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College Adds New Faculty Members
(Press Release 08-21-06)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

When classes began for the fall semester at Eastern Oklahoma State College returning students found a number of new faculty members across the Eastern campuses.

Twelve new faculty members including three in the Nursing Division, two in English, one in computer information, one in history/political science one in agriculture, three new faculty members in the math and science area and one in theater.

LEAH SPENCER is the newest addition to the Nursing Department and yet she isn’t completely new to the position. She previously served as one of Eastern’s adjunct nursing instructors. She earned an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Nursing from Murray State College in Tishomingo and a Bachelors Degree in Nursing from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville. Spencer has worked in a variety of nursing and nurse staffing positions for close to thirty years, to include the Choctaw Health Care Center. She currently resides in Heavener.

INGRID RAUNIKAR also joins the Nursing Department as instructor this semester. Raunikar has a master’s degree in nursing with a dual major in nursing administration and oncology nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is working on a doctorate in Applied Science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has also worked nationwide as an oncology supervisor and specialist for more than 12 years. Ingrid’s hometown is Wilburton.

BETTY WHARTON returns to the Nursing department as an instructor. She had previously served there in 2000. Betty has a Bachelors degree in nursing from East Central University in Ada, and her Masters’ of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Wharton recently worked for the Chickasaw Nation Health System as Acting Assistant Chief Nursing Officer. She currently resides in Red Oak.

MIMI BRITON took a position within the Division of Language Arts and Education as a composition and literature instructor for the English department. She holds a master’s of art degree in rhetoric and writing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has served as a staff writer for two Arkansas newspapers and has several radio and conference productions to her credit.

KELLY COCHRAN is also new to the Division of Language Arts and Education as an English instructor. She obtained her Masters degree in English from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Kelly has served as editor of an alternative arts and culture magazine, has authored a novel, and has written a screenplay for a feature film. Kelly currently resides in Poteau.

CARTER MATTSON is the new History instructor for the Division of Social Sciences and Music. Carter is working on his doctorate in history from Oklahoma State University, having completed his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma School of Law. Mattson is originally from Denison, TX, and now lives in the Calera area.

DENNIS MEADOWS is a new math instructor for the Division of Science and Math. He holds a Bachelors degree in Math Education and a Masters degree in mathematics from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Dennis has previously worked as an adjunct instructor for Eastern and for Tushka High School, where he taught high school math and was a varsity basketball coach. Meadows was originally from Atoka.

NEIL ENIS works in the Division of Agriculture as the Horticulture/Environmental Science instructor. He is finishing his Masters degree and has finished his Bachelors degree in Plant and Soil Sciences from Oklahoma State University, stillwater. The majority of his work experience also stems from Oklahoma State University where he worked in plant sciences and plant pathology. Enis resides in Wilburton.

JULIE COLLINS is one of the newest science instructors with the Division of Science and Math. Collins comes to Eastern with a doctorate and Masters degrees in Food Science from Oklahoma State University. Julie’s primary work with the USDA included studies in amino acids, lycopene levels and other health-functional properties in specific fruits. She currently lives in Hartshorne.

ROGER NELSON is the other new science instructor with the Division of Science and Math. Roger is finishing his Masters in Biotechnology from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Nelson finished his Bachelors degree in Biology/Botany from there as well. He has worked as a department chair for Red Oak Public Schools and a science instructor for Carl Albert Junior College in Poteau. Roger is currently from Heavener.

DARREL HAMBRIGHT will be teaching computer information systems classes for the Division of Business. His Bachelors degree is in Business/E-Business from the University of Phoenix. Hambright, from Eufaula, has worked previously in transportation and transportation safety in Indiana and Oklahoma.

Debra Collins Bailey, Theatre Arts instructor, holds her Master of Performing Arts Degree from Oklahoma City University. She has more than 25 years experience in acting, directing, teaching, producing and writing – with several of her plays having been produced on stage. Bailey established Theatre Oklahoma, Inc., a dinner theatre company, in Oklahoma City and The Corner Family Theatre in Shawnee. Over the years she has also worked with various community theatres in McAlester. Bailey was born and raised in Hartshorne.

Caption info: New faculty members for Eastern Oklahoma State College include from front left: Betty Wharton, Julie Collins & Roger Nelson. Second row: Kelly Cochran, Debra Bailey, Leah Spencer and CArter Mattson. Back row: Darrel Hambright, Ingrid Raunikar, Mimi Briton, Neil Enis and Dennis Meadows.