SAU welcomes 21 new faculty members

Southern Arkansas University welcomes 21 new faculty members this year who are entering 12 different academic departments on campus and come from 13 diverse states.

Included in the new faculty is Jennifer Kelton-Huff, program director for SAU’s newest program – Bachelor of Science in Public Health. She comes to SAU from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

The SAU Public Health program starts this fall and is designed to incorporate many disciplines which work together to ensure a community’s health needs are addressed from all angles. In addition to core public health courses, the degree plan includes courses in nursing, biology, psychology, sociology, health sciences, and recreation. The program also incorporates an upper-level public health internship, which emphasizes the importance of community collaboration and SAU’s commitment to meaningful career preparation, skill development, and effective citizenship.

The SAU Department of Nursing also introduced a new department chair over the summer, Dr. Karen Landry, who was formerly department chair and director of nursing at Texas A&M University in Texarkana, Texas.

Brittany Bara brings her diverse theatre teaching experience – acting; directing; voice and movement; and musical theatre – from the University of Pittsburgh to her new role as SAU’s director of Theatre and assistant professor of Musical Theatre.

“We are delighted that such a talented group of new faculty has decided to further their careers at SAU,” said Dr. David Lanoue, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We are proud to be the campus of choice for outstanding scholars and teachers from throughout the United States and around the world.”

Southern Arkansas University is the second largest employer in Columbia County with a total of 430 employees – 176 faculty members and 254 staff members.

The full list of SAU’s new faculty follows: