Northwestern Welcomes New Faculty

August 22, 2018

            

New faculty members begin the 2018-2019 academic year at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Pictured left to right in the front row are Heidi Ritchie, instructor of nursing; and Dr. Tracy Beedy, assistant professor of agriculture. Second row left to right, Douglas Davidson, research and instructional services librarian and assistant professor of library science; Garret Lahr, instructor of business; Dr. Joseph Paul, associate professor of business; Dr. Jason Ferrell, assistant professor of psychology; and Michael Seth Cudd, instructor of music and director of bands.

Northwestern Oklahoma State University recently welcomed seven new faculty members to campus to begin the 2018-2019 school year. Two new faculty members have been hired in the School of Arts and Sciences, two will be in the School of Education while the remaining three work in the School of Professional Studies.

Short biographies of each faculty member from the School of Arts and Sciences are listed below:

Michael Seth Cudd, instructor of music and director of bands, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in theory and composition from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and a Master of Music degree in composition from the University of Oklahoma. He is on track to complete a Doctor of Philosophy degree in composition from Rutgers University (N.J.) in May 2019. His prior work experience includes serving as a professor at Southwestern Christian University, and director of bands at Okemah Public Schools. He also has served as assistant band director for several public schools.

Douglas Davidson, research and instructional services librarian and assistant professor of library science, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from Oregon State University, a Master of Arts degree in Near and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Library Science degree from Emporia State University (Kan.). He served as a field staff archaeologist with Ethnoscience, Inc., and was a clerk for one year with the Newton Public Library (Kan.). He has held numerous archaeological positions with various companies.

Short biographies of each faculty member from the School of Education are listed below:

Dr. Tracy Beedy, assistant professor of agriculture, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy and a Master of Science degree in soil science, both from Texas A&M University. She also earned a Master of Science degree in agricultural economics and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in crop and soil sciences, both from Michigan State University. She previously served on the faculty at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. She also worked with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Services, was an adjunct professor at Wayland Baptist University (Texas), and a soil scientist with the World Agroforestry Center in Kenya.

Dr. Jason Ferrell, assistant professor of psychology, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a Master of Science degree in psychology, both from the University of Central Oklahoma. He has a Doctor of Philosophy degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Ferrell has previously taught at St. Edwards University (Texas), the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Central Oklahoma.

Short biographies of each faculty member from the School of Professional Studies are listed below:

Garret Lahr, instructor of business, holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Northwestern and a Master of Business Administration degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He served as an adjunct instructor of business at Northwestern during the 2018 spring semester.

Dr. Joseph Sundarraj Paul, associate professor of business, holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Texas A & M University-Commerce, and a Doctor of Business Administration degree in international business management from Argosy University (Fla.). His previous work experience includes serving as an assistant professor at Oklahoma Christian University, and as an adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University.

Heidi Ritchie, instructor of nursing, holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Master of Science degree in Nursing Education from the University of Northern Colorado. Her prior work experience includes serving as assistant chair and instructor of nursing at Northwestern, and instructor of nursing at Northern Oklahoma College.

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