Directory

Departmental Contacts

Psychology

Education Practice and Leadership

Teacher Education & Student Services

Leadership Team

	Janet Finch, Ed.D. Dean of College  Professor Office: E403 Avon Williams Off-Campus Instructional Site Phone: (615) 963-5451 Email:  jfinch@tnstate.edu
	Nicole Kendall Arrighi, Ed.D. Assistant Dean, Teacher Education Professor Office: 351 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5482 Email: nkendall@tnstate.edu
	Joshua Shive Interim Chair, Psychology Professor Office: I403 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5160 Email:  jshive@tnstate.edu
	Beth Christian, Ph.D.  Chair, Education Practice and Leadership Professor   Office: H405 AWC Phone: (615) 963-5324 Email: bchristian1@tnstate.edu
	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
Robert E. Clay Hall, College of Education Building
Tennessee State University
3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37209

 Map / Directions 

Mrs. Ruth Gordon  
Senior Office Assistant,
Dean Office  

Office: E403 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-5451
Email:  rgordon1@tnstate.edu

Ms. Karen Avant
Administrative Assistant,
Educational Leadership Department

Mrs. Gervaise Clark
Administrative Assistant,
Education Practice and Leadership Department

Office: H400 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-5465
Email:    geclark@tnstate.edu

James Campbell, Ph.D.
Associate Professor 

B.A., 1982, Central State University; M.S., 1984, Oklahoma
State University; Ph.D., 1991, Oklahoma State University

Office: H408 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-5144
Email:  jcampbell21@tnstate.edu

Lisa de la Mothe
Assistant Professor 

B.S., 2001, University of Tennessee at Martin
M.A., 2006, Vanderbilt University
Ph.D., 2008, Vanderbilt University

Office: H413 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-7185
Email:  ldelamot@tnstate.edu

John Dossett, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor

B.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 

Richard P. Garvin Jr., Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor

B.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

Marie Hammond, Ph.D.
Associate Professor 

B.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

Esther M. Lynch, Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor

B.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 

Rachel Martin, Ph.D
Assistant Professor

B.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 

Megan Morrison, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Ph.D., Southern Illinois University

Office: G402 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-5153
Email: mmorri33@tnstate.edu

Robin Oatis-Ballew, Ph.D.
Associate Professor 

B.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

Joan Popkin, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor 

B.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

Brooke Rappaport, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

B.S., Tulane University
M.S., Tulane University
Ph.D., University of Georgia

Office: F405 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-1569
Email: brappapo@tnstate.edu

Lauren Rocha, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

B.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

Joshua Shive, PH.D.
Interim Chair, Psychology
Professor

B.S., Truman State University
M.S., Purdue University
Ph.D., Purdue University  

Office: I403 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-5160
Email:  jshive@tnstate.edu

Amy Sibulkin
Professor 

B.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

Thurman Webb, Ed.D.
Associate Professor

B.S., Tennessee State University
M.S., Tennessee State University
Ed.D., Walden University

Office: G403 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-1593
Email:  twebb@tnstate.edu

Nicole Kendall Arrighi, Ed.D.
Assistant Dean, Teacher Education
Professor

B.S.  1999, University of Tennessee at Martin
M.S.  2000, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University
Ed.D. 2005, Tennessee State University

Office: 351 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-5482
Email: nkendall@tnstate.edu

Beth Christian, Ed.D.
Department Chair, Education Practice and Leadership
Professor

B.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 

Kisha Bryan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

B.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

Sumita Chakraborti-Ghosh, Ph.D. 
Professor 

B.S.  1975, Calcutta University, Calcutta, India
B.S.  1987, Utah State University
M.A.  1979, Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta India
Ph.D. 1998, New Mexico State University

Office: F414 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-5476 
Email:  schakraborti@tnstate.edu  

Soala Dede, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor

B.S., 2004, M.Ed. 2010, Ed.D. 2017, Vanderbilt University

Office: E408 AWC    
Phone: (615) 963-5304    
Email:        sdede@tnstate.edu 

Ehichoya Edokhamhen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

B.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 

Eleni Elder, Ed.D.
Professor 

B.A., 1985, University of Mary Washington
M.Ed., 1998, Virginia Commonwealth University
Ed.D., 2002, Florida Atlantic University

Office: G404 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-7296
Email: ecoukos@tnstate.edu

Janet Finch, Ph.D.
College of Education Dean/Professor

B.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

Kirmanj Gundi, Ed.D.       (K-12 Coordinator)
Professor

B.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

Retta Guy, Ed.D.
Professor

B.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 

Donghyun Kang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

B.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.edu

Faculty Website 

Show Mei Lin, Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor

B.A.     1981  Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan
M.S.W. 1985, California State University, Fresno
Teacher Certification 1997, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Ph.D.    2009 The  University of Oklahoma  

Office: H401 AWC 
Phone: (615) 963-1348 
Email:  slin@tnstate.edu 

Graham P. Matthews, Ph.D.
Associate Professor

B. 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

Terrance McNeil, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor 

B.S., 1994, Florida A&M University
M.Ed., 2011, Full Sail University 2018, Florida A&M University

Robbie Melton,  Ph.D.
Interim Provost, Interim Vice President/Professor  

Ed.S., Wayne State University,1976
Ph.D. University of Michigan, 1979 

Trinetia Respress, Ed.D. (Higher Education Coordinator)
Interim Graduate Dean/Professor  

B.B.A., 1989, University of West Georgia
M.A., 1994, Tennessee Technological University
Ed.D., 1997, East Tennessee State University

Heraldo Richards, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor

B.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

Twianie Roberts, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor

B.S., 1988, Fisk University
M.S., 1990, Tennessee State University
Ed.D., 1993, Tennessee State University

Office: 407 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-2299    
Email:        trober25@tnstate.edu

Eric Vogel, Ph.D.
Professor

B.A., 1971, Louisiana State University at New Orleans
M.Ed., 1974, University of New Orleans
Ph.D., 1983, Florida State University

Office: H409 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-7089
Email:  evogel@tnstate.edu 

Celeste Williams, Ed.D. 
Professor

B.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.

Hyeon Jean Yoo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

B.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

Nicole Kendall Arrighi, Ed.D.
Assistant Dean, Teacher Education
Professor

B.S., 1999, University of Tennessee at Martin
M.S. 2000, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University
Ed.D, 2005, Tennessee State University

Ms. Zora Bates
Program Coordinator 
Teacher Education & Student Services (TESS) 

Office: 350 AWC
Phone: 615-963-5459
Email: zbates@tnstate.edu 

Ms. Linda Fair
Field Placement & Clinical Experience 
Teacher Education & Student Services (TESS) 

Office: 348 AWC 
Phone: 615-963-4885
Email: Lfair@tnstate.edu   

Samantha Graves, M.Ed.
Data Analyst

B.S., Tennessee State University, 1999
M.S., Tennessee State University, 2001

Office: 349 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-5109
Email: sgrave11@tnstate.edu  

Debbie Hayes, Ed.D 
Director/Program Coordinator/Academic Success Coach
Education & Psychology, Adjunct 

B.A., 1989, Berry College
M.L.A.S, 2006, Vanderbilt University
Ed.D., 2021, Tennessee State University 

Office: 200 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-6915
Email: dhayes36@tnstate.edu  

Susan Githua, Ed.D.  
Student Success Specialist/Coach
Psychology, Adjunct

B.S., 2002, Kenyatta University
M.S., 2015, Tennessee State University
Ed.D., 2021, Tennessee State University 

Office:  200 AWC
Phone: (615) 963-6921
Email:  sgithua@tnstate.edu