The Lee University Board of Directors recently awarded promotion in rank to six faculty members. Four faculty were promoted to professor, one was promoted to associate professor, and one was promoted to associate lecturer.

The faculty promoted to professor are Drs. Debra Gladden, Chad Schrock, Randy Sheeks, and John Wykoff.

Gladden, professor of mathematics, joined Lee’s faculty in fall 2010. She has directed programs such as Mentoring Mathematicians in the Making, served on national committees such as the Council for Undergraduate Research, and participated in National Science Foundation sponsored programs such as Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics and ProjectNeXT. Gladden has also directed multiple grants involving undergraduate research and promoting the awareness of the beauty of mathematics among high school students. She has published research in Transactions of the American Mathematical Society, Primus, and International Journal of Geometry, among others.

Schrock, a professor of English specializing in early British literature, joined Lee’s faculty in 2010. In addition to teaching, he is the English literature coordinator in Lee’s Department of Language and Literature. He has articles published on literature from the eighth, 12th, and 14th-21st centuries. His book, “The Consolation of Narrative,” came out from Palgrave Macmillan in 2015, and he publishes and presents scholarship regularly on the intersection of Christianity and literature, especially early British literature from Chaucer to George Herbert.” Schrock is also the secretary of the national organization The Conference on Christianity and Literature.

Sheeks, music and worship professor, joined the faculty of Lee University’s School of Music in 2010 and is the associate dean of the School of Music and coordinator of the undergraduate music and worship program. Prior to Lee, he spent 23 years in local church music ministry. His outstanding leadership in the music and fine arts ministries at three different churches has made him a well-known voice in the world of church music. Since joining the Lee faculty, Sheeks led a team which revamped the music and worship degree, creating a stronger ministry emphasis and connection with the School of Theology & Ministry. Sheeks received the Excellence in Advising Award in 2015, and along with his wife Debbie, he directed the Ladies of Lee women’s choir from 2018-2022.

Wykoff joined Lee University’s School of Music faculty in 2011 and is a professor of music theory and composition. He is an American composer of contemporary classical music. An award-winning composer, Wykoff has received numerous commissions for diverse occasions, including the 2017 presidential inauguration in Washington D.C. His works are performed internationally by top choirs and renowned new music ensembles. In 2023, he will serve as composer in residence for Perform International’s Normandy Festival, which will include the world premiere of a major new choral/orchestral work by Wykoff. His choral music is published exclusively by Walton Music, and his book “The Melodic Voice: Conversations with Alice Parker,” written with Alice Parker and Cameron Labarr, is available from GIA Publications.

Dr. Charlotte Webb was promoted to associate professor of nursing.

Webb joined Lee’s faculty in 2015, bringing 15 years of nursing education experience. She is a family nurse practitioner with experience in the provision of rural healthcare and wellness services. Webb teaches in the BSN, DNP, and Disaster Healthcare Mission Management programs at Lee.  Her focus areas are medication administration safety, clinical outcomes, and concept-based teaching. She has presented on healthcare safety, nursing simulation, and disaster management. Webb currently serves as associate dean of the School of Nursing and is a current member of the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

Kimberly Lyon was promoted to associate lecturer in journalism.

Lyon joined the faculty of Lee’s Department of Communication Arts in 2018, where she teaches courses in journalism, news reporting, and writing for the media. She is also the faculty sponsor for the Lee Clarion, the university’s student-run newspaper. Before becoming faculty, she served an administrative role in overseeing the daily activities and providing support for the departments within Lee’s College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to Lee, she served as a reporter and columnist for the Bradley News Weekly, where she covered local news and school systems with a weekly publication reaching 40,000 readers.