University awards extended contracts and promotions to faculty
OMAHA, Neb. – College of Saint Mary (CSM) awarded extended contracts and promotion to five faculty members this month. Dr. Amy Knox Brown, director of the English program, and Dr. Jennifer Rose-Woodward, assistant director of the Master of Arts in Teaching program, received extended contracts. Dr. Ganesh Naik, director of the chemistry program, was promoted to professor. Receiving both promotion to associate professor and extended contracts were Dr. Brenda Romero, director of the Spanish and interpreting programs, and Dr. Mary Smith, associate professor of occupational therapy.
Dr. Amy Knox Brown serves as the director of the English program and an associate professor of English. She has taught at CSM since 2012. Dr. Brown received her BFA from Stephens College, MFA from North Carolina State University, Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Juris Doctor degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law. She was recently awarded with Nebraska’s Individual Artist Fellowship Award in Literature, and her book, What is Gone, earned the Nebraska Book Award for Nonfiction Memoir last December.
Dr. Jennifer Rose-Woodward, who has been a faculty member at CSM since 2011, is the assistant director of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program and the associate professor of education. Dr. Rose-Woodward earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education with a minor in psychology from Dana College in 1992, her master's degree in elementary education with a concentration in literacy from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2004, and her doctorate in educational leadership from College of Saint Mary in 2011. She currently teaches Introduction to the Profession, Transition to Practice, and Human Relations. She also serves as a supervisor for student teachers who are completing their clinical work.
Dr. Ganesh Naik, a CSM faculty member since 2007, is the director of the chemistry program and professor of chemistry. Dr. Naik received his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in chemistry from the University of Mumbai, India. He also conducted postdoctoral research at Duquesne University and as visiting faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. Each year, Dr. Naik takes a select group of students from his Earth Wisdom class on a study abroad trip to India, where they explore other culture’s sustainability efforts.
Dr. Brenda Romero serves as the director of the Spanish and interpreting programs and is the associate professor of Spanish. She has been employed as a CSM faculty since 2013. She earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in Spanish from the University of Utah. Dr. Romero recently received the Hispanic Heritage Month Inspiration Award from the Nebraska Latino American Commission. Last year she published an article, “Practicing Spanish with Students in China” about CSM’s virtual classroom exchange program with students in Nanjing, China.
Dr. Mary Smith, associate professor of occupational therapy, has held a CSM faculty position since 2010. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, her master's degree in occupational therapy from CSM, and her doctorate in educational leadership from CSM. Dr. Smith initially taught courses in physical rehabilitation, and is now teaching research and neuroscience. She has been a volunteer for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and current sits on the board of directors.
Each faculty member will be recognized at an event on Friday, May 17.
