ERIC LANDIS

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Associate Professor of Management
elandis@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1263
Labry Hall, Room 112
Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.A., University of Alabama
M.A., University of Alabama
D.M., University of Phoenix

 Dr. Landis began working at Cumberland University in the spring of 1999. Dr. Landis earned his doctoral degree in Management from the University of Phoenix.  He earned his BA and MA in Communications at University of Alabama. While at Cumberland, he served as President of the Faculty Senate and was awarded SGA Teacher of the Year in 1998 and 2017. Dr.  Landis is the Program Director of Management in the Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business. He teaches business courses in the MBA program. He also teaches undergraduate courses including Introduction to Business, Organizational Theory and Design, and Principles of Management. He is the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) for the university.  Dr. Landis has owned and operated several businesses, including a talent agency. He has managed businesses as diverse as software education, a technology college, and a restaurant.

JACQUELINE ISAACS

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Adjunct Instructor of Business
JIsaacs@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S., Oral Roberts University
M.B.A., Johns Hopkins University

Jacqueline Isaacs joined Cumberland University as an Adjunct Instructor of Marketing in Fall 2020. She is the President of Bellwether Communications, where she crafts content marketing strategies for thought leaders.

Prior to co-founding Bellwether Communications, Jacqueline gained wide-ranging experience in media relations for national brands and content marketing for nonprofits. She previously served as the Fellow in Strategic Communication with the American Studies Program in Washington, DC. She holds an M.B.A. in Marketing from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Government from Oral Roberts University.

She lives with her husband, son, and dogs in Murfreesboro, TN, where they enjoy cooking, spending time outside, and leading a community group with their church.

ROGER JACKSON

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Assistant Professor of Biology
rjackson@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1310
Memorial Hall, Room 309B
Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S. Calvin College
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Dr. Roger Jackson is the newest Biology faculty member at Cumberland joining in Fall 2021.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Calvin College (now Calvin University) in Grand Rapids, Michigan in May 2000.  He completed his Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Vanderbilt University in May 2007 (identification and characterization of novel p53 target genes), and he spent the next 4.5 years as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Urologic Surgery in the labs of Neil Bhowmick and Simon Hayward working on mouse models of prostate cancer and TGF-beta associated signaling pathways, in collaboration with the VU-Tumor Microenvironment (VU-TMEN) working group, part of the NCI Tumor Microenvironment Consortium.

Prior to coming to Cumberland, Dr. Jackson was a Lecturer at Belmont University for 8 years (Fall 2012-Spring 2020) were he taught primarily General Biology (non-majors, freshman majors) and Human Anatomy & Physiology I/II (nursing & science majors), followed by working for an academic year as an Instructor at Volunteer State Community College where he taught online classes in Human Anatomy & Physiology I (Fall 2020-May 2021).

 

IAN HAWKINS

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Adjunct Instructor of Chemistry
ihawkins@cumberland.edu
Adjunct Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S., East Carolina University
M.S., Vanderbilt University
Ph.D., Middle Tennessee State University

Dr. Hawkins is an adjunct professor who teaches both chemistry and physical science. 

He holds BS degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry, an MS degree in Molecular Biology from Vanderbilt University, and a PhD in Chemistry Education. 

Ian’s published research includes studies in theoretical computational chemistry on the effects of aromaticity, the study of RNA splicing and the SRrp86 control of splicing, the production of aurones for possible drug candidates, and the study of the use of virtual labs in a general chemistry lab. Dr. Hawkins has been teaching for 13 years at various institutions. 

 

MARY LEWIS HALEY

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W. P. Bone, III Professor of Business Administration, Professor of Accounting
mhaley@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1264
Labry Hall, Room 111
Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S., University of Tennessee, Knoxville
M.B.A., Middle Tennessee State University
D.A., Middle Tennessee State University

Dr. Haley joined the faculty at Cumberland University in the fall of 1983. She has taught most of the accounting classes offered at Cumberland, as well as the Managerial Accounting and Corporate Finance courses in the Master of Business Administration program. Her main areas of interest include financial accounting and tax. Dr. Haley has been recognized for teaching excellence by receiving the Teacher of the Year award at Cumberland in 1995 and 2017 and by most recently being recognized by the Mid-South Athletic Conference as a member of the All Conference Faculty Team for 2017-2018. Dr. Haley is also the holder of the W.P. Bone Professorship in Business Administration 

Dr. Haley holds professional memberships in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Management Accountants, the Tennessee Society of Accounting Educators, Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business, and Pi Gamma Mu, International Honor Society in Social Sciences. In addition, she is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Tennessee, a Certified Management Accountant, and is Certified in Financial Management.

Dr. Haley and her husband have one daughter who is a graduate of Cumberland University and is a teacher in the Wilson County School System.

RICHARD GRANT

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Professor of Finance and Economics
rgrant@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1346
Bone Hall, Room 201
Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.A., McMaster University
Ph.D., George Mason University

Richard J. Grant is Professor of Finance and Economics at Cumberland University, a writer and consulting economist, and a Distinguished Fellow at the Beacon Center of Tennessee. At Cumberland University he teaches Statistics, Finance, and Managerial Economics.

In academia he has taught in several countries at universities ranging in size from Hillsdale College to Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and the University of the Witwatersrand. In business, he was Chief Economist of the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, a Contributing Editor and columnist at the Financial Mail, and the Director of Research and Publications at the Free Market Foundation. He has also worked in mining and materials fabrication, has been a contributor at Forbes.com and, for four years, wrote a column that appeared each Sunday in The Tennessean. He was also an infantry officer in the Canadian Armed Forces.

His book, Nationalisation, was published in South Africa in 1994 and warned of the dangers to individuals and the country of excessive government control. His 1999 book, Real Money, explained inflation, business cycles, and monetary policy to a broad audience. He has also edited other books and has written numerous monographs and articles.

He met Nelson Mandela in the future president’s first year of freedom, as well as several of the top members of government, and the opposition, who were instrumental in bringing about the transition in South Africa.

He is a graduate of McMaster University and studied at the Center for Study of Public Choice at Virginia Tech and George Mason University, where he earned a Ph.D. in economics with fields in finance, public finance, and public choice.

Recent articles can be found at < richardjgrant.substack.com >
Archived publications at < www.richardjgrant.com >

CHRISTI GRIFFIN

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Associate Professor and Program Director for the Health Care Admin. Program
cgriffin@cumberland.edu
(615) 453-6307
Bone Hall, Room 100
Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S.B.A., University of Alabama, Huntsville
M.H.S.A., George Washington University
J.D., Creighton University

Dr. Christi Griffin is Associate Professor and Program Director for the Health Care Administration program in the Labry School of Science, Technology and Business.  Dr. Griffin teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in health care administration, business ethics, employment law, and business law.

Under Dr. Griffin’s leadership, the Health Care Administration program was admitted as a participant in the prestigious American College of Health Care Executives’ Higher Education Network.  She has also developed a network of health care industry leaders who provide experiential internships to students, as well as a distinguished guest lecturer series that brings business leaders directly into the classroom.

Dr. Griffin’s service to the University includes Faculty Senate, chair of the Academic Integrity Board, faculty for an on-site cultural field study exploration of the New Mexico Pueblos, and member of the University’s inaugural Institutional Review Board.

Dr. Griffin brings three decades of private health care company and government experience to the classroom, including executive officer, corporate general counsel and hospital management positions in Nashville, Washington, D.C. and Boston.  She has served as panelist and guest speaker to a variety of business, civic and academic organizations.  Dr. Griffin has also been selected to judge national and regional academic competitions.

Dr. Griffin holds a Juris Doctor (Law) degree from Creighton University, a Master of Health Services Administration (Health Services Financial Management) from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.  Dr. Griffin is a published author and was on the editorial staffs for the Creighton University Law Review and the District of Columbia Bar Digest.

Dr. Griffin is founder and owner of Griffin Law Office, a boutique health law practice representing health systems, physicians, and non-physician providers.  She is three-time recipient of the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Attorneys for Justice Pro Bono Service Award.  Dr. Griffin is a member of the Tennessee (active), Maryland (inactive), District of Columbia (inactive), and U.S. Supreme Court Bars.

Additionally, she is involved in a number of community and not-for-profit activities.

S. CHRISTOPHER FULLER

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Data Scientist & Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science
cfuller@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1336
Labry Hall, Room 113
Faculty
Office of Academic Affairs
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S., Auburn University
B.S., Auburn University
M.A.M., Auburn University
Ph.D., Auburn University

Dr. Fuller joined the faculty at Cumberland University in the fall of 2010. He has taught most of the math classes offered at CU, as well as programming and statistics in the Information Technology and Master of Public Service Management programs. His area of interest in mathematics is linear algebra and its applications, specifically over an indefinite inner product space, but includes other areas of applied math.

After serving as Interim Dean for a year, Dr. Fuller was named Dean of the Labry School of Science, Technology and Business in 2016.

In 2005, Dr. Fuller graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He was a University Honors Scholar and was chosen by the faculty of the two departments as the top graduate in math and in physics. In 2006, he completed a Master of Applied Mathematics for his work concerning the convergence of the iterative Jacobi method when solving a tri-diagonal system. He received his Ph.D. in May 2010 working with Frank Uhlig. As part of his dissertation, Dr. Fuller solved one of a dozen “Challenges in Matrix Theory” problems published a decade ago. None of the other challenges have yet been solved. While at Auburn, he received the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Teaching Award, the E. Haynesworth Fellowship, and several undergraduate scholarships.

Other than math, Dr. Fuller enjoys traveling and music. He participated in marching and concert bands in high school and college as well as with community groups and was selected for several honor bands including the Alabama All-State concert band playing oboe. He has taught music lessons for piano, woodwinds, and percussion and served as a church pianist and organist for over ten years.

Dr. Fuller and his wife have two sons and live in Lebanon.

LAURIE DISHMAN

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Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness, and Professor of Mathematics
ldishman@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1278
Labry Hall, Room 236
Faculty
Office of Academic Affairs
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S., Carson-Newman College
M.A., Vanderbilt University
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Laurie P. Dishman earned a Bachelor of Arts from Carson-Newman College (1993) with majors in mathematics and French and a minor in music. She earned her Master of Arts (1995) and Doctor of Philosophy (1998) in mathematics from Vanderbilt University. She began teaching at Cumberland University in August 1998. In 1999, Dr. Dishman also became the Director of the Learning Center @ Cumberland University until 2004 when it closed. From 2008 to 2013, she served as the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLAS). She has been the Program Director for mathematics since 2008. In January 2018, Dr. Dishman assumed the role of Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness.

At Cumberland, Dr. Dishman has taught many different courses, including Foundations of Scholarship and Learning for new freshmen and mathematics courses at all levels. Her favorite courses to teach are the calculus sequence and Abstract Algebra. She has served on the Faculty Senate, Institutional Effectiveness Committees, the Admissions Committee, the Financial Aid Student Appeals Committee, the Benefits Committee, the University’s curriculum committee, and many others. While Dean of the SLAS, she served on the Deans’ Council, the Executive Management Team, the 2010 SACS Leadership Team, and the 2010 SACS Compliance Audit Committee, as well as various faculty search committees. She served on the SACSCOC Fifth Year Report writing team in 2015 as well as the writing team for the SACSCOC decennial review in 2020. She has completed training to serve as a SACSCOC peer evaluator in institutional effectiveness and served on her first on-site team in the spring of 2022.

Dr. Dishman enjoys taking students to the Mathematical Association of America-Southeastern Section (MAA-SE) conference meetings each spring, where they can participate in many undergraduate activities as well as present their own work in poster sessions or undergraduate talks. She also served as the Tennessee State Director for the MAA-SE from 2014 to 2017.

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