BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College has announced the addition of eight new faculty members to fill key roles in the College including a new associate provost who will help it reach its ultimate goal of providing the best experience and education for the students. Below are a few short biographies of some of the new faculty members and their accomplishments.

Dr. Christine Schimmel is the Associate Provost for the College and Practicum & Internship Coordinator for the new Master’s in Mental Health Counseling Program. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in education from Glenville State University, a Master’s in school counseling from West Virginia University, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a cognate in school counseling from Marshall University. She has published more than five textbooks on training school and mental health counselors on topics focused on counseling children and adolescents and group counseling. Her work also includes more than 15 peer-reviewed publications on counseling-related topics. Schimmel is currently co-principal investigator on two large federal grants with SAMHSA and another with the U.S. Department of Education. She has spent over 25 years teaching and training counselors in West Virginia at Marshall University and West Virginia University. She is very excited to be joining the College and helping train clinicians at West Virginia Wesleyan College. 

Dr. Kimberly White is the Director of the School of Nursing, chairperson of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing  Program, and an associate professor. Kimberly has obtained several certifications from multiple schools which includes her ADN from Davis and Elkins, BSN from Alderson Broadus, MSN in Nursing Administration from Marshall University, and a Ph.D in nursing education from Capella University. She also completed research on Faculty Experiences with Integrating Emotional Intelligence into Nursing Curricula.

Sandra Oster is a new addition to the nursing faculty who has received her BSN and MSN from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She has been teaching Pediatrics and Mother/baby for 14 years, before which she was a NICU nurse.

Jessica Riffee– is an Assistant Professor in Health Science. Jessica received both her Bachelor of Science  and Master’s in Education degrees in exercise science from Fairmont State University and is currently working towards her dissertation defense to complete her Ph.D in Coaching and Teaching Studies at West Virginia University. Jessica has a number of published abstracts related to public health issues, physical activity, and exercise psychology. She takes advantage of every opportunity to gain experience in a range of higher roles and responsibilities, including mentoring, course development, curriculum design, accreditation activities, as well as service-based research.

John Biola, Micheal Lynch, Olabanji Olatinwo, and Robert Parker are also joining West Virginia Wesleyan College this semester.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 21 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.