Wingate welcomes 23 new faculty

Rhonda Naylor
Staff Writer

As the new academic year began, Wingate University not only welcomed new students, but new faculty as well. Along with a freshmen class of about 450 students, Wingate has 23 new faculty members. The new professors filled positions in at least 10 different academic fields. Three of the new faculy members are introduced below.

Dr. John Acquaviva
Sports Sciences
Dr. Acquaviva is originally from Detroit, Michigan. He obtained his Doctorate in Physical Education from the Florida State University, Tallahassee. He then taught at Roanoke College for eight years, earning his tenure. But something was missing and he felt a calling to become a Catholic priest and went to seminary school in D.C. for two years. On a leave of absence, he taught at a northern Virginia Community College, where he not only met his future wife but realized his true passion lay in teaching.
He chose Wingate University because, like Roanoke, he appreciates the student-teacher interaction and small town feel. Dr. Acquaviva was brought in as an Exercise Physiologist and will be teaching related classes. He hopes to get established within his department and mentor students interested in his field. A man of many interests, he is also a certified rugby referee, likes to mountain bike, and has been a drummer for thirty-two years in bands, ranging from classic rock to grunge.

Dr. Delilah Jackson
Pharmacy
Dr. Jackson obtained her Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of South Carolina, Columbia. She was brought in to teach the Pharmacotherapy modules, Patient Communication course, and also precepts 3rd and 4th year students on their ambulatory care clinical rotations off campus. Originally from Greenville, S.C, she chose Wingate University because she agreed with the Dean’s methods of delivering pharmacy education. Dr. Jackson also felt the faculty provided a very supportive atmosphere, key to the success of new professors.
Her desire to shape the pharmacy profession by educating and mentoring future pharmacists led her to teaching. Dr. Jackson credits her success to her past professors and wants to provide the same for generations to come. One challenge she faces is her age. She will have to command respect amongst her fellow peers. Her academic interests include diabetes education and metabolic syndrome. Outside the classroom, she works in a metabolic syndrome clinic to council patients on lifestyle changes to reduce stress and heart attacks. In her off time she enjoys watching SEC football and exploring different Charlotte restaurants. She also recently decided to try her hand at Mauy Thai kickboxing.

Dr. Jason Preszler
Mathematics
Dr. Preszler received his Ph.D. from the University of Utah, where he was a Graduate Teaching Fellow and an Associate Instructor at Westminster College. Dr. Preszler was brought in to teach calculus and statistics classes. He has lived mainly out west in various cities in Washington, California, and Utah.
He became a teacher because he always felt drawn to it and likes to encourage students to find the method behind the math and to think through the problem. He chose Wingate Unverisity because he found it to be a cohesive atmosphere in a pleasant setting. It will be a challenge to him to have a full teaching load this semester. His future education pursuits are in his research of algebraic number theory, one application of which is cryptography, the creation and deciphering of code. In his leisure time, Dr. Preszler is very athletic and enjoys soccer. Another favorite sport he loves is ultimate frisbee.

Other new faculty:
Biology – Dr. Krista Wilson
Chemistry – Dr. Kenneth E. Crook
Communication – Dr. Kara Presnell
Education – Dr. Edward L. Case, Dr. Rick Watkins, Dr. Donal Mulcahy, and Dr. Bill Stegall
History – Ms. Louise Gammons and David Mitchell
PA Program – Dr. David Compton
Pharmacy – Dr. Kira R. Brice, Dr. Alaina Borries, Dr. Tracy S. Hunter, Dr. Angela Pegram, Dr. Kurt M. Reinhart, Dr. J. Andrew Woods, Dr. Nicholas J.D. Wright, and Dr. Susan K. Ziglar
Spanish – Dr. David Barnwell
Voice – Dr. Melinda Lein