S. CHRISTOPHER FULLER

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Dean of The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business, and Professor
cfuller@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1210
Labry Hall, Room 103
Faculty
Office of Academic Affairs
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S., Auburn University
B.S., Auburn University
M.A.M., Auburn University
Ph.D., Auburn University

Dr. Fuller joined the faculty at Cumberland University in the fall of 2010. He has taught most of the math classes offered at CU, as well as programming and statistics in the Information Technology and Master of Public Service Management programs. His area of interest in mathematics is linear algebra and its applications, specifically over an indefinite inner product space, but includes other areas of applied math.

After serving as Interim Dean for a year, Dr. Fuller was named Dean of the Labry School of Science, Technology and Business in 2016.

In 2005, Dr. Fuller graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He was a University Honors Scholar and was chosen by the faculty of the two departments as the top graduate in math and in physics. In 2006, he completed a Master of Applied Mathematics for his work concerning the convergence of the iterative Jacobi method when solving a tri-diagonal system. He received his Ph.D. in May 2010 working with Frank Uhlig. As part of his dissertation, Dr. Fuller solved one of a dozen “Challenges in Matrix Theory” problems published a decade ago. None of the other challenges have yet been solved. While at Auburn, he received the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Teaching Award, the E. Haynesworth Fellowship, and several undergraduate scholarships.

Other than math, Dr. Fuller enjoys traveling and music. He participated in marching and concert bands in high school and college as well as with community groups and was selected for several honor bands including the Alabama All-State concert band playing oboe. He has taught music lessons for piano, woodwinds, and percussion and served as a church pianist and organist for over ten years.

Dr. Fuller and his wife have two sons and live in Lebanon.

LAURIE DISHMAN

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Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness, and Professor of Mathematics
ldishman@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1278
Labry Hall, Room 236
Faculty
Office of Academic Affairs
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S., Carson-Newman College
M.A., Vanderbilt University
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

Laurie P. Dishman earned a Bachelor of Arts from Carson-Newman College (1993) with majors in mathematics and French and a minor in music. She earned her Master of Arts (1995) and Doctor of Philosophy (1998) in mathematics from Vanderbilt University. She began teaching at Cumberland University in August 1998. In 1999, Dr. Dishman also became the Director of the Learning Center @ Cumberland University until 2004 when it closed. From 2008 to 2013, she served as the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLAS). She has been the Program Director for mathematics since 2008. In January 2018, Dr. Dishman assumed the role of Director of Institutional Effectiveness.

At Cumberland, Dr. Dishman has taught many different courses, including Foundations of Scholarship and Learning for new freshmen and mathematics courses at all levels. Her favorite courses to teach are the calculus sequence and Abstract Algebra. She has served on the Faculty Senate, Institutional Effectiveness Committees, the Admissions Committee, the Financial Aid Student Appeals Committee, the Benefits Committee, the University’s curriculum committee, and many others. While Dean of the SLAS, she served on the Deans’ Council, the Executive Management Team, the 2010 SACS Leadership Team, and the 2010 SACS Compliance Audit Committee, as well as various faculty search committees. In 2015, she served on the SACSCOC Fifth Year Report writing team.

Dr. Dishman enjoys taking students to the Mathematical Association of America-Southeastern Section (MAA-SE) conference meetings each spring, where they can participate in many undergraduate activities as well as present their own work in poster sessions or undergraduate talks. Dr. Dishman recently completed a three-year term as the Tennessee State Director (2014-2017) for the MAA-SE.

JAYNE FOREST

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Assistant Professor of Nursing
jforest@cumberland.edu
(615) 453-6353
McFarland Hall, Room 1148
Faculty
The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
A.D.N., Becker College
B.S.N., University of Phoenix
M.S.N., University of Mexico

Jayne Forest is an Assistant Professor joining Cumberland University in 2021. She comes with 10 years of teaching experience and a total of 27 years of nursing experience. She graduated in 1993 with an Associate Degree in Nursing, earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2003, a Master of Science in Nursing in 2009, and is a Certified Nurse Educator.

Jayne’s clinical experience includes Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Cardiac Catheterization Lab, and Interventional Radiology. She also worked as a Legal Nurse Investigator for several years. She is a member of the Tennessee Nurses Association and American Nurses Association.

CLAUDIA DAVIS

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Assistant Professor of Nursing
cdavis@cumberland.edu
(615) 453-6305
McFarland Hall, Room 123B
Faculty
The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
B.A., Coe College
B.S.N., Coe College
M.S.N., Vanderbilt University

Claudia Davis joined the Jeannette C. Rudy School of Nursing at Cumberland University in the fall of 2017. In the BSN program she teaches the Mental Health Nursing Course. Prior to arriving at Cumberland, Ms. Davis taught at Aquinas College where she taught the Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing course in the ASN program, integrated mental health content in the BSN program, and Learning and Self Care in the BSN program. She served on both the college and school of nursing curriculum committees. In addition, Ms. Davis has taught in the Vanderbilt University’s Program in the Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and at Coe College in the BSN program teaching Community Health Nursing, Nursing Theoretical Development, and in the college core courses. Ms. Davis also has served as a staff development instructor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

Ms. Davis has an extensive clinical practice background. She has been a staff nurse in CCU and Cardiac Stepdown Units at VUMC. She implemented a new Nurse Coordinator Role managing the Cardiac Stepdown Unit at VUMC and was the Nurse Coordinator in the pilot Rehabilitation Unit at VUMC that now has become the Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital. Ms. Davis also was a staff nurse and Program Coordinator at Parthenon Pavilion.   

Ms. Davis received a diploma in nursing from St. Luke’s Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. She earned a BA in Sociology and BSN from Coe College. Her graduate education includes an MSN in Medical-Surgical Nursing and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. Ms. Davis also completed a nursing faculty program at the NIMH.

Beth (Rebecca Elizabeth) Chatham

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Associate Professor of Nursing
bchatham@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1360
McFarland Hall, Room 1103
Faculty
The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions
B.S.N., Vanderbilt University
M.S.N., Vanderbilt University
PhD., University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Dr. Beth Chatham began at Cumberland University in 2006 as adjunct clinical faculty in Pediatric Nursing, becoming full time faculty in 2011. Within the School of Nursing Dr. Chatham has taught Pediatric Nursing, Leadership, Research in Nursing, Transcultural Nursing, and Concepts. Dr. Chatham is the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Michael J. Spalding Professorship in Nursing.

Dr. Chatham is a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing with a BSN, and a decade later with an MSN.  She earned her PhD from the University of Tennessee Knoxville where she was presented with the Volunteer of Distinction Professional Promise Award. Dr. Chatham’s research focus is the cultural influences related to healthy weight care in children. Dr. Chatham has published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, Nursing Research, and the Journal of Transcultural Nursing.

Dr. Chatham’s nursing experience has been global, both in specialty areas and location.  She has worked as an operating room nurse at Boston Children’s Hospital, a community health nurse in Mississippi, a certified nurse midwife in the north of England, and a mission nurse in Honduras.

Dr. Chatham was the Maternal/Child Clinical Nurse Specialist at Nashville Metropolitan General Hospital for over 20 years.  While at General, she helped develop the professional ladder program for the nursing department and co-published an article on this program for the Journal Nurse Leader.  Before coming to Cumberland full time, Dr. Chatham was Clinical Educator for Monroe Carroll Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, responsible for nursing orientation and continuing education.

 

MARK CHEATHEM

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Professor of History and Editor of the Martin Van Buren Papers
mcheathem@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1341
Labry Hall, Room 216
Faculty
Presidential Papers, Martin Van Buren
The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
B.A., Cumberland University
M.A., Middle Tennessee State University
Ph.D., Mississippi State University

A graduate of Cumberland University’s undergraduate history program, Mark R. Cheathem received his M.A. in history from Middle Tennessee State University and his Ph.D. in history from Mississippi State University. After serving as an assistant professor of history at Southern New Hampshire University, he returned to his alma mater and is now a professor of history. Cheathem’s main teaching and research interests focus on Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, nineteenth-century politics, southern history, and documentary editing.

Dr. Cheathem is the author or editor of nine books, including two award winners: Andrew Jackson, Southerner (2013 Tennessee History Book Award) and The Coming of Democracy: Presidential Campaigning in the Age of Jackson (2018 Phi Alpha Theta Best Subsequent Book Award). His most recent book is Who Is James K. Polk? The Presidential Election of 1844. Dr. Cheathem has contributed to national and regional media outlets, including the Washington Post, C-SPAN, NBC News, the Los Angeles Times, CTV News, the Associated Press, Voice of America, the Nashville Tennessean, and History News Network

Since 2015, Dr. Cheathem has been the project director and co-editor of the Papers of Martin Van Buren. Housed in Cumberland University’s Vise Library, this project is producing digital and print editions of the eighth president’s papers.

Along with his research, Dr. Cheathem teaches a variety of courses at Cumberland, including Jacksonian America, the American Presidency, Civil War America, Conspiracy Theories in American History, and Documentary Editing.

RACHAEL BIBLE

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Assistant Professor of Anthropology
rbible@cumberland.edu
(615) 453-6401
Labry Hall, Room 217
Faculty
The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
B.A., University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Ph.D., Texas A & M University, College Station

Rachael C. Bible earned her B.A. in anthropology from the University of Tennessee in 2006 when she graduated with honors. She earned her doctorate in anthropology from Texas A&M University in December of 2016, focusing on population dynamics of Neandertals and early modern humans during the Late Pleistocene using ecological niche modeling methods. After earning her PhD, she joined the Biodiversity Institute at the University of Kansas as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. She joined the Cumberland University faculty in 2018. Her teaching responsibilities include courses in anthropology and geography.

Dr. Bible has worked at archaeological digs around the world, including Spain, South Africa, Greece, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Her research interests include Neandertal extinction, population dynamics of the Late Pleistocene, modeling hominin ecological niches, and the influence of climate on hominin distribution.

LAURA BECHARD

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Associate Professor of Biology
lbechard@cumberland.edu
(615) 547-1361
Memorial Hall, Room 309D
Faculty
The Labry School of Science, Technology, and Business
B.S.C., Erskine College
Ph.D., University of Georgia

Dr. Laura Bechard attended Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in music in 2004.  She then moved on to graduate school in the Department of Genetics at the University of Georgia, where she received a PhD in Genetics in 2010.  While pursuing her PhD, she worked in the field of telomere dynamics, with a focus on how telomeres relate to cancer.  After receiving her PhD, she moved to Nashville, where she spent 4 years as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Vanderbilt University, continuing her studies on telomeres.  She has worked at Cumberland University since 2014, where she teaches several biology courses. Dr. Bechard currently serves as President of the Faculty Senate.

JOSEPH BATES

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Assistant Professor of Art
jbates@cumberland.edu
(615) 453-6415
Phoenix Plaza- Art Area
Faculty
The Millard and JJ Oakley School of Humanities, Education and the Arts
B.F.A., Cumberland University
M.F.A., Arizona State University

A Cumberland alumnus, Joseph Bates received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture.  While attending school, he received 1st Place in sculpture for the Artist of the 21st Century, a competition held for the entire Southeast region of America.  He was also featured in an edition of Nashville Arts magazine for his creative Neon lighting concepts.  

After Cumberland, Joseph was accepted to Arizona State University, where he obtained his Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture.  During his stay in Arizona, his proposal for Platform AZ was approved and commissioned to fabricate a 12-foot-tall steel solar powered Rubix Cube that illuminated at night.  Any free time from school went to playing and competing National for  ASU’s disc golf club.