Elon University in North Carolina enrolls close to 6,500 undergraduate students and nearly 800 graduate students, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 59 percent of the undergraduate student body.
The university has announced the promotion of 16 scholars to the rank of full professor. Nine of these promotions went to women.
Oliva Choplin was promoted to professor of French in the department of world languages and cultures. Her teaching and research interests include foreign language pedagogy, French theater, psychoanalytic theory, contemporary Québécois literature, and literature of the Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora. Dr. Chopin is a graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, where she majored in French and English. She holds a Ph.D. in French literature from Emory University in Atlanta.
Jennifer Hamel was named a professor of biology. She is also the director of undergraduate research at the university. Professor Hamel joined the faculty in 2014. He research focuses on the influence of community interactions on the evolution of behavior and the ecology and evolution of vibrational communication. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she majored in art and Russian studies. Dr. Hamel earned a Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of Missouri.
Heidi Hollingsworth was appointed professor of education. She is the director of the master’s degree program in education. Dr. Hollingsworth joined the faculty full-time in 2011. Her research interests include children’s early math and science development as well as teacher preparation, especially that which involves academic service-learning, community-based learning, community asset mapping, study abroad, and policy and advocacy. Professor Hollingsworth is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she majored in elementary education. She earned a master’s degree in education from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and a Ph.D. in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Patricia Perkins was appointed professor of law. Her research and teaching interests include state and federal constitutional issues involving solitary confinement and methods of execution, legal vehicles for litigating state constitutional claims, and international law and comparative law perspectives on conditions of confinement, with particular focus on the Constitution and laws of South Africa. Professor Perkins is a graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina, where she majored in history. She earned her law degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
Andrea Sinn was promoted to full professor of history. She also serves as director of the International & Global Studies program at the university. Dr. Sinn is a historian of modern Germany and Jewish history. She is deeply engaged in research on the Third Reich and the immediate post-Holocaust period. Professor Sinn holds a master’s degree in modern history, medieval history and religious studies and a Ph.D. in modern history from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany.
Tracey Thurnes was named professor of physician assistant studies. She also serves as academic operations coordinator of physician assistant studies and as director of the Accelerated Pathways Program. A member of the faculty since 2012, Dr. Thurnes focuses on organizational leadership, leadership development, and innovative pedagogical practices for effective teaching and learning. Professor Thurnes holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a doctorate in educational leadership from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. She also holds a master of physician assistant studies degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Jen Uno is a professor of biology. She also serves as associate director of the university’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching & Learning. Her research focuses on the interactions between the immune cells and the microbes that reside in the intestine. Dr. Uno is a graduate of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where she majored in exercise science and chemistry. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in physiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Kate Upton joined the Elon University faculty in 2014 and is now a professor of finance. Earlier in her career, she worked in the fixed income unit at Morgan Asset Management. Her research interests are in investments, specifically exchange-traded funds, target date funds, and 529 plans. Professor Upton holds a master’s degree in financial risk management and a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Alabama.
Rena Zito was appointed professor of sociology in the department of sociology and anthropology at Elon. Her research focuses on the social roots of rule-violating behavior, identity formation, and stigma processes. She teaches courses on criminology, embodied stigma, homelessness, and quantitative research methods. Professor Zito is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she majored in sociology and psychology. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from North Carolina State University.