Nineteen members of the Arkansas Tech University faculty were promoted and eight ATU faculty members were granted tenure by the ATU Board of Trustees during its meeting on Thursday, June 19.
ATU faculty members who wished to apply for promotion and/or tenure submitted portfolios to their respective department heads in January. Portfolio reviews were conducted by a committee of their faculty peers, department heads, deans and the ATU Office of Academic Affairs.
The successful candidates received positive recommendations for promotion and/or tenure from Dr. Adolfo Santos, ATU executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, and Dr. Russell Jones, ATU president.
The promotion and tenure actions taken by trustees on June 19 will become effective at the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year.
Promotion to Professor:
*Dr. Molly Brant, Department of Agriculture and Tourism
*Jasmine Greer, Department of Art
*Dr. Justin Killingsworth, Department of Agriculture and Tourism
*Dr. James Stobaugh, Department of Behavioral Sciences
*Dr. Joseph Swain, Department of History and Political Science
*Dr. Jessica Young, Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Promotion to Professor and Granted Tenure:
*Kasten Searles, Department of Art
Promotion to Associate Professor and Granted Tenure:
*Dr. Chiraz Amrine, Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
*Dr. Lynnette Gilbert, Department of Art
*Dr. Kristin Jaye Henderson, Department of Nursing
*Dr. Syed Meerza, Department of Agriculture and Tourism
*Dr. William Morelan, Department of Teaching and Educational Leadership
*Frances Roberson, Department of Communication and Media Studies
*Dr. Xinli Xiao, Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Promotion to University Instructor:
*Robin Jamie Dalton, Department of Biological and Earth Sciences
*Jamie King, Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
*Tonya Mays, LeMoyne Smith School of Business
*Jennifer Willbanks, Department of Behavioral Sciences
Promotion to Associate Librarian:
*Charity Park, Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center
In other business on Thursday, June 19, the ATU Board of Trustees approved:
*five focus areas — academic delivery and relevance; institutional branding, marketing and strategic positioning; employee support, morale and retention; campus infrastructure and financial resources; and campus life, community connections and student support — that will be used to shape the next iteration of the ATU strategic plan;
*a revised admissions policy for the ATU campus in Russellville that calls for review of the new ACT composite score (composed of the English, math and reading sections only) for admission decisions and academic scholarship eligibility; addition of the Classic Learning Test as an acceptable test score option and revision of the unconditional admission criterion to include a total Classic Learning Test score of at least a 58 and to revise the conditional admission criterion to include a total Classic Learning Test score of 40 or above; and to lower the SAT minimum for unconditional admission to 990 (versus 1010) on the RSAT scale of 1600 or 1340 (versus 1330) on the former SAT exam with a scale of 2400, and for conditional admission to 830 (versus 850) on the RSAT scale of 1600 or 1110 (versus 1060) on the former SAT exam with a scale of 2400 to better align with Arkansas Division of Higher Education requirements and admission criterion at other Arkansas institutions of higher education;
*a revised admissions policy for ATU-Ozark Campus that adds the Classic Learning Test as an acceptable test score option and revises the unconditional admission criterion to include a total Classic Learning Test score of at least a 58 and to revise the conditional admission criterion to include a total Classic Learning Test score of 38 or above; and lowers the SAT minimum for unconditional admission to 990 (versus 1010) and for conditional admission to 830 (versus 850) to better align with Arkansas Division of Higher Education requirements and admission criterion at other Arkansas institutions of higher education;
*submission of methods of finance for construction and renovation projects to the State of Arkansas for review with a goal of creating cost and time efficiencies;
*a request to release a request for qualifications for selection of firms to perform on-call architectural services for ATU;
*adoption of a new official function policy for ATU;
*a transfer of up to 75 percent of the increases in Russellville campus educational and general, Ozark campus educational and general and residence life fund balances for fiscal year 2025 to reserves for future maintenance, construction or equipment purchase;
*letters of notification regarding deletion of the Master of Science degree in health informatics and the Certificate of Proficiency in diversity studies on the ATU campus in Russellville and the Certificate of Proficiency in culinary arts at Arkansas Tech Career Center;
*establishment of a new Certificate of Proficiency in transportation management designed for high school students engaged in concurrent study as a pathway to post-secondary study in logistics and supply chain management;
*curriculum changes to the Certificate of Proficiency in logistics management offered through ATU-Ozark Campus;
*updates to the ATU-Ozark Campus faculty handbook;
*parking regulations for the 2025-26 academic year on the ATU campus in Russellville;
*certification of the ATU athletic operating budget for fiscal year 2025-26 per Arkansas Division of Higher Education guidelines;
*Lewis Architects Engineers as the architectural firm that will design plans for the forthcoming Ozark Workforce Training Center remodel project;
*and a recommendation to bestow the honorary title of professor emerita of rehabilitation science upon Dr. Penny Willmering, who served as a full-time faculty member at Arkansas Tech from 1999-2021.
In personnel matters, the ATU Board of Trustees approved the following full-time appointments:
*Nathan Brennan, instructor of chemistry, for the 2025-26 academic year; Harrison Burton, assistant men’s basketball coach, effective May 5, 2025; Eli Cranor, visiting instructor of English, for the 2025-26 academic year; Dr. Bryan Dorrel, assistant professor of health and physical education, for the 2025-26 academic year; Orrin Dyson, ATU-Ozark maintenance specialist, effective May 1, 2025; Amanda Dunn, visiting instructor of biology, for the 2025-26 academic year; Charis Fox, ATU-Ozark public relations and marketing specialist, effective May 14, 2025; Cambri Hutchinson, financial aid analyst, effective April 16, 2025; Olivia Johnson, visiting instructor of marketing, for the 2025-26 academic year; Kylie LaRoe, registered nurse, effective May 12, 2025; Dr. Aditya Limaye, assistant professor of finance, for the 2025-26 academic year; Laura Marshall, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, for the 2025-26 academic year; Emma Martin, ATU-Ozark maintenance specialist, effective April 15, 2025; Dr. Adam Miller, assistant professor of music and associate director of bands, for the 2025-26 academic year; Samanta Mitchell, instructor of computer and information science, for the 2025-26 academic year; Joseph Morton, computer support specialist, effective May 1, 2025; Piper Orio-Dettling, graduate recruitment coordinator, effective May 1, 2025; April Parsons, fiscal support analyst, effective May 12, 2025; Eric Savage, ATU-Ozark associate director of computer services, effective July 1, 2025; Jayne Sewell, administrative specialist III, effective May 1, 2025; Patricia Smart, custodial services, effective May 1, 2025; Dr. Sharika Sproling, assistant professor of rehabilitation science, for the 2025-26 academic year; Tauk Sung, accountant, effective May 16, 2025; Faith Walker, instructor of business data analytics, for the 2025-26 academic year; Janet Winn, visiting instructor of mathematics, for the 2025-26 academic year; and Kade Zeiner, lands and grounds general maintenance worker, effective May 1, 2025.
Trustees approved the promotions of Bryan Fisher to vice president for advancement, effective June 1, 2025; Laura Palmer to associate dean for residence life, effective June 1, 2025; Amy Pennington to vice president for student affairs, effective May 1, 2025; and Dr. Ellen Treadway to head of the ATU Department of Teaching and Educational Leadership, effective July 1, 2025.
The board extended the contract of Dr. Russell Jones, ATU president, by one year through June 30, 2027.
Trustees accepted resignations from the following ATU employees:
*Tiffaney Adams, administrative specialist III, effective June 13, 2025; Lucero Caro, ATU-Ozark visiting workforce education faculty of practical nursing, effective May 9, 2025; Kristy Davis, associate dean for student wellness and director of the ATU Health and Wellness Center, effective June 13, 2025; Arron DeGracia, Arkansas Tech Career Center director, effective May 12, 2025; Nathan Kennedy, assistant men’s basketball coach, effective March 11, 2025; Aleshia Maxwell, workforce education faculty of licensed practical nursing, effective May 10, 2025; Kayla McIntosh, ATU-Ozark Student Support Services project/program director, effective June 18, 2025; Wendi Pool, ATU-Ozark program chair and workforce education master instructor of occupational therapy assistant, effective June 23, 2025; Dr. Susan Self, associate professor of nursing, effective May 10, 2025; Kerry Shannon, assistant dean of campus recreation, effective May 30, 2025; Deidre Steele, ATU-Ozark workforce education faculty of licensed practical nursing, effective May 10, 2025; and Clay Wyllia, associate director of admissions, effective April 18, 2025.
Two workforce education faculty positions in culinary arts at Arkansas Tech Career Center were discontinued effective June 3, 2025, due to the end of grant funding for those positions.
Trustees granted requests for retirement from:
*Melinda Rhynes, ATU-Ozark program chair and workforce education master instructor of medical assistant, effective June 27, 2025; and Bonnie Sher, ATU-Ozark program chair of health information technology, effective May 10, 2025.
