WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Sept. 21, 2020 — West Liberty University welcomed 15 new faculty to the Hilltop this academic year during its opening convocation. New faculty members, their titles and a brief biography include:
Instructor of Psychology Melanie Bassa, St. Clairsville, Ohio earned her bachelor’s from Wheeling Jesuit University and her master’s from Marshall University. A licensed clinical psychologist, she worked in the clinical field for the last 13 years as a contracted professional at mental health facilities in Ohio and West Virginia, and independently, in private practice. In addition to teaching at WLU, she continues to work at Northwood Health Systems, providing psychological services to individuals in need.
Instructor of Finance and General Business Christine “Tina” DeWitt, Glen Dale, W.Va., earned her bachelor’s degree in Finance and General Business and her MBA at WLU. She was formerly the controller for the Community Foundation of the Ohio Valley. DeWitt also is the advisor for the WLU Student Investment Club.
Instructor of Nursing Kelsay Garvin, Bridgeport, Ohio, earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at WLU in 2013. Most recently, she worked at Wheeling Hospital in the cardiovascular department. Prior to that she was employed by Maxim Healthcare of Pittsburgh as a travel nurse and she also worked as a travel nurse in Florida. She is a former member of the West Virginia Army National Guard (2009 – 2016).
Instructor of Exercise Physiology Michael Jarrett, Lexington, N.C. earned two bachelor degrees at Lenoir-Rhyne University (N.C.), one in exercise science and one in physical education K-12, and a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology degree at the University of Nevada (Las Vegas). He is finishing his doctorate of philosophy in Exercise Physiology at the University of North Carolina (Greensboro). A certified strength and conditioning specialist as well as a certified exercise physiologist, he has been an academic instructor for seven years.
Instructor of Finance Michael Jesse, Burgettstown, Penn., earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degree at California University of Pennsylvania. He is a certified public accountant and previously worked as an auditor for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, worked for the Federal government and operated his own tax business. Jesse plans on becoming a certified financial planner in the near future.
Assistant Professor of Speech-Language Pathology Christina Laur, Pittsburgh, Pa., earned her Master of Science in Speech, Language, and Learning degree from Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.), and she holds a certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. She completed undergraduate training in classical and contemporary music, earning her bachelor’s in music at Carthage College. In addition to her clinical and performance training, she is a certified master teacher of voice through Estill Voice International. She maintains a clinical interest in the singing and professional voice and specializes in the treatment of voice and resonance disorders, cleft palate and craniofacial anomalies, vocal health education, and voice training for professionals.
Assistant Professor of Psychology Melissa Magyar, Bryan, Texas, received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. She earned her master’s degree in Forensic Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Magyar completed her doctoral-level work in clinical psychology at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate-level courses at multiple academic institutions. Additionally, she served as an administrator at a county-level juvenile justice agency. Magyar is a licensed clinical psychologist in Texas, where she has owned and operated a part-time private practice for the past three years.
Assistant Professor of Nursing Napatsawan Nugent, Shadyside, Ohio, earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the Thailand College of Nursing and her master’s in family nursing at Burapha University, also in Thailand. She then earned a doctoral degree in nursing at Case Western Reserve (Cleveland). Prior to joining WLU, Nugent was a nurse in the obstetrics department at Wheeling Hospital and worked as an adjunct faculty member at both Ohio University Eastern and WLU. She has clinical experience in Thailand.
Instructor of Nursing Elizabeth Schreiber, Wheeling, W.Va., earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Wheeling Jesuit University and her master’s degree in nursing at The Ohio State University. She previously worked at Thrive in Wheeling and prior to that, she was a Family Nurse Practitioner for University Health Associates in Morgantown, W.Va. Schreiber is a former adjunct faculty member at both Wheeling Jesuit University and WLU. She worked clinically at both Wheeling Hospital and Ruby Memorial Hospital.
Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship Neeley Shaw, Morgantown, W.Va., also serves as the director of the WLU Business Innovation Center. She earned her doctorate in organizational leadership from Northcentral University, an MBA from Waynesburg University, and bachelor’s in finance from West Virginia University. She has been deemed a certified professional by the Society for Human Resource Management. She previously taught at California University of Pennsylvania and Waynesburg University and served as a business coach with the West Virginia Small Business Development Center.
Instructor of Biology Kinsey Skalican-Guthrie, Wheeling, W.Va., earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology and Education degree at WLU and went on to earn two additional degrees here, a master’s in community education and a second one in zoo science. For the past four years, she has been associated with WLU’s Zoo Science program, teaching as an adjunct and an animal care coordinator.
Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Martin White, New Kensington, Pa. is the former Chief of Police at Carlow University (Pittsburgh), director of Public Safety at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins W.Va., detective at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh) and director of training at International Maritime Security Network. He earned his undergraduate criminal justice administration degree from Peru State College (Nebraska), his master’s degree in homeland Security from American Public University and doctoral degree in business administration/homeland security from Northcentral University.
Instructor of Special Education MaED program Matthew Wood, Morgantown, W.Va., earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies at WLU and both bachelor and master’s in history and social studies education along with certification in multi-categorical special education, at Fairmont State University. Prior to joining the WLU faculty, he was employed by Preston and Monongalia County Schools as special education teacher at the middle and high school level. Wood is completing his doctoral degree in special education at the University of Northern Colorado.
Assistant Professor of Speech Language Pathology Carol Zombotti, New Martinsville, W.Va. earned both her bachelor and master’s degree of science in speech pathology at West Virginia University. She is a board-certified behavior analyst and previously worked for 25 years in Wetzel County Public Schools and currently is a consultant for WV Birth to Three and works on an as needed basis at Wetzel County Hospital. Zombotti is completing an online doctoral degree at Rocky Mountain University.