Four Bridgewater College faculty members have been appointed to head up a new divisional structure designed to address major initiatives in the college’s strategic plan.
Bridgewater’s reorganization of its academic departments under four divisions was developed by the college’s office of academic affairs over the course of the 2014-15 year. The new structure will support strategic-plan initiatives including developing new academic programs, intensifying the quality of existing programs, improving pre-professional and graduate school preparation programs, developing new strategies for resource sharing and management, and building opportunities and communication networks for faculty development.
Dr. Phil Spickler, professor of physics, will assume the role of head of the Division of Natural Sciences, which includes the departments of biology, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, physics and psychology. Spickler, who received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Bridgewater College in 1985, also holds a maste’s degree in physics from Ohio University and a Ph.D. in physics from The College of William and Mary. His research interests include spectroscopy, solar physics and acoustics.
Dr. Harriett Hayes, the Lawrance S. and Carmen C. Miller Chair in Ethics, is an associate professor of sociology, department chair and co-director of Academic Citizenship who will now head the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences. The new division includes the departments of history and political science, philosophy and religion, sociology and world languages. Hayes earned her bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College and her master’s and Ph.D. from Brandeis University. At Bridgewater she is adviser for the social work minor, Alpha Phi Omega and the Dialogue Club. Her research experience lies in the area of scholarship of teaching and learning, with a planned project addressing the pedagogies of public discourse.
Dr. Jeffrey Pierson, professor of communication studies, will head the Division of Communications, Fine Arts and Literature, which includes the departments of art, communication studies and theater, English and music. Pierson earned his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University, his master’s from Temple University and his Ph.D. from Rutgers University. His research interests include television, film, popular culture, communication law, argumentation and debate, and international media.
Dr. Barbara Long – an associate professor of health and human sciences, director of the athletic training program and department chair – will head the Division of Professional Studies. The new division includes the departments of economics and business administration, education and health and human sciences. She graduated in 1988 from Bridgewater College with a degree in biology, and holds a master’s degree in sports medicine and fitness management from the United States Sports Academy. She completed her doctor of education degree in organizational leadership from Shenandoah University in 2012. Long’s research experience includes projects and presentations on pathogens in athletic training, hydration levels in athletes and fall prevention in the elderly.
Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,800 undergraduate students.
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