Tusculum University names chairs for English and Languages and Mathematics and Computer Sciences departments – Johnson City Press (subscription)
Acker
Al-khateeb
Acker
Al-khateeb
GREENEVILLE — Tusculum University has named new chairs for two university departments.
Dr. Anne Acker, an associate professor of English, has been named chair of the higher education institution’s English and Languages Department while Dr. Faisal Al-khateeb, an associate professor of computer science, has been selected as the new chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department.
Acker has served Tusculum in a variety of teaching roles since 2005 and was promoted to associate professor in 2020. Acker teaches British literature and world literature and courses in research, mythology and Shakespeare. Outside the classroom, she has been a member of the university’s General Education Committee since 2018 and vice chair since 2019. She has served as faculty adviser to the English Student Organization since 2017.
“It is no small honor to be chair of English and Languages at Tusculum,” said Wayne Thomas, dean of the College of Civic and Liberal Arts. “These programs have produced some of our most impressive alumni in recent years. Dr. Acker has seen firsthand many exciting ventures in the English and Languages Department and other departments in the college. I know this exciting and healthy culture will continue under her leadership.”
Among the alumni who have earned a degree from Acker’s department is Justin Phillip Reed, who won the National Book Award for poetry in 2018. Other students and alumni have consistently enjoyed seeing their various forms of writing published.Acker is a Johnson City native who has also taught at other higher education institutions in the region. She taught English, art appreciation and Latin to seventh- and ninth-grade students for two years at Tri-Cities Christian Schools. She was also the librarian there for four years, teaching library and research skills and creating and implementing a reading incentive program.
“Tusculum’s English program has excelled at preparing its students to be career-ready professionals in a variety of fields, and I am excited to build on that tradition,” Acker said. “We are a close-knit community with outstanding teachers, and we provide students with hands-on learning so that they can see how the skills we teach can be useful in different professions. I look forward to continuing to serve these students who are so ambitious and creative.”
Acker holds a bachelor’s degree from Milligan College, a master’s degree from East Tennessee State University and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee, all in English. Her concentration for her doctorate was in Renaissance literature and rhetoric, and her dissertation was titled “Identity and Divinity: Self-Knowledge and Sanctification in 16th- and 17th-Century Literature.”
She is a member of the Mythopoeic Society, which helps her further explore her interests in modern fantasy and its mythic roots.
Al-khateeb has served at Tusculum since 2019. During his academic career, which has spanned about 22 years, Al-khateeb has taught a wide range of subjects, including cyber security, e-commerce and managing data communication and networks.
“I picked Dr. Al-khateeb as chair because he has experience in administration at other institutions,” said Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey, dean of the College of Science, Technology and Mathematics. “Dr. Al-khateeb is a strong academic, who puts student needs first and, as an instructor, challenges and engages them. He is respected by the department and will lead with thoughtfulness and fairness.”
Earlier in his career, Al-khateeb served as associate dean and executive director of the Assessment Department for the School of Management at the New York Institute of Technology in the United Arab Emirates and the Management Information Systems track chair for the College of Business and Economics at United Arab Emirates University.
In addition to his work in the classroom, Al-khateeb has experience in the private sector. He is principal and co-founder of Double Facets International Consultancy and consultant and co-founder of International Engineers for Trading.
“Both my U.S. and overseas experiences have given me a broad perspective in working with students, faculty and administrators from different educational institutions,” Al-khateeb said.
I have taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate IT courses using traditional lecture-based and technology-based delivery methods. This teaching method has advanced my teaching flexibility, diversified my educational outlook and has contributed to my dynamic instructional philosophy.”
Al-khateeb said he is excited about serving as chair at Tusculum and highlights the department’s quality.
“The Department of Math and Computer Science at Tusculum has several strengths, including being student service-oriented and trying its best to bring a practical and applied perspective to the classroom by bridging the gap between theory and real industry needs in the market,” he said. “Our faculty in the department put students first and individualize student learning by engaging them in different ways to personalize the educational material delivered.”
Al-khateeb has a doctorate in information systems decision sciences from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
For more information about the department and the rest of the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.
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