NEW FACES ON CAMPUS

WELCOMING NEW FACULTY

BY LAUREN SINGLETON ’21

With a new academic year afoot, you can expect new faces on campus this fall. New faculty for fall 2020 and 2021 have provided introductions so the community can get to know each of them. Please welcome each new member to the Millsaps community!

PROF. GERAD HARDY Visiting Instructor of Management

Professor Hardy earned his bachelor of business management and economics from the State University of New York and his EMBA from Millsaps College. He is currently on track to graduate (2023) from the University of Dallas with his doctorate. Before coming to Millsaps, Hardy worked in hotel management for 27 years, retiring in June of 2021. He came to Millsaps in 2019 as an adjunct professor before coming on full time as a visiting professor in 2020. During his time at Millsaps, Hardy has most enjoyed the connections he has made with students. He recalls the joy he felt upon a student asking for advice about a business plan, citing personal relationships as his passion in life. He feels that it is “an honor and a privilege to be an instructor at Millsaps.” DR. MEGAN HINES Postdoctoral Fellow in Art History

Dr. Hines earned her bachelor’s in English and art history from Vanderbilt University, her master’s in art history from Hunter College, and her doctorate in art history from Stony Brook University. She has taught undergraduate art history courses in modern and contemporary art and has conducted curatorial research for several exhibitions. At Millsaps, Hines will teach art history courses and work with curators at the Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA) to develop scholarly and public programming. In her first year, Hines aims to incorporate art from the MMA in her courses and encourage students to appreciate the museum as a resource for the city of Jackson and beyond. Hines is currently developing an exhibition proposal based on her dissertation research that looks to contemporary artists reflecting on and critiquing biotechnologies and will begin at Millsaps in fall 2021. ELYSSA KLIPSCH Director of Pathways and First-Year Experience

Elyssa is currently pursuing her master’s in higher education student affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she also earned her bachelor’s in music education. Klipsch began at Millsaps in June of 2017 working in the SAIL center as the campus life specialist where she was able to work with new student orientation, the foundations program, fraternity and sorority life, and student organizations. Throughout 2018, she transitioned into the Center for Career Education as the internship coordinator. Through her work with Career Education, Klipsch has had the opportunity to grow with students in exploring and achieving their career goals. This year, Klipsch is most looking forward to working with faculty and staff on the implementation of the Pathways Program for our community.

PROF. AMALIA GALDONA-BROCHE | Associate Professor of Art (not pictured)

Professor Galdona-Broche earned her bachelor’s in art history and bachelor’s in art from Jacksonville University before earning her master’s in art studio from University of Kentucky. She has multiple forthcoming exhibitions across the country and has professional experience at Jacksonville University and University of Kentucky. Professor Galdona-Broche begins at Millsaps fall 2021.

DR. MAXIMILLIAN LITTLEJOHN | Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics

Dr. Littlejohn earned his bachelor’s in economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and his master's and Ph.D. in economics from the University of California Irvine. He has experience teaching classes like energy economics, corporate finance, accounting, and money and banking and will begin at Millsaps in fall 2021. One of Littlejohn’s goals is to integrate research into his teaching style. He sees every course as an opportunity to not only introduce students to new economic theories but to “also encourage them to develop their own ideas and opinions.”

DR. SABINO LUEVANO-ORTEGA | Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish

Dr. Luevano-Ortega earned his bachelor’s in Hispanic studies from the University of Sonora and his master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Houston. He has taught courses such as Mexican horror cinema, Latin American horror cinema and all levels of Spanish. Since starting at Millsaps in fall 2020, Luevano-Ortega most appreciates the small community that is Millsaps. He says it allows closer intellectual and professional relationships with fellow faculty and students. In the upcoming year, Luevano-Ortega expects to publish one or two peer-reviewed articles on his research topic of Mexican horror cinema.

DR. TABAN SALEM | Assistant Professor of Psychology

Dr. Salem earned her bachelor’s in magazine journalism from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Mississippi State University. She did her predoctoral internship at Stony Brook University and her postdoctoral research fellowship at The Ohio State University. Since suffering a stroke in November of 2020 during her first semester with Millsaps, Dr. Salem has had a challenging first year. She is very appreciative of her Millsaps family as they have offered tremendous support to her throughout her recovery. For Salem, being in academia means building relationships with students both inside and outside of the classroom — what she calls the “bread and butter” of her career. Salem is currently developing a multiphase project with Millsaps students to look at fear and avoidance of positivity and what role that might play in depression.

WYATT WINNIE | Associate College Librarian

Wyatt earned his bachelor’s in English from Weber State University, and his master of library and information science from Louisiana State University. He worked as the instructional services librarian and head of reference at Southern Virginia University, primarily instructing students in research skills and good information habits. Wyatt has a passion for literacy skills and believes them to be foundational to lifelong learning. Starting at Millsaps in summer 2021, he hopes to engage faculty and students in fun ways to facilitate study, learning, and research. Wyatt is “terribly excited to be here” and has found the Millsaps atmosphere to be both classy and inviting.

DR. GLEN WOOD | Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, Director of Film Studies

Dr. Wood earned his bachelor’s degree in film studies from the University of Pittsburgh, his master’s in cinema studies from New York University, and his Ph.D. in cinema and media studies from York University. He worked for Bleacher Report, a Time-Warner Media entity, before beginning his teaching career at Millsaps in 2020. In his first year, Wood was able to introduce a course in media production and arrange student internships with the Mississippi Braves. During his time at the college, he aims to develop the film studies program, for which he was named director, and continue offering meaningful internships to students. Wood says that he is “truly excited and grateful to be part of both the Millsaps and Jackson communities.” He looks forward to many more years at Millsaps.

ONE OF THE BEST

When Grace Gaskins’s tennis career at Millsaps came to a close, she definitely went down swinging. After completing a senior season with a 9-1 singles record and a 10-1 record in doubles competition, Gaskins was ultimately defeated in the Singles Round of 32 of the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Individual Championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Gaskins entered the tournament ranked No. 5 out of the Atlantic South Region.

“Grace will go down as one of the best players to ever put on a Millsaps tennis uniform,” said Davis Elkins, former head coach of the Millsaps men’s and women’s tennis teams. “The combination of her work ethic, tenacity and love for the game is what makes her irreplaceable as a competitor and teammate.”

The three-time All-SAA Academic Honor Roll member and business administration graduate is continuing her tennis journey at Dallas Baptist University, an NCAA Division II tennis program, where she will also pursue an M.B.A.

JUMPING INTO MILLSAPS HISTORY

Millsaps track and field sophomore long jumper Christopher Butler made history this season as the first Major from the men’s program to compete at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Butler’s best jump of 6.68 meters (21 feet-11 inches) was good for 15th place on the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.

Butler entered the event ranked 13th overall with a season-best jump of 7.30 meters (23 feet-11.5 inches), which he covered at the Carey Last Chance Meet on May 14.

“I’m really proud of his efforts this season,” said Millsaps track and field head coach Andy Till. “Chris has a bright future ahead of him.”

The leap of 6.68 meters was Butler’s fourth-best jump in his first full collegiate season. Butler’s freshman season was cut short in 2020 by the global pandemic.