Faculty Engagement

Wise has been president of Pellissippi State Community College since 2011, overseeing the College’s participation in KnoxAchieves, tnAchieves and now Tennessee Promise. He welcomed President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden to campus in January 2015 for the unveiling of America’s College Promise. Wise’s tenure has been marked by his devotion to students, and for good reason. From 2007 to 2011, he served as vice president of the College’s Learning Division, after three years as the department head of Liberal Arts and nine teaching history.

Dr. Leonard Bass is a seasoned faculty and senior administrator with 20 years of experience in higher education.  He has served in various sectors of post-secondary education and in a variety of positions.  Since 2012, he has been serving as the Dean of the Learning Support division on the East and Winter Park Campuses of Valencia College in Orlando, Florida.  In his role, he is responsible for the development of innovative academic support programming and strategic planning efforts aimed at ensuring student learning.  His division is comprised of the Library, Tutoring and Testing, Learning Communities, Supplemental Learning, Service Learning, and all Student Life Skills courses.  

Timothy L. Hall became the 12th president of Mercy College in May 2014. One of his most important priorities has been to improve the success of Mercy students.  In his first three and a half years, freshmen retention improved by nearly ten percent and graduation rates increased by more than twenty percent.

Dr. Nathan Klingbeil is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Wright State University (Dayton, OH).  He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1998.  Prior to joining the Wright State faculty, he worked as a Materials Research Engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. Dr.

Davis Jenkins is a senior research scholar at the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. He works with colleges and states across the country to find ways to improve educational and employment outcomes for students, particularly students of color and those from low-income families.