University of Mount Olive Welcomes Seven New Faculty Members
MOUNT OLIVE- As University of Mount Olive begins a new academic year, there will be many new faces across campus, including those of seven new faculty members. Each of the faculty members listed below brings their own individual talents and skills to the institution.
School of Arts & Sciences:
Dr. Elyse Lee of Chapel Hill, North Carolina has accepted the position of assistant professor of biology. She received her Ph.D. in molecular and environmental toxicology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2005. She earned her B.A. in biochemistry from Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey in 1999. Dr. Lee has spent the last few years at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, most recently as a NIEHS postdoctoral fellow, and prior to that as a visiting lecturer and an SPIRE postdoctoral fellow. She has also taught at Winston Salem University as an adjunct faculty member. During graduate school she designed and taught various summer K-12 science enrichment programs.
Dr. April Najjaj of Durham, North Carolina has accepted the position of associate professor of history. She received her Ph.D. in history from Boston University in 2005. She obtained both her M.A. and B.A. in history from the University of Arkansas, in 1991 and 1988 respectively. Dr. Najjaj will be resigning her associate professor faculty position at Greensboro College, a position she has held since 2004, to join University of Mount Olive. She has also been an adjunct instructor for Guilford College and the University of North Carolina- Greensboro.
Dr. Alexis Davis of Mount Olive, North Carolina has accepted the position of quality enhancement plan director. This is a 12 month position where she will hold the rank of assistant professor of English. She received her graduate and undergraduate degrees from East Carolina University. She received her Ph.D. in technical and professional discourse in 2010, her M.A. in English, with a concentration in technical and professional communication in 2003 and her B.A. in English in 2001. Dr. Davis will be leaving her instructor position at East Carolina University to join University of Mount Olive.
Dr. Ralph Smith of Goldsboro, North Carolina has accepted the half-time position of assistant professor of education. He received his Ph.D. in science education from North Carolina State University in 2003. He received his M.A. in education from Duke University in 1975, and his B.S. in education from North Carolina State University in 1972. Dr. Smith also has his State of North Carolina Professional Educator’s License for curriculum instruction, science (Grades 9-12), and academically gifted (Grades K-12). He taught chemistry at Eastern Wayne High School beginning in 1983 until recently, when he moved to the central administrative offices. Prior to this he taught high school physical science, chemistry, and physics at Wayne Country Day School.
Dr. Robert Fisher of Fayetteville, North Carolina has accepted the position of assistant professor of criminal justice. He received his Ph.D. in human services, with a specialization in criminal justice from Capella University in 2008. He received his M.A. in liberal studies from Duke University in 1994, and his B.S. in criminal justice from Fayetteville State University in 1990. Dr. Fisher has a number of years in the teaching field, most recently for Strayer University. Prior to his teaching career, he was a police captain in Fayetteville and served in the State of North Carolina Courts as a drug treatment court director.
Dr. Jason Pajski of Charlottesville, Virginia has accepted the position of assistant professor of chemistry. He received his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Virginia in July 2011. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Lebanon Valley College in 2005. Dr. Pajski has a number of years of research experience while working in the laboratories at the undergraduate and graduate level. He has been a teaching assistant at the University of Virginia since 2005.
Dr. William Ford, of Woodbury, Minnesota, has accepted the position of associate professor of music beginning August 8, 2011. Ford received both his D.M.A. and M.A. in music from The University of Iowa, in 1997 and 1990 respectively. He received his B.S. in music education from the University of Minnesota in 1983. Ford is presently teaching applied saxophone, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone quartet as an adjunct as Northcentral University. During this time Ford was also the director of instrumental programs at Concord University, where he coordinated and conducted concert band, wind ensembles, jazz band and jazz combos, as well as teaching a variety music courses.
University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The College, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Goldsboro, Research Triangle Park, Washington and Jacksonville. For more information, visit www.moc.edu.
Picuted, L-R: Robert Fisher, April Najjaj, Jason Pajski, Elyse Lee, Ralph Smith, Alexis Davis, and William Ford.