New professors bolster Grove City College faculty ranks

Grove City College is welcoming eight new faculty members this fall to augment instruction in academic departments as diverse as Spanish, Biology, Education, and Mechanical Engineering.

The new faculty members are:

W. Matthew Henderson, Associate Professor of Sociology – Henderson’s specialization is the sociology of religion. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Baylor University and earned both a B.S. and M.A. from the University of Houston. Before joining the College, Henderson was an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Family Studies at Union University in Jackson, Tenn.

Rachel K. Kohler, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering – Kohler, who specializes in bone mechanics and biomedical imaging, will teach general and biomedical engineering courses. Kohler completed M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical engineering at Purdue University and earned her B.S. in mechanical engineering from Liberty University.

Karen P. Luong, Assistant Professor of Biology – Luong will teach general biology and environmental science and develop a plant science curriculum. Her specializations are plant pathology, plant disease epidemiology, and microbial population genetics. She earned a Ph.D. in plant pathology at Penn State University, a B.S. in plant sciences from Cornell University, and holds an A.A.S. in horticulture from Finger Lakes Community College.

Ian P. MacFawn, Assistant Professor of Biology – MacFawn will teach multiple courses, including General Biology, and a newly developed upper-level course in Biomedical Science. He specializes in cancer cell biology, immunology, and biomedical research methods. He received his B.S. from the College of William & Mary and completed his Ph.D. in cancer cell biology from West Virginia University. He recently completed a postdoc fellowship with the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Immunology.

J. Louise McCray, Senior Lecturer in English and Writing – McCray will teach literature and writing and serve as Assistant Director of the Writing Center. She studied literature in the United Kingdom at the Universities of Exeter, Cambridge, and Edinburgh, where she earned her Ph.D. and published her thesis as “Godwin and the Book: Imagining Media, 1783 to 1836.”

Elizabeth “Liz” J. Rupnik, Visiting Assistant Professor of Education – Rupnik will teach courses related to elementary and early childhood education. Her specialization is elementary and early childhood education. She completed a Ph.D. in early childhood at Concordia University Chicago and earned a B.A. in elementary and early childhood education from Slippery Rock University. She has been an Early Education Center teacher at Grove City College for the past 12 years.

Nate G. Scholten, Assistant Professor of Education – Scholten specializes in secondary teacher preparation as well as social studies and civics education. He completed graduate work at Baylor University, earning a M.S. in education and Ph.D. in curriculum and teaching, and has a B.A. in secondary social studies education from Spring Arbor University.

Gustavo Velázquez Lazcano, Assistant Professor of Spanish – Velázquez specializes in Mexican and Chicano/a children’s and young adult literature. He completed a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Florida, an M.A. in Spanish at Ohio University, and a B.A. in Literary Studies with a concentration in creative writing at Mexico’s Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro.

In addition to the new hires, three professors who started teaching last spring will begin their first full year this fall in Grove City College classrooms. They are:

Charles E. Cotherman ’06, Assistant Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies – Cotherman, who also serves as the Executive Director of the Center on Rural Ministry, earned a M.Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in religious studies from the University of Virginia. Cotherman serves as pastor of Oil City Vineyard Church.

Alden C. McCray, Assistant Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies – McCray teaches systematic theology and specializes in constructive and historical theology, with expertise in the doctrine of God. McCray completed a Ph.D. at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, where he undergraduate and master's degrees. Before coming to Grove City, McCray taught at a seminary in London.

Ryan E. Miller ’99, Assistant Professor of Business Analytics – Miller, who previously served as an adjunct professor, will teach courses such as Statistical Methods I, Data Visualization, and Quality Management in the Department of Management & Marketing. He completed a Ph.D. in business with a focus on supply chain management from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He earned his MBA from Robert Morris University and holds a B.S. in Marketing Management and Economics from Grove City College.

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