Tim Ezell, Other New Faculty Members Join Missouri Baptist University

Missouri Baptist University is pleased to welcome ten new full-time faculty members to the MBU academic community this fall. Dr. Andy Chambers, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, applauded the caliber and dedication of these new appointments. "I am excited about the professors who are joining the MBU faculty this fall," said Chambers. "All of them are highly credentialed and come with strong recommendations from their colleagues. They possess deep faith and devotion to Jesus Christ and to integrating the Christian faith into their disciplines. They also represent a rich, global diversity that will strengthen our student body."

Tim Ezell, special lecturer of Broadcast Media, received his M.Div. from Covenant Theological Seminary and his B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Louisiana State University. Many St. Louis-area residents recognize Tim Ezell from the St. Louis news channel KTVI Fox 2, where he worked on-air as a feature reporter and morning host from 1998 to 2014. Ezell left to serve as a pastor before returning to St. Louis television in 2016 as co-founder, host, producer and writer of the show "The Thread." Two years later, Ezell rejoined KTVI Fox 2 to reprise his role as feature reporter, where his unique storytelling and uplifting humor encourages St. Louis-area residents every morning.

Dr. Change Tan, professor of Biology and Biochemistry, received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. in Organic Chemistry from Nankai University in Tianjin, China, and she also studied as a postdoctoral fellow for the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Tan served as associate professor in the Division of Biological Studies at the University of Missouri before working as a founder and investigator at the Forest of Life Research and Education Center. Tan's research interests lie in the origin of life and biodiversity, the relationship of organisms, molecular biotechnology method development, reproduction and signal transduction. Tan has written nearly 30 refereed journal articles, including several for the "Answers Research Journal," and is the co-author of "The Stairway to Life: An Origin-of-Life Reality Check."

Dr. Tamrat Gashaw, assistant professor of Economics, holds his Ph.D. and master's degree in Economics from Western Michigan University and his master's degree in International Economics from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. He comes to MBU from both Columbia University and New York University, where he taught economics. While at Columbia, Gashaw led the Fed Challenge Workshop, where his team was among the top four national finalists. His writing has appeared in the book "Faith and Work: Christian Research, Perspectives, and Applications," as well as "The Journal of Economics."

Dr. Felecia Boyd, assistant professor of Education, holds her Ed.D. in Education from Maryville University, a M.A. in School Administration from Lindenwood University and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University. Boyd comes to MBU after serving as an assistant principal at several schools in the St. Louis region. During her years as assistant principal, she implemented a reading and writing workshop model that saw a 20% growth in reading among students. Boyd also implemented conflict mediation strategies that dropped discipline referrals by 57%; increased parent involvement through personal communication, family events and resources; and utilized cognitive coaching to provide staff with instructional support.

Brie Overton, assistant professor of Counseling, is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, where she also received her M.Ed. in Counseling with an emphasis in clinical mental health counseling. Overton was the project supervisor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she supervised and trained masters-level clinical mental health counseling students in grief, loss and bereavement. She also managed the Mid-America Transplant grant and evaluated success, satisfaction and areas of improvement for the program.

Dr. Janna Ramsey, assistant professor of Counselor Education, has a Ph.D. in Clinical Counseling: Teaching and Supervision and a M.A. in Clinical Psychology. Ramsey served as school counselor for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, where she trained staff on mental health in children and classroom discipline, developed a Crisis Aftercare Response Team and counseled students with issues such as depression, anxiety, abuse and neglect, grief and relational aggression.

Dr. Ricardy Pierre, assistant professor of Business Administration and Management, holds his Ph.D. in Management and a master's degree in Information Technology Management from Webster University. Pierre served as doctoral research chair and IT faculty at Indiana Wesleyan University, SPS faculty at Saint Louis University and MBA and MNGT faculty at Webster University. He is the president of Envision Property Group and has served as a consultant for Acclimate International.

Jenna Langrehr, instructor of Nursing, received her MSN from MBU and her BSN from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She most recently served as a registered nurse at Nurses for Newborns, where she provided health and wellbeing assessments and community resources to improve outcomes for mothers and infants. Langrehr also has experience in the Pediatric ICU and the Level III Neonatal ICU at Mercy Hospital, and has worked in the Shriner's Children's Preoperative and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit.

Latiece Washington, instructor of Nursing, received her MSN and BSN from MBU, where she is currently earning her Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership. Washington served as the staff development educator at the Austen Dooley Company, where she oversaw all health policies and programs and conducted assessments, developed care plans and provided education and counseling to patients. She also served as lead nurse case manager at Express Scripts Pharmacy and was the director of nursing for the Bethesda Health Group.

Megan Westjohn, instructor of Social Work, holds her MSW from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and is a licensed clinical social worker. She worked as an adoption social worker and therapist for Christian Family Services, Inc., where she also served as a pregnancy support social worker.

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