Faculty Category: Faculty

KATHRYN MCDEARMAN

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Assistant Professor of Nursing
Work Email: kmcdearman@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-453-6306
Location: McFarland Hall
Category: Faculty
School: The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
Degrees:
B.S., Tennessee Technological University
M.S.N., Vanderbilt University

MARK HANSHAW

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Associate Provost and General Counsel
Work Email: mhanshaw@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: (615) 547-1224
Location: Memorial Hall, Room 102
Category: Faculty
Department: Office of Academic Affairs
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Degrees:
B.S., University of Tennessee, Knoxville
LL.M., University of Manchester, (United Kingdom)
M.T.S., Texas Christian University (Brite Divinity School)
J.D., University of Tennessee College of Law
Ph.D., Southern Methodist University
Bio:

Mark Hanshaw is Associate Provost and General Counsel for Cumberland University. Hanshaw has a broad background in serving and supporting higher education institutions. Hanshaw possesses a background in both law and higher education administration. Previously, Dr. Hanshaw served on the Higher Education Team at the national law firm of Steptoe & Johnson.  He additionally led the network of Methodist higher education institutions located across the U.S.

Hanshaw served as the Dean of the School of Arts & Letters at Texas Wesleyan University, in Fort Worth, and has been a part of the teaching faculties of several institutions. As a part of his work within the higher education arena, Hanshaw has led in the establishment of both domestic and global collaborative academic programs and has guided efforts aimed at both program expansion and retention. While at Texas Wesleyan, he led both campus internationalization efforts and online program expansion.

Hanshaw holds a Ph.D. from Southern Methodist University, with emphasis in Comparative Ethics.  He also holds a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law and Master’s degrees from the University of Manchester, in the U.K., and Texas Christian University.  He is the author of the text From East to West: A Comparative Study of the World’s Great Religions, as well as a variety of other texts and academic articles.

He was the recipient of the Texas Wesleyan Board of Trustees Award for Scholarship, in addition to other teaching and research awards.  He is a former Rotary International Fellow, having studied at the University of Manchester, and Fulbright-Hays Scholar, having conducted research in India. He has led numerous student travel-study programs, predominantly in South Asia, and was selected to lead an international peace delegation in India, funded by the Rotary International Foundation.

Hanshaw has traveled widely, having visited or lived in more than 80 countries around the globe.   He has led study abroad programs in India, Nepal, Guatemala, Cambodia, Thailand, Turkey and Greece.  In addition to his scholarly interests, he is a runner, an amateur photographer and, most importantly, a dad to both human and K-9 “kids.” He is married and lives in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.

GINA HAFFNER

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Assistant Professor of Nursing
Work Email: ghaffner@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-257-9500
Location: McFarland Hall
Category: Faculty
School: The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
Degrees:
B.S., Middle Tennessee State University
M.S.N., Middle Tennessee State University
M.N.P., Middle Tennessee State University
D.N.P. Vanderbilt University
Bio:

Dr. Gina Haffner joined the Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing in 2022.  She spent most of her early nursing career in emergency nursing, eventually receiving her graduate degree in Nursing Education with a focus on critical care nursing.  This led to extensive time serving as an emergency department clinical nurse specialist and educator.  She is currently certified as a Certified Emergency Nurse.  After returning to receive a poster-master’s certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Haffner has worked continuously in this role providing primary care for all ages.  Prior to joining Cumberland University, she worked in a corporate leadership position in the role of nurse practitioner, leading healthcare providers in multiple states.

Entering the family practice arena, Dr. Haffner became very interested in population health, completing her doctorate in nursing practice from Vanderbilt University with a project focused on hypertension screening in the outpatient setting.  She has taught in a variety of settings, both undergraduate and graduate.  She currently teaches adjunct for Georgetown University within their graduate nursing program.

Dr. Haffner remains active in her profession.  She currently serves on the Health Policy Committee for the Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Association, the Government Affairs Committee and Continuing Education Committees for the Tennessee Nurses Association and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society.

TAMMY CARROLL

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Assistant Professor of Nursing
Work Email: tcarroll@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-453-6391
Location: McFarland Hall, Room 116B
Category: Faculty
School: The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
Degrees:
B.S.N., The University of Memphis
M.S.N., The University of Memphis
DNP, The University of Alabama Huntsville
Bio:

Dr. Carroll joined the Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing faculty in 2022.

She earned her Bachelor of Nursing Science degree (2003) and Master of Science in Nursing degree (2005) from the University of Memphis. In addition, she completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in December 2022.

Dr. Carroll has a wide range of nursing experience ranging from community health nursing to in-patient adult medical surgical nursing to advanced nurse practitioner experience to nursing education experience. Dr. Carroll is passionate about helping shape the way future nurses practice and community health nursing. Dr. Carroll is a member of the Tennessee Association of School Nurses, the National Association of School Nurses, and the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

MIGUEL CHAVEZ

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Assistant Professor of History
Work Email: mchavez@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-257-4402
Location: Labry Hall, Room 230
Category: Faculty
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Degrees:
B.A., University of North Texas
M.A., University of North Texas
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
Bio:

A native Texan, Miguel Angel Chavez joined Cumberland University as Assistant Professor of History in 2022. He received his Ph.D. in History from Vanderbilt University that same year. Before moving to Middle Tennessee, Miguel received his B.A. and M.A. in History from the University of North Texas in 2011 and 2015, respectively.  Before coming to Cumberland, Miguel served as a Teaching Assistant at Vanderbilt and as an Adjunct Instructor of History at North Central Texas College.

Miguel’s research interests focus on the intersection of the History of Science, the British Empire, and the creation and dissemination of geographic knowledge, with emphasis on the history of nineteenth-century exploration and travel writing in the Nile and Africa. Miguel has presented at numerous conferences, including the North American Conference on British Studies and the History of Science Society meetings in 2021.Miguel’s interests beyond his research focus include the history of the ancient world, the history of nationalism, modern European history, the history of Africa and South Asia, and transnational histories.

As both an instructor and person of color, Miguel is eager to help students from underrepresented backgrounds succeed in college. Outside his academic work, Miguel enjoys listening to music in Nashville, reading science fiction novels, and watching movies with his friends.

 

NATASHA MCMANN

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Instructor of Physics and Physical Science
Work Email: nmcmann@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-453-6448
Location: Memorial Hall, Room 310-A
Category: Faculty
School: The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
Degrees:
A.A.S., New River Community and Technical College
B.A., Bluefield State College
B.S., West Virginia University
M.A., Fisk University
Bio:

Ms. Ms. Natasha McMann received A.A.S. from New River Community and Technical College in West Virginia in 2007. She then went on to obtain a B.A. Social Science from Bluefield State College in Bluefield, West Virginia in 2008. Then, she started a job as a tour guide at the Green Bank Observatory in Green Bank, WV and fell in love with astronomy. Ms. McMann then attended West Virginia University where she earned a B.S. in physics in 2016. She then got into the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-PhD Bridge Program in Nashville. She earned her M.A. in Physics from Fisk University in 2018.

At Cumberland Ms. McMann teaches physics, physical science, and astronomy.

TANYA KING-PAIGE

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Assistant Professor of Nursing
Work Email: tking-paige@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-257-9502
Location: McFarland Hall, Room 1149
Category: Faculty
School: The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
Degrees:
B.S.N., Cumberland University
M.S.N., Southern New Hampshire University
D.N.P., Chamberlain University
Bio:

Dr. Tanya King-Paige began at Cumberland in the Fall of 2022. She teaches Foundations/Health Assessment of Nursing in the LPN/BSN program and Leadership in the Traditional BSN program. Dr. King-Paige has had a career that has spanned over 40 years. She has done all types of critical care nursing and Peds/Adult Cardiac Cath lab at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital for almost 15 years. Dr. King-Paige had opened a Centralized Telemetry Monitoring Unit at Saint Thomas Hospital West.

After completing my DNP in 2021, Dr. King-Paige always dreamed of becoming a nursing instructor. She is happy to be here and see her students flourish and soar like eagles when they complete the program.  She is a member of the International Nursing Honor Society, Sigma Theta Tau, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee Black Nurses Association, and the Tennessee Nurses Association. She is originally from New York and moved to Tennessee 19 years ago.

Dr. King-Paige is married and has three grown children: Brandon, Brittany, and Breana. One of them is also a nurse and has two grandchildren. She enjoys traveling, cooking and bowling.

DIXIE RURY

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Director of Career Services & Internships
Work Email: drury@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-547-1308
Location: Learning and Career Commons, Room 225
Category: Faculty
Department: Academic Success Center
Degrees:
B.S., Middle Tennessee State University
M.A. Ed., Austin Peay State University
Bio:

Mrs. Rury joined our faculty in 2022 as the Director of Career Services & Internships. 

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from Austin Peay State University. Mrs. Rury teaches Foundations of Scholarship and Learning (FSL) and fulfills the duties of assisting students in career advice, resume and cover letter review, research for internships.

Mrs. Rury grew up in Lebanon where she and her husband, Ron, currently live. Ron is a paramedic and works on the medical staff at a plasma center in Nashville. They have a grown son, Marshall, who is a member of the Iron Workers Local Union 492. Mrs. Rury taught 20 years in Wilson County Schools and is an active member of Lebanon First United Methodist Church where she sings in the choir. 

MEGAN LANNOM

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Instructor of Nursing
Work Email: mlannom@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-257-4403
Location: McFarland Hall, Room 1127
Category: Faculty
School: The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
Degrees:
B.S.N., Saint Louis University
M.S.N., Saint Louis University
Bio:

Megan Lannom became a faculty member at Cumberland University in the Fall of 2022. She is in the Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions as the faculty who teaches women’s health and newborn care.

Prior to arriving at Cumberland University, Mrs. Lannom was in nursing practice for over 20 years. She held positions in labor and delivery, postpartum, nursery, neonatal intensive care and as educator of maternity and pediatrics.

She also has practiced nursing with high-risk obstetrical patients and gynecology patients. She holds an unencumbered RN license and a certification for electronic fetal monitoring. Mrs. Lannom has earned a master’s degree as a clinical nurse specialist with a focus in perinatal nursing and is working towards her Doctor of Nursing practice with a focus on education. Mrs. Lannom has a love for the nursing profession, simulation, and education.

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