Eight New Faculty Join Huntingdon

Huntingdon College welcomes eight new full-time undergraduate faculty as the College prepares for the opening of the fall 2023 semester, Monday, August 7. According to Huntingdon College president J. Cameron West, the faculty members represent additions to the music and political science programs, in addition to new faces among English, psychology, and religion programs. A ninth new faculty member, Dr. Victoria Henderson, will serve as head athletic trainer and will teach and serve as director of preceptor development in the College’s Master of Athletic Training program.

“We are thrilled to welcome these new members of faculty, who bring a wealth of experience earned while teaching in institutions of all sizes,” said President West. “One constant among our alumni of any age and class year is that they will tell you that they learned from wonderful faculty while they were here, and they treasure their relationships with those faculty, who also served as mentors and friends.”

“Among the faculty we introduce this year are two new full-time faculty in the music program as we rebuild the vocal music and music education programs, post-COVID, and answer the call for more faculty in response to our growing bands and numbers of instrumental students,” said President West. “In tandem with our new director of bands, Mr. Anthony Vittore, and his assistant directors, as well as the strong faculty in music we have added during the past three years, we look forward to Smith Hall humming with new and even louder and more exciting music as these programs grow. In addition, we are pleased to add a full-time faculty member in history and political science this year in response to demand from that program, and he brings valuable international experience and perspective to these programs. In the English program, our new faculty continue to build strength in our undergraduate writing and creative writing programs. In religion, the addition of Dr. Joy Moore, a scholar of international acclaim and stature, is a tremendous opportunity for our students and for the United Methodist learning community in general. In psychology, our students will benefit from a new faculty member who is a licensed behavior analyst and who brings not only teaching experience but also working experience in the field of behavioral psychology.”

Dr. Kent D. Bodily joins the Huntingdon College faculty as assistant professor of psychology. Dr. Bodily earned his Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees in experimental psychology at Auburn University and his Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at Utah State University. He served as president of the Southeastern Society Association for Behavior Analysis in 2022 and taught on the faculty of Alabama State University and Georgia Southern University before stepping into the role of clinical director for Growing Independence Behavioral Services (GIBS), the Learning Tree, in Montgomery.

Dr. William Hayter earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in clarinet performance at Texas Christian University; Master of Music in bass clarinet performance at Codarts, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Master of Music in clarinet performance at Texas Christian University; and Bachelor of Music in music education at the University of Houston, summa cum laude. He joins Huntingdon as assistant professor of music, theory and woodwinds, after teaching for Texas Lutheran University, Tarrant County College, Midwestern State University, and Kilgore College, as well as at the middle and high school levels for schools in Texas. He has performed for audiences in the United States, Canada, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Bosnia, Finland, and Spain.

Dr. Joy J. Moore will serve as visiting instructor of religion. Dr. Moore earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in practical theology from Brunel University/London School of Theology in London, England. She earned her Master of Divinity at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and mathematics at the National College of Education in Evanston, Illinois. Seeking to provide opportunities for the Christian hope to be explained and practices, her academic appointments have included vice president for academic affairs and professor of biblical preaching at Luther Seminary; associate professor of practical theology at Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University; assistant professor of preaching and founding associate dean for the William E. Pannell Center for African American Church Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary; and associate dean for lifelong learning at Duke Divinity School, among other appointments. She has written for Sojourners magazine, Christian Century, Good News magazine, and Working Preacher. She can be heard weekly on the Sermon Brainwave podcast.

Dr. William C. Palmer, instructor of language and literature, comes to Huntingdon from a position as visiting assistant professor of English at Bucknell University. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in English at the University of Mississippi, Master of Arts in English at Auburn University, and Bachelor of Arts in English at Birmingham-Southern College. His specialties are race and literature, music and literature, sound studies, and modernism.

Dr. Christopher "Chris" B. Primiano will serve as assistant professor of history and political science. Dr. Primiano earned his Ph.D., Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University. He has served on the faculty of St. Olaf College, Hunter College, Montclair State University, and Rutgers, and was a teaching fellow for the University of Nottingham in Ningbo, China. He served as director of the China and Central Asia Studies Center for KIMEP University in Kazakhstan, and as assistant professor for KIMEP’s Department of International Relations and Regional Studies.

Amy Riddell, instructor of language and literature, earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at the University of Alabama, where she was a graduate Poetry Fellow. Her thesis was recognized with the College of Arts and Sciences’ Creative Thesis Award. A college instructor since 1991, Ms. Riddell has served as a professor at Northwest Florida State College, as an adjunct instructor for the University of West Florida, and as a graduate teaching assistant for the University of Alabama. She has served as poetry editor and managing editor for the Blackwater Review and as director and lead writer of NWFSC's Quality Enhancement Plan.

Dr. R. Scott Sexton joins the faculty as assistant professor of music education and director of choral activities after serving as a lecturer of choral music at Troy University, where he conducted the Troy Collegiate Singers, Concert Chorale, and other choral ensembles. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education at Troy University, Master of Music Education at the University of Mississippi, and Doctor of Philosophy in vocal/choral music education at Auburn University. He has also directed choral music and taught for St. Andrews Episcopal School and McWillie Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi, and served as artistic director, conductor, and piano accompanist for the Mississippi Girlchoir. Dr. Sexton has been awarded travel grants for study in Hungary, Macedonia, and Ghana, West Africa, and was a finalist for state Teacher of the Year in Mississippi in 2019. He is trained in the Kodaly methods of teaching music.

Lauren Veazey, who earned her Bachelor of Arts in mathematics at Huntingdon College in 2015, returns to her alma mater as instructor of mathematics. She earned a Master of Education at Auburn University at Montgomery and has taught mathematics at Billingsley High School since 2015.

Huntingdon College is a coeducational residential liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church offering more than thirty undergraduate programs of study, an Honors Program, Presidential Fellows Program, Kingswood Initiative, choral and instrumental music programs, dance and cheer teams, student organizations including Greek life and Campus Ministries, 21 NCAA-Division III athletic teams, and coed Esports, new for fall 2023. The College also offers the Master of Athletic Training.