By Kaylen Ayres '25
Roanoke College welcomed 14 new faculty members for the 2023-24 academic year. These professionals specialize in a variety of fields, and their research focuses on a range of topics including tax policy, reading comprehension, psychedelic art and intergroup relations. We asked each of them to tell us a little more about their backgrounds and interests.
Linda Hensel
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology (One-year contract)
Education: B.S. with distinction in microbiology and immunology, University of Washington – Seattle; M.S. and Ph.D. in genetics, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Research interests: Bacterial biofilm inhibition and eradication
What classes are you teaching this year? Science, Scientists and Society; Contemporary Problems in Science—with a focus on genome-editing tools and human embryo selection; Human Biology Lab
Why do you teach? “Nothing warms my heart more than watching students capture ‘ah-ha’ moments.”
Tuan Ho Quoc
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics
Education: B.A. and M.B.A., Vietnam; Ph.D., Oklahoma State University
Research interests: Fiscal policy and tax policy
What classes are you teaching this year? Intermediate Macroeconomics, Money and Banking, The Fed Challenge, International Trade and Finance, and Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.
Why do you think students should study your subject? “As economics is a social science, I love to help students to learn more about society, from how people make decisions every day to how the economy behaves.”
Taj Khan
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics
Education: B.A. in economics, minor in mathematics and statistics, Aligarh Muslim University; M.B.A. in international business, Pondicherry University; M.A. in applied economics (environmental economics), Madras School of Economics; Ph.D. in economics, Oklahoma State University
Research interests: Primary: applied microeconomics, agricultural economics, development economics. Secondary: environmental economics, health economics and food policy
What classes are you teaching this year? Principles of Microeconomics, Principles of Macroeconomics, Health Economics, Intermediate Microeconomics and Managerial Economics
What excites you the most about this new opportunity? “I am driven to link economic concepts to real-world scenarios and nurture students' ability to dissect society's complexities. I look forward to working with students, mentoring them, and diving into various academic endeavors together. The college's emphasis on community involvement and service learning excites me; we can tackle significant societal issues using economics. I am ready to uncover ways to bring about positive change locally and globally. I aim to inspire students, sharpen their critical thinking, and employ economics for tangible change. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues and students to foster growth and innovation in teaching and research.”
Daniel Nasrallah
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Education: B.S. in organic chemistry with a concentration in research, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Ph.D. in organic chemistry, University of Michigan
Research interests: Development of enantioselective nickel-catalyzed transformations, enantioselective synthesis of Lissodendoric Acid A and synthesis and biological activity of THC derivatives
What classes are you teaching this year? Organic Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry I Lab and General Chemistry I Lab
Why do you think students should study your subject? “Organic chemistry generally gets a bad reputation. Consider the stereotypes you have about organic chemistry classes. However, organic chemistry is excruciatingly relevant to our everyday lives. From the things people think about, like pharmaceutical drugs, to the materials and polymers that make up every plastic thing that we touch. Organic chemistry really is everywhere. I love helping students understand organic chemistry concepts and the applications of those processes in the world around us.”
Anna Kambach
Visiting Assistant Professor of Education (One-year contract)
Education: B.A., child psychology, Mary Baldwin College; M.A.Ed. in curriculum and teaching, Teachers College, Columbia University; M.A., reading specialist, Virginia Tech; Ph.D., curriculum and instruction, Virginia Tech
Research interests: Reading, emergent literacy, reading comprehension and using diverse literature with young readers
What classes are you teaching this year? Finding Ourselves in Folklore, Issues in Education, Literacy in the Disciplines and Children’s Literature
What excites you the most about this new opportunity? “Working with a tight-knit community of educators that truly care about their students and want to see them succeed. Working with future teachers is a dream come true.”
Ashe Gardner
Visiting Assistant Professor of Fine Arts
Education: B.F.A., photography and digital imaging, University of Utah; M.F.A., studio arts, University of Arkansas
Research interests: Exploration of bodies and gender through the lens-based medium, offering an exploration on the way we perceive both bodies and gender roles
What classes are you teaching this year? Photography 1, Digital Art, Silver to Silicon
Why do you think students should study your subject? “Art is vital to the human experience. Photography and new media, with their time-based nature, enable artists to capture moments, weave narratives and evoke emotions through sequences of images, videos or immersive elements. In response to contemporary events and cultural shifts, students can use these techniques and push the boundaries of what is possible in creative expression. I want students to think about what they want to say and communicate it by making a bunch of cool stuff.”
Michael Pekel
Visiting Instructor of Fine Arts
Education: B.A., vocal performance, Xavier University; M.M., choral conducting, Western Kentucky University, University of Iowa.
Research interests: Eclectic modernist composer Jonathan Harvey and a body of choral music he wrote for the Church of England from the 1980s through his passing in 2012
What classes are you teaching this year? Myths of Musical Genius, Music as Mirror, and Concert Choir
What's something most people don't know about you? “I only have one kidney because I'm a kidney donor. In 2017, a friend of mine with kidney failure talked to me about donation, so I looked into it and agreed to donate. Recovery was intense for a week or two, but I'm 100% unaffected now. Six years later, my friend is still doing very well. Everyone should consider life-saving donation. Ask me about it sometime!”
David Thomas
Visiting Assistant Professor of Fine Arts
Education: B.A., art history, University of North Texas; M.A., art history with an emphasis on contemporary art and theory, modern and contemporary architecture, University of Arizona; Ph.D., art history with an emphasis on contemporary art, new media and contemporary architecture, Binghamton University
Research Interests: Contemporary art, technology, new media, responsive environments, cybernetic art, psychedelic art
What classes are you teaching this year? History of Medieval Art, Art History Survey 1
What excites you the most about this new opportunity? “Roanoke College offers the opportunity to engage students in a more intimate setting with smaller classes and a greater focus on the whole student.”
Sean Cochran
Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance
Education: B.S., sports medicine, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; M.S., applied neuromechanics, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Ph.D., motor behavior, New Mexico State University
Research interests: Neuromechanisms that facilitate the transfer of motor skills between different performance contexts
What classes are you teaching this year? Research methods, introduction to exercise science, motor control and learning, and physical conditioning
What excites you the most about this new opportunity? “Being a part of a new college community that focuses on collaboration between students and faculty to grow our knowledge base and understanding of the field of exercise science.”
Bryan Cobb
Associate Professor of Math, Computer Science and Physics
Education: B.S., engineering, George Fox University; M.S., mechanical engineering, Oregon State University; Ph.D., biomedical engineering, Virginia Tech
Research interests: sports biomechanics
What classes are you teaching this year? Electronics and Robotics and Dynamics and Heat/Mass Transfer
What excites you the most about this new opportunity? “I'm excited about building a new engineering program at Roanoke College. We have a new science building coming in the next few years that will provide great lab/project spaces for the program.”
Wen Bu
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Education: B.S., chemistry and political science, Furman University; J.D., Harvard Law School; postbaccalaureate psychology program, Columbia University; Ph.D., social psychology, Ph.D. minor, political psychology and supporting program in statistics, University of Minnesota
Research interests: Intergroup relations, stereotypes and prejudice, social identity and identity threat/safety, political psychology, and psychology and law
What classes are you teaching this year? Social Psychology and Psych Department’s Quantitative Methods course and lab
Why do I teach? “I have two main reasons for teaching. First, I enjoy seeing someone have an ‘Aha!’ moment when a concept or skill clicks into place. Teaching is an opportunity to help students get to those “Aha!” moments. Second, I want to demonstrate that students from any background can learn and succeed. Specifically, I’d like to set an example of how a woman of color can be a successful social psychologist.”
Michael Love
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Education: B.S., psychology, Virginia Tech; M.S., clinical psychology, Radford University; Ph.D., counseling psychology, Radford University
Research interests: Predictors of clinical competency among clinicians treating members of marginalized populations, adjustment to college among first-generation college students and the therapeutic benefits of tabletop role-playing games for developing social skills
What classes are you teaching this year? Intro to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Clinical Psychology and INQ-120 class about psychological impacts of social media
What excites you the most about this new opportunity? “I was drawn to Roanoke College by the high degree of faculty-student interaction and the emphasis on whole-person education.”
Beth Easterling ’02
Visiting Associate Professor of Public Affairs (One-year contract)
Education: B.A., economics, Roanoke College; M.S., applied sociology, University of North Florida; Ph.D., sociology with criminology concentration, University of Tennessee
Research interests: Incarceration and the family, applied criminology, social stratification and police education
What classes are you teaching this year? Criminology Goes to the Movies, Justice and Injustice, Inequality in Criminal Justice, Seminar in Criminal Justice
What excites you the most about this new opportunity? “I am excited to teach at my alma mater! Roanoke College is where I fell in love with learning and came to understand the importance of a liberal arts education. This place opened many doors for me, intellectually and professionally. To have the opportunity to be a part of other Maroons' educational journeys is truly an honor.”
Nicole Terrill '95
Visiting Instructor of Sociology and Public Health (One-year contract)
Education: B.A., Roanoke College; M.P.H., Columbia University
Research interests: Population and family health and medically underserved areas
What classes are you teaching this year? Adolescent Health and Global Health and Culture
What excites you most about this new opportunity? “I’m delighted to return to my alma mater.”