Comings and Goings
The School of Education hired Robert Bonner as an assistant professor of education. He has been an adjunct instructor in the graduate programs of the university’s School of Education and School of Management since 2002. Robert is entering the university system after teaching 16 years in the public schools in three school districts, the most recent of which was the Forest Grove School District (1998-present), where he served as an instructional coach, classroom teacher and special education teacher. He also has worked as a high school special education teacher during his career. Robert earned a doctorate in education (2006) and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from George Fox (1993). He also holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Bible from Harding University. Robert lives in Newberg with his wife Beth LaForce, a professor in the School of Education. He has three children: Cynthia, a graduate of George Fox; Darrel, a student in the degree-completion program; and Philip, a student at Portland Community College. Robert and Beth attend Newberg Friends Church.
Tom Buchanan joins the School of Education to teach in the MAT program for one year on a half-time basis. He has been an assistant professor of education, music and fine arts at Oklahoma Christian University’s Cascade College campus in Portland for the past 12 years. Before that, he taught high school, middle school and elementary school in the Gladstone School District for 12 years. Tom is currently enrolled in George Fox’s educational foundations and leadership doctorate program (all but dissertation status). He earned initial K-8 licensure from Pacific University in 1995, a master’s degree in teaching from Portland State University in 1987, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Columbia Christian College in 1982. He lives in Tualatin with wife Karen, chair of George Fox’s undergraduate education program. They have two children: Brad, a recent graduate of George Fox, and Danielle, a junior social work major at the university. The Buchanans attend Living Streams Church of Christ.
Eileen Celentano joins the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences as a half-time assistant professor. She has more than 25 years of experience in the fashion industry and has taught fashion design courses since the mid-1990s. Most recently she taught and developed fashion design classes at Portland Community College for the past five years. Eileen also has worked as a gallery assistant at a Portland art gallery (2004-07) and as a costume designer and specialty hat wear designer in Los Angeles. She also has overseen several fashion shows and workshops in Oregon and California. Eileen earned master’s degrees in fine arts and theater from Cal State University Long Beach in 1995 and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from UCLA in 1977. She lives in Lake Oswego with her three sons – Zane, Marshall and Levi. She attends a Christian church in Lake Oswego and frequently visits The Grotto in Portland.
Sarah Gibson has been hired as an assistant professor of media communications. She arrives from Texas, where she was an adjunct instructor at Abilene Christian University last year and owner of a film production studio, Monkey Grinder Studios, for the past four years. She has extensive experience in documentary filmmaking, serving as a director, editor and producer on numerous projects over the past five years. She also has experience editing and directing television shows in the Abilene market. Sarah earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in documentary film production from the University of North Texas in 2008 and a bachelor’s degree in electronic media from Abilene Christian in 2005. She lives in Newberg with husband Paul and attends Newberg Church of Christ.
The Boise Center welcomes a new half-time assistant professor of education, Joanne Gray, this fall. For the past six years, she has worked as a school nurse and as a middle school teacher for the Garden Valley School District in Garden Valley, Idaho. Prior to that, she created and implemented a school-based health program for her rural community in 2002. She also was a medical review nurse, reviewing and adjudicating medical claims, for Blue Cross of Idaho from 1997 to 2000. Before that, she served as a maternal child health nurse for the St. Croix Tribal Health Department in Wisconsin from 1995-97. Joanne earned a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the Boise Center in 2007 and has been working as an adjunct professor for the university’s SPS program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Oregon Health Sciences University at the La Grande campus in 1993. She lives in Garden Valley with her husband of 20 years, Chad, and their two boys, Joseph and Blaze, who are both in high school. They attend St. Jude Catholic Church.
Justine Haigh joins the School of Management as an associate professor of marketing. For the past eight years, she has taught business, marketing and advertising courses at Leeds Metropolitan University in Leeds, England (2008-09) and at the University of Huddersfield in Huddersfield, England (2001-08). She also worked as a senior research assistant through the University of Huddersfield for the Cheshire County Council’s road safety department in the mid-2000s. In the mid-1990s, she worked as a staffing consultant for National Semiconductor and as a sales manager for retail outlet Motherhood, both of Santa Clara, Calif. Justine earned a doctorate in consumer behavior (2008), a master’s degree in innovation and entrepreneurship (1999) and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences (1994), all from the University of Huddersfield. She lives in Sherwood with husband Julian and son Daniel (11).
The School of Management hired Ryan Halley as an associate professor of finance. He arrives from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he was an assistant professor of finance for the past four years. He also has worked as a financial consultant, as an adjunct professor at Lubbock Christian University (2003-04), and as a graduate research assistant at Texas Tech University (2002-04). Ryan earned a doctorate in consumer economics and personal financial planning from Texas Tech in 2005, an MBA from The Ohio State University in 2002, and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in 1999. He holds the Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) designation from the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education. He lives in Newberg with wife Jess and children Megan (9) and Brennan (5).
Michael MacLeod joins the university as an assistant professor of political science, with a specialty in international relations. For the past year, he has been a postdoctoral fellow at Bentley University in Boston, conducting research, writing and teaching on how shareholders and social activists work together to influence corporate behavior on issues such as climate change and human rights. Previously, he served as a visiting professor at Queen’s University and a lecturer at Carleton University, among other appointments. Michael earned a doctorate in political science from George Washington University in 2008 and earlier obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political studies from Queen’s University. He is Canadian and looks forward to winters in Oregon without parkas and snow tires.
The School of Education welcomes Brenda Morton as an assistant professor of education. For the past two years she has been an English teacher and publications adviser at Sherwood High School. Before that, she taught English and social studies for one year at Horizon Christian High School and sixth-grade humanities for three years at Horizon Christian Middle School, both in Tualatin. Brenda earned a bachelor’s degree from Portland State University in 2002 and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from George Fox in 2003. She also completed George Fox’s initial administrative licensure program in 2007. Brenda lives in West Linn with husband Dave and daughters Hannah (15) and Haley (13). They attend Solid Rock Church in Tigard.
Annette Nemetz joins the School of Management as an assistant professor of management. From 2003 to 2008, she was the executive vice president of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide’s global services network in Portland, serving in the areas of general management, strategy, vision and operating leadership. She also was the chief operating officer and senior vice president of Waggener Edstrom’s Microsoft account from 2000 to 2004. Before that, she founded and directed ORA Innovations, Inc., a Portland-based entrepreneurial venture that developed a patented medical device. Additionally, included in her 20-plus years of business and marketing experience, were management positions at Sun Microsystems and Sequent Computer Systems. Annette has been an adjunct professor at George Fox for the past year, teaching strategic thinking and marketing in the MBA program, and is currently earning a doctor of management degree from George Fox. She earned an MBA from Stanford University in 1989 and a bachelor’s degree in materials engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1980. She lives in Sherwood with her husband, Alan Timmins, and their 14-year-old daughter Madeline. They are members of St. Francis Church in Sherwood.
Alison Noble joins the chemistry department as a half-time visiting assistant professor of chemistry. Her professional experience has included industrial, teaching and research positions.  Most recently, Alison worked as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Portland and as a chemistry instructor at Portland Community College; she also has taught for George Fox on an adjunct basis. From 2002 to 2004, she was a senior process engineer at Intel Corporation in Hillsboro and worked in photolithography development. She completed her doctorate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in analytical/materials chemistry in 2002 and has published a number of journal articles on liquid crystalline thin films. Alison graduated from Westmont College with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1997. She lives in Hillsboro with her husband and two children and is an active member at Tualatin Plains Presbyterian Church.
The Department of Clinical Psychology welcomes Winston Seegobin as an associate professor of clinical psychology. He worked most recently at Messiah College, where he was a professor of psychology (2007-09), associate professor of psychology (2001-07) and assistant professor of psychology (1996-2001). He also has done extensive teaching as an adjunct professor in counselor programs at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania and at Caribbean Nazarene Theological College in Trinidad. He also has been a psychotherapist in the Messiah College Counseling Center on a part-time basis since 1997. Winston earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from Central Michigan University in 1996 and holds master’s degrees in clinical psychology from both Central Michigan (1994) and Wheaton College (1987). He lives in Newberg with wife Karen and sons John and Matthew.
After working as an adjunct and visiting professor at George Fox the past three years, Jim Smart has been hired full time as an assistant professor of biology. Prior to his work at the university, where he’s taught foundations of biology, general biology and genetics, Jim was a research instructor at Oregon Health & Science University for three years and, before that, a graduate research assistant at OHSU from 1994 to 2003. Jim earned a doctorate of philosophy in neuroscience from OHSU in 2003, studying how the brain regulates appetite and metabolism. Upon completing his PhD in 2003, he was hired by the Department of Otolaryngology as a research instructor to study the molecular mechanisms of hearing and balance. Previously, he earned a bachelor of liberal studies degree from the University of Montana-Western in 1994. He lives in Tualatin with his wife Kari and three children – Madeleine (6), Isabelle (4) and Nathan (2). The family attends Portland Christian Center. Both Jim and Kari have been to Ukraine on short-term medical missions trips.
Gary Tandy joins the university as a professor of writing/literature this fall. He arrives from Cascade College of Portland, where he was a professor of English for the past 15 years. He also did adjunct work for the University of Phoenix, Concordia University and Warner Pacific College. He was Cascade College’s Faculty Member of the Year in 2001-02. In all, he has more than 30 years experience teaching English at the higher-education level and has corporate experience as a technical and marketing/communications writer. Gary earned a doctorate in rhetoric and writing from the University of Tulsa in 1983 and a master’s degree in English from the University of Tennessee in 1977. He lives in Newberg with his wife, Janet. They have three children – Julia, Jackson, and John Garrison – and attend East County Church of Christ in Gresham.
The School of Education welcomes Waneen White as an assistant professor of education. For the past year, she has been an English to Speakers of Other Languages bilingual faculty member and undergraduate advisor at Western Oregon University in Monmouth. She also has worked as a training instructor for Oxford Seminars on a part-time basis, teaching a course that prepares teachers for overseas positions. She worked for two years in the early 2000s with the Puerto Rico National Guard English Language Center as a communications skills interviewer for the military. Waneen earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Connecticut in 2004.  She lives in Woodburn with her husband, Dr. Caleb Rosado of Warner Pacific College. They attend Woodburn United Methodist Church.
Nicholas Willis returns to Newberg as an associate professor of mathematics. For the past four years he has been an assistant professor of mathematics at Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash. Before that, he worked five years as a graduate part-time instructor at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. This marks a return to the university for Nicholas, who was named the Outstanding Mathematics Student of 2000 at George Fox. He earned a doctorate in mathematics from Texas Tech in 2005, a master’s degree in the discipline from the same school in 2003, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from George Fox in 2000. He lives in Newberg with his wife, Jillian, and baby daughter Lucy. They attend Northside Community Church in Newberg.
Editor’s Note: The university also hired Michael Bevis as director of the English Language Institute. His photo and bio will appear in a future edition.
Kristen Findley (Plant Services) has left the university.
John Taggert (IT) left the university earlier this month.