Faculty

Tom Rosebrough, Ph.D. Dean of the College of Education and Human Studies & University Professor of Education E-mail: trosebro@uu.edu Dr. Rosebrough has served as Dean of the College since 1996. He formerly served as a Graduate School Dean and as Department Chair in Education and Psychology at two other Christian liberal arts universities. His duties have also included the roles of Director of Graduate Studies in Education and Director of Teacher Education. Dr. Rosebrough has taught elementary school and middle school mathematics. He has taught extensively at the university undergraduate and graduate levels in educational foundations, learning theory, and instructional design. His interests include pedagogy and engaged learning, educational philosophy and ethics, and the history of education. Dr. Rosebrough has been honored for his university teaching and scholarly excellence. He is active in his writing, research, and presenting at the local, national, and international levels. In his tenure as Dean of Education at Union, NCATE accreditation has been achieved for the Teacher Education Program; the School of Education has been honored by AILACTE with the Model of Excellence Award for the moral and ethical dimensions of its learning community; the Center for Educational Practice has been created; the School has added Master’s, Education Specialist, and Doctor of Education degrees with specializations in School Administration and Higher Education, and more than doubled the size of the School of Education faculty. The School began graduate programs on the Germantown campus in 1998 where Education now enjoys the largest enrollment on the campus.

Ann Singleton, Ed.D. Associate Dean of the School of Education & Professor of Special Education E-mail: asinglet@uu.edu Dr. Singleton is currently in her 21st year at Union. Prior to teaching at the university level, she served first as a special education teacher and later as Supervisor of Special Education in the Jackson-Madison County School System in Jackson, TN. She brings particular expertise to Union’s students in behavioral disorders, instructional design, and mathematics instruction for students in inclusive settings. She has presented frequent workshops and professional papers on a variety of education and special education issues in national venues. Dr. Singleton is called upon frequently to serve as a consultant to area school systems. She is known for her sensitive, practical approach to both public school and university-level instruction. Dr. Singleton is a co-author of Teaching Mathematics to All Children: Designing and Adapting Instruction to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners, and was named Union University’s 2003 Faculty of the Year.

Jennifer Grove, Ed.D. Assistant Dean, Germantown and Director of M.A.Ed., Ed.S., and Ed.D. Programs, Germantown & Professor of Graduate Education E-mail: jgrove@uu.edu Before coming to Union University in 1999, Dr. Grove worked in adjunct or assistant professor positions at Christian Brothers University, Saint Joseph’s Nursing School, State Technical Institute, and The University of Memphis. Dr. Grove initially served Union’s students and the community as an adjunct faculty member, while teaching chemistry at Collierville High School. She is currently a full-time faculty member serving Union’s graduate program in Germantown. Dr. Grove has presented papers focusing on student achievement and practitioner research. Dr. Grove's ongoing research involves: Investigative Studies Examining the Integration of Instructional Technology into Teaching and the Alternative Uses of On-line Instruction.

Dottie Myatt, Ed.D. Assistant Dean for Teacher Education & Accreditation & Professor of Education E-mail: dmyatt@uu.edu Dr. Myatt came to Union in 1994 following a 14-year career in public elementary education. Her current responsibilities as Assistant Dean for Teacher Education and Accreditation include coordinating all teacher licensure programs; serving as licensing officer; implementing NCATE and State accreditation standards; compiling annual reports to AACTE, NCATE, and the TN Department of Education; and teaching graduate technology classes. She coordinated the vast array of documents, persons, and additional information related to the electronic institutional report and documents room as Union secured reaffirmation of NCATE accreditation and approval of programs by the TN Department of Education. Her areas of interest are teacher licensure and the integration of instruction and technology. She has presented regionally and nationally in these areas.

Michele W. Atkins, Ph.D. Professor of Education E-mail: matkins@uu.edu Dr. Atkins came to Union in 1998 after a 10-year career in the public school arena encompassing service as a special education teacher, administrator, and educational diagnostician. During her public school career, she obtained experience teaching, evaluating children at all grade levels with a wide variety of disabilities, and in district-level administration. She has served graduate students at Union as the Director of Graduate Studies and Director of the Ed.S. and Ed.D. programs on the Jackson campus. Dr. Atkins currently serves as Professor of Education, Coordinator of Program Assessment, dissertation chair, and research mentor. Her areas of interest include ethics in leadership, moral development, emotional intelligence, qualities of effective teachers and leaders, and psychological issues in the schools. Dr. Atkins has presented her research nationally and co-authored several journal publications. In addition to her service at Union, she is an active consultant to school districts and serves as school psychologist to the Paris Special School District.

Nancy Atkeison-Cherry, Ed.D. Director of the M.A. Ed. Program, Jackson & Associate Professor of Education E-mail: ncherry@uu.edu Prior to teaching at the university level, Dr. Cherry came to Union following a fifteen year career in public elementary education. Before coming to Union in 2005, she worked in adjunct and assistant professor positions at Dyersburg State Community College and Lambuth University. Dr. Cherry is a Somerville, TN native and a graduate of Union. She has taught extensively at the undergraduate level and brings to Union’s students experience teaching educational foundations, reading assessment strategies and a love for children’s literature. Her research interests and presentations focus on early childhood reading experiences, children’s literature in the content areas, preparation of reading teachers and reading assessment. Dr. Cherry is currently a full time faculty member serving as Union’s director for the M.A. Ed. Program on the Jackson campus, and also as counselor to Union’s Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society.

Melinda Clarke, Ed.D. Director of the Center for Educational Practice & Associate Professor of Education E-mail: mclarke@uu.edu Dr. Melinda Clarke, Associate Professor of Education, serves as the Director of the Higher Education Ed.D. Program and the Center for Educational Practice. Dr. Clarke’s 14 years of experience in higher education include service in both faculty and administrative roles. She also served as Special Assistant to the President of the Fund for American Studies and her doctoral research was recognized by the Aspen Institute. In addition to her interests in higher education research and practice, she joins Drs. Rosebrough and Leverett with an interest in the relationship between character, faith development and service. Service-Learning, the topic of Dr. Clarke’s dissertation research as well as the subject of her national and international research presentations, remains one of her core interests because of its capacity to advance the mission of educational institutions while impacting students and communities in transformational ways. She is grateful for the opportunity to initiate her research on service-learning with two of the foremost experts in the field, Drs. Dwight Giles and Janet Eyler, while at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Clarke’s work with improving the quality of online instruction through the utilization of learning taxonomies was recently requested by the Tennessee Board of Regents to be shared with the Tennessee’s public colleges and universities.

Anna Clifford, Ed.D. Associate Professor of Education E-mail: acliffor@uu.edu Dr. Clifford brings more than thirty years of teaching experience to Union students. Although known for her excellence in early childhood instruction, she also teaches courses in instructional technology. She has made numerous professional presentations at the local, state and national levels. She is an active member of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) and serves as a member of the Teacher Education Division.

Murphysteen Counts, Ed.D. Associate Professor of Education & Graduate Faculty Liaison, MTR E-mail: mcounts@uu.edu Dr. Counts came to Union University as an adjunct faculty member in 2000. She joined Union full-time in 2009 after retiring from Memphis City Schools. During her 31-year tenure in public schools she taught at the elementary level and served as both assistant principal and principal. Dr. Counts teaches courses and serves as a coach for students enrolled in the Memphis Teacher Residency Program (MTR); a collaboration involving the MTR, Union University and local urban schools.

Nancy Easley, Ed.D. Associate Professor of Education, Germantown E-mail: neasley@uu.edu Dr. Easley grew up in a Christian home. She is married to a seminary professor. While teaching students with hearing impairment, Dr. Easley became aware of a desire to teach at the university level in the preparation of teachers. Before coming to Union, where she has directed the Master of Education program in Germantown since 1998, she taught at Toccoa Falls College (GA), Crichton College, and The University of Memphis. She has also served as a Professional Development School supervisor. Dr. Easley has professional interests in university collaboration with P-12 schools, teaching diverse learners, and integration of faith and learning.

Sandra N. Hathcox Assistant Professor of Education E-mail: shathcox@uu.edu Professor Hathcox brings a wide range of teaching experiences to her Union students. She has taught in private and public schools and served as an Elementary Counselor. Joining the Education Department fourteen years ago, her primary interest focuses on the various methods of integrating literature (trade books) into all classroom curriculum areas. She conducts workshops locally and regionally, to promote cross-curricular literature interest, as well as serves as a literature consultant to local educators. She recently presented at the annual conference of the International Reading Association (IRA). She has co-authored an article published in Christian Early Education magazine.

Charles Lea Professor of Educational Leadership & Executive Director, Hendersonville

Ralph Leverett, Ph.D. Director of the M.Ed. Program, Jackson & Professor of Special Education E-mail: rleveret@uu.edu Dr. Leverett has served as a public school teacher in several areas of Special Education, primarily low incidence impairments and learning disabilities. He conducted a part-time private practice in speech-language pathology for approximately fifteen years. Almost half of that period was with the Missouri Department of Mental Health as practitioner and consultant. He has been teaching at Union since 1997. During that time he has also served as a part-time speech-language pathologist for the West Tennessee School for the Deaf. His research interests and professional writings, which include journal articles and chapters in professional reference texts, relate to the language needs of special education students in inclusive settings. He has presented workshops in these areas at the local, state, and national level. Dr. Leverett also served for ten years as editorial consultant to The Journal of Childhood Communication Disorders and Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools. These publications are journals of the Council for Exceptional Children (Division for Children’s Communication Development) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, respectively. Dr. Leverett is a member of the Advisory Council for TREDS, a division of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital addressing the needs of persons who are Deaf-Blind; the Board of Directors of the STAR Center, an agency that provides technological support to persons with a wide range of disabilities; the Board of Directors of the Foundation of the Tennessee Speech-Language Hearing Association (TAASLP), and the Friends of the West Tennessee School for the Deaf.

Stephen R. Marvin, Ed.D. Director of M.Ed, Program, Germantown and Assistant Professor of Education E-mail: smarvin@uu.edu A native of California, Dr. Stephen R. Marvin has served in a variety of educational capacities throughout his career. Prior to beginning his service at Union University in 2007, Dr. Marvin served as an adjunct professor for the University of Memphis, Freed-Hardeman University, and David Lipscomb University. Dr. Marvin has also served in several positions within public and private school systems, including as a Business Technology teacher and technology coordinator for Cordova High School, in Cordova, TN. Dr. Marvin has served as an educational researcher for The Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis, as well as the tutor coordinator for the Academic Services Center at Harding University. Dr. Marvin was a recipient of the $15,000 Paige E. Mulhollan Dissertation Award, granted by the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. Dr. Marvin’s research interests include learning theory, the Multiple Intelligence Theory, and technology integration. Dr. Marvin has authored and co-authored journal publications and presented his research at the state, regional, national, and international levels. Dr. Marvin is a graduate of West Hills Community College and Fresno Pacific University. He earned a Masters of Education degree in Elementary and Secondary Administration and Elementary and Secondary Curriculum from Harding University and a Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in College Administration and College Teaching from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Melessia E. Mathis Director of Clinical Experiences & Assistant Professor of Education E-mail: mmathis@uu.edu After graduating from the University of Alabama, Mrs. Mathis returned to Brownsville, TN. While teaching in the Haywood County School system, She completed her master’s degree at the University of Memphis. She taught public school for 13 years in math, science, and social studies to fifth and sixth graders. She left teaching before the birth of her third child. She came to Union as a supervisor of practicum students in Spring 1998 which led to a position as a part-time instructor. She became a faculty member in Fall 1999. In addition to her responsibilities as Director of Clinical Experiences, she teaches instructional design course in science and social studies.

Rosetta Mayfield, Ed.D. Assistant Professor of Education, Germantown E-mail: rmayfiel@uu.edu Dr. Mayfield is currently in her 3rd year at Union. Prior to teaching at the university, she served at the University of Tennessee at Martin from 2001-2003 as a Director of the Reading Center and Assistant Professor of Education. She brings particular expertise to Union's students in innovation in reading instruction, curriculum design, and special education instruction for students in private and public school settings. She has presented numerous workshops and presentations on a variety of educational, reading, and leadership issues in local, regional, and state venues. Dr. Mayfield currently serves as a Reading First Cadre Professional Development Provider across Tennessee. She also coordinates district efforts in Fayette County TN, as the Technical Assistance Facilitator for Reading First initiatives. She is a elementary and secondary reading consultant to multiple school districts. She has been dedicated to public and private school systems in teaching, and training capacities since 1994. She believes in the gift of teaching and the God-given exchange of ideas.

Dianne Morgan, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Education, Germantown E-mail: dmorgan@uu.edu Prior to her tenure at Union University, Dr. Morgan was an Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis. Her expertise includes how culture shapes engagement in learning, language development/acquisition, as well as early childhood development. She received her Bachelor’s of Science and Masters from The University of Texas at Austin in the areas of Deaf Culture and Education. She received her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Educational Psychology studying human development and engaged learning. During her graduate studies, she received the Pre-Dissertation AERA Spencer Grant ($16,000). Her dissertation study examined culturally Deaf preschool teachers’ visually based engagement practices and their sense making of those practices, as well as the school setting’s and program philosophy’s influences on those beliefs and practices. Dr. Morgan has presented her research at multiple national conferences and co-written a book chapter examining the school’s function as well as the teacher’s role in primary language acquisition and identity development within the Deaf Education classroom. Her course offerings have included Early Childhood Development in Urban Contexts, Faith and Ethics, Engaged Learning. She has provided guest lectures in Special Education, Cognition, and Learning at both of her alma maters. She has also created seminar classes connecting pre-service educators with community leaders and professionals.

Kenneth Newman, Ed.D. Director of Ed.S. and Ed.D. /P-12 Programs, Jackson & Professor of Education E-mail: knewman@uu.edu Dr. Newman came to Union after a long and successful career in the public schools. He began his teaching career in 1962 in the Jackson-Madison County School System. He was a classroom teacher and librarian until 1996, at which time he became a Middle School Instructional Supervisor. As a classroom teacher, he taught English and French. He was a full-time librarian for one and one-half years and a part-time librarian for eight years. He retired from the public school system in 2000 and accepted a three-fourths position at Union. In the Fall of 2001 he became a full-time Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, teaching primarily in the M.A.Ed., M.Ed., and Ed.S./Ed.D programs. After serving two years as M.A.Ed. Director, he now serves as Professor of Educational Leadership and as Director of Ed.S. and Ed.D./P-12 Programs.

S. Camille Searcy, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Education E-mail: csearcy@uu.edu Prior to coming to Union in 1993, Dr. Searcy served in a variety of positions in public education and higher education administration. Those experiences included locations in Memphis, Frankfort, KY, and Jackson, TN. In addition to her years of experience in higher education administration, her teaching specialties are History and Philosophy of Education and Educational Measurement and Evaluation. Her research interests and presentations focus on expanding educational opportunities and educational assessment. Dr. Searcy was the lead researcher for the first quantitative study on potential charter school programs presented to state legislators.

Stephanie Lee Steele Assistant Professor of Education, Hendersonville E-mail: ssteele@uu.edu While Dr. Steele joined the faculty in 2009, she has been a part of Union in other roles. She is a graduate of Union's School of Education undergraduate program (1998), and she also served in Union's Student Services as the Director of Student Leadership Development (2000-2003). Dr. Steele received both her master's and doctoral degrees from Vanderbilt University. Her experience in higher education spans student life, university instruction, and research and policy analysis. Prior to her faculty appointment, she worked for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in the fiscal policy analysis division. Her research interests focus on the college choice process and the college student experience. Dr. Steele serves the M.Ed. and Ed.S. programs in Hendersonville as well as the Ed.D. higher education program in Jackson.

Benny F. Tucker, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Education E-mail: btucker@uu.edu Dr. Tucker has been at Union for 12 years, during which time he has served as Professor of Education, Chair of the Department of Education, and founding Dean of the School of Education and Human Studies. Formerly, he taught in the Mathematics Departments of Hannibal-LaGrange College and Illinois State University and in the Education Department of Carson Newman College. He has also been a high school math and English teacher and served as a K-12 mathematics coordinator. Dr. Tucker is author or co-author of 16 books and 30 articles. He has presented more than 40 professional papers at meetings across the United States. Dr. Tucker (with Drs. Ann Singleton and Terry Weaver) has recently published Teaching Mathematics to All Children: Designing and Adapting Instruction to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners, Second Edition.

Terry Weaver, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Special Education E-mail: tweaver@uu.edu Dr. Weaver came to Union in 1991 after nine years at another Tennessee Baptist institution, Carson-Newman College. He served as chair of the Education Department for four years during the initial growth of the graduate program in Education and the hiring of the current dean. Prior to college teaching, Dr. Weaver was a teacher in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. He brings to Union expertise in the assessment of children with exceptionalities and maintains interest and research in many areas of special education. Dr. Weaver along with Drs. Tucker and Singleton recently had published a second edition of their methodology textbook, Teaching Mathematics to All Children: Designing and Adapting Instruction to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners. Dr. Weaver has chaired and continues to chair many doctoral dissertation committees and the School of Education’s Research Review Committee as well as serving on the Institutional Review Board for the University.

Carolyn L. Whaley, Ed.D. Associate Professor of Education E-mail: cwhaley@uu.edu Dr. Whaley has previously served as a prekindergarten and kindergarten teacher in the public schools for 15 years. Prior to these roles, she served positions in youth ministry and church music. She is a Jackson, TN native and a graduate of Union. Her interests relate to early childhood education, particularly language arts and early literacy instruction. Since coming to Union to teach in 1997, she has been active in a wide variety of professional groups related to early childhood and education. Dr. Whaley’s expertise in early childhood has led to publications in various professional journals and to numerous presentations at the local, state, and national level. A past president of TACEI, she has recently been elected to ACEI’s national board. In addition, Dr. Whaley is advisor to Union's award-winning Student Tennessee Education Association (STEA).