About Tenure
Academic tenure is a very rare gift of freedoms and responsibilities entrusted to those who have demonstrated sustained academic and professional performance commensurate with high standards. It is the first substantial and high-stakes professional challenge, for the burden of proof lies with the candidate – something that all of those here who have been recommended for tenure know well. In order to be eligible for tenure at the University of Illinois Springfield, candidates must demonstrate and document a clear record of probationary performance that is consistent with the essential marks of the teacher-scholar model. Those marks are (1) a deep commitment to excellence in the art and science of teaching; (2) a lasting commitment to ongoing productive engagement with one’s discipline through inquiry, research, and peer-reviewed scholarship; and (3) a collegial commitment to professional service that will sustain the ideals of our twin professions and the communities within which we live and work.
Those recommended for tenure and recognized today are wonderful exemplars of the teacher-scholar model and the high standards for tenure at UIS.
Thank you: Tenure Review Committee
Sincere thanks to members of the 2020-2021 Tenure Review Committee for their work this year:
- Jim Klein, TRC Chair
- Adriana Crocker
- Patricia Byrnes
- Ranjan Karri
- Chung-wei Lee
- Hanfu Mi
- Frances Shen
Faculty recommended for tenure are listed by college, below. Tenure recommendations are pending final approval by the Board of Trustees at the July 2021 meeting.
College of Business & Management
Frank Nation, Accounting, Economics, & Finance
Professor Frank Nation earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration/Accountancy from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2013. He joined the UIS faculty in 2015.
During the past year, Dr. Nation has concentrated on utilizing the flipped classroom method. He found that this approach engages students with the material far more effectively than traditional methods.
Dr. Nation is developing an experimental research project for which the experiment has been completed and the data collected. With data analysis underway, he hopes to produce a paper that will be targeted to the American Accounting Association journal, Issues in Accounting Education.
Dr. Nation serves his department in many ways and the University as a member of the Campus Senate.
Sudeep Sharma, Management, Marketing, & Operations
Professor Sudeep Sharma earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Washington University St. Louis and joined the UIS faculty in 2015.
Dr. Sharma taught his first online course at UIS, and has continued teaching undergraduate and graduate courses online. Support from COLRS and the Teaching Fellows program helped him learn about many aspects of teaching, such as developing and aligning measurable learning outcomes, and learning about Quality matters certification.
Dr. Sharma’s recent research has examined the effects of individual differences and emotions on negotiation effectiveness. He appreciates the multiple competitive scholarly research grants and the University Scholars award that support his scholarship.
Since arriving at UIS, Professor Sharma has helped design and launch the UIS undergraduate research mentor award. His service highlights also include initiating the CBM faculty Brown Bag Series and streamlining the CBM Assurance of Learning process using online tools.
College of Education & Human Services
Tiffany Nielson, Human Development Counseling
Professor Tiffany Nielson earned a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Counseling from Idaho State University and joined the UIS faculty in 2015.
One of Dr. Nielson’s major roles in teaching has been within the Marital, Couple and Family Counseling concentration. She has taught each of the courses in the concentration, working to streamline and update curriculum to meet accreditation standards.
A recent chapter publication titled Single Subject Design Research, in the textbook Research Design for the Behavioral Sciences: An applied Approach, showcases Dr. Nielson’s focus on research. This book is an important text for counselors, counselor education, and broader behavioral sciences with an intense view into practical applications.
Dr. Nielson’s focus is on action-oriented service to promote social change, such as her role in the CEHS Hazel Dell Partnership Committee. Through collaborative efforts, she has helped coordinate mentoring of select Hazel Dell Elementary School students with HDC students in one of her courses.
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Ping Guo, Computer Science
Professor Ping Guo earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Wyoming in 2014. She joined the UIS faculty in 2015.
Dr. Guo has enriched the UIS computer science curriculum by developing six courses, both graduate and undergraduate, online and on-campus. These courses met a long-standing curricular need and were praised by students. She has achieved and maintained excellent teaching evaluations while holding students to high academic standards.
Dr. Guo has published 12 peer-reviewed research papers and received two external grants from the NVIDIA Corporation and the NSF sponsored XSEDE. She received the UIS Competitive Scholarly Research Grant and CLAS Faculty Scholarly Enhancement Support Grant as well.
Highlights of Dr. Guo’s University and professional service include chairing the UIS Committee on Admissions, Recruitment, and Retention and the Jamie Dehner Scholarship Committee. She has also been invited to serve as an editor, technical committee member, and peer reviewer for some top journals and conferences.
Yanhui Guo, Computer Science
Professor Yanhui Guo earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Utah State University in 2010. He joined the UIS faculty in the Fall of 2015.
As a data analytics expert, Dr. Guo has developed a rich and comprehensive curriculum that balances his teaching interests with the needs of the Computer Science Department. His expertise in artificial intelligence has helped improve UIS’ data analytics program and increase student enrollments.
Since joining UIS, Dr. Guo has published 64 journal papers, 15 conference papers, 2 book chapters, 2 edited books, and accomplished 4 grant funded research projects. He has established himself as a researcher with national and international reputation and has been awarded many regional and global honors.
In addition to his service across all levels of the university, Dr. Guo has rendered extensive service to his profession. He was associate editor for six journals, guest editor for five international journals, committee member for several international conferences, and reviewer for highly reputable international journals.
Stephanie Hedge, English & Modern Languages
Professor Stephanie Hedge earned a Ph.D. in English, Rhetoric, and Composition from Ball State University in 2013. She joined the UIS faculty in 2015.
Professor Hedge has taught eight different writing courses at UIS and directed eight graduate theses to completion. She focuses on integration of knowledge and practice in all her courses, ranging from freshman courses on writing to upper-division courses in digital technologies and graduate-level courses in teaching technologies in English studies.
Dr. Hedge’s scholarship is focused on the role of emergent digital technologies in shaping stories and narratives through gaming, creating communities of practice in writing program administration, and instructor training. She co-edited a peer-reviewed book on table-top roleplaying games, and a textbook intended to serve as the foundation for first-year composition courses at UIS.
As the director of UIS’ writing program, Dr. Hedge has contributing to the professional development of instructors and collaborated with the writing center at UIS. She is an active contributor on department, college, and university committees. Dr. Hedge has also extended her service to a group of writing program administrators across Illinois.
Devin Hunter, History
Professor Devin Hunter earned a Ph.D. in US History and Public History from Loyola University Chicago and joined the UIS faculty in 2015.
Professor Hunter has supervised 22 Master’s theses and projects in his five years at UIS, one of which was selected for the Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award. Dr. Hunter’s classrooms are highly interactive, with open-ended discussions of assigned readings, a diversity of media to engage students, experiential field visits, and virtual guest speakers from all over the country.
Dr. Hunter’s scholarship spans public history, architectural history, historic preservation, and urban history of Chicago. His research on the politics and culture in uptown Chicago is expected to be published as a book; currently under review. Dr. Hunter has collaborated with colleagues from UIC and UIUC in developing projects that integrate Arts and Humanities.
Dr. Hunter’s philosophy is to be an advocate of public history by engaging the public. His most significant contribution has been the establishment of the Sangamon Experience project, and he has also been instrumental in raising donor funds for the Center for Lincoln Studies.
Celest Weuve, Allied Health/Athletic Training
Professor Celest Weuve earned a Ph.D. in Athletic Training from the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2012. She joined the UIS faculty in 2016.
After 5 years, the MATR program will celebrate the graduation of its inaugural class. Dr. Weuve explained that watching these first graduates induces pride, excitement, and hope for their career but also triggers a huge sense of accomplishment for attaining her goal of creating a master’s program!
Dr. Weuve’s greatest scholarly accomplishment has been her groundbreaking research on workplace bullying in athletic training, for which she was a featured presenter at the NATA Annual Symposium. She plans to expand her research to examine the influence workplace conflicts have on intent to leave the athletic training profession.
Dr. Weuve finds mentoring junior faculty to be the most rewarding piece of her service to the University. She enjoys helping and guiding junior faculty as they explore their professional world, discover their voice, and progress.
College of Public Affairs & Administration
Brian Chen, Public Health
Professor Cheng-Chia Brian Chen earned a Ph.D. in Health Behavior from Indiana University and joined the UIS faculty in 2015.
Dr. Chen teaches biostatistics and health economics in the MPH program. In 2017, he received the Burks Oakley II Distinguished Online Teaching Award in recognition of his excellence in online teaching. He has demonstrated success in integrating active learning and problem-based learning into courses.
Dr. Chen developed a sustainable research program focusing on health inequality, health policy analyses, and e-Education in public health. He has published several peer-reviewed journal articles in the International Journal of Health Services, Health Education Journal, and Online Learning Journal; and he has made 37 professional presentations.
Dr. Chen’s diverse service focuses on building sustainable relationships and partnerships with academic instructors, scholars, and public health practitioners. He has been a reviewer for highly reputable journals such as the American Journal of Public Health and British Medical Journal.
Egbe Egiebor, Public Health
Professor Egbe Egiebor earned a Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Maryland in 2011. She joined the UIS faculty in the Fall of 2015.
Professor. Egiebor teaches the core courses in the MPH-Environmental Health Program, including Environmental Toxicology, Environmental Risk Assessment and Risk Management and Communication.
Dr. Egiebor is Co-PI on a $500,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture. She and her team will Investigate the risk of pesticide use and air dispersion in urban agriculture interface communities.
Dr. Egiebor has served in various capacities here at UIS and in the community. As Director of the Environmental Health Program in the Public Health Department, she works with colleagues to help improve enrollment and retention.
Magic Wade, Political Science
Professor Magic Wade earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and joined the UIS faculty in 2015.
Dr. Wade reports her most rewarding course to teach is Urban Problems and Public Policy. Students examine causes and solutions to issues like residential segregation, educational inequity, and urban violence. Online graduate students “Zoom in” from cities all over the Unites States, bringing diverse expertise and backgrounds to bear on these challenging topics.
Examining thousands of statements issued by mayors in response to social unrest over the killings of unarmed Black men in 2014, 2015, and 2020, Dr. Wade’s current research considers how individual-and-city-level characteristics shape the rhetoric that Black women mayors in particular use when discussing race, protests, and policing in their cities.
Dr. Wade served as the Chair of the University Senates Conference unexpectedly during a global pandemic. She has done her best and learned a great deal while performing this valuable service to UIS and the University of Illinois.
Please join us congratulating UIS faculty recommended for tenure this year!