Miami University's board of trustees approved the promotion and/or tenure of 39 faculty members and six librarians at its Feb. 28 meeting. The actions take effect July 1.

“It is a privilege to recognize these outstanding educators and scholars for their achievements and commitment to their disciplines,” said Elizabeth Mullenix, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs. “Their contributions in the classrooms, labs, and cross-disciplinary learning spaces are helping to develop the next generation of thought leaders and elevating Miami’s teacher-scholar model. I’m honored to work alongside them to advance our mission of student success.”

The faculty granted tenure and promotions are: 

For promotion to full professor

Elena Jackson Albarrán, History, Global and Intercultural Studies; Katherine Batchelor, Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry; Dawn Blitz, Biology; William Brink, Accountancy; Joomi Chung, Art; Caleb Eckhardt, Mathematics; Mack Hagood, Media, Journalism, and Film; Elisabeth Hodges; French, Italian, and Classical Studies; Tracey Hoffman, Education and Society; Paul James, Biology; Kelly Knollman-Porter, Speech Pathology and Audiology; Jeff Kuznekoff, Interdisciplinary and Communication Studies; Hongmei Li, Media, Journalism, and Film; Xi Liu, Finance; Joel Malin, Educational Leadership; Pascal Massie, Philosophy; Beth Miller, Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health; Rosemary Pennington, Media, Journalism, and Film; Brody Ruihley, Sport Leadership and Management; Lindsay Schakenbach Regele, History; Kyle Timmerman, Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health; Dave Woods, Computer and Information Technology.

For tenure and promotion to associate professor

Sara Arter, Nursing; Mithun Bhowmick, Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Jason Boock, Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering; Allison Farrell, Psychology; Elizabeth Hutton, English; Jeffrey Kruth, Architecture and Interior Design; Imran Mirza, Physics; Ally (Laila) Murphy, Education and Society; Tricia Neu, Nursing; Paul Reidy, Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health; Sujay Sabnis, Educational Psychology; Matthew Schwieterman, Management; Zhe (Jay) Shan, Information Systems and Analytics; Jinjuan She, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; Sydney Shu, Accountancy; Anne Whitesell, Political Science; Yibo (James) Zhang, Accountancy.

For promotion to associate librarian and continuing contract

Kristen Adams, Advise and Instruction Department; Laura Birkenhauer, Learning and Engagement; Cara Calabrese, Access and Borrow; Sarah Nagle, Create and Innovate; Meng Qu, Web Services/Web Design; Jaclyn Spraetz, Learning and Engagement.

For promotion to full professor:

Elena Jackson Albarrán, associate professor of History and Global and Intercultural Studies, earned her Ph.D. in History at the University of Arizona. She is a scholar of childhood and modern Latin American history, with a speciality in twentieth-century Mexico. Her work as one of the co-founders of the Network of Historians of Latin American Childhoods has contributed to the growth of this field, bridging scholarship from the Global North and the Global South. Her research examines the historical role of children in relationship to structures of power: the nation-State, the family, transnational empires, and the media. Her most recent book, "Good Neighbor Empires: Children and Cultural Capital in the Americas," places children in the context of American hemispheric diplomacy and development projects.

Katherine Batchelor is associate professor of Teaching, Curriuculm, and Educational Inquiry, and the John Heckert Endowed Professor of English Education. She was recently awarded Outstanding English Language Arts Educator from the Ohio Council for Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA). Her research includes critical literacies, multiliteracies, and adolescents' literacy practices with an emphasis on young adult literature and writing. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and member of the National Writing Project.

Dawn Blitz, associate professor of Biology, earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School. She is a neuroscientist using electrophysiological, anatomical, and hybrid biological-computational network approaches in crustacean rhythmic neural circuits. Her research examines cellular-level actions by which neuromodulatory inputs select distinct circuit outputs, to enable organisms to adapt to their changing physiological state and external environment. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NINDS), and provides research and conference experience for graduate and undergraduate students. She teaches a range of physiology and neuroscience courses and has organized conferences at the local, regional, and national levels. 

William Brink, associate professor of Accountancy, joined the faculty of Miami University in the spring semester of 2014 from the Carolinas. His primary teaching interests are in taxation and financial accounting and his primary research interest examines the judgments and decision making of both taxpayers and tax professionals. Outside of work, Dr. Brink enjoys spending time with his family and friends and participating in any sporting activity (current addiction is beach volleyball). In addition, he is a huge Pittsburgh sports fan rooting for the Steelers, Buccos, and Pens.

Joomi Chung is associate professor of Art. Her research explores multifaceted and transformative state of memory through experimental animation, mixed media drawing, installation, and painting. Her works have been exhibited at national and international venues including Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery, Aronoff Center for the Arts, Cincinnati; Urban Arts Space, Ohio State University, Columbus; Urban Institute of Contemporary Art, Grand Rapids; Colorado State University, Fort Collins; and Seoul Art Center at Hangaram Museum, SOMA Drawing Center, and CICA Museum in South Korea.

Caleb Eckhardt, associate professor of Mathematics, received his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009 and held postdoctoral appointments at Université de Franche-Comté and Purdue University before joining the Mathematics department at Miami in 2012. His research area is operator algebras and group representations, and he has published several research articles while at Miami including articles in Advances in Mathematics, Journal of Functional Analysis and Crelle's Journal.  His research has been supported by the NSF, Simons Foundation and the AMS. He has taught a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses at Miami and advised several graduate final projects. He received a Barney Fellowship in 2021 to design the undergraduate/graduate course, applied linear algebra, which is now a regular course offering.

Mack Hagood, associate professor of Media, Journalism, and Film, holds a Ph.D. in Communication & Culture from Indiana University. His research focuses on sound and digital media. He is the author of "Hush: Media and Sonic Self-Control” (Duke University Press, 2019). His book in progress, “The End of Listening: What We Lose When We Cancel Noise,” is under contract with Penguin Press. Hagood received the 2024 National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar grant and was a finalist for the 2025 New America Foundation Fellowship. He hosts “Phantom Power,” a long-running podcast about sound, and has written for The Atlantic and The Washington Post. His work has been covered in venues such as The New Yorker and Freakonomics Radio. 

Elisabeth Hodges. associate professor of French, Italian, and Classical Studies, earned her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard University. Her research areas include early modern French literature and Contemporary French and Francophone cinema. She is the author of “Urban Poetics in the French Renaissance” and numerous articles on the intersections between space, meaning, and representation in literature and film. She is currently completing a book manuscript, “Drift. On Cinema and Indirection,” which investigates the concept of drift as an aesthetic and a condition of contemporary media in transnational cinema.

Tracey Hoffman, associate professor of Education and Society, earned her Ed.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 2001 in early childhood special education. She has a M.Ed. from the University of Cincinnati, and her B.S. is from Bowling Green State University in special education. Her research interests include characteristics of quality childcare programs (including children with behavior problems), and nontraditional students in teacher education programs. In addition, Dr. Hoffman is also interested in the collaboration between early childhood teachers and education professionals.

Pauil James, associate professor of Biology, earned his Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Boston University School of Medicine and did his postdoctoral work at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He is a molecular physiologist who uses a synthesis of molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, and physiology to understand the specific functional roles of individual protein isoforms that transport ions across biological membranes. Specifically, he is interested in using rats and mice (knockout and transgenic) as models to define the roles that isoforms of the Na,K-ATPase and the sodium hydrogen exchanger (NHE) play in male reproductive physiology and to identify potential targets for male contraceptive drugs.

Kelly Knollman-Porter, associate professor of Speech Pathology and Audiology, earned her Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Cincinnati. She is the director of the Neurogenic Language and Cognition Lab, where her clinical research centers on the development and effectiveness of technological interventions to enhance reading comprehension in adults with acquired brain injuries. Dr. Knollman-Porter’s research also investigates subtle reading processing differences in adults with aphasia, utilizing eye-tracking technology to examine these variations. Additionally, she currently oversees Miami University’s Aphasia Support Group and Concussion Management Programs.

Jeff Kuzenkoff, associate professor of Communication, is the interim chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary and Communication Studies. He earned his Ph.D. from Ohio University in 2012. His research interests focus on how people use new communication technologies to interact with others and the ways that communication is altered by these new technologies. His published work has examined digital distractions in the college classroom and communication occuring in multiplayer gaming.

 Hongmei Li, associate professor of Media, Journalism, and Film, received her Ph.D. in Communication from the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California. She had worked as a George Gerbern Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and an assistant professor at the Department of Communication at Georgia State University before joining Miami as an associate professor in 2015. She has published widely in areas of advertising and consumer culture, digital technologies, public diplomacy and soft power, Chinese media, and Asian American cultures. She is now working together with Alia Levar Wegner (Miami's Digital Collections Librarian) on a project, funded by National Historical Publications & Records Commission, to digitize the Asian American histories in Ohio, as well as co-editing a book with Dr. Min Jiang (University of North Carolina, Charlotte) on the U.S.-China relations, focusing on hard power, soft power, smart power, and sharp power.

Xi Liu is the Ohio Casualty Professor and associate professor of Finance. He received his Ph.D. in Finance and M.A. in Statistics from the University of South Florida and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Beihang University in Beijing. His research primarily focuses on sell-side analysts and investments. He has published 10 articles in Financial Times Top 50 journals. Xi currently serves as the chair of the FSB Faculty Research Committee and the principal contact for the CFA University Affiliation Program at Miami University. He also teaches the Student Managed Investment Fund classes. 

Joel Malin is associate professor of Educational Leadership. His research focuses on knowledge mobilization, research-policy connections, and the politics of education. His work, currently being funded by the NSF and Wallace Foundation, examines and seeks to improve evidence use in education. He is a Faculty Fellow at Indiana University’s CEEP, secretary of AERA’s Research Use SIG, and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Education Policy and the International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership.

Pascal Massie, associate professor of Philosophy, was educated in France (Ecole Normale Supérieure, Agrégation) and completed his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University. His work examines Ancient and Medieval philosophy as well as contemporary continental philosophy. Massie focusses on metaphysics; more specifically on three related issues: the intersection of time and being, a temporal interpretation of modalities, and the ontological status of the future. His work argues that in its proper ontological import, the question of possibility concerns the limit between being and non-being and that this limit must be thought of in terms of temporality. He has written on Aristotle, Diodorus Cronus, Achard of Saint Victor, Duns Scotus, Heidegger and Speculative realism. His current projects include a book provisionally entitled "Ontology of the Possible."

Beth Miller, associate professor of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health, broadly focuses her research on enhancing community nutrition and health, particularly in low-income communities where large health disparities and high rates of obesity and food insecurity exist. She utilizes a Community-Based Participatory approach to research in which she partners with other faculty and community organizations to identify challenges and design interventions to improve the nutrition and health status of community members.

Rosemary Pennington, associate professor of Media, Journalism, and Film, received her Ph.D. from Indiana University in 2015. Her expertise lies in the media representation of minority groups as well as the use of social media by such groups to combat stereotype and misrepresentation. Pennington is the author or editor of four books; the latest of these is "Pop Islam: Seeing American Muslims in Popular Media." She’s also the moderator of the award winning Stats + Stories podcast, produced by the American Statistical Association in partnership with the Department of Media, Journalism and Film and the Department of Statistics. Her current research project explores the experiences of two Muslim communities in Appalachia.  

Brody Ruihley is associate professor and assistant chair of Sport Leadership and Management. His research focuses on fantasy sport, sport marketing, and sport communication. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and his work has been presented over 100 times at conferences worldwide. Ruihley is co-editor of "Administration & Governance in Global Sport Business and Sport and the Pandemic" and co-authored "The Fantasy Sport Industry: Games Within Games," one of the first academic texts on fantasy sport.

Lindsay Schakenbach-Regele, associate professor of History, earned her Ph.D. in History from Brown University in 2015. Her books and articles, including "Flowers, Guns, and Money: Joel Roberts Poinsett and the Paradoxes of American Patriotism" (University of Chicago Press, 2023) and "Manufacturing Advantage: War, the State, and the Origins of American Industry, 1776-1848" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019), focus on the confluence of business, diplomacy, domestic politics, and military power in the early republic. She is book reviews editor for the Journal of the Early Republic and co-organizer of the Ohio Seminar in Early American History and Culture. 

 Kyle Timmerman is associate professor of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health. His primary research focuses on the health benefits of exercise and physical activity in older adults, with an emphasis on inflammation, metabolism, and chronic disease prevention. His work explores the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise, particularly in relation to sarcopenia, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. More recently, his research has expanded to investigate the metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of different exercise modalities, including electric-bike use. His approach integrates laboratory-based physiological assessments with real-world interventions, ensuring that his findings translate to practical applications for improving health outcomes in aging populations. 

David Woods, associate professor of Computer and Information Technology, is passionate about equipping his students with the skills they need to thrive in the dynamic world of technology. He goes beyond teaching the latest tools and techniques, like cloud computing and Agile project methodologies, fostering a growth mindset that empowers students to adapt and learn continuously. He emphasizes the crucial link between technology and organizational strategy, ensuring his students understand how to align technology with business goals. He actively researches and shares his innovative teaching methods with colleagues, constantly seeking ways to improve student learning. Beyond the classroom, he partners with local non-profit organizations and Miami Regional offices, helping them leverage technology to achieve their missions.

Back to Top

For tenure and promotion to associate professor

 Sara Arter is assistant professor of Nursing. Her research focuses on the long-term outcomes of the United States drug epidemic on children and families. Currently, she is funded by the Macy Faculty Scholars Program to develop an educational intervention that helps undergraduate nursing students reduce stigma and navigate ethical dilemmas while caring for mothers with substance use disorder and their children.

Mithun Bhowmick is an assistant professor of Physics in the department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a Ph.D. in physics and joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for his postdoctoral work (2015-2019). His research focuses on two areas: 1) shockwave compression in solids, and 2) development of fluorescent nanomaterials. His research lab employs a high-power pulsed laser to create high pressure in materials to probe structural changes for potential band gap engineering pathways. His group is also synthesizing fluorescent carbon dots and polymer nanocomposites. The goal is to develop biodegradable, nontoxic nanomaterials for light emitting devices, biomedical usage, and drug delivery systems. He serves as topical editor for the journal Materials.

Jason Boock, assistant professor of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, applies biomolecular engineering to solve sustainability challenges. His group’s research characterizes transcription factors, develops genetic tools for non-model organisms, and designs strategies for enzymatic-remediation of plastic. He completed his Ph.D. at Cornell University and postdoctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At Miami, he has created and delivered K-12 outreach and first-year programs to bring his passion for chemical engineering and synthetic biology to students and teachers.

Allison Farrell, assistant professor of Psychology, earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Minnesota and completed postdoctoral training at Wayne State University before arriving at Miami. Her research focuses on the interplay between close relationships, stress, and health, aiming to understand how relationships can both create stress and buffer us from stress, and the implications of these processes for physical health outcomes. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Mental Research Institute.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hutton, assistant professor of English and director of the Howe Writing Center, received her MFA and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Her scholarship, focused on postsecondary writing and reading practices, has appeared in edited collections and journals including College Composition and Communication, Writing Program Administration, and Across the Disciplines. She is also the author of "She’d Waited Millennia" (poems) and recently published poetry in the Beloit Poetry Journal, Antioch Review, and Florida Review (where she was awarded the 2021 Humboldt Prize). At Miami, she directs the Howe Writing Center and teaches courses in writing studies and creative writing.

Jeffrey Kruth, assistant professor of Architecture and Interior Design, is an urbanist and current director of graduate studies in the department. His work focuses on issues of housing, infrastructure, and community processes in urban design projects. He has taught at Miami since 2019 and works on community-engaged artistic and design projects through the Miami University Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine. He is a graduate of Miami and previously worked for Kent State’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, the Louisiana Resilient Architecture Consortium, and the Yale Urban Design Workshop. 

Imran Mirza, assistant professor of Physics, received his Ph.D. in Quantum Optics and Quantum Information Theory from the University of Oregon. He completed postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His research focuses on developing theoretical models to describe how light interacts with matter at the fundamental (atomic/quantum) levels with applications in quantum computers. He has received the Miami University Junior Faculty Scholar Award in 2023, Miami University Physics Outstanding Faculty Award in 2022, and the KITP Scholar UC Santa Barbara Award for 2021-2023. His research is funded by the National Science Foundation through their LEAPS Program.

Ally (Laila) Murphy, assistant professor of Education and Society, joined Miami University in 2016 as a visiting assistant professor and in 2018 as an assistant professor in the Department of Education and Society. She received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State University in 2016. Her research focus is on adverse childhood experiences, trauma, resiliency, and single-parenting. Murphy is also a faculty affiliate at the Department of Family Science and Social Work and a faculty associate at the Doris Bergen Center of Human Development. 

Tricia Neu, DNP, RN, CDCES, FNP-C, assistant professor of Nursing, received her DNP from Frontier Nursing University and her MSN from Ohio State University. She continues to work as a family nurse practitioner and serves as a primary care provider for a panel of patients in the community of Monroe. She chairs the Graduate Systematic Program Evaluation Committee in the Nursing department and serves as a member of the Education Committee for the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (OAAPN). Her clinical research is focused on providing effective diabetes care in the primary care setting. She also has a focus on improving mental health among nursing students, particularly evaluating the effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on anxiety, depression, and loneliness. 

Paul Reidy is assistant professor of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health. His research explores the impact of physical activity on metabolism and skeletal muscle function. His clinical studies use step reduction models to examine how inactivity affects metabolic health, particularly in different populations and in relation to immune cell involvement. He also investigates protein sports nutrition and muscle stem cells. Using rodent models, he studies muscle atrophy from physical inactivity, including its effects during early development. He collaborates with faculty in the Miami University Center for Integrative Metabolism and across the globe.

Sujay Sabnis, assistant professor of Educational Psychology, is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). He received his Ph.D. in School Psychology in 2019 from the University of South Florida with a concentration in “Race and Policy in K-12 Education” and a certificate in qualitative research methodologies. Dr. Sabnis’ research draws on critical qualitative methodologies, consultation, and policy analysis in K-12 public education. His publications appear in peer-reviewed journals such as School Psychology, Journal of School Psychology, and School Psychology Review.

Matthew Schwieterman, assistant professor of Management, completed his Ph.D. in Logistics at Ohio State University. Prior to pursuing an academic career, he held supply chain management positions in industry. His research focuses on supply chain relationships. He is especially proud to be a 2009 graduate of the Farmer School of Business.

Zhe (Jay) Shan is the Rose-Marie Garcia Anderson Chair Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Systems and Analytics. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration and Operations Research from Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business. His research focuses on Information Security Management, Patient-Centered Healthcare, and FinTech Innovation. His work has been published in leading business journals, including MIS Quarterly, Journal of Management Information Systems, Journal of Operations Management, and Production and Operations Management.

Jinjuan She joined the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department in 2019 as an assistant professor. She earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Statistics from Iowa State University in 2013. After graduation, she worked in the industry for about five years, focusing on human-centered design at INVIA Medical Imaging Solutions and MathWorks. She conducts design research at the intersection of engineering and psychology; her interests include design theory and methodologies, human-product/technology interactions, consumer decision-making, sustainable design, and cognitive learning in engineering.

Sydney Qing Shu is an assistant professor of Accountancy and joined the Farmer School of Business in 2019. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. Her research interests center on corporate financial and non-financial reporting choices, corporate governance schemes, and regulation. Her work has been published in world-leading academic accounting journals such as Accounting, Organizations and Society, and Contemporary Accounting Research. She currently teaches intermediate financial accounting and financial accounting research. 

Anne Whitesell, assistant professor of Political Science, received her Ph.D. in Political Science and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the Pennsylvania State University in 2017. Her research focuses on the intersection of public policy and political representation. Her book, "Living off the Government? Race, Gender, and the Politics of Welfare" (New York University Press, 2024) examines how stereotypes of welfare recipients are used by interest groups to create state welfare policy. In the 2024-2025 academic year, she is a PRRI Public Fellow.

Yibo (James) Zhang, assistant professor of Accountancy, joined the Farmer School of Business in 2018. He teaches accounting information systems (AIS) and data analytics. His research focuses on judgment and decision-making in AIS, with interests in graphical vividness, user interactivity, social media, and emerging technologies. Dr. Zhang earned his Ph.D. from the University of South Florida and holds CPA, CMA, and SAP certifications. He currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Information Systems.

Back to Top

For promotion to associate librarian and continuing contract

Kristen Adams is a Science and Engineering Librarian. Her liaison responsibilities include: Geology; Geography; Chemistry and Biochemistry; Physics; Chemical, Paper and Biomedical Engineering; and Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. She received a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Alabama, and B.A.s in Philosophy and Geology from the University of Nebraska.

Laura Birkenhauer is the Student Success Librarian for Campus Engagement. She received a Master of Library and Information Science from Kent State University and a B.A. in English-Creative Writing from Miami University.

Cara Calabrese, Acquisitions and Access Librarian, received her MLIS from Florida State University in 2015 and began her librarian career as a Resident Librarian in Technical Services. Her research interests encompass workflows and documentation, streaming video, collaboration and communication in libraries, supporting resident and early career librarians, and development of staff and stewardship of department culture.

Sarah Nagle, Creation and Innovation Services Librarian, planned and opened a makerspace at Miami’s King Library in 2019, which she still currently runs along with an amazing team. Her work includes supporting maker-centered learning and innovation topics through instruction, events, and outreach. Her research and service interests include barriers and micro-barriers that might prevent some patrons from using maker services and the benefits of creative activities on the emotional labor of academics.

Meng Qu, Web Design Librarian, received an M.A. in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.F.A. in Art Design from Kunming University of Science and Technology, and an M.A. in Education from California State University, San Bernardino. She integrates AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC) to enhance library operations, advance data analytics, and improve user experiences. A leader in the profession, Qu has played a pivotal role in national organizations such as the American Library Association, the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, and the Chinese American Librarians Association, serving on executive boards, leading technology initiatives, and shaping policies that drive library innovation.

Jaclyn Spraetz is an Information Literacy Librarian. She received an M.S. in Library and Information Sciences and an M.A. in Secondary English Education from the University of Kentucky. Her liaison responsibilities include Educational Leadership and Educational Psychology.