Eight new instructors join Dickinson State University for start of fall semester

A total of eight new faculty members will begin teaching for Dickinson State University when fall semester courses begin later this month. Four of the eight individuals will teach for the Department of Fine Arts. The math and computer science, social sciences, business and management and teacher education departments all added one instructor over the summer months.

New to Dickinson State University this year are:

• Cynthia Abts joins Dickinson State

University’s Department of Fine Arts. Abts is working on her doctorate of arts degree from Ball State University with an emphasis in percussion performance and band conducting. She holds a master of music degree in percussion performance from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University in California. Prior to arriving at Dickinson State University, Abts served as an adjunct professor of music at Indiana Wesleyan University. She also served as a doctoral teaching assistant at Ball State University. Abts will serve as an instructor of music at Dickinson State University.

• Dr. Daniel Weir earned his Ph.D. in geography with a minor in anthropology from Louisiana State University in the spring of 2002. He also holds both a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in geography from San Diego State University. Weir has served as a teaching assistant at Louisiana State University, as well as an instructor and lecturer for San Diego State University. He also taught English as a foreign language in both Costa Rica and Mexico. Weir will serve as an assistant professor of geography.

• Lili Stewart graduated from Dickinson State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary art and English and now returns to the university to serve as a lecturer of art. Following her graduation at Dickinson State University, Stewart pursued graduate studies in English at the University of North Dakota. She served as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of North Dakota and for several years was the district-wide art instructor for grades 2-7 within the Dickinson Public Schools. Most recently, she was employed as an art instructor for the Dakota Horizons Youth Center.

• Dr. Koleen Parker earned her doctorate degree in elementary education from Montana State University-Bozeman in 1999. She also holds a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree from Montana State University-Billings. Prior to her arrival at Dickinson State University, Parker was an assistant professor of language arts and children’s literature at Montana State University-Billings. She also has experience as a graduate teaching assistant at Montana State University-Bozeman and as an instructor at Rocky Mountain College. Parker joins Dickinson State University as an assistant professor of education.

• Scott Hanson holds a master’s of accountancy degree from the University of Georgia, as well as a master’s of business administration degree from Golden Gate University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ball State University. Hanson has worked the past six years as the plant controller and administrative manager for Vanguard Plastics, Inc., serving as the senior member of the management team for the $45 million plant. Academically, he has served as an adjunct instructor at Brenau University-Kings Bay, teaching courses in accounting and management for each of the past six years. He has also served as an adjunct instructor at Georgia Military College and at Jones College. Hanson will serve as an assistant professor of accounting at Dickinson State University.

• Marilyn Lee received her master’s of fine art degree from the University of Memphis with an emphasis in photography and printmaking. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Valdosta State University for the past two years and also has served as an adjunct at both the University of Memphis and the Memphis College of Art. Lee also served as the treasurer for Numbers, Inc., a quarterly visual arts publication based out of Memphis. Lee will be an assistant professor of art at Dickinson State University and will also serve as the director of the Dickinson State University Art Gallery.

• Deanna Hafidi is a new instructor of music at Dickinson State University. She is presently pursuing a doctoral degree from the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University. Hafidi holds a master of music education from the University of Hartford and a bachelor’s degree from Western Connecticut State University. She has been a teaching assistant at Temple University for the past two years. She also has experience as a teaching assistant at the University of Hartford and has served as the early childhood music specialist at the Trenton Community Music School’s outreach program and the Falls of Schuylkill Childcare Center.

• Anup Dargar is presently working on a doctorate degree in computer science from North Dakota State University. He holds a master’s degree from Moorhead State University and earned a bachelor’s degree from Bombay University in India. He served as a lecturer at North Dakota State University last year and as a teaching assistant at NDSU for the two years prior to that. In the private sector, Dargar worked for four years as the system analyst for MLC Industries in Mumbai, India. Dargar will serve as an assistant professor of computer science at Dickinson State University.

8/26/02 2:37:56 PM