Faculty Welcomes Eight New Members Davis & Elkins College welcomed eight faculty members – including two alumnae – to the ranks in the last two semesters.
New to the faculty for the 2020-2021 academic year are Instructor of Outdoor Recreation Management Mark Douglas, Instructor of Chemistry Dr. Clinton Johnson, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Neelima Nair, Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Alexandros Sivvopoulos, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Dr. Todd Tichenor and Instructor of Digital Media Macy Jackson ’09, who previously served as an adjunct. In addition, Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. John Poffenbarger and Instructor of Nursing Haley Smoot ’18 and ’17 joined the faculty in the spring 2020 semester. Douglas comes to D&E from the University of Maine at Machias where he was an assistant professor of recreation and tourism management. Earlier in his career, he worked as a naturalist at Whiskeytown Mark Douglas Environmental School in Redding, California, a program coordinator at Pali Mountain Institute in Running Springs, California, and as a trail crew leader for the Student Conservation Association. Douglas is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in forestry and conservation science at the University of Montana. He holds a Master of Science degree in natural resources from Humboldt State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation and leisure services from Murray State University.
in organic chemistry from the University of Houston. She earned a Master of Science degree in chemistry and a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, both from the University of Kerala in Trivandrum, India. In addition, she received a graduate certificate in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida.
Johnson received the Dietrich School of Arts & Science Graduate Fellowship and served as a research assistant/ fellow at the University of Pittsburgh where his research efforts took him to the Central Dr. Clinton Laser Facility at the Johnson Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot, England. Johnson also has instructed various levels of chemistry courses at the University of Pittsburgh and received the Safford Award for Excellence as a Graduate School Teacher. He, also, received a course transformation grant to design and develop a novel guided-inquiry approach to teach scientific writing to chemistry majors. He earned a Ph.D. in chemistry with a concentration in physical chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Frostburg State University.
Sivvopoulos earned his Ph.D. in economics, Master of Arts in economics and Bachelor of Business Administration in economics from the University of Mississippi. He is bilingual in Greek and English.
Nair previously taught organic chemistry at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, and earlier worked as an adjunct chemistry instructor at Medaille College in Buffalo, New York. She holds a Ph.D.
Dr. Neelima Nair
Sivvopoulos most recently served as a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and has taught at the University Dr. Alexandros of Mississippi in Oxford, Sivvopoulos Mississippi. He also has worked as a counselor for a summer college program for high school students and as an economic consultant.
A native West Virginian, Tichenor has worked as an educator both from within the U.S. and abroad, having taught at China Agricultural University in Beijing, China from 20142018. He earned a Ph.D. Dr. Todd Tichenor in discrete mathematics and a Master of Science degree in pure mathematics from West Virginia University. He also holds Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science and mathematics from Fairmont State University. Jackson, a D&E alumna, has served as an adjunct instructor in creative arts and education at the College for the past four years. She joined the faculty full time this fall to lead the new minor in Macy Jackson ’09 digital media. Previously, she worked at an adjunct instructor in creative arts and education at the College for the past four
years. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business education from D&E and a Master of Education in digital media, new literacies and learning from Fairmont State University. Poffenbarger served in various capacities at Wheeling Jesuit University, including associate professor of political science, chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Modern Language, director of Dr. John Poffenbarger the International Studies Program and co-director of the Social Science Institute for Research and Community Development. Previously, he was assistant professor of political science at North Carolina Wesleyan College. In addition, he served as a special political analyst for WTRF-TV in Wheeling and was the country expert on El Salvador for the WVU Law School Immigration Clinic. Poffenbarger earned a Ph.D. and Master of Arts degree in political science from West Virginia University. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and completed additional study at the Summer Institute of Political Psychology at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Smoot returned to her alma mater as an adjunct instructor before earning the full-time post. She previously worked in the medical/surgical unit at Davis Medical Center and as a corporal Haley Smoot ’18 and special operations Correctional Emergency Response Team member at Huttonsville Correctional Center. Smoot earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and associate degree in nursing at D&E. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the Family Nurse Practitioner track at South Alabama University.
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