Three Departments See Leadership Changes

The course of future leadership for three academic departments at Arkansas Tech University was determined during the Board of Trustees meeting at the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center on Thursday.  First, the board accepted the retirement of Ed Leachman, interim head of the Arkansas Tech Department of Emergency Management, effective Dec. 31. Leachman is an assistant professor of emergency administration and management at Arkansas Tech. A 1960 and 1963 graduate of Louisiana Tech University, Leachman has served at Arkansas Tech since 2004.  Second, Dr. Cathi McMahan was installed as the head of the Arkansas Tech Department of Parks, Recreation and Hospitality Administration effective July 1. McMahan was that department’s interim head during the 2010-11 academic year. A member of the Arkansas Tech faculty since 1993, she was promoted to assistant professor of recreation and park administration in 2001. She was promoted to associate professor and granted tenure in 2008. McMahan is an Arkansas Tech alumna. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation administration from Tech in 1985. McMahan added a Master of Science degree in recreation from Northwestern State University (La.) in 1986 and a Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas in 2007. The third action regarding departmental leadership taken by the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees on Thursday was in regard to the Department of Speech, Theatre and Journalism. Dr. Hanna Norton led that department during the 2010-11 academic year, but she was promoted on Feb. 25 to assistant vice president in the Arkansas Tech Office of Academic Affairs. Norton will coordinate expanded distance learning initiatives at the university.  Anthony Caton, assistant professor of journalism and director of broadcasting at Arkansas Tech, was appointed on Thursday to serve as interim head of the Department of Speech, Theatre and Journalism effective July 1. Caton has taught journalism classes at Arkansas Tech since 2002. He was named assistant professor of journalism and assigned the responsibilities of overseeing the campus radio station (KXRJ 91.9 FM) and the campus television station (Tech TV) in 2004. Caton has previous teaching experience as an adjunct instructor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the University of the Ozarks, Northwest Arkansas Community College and the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. His professional experience includes on-camera work at KFSM-TV, KPOM-TV (now KNWA-TV) and KHBS-TV in Fort Smith. Caton served as general manager for KOLX-FM as well as operations manager and news director at KWHN-AM and KMAG-FM in Fort Smith.

]]>