Oxford College Faculty

Oxford College offers an innovative liberal arts curriculum in a small college setting. Professors are committed to the art of teaching and reaching students, and students benefit from our many opportunities to develop their leadership skills.

Oxford Faculty In The News

In addition to being world-class teachers and committed mentors to our students, Oxford’s faculty are at the top of their professions—renowned experts in their fields, tireless researchers working to improve our understanding of the world, and leaders in their communities. We’re proud that outside institutions consistently recognize our faculty members for their knowledge and research achievements.

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Inspired by Tyler Perry, a college professor creates a course about his legacy

NBC News | September 28, 2022

Tameka Cage Conley, an assistant professor of English and creative writing, always had a love and an appreciation for Tyler Perry. So it only seemed natural for her to create a class about his impact on entertainment.

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Comparison of genetic variation between rare and common congeners of Dipodomys with estimates of contemporary and historical effective population size

PLoS One | September 13, 2022

Natalia Bayona Vasquez, assistant professor of biology, published in PLoS One to discuss species the genetic variation between rare and common congeners of Dipodomys and how this effects their population size.

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Painting urges viewers to speak and act as Jesus did in an inhumane world

National Catholic Reporter | September 10, 2022

David B. Gowler is the Pierce Chair of Religion at Oxford College of Emory University and senior faculty fellow, Center for Ethics, Emory University. In this article, Gowler discusses the painting "Christ and the Sinner" by Max Beckmann.

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Back to the Moon, Dog Tears, and Dr. Sarah Fankhauser on Biology!

Apple Podcasts | September 2, 2022

Sarah Fankhauser, associate professor of biology, joins this episode of the Science Pawdcast for the “Ask An Expert” segment.

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Genetic variance and indirect genetic effects for affiliative social behavior in a wild primate

Biorxiv | August 29, 2022

In this pre-print, Emily McLean, assistant professor of biology, engages the ‘animal model’ to estimate both environmental and genetic sources of variance and covariance in grooming behavior in the well-studied Amboseli baboon population in Kenya.

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New local children’s show gives kids room to grow

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | August 22, 2022

Michael Martin, Assistant Teaching Professor of Biology, was profiled in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for his YouTube show, Nature Time, which helps children begin to understand and connect with nature.

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Testosterone may promote 'cuddling', not just violence, animal study finds

Medical News Today | August 17, 2022

Rick Thompson, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, and his wife, Aubrey Kelly, a psychology professor on the Atlanta campus, co-authored a study that was covered by Medical News Today: “Testosterone may promote 'cuddling', not just violence, animal study finds”.

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Tech Trajectories: A Methodology for Exploring the Tacit Knowledge of Writers Through Tool-Based Interviews

Composition Forum | August 12, 2022

Gwendolynne Reid, director of the writing program and assistant professor of English, joins the Composition Forum to discuss the use of the “tool-based interview” (TBI) method by describing its use in the development of journaling.

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Place-Based and Experiential Pedagogies: Teaching radical concepts in social movements and political sociology

Theory in Action | July 31, 2022

Deric Shannon, associate professor of sociology, published in Theory in Action discusses radical ideas in political sociology and social movement studies.

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Legal Tradition — Or Symbol of Subjugation?

Judicature | July 14, 2022

Salmon A. Shomade is associate professor of political science at Emory University and the author of Colonial Legacies and the Rule of Law in Africa (Routledge, 2021), which documents how the legacy of colonialism in five British-colonized nations undermines those nations’ adherence to the rule of law.

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A Place To Sigh

Southern Cultures | July 1, 2022

Molly McGehee, Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Director of the Oxford Center for Teaching and Scholarship, and Associate Professor of English and American Studies, interviewed Atlanta artist Dawn Williams Boyd in a piece called "A Place to Sigh" for a recent edition of Southern Cultures.

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Inside the Minds of Thrill Seekers

WHYY NPR PBS | May 20, 2022

Interim Dean and Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology Ken Carter was interviewed on NPR’s The Pulse podcast: “Inside the Minds of Thrill Seekers”.

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Powered by recent wins, Democrats intensify push for diversity ahead of 2022

ABC News | February 11, 2021

Pearle Dowe, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies, speaks on how Democrats in three states are challenging the play-it-safe primary strategy.

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Powered by recent wins, Democrats intensify push for diversity ahead of 2022

ABC News | February 11, 2021

Pearle Dowe, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies, speaks on how Democrats in three states are challenging the play-it-safe primary strategy.

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Your Partner’s Genome May Affect Your Health

The Scientist | January 5, 2021

Emily McLean, assistant professor of biology, weighs in on a study using data from more than 80,000 couples that finds evidence of indirect genetic effects on traits ranging from smoking habits to mental health.

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OPINION: Oxford College dean seeing hope, healing in purple Georgia

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | December 1, 2020

Oxford College Dean Douglas A. Hicks has surveyed Georgia’s political landscape and finds himself in the enviable place where he sees a lot of purple.

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Politicians and Symbols

The Academic Minute | November 20, 2020

Symbols send a powerful message in American society. Oxford College Dean Douglas A. Hicks examines how politicians use these symbols to convey their own messages.

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Influence of Colonial Legacies on the Rule of Law

The Academic Minute | November 19, 2020

Salmon Shomade, associate professor of political science at Oxford College, discusses how colonial legal structures still hamper African citizens to this day and why the rule of law doesn’t work for those it’s supposed to benefit.

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Documentary Filmmaking

The Academic Minute | November 18, 2020

David Resha, Oxford's associate professor of film studies, explores the beginnings of handheld filmmaking and why this style has become the norm in today's society.

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The Violence of the Law in Early Modern England

The Academic Minute | November 17, 2020

Artists have been commenting on the laws of the land for centuries. Sarah Higinbotham, assistant professor of English, looks back at one time period that parallels today.

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Remote Learning and School Friendships

The Academic Minute | November 16, 2020

Friends are not just nice to have; rather, they are developmentally fundamental, says Catherine Bagwell, professor of psychology.

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A Big Youth Baseball Tournament Was Played in Missouri. Was It Too Soon?

The New York Times | May 12, 2020

Zach Binney, epidemiologist and incoming fall 2020 assistant professor of quantitative theory and methods, is quoted in a New York Times article. Binney also appeared on an issue of the podcast The Full 48 with Howard Beck of Bleacher Report to discuss the return of professional sporting events and specifically the NBA games.

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What's the point of cooking at home anymore?

Adam Ragusea's YouTube Channel | April 22, 2020

Deric Shannon, associate professor of sociology, appeared on You Tuber Adam Ragusea's series. Shannon was interviewed on Oxford's Organic Farm.

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Teens are wired to resent being stuck with parents and cut off from friends during coronavirus lockdown

The Conversation | April 22, 2020

The typical changes that come with adolescence and the developmental tasks that confront adolescents help explain why they’re having a particularly hard time with social distancing, says Catherine Bagwell, professor of psychology.

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Here’s why it is important for India, US to strengthen educational ties amid Covid-19 outbreak

India Today | April 10, 2020

Oxford College Dean Douglas A. Hicks explains why we must keep our eyes on the importance of strengthening India-US educational ties, even in the midst of COVID-19.

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HBCUs are rooted in a space that is edifying, nurturing, and empowering

The Chronicle of Higher Education | April 10, 2020

Pearl Dowe, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies, is the author of an opinion piece published as part of the larger article "How Will the Pandemic Change Higher Education?".

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Personality Plus Plus Plus

Observer Magazine | April 8, 2020

Ken Carter, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology, was interviewed for a Q&A Personality Plus Plus Plus appearing in the April issue of Observer Magazine, a publication of the Association for Psychological Science (APS).

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Should My Family Wear Face Masks to Prevent the Coronavirus?

Parents | April 6, 2020

Should you wear a mask to prevent the transmission of COVID-19? Sarah Fankhauser, assistant professor of biology and infectious disease expert at Oxford College, offers her expertise in this article.

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Quarantine Writing Hour Tips for Writers

Quarantine Writing Hour | April 1, 2020

Ken Carter, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology, appeared on the April 1 Quarantine Writing Hour hosted by Amy Cuddy on her social media accounts.

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Residential Liberal Arts Faculty and the Dissonance of Moving Online

Inside Higher Ed | March 26, 2020

Oxford College Dean Douglas A. Hicks wrote an op-ed piece about how liberal arts college faculty now face the challenge of teaching via modes and methods that they have largely spurned.

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Vaccines didn’t cause my daughter’s arthritis, they saved her life

Healthline | February 5, 2020

Sarah Fankhauser, assistant professor of biology, was interviewed and heavily quoted for an article by Leah Campbell discussing Campbell's 4-year-old daughter's autoimmune condition and vaccines.

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Review: Buzz!: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies

San Francisco Book Review | January 29, 2020

Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology Ken Carter's book "Buzz!: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies" is reviewed by San Francisco Book Review.

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3 quotes that defined the first Democratic debate of 2020

The Conversation | January 15, 2020

Pearl Dowe, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies, co-authored an article that originally ran in The Conversation and was picked up and appeared in the Beaumont Enterprise, EconoTimes, The Hour, Patch, Salon, Raw Story Pennsylvania Capital-Star, and Wall Street Window.