This year, new faculty joins the College of Arts and Sciences.  Professor Jeff Ringer, Dr. Wendy Steinberg, and Professor Alan Wheeler are new additions in the English, Psychology, and Anthropology discipline respectively.  

Professor Ringer, pictured middle, at his wedding

Professor Jeff Ringer is a Lee alum finishing his Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition through the University of New Hampshire while teaching here at Lee.  His dissertation is on Evangelical Identity and Academic Writing, which he says is an important reason he is here.  “Part of the reason that attracted me to coming back here was teaching students who were the subject of my dissertation.  I hope to continue researching and help design courses and programs that involve students and writing majors with research.”

Dr. Steinberg teaching her Statistics class

Dr. Wendy Steinberg, who taught previously at Eastern University, feels her charge is to teach Statistics and Research Methods effectively.  The class is her passion, and as many students are afraid of statistics, her goal is “to help them find it enjoyable, fun, and useful.”  To her, that is the definition of success, and she believes it’s possible. She is the author of Statistics Alive, an introductory text on the subject.

Professor Wheeler with Byamba

If he were to accomplish anything while here at Lee, professor Alan Wheeler says, it would be to give students a broader perspective of the world while encouraging them to draw closer to Jesus.  He always felt called to be a missionary, but God had other plans.  He became an anthropologist because he has a “natural love for the exotic, the distant, the unusual.”  Here, he is pictured with Byamba in one of Mongolia’s remotest regions, only accessible traveling by moose trails for over 100 miles.  The only contact this tribe had prior to Wheeler’s visit was Hungarian scientist 40 years ago. Wheeler is working on a doctorate from the University of Cambridge.

This past July, nine Lee University students participated in the survey and excavation of an important historical site in eastern Tennessee.  Each summer for the past three years, anthropology professor Dr. Richard Jones, and Quentin Bass, Archaeologist for the U.S. Forest Service, have teamed up to teach the Archaeology Field Methods course as an archaeology field school doing real culture resource management projects in the Cherokee National Forest.

This year, Quentin Bass arranged for Dr. Jones and the students from Lee to work under the direction of Brett Riggs and Stephen Davis, both well-known archaeologists from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  The site they worked on was established in the 1830’s as a military camp to keep settlers lured by the gold rush out of Cherokee lands.  During the same decade the fort was used to collect the Cherokee for removal, and, in that sense, it is part of the beginning of the Trail of Tears.

The summer field school participants. Back row, from left to right: Quentin Bass, Stephen Davis, Johann Furbacher, Ward Jones, Lance Greene, Brett Riggs, and Richard Jones. Front row: Sarah Anderson, Ali Carlton, Felicia Wright, Tona Headrick, and Stacy Cohl.

Lee students were trained in a variety of archaeological techniques, after which they assisted in detailed surveying and mapping of the site, and assisted in the excavation of several site features.  One student participant, Stacy Cohl, said about the experience, “We were able to actually dig in the dirt.  What I was expecting was a lot of fetch and carry work.  A lot of ‘Hey you, inexperienced student, haul this dirt over there!’  What I got was completely the opposite.  We, the students, were the ones getting down in the dirt and doing the digging.”

Students also learned that excavating in the Cherokee National Forest involved digging through thick root mats, avoiding yellow jacket nests, getting chigger bites, doing a tick check at the end of each day, and always smothering oneself in insect repellent, which did not seem to deter the mosquitoes. Cohl said, “Despite all the ticks and gnats and rain—and partially because of them—we were able to really experience the field and understand what this ‘archaeology’ thing was all about.  We could actually call ourselves archaeologists by the end of it.”

Dr. Jones said, “Being invited to participate in research at such an important historical site offers an extraordinary opportunity for our students to be involved in significant archaeological research.  At most institutions, undergraduates are rarely afforded such opportunities.”

Students at the salt mines in Germany

This past summer, thirteen trips from various departments inside the College of Arts and Sciences participated in a cross-cultural experience.  Dr. Jeffrey Sargent co-led the third annual Psychology trip to Europe with Dr. Heather Quagliana.  Twenty-nine students visited Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, and were able to see the salt mines of Germany, visit Freud’s office, and attend a lecture at the Carl Jung Institute.  The Italy trip, led by Dr. Matthew Sims and Professor John Simmons, took twenty-two students to Rome, Orvieto, Florence, Venice, and Milan to study Renaissance art, Baroque Italy, and Ancient Rome.

Dr. Donna Summerlin led nine students on the American Ethnic Studies trip which focused on the ethnic diversity of the South, including African American history and the Civil Rights movement.  The Modern Europe trip, led by Dr. Steve Swindle and Dr. Jeff Golden, took twenty-four students to Brussels, Paris, Munich, Salzburg, and Budapest to study Humanities and Political Science; while there they were able to see NATO, the Eagle’s Nest, Dachau, and many museums.

Students at a grill in Hiroshima

Dr. Trevor Milliron and Dr. Robert Fisher led another psychology trip to Japan; twenty-five students traveled for eleven days to Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima, along with some trips into the countryside.  Twenty-five students participated in the Argentina Spanish Institute trip led by Dr. Alexander Steffanell and Professor Carmen Guerrero to Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires.  There, they visited museums and held a language café at the Universidad de la Empresa.

On these trips, students are able to experience life outside of Lee University, as well as become more acquainted with their professors.  Beth Thompson, Director of the Global Perspectives program says, “What better academic pursuit is there than having a student learn hands-on the meaning of their own Christian values and how those relate to another cultural perspective.  As faith based educators we have an ethical responsibility to teach our students there are other ways of knowing and thinking.”

Dr. Richard Jones of the Lee University anthropology program recently published two articles in Twenty-First Century Anthropology: A Reference Book.  The collection, which is edited by Jamie Birx of the Encyclopedia of Anthropology, is put out by Sage Publications and serves as a reference text for undergraduate students seeking a topical overview.  The two-volume collection contains 107 planned essays.

Jones has two essays ready to be published in the collection.  The first, “Kinship Systems”, is an overview of how kinship studies have changed and developed between the late nineteenth century and now.  It deals with marriage, family, and kinship classification systems.  

Jones’ second article, “Values in Anthropology”, discusses what makes anthropology what it is, arguing for it as a science.  Anthropology began as a science and remains one, although it contains humanistic elements.

Forest Service and USDA Archaeologist, Quentin Bass and Lee University Anthropologist, Richard Jones, conducted their second archaeology field school for Lee University students this summer in Cherokee National Forest.

From left to right: Michael Reid, Quentin Bass, Valerie Bronkema, Allison Coggin, Richard Jones

Last year’s field school centered on the relationship between human history and the ecology of the Cherokee National Forest. Students visited museums, historical sites, and made field excursions to various archaeological sites. Students were also given an overview of prehistory in Tennessee and some basic instruction in the identification of stone tools and pottery. This year’s field school focused on clearing and mapping a 19th century cemetery as part of the Forest Service’s commitment to Culture Resource Management in the national forests.

According to Dr. Jones, “Working under the direction of the Forest service, Lee University provides an important public service in the assessment of the condition of historically important cultural resources and aids in their preservation. At the same time, students learn to understand their academic work and public service within the larger context of the relationship between people and their environment over time. “

During July of this year, four Lee students—braving heat, humidity, poison ivy, ticks, and a nest of yellow jackets—learned history, basic mapping skills, and archaeological site survey techniques, while clearing brush from the Price Cemetery. The Cemetery is located along the Ocoee River, near where the Halfway House was located during the height of Copper Mining in the 19th century. Portions of the Old Copper Road are still visible near the cemetery, though the site of the Halfway House is now submerged under Parksville Lake. Students also studied how copper mining, poor land management practices and the construction of dams changed the ecology and landscape of the Ocoee River watershed over the last 200 years.

Students cleared the Price Cemetery site of brush and fallen logs and produced a detailed map of the identifiable graves and grave markers. They also photographically documented all the legible tombstones.

According to Mr. Bass, “Our partnership with Lee University is a great opportunity for students and resource managers to work together to accomplish a common goal. This program offers hands on experience for the students while providing a way to accomplish a variety of much needed work.”

Jones sees the developing and ongoing relationship between the U.S. Forest Service and Lee University, in projects like this, as positive for everyone involved. “The U.S. Forest Service gets volunteer work for important cultural resource projects, and students get valuable archaeological experience. Society benefits from the preservation of its heritage.” He also adds that, “Archaeology is about more than just excavating sites. It is about understanding social history in context so that we can learn from it. In this case, it is about learning how to make better environmental decisions about land and resource usage. Students learning about all of this now will undoubtedly have a big impact on environmental policies in the future.”

University professors Dr. Randy Wood and Dr. Ollie Lee have recently been appointed chairs of the Department of History and Political Science and the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department respectively.

Wood takes his place as department chair after Dr. Murl Dirksen steps down from this post after 14 years of service. “Dr. Wood has coordinated our humanities program for several years and just completed a sabbatical in which he did research for a book on the family,” said Dr. Carolyn Dirksen, vice president of Academic Affairs. “He is an excellent teacher, scholar and administrator, and we believe he is a perfect fit for this position.”

Dr. Ollie Lee will replace Dr. Robert Graham as chair of the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences after Graham accepted a new post at Waynesburg University in Pennsylvania. “Dr. Lee is a veteran administrator at Lee having served as department chair, associate dean, and vice president for Academic Affairs,” said Dirksen. “We are very fortunate to have someone with Dr. Lee’s experience serving in this position.”

This week Lee political science professor Paul Dehart received a Summer Stipend grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This summer the $6000 stipend requires Dehart to dedicate two months solely to his research proposal, which doubles as his next book project. He plans to submit each chapter as an article to peer reviewed journals as he develops the project.

“My deepest thanks to Lee for the university nomination,” said Dehart, “and for supporting my ongoing research this semester with the one-course reduction.”

“I believe this National Endowment for the Humanities grant supporting my own research is also very much a recognition of Lee University as a place where scholarship worthy of national support is being done.”

Paul Dehart, Lee University assistant professor of Political Science, spoke in a live discussion of the Iowa caucuses at Channel 3 on January 23. His position on the importance of the caucuses gave the local broadcast “something that was uniquely theirs.”

Dehart remarked on how fascinating it was to be “on the other side of the camera.” Starting at the early time of 5:45 p.m., the inside of the recording studio appeared tight, bright, and cold, the atmosphere fast-paced and fluid.

“The camera makes it seem larger,” Dehart noted. He almost missed his turn on the mike, and had no time to gather his thoughts. His time on air “felt like 10 seconds.” From Channel 3’s perspective, however, the discussion was a success.

Dehart was expected to discuss the Iowa caucus and its implications the primaries. Dehart said, “Getting all that out would have been impossible.” According to him, “Iowa, as far as caucuses go, is 10% perception.”

“Iowa is not very determinative, but people behave based on what happens, due to how they perceive Iowa,” said the professor, “The media likes to see Iowa as a horserace, which it isn’t. The wins in Iowa are more for minimal victories, and perceptual victories, but large campaign wins are not as affected by this.” “They report it as a horserace,” he said, “and people may begin to respond that way.”

As far as the experience with Channel 3, Dehart “had fun and would do it again.” He anticipated returning to Channel 3 after Super Tuesday for further discussion. Dehart also looked forward to interviewing Christian radio station Moody BS for charity before Super Tuesday.

Lee University’s new Model UN team recently participated in the annual National Model United Nations Conference in New York City. 16 students were led by sponsor Dr. Stephen Swindle.

The students gathered with 3,500 other students from across the nation and abroad to meet and discuss issues that are current and relevant to the nations represented in a format similar to that of the real United Nations.

Each group of students is assigned a country or Non-Governmental Organization to represent throughout the week’s discussions of topics such as the legal aspects of war and occupation. Lee University was assigned to represent the South Pacific island country of Fiji.

While in New York, the students volunteered at an Indonesian church and led worship for the congregation there.

“It was such a blessing to be able to worship with people from another culture. It is amazing how we truly are brothers and sisters—even when they are speaking another language,” said Nancy Cooper, a senior History major who participated in the trip.

At the end of the conference, some of the more than 225 groups participating were honored for their exceptional involvement as Outstanding, Distinguished or Honorable Delegates. Lee University’s group was flattered to be named Honorable Mention Delegates for their first convention.

Submitted by the Office of Public Information