Meet the New Faculty: An Exceptional Cohort Joins the Fisk Faculty
Behind every great university, stands a dynamic and dedicated Faculty. The Faculty is a carefully selected assemblage of professionals dedicated not only to educating students and producing the next generation of leaders, but also to generating groundbreaking research, and rigorously upholding the standards and integrity of the academy’s sacred traditions. Our Faculty is also committed to ensuring every aspect of its teaching and learning supports the University’s mission to substantively contribute to society.
Please join us in welcoming an outstanding coterie of 8 new members to our elite Faculty assembly. These new members of our Fisk family bring extraordinary pedagogical and scholarly creativity across a range of disciplines and subject areas. Each of our newest members enhances the diversity of our academic community, and their unique contribution will help the University to expand its historic role as a leader in both the liberal arts and sciences.
With the newest additions to our faculty, Fisk University continues in its commitment to enhance teaching and mentorship for our students, while also adding depth and breadth to our wide range of research areas. Please get to know more about our newest faculty members and all about their exciting work below:
Anne Roberts
Assistant Professor of Education
Dr. Roberts completed her B.A. in Linguistics (2010) and her M.Ed. (2015) from the University of Mary Washington. She is certified to teach English, as well as Gifted Education. She worked as a gifted education specialist and Advanced English teacher. While teaching, she implemented a MakerSpace in her school system, started the county’s Destination Imagination program and served as the county coordinator. Anne has taught multiple Summer enrichment programs in Robotics and Programming. Dr. Roberts has also presented at local, national, and international conferences on STEM, Gifted Education, and literacy topics. Her research interests include teacher perceptions of curiosity & creativity and women in STEM.
Oghenovo A. Obrimah, PhD
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
Dr. Oghenovo Obrimah completed his Ph.D. in Business & Management, with a concentration in Finance, and sub-concentration in Economics from the RH Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park USA. His Ph.D. dissertation, titled, ‘Essays on Venture Capitalists’ Asset Allocation Decisions’ is recognized by the Financial Management Association (FMA) as one of the best dissertations completed during the 2004/05 academic year. He graduated with First Class Honors (the equivalent of Summa Cum Laude) in Pure Mathematics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 1995, was awarded a Pre-doctoral Fellowship for the study of Economics at Yale University from 1999 to 2000. In wake of the mortgage crisis, Dr. Obrimah assisted Fannie Mae with assessments of robustness of measures for the risk of Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS). Dr. Obrimah’s research is well cited and is published in reputable journals, such as the Journal of Economics and Business, Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, and the African Development Review. His research interests are inclusive of, Venture Capital, IPOs, Financial Markets, Financial Intermediation, Models of General Equilibrium, Economic Structure and Development, and Philosophy of Science. He loves to play squash, ride bikes, and enjoys music.
Destini Jones, Ph.D.
Director of Leadership Enrichment and Development (L.E.A.D.)
Dr. Destini Jones completed her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management at Rust College. She received a Master’s of Science in School Counseling from Mississippi State University, along with an Education Specialist degree in General Counseling from the University of West Alabama and a Doctoral degree in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University. Dr. Jones is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, she is a member of The American Educational Research Association (AERA), the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAPH), and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Dr. Jones enjoys serving on panels, attending conferences, conducting workshops, and is a firm believer in education. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, going to the movies, shopping, and traveling.
Laura Wilson, Ph.D.
CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow in Data Curation for African American Studies
Dr. Wilson’s research examines how authors such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and Zora Neale Hurston used agricultural themes to engage with the issue of racial modernity. Laura enjoys reading, doing arts and crafts projects, and taking boxing classes.
Dain Beezer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Beezer completed his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University, in the lab of Dr. Eva Harth, where he developed novel synthetic methods to access functional biopolymer for use in drug delivery and cartilage tissue engineering. For his post-doctoral studies, he studied at the University of Houston, where under the continued mentorship of Dr. Eva Harth, he conducted studies on the development of novel catalytic systems for polyolefin block copolymers, which are of high valve to the plastics industry.
At Fisk University, Dr. Beezer is pursuing his passion for teaching and mentoring. His research lab works on the design and development of biomaterials for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering. Additionally, Dr. Beezer’s lab develops synthetic methodologies that provides access to highly desired bio-inspired biopolymers. He is also a mentor in the Fisk-Vanderbilt Bridge to Ph.D. Program.
Dr. Sharon Schembri
Professor and Cal Turner Endowed Chair at Fisk University
Dr. Schembri received her Ph.D.in Management from the University of Queensland in 2005. Her doctoral research addresses the question of quality in healthcare services. Dr. Schembri’s research efforts recently have focused on the intersections of food, health, and poverty. To date, Dr. Schembri has more than 50 publications, which appear in various journals including the Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Marketing Management, Psychology & Marketing, Marketing Theory, and Consumption, Markets, & Culture, among others, as well as two short documentary films. Her fourth edition textbook titled Marketing Principles was also published in August 2020. Her teaching expertise includes the design and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate coursework including, Introduction to Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Brand Strategy, Consumer Behavior, and Healthcare Marketing. As a strong social justice advocate, her service efforts include working with impoverished and underserved communities.
Magana J. Kabugi, Ph.D.
Mellon Partners for Humanities Education Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Kabugi received his Ph.D.in English from Vanderbilt University. His research focuses broadly on 20th and 21st century African American literary and cultural studies, historically Black colleges and universities, children’s literature, comics and graphic novels, and digital humanities.
Dr. Natalie Walker, DBA, MBA
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
Dr. Walker is a dedicated educational professional with over ten years of experience in transforming student thinking. She is passionate about igniting a thirst in students for learning and enhancing their knowledge of business practices while sharing her real-world experiences from IBM, JPMorgan Chase, PWC, and Procter & Gamble. Her research interests include personal branding, personal leadership, and servant leadership. As a mentor, she strives to create a supportive and creative learning environment.