A Cumberland alumnus, Joseph Bates received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture.  While attending school, he received 1st Place in sculpture for the Artist of the 21st Century, a competition held for the entire Southeast region of America.  He was also featured in an edition of Nashville Arts magazine for his creative Neon lighting concepts.  

After Cumberland, Joseph was accepted to Arizona State University, where he obtained his Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture.  During his stay in Arizona, his proposal for Platform AZ was approved and commissioned to fabricate a 12-foot-tall steel solar powered Rubix Cube that illuminated at night.  Any free time from school went to playing and competing National for  ASU’s disc golf club.  

Rachael C. Bible earned her B.A. in anthropology from the University of Tennessee in 2006 when she graduated with honors. She earned her doctorate in anthropology from Texas A&M University in December of 2016, focusing on population dynamics of Neandertals and early modern humans during the Late Pleistocene using ecological niche modeling methods. After earning her PhD, she joined the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Kansas as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. She joined the Cumberland University faculty in 2018. Her teaching responsibilities include courses in anthropology and geography.

Dr. Bible has worked at archaeological digs around the world, including Spain, South Africa, Greece, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Her research interests include Neandertal extinction, population dynamics of the Late Pleistocene, modeling hominin ecological niches, and the influence of climate on hominin distribution.

Dr. Cyndy Stone Allen joined Cumberland University as an Assistant Professor and Program Director of The Child Growth and Learning Program in 2018. Thirty-one years of teaching children and adults has afforded her varied opportunities to shape many hearts and minds. Dr. Stone Allen has had an impressive career teaching with Murfreesboro City Schools, teaching at Motlow State Community College, and serving as Parent Educator for The Family Center. She will be teaching undergraduate and graduate classes in education.

Dr. Stone Allen knowing that education is a lifelong process continued her own education in order to be better equipped to meet the evolving educational challenges. She completed her A.S., in Elementary Education from Motlow State Community College; B.S., Elementary Education from Middle Tennessee State University; M.Ed., Administration and Supervision from Middle Tennessee State University; Ed.S., Administration and Supervision from Middle Tennessee State University; and Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee State University.

Dr. Stone Allen has a passion for teaching and believes in educating the whole person, taking into account both the emotional and academic needs. Her teaching philosophy is driven by the quote,
“What is as important as knowledge?” asked the mind.
“Caring and seeing with the heart” answered the soul.

Dr. Stone Allen most enjoys spending time with her daughter. She is active in her church and community and focuses on enjoying her many blessings.