August 23, 2021 (Jackson, Miss.) - Belhaven welcomed nine new professors to the University. These top professors come from a variety of backgrounds and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with students.
Dr. Sharrieffah S. Bridges, Assistant Professor of Business Administration, earned her Ph.D. from the University of Phoenix and a M.S. in Leadership from Belhaven University. Dr. Bridges believes in lifelong learning; therefore, she is currently working on a M.B.A. in Marketing from California Coast University. Also, she earned a B.B.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Bridges has been married for over 16 years, and her husband has served in many capacities for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.
Candanise Courtney, Instructor of Business Management and Marketing, has over eight years of business management, marketing, human resource, and entrepreneurship experience. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is a Belhaven alumna and earned a M.B.A. with a concentration in human resources. Currently, she is an A.B.D. obtaining a Doctor of Business Administration at Liberty University. She has consulted with over 130 entrepreneurs, facilitated in opening over 42 new business startups, and assisted clients in generating over $5.2 million in capital formation for the state of Mississippi.
Dr. Tangela Hales, Associate Professor of Nursing, joins the nursing faculty bringing more than 15 years of experience in nursing practice and education. She earned a M.S.N. from William Carey University and Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Hales loves traveling, and her goal is to visit all 50 states before 50.She has one son, Myles, who is 22.
Kathy Hammons, Specialty Instructor of Mathematics, has been teaching at Belhaven as an adjunct for the past year and a half and brings her teaching experience of 28 years working at the high school and community college levels.She received a B.S. and M.S. from Mississippi State University. Hammons and her husband, Will, have been married for 29 years and have three daughters.
Dr. Justin Kelly, Assistant Professor of Psychology, has served the past five years working for Granberry Counseling Centers with the Louisiana Baptist Children's Home.Prior to that, he worked in a behavioral health unit for St. Charles Parish Hospital. Dr. Kelly received a B.A. from Delta State University and a M.Div. in Counseling, Th.M., and Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.He has previously served as an adjunct faculty for both New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Hannibal LaGrange University.
Dr. Ariel Kelley, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, received her Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in 2021, where she taught multiple laboratory courses as well as aided in teaching lecture courses while working towards a Ph.D. Her research interest is focused in the field of Physical Organic Chemistry in which she specifically looks at functional groups with ambiguous natures and reactivity. Dr. Kelley hopes to spread her love of chemistry to students via her coursework and encourage them to pursue research at an undergraduate level, similar to her experience at The University of Southern Mississippi where she received a B.S.
Kellis Oldenburg, Assistant Professor of Dance, is a former adjunct instructor of dance for Belhaven University and the University of Southern Mississippi. For the past 13 years, she has been a dance teacher, choreographer, and entrepreneur, working with students ranging from beginner to professional.She received a B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Southern Mississippi and M.F.A. in Dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
David E. Patterson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, previously worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Mathematics at the University of Southern Mississippi. He received a B.A. in English Literature and Criticism from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, a M.S. in Mathematics, and a M.P.H. fromthe University of Southern Mississippi. Outside of academia Patterson has an eclectic background. He served in the U.S. Army at the end of the Iraq War.
Dr. Corky F. Wicks, Instructor and Director of Computer Information Systems Programs, has been teaching at Belhaven as an adjunct for the past two years, and also brings his corporate experience of nearly 30 years in computer information systems. Dr. Wicks received a B.S. from Jackson State University, M.B.A. from the University of Memphis, and Ph.D. from Mississippi State University.
