Stephen F. Austin State University

The appointments approved by the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents during the July meeting included leaders for graduate studies and marketing at the university.

Andy Kesling was appointed to the newly created executive director of marketing position and comes to SFA with more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience.

Kesling currently serves as vice president of marketing and communications for Best Fares USA, where he supervises online advertising sales with annual revenues of approximately $1 million. He has developed and managed marketing and operations policies and procedures, and provided strategic consultation to the chief executive officer regarding marketing and business operations.

Kesling previously served as director of public affairs operations at Southern Methodist University for more than five years. He managed a $1.5 million public affairs budget and supervised news and information projects, including periodicals, publications, capital campaign and Web communications. He also wrote a chapter regarding higher education advertising for a textbook produced by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

Prior to his employment at SMU, Kesling served as assistant director of communications at Texas Christian University for six years and was a news editor and marketing assistant for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for five years. He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in radio, television and film from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

At SFA, Kesling will provide guidance for marketing activities that will support a capital campaign and other fund-raising activities, admissions, publications, communications, advertising and special events. He will lead the development and implementation of an annual plan to strategically market the university internally and externally, as well as a long-term plan for all segments of the university community.

Dr. Thomas Wheeler has been named associate vice president for graduate studies and research. Wheeler currently serves as professor and director of the molecular biosciences Ph.D. program at Arkansas State University. He led the university through the approval and implementation process for the program, developed curriculum and designed online course offerings.

From 1998 until 2005, Wheeler served as dean of the university’s graduate college and research service. During that time, he secured more than $13 million in funding for new and existing programs. Wheeler served as dean of the graduate school and professor of environmental sciences and engineering at McNeese State University from 1991 to 1998.

Wheeler’s accomplishments include the formulation of a telemedicine program involving regional hospitals, rural clinics and health profession students to provide for health and medical education needs in rural areas and the creation of an industrial research center on unused university property that now operates on a $9 million annual budget. Wheeler also led the development of a tri-state educational consortium consisting of 11 universities, 15 industries and 17 state and federal agencies to improve education opportunities in environmental restoration, waste management and pollution prevention.

Wheeler holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electronic engineering from the University of Houston and a Ph.D. in neuro/electrophysiology from the University of Texas.

He replaces Dr. David Jeffrey who will retire on Aug. 31 after 33 years with SFA.

Faculty appointments approved by regents included Recai Aydin, visiting assistant professor of economics; George Hunt, assistant professor of accounting; Jarod Lambert, instructor of secondary education and educational leadership; Sandra Stewart, assistant professor of elementary education; Mario Ajero, instructor of music; Chad Erpelding, assistant professor of art; Bruce Fowler, assistant professor of music; Gene Moon, instructor of music; Jorge Davi Salas, instructor of music; Andrew Unsworth, assistant professor of music; Pat Stephens-Williams, assistant professor of forestry; Jeremy Heider, visiting assistant professor of psychology; Steven Marsden, assistant professor of English and philosophy; Wesley Brown, assistant professor of geology; Kefa Onchoke, assistant professor of chemistry; and Kent Riggs, visiting assistant professor of mathematics and statistics.

Staff appointments included Douglas Fox, assistant director of development and foundation relations for university advancement; Pamela Peebles, assistant director of human resources; Mitchell Johnson, physical plant mechanical maintenance supervisor; Christopher Flournoy, student affairs technology specialist; and David Peavy and Brette Tanner, assistant basketball coaches.

Staff appointments for the Student Recreation Center currently under construction were approved, including Deborah Jones, coordinator of fitness and wellness; Brian Mills, coordinator of intramurals and sports clubs; and Kenneth Norris, coordinator of facilities and member services.

In the Nelson Rusche College of Business, Betty Johnson has resigned as department chair of general business and will return to full-time teaching. Deborah Dufrene will serve as department chair and assistant dean. Warren Fisher, chair of management, marketing and international business, also will return to full-time teaching and will be replaced by Joe Ormsby.

Steve Westbrook was promoted from executive director of student affairs to dean of student affairs, and the title of the leader of Steen library, Tiffany Evans, was changed from director to dean.

Other status changes approved by regents included Wilma Cordova, from lecturer to assistant professor of social work; Scott LaGraff, from instructor to assistant professor of music; Troy Davis, from associate professor to department chair and associate professor of history; Sylvia McGrath, from department chair and professor of history to professor of history; Dennis Gravatt, from professor of biology to professor and interim department chair of biology; Aurora A. Alvarez, from assistant to human resources representative; Daniel Duplechian, from auxiliary service technology specialist to programmer/analyst I; Joseph Alford, from admissions media coordinator to publications specialist; Jason Saladiner, from associate director of intramurals to coordinator of aquatics, safety and camps.

The following retirements were accepted: Cheryl Hill, library assistant II; Pat Mueller, chair of criminal justice department, Shirley Watterston, lecturer of music; Peggy Wedgeworth, associate library director; and Linda White, professor of English and philosophy.

A one-year leave of absence was approved for Dr. Donald E. Bowen, professor of physics and astronomy, effective Sept. 1, 2006. Bowen has accepted an offer to serve as dean of the College of Science at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain.

Yvette Clark was re-appointed general counsel; Gina Oglesbee was re-appointed director of audit services; and Judy Buckingham was re-appointed assistant to the board of regents.

Regents also approved the holiday schedule for SFA for 2006-2007, which will allow SFA to be closed for Labor Day, two days at Thanksgiving, five working days at Christmas, New Year's Day, five working days at Spring Break, Memorial Day and Independence Day.