SOUTH BOSTON, Va., August 17, 2007 - Founders College, the innovative four-year liberal arts and business school, today announced the appointment of six new faculty members for the inaugural semester this fall. Collectively, the new faculty members boast more than 100 years of teaching experience at some of the most notable colleges and universities around the world. The new faculty members appointed include:
• Dr. Bryan Niblett, Dean of Faculty, Writing – Dr. Niblett has been on the faculty at the University of Wales, University of Hong Kong, University of Kent, University of California, and Princeton University (Fulbright Fellow). He holds a Ph.D. in physics and a master of science degree in physics from London University as well as a bachelors of science degree, honors physics, from Birmingham University. He has more than 50 years of experience teaching topics in the sciences, law and liberal arts. At Founders College he will supervise faculty and teach writing. He will also provide oversight for literature assignments throughout the curriculum.
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• Dr. Robert Garmong, Ph.D., Philosophy – Dr. Garmong earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from The University of Texas (Austin) and his bachelor of arts degree in political science and economics from The University of Chicago. He has more than 10 years of experience teaching philosophy and graduate level business ethics, and has taught at nationally ranked universities, including both the University of Texas and Texas A&M University.
• Dr. Steven Gedeon, Business, Visiting Professor – Dr. Gedeon has earned his Ph.D. and master’s degrees in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his MBA in strategy and marketing from the University of Toronto, and his bachelor’s degree in industrial and welding systems engineering from Ohio State University. Dr. Gedeon is a professor of entrepreneurship and information technology management at Ryerson University where he teaches the final capstone courses in entrepreneurship, strategy and eBusiness. As affiliated faculty at Founders College, he will guide the development of the business curriculum and launch of the undergraduate programs in entrepreneurship.
• Dr. Michael Kennedy, History – Dr. Kennedy earned his Ph.D. in history from Lehigh University, a master’s in history from Rutgers University, and his bachelors of arts degree in history (magna cum laude) from Seton Hall University. With more than 41 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, Dr. Kennedy has been on the faculty at High Point University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the University of Michigan-Flint, Michigan State University, and Penn State University.
• Ms. Cindy MacMillan, Fine Arts – Ms. MacMillan earned her master of fine arts degree, cum laude, from the New York Academy of Art and her bachelors of fine arts degree from the University of Utah. She has been on the faculty at the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto, Canada, the Richmond Hill Group of Artists, the Children’s Art Program, and the Pleasantville Public School. She has been
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a successful studio artist and art teacher for more than 15 years. Ms. MacMillan has been trained in the classical realist tradition, modeled on the great 19th century academies, at Michael John Angel Studios, where she was later an instructor.
• Mr. Lee Sandstead, Art History – With teaching experience from Montclair State University, Pace University, City College of New York, and Caldwell College, Mr. Sandstead holds a bachelor of science degree in mass communication and a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy, both from Middle Tennessee State University. He has more than 10 years of teaching experience at both the high school and university levels, having taught courses in art appreciation, art history survey, 19th century art, modern art, and American art since 1945. He is also an accomplished photographer and a private guide lecturer at several of the country’s top museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
“Founders did not advertise for faculty, beyond postings on our own Web site. Despite this, we received more than 200 unsolicited resumes from people interested in becoming professors at Founders. Our education model clearly resonates with teachers who love teaching and want to work in a campus environment that prioritizes learning and minimizes all of the distractions that can get in the way of their effectiveness,” says Tamara K. Fuller, Founder’s chairman and chief executive officer. “This group knows the important ideas in their subject area that undergraduates need to learn. Many of them are highly accomplished teachers with impressive career productivity, and all are devoted to continuously improving and teaching in the Founders way.”
The appointment of faculty positions Founders College to reach its goal of welcoming an inaugural class of more than 20 young men and women in the Class of 2011. The administration of Founders College has developed a unique curriculum and student experience that is unmatched in liberal arts higher education. They have also revolutionized how faculty members are held accountable for their performance in the classroom as the college does not offer tenure. Founders College provides contracts of varying lengths and conditions, depending on the individual’s abilities and the college’s needs. They offer competitive salaries and benefits packages, bonuses, performance clauses, and stock options.
“When I heard several months ago that Founders College was to be established in Virginia, I recognized immediately that the imaginative plans of the organizers were those required to invigorate higher education," said Dr. Bryan Niblett, dean of Founders’ faculty. “I share the organizer’s vision of a liberal arts college which, instead of supplying a disparate assortment of unrelated courses, has an integrated core curriculum. Such a curriculum is a springboard, a source of impetus, for any career the students subsequently choose.”
Founders College promises to provide its students with an innovative, one-of-a-kind curriculum in terms of content, logical structure, and teaching methods that trains them to excel as critical thinkers and communicators. The college also provides each student with a private room and bath, extensive leisure facilities, and meals prepared by gourmet chefs. Tuition, room and board total $24,000 to $29,000 per year, depending on scholarships earned.
“This is like no college that has ever existed, and these professors are a critical part of this bold achievement. Under their capable instruction, students who enroll in Founders College will obtain the greatest values an education can provide: the ability to think clearly, an understanding of the world and themselves, and a lifelong passion for learning,” said Fuller.
Founders College received degree-granting authority from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in September 2006.
For more information about Founders, please visit www.founderscollege.com