Hillsdale College Welcomes 21 New Faculty, Eight New Endowed Chairs
Academics from across the country join Hillsdale College faculty for the 2021-22 academic year
Hillsdale, Mich. — Hillsdale College welcomes 21 new faculty members and eight new endowed chairs for the 2021-22 school year. Twenty new faculty will join the Hillsdale, Michigan, campus, with one joining Hillsdale College in D.C.
“We welcome these new scholars and wish them all the best as we begin another academic year,” said Christopher VanOrman, Hillsdale College provost.
The College welcomes:
Thea Autry, assistant professor of English
Shadi Bedoor, visiting assistant professor of physics
Victor Carreño, associate professor of Spanish
Brent Cline, associate professor of English
Blake Faulkner, director of debate and visiting assistant professor of rhetoric
Jason Gehrke, assistant professor of history
Edward Gutiérrez, assistant professor of history
Daniel Kuehler, artist/teacher of music
Mark McClay, assistant professor of classics
Wilfred McClay, professor of history
Timothy McDonnell, director of sacred music and associate conductor of choirs
Mark Moyar, associate professor of history
Anna Navrotskaya, assistant professor of French
Muslema Pervin, visiting assistant professor of physics
Jason Peters, associate professor of English
Paul Rezkalla, postdoctoral research fellow in philosophy
John Seiffertt, associate professor of computer science (Math Dept.)
Brian Shaw, artist/teacher of art
Patrick Timmis, visiting assistant professor of English
James Webb, associate professor of accounting
Jared White, assistant professor of Spanish
Dr. Thea Autry earned her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 2020 and her BA from University of St. Thomas, Houston, in 2014. Her research and teaching focus on U.S. literature and visual arts of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries, and she was the Founders Medalist for the Vanderbilt Graduate School.
Dr. Shadi Bedoor received his Ph.D. and M.A. in nuclear physics from Western Michigan University (2014 and 2011) and his M.S. from Mutah University, AlKarak, Jordan (2003). Among other research and teaching positions, Bedoor has been a research scientist at University of Connecticut and a post-doctoral research associate at Texas A&M.
Dr. Victor Carreño earned his Ph.D. and M.A. from Columbia University (2004 and 1999). Since 2018, he has worked as a Spanish lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at the University of Oklahoma. He is married to Maria Navarro.
Dr. Brent Cline earned his Ph.D. from Western Michigan University in 2010 and M.A. from Idaho State University in 2004. Cline is a playwright and poet and was previously an associate professor of English at Spring Arbor University.
Dr. Blake Faulkner received his Ph.D. from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 2021 and his M.A. from Cincinnati Christian University in 2015. He graduated from Hillsdale College in 2012. He is married to Liz Faulkner.
Dr. Jason Gehrke earned his Ph.D. from Marquette University in 2018 and has a M.A. from Concordia Theological Seminary (2010). He is a historian of Christianity focusing on religion and political thought in Late Antiquity. Gehrke graduated from Hillsdale College in 2007 and is married to Erika Gehrke.
Dr. Edward Gutiérrez earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 2008 and has master of arts degrees from Boston College (2020) and Trinity College (2004). He has contributed to two media projects focusing on WWI and is the author of “Doughboys on the Great War: How American Soldiers Viewed Their Military Experience.”
Dr. Daniel Kuehler received his Ph.D. from the Eastman School of Music in 2020 and his M.M. from Catholic University of America in 2017. Kuehler is a St. Louis native, is a pianist, educator, composer, and liturgical musician.
Dr. Mark McClay earned his Ph.D. and M.A. from University of California, Berkeley (2018 and 2003). He graduated from St. John’s College in 2009. McClay’s first book is under contract at Cambridge University Press and explores the private Dionysiac mysteries of classical Greece and their interactions with poetic tradition and performance culture.
Dr. Wilfred McClay earned his Ph.D. and M.A. from John’s Hopkins University (1987 and 1982). He comes to Hillsdale College from University of Oklahoma, where he was the G.T. & Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty and director of the Center for the History of Liberty. McClay is the author of “Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story” (2019) among many other books.
Dr. Timothy McDonnell received his DMA from University of South Carolina in 2002 and M.M. from Yale University in 1999. He worked previously as associate professor, head of sacred music, and director of choral studies at the Catholic University of America. McDonnell’s work is internationally known. He is married to Mari McDonnell.
Dr. Mark Moyar holds a Ph.D. from University of Cambridge and a B.A. summa cum laude from Harvard University. He has worked for many years in national security, international development, foreign aid, and capacity building. Moyar was the director of the Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation at USAID from 2018 to 2019. He will work at the College’s Kirby Center in Washington, D.C., for one year and move to the Hillsdale, MI, campus in 2022.
Dr. Anna Navrotskaya earned her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 2017 and M.Phil. from University of Cambridge in 2003. She graduated from Kent State University in 2001.
Dr. Jason Peters holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Michigan State University (1994 and 1989). He graduated from Calvin College in 1986. He is married to Kristin Peters.
Dr. Muslema Pervin earned her Ph.D. in nuclear physics from Florida State University in 2005 and MS from University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 1997. She is a computational research scientist.
Dr. Paul Rezkalla earned his Ph.D. from Florida State University in 2021, MSc from University of Oxford in 2019, and M.A. from St. John’s University in 2015.
Dr. John Seiffertt received his Ph.D. from Missouri University of Science & Technology in 2009, M.A. from University of Missouri, St. Louis, in 2003, and M.S. from University of Missouri in 1999. Seiffertt studies artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and game theory. He is married to Sophi Seiffertt.
Mr. Brian Shaw earned his M.FA. from Goddard College, Vermont, in 2005. He graduated with a BA from Spring Arbor College in 1990 and is married to Lisa Shaw.
Dr. Patrick Timmis earned his Ph.D. from Duke University in 2021 and M.A. from University of Virginia in 2014. His research explores Reformation-era London. He graduated from Hillsdale College in 2013 and is married to Catherine Timmis.
Dr. James Webb holds a Ph.D. from University of Michigan, an M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a M.A. from University of Texas. He was previously the executive director of the Center for Financial Reporting and Management at University of California, Berkely, where he was also a visiting professor.
Hillsdale College also recognizes eight new endowed chairs this year, including:
- Adam Carrington, William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the U.S. Constitution
- Joseph Garnjobst, Edward Reid Chair in Classics
- Peter Jennings, Brouwer D. & Jane E. McIntyre Chair in Business Administration
- Dwight Lindley, Barbara Longway Briggs Chair in English Literature
- Christopher Martin, George W. “Pete” Davidson III Chair in Economics
- Wilfred McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization
- Mark Moyar, William P. Harris Chair in Military History
- Jordan Wales, John and Helen Kuczmarski Chair in Theology
Find photos here.