Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences welcomes 14 new faculty members

Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, has welcomed more than a dozen new faculty members to campus for the start of the 2025-26 academic year at Elon University.

With expertise across multiple disciplines, the new faculty have demonstrated passion for teaching and pursuing research or creative projects in mentorship with students.

“We are fortunate to welcome these outstanding scholars to Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences,” said Hilton Kelly, Dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. “During the interview process, I appreciated each scholar’s enthusiasm, expertise, and creativity, as well as their pronounced dedication to teaching, research and student success. These are scholars who will make significant contributions to the College, the university, and their chosen fields.”

New Professors and Staff for 2025-26 in Elon College, the College of Art and Sciences

• Brian Brew, Assistant Professor of Political Science & Public Policy, earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He will teach American Government and Campaigns and Elections.

• Charles Doan, Assistant Professor of Psychology, earned a PhD from Ohio University. He will teach Cognitive Psychology.

• Meleena Gil, Assistant Professor of English, earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They will teach Writing: Argument and Inquiry.

• Celia Hameury, Assistant Professor of Engineering, earned a PhD from McGill University. She will teach Grand Challenges Engineering I.

• Dan Hartung, Assistant Professor of Music, earned a DMA at the University of Texas at Austin. He will teach Concert Band, Marching Band and Percussion Ensemble.

• Jessica Hightower, Assistant Professor of Performing Arts, earned an MFA from The Ohio State University. She will teach COR 1100: The Global Experience.

• Zackary Hutchens, Assistant Professor of Physics, earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He will teach University Physics I.

• Negesti Kaudo ’15, Assistant Professor of English, earned an MFA from Columbia College Chicago. She will teach Writing: Argument and Inquiry and Introduction to Creative Writing.

• Justin Miller, Assistant Professor of Performing Arts, earned an MFA from The Ohio State University. He will teach Scenic Design, Scenic Art and Drafting and Modelmaking.

• Emma Moesswilde, Assistant Professor of History & Geography, earned a PhD from Georgetown University. She will teach The World in the 20th Century.

• Breanna Mueller, Assistant Professor of Exercise Science, earned a PhD from Auburn University. She will teach Physiology of Exercise.

• Nikita Shepard, Assistant Professor of History & Geography, earned a PhD from Columbia University. They will teach Contested Democracy/US since 1865 and Sexuality in the U.S.

• Rodney Tigaa, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, earned a PhD from the University of Nevada, Reno. He will teach Inorganic Chemistry and General Chemistry I.

• Andre Waschka, Assistant Professor of Mathematics & Statistics, earned a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He will teach Statistics in Application.

About Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences

Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences provides the foundation for the study of the liberal arts and sciences at Elon University. The college is comprised of 21 departments across three branches: the arts and humanities; natural, mathematical and computational sciences; and social and behavioral sciences. It hosts Elon’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest honor society celebrating excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.

Committed to the growth of students’ intellectual curiosity, intercultural competence and critical thinking, the college champions disciplinary knowledge and interdisciplinary applications to reflect upon, respond to and offer solutions to complex problems in an interconnected and changing world.

With more than 45 majors and 65 minors, the college is Elon University’s largest academic division. Two-thirds of the nearly 1,600 students who graduate from Elon annually do so with at least one major or minor in the college. Within a year, over 90% of college graduates report employment in their chosen field or enrollment in top post-graduate programs.

College faculty are prolific and preeminent scholars and creators in their fields, recognized for expertise at national and international levels. Each year, its more than 300 full-time faculty publish hundreds of articles, chapters, and books, and they present at scores of conferences and events. Their scholarship results in grants and fellowships from the National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Institutes of Health and other prominent centers of research.