#PeopleOfPeace | WPU Faculty Drive Their Chosen Disciplines Forward

The faculty at William Peace University are dedicated and respected scholar-practitioners. They challenge students while pushing themselves and contributing to their fields of expertise. Here’s a quick look at some of their accomplishments from the previous year.

Mark Cushman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Dr. Cushman presented “Attitudes toward cell phone use and subsequent cell phone behavior” at the 64th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association in Charleston, South Carolina.

Matt Hodge, MFA
Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre & Theatre
Matt published “Disney ‘World’: The Westernization of World Music in EPCOT’s “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” in Social Sciences. Hodge analyzes the use of music appropriation in American tourism, using Disney theme parks and films as the primary subjects. Hodge also served as a preliminary judge for the Marvin Hamlisch International Film Score Competition for the third consecutive year. Finalists are judged by Academy Award winning film composers.

Caleb Husmann, DA
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Dr. Husmann published his second novel, Feral Chickens.

Justin Johnson
Assistant Professor of Communications and Simulation & Game Design
Justin was accepted to NC State’s inaugural Doctorate of Design class. He also lectured on the topic “A guide to getting an education in game development” at the East Coast Game Conference, where he has been a speaker for the past four years.

Elizabeth Lange, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor and Program Director of Exercise and Sport Science
Dr. Lange published “Students’ Perception of the Role of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender on Opportunities in Sport Management” in The International Journal of Sport and Society. She also published a children’s book, Adventures of the Missing Sock.

Kate Maddalena, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Writing
Dr. Maddalena published “Dissolving the Divide between Expert and Public,” a chapter about teaching science writing courses in the edited volume Scientific Communication Practices, Theories and Pedagogies. She also presented “Science Trusting Art to Program People to Trust Technoscience: A Case Study,” at the Association for Rhetoric of Science, Technology, and Medicine (ARSTM) Annual Pre-conference at the NCA National Communication Association Convention.

Wade Newhouse, Ph.D.
Program Director of Theatre; Associate Professor of English
Dr. Newhouse published a short story titled “The Intended” in the journal Lyonesse. He also played the role of Kent in Honest Pint Theatre’s production of King Lear and the lead role of Sidney Bruhl in North Carolina State University’s Theatrefest production of Deathtrap. Meanwhile, he helped organize WPU theatre students and faculty to put on an interactive improvisational play for Special Blessings, a community group that provides support for families of special needs children.

Betty Witcher, Ph.D.
Department Chair of Psychology & Business; Professor of Psychology
Dr. Witcher presented “The use of cell phones in interpersonal interactions,” at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, in Charleston, South Carolina.
For more news and updates from William Peace University, search #PeopleofPeace on social media or visit www.peace.edu/news.