BRUNO PADOVANI

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Adjunct Instructor of Business
bpadovani@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S., United States Naval Academy
M.S., Stevens Institute of Technology

Bruno Padovani is a manufacturing and engineering professional, and is currently the President of ANCONATEK, Inc., a manufacturing productivity consultancy. Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised mostly in New Jersey, he has a diverse industry background, primarily in food processing, having held jobs in engineering, maintenance, R&D and manufacturing management. In his younger years, Bruno Padovani was an active duty naval officer who served on a nuclear powered cruiser and on an amphibious assault ship, and then transitioned to the Naval Reserve where he eventually retired as a commander in 1996. In his civilian life he worked at Kraft, the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and at the Ferrara Candy Company, eventually transitioning into private consulting work in 2017. Bruno Padovani received an engineering BS from the US Naval Academy, a Technology Management MS from the Stevens Institute of Technology, a Six Sigma Black Belt from Villanova University, and a professional engineering license from the State of New Jersey.

Bruno lives with June, his wife of 35 years, in Mount Juliet. They have one child, Philip, who lives with his wife Susan, also in Mt. Juliet. Bruno is active with the Middle Tennessee Boy Scout Council helping them develop a STEM focused scouting program, and is involved with his local American Legion chapter, most recently running their HS Oratorical scholarship program.

LAUREN VOGEL

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Adjunct Instructor of Nursing
lvogel@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
B.S.N., University of Tennessee at Knoxville
D.N.P., University of Alabama at Birmingham

Lauren Vogel is an adjunct instructor within the School of Nursing in the women’s health and newborn course. Lauren is a women’s health nurse practitioner who graduated from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a native Nashvillian. Lauren earned her undergraduate nursing degree from The University of Tennessee and began her nursing career in the neonatal intensive care unit. She worked as a bedside nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit for seven years. She currently works as a nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health and urogynecology. During her free time, Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband and two year old son, cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers, reading, and traveling.

TYLER MCNEW

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Adjunct Instructor of English
tmcnew@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
B.A., Tennessee Technological University
M.A., Tennessee Technological University
Tyler McNew is an educator with a passion for fostering student growth in writing and communication. He holds both a B.A. in English Literature and Professional Communications (with a minor in Speech Communications) and an M.A. in English Literature from Tennessee Technological University, earned in 2016 and 2018.
Since completing his studies, Mr. McNew has dedicated himself to academia, teaching a diverse range of courses including Freshman English Composition I and II, as well as English Skills classes at both Tennessee Technological University and Volunteer State Community College. His teaching philosophy centers on nurturing each student’s writing abilities, preparing them for academic success and future professional endeavors. He believes in student autonomy when it comes to writing topics.
Outside the classroom, Mr. McNew is an active member of his community, serving on the board of trustees at his local church and contributing his musical talents to the celebration band there. An avid enthusiast of Dungeons and Dragons, he relishes both playing and orchestrating campaigns as Dungeon Master. His other interests include poetry writing, hiking, and indulging in the meditative art of crochet on inclement weather days.
Mr. McNew resides in Cookeville TN with his partner and their cat, Smokie.

MICHAEL VAUGHN

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Adjunct Instructor of Physical Education and Athletic Coaching
mrvaughn@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
B.S., Middle Tennessee State University
M.S., Middle Tennessee State University

I am a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, B.S. 1984 and M.A. 1995. I began my teaching career in Manatee County, Florida in 1984 where I taught elementary Physical Education and coached Volleyball and Baseball at the high school level. I have been teaching at Black Fox Elementary School for the past 34 years.

JULIE MARTIN

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Adjunct Instructor of Math
jmartin@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S., Free Will Baptist Bible College
M.Ed., Vanderbilt University, Peabody College

Julie Martin  is a native Nashvillian who has spent the last 35 years serving students and parents as an educator and administrator.  She has a husband and 2 grown children. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Welch College and her Master’s from Vanderbilt University. She taught math at Hunters Lane High School, Stratford High School and Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School from 1988 to 2003, before going to the MNPS Central Office (Support Hub) to serve as the District K-12 Mathematics Director, the Exceptional Education Math Coordinator, then as the STEM Coordinator.  She served 3 years in Williamson County Schools, first as the District K-5 Math and Science Specialist, then as an assistant principal at Lipscomb Elementary school. She returned to MNPS in 2014 as a consulting teacher for Head Middle Magnet, then for Nashville School of the Arts.  She then spent 6 years as the Curriculum and Instruction Principal for Glencliff High School. Along the way she served on 2 State Math Standards Revision Committees, edited middle and high school math curricula for the SpringBoard division of the College Board and various textbook companies, and created content for the TDOE’s rollout of Common Core Standards support materials.  She also served as a national trainer for the College Board and as a PD facilitator for the TDOE, MNPS, WCS, The Learning Curve, and various math resource companies.  She retired in 2022, but continued to work as the Curriculum and Instruction Principal at GHS on a 120 day contract, then as numeracy coach at Hume-Fogg on another 120 day contract last year. Some of her favorite things to do are spend time with her 4 grandchildren, sing, play the piano, hike, watch movies, camp, and kayak.  She loves people and is an extrovert.  She is passionate about education, math education in particular, and doing everything she can to ensure that every student feels comfortable, competent and confident in their math abilities.  She believes that every person is a “math person” and it’s her job to help them realize and tap into that.  She is excited to be joining the math faculty at Cumberland as an adjunct instructor.

EMILY MURRAY

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Adjunct Instructor of English
emurray@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
B.A., University of Tennessee
M.A., Middle Tennessee State University
Ph.D., University of South Carolina

Emily Murray began teaching at Cumberland University in the Fall of 2024. She currently teaches Freshman Composition courses in the Dual Enrollment program. Dr. Murray specializes in early modern drama and British Literature.  In addition to Cumberland, she is also an associate professor at Tennessee State University where she teaches Composition, World Literature, and Shakespeare.

Dr. Murray resides in Old Hickory with her two dogs, Maple and Gertrude.

TAYLOR JOHNSON

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Adjunct Instructor of English
tjohnson@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
B.A., Cumberland University
M.A., University of South Florida
Taylor Johnson holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Cumberland University and a Master’s degree in Rhetoric, Composition, & Technical Communication from the University of South Florida. Passionate about the intersection of language, technology, and communication, Taylor‘s academic journey has equipped them with a strong foundation in writing, rhetoric, and technical communication. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to their role, aiming to inspire and empower through effective communication strategies.

STACEY SPARKMAN

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Adjunct Instructor of Psychology
ssparkman@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
B.S., Bowling Green State University
M.S., Lipscomb University

Stacey Sparkman (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over five years of experience owning and operating a Nashville-based private practice. Stacey utilizes evidence-based therapeutic interventions, effective communication, and client-centered approaches to provide the highest quality care. Stacey is dedicated to continuous professional development, and is passionate about teaching the next generation of mental health practitioners.

JEAN EDWARDS

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Adjunct Instructor of Engineering Management
jedwards@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.A., Emporia State University
B.S., Emporia State University
B.S., University of Miami
A.L.M., Harvard University
J.D., University of Miami

Jean Edwards joined the faculty of Cumberland University in summer 2024 as an Adjunct Professor teaching intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyright) and business law. Jean is a patent attorney of almost 30 years experience, and is Managing Member of an intellectual property (IP) boutique law firm based in Gallatin, TN. Jean graduated from University of Miami Law School (Honors), and initially settled in the Washington D.C. area where she practiced IP law, starting out at law firms Sughrue Mion, Pepper Hamilton and Sonnenschein (now Dentons), before heading up IP departments at major law firms including Dickinson Wright and Akerman Senterfitt.

Jean has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from University of Miami, FL, and a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in French (Honors) from Emporia State University, KS. After graduating from university, Jean was a mechanical engineer and Project Manager with Cordis Corporation (now part of Johnson and Johnson), Miami, FL, and then a Manufacturing Manager for Elexis Corporation, Miami, FL, a consumer electronics company. Jean joined the U.S. federal government for a number of years in the intelligence field, before starting her career as a patent attorney. Jean completed her Master’s (Dean’s List) from Harvard University (Ext.) in the History of Science Technology and Medicine, and recently completed a Certificate in International Security from Harvard. Jean is licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and is a member of the TN, VA, DC, MD, and FL Bars.