Faculty School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts

TED EDINGER

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Adjunct Instructor of Art
Work Email: tedinger@cumberland.edu
Category: Adjunct Faculty
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Degrees:
B.S., Bowling Green State University
M.A.T., University of Idaho, Moscow
Bio:

Ted Edinger moved to Nashville, TN in 1997 to begin his career in Art Education. His work has gone far beyond his classroom. He has worked at the district and state level with curriculum, standards, teacher evaluation, and textbook adoption. He also was selected to represent the state of Tennessee in setting the art education cut score for the national teacher exam. Mr. Edinger has spoken at the National Art Education Association Conference in Fort Worth.

He has also been published several times in School Art Magazine (Davis Publishing). During his career he has been recognized by the Tennessee Art Education Association as the Middle Tennessee Art Educator of the Year & amp; the Elementary Art Educator of the Year. Mr. Edinger has also been recognized numerous times for his work on his art education blog, www.artwithmre.com.

Mr. Edinger lives in Lebanon, TN with his wife (also an educator) and their three children.

DANIELA DORANTES

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Administrative Assistant for Oakley School of Humanities, Education, and the Arts
Work Email: ddorantes@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-547-1331
Location: Memorial Hall, Room 210-A
Category: Staff
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Bio:

Ms. Dorantes joined the staff of Cumberland University in August 2022. She is the administrative assistant for the Oakley School. She lives in Cookeville, TN with her two children. Prior to coming to Cumberland, Daniela worked as a Family Support Specialist providing in home visitations to first time parents sharing activities to promote bonding, milestone screenings, access to community resources, and prenatal/parent support.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, shopping, and exploring new places with her children.

DAYRON DEATON-OWENS

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Adjunct Instructor of Sociology
Work Email: ddeaton@cumberland.edu
Category: Adjunct Faculty
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Degrees:
B.S., Middle Tennessee University
M.A., Middle Tennessee University
Bio:

Dayron Deaton-Owens is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Sociology at Motlow State Community College. Dayron earned her Master’s degree in Sociology with a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from Middle Tennessee State University. Dayron earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University.

Dayron has been teaching full-time at Motlow since 2011. Dayron serves as an advisor for the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society and the PTK Alumni Association at Motlow. Dayron is also the Administrator for the McMinnville Tourism Development Board with the City of McMinnville. Ms. Deaton-Owens serves as the Co-chair for Leadership Warren which is a program of the McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, where she earned the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award. Dayron is a member of the McMinnville Young Professionals organization, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Daniel, and their fur-babies and loves to travel.

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.

 

CECILIA LOCKHART

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Adjunct Instructor of Music
Work Email: clockhart@cumberland.edu
Category: Adjunct Faculty
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Degrees:
B.A., South Carolina State University
M.A., Tennessee State University
Bio:

Cecilia Lockhart a native of Augusta, Georgia, who has lived and worked in Tennessee for 15 years. She joined the Cumberland University faculty in the fall of 2021.

Mrs. Lockhart received her Bachelor’s of Music degree from South Carolina State University. In 2012, she received her Master’s of Music Education from Tennessee State University. Cecilia has been teaching in Lebanon Special School District for 10 years as a choir and band director.

She and her husband, married since 2010, now have four beautiful kids of which all reside locally in the Lebanon community.

ELI DICKINSON

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Adjunct Instructor of Psychology
Work Email: edickinson@cumberland.edu
Category: Adjunct Faculty
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Degrees:
M.S., Western Kentucky University
B.S., University of North Alabama
Bio:
Eli Dickinson is an Adjunct Instructor of Psychology. He began working for Cumberland University in the Fall of 2021, after completing his master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Western Kentucky University. Before completing his master’s degree, Eli completed his bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of North Alabama. Currently, Eli is working towards his PhD in IO Psychology at Liberty University, with the goal of completing it by May 2026.
Mr. Dickinson primarily teaches Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, but also taught Organizational Psychology in the Spring of 2023. Eli currently works full-time for TennCare, as a Statistical Research Specialist within their Long-term Services and Supports division. In this job, Eli uses his expertise in statistical analysis to help monitor and improve the quality of services provided to citizens through TennCare.

SANDY ELLIOTT

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Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choirs
Work Email: selliott@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-453-6332
Location: Mitchell Building, Fireside Room
Category: Faculty
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Degrees:
A.A., Cumberland College
B.A., Samford University
M.C.M., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
M.A.E., Cumberland University
Bio:

A Cumberland alumnus, Sandy Elliott received her Bachelor of Music from Samford University where she toured South Korea and sang in the choir that Premiered the Dave Brubeck Mass.  After Samford, Mrs. Elliott attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where she received a Master of Church Music degree with an emphasis in Vocal Pedagogy.  In 2002 she earned her Master of Arts in Education through Cumberland, and she most recently came back to Cumberland and completed the Instructional Leadership endorsement to that Master’s degree.

Prior to becoming a full-time faculty member, Mrs. Elliott served two years as an adjunct professor directing the choirs and served as Director of Choral Activities at Mt. Juliet High School for 22 years.

EUGENIA (JENNY) YELEN

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Adjunct Instructor of Psychology
Work Email: eyelen@cumberland.edu
Category: Adjunct Faculty
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Degrees:
B.A., Trevecca Nazarene University
M.A., Trevecca Nazarene University
Bio:

Ms. Yelen earned her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2019. Additionally, she has a B.A. degree from Trevecca.

Jenny is currently the Intake Coordinator for Trauma Therapy of Nashville which offers a holistic approach to mental health and trauma healing. She also serves as a member of the adjunct faculty in psychology at both Cumberland University and Trevecca Nazarene University.

Jenny is happily married to her husband of four years, and they are looking forward to welcoming their first child in the fall of 2023.

ANDREW WILEY

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Assistant Professor of History, and Editor, The Papers of Martin Van Buren
Work Email: awiley@cumberland.edu
Work Phone: 615-547-1351
Location: Vise University Library, Presidential Papers of Martin Van Buren
Category: Faculty
Department: Presidential Papers, Martin Van Buren
School: The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
Degrees:
B.A., Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis
M.A., Indiana State University
Ph.D., University of Calgary (Canada)
Bio:

Andrew Wiley started his work at Cumberland University in January 2018 when the Papers of Martin Van Buren employed him as the new associate editor. His research interests are Civil War Era politics (particularly conservatism), military history, Cold War History, and the history of Baseball. In addition to his editorial work, Dr. Wiley teaches introductory level courses on United States History, occasionally teaches upper-level history courses, and has served as a guest editor for the Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 

Prior to his work at Cumberland University, Dr. Wiley worked as an editorial assistant for the Frederick Douglass Papers in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Civil War History, an academic journal published by Kent State University Press. Dr. Wiley has presented his research at several nationally recognized academic conferences. He is presently revising his manuscript, White Man’s Liberalism, American Conservatism: Race, Economics, and the Origins of Movement Conservatism in Nineteenth-Century Indiana, and is working with a university press on future publication.

When not on campus you can find Andrew Wiley playing one of six instruments, at a baseball game, or touring the numerous historical sites in Tennessee and other surrounding states.

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