An Athens State University faculty mentor is an experienced and trusted faculty member who works with a first-year faculty member (a.k.a., protégé) participating in the First-Year Faculty Experience. A faculty mentor serves as an available resource, a supportive and friendly guide, a respectful advocate, and an active listener for the protégé.
Vision
The Athens State University First-Year Faculty Experience will become a culture of mentoring faculty members culminating in the long-term success of all faculty members who have participated in the program.
Mission
The program provides a supportive framework for its new faculty members (protégés) to achieve success by strategically assigning mentors to protégés leading to a professionally trusting relationship. Moreover, the First-Year Faculty Experience offers opportunities for protégés to interact across academic departments, colleges, and other university units through engaging, collaborative, informational sessions, and workshops.
Program Goals
- To help new faculty members acclimate to the Athens State academic, administrative, and physical environments.
- To understand the meaning and the execution of effective teaching at Athens State University
- To foster a relationship with a faculty mentor that should be free from scrutiny, creating a relationship in which a new faculty member has a sense of discretion when sharing concerns regarding general or specific aspects of the academic appointment
- To provide a forum through which new faculty members discuss how to promote student success
- To assist in the retention of good faculty members
- To establish a sense of camaraderie among the new faculty members across colleges and appreciation for members of the staff and administration
- To educate new mentors about the mentoring process
- To establish a desire among faculty to serve as a mentor or serve multiple times as a mentor.
Contact Information
Ronald Merritt, PhD
Professor of Mathematics, Department Chair, and FYFE Director- Phone:256-233-6527 Phone:256-233-6527
- Email:Ronald.Merritt@athens.edu
- Department:College of Arts and Sciences
- Office:
Waters Hall, Room S203A
Members of the 2024-25 FYFE Cohort
Danielle Chouinard, CAS
Access & User Experience Librarian/ Assistant Librarian- Phone:256-216-6653 Phone:256-216-6653
- Email:Danielle.Chouinard@athens.edu
- Department:Kares Library
Tammy Clemmons
Assistant Professor of Nursing- Phone:256-233-6523 Phone:256-233-6523
- Email:Tammy.Clemmons@athens.edu
- Department:Nursing
- Office:
Founders Hall 358
Kevin Kelleher, DMA
Assistant Professor of Music Industry Studies- Phone:256-306-2692 Phone:256-306-2692
- Email:Kevin.Kelleher@athens.edu
- Department:College of Arts and Sciences
- Office:
Alabama Center for the Arts – Performing Arts Building, Office 162
Michael Kranz
Instructor of Computer Science- Email:Michael.Kranz@athens.edu
- Department:College of Arts and Sciences
Kendra Lee, PhD
Assistant Professor of Acquisition & Contract Management- Email:Kendra.Lee@athens.edu
- Department:College of Business
- Office:
Sanders Hall
Michael Phillips
Assistant Professor of Accounting- Email:Michael.Phillips@athens.edu
- Department:College of Business
- Office:
Sanders Hall
Derrick Watkins, PhD
Associate Professor of Chemistry- Email:Jason.Watkins@athens.edu
- Department:College of Arts and Sciences
Members of the Calendar Year 2025 Cohort
Jessica Allen
Associate Professor of Psychology- Department:College of Arts and Sciences
Hannah Birchfield, Ed.S.
Master Teacher/Program Coordinator- Phone:256-233-6524 Phone:256-233-6524
- Email:Hannah.Birchfield@athens.edu
- Department:Athens State TEACH
- Office:
Waters Hall, Room S203C
Lionel Holguin
Instructor of Computer Science and Information Technology, Veteran of the United States Army- Phone:256-233-6517 Phone:256-233-6517
- Email:Lionel.Holguin@athens.edu
- Department:College of Arts and Sciences
Sergio Olivares, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Homeland and Corporate Security- Phone:256-233-6533 Phone:256-233-6533
- Email:Sergio.Olivares@athens.edu
- Department:College of Arts and Sciences
- Office:
Sanders Hall
LaToya Solomon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Nursing- Phone:256-233-6543 Phone:256-233-6543
- Email:LaToya.Solomon@athens.edu
- Department:Nursing
- Office:
Founders Hall 358
Christopher Jay Vick
Master Teacher/Recruiter- Phone:256-233-6537 Phone:256-233-6537
- Email:Jay.Vick@athens.edu
- Department:Athens State TEACH
- Office:
Waters Hall, S203B
Baoqiang Yan
Associate Professor of Computer Science and Information Technology- Department:College of Arts and Sciences