College of Education
The College of Education at Tennessee State University is dedicated to preparing the next generation of educators, counselors, and leaders through a culture grounded in excellence, service, and innovation. Offering flexible learning opportunities and a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, the College provides students with the knowledge, support, and real-world experiences needed to achieve their academic goals and make a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.
Directory for College of Education
Departmental Contacts
Education Practice and Leadership
Office of Educator Preparation
Leadership Team
| Picture | Contact |
|---|---|
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Joshua Shive Interim Chair, Psychology ProfessorOffice: I403 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5160 Email: jshive@tnstate.edu |
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Janet Finch, Ed.D. Dean of College Professor Office: E403 Avon Williams Off-Campus Instructional Site Phone: (615) 963-5451 Email: jfinch@tnstate.edu |
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Nicole Kendall Arrighi, Ed.D. Assistant Dean, Teacher Education ProfessorOffice: 351 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5482 Email: nkendall@tnstate.edu |
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Beth Christian, Ph.D. Chair, Education Practice and Leadership ProfessorOffice: H405 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5324 Email: bchristian1@tnstate.edu |
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Debbie Hayes, Ed.D. Director/Program Coordinator/Academic Success Coach Education & Psychology, Adjunct Office: 200 AWC Phone: (615) 963-6915 Email: dhayes36@Tnstate.edu |
College of Education (COE) Offices
| Picture | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
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Mrs. Ruth Gordon Senior Office Assistant, Dean Office |
Office: E403 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5451 Email: rgordon1@tnstate.edu |
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Mrs. Gervaise Clark Administrative Assistant, Education Practice and Leadership Department |
Office: H400 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5465 Email: geclark@tnstate.edu |
Psychology (PSYC)
Main Office: I400 Avon Williams Campus
Phone: (615) 963-5450
| Picture | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
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Lisa de la Mothe B.S., 2001, University of Tennessee at Martin |
Office: H413 AWC Phone: (615) 963-7185 Email: ldelamot@tnstate.edu |
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John Dossett, Ph.D. Associate ProfessorB.S., Ball State University M.S., Ball State University Ph.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
Office: I406 AWC Phone: (615) 963-1559 Email: jdossett@tnstate.edu |
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Richard P. Garvin Jr., Ph.D. Assistant ProfessorB.B.A., Philander Smith College M.A., Fisk University Ph.D., Trevecca Nazarene University |
Office: F412 AWC Phone: (615) 963-7799 Email: rgarvin@tnstate.edu |
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Marie Hammond, Ph.D. Associate ProfessorB.M.E., 1978, Olivet College M.A., 1980, Ph.D., 1999, University of Missouri |
Office: H410 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5191 Email: mhammond1@tnstate.edu |
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Esther M. Lynch, Ph.D. Assistant ProfessorB.S., Utica College of Syracuse University M.S., Tennessee State University Ph.D., Tennessee State University |
Office: K434 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5152 Email: emendez@tnstate.edu |
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Rachel Martin, Ph.D Assistant ProfessorB.S., Fisk University M.S., Lipscomb University M.S., Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Ph.D., Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences |
Office: K435 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5150 Email: rmarti42@tnstate.edu |
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Megan Morrison, Ph.D. Assistant ProfessorPh.D., Southern Illinois University |
Office: G402 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5153 Email: mmorri33@tnstate.edu |
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Robin Oatis-Ballew, Ph.D. Associate ProfessorB.A., 1995, Fisk University M.S., 1998, Howard University Ph.D., 2001, Howard University |
Office: I404 AWC Phone: (615) 963-1558 Email: roatisballew@tnstate.edu |
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Joan Popkin, Ph.D. Associate ProfessorB.S., 1995, University of Tennessee M.S., 1996, University of Tennessee Ph.D., 2002, University of Tennessee |
Office: F403 AWC Phone: (615) 963-1385 Email: jpopkin@tnstate.edu |
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Brooke Rappaport, Ph.D. Assistant ProfessorB.S., Tulane University M.S., Tulane University Ph.D., University of Georgia |
Office: F405 AWC Phone: (615) 963-1569 Email: brappapo@tnstate.edu |
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Lauren Rocha, Ph.D. Assistant ProfessorB.S., The University of Texas at Brownsville M.Ed., Texas A&M University Ph.D., Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi |
Office: I402 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5345 Email: lrocha2@tnstate.edu |
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Joshua Shive, PH.D. Interim Chair, Psychology ProfessorB.S., Truman State University M.S., Purdue University Ph.D., Purdue University |
Office: I403 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5160 Email: jshive@tnstate.edu |
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Amy Sibulkin ProfessorB.A., 1976, Clark University M.S., 1979, Cornell University Ph.D., 1981, Cornell University |
Office: I405 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5088 Email: asibulkin@tnstate.edu |
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Thurman Webb, Ed.D. Associate ProfessorB.S., Tennessee State University M.S., Tennessee State University Ed.D., Walden University |
Office: G403 AWC Phone: (615) 963-1593 Email: twebb@tnstate.edu |
Education Practice and Leadership (EDCI & EDAD)
Main Office: H400 Avon Williams Off-Campus Instructional Site (AWC)
Phone: (615) 963-5465
| Picture | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
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Nicole Kendall Arrighi, Ed.D. Assistant Dean, Teacher Education Professor B.S. 1999, University of Tennessee at Martin
|
Office: 351 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5482 Email: nkendall@tnstate.edu |
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Beth Christian, Ed.D. Department Chair, Education Practice and Leadership ProfessorB.A. 1991, University of Tennessee M.A. 1993, Middle Tennessee State University Ph.D. 2002, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University |
Office: H405 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5324 VSCC Campus: (615) 230-3706 Email: bchristian1@tnstate.edu |
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Kisha Bryan, Ph.D. Associate ProfessorB.A. 1999 Voorhees College M.A.T. 2001, State University of New York Ph.D. 2012, University of Florida |
Office: G405 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5466 Email: kbryan@tnstate.edu |
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Ehichoya Edokhamhen, Ph.D. Assistant ProfessorB.S. 2008, Ambrose Alli University, Nigeria M.A. 2017, East Tennessee State University Ph.D. 2023, East Tennessee State University |
Office: F402 AWC Email: eedokham@tnstate.edu |
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Janet Finch, Ph.D. College of Education Dean/ProfessorB.S., 1972, M.A., 1978, Tennessee State University; Ph.D.,1985, George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University  Celebrating 25 years of Service |
Office: E403 AWC Phone: (615) 963-7038 Email: jfinch@tnstate.edu |
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Kirmanj Gundi, Ed.D. (K-12 Coordinator) ProfessorB.S., 1986, Tennessee State University M.Ed., 1994, Tennessee State University Ed.D., 1998, Tennessee State University |
Office: F409 AWC Phone: (615) 963-2299 Email: Kigundi@tnstate.edu |
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Retta Guy, Ed.D. ProfessorB.A. 1982, University of Kentucky MPA. 1995, Kentucky State University Ed.D. 2004, University of Kentucky |
Office: F405 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5465 Email: rguy@tnstate.edu |
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Donghyun Kang, Ph.D. Assistant ProfessorB.A. 2003, Seoul National University of Education M.Ed. 2007, Seoul National University of Education Ph.D. 2019, Texas A&M University |
Office: E409 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5465 Email: dkang@tnstate.eduFaculty Website |
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Graham P. Matthews, Ph.D. Associate ProfessorB. A. 1969, Central State University M.A. 1970, University of Michigan Ph.D. 1976, University of Michigan M. Div. 1982, Vanderbilt University Divinity School |
Office: F413 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5029 Email: gmatthews2@tnstate.edu |
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Terrance McNeil, Ph.D. Assistant ProfessorB.S., 1994, Florida A&M University M.Ed., 2011, Full Sail University 2018, Florida A&M University |
Office: E-407 Phone: 615-963-2111 Email: tmcneil3@tnstate.edu |
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Robbie Melton, Ph.D. Interim Provost, Interim Vice President/ProfessorEd.S., Wayne State University,1976 Ph.D. University of Michigan, 1979 |
Dr. Robbie K. Melton (615) 963-5301 rmelton@tnstate.edu |
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Trinetia Respress, Ed.D. (Higher Education Coordinator) Interim Graduate Dean/ProfessorB.B.A., 1989, University of West Georgia M.A., 1994, Tennessee Technological University Ed.D., 1997, East Tennessee State University |
Office: Suite 400 Phone: (615) 963-7371 Email: trespress@tnstate.edu |
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Heraldo Richards, Ph.D. Associate ProfessorB.A., 1975, University of Chicago M.A., 1985, University of Michigan Ph.D., 1993, Northwestern University |
Office: H407 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5620 Email: hrichards@tnstate.edu |
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Celeste Williams, Ed.D. ProfessorB.S., 1987, Guilford College M.S., 1995; Ed.D. 2001, Tennessee State University Celebrating 20 years of Service |
Office: H406 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5446 Email: cwilliams@tnstate. |
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Hyeon Jean Yoo, Ph.D. Assistant ProfessorB.S., 2007, M.A. 2010 Gyeongsang National University, South Korea M.S. 2021, Auburn University Ph.D. 2021, Auburn University |
Office: F411 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5470 Email: hyoo@tnstate.edu |
Office of Educator Preparation
Main Office: 350 Avon Williams Campus
Phone: (615) 963-5459
| Picture | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
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Nicole Kendall Arrighi, Ed.D. Assistant Dean, Teacher Education Professor B.S., 1999, University of Tennessee at Martin |
Office: 351 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5482 Email: nkendall@tnstate.edu |
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Ms. Zora Bates Program Coordinator Teacher Education & Student Services (TESS) |
Office: 350 AWC Phone: 615-963-5459 Email: zbates@tnstate.edu |
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Ms. Linda Fair
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Office: 348 AWC Phone: 615-963-4885 Email: Lfair@tnstate.edu |
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Samantha Graves, M.Ed. Data AnalystB.S., Tennessee State University, 1999 M.S., Tennessee State University, 2001
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Office: 349 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5109 Email: sgrave11@tnstate.edu |
GRACIE-OTL Lab
Main Office: Avon Williams Campus, C200
Phone: (615) 963-6915
| Picture | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
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Debbie Hayes, Ed.D Director/Program Coordinator/Academic Success Coach Education & Psychology, Adjunct B.A., 1989, Berry College |
Office: 200 AWC Phone: (615) 963-6915 Email: dhayes36@tnstate.edu |
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Susan Githua, Ed.D. Student Success Specialist/Coach Psychology, Adjunct B.S., 2002, Kenyatta University |
Office: 200 AWC Phone: (615) 963-6921 Email: sgithua@tnstate.edu |