August Board Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August  19, 2008

University Relations and Marketing 
(417) 625-9399

 

JOPLIN, MO (SNS) - The Missouri Southern Board of Governors announced the acceptance of a major gift to the University at its meeting on Friday, 15.
           
William Robert Corley, a longtime Joplin resident, will provide what MSSU Board of Governors Chairman Dwight Douglas described as a “seven figure” amount for endowment of unrestricted scholarships for students. 
           
Douglas said that the auditorium in Webster Hall will be named the William Robert Corley Auditorium in special recognition of the gift.  Douglas expressed his thanks to Corley and to the Missouri Southern Foundation for making the gift a reality.
           
In other action today, the Board heard from Joplin Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) physician Larry McIntire, D.O.  McIntire asked the Board of Governors to consider the foundation of an Osteopathic School of Medicine on the MSSU campus.
           
McIntire, who practices medicine in Joplin with his son Kent McIntire, D.O., said that an increasing number of physicians will be needed in the United States in coming decades.  The Board unanimously passed a motion to proceed with preliminary planning and investigation of the idea.
           
John Berrey, chairman of the Quapaw Indian Tribe, gave members of the Board a primer on the history of the tribe and the creation of the tribe’s Downstream Casino that recently opened on the Missouri-Kansas-Oklahoma border. 
           
In other action, the Board heard a presentation on Missouri Southern’s financial situation from MSSU President Bruce Speck.
           
Also, the Board of Governors approved an in-house committee’s proposal to hire Evergreen Solutions to investigate a Classification and Compensation plan for non-faculty employees at Missouri Southern. The firm will be charged with assessing the compensation packages for the employees which amount to roughly 50 percent of Missouri Southern’s complement of workers.
           
Terri Agee, Senior Vice-President, updated the Board on construction at the University.  Agee told Board members that work on both the Beimdiek Recreation Center and the Health Sciences Building is on schedule.  She also said parking will be adequate for students returning for the fall semester.
           
The Board also approved the hiring of 12 new faculty members, approved one resignation and one retirement and approved the hiring of Deborah Gereke to be the new Director for the Dental Hygiene Program at Missouri Southern State University.

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NEW HIRES
José Alvarez (Effective August 1, 2008)
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Previous Position:  Spanish Instructor – Florida International University
M.A., Florida International University (Hispanic Studies)
Ph.D., Florida International University (Spanish)

 

Ronald Cansler (Effective August 1, 2008)
Assistant Professor of English & Philosophy
Previous Position:  N/A
B.A., Southwest Baptist University (English)
M.A., Missouri State University (English)
M.Th. Southern Methodist University (Theology)
Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia (American Literature)

 

Rhonda Clark (Effective August 1, 2008)
Assistant Professor of Communication
Previous Position:  Assistant Editor – Tulsa World
B.A., Missouri Southern State University (Communication)
M.S., Oklahoma State University (Mass Communication)

 

Henri Coeme (Effective August 1, 2008)
Instructor of International Business
Previous Position:  International Sales Manager – HIX Corporation
M.S., St. Ignatius University (Belgium) (Engineering)
M.A., St. Ignatius University (Belgium) (Economics)

 

Matt Cowdin (Effective August 1, 2008)
Instructor of Criminal Justice (Police Academy Coordinator)
Previous Position:  Joplin Police Department – Narcotics Investigations Division
B.S., Missouri Southern State University (Criminal Justice)

 

Karen Donaldson (Effective August 1, 2008)
Instructor of Distance Dental Hygiene (Rolla Location)
Previous Position:  Various Temporary Dental Hygienist Positions
A.S., University of Southern Indiana (Dental Hygiene)
B.S., University of Southern Indiana (Health Sciences)

 

Ruth Garner (Effective August 1, 2008)
Assistant Professor of Communication
Previous Position:  Online Adjunct Instructor – Southeastern Technical College
B.A., William Jewell College (Communication)
M.A., University of Missouri-Columbia (Communication)

 

Andrea Hellman (Effective August 1, 2008)
Assistant Professor of TESOL
Previous Position:  Adjunct Professor – Drury University
M.A., Jozsef Attila University (English, American Studies, TESOL)
Ed.D., Boston University (Developmental Studies:  Language, Literacy and Cultural Studies)

 

Rebecca Kanan (Effective August 1, 2008)
Assistant Professor of English & Philosophy
Previous Position:  Editor – Joplin Globe Publishing
B.A., Missouri Southern State University (English)
M.A., Mississippi State University (English)
Ph.D. (ABD) University of Maryland (English)

 

Steven Labadessa (Effective August 1, 2008)
Assistant Professor of Art
Previous Position:  Visiting Artist in Painting – Binghamton University (SUNY), NY
B.S., Brooklyn College (Psychology)
B.A., Brookley College (Art)
M.F.A., University of Pennsylvania (Painting)

 

Mark Thomas (Effective August 1, 2008)
Assistant Professor of Art
Previous Position:  Instructor at Southwestern Oklahoma State University
B.F.A., Edinboro University (Graphic Design)
M.F.A., Boston University (Graphic Design)

 

Sheila Weathers (Effective August 1, 2008)
Instructor of Distance Dental Hygiene (Sikeston Location)
Previous Position:  Dental Hygienist – Kaelin Dental Group (Cape Girardeau, MO)
A.S., Southern Illinois University (Dental Hygiene)
A.S., State Technical Institute at Memphis (Computer /Electronic Engineering Technology)

 

RETIREMENTS
Virginia Laas (Hired 1988)                            
Professor Social Science (History)
(Effective May 31, 2009)

 

RESIGNATIONS
June Roys (Hired 2007)                                             
Assistant Professor of Art
(Effective August 1, 2008)

 

OTHER ACTION
Deborah Gerecke, Director of Dental Hygiene Programs effective July 30, 2008. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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