Say hello to Drury’s newest faculty members: New professors explain why they chose to teach at Drury

It is a brand new year at Drury University, but the freshmen aren’t the only ones starting a new chapter of their lives this semester. Drury has welcomed many new faculty members from across the country (and the world!) to continue the tradition of excellence in teaching at the university.

Director of Community Studies

Dr. Sara Khorshidifard is a new face nestled in the Hammons School of Architecture (HSA). Dr. Khorshidifard was raised in the capital city of Iran. She obtained her Master of Architecture from Azad University and a Master of Arts in Landscape Architecture from the University of Tehran’s College of Fine Arts, School of Architecture.

Hammons School of Architecture (Photo via drury.edu)

Dr. Korshidifard also earned her Doctorate in Architecture from the Buildings-Landscapes-Cultures program at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning (SARUP).

At Drury, Dr. Khorshidifard is the director of the HSA’s Center for Community Studies. She teaches the Architectural Design VI Community Studies studio, as well as an architectural programming class.

When asked why she chose to teach at Drury, Dr. Khorshidifard explained, “As a faculty of architecture, I truly believe that spending quality time in teaching and meaningfully engaging students is key. This is especially important in the professional field of architecture where design and design-research with all their social, environmental, and cultural dynamics should be [the] main focus of the education.”

Entry-level physics professor

Residing in the Trustee Science Center this year is Dr. Desmond Villalba. Dr. Villalba will be teaching introductory-level physics courses this fall. He obtained his undergraduate degree from North Georgia College, where he first discovered his passion for science. From there, he went to obtain his Doctorate degree from the University of Alabama.

Trustee Science Center (Photo via drury.edu)

Dr. Villalba is ready to bring his passion for physics to his students, and anyone else who wants to chat.

“Drury reminds me in a lot of ways of my undergrad, with smaller class sizes and friendly faculty,” stated Dr. Villalba. “I liked being able to stop by my professors’ office and talking to them about all manner of things. My feeling and experience so far is that Drury embodies that mindset too! I encourage students to stop on by and we can nerd out about nature!”

Clinical psychologist on campus

Pearsons Hall also has a new addition in their Behavioral Sciences department in the form of Dr. Heather Wadeson. Dr. Wadeson received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Psychology from North Dakota State University. She obtained her Doctorate degree from St. Louis University.

Finally, Dr. Wadeson completed her internship and post-doctoral residency at the Memphis Veteran’s Association, which included a specialty program in Clinical Health Psychology. This semester, she will be teaching Intro to Psychology and Abnormal Psychology.

Dr. Wadeson (Photo via Dr. Wadeson)

Prior to teaching at Drury, Dr. Wadeson worked in community mental health in Joplin, MO. Currently, she has a private practice in Springfield where she does individual therapy and psychological evaluation. She also recently completed training to be a yoga teacher!

Dr. Wadeson hopes to make a difference in the lives of students.

“I came to Drury because I did not feel like I was making a difference in my work. Working in a community mental health setting is a challenge at times, particularly due to socioeconomic issues and severity of under-managed mental health issues. I knew that I needed something different, and I hope that I will be able to make an impact in at least one student’s life during my time at Drury,” said Dr. Wadeson.

More new faculty

Other new faculty include Dr. Connie Dunaway of the chemistry department. They attended Drury College for their undergraduate degree. They obtained their Master’s and Doctorate at the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Emily Kleithermes is a CCPS biology instructor who obtained her degree from Parker College of Chiropractic.

Each new professor is excited to bring new information to the classroom. If you see these faculty members, be sure to stop, say hello, and welcome them to our beautiful campus!

Written by Delilah Gadd.