Lee University Welcomes New Faculty

Lee University welcomes 11 new faculty to campus this fall: one to the Communication Arts Department, two to the Helen DeVos College of Education, one to the Department of Language and Literature, two to the School of Business, three to the School of Music, and two to the School of Religion.

“I am thrilled to welcome this outstanding cohort of new faculty to Lee University,” said Dr. Debbie Murray, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “They bring such a rich variety of experience in higher education and in various professions to our campus.  These individuals are motivated to invest in the lives of their students by teaching, mentoring, and inspiring them, and we can’t wait to see their impact!”

Dr. Brian Mattson joined the Communication Arts Department as an assistant professor of communication. He comes to Lee from Grace Christian University in Wyoming, Michigan, where he created and taught multiple courses in communication, along with creating their Global Communication Program. He currently serves as a freelance content editor and content creator for Zondervan Academic and has previously served as lead pastor at Remedy Church.

Dr. Mattson received a Doctor of Philosophy from Regent University, a Master of Theology from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science from Clarks Summit University.

Dr. Roy Y. Chan is moving from his position as director of LEAP/TRIO Student Support Services at Lee to the Helen DeVos College of Education as assistant professor of education and director of graduate studies in education. Dr. Chan teaches courses at Lee on leadership theory and practice in education, comparative and international education, institutional research, and dissertation writing.

He received a PhD from Indiana University, a Master of Arts (MA) from Boston College, a Master of Education from The University of Hong Kong, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Lynda Bowers comes to Lee as an assistant professor of sports management from Shaw University. She is a former collegiate women’s head soccer coach and a lifelong learner in the areas of sports coaching and sports management. Dr. Bowers is a certified exercise physiologist and has taught courses across the continuum of kinesiology.

She earned a PhD from West Virginia University, a Master of Science in Education from Southern Illinois University, and a BA from Southern Illinois University.

Lindsay Adams joins the Department of Language and Literature as a visiting lecturer in English and creative writing. She is an internationally produced playwright and published essayist, and a resident playwright with the Midwest Dramatists Center. Her creative works have been published in a variety of reviews and journals and she has presented work at various professional conferences.

Ms. Adams earned her Master of Fine Arts from The Catholic University of America and a BA from the University of Missouri.

Dr. Michaelia Black joins Lee University’s School of Business full-time faculty as an assistant professor of accounting. She has taught accounting and other quantitative business courses at Lee since 2013, along with serving the university in various roles in business and finance and as the coordinator of the McNair Scholars’ Program. She is a certified public accountant and member of the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Dr. Black received a Doctor of Education and an Education Specialist Degree from Liberty University, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Indiana Wesleyan University, and a Bachelor of Music Education from Lee University.

Melissa Satta joins the School of Business full-time faculty as a lecturer in marketing after teaching business and marketing part time at Lee for three years. She has held sales positions in several industries, including security, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and biotech throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.  Most recently, Ms. Satta managed her own LLC as a medical distributor operating in the eye care space throughout the local region. 

Ms. Satta earned an MBA from Lee University and a BS from the University of North Carolina, Asheville.

Dr. Brian Reichenbach joins Lee University’s School of Music as an assistant professor of trumpet from Trinity International University, where he taught a variety of music courses and directed both the wind ensemble and the jazz ensemble. While at TIU, he coached chamber ensembles, conducted high school clinics, and co-led domestic and international tours. Dr. Reichenbach has been an established freelance musician in the Chicago area for the past 20 years, performing with numerous ensembles and orchestras and appearing regularly as a guest soloist, clinician, and adjudicator.

Dr. Reichenbach earned a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from the University of Illinois, a Master of Music (MM) from DePaul University, and a Bachelor of Music (BM) from Wheaton College.

Dr. Vanessa Wei joins the School of Music faculty as an assistant professor of piano with a record of distinction and acclaim in solo piano performance and in collaborations with musicians of note. She will teach courses such as applied piano, piano seminar, and piano for ministry. Prior to Lee, she served as a guest professor at China West Normal University, piano faculty at New Tampa Piano and Pedagogy Academy, and various piano teaching assistant instructional roles at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

She earned a DMA from the University of Illinois at Urbana, an MM from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a BM from the China Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Cameron Weatherford comes to Lee from Louisiana College to serve as an assistant professor of choral music in the School of Music. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in choral music, he will conduct Choral Union and Men’s Chorus. In 2017, he received first place in the National American Choral Directors Association graduate conducting competition held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in 2016, he won the Louisiana Young Music Educator Award. He has conducted high school choirs, honor choirs, and adjudicated throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.

Dr. Weatherford earned a DMA from the University of Kentucky, an MM from The University of Mississippi, and a BM from Louisiana College.

Jodie Augustine joins the School of Religion faculty as a lecturer in Greek and Latin. Her research interests include Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy and the minor works of Xenophon. Her teaching experience is concentrated on Greek and Latin at the elementary and the advanced level, and she enjoys teaching both Koine and classical Greek. 

Ms. Augustine earned a BA in theology and humanities from Lee University. She is anticipating completion of her MA as part of a PhD program in Greek and Latin from the Catholic University of America.

Dr. Daniel Glover joins the Lee faculty as an assistant professor of New Testament. He is an NT scholar who specializes in the Acts of the Apostles and the reception of Paul as an author and figure in early Christianity, while retaining a lingering interest in the Gospels and Catholic epistles. He has published several articles in the areas of New Testament, the textual history of the Old Testament, as well as the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.

Dr. Glover earned a PhD at Baylor University, a Master of Theological Studies from Duke University, and a BA from Lee University.