New deans, department chairs, and directors announced

July 9, 2007 -- Arkansas State University’s Division of Academic Affairs and Research has announced the following new appointments as of July 1.  

In the College of Communications, Department of Radio-Television, Dr. Osabuohien Amienyi has been appointed the new chair. Dr. Amienyi succeeds Richard Carvell as chair of the department. Carvell, Radio-Television chair since 1988 and former station manager of KASU, will continue as director of broadcasting and will also continue to serve on the radio-television faculty.

Dr. Amienyi, who holds a doctorate from Bowling Green State University, Ohio, was a film producer and videographer in Nigeria and has worked in radio and television in the United States. He served a Fulbright Fellowship in Malawi in 2005.

In the Department of Communication Studies, Dr. Tom Baglan, a member of  the ASU faculty since 1980, has been appointed the new chair. Dr. Baglan succeeds Dr. Dennis White, who retired at the end of June. Dr. Baglan holds a doctorate from Florida State University.

In the College of Education, Department of Teacher Education, last year's interim chair, Dr. Dianne Lawler-Prince, has been appointed as the new chair, and Dr. Gregory Meeks, last year's interim assistant chair, has been appointed new assistant chair. Dr. Lawler-Prince has been on faculty since 1989 and holds a doctorate in education from Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. Dr. Meeks has been on faculty since 2003 and holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas.

In the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Criminology, Sociology, and Geography, Dr. Troy Adams has been appointed the new chair, succeeding last year’s co-chairs Dr. Gretchen Hill and Dr. Lawrence Salinger. Dr. Adams received his doctorate in Sociology from the University of Michigan in 1990, and he has taught at Eastern Michigan University from 1984-2007. Dr. Adams’ areas of interest include school discipline at the secondary level, discipline policy, school violence, and the impact of race and class on educational attainment.

In the College of Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dr. Debra Ingram, on faculty since 2000, has been appointed the new chair, succeeding Dr. Jerry Linnstaedter, who retired in June. Dr. Ingram holds a doctorate from the University of Memphis.

Finally, in the Independent Department of Military Science, Maj. Jeffrey Helms is the new professor of military science, succeeding Lt. Col. Larry Aikman, Jr. Maj. Helms is a graduate of West Point and is a nationally certified counselor with a master’s degree in counseling and leadership development from Long Island University. He was previously stationed in Germany, and he also served in Iraq.