Tusculum University academic leaders earn promotions in new structure that meets student and institution needs

GREENEVILLE – Several Tusculum University academic leaders have earned promotions in recognition of their strong performance and ability to help lead Tennessee’s first higher education institution to further success.

Dr. David Cook

Dr. David Cook

The advancements for these experienced professionals were part of a realignment of the academic structure to best meet current needs of Tusculum students and the university. They tap into the strengths of these individuals that will position Tusculum to continue preparing students to be career-ready, civically engaged professionals in today’s education landscape.

“We have outstanding faculty members who have significantly contributed to the active and experiential learning that occurs daily on campus,” said Dr. David Cook, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “Many of them have served in leadership positions at Tusculum and produced excellent results, and we are pleased to recognize them with well-earned promotions. We look forward to seeing them further enhance our academic enterprise so it remains agile and supports our students and workforce needs.”

The new academic leadership team will partner with Dr. Cook to oversee Tusculum’s robust academic programs and help develop additional opportunities to build on the high quality of education the university delivers. The new system is a successor to the previous structure of academic colleges and departments.

The team members and their titles are:

  • Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey, assistant vice president of academic affairs
  • Dr. Nick Davidson, assistant dean of the Sport Studies Division
  • Dr. Robert Gall, assistant dean of the Social Sciences Division
  • Dr. Kurtis Miller, assistant dean of the Humanities Division
  • Dr. Chuck Pearson, assistant dean of the Math and Science Division
  • Dr. Miriam Stroder, assistant dean of the Education Division

The university is engaged in a search for an assistant dean for the Business Division. Dr. Henson-Ramsey is serving in that capacity in the interim. That division has an undergraduate business administration program with multiple majors and a Master of Business Administration degree.

Here is a look at the new leadership team, which will form the membership of the Academic Council chaired by Dr. Cook:

Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey

Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey

Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey

Dr. Henson-Ramsey, who will directly supervise the assistant deans, came to Tusculum in 2019 to serve as dean of the College of Science, Technology and Mathematics. During her Tusculum service, she has helped elevate internal and external knowledge of the university’s extensive undergraduate research, which includes chemistry and biology students examining potential new medications to treat cancer.

She also spearheaded agreements for students to have direct admission into Union University’s College of Pharmacy and a guaranteed interview for admission to Lincoln Memorial University’s physician assistant program and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy.

In addition, Dr. Henson Ramsey has served as Tusculum’s coordinator of career services since 2020. She was a member of the Deans Council and served on Tusculum’s COVID-19 Task Force. She has twice been named the President’s Going the Extra Mile Award recipient, the only Tusculum family member to be selected more than once.

Dr. Henson-Ramsey earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington as well as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a doctorate in population medicine, with an emphasis on toxicology, from North Carolina State University. She enhanced her professional skills by graduating from the Senior Leadership Academy offered by the Council of Independent Colleges and the American Academic Leadership Institute.

She practices part time as a veterinarian at Greene County Veterinary Medical Center.

Dr. Nick Davidson

Dr. Nick Davidson

Dr. Nick Davidson

Dr. Davidson came to Tusculum in 2021 as assistant professor of sport management and a year later, rose to chair of that department, which offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He continues to oversee that program and now leads the university’s various sport science programs as well.

Since 2023, Dr. Davidson has served as faculty athletics representative, with responsibilities for assisting with academic eligibility matters, and is chair of the Athletics Advisory Committee. Dr. Davidson has also served as the developer and advisor of the university’s esports program and been a member of multiple search committees. He volunteers with the Johnson City Parks and Recreation Department.

He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sport management from West Virginia University and a doctorate in that field, with a concentration in sport media and culture studies, from Florida State University.

Dr. Robert Gall

Dr. Robert Gall

Dr. Robert Gall

Dr. Gall joined the Tusculum family in 2016 as chair of the Psychology Department and has achieved the rank of full professor in that field. He retains leadership of that program and now supervises criminal justice, history, museum studies, religion and sociology. Many of these programs are also heavily involved in research activities.

As psychology chair, he developed and launched the industrial/organizational concentration and the neuroscience concentration. He previously served as chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee and is the current chair of the university’s Institutional Review Board, which addresses research activities. He has also been a member of and served as the chair of several search committees. Outside of Tusculum, he has worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, substance abuse counselor and mental health counselor. Additionally, he has provided expert testimony in numerous court cases.

Dr. Gall earned a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a master’s in counseling from Grace University and a doctorate in industrial/organizational psychology from Northcentral University.

Dr. Kurtis Miller

Dr. Kurtis Miller

Dr. Kurtis Miller

Dr. Miller has served on Tusculum’s faculty since 2016 and is an associate professor of communication. In 2021, he was promoted to chair of the newly created Communication and Fine Arts Department. He will still lead those programs and has added English and languages to his leadership portfolio.

During his time as chair, he oversaw the design and launch of the bachelor’s degrees in communication and arts outreach administration. He also assisted with development and implementation of the theater and arts outreach administration concentrations within the communication degree. In addition, he was responsible for the art and design program and its concentrations in studio art, visual communications design and museum studies. He also serves as executive director of Tusculum’s Center for the Arts, coach of Tusculum’s debate team and a trombonist in the Tusculum University Community Band.

Dr. Miller earned bachelor’s in communication, with a concentration in speech and theatre, from Anderson University. He also holds a master’s in communication from the College of Charleston and a doctorate in that academic field from Purdue University. He is a captain in the Army National Guard and has served in Afghanistan and Poland.

Dr. Chuck Pearson

Dr. Chuck Pearson

Dr. Chuck Pearson

Dr. Pearson has been a Tusculum faculty member since 2016, holds the rank of professor of natural sciences and is the Dr. Ronald H. Meen Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. In 2021, he was named chair of the Natural Sciences Department, which encompassed biology, chemistry and physics. Now, he will also oversee the computer science and mathematics programs.

Among his accomplishments at Tusculum was his collaboration with Dr. Henson-Ramsey to design the pre-health seminar course, taken by students in the multitude of sport science programs as well as those in the pre-medical, dental and veterinary concentration of the biology program. He has also worked with the Appalachian College Association to encourage the use of free online textbooks and other educational resources as well as developed his own. He is chair of Tusculum’s Teaching and Professional Growth Committee. Dr. Pearson organizes and serves in leadership posts for middle school and high school quiz bowl tournaments across the country.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a doctorate in biophysics from The Ohio State University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Dr. Miriam Stroder

Dr. Miriam Stroder

Dr. Miriam Stroder

Dr. Stroder served as dean of College of Education prior to this academic structure redesign and is also an associate professor of education. She will continue her oversight of the teacher education programs – interdisciplinary studies on the bachelor’s level, the Master of Arts in Education and Master of Arts in Teaching and special education endorsements.

During her time at the helm of education, Dr. Stroder has built on the strong relationships with partner East Tennessee K-12 school systems for placement of student teachers and hiring of graduates. She also oversaw implementation of two grants from the state that covered the costs for 16 employees of the school systems in Greene and Hawkins counties to earn their master’s degrees. Earlier this year, Dr. Stroder was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors for the Tennessee Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. She also serves on Tennessee Comprehensive Review teams for the state.

Dr. Stroder earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and elementary education from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, a master’s degree in literacy education, with a reading and writing endorsement, from Western Kentucky University and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, with a literacy concentration, from Southern Illinois University.

“This is an exceptional group of academic leaders who will reinforce our mentorship and one-on-one approach to educating students,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “What is particularly appealing about our assistant deans is they are still actively teaching in the classroom. That is helpful because they understand the dynamics of today’s teaching environment and the needs of students and fellow faculty members. We are in good hands with their stewardship of these programs.”

More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.