New Faculty

GC Welcomes New Faculty

Frank Billingsley, Associate Professor of Business Administration

B.A., Ohio Dominican University; M.S., Vrije Universiteit Brussel; M.S., Boston University; Ph.D., Walden University Dr. Billingsley has more than 30 years of professional experience in social work, teaching, and administration. He is currently working toward a third master’s degree in psychology. He has just returned to the U.S. having taught in Belgium for the past 20 years.

Silvia Encinas- Caballero, Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish

B.A., Universidad de Cordoba; M.A., University of Kentucky; Ph.D. (expected), University of Kentucky Encinas-Caballero is originally from Spain, but she moved to Kentucky in 2003. She spent a semester in France while in college and encourages students to take advantage of any opportunity to travel or study abroad.

Lisa Gadberry, Lecturer in Education

B.A., University of Kentucky; M.A., Georgetown College Gadberry has more than 26 years of primary, elementary, and secondary classroom experience. She has served as a teacher, mentor, and coach for students throughout her career.

Thomas Highley, Lecturer in Education

B.F.A., Eastern Kentucky University; M.A., University of Cincinnati, Ed.D., University of Cincinnati For the past 31 years, Dr. Highley has taught in various classrooms, from middle school to college students. His publications appear in the books "Using Social Media Effectively in the Classroom" and "Writing Research and Pedagogy" in the MENA Region. His most current research explores the perspectives of students and teachers regarding blended and personalized learning in middle-level classrooms.

Timothy E. McKay, Visiting Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Health Studies

B.A., Union College; M.S., University of Louisville; Ph.D. (expected), University of Kentucky McKay is originally from Kokomo, Indiana, but has spent most of his life in southeastern Kentucky. His career focus has always been clinical research, but he is excited about the transition to teaching students at GC.

April Simpson, Assistant Professor of Religion

B.A., Gardner-Webb University; M.A., Gardner-Webb University; MDiv., GardnerWebb University School of Divinity; Ph.D., Southern Methodist University Dr. Simpson’s research and teaching specialization are the Christian New Testament, although she enjoys teaching a range of topics related to Christianity and other religious traditions.

Robert Stafford, Lecturer in Education

B.A, Berea College; M.A., University of Kentucky; Ed.D., Northern Kentucky University Dr. Stafford has worked for the past 30 years to serve the needs of students and families at the local, state, and national levels. As a result, he was named Outstanding Principal of the Year in 2002 and the Region 11 Kentucky Music Educators Administrator of the Year in 2021. And earlier this year, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northern Kentucky Education Excellence Council.