Craig Wansink

Dr. Wansink is a professor of religious studies. He also serves as the Senior Pastor for the Second Presbyterian Church in Norfolk and is part of the Board of Trustees for the Morningside University.

His areas of research include Comparative Religion, Conflict Mediation, Ancient Christianity and Ancient Roman Imprisonment. He holds a Ph.D, M.Phil and MA from Yale University, an MDiv from McCormick Theological Seminary and a BS from Morningside University. Additionally, he has also studied and worked abroad in Japan (Kansai Gaidai), Jordan (Yarmouk University), Germany (Gottingen University) and Israel (Hebrew University). 

Fun fact about Dr. Wansink - he was a background dancer in Stuttgart Ballet’s performance of Romeo and Juliet” in Osaka, Japan.

Bill McConnell

Dr. McConnell is a professor of education with a concentration in science education. His areas of research include teaching and learning of environmental science. He holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in science education. He also is involved in two environmentally-related grant-funded projects. One project entitled Shared Waters aims to systematically embed environmental education into elementary classrooms in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The other entitled Department of Forestry-funded project. This project aims to utilize community outreach efforts to help map where extreme heat occurs in Portsmouth to help determine areas of critical need. Fun fact about Dr. McConnell - his passion for environmental science education and stewardship grew out of his love of the beach and surfing. Now his whole family surfs and some of his favorite moments have been enjoying the ocean as a family.

Lisa Lyon Payne

Dr. Lyon Payne is a professor of Journalism and Mass Communication. Her areas of research include Public Relations, Media and Communication, and Journalism and Mass Communication. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia, an M.S. from the University of Tennessee and a B.A. from the College of William and Mary. She also has worked as a public relations consultant, research analysts and an Editor of College Media Review. Fun Fact about Dr. Lyon Payne - she enjoys tennis, the beach and time with her husband and two sons.

James Moskowitz

Professor Moskowitz teaches political science. His areas of research include Human Rights and US Foreign Policy and Research Methods - Data Access and Research Transparency (DART). He holds an M.A. from Indiana University and a B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College. He also has served as a debate moderator in local elections and consulted with precinct-level organizers for both parties. He also serves as a proud father and coach in the Great Neck Baseball League and Great Neck Basketball. Fun fact about Professor Moskowitz - his twin brother was a four year starter for the Marlin’s tennis team. Senior year, when the teams scheduled a match in which the brothers would play on the record for the first time, it rained and the match never happened.

Annika Quick

Dr. Quick is a professor of Earth and Environmental Science. Her areas of research takes place at the intersection of hydrology and biogeochemistry, and is particularly interested in human influences on nutrient cycling. She hopes to conduct more research on how aspects of sustainable and livable cities can increase human and environmental health. She holds a Ph.D. from Boise State University and holds a B.S. and a M.S. from Bringham Young University. She also enjoys volunteering with the Elizabeth River Project and Keep Norfolk Beautiful. She also is active in the Society for Freshwater Science and National Association for Geoscience Teachers. Fun fact about Dr. Quick - during her grad school she had a side gig giving tours at a wastewater treatment plant and loved it!

Gavin Pate

Professor Pate teaches English here at Virginia Wesleyan University. His areas of research include Creative Writing, Experimental/Hybrid Literature and Horror Literature. He holds a B.A. from Guilford College and a M.F.A. from Naropa University. He also works with The Muse Writers Center and Novel Writing. He regularly teaches Fiction Writing, American Violence, The Power of Horror and Crime & Noir classes. Fun fact about professor Pate - he is somewhat an irrational fan of both Alabama Football and The Grateful Dead.

Sally Shedd

Sally Shedd received her Ph.D. in Theatre and Film from the University of Kansas and has trained at the National Shakespeare Conservatory and the American Conservatory Theatre. Since coming to VWU in 1999, she has directed a wide range of plays including Into the Woods, Suddenly Last Summer, Medea, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Almost Maine. In addition to theatre courses, Dr. Shedd teaches in Women's and Gender Studies.

Jill Sturts

Jill Sturts is an associate professor and chair in the Department of Sport and Recreation Professions. She received her B.A. from Baldwin-Wallace University, her M.Ed. from Bowling Green State University,and her Ph.D. from Indiana University. Prior to pursuing a terminal degree, she oversaw various programming areas within campus recreation which included intramurals, sport clubs, group exercise, outdoor pursuits, and community leagues at multiple institutions. She served as a faculty member for the NIRSA School of Collegiate Recreation (chair for one year), a board member for The Academy of Leisure Sciences (TALS) and is a member of the editorial board for the Recreational Sports Journal. Dr. Sturts has made several presentations at the local, state, national, and international levels and regularly publishes on topics related to physical activity, competencies in collegiate recreation, and pedagogy within higher education.Â

Elizabeth Malcolm

Elizabeth Malcolm received her B.A. in Environmental Science from Earlham College and her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering. Before joining the faculty at Virginia Wesleyan, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University in the Department of Geosciences. Her research focuses on the environmental transport and chemistry of trace metal pollution, particularly mercury. Several undergraduate students have conducted research in Dr. Malcolm’s laboratory on projects such as the role of sea spray in mercury cycling, the impact of vegetated green roofs on runoff pollution, and the level of mercury in dolphins in Virginia. Dr. Malcolm teaches courses in meteorology, atmospheric science, climatology, and environmental chemistry.