertown literary magazine. Bergen earned several scholarships, including Foreign Language Performance Awards, the Harry Preble Memorial Scholarship, and Larry Dunham Memorial Scholarship. At graduation, she held an overall GPA of 4.0. Bergen was named Outstanding Student in English and also received the Spencer Bartlett Respect Award. “I understand how college can be stressful and overwhelming,” said Bergen, “however, respecting yourself and others enough to always give your best is key to a rewarding college experience that culminates in the celebration of your achievement – graduation.”
|
|
 |
