Overview
Established in 2022 by Provost Sara Zeigler, the Provost’s Faculty Internship Program is designed to develop leadership skills at the university level among EKU faculty. As a complement to the annual Provost’s Leadership Institute, the Provost’s goal is to build exceptional leadership by supporting individual faculty development.
Faculty will participate in a range of mentoring and learning opportunities, collaborate with colleagues in the Office of the Provost and other academic and administrative offices across campus, and assume leadership roles on critical campus strategic initiatives and projects, designed in conjunction with individual interests and long-range career goals. The Internship program capacity is limited to five.
Provost Fellowship
Faculty members at the Full Professor level are invited to apply for the Provost’s Fellowship. Provost’s Fellows work closely with the Provost on a project focused at the Division of Academic Affairs level. Each Provost’s Fellow will lead a signature project aligned with the Division of Academic Affairs’ and Office of the Provost strategic priorities. While the specific focus is determined in collaboration with the Provost and Office of the Provost leadership team, projects typically address broad, cross-functional areas related to the Division of Academic Affairs. One Provost Fellow slot is available each year. Provost Fellow Application
Faculty Leadership Development
As part of the program, faculty will become familiar with and increase their understanding of university-wide academic initiatives, strategic planning, budget issues, and challenges in higher education. In addition, faculty will make direct contributions to the Office of the Provost by taking on special projects and assisting in other operational activities.
The faculty will have the opportunity to:
Faculty selected for the program will:
The Internship program is designed to 1) increase awareness of faculty leadership skills, 2) provide practical opportunities for faculty leadership skill development, and 3) design tailored leadership skill development for faculty.
Faculty will meet once per month during the fall and spring. The Internship experience begins in the summer. Mentors will be assigned by the program Welcome. Internship members will be invited to select, pre-planned Academic Affairs meetings.
Eligibility
Faculty members at the Associate Professor and Professor ranks are eligible to apply for the Provost’s Faculty Internship Program. Capacity is limited.
Application Process
Deadlines for 2026-2027 Cohort:
Applications due: April 6, 2026
Cohort Announced: April 2026
Welcome: May 2026
Internship Program Begins (Learning Plan Design): Summer 2026
Provost’s Faculty Internship Cohorts
Jill Campbell
Dr. Jill Campbell is an Associate Professor of Vocal Music Education in the School of Music within EKU’s College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS). At EKU, she directs the treble choir EnChor, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education, and mentors student teachers. Dr. Campbell brings a broad range of teaching experience, having worked at the elementary, secondary, and collegiate levels, as well as in community and church music settings. She was a founding director of the Lexington Singers Children’s Choir, conducting the ensemble for eight seasons. Currently, she performs with and serves as assistant director of the Kentucky Bach Choir and is active as a soloist across a variety of musical genres.
A frequent guest adjudicator and clinician, Dr. Campbell is regularly invited to work with district and all-state honor choirs. Her research interests span music education, vocal health, performance-based assessment, dyslexia and music reading, and sight-singing. She currently serves as the State Research Chair for the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA). In 2024, she was honored to present at both the Southern Division ACDA Conference and the KMEA Conference. She also represented EKU as a Faculty Fellow in the 2024–2025 cohort of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. During the summer of 2024, Dr. Campbell taught in Salzburg, Austria, as part of the Kentucky Institute for International Studies.
Her professional affiliations include the American Choral Directors Association, the National Association for Music Education, the Kentucky Music Educators Association, and the American Orff Schulwerk Association. Beyond her academic and musical commitments, she is a hospice volunteer, a member of the NAACP, and an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Anne Cizmar
Dr. Anne Cizmar is the Associate Dean of Research Administration. She was previously a professor in the Department of Government teaching courses in American politics and research methods. Her Ph.D. is in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has received multiple awards for her teaching and research, including the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award, the High-Impact Practice Teaching Award, the Faculty Innovation in Teaching Award, and the Dean’s Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award. Her research areas include the American presidency, public opinion in the U.S., and campaigns and elections. Her recent publications examine patterns of presidential appointments and public opinion on abortion. During election season, she provides election commentary to various media outlets from across the globe.
Matthew Howell
Dr. Matthew Howell is a professor of government at Eastern Kentucky University. He received his Master of Public Policy and Ph.D. in Public Administration from the Martin School at the University of Kentucky and his BA in Political Science from Missouri State University. He teaches classes on policy evaluation and analysis, public administration, American government, state and local government, community development, and Appalachian politics and development. His research is on local government consolidation, fragmentation, and networking. He also enjoys research on interesting policy questions, ranging from university athletics to municipal electrical utility regulation. He has previously served as interim program director for the EKU MPA program.
He plays several instruments, including the bass (electric and upright) and the tuba.
Shijin Kozhumal
Dr. Shijin Kozhumal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fire Protection and Paramedicine Sciences. His research interests include computational modeling of combustion, fire dynamics, fire investigations, and artificial intelligence. He has published over 30 research articles, led two research projects, and served as a reviewer for several international journals in the field. Dr. Kozhumal has received two research awards as the principal investigator, securing over $500,000 in funding from the National Institute of Justice. His commitment to teaching and mentoring has been recognized through the “Distinguished Faculty” and the “Outstanding Faculty Mentor” awards by the College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science. Dr. Kozhumal holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, India.
Lisa Middleton
Dr. Lisa Middleton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky studying the effects of nicotine on the brain. Dr. Middleton completed her first postdoctoral fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University examining the effects of cannabinoids on the dopamine system in the brain. Her second postdoctoral fellowship was completed in the Department of Behavioral Science at the University of Kentucky examining new potential treatments for cocaine abuse as well as abuse potential of prescription opioids, both of these projects in humans. Dr. Middleton joined the EKU faculty as a lecturer in 2013 and joined the department as a tenure-track faculty in 2020. Since joining EKU, Dr. Middleton has taught courses in biomedical sciences and anatomy and physiology. She has been recognized multiple times for her excellence in teaching. Dr. Middleton has mentored over 20 students in independent research projects.
Alison Buck
Department of Language & Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Alison Buck is an Associate Professor of Sociology and the Sociology Program Coordinator. Her research and teaching interests focus on the reproduction of inequality across organizational contexts. She has presented research at national and international conferences in her field and founded the Social Science Research Symposium at EKU to help showcase student and faculty scholarship.
Ashley Cole
University Librarian
EKU Libraries
Ashley Cole is a University Librarian and Associate Director of Collection Strategies at Eastern Kentucky University. Her current practice and scholarship centers on optimizing academic library support for university programs through curriculum and collection mapping, while also advocating for open knowledge practices that break down barriers to access and foster inclusive knowledge creation. Ms. Cole’s scholarly contributions include presentations at national conferences and publications on academic libraries and their role in fostering integrative and lifelong learning.
Heather Fox
Department of English
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Heather Fox is an Associate Professor of English and Coordinator of English Teaching Programs. She is the author of Arranging Stories (UP of Mississippi, 2022) and recipient of EKU’s Teaching & Learning Annual Themed Award (2024), Libraries Partnership Award (2022), and High-Impact Practice Teaching Award (2021). A broad range of research interests in American literature and English education inform her interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to teaching. She is currently co-editing an archival pedagogy collection with the University of Illinois Press.
Marie Manning
Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership
College of Education and Applied Human Sciences
Marie Manning is an Associate Professor in the Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership department. As the undergraduate coordinator, she leads advising activities, provides mentorship for students and faculty, addresses curriculum and program needs, assists with retention and recruitment, and collaborates with B-12 stakeholders among various other duties and responsibilities. Dr. Manning teaches courses in special education with an emphasis on behavioral disorders at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is on the editorial team for Rethinking Behavior. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavior Disorders. She fosters an interdisciplinary and collaborative learning culture across all aspects of teaching, scholarship, and service. She received her PhD in Special Education Leadership from the University of North Texas.
Tim Wiggins
School of Music
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Tim Wiggins is an Associate Professor of Music Education and Director of Athletic Bands at Eastern Kentucky University. He has taught, performed, and conducted music with players and students ranging from fifth grade through professionals, along with adults in community and religious venues. Trained as an instrumental music educator, conductor, and orchestral bassoonist, Dr. Wiggins has spent much of his career teaching bands and orchestras. He has managed comprehensive band programs at middle and high schools, currently directs all aspects of the EKU athletic band program and teaches undergraduate and graduate students in areas of large and chamber ensemble performance, teacher training, classroom management, conducting, and athletic bands. Dr. Wiggins holds a Ph.D. in Music Education from Florida State University, a MM in Wind Conducting from the University of Memphis, and BM’s in Orchestral Bassoon Performance and Instrumental Music Education from Arizona State University.
Dom Ashby
Department of English
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Dom Ashby (he/him) is Coordinator for First-Year Writing and Associate Professor of Composition in the Department of English. Dom’s teaching and research interests focus on writing pedagogy, ungrading, and fan studies. He is a mentor for the EngaGE program and serves on multiple committees, including CLASS Curriculum. Dom is the 2023 recipient of the EKU Libraries Partnership Award.
José Juan Gómez-Becerra
Department of Language and Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
José Juan Gómez-Becerra is an Associate Professor of Spanish and Latinx Studies in the Department of Language and Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology at Eastern Kentucky University.
Mike Lane
Department of Parks, Recreation, Exercise and Sports Science
College of Health Sciences
José Juan Gómez-Becerra is an Associate Professor of Spanish and Latinx Studies in the Department of Language and Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology at Eastern Kentucky University.
Jade Robinson
Communication Sciences & Disorders
College of Education and Applied Human Sciences
Jade Robinson is an Associate Professor in Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD). Jade serves as the CSD Program Coordinator and the CSD Faculty Representative for the Interdisciplinary Autism Certificate Program. Her clinical research interests include language and emergent literacy development, early intervention, and caregiver-implemented strategies that facilitate language development. She teaches a variety of courses, including language development, language assessment, diagnostics in communication disorders, school-based services, and augmentative & alternative communication.
Curtis Streetman
School of Music
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Curtis Streetman is an internationally recognized operatic bass singer that leads EKU’s opera program, teaches applied voice, language arts for singers, and leads the newly founded EKU Early Music Ensemble. Streetman balances his teaching opportunities at EKU with a robust performing schedule. Recent performances include appearances in Austria, Spain, and The San Francisco Bay area. Streetman has recorded for Doria, Musical Heritage Society, Deutsche Harmony Mundi and Sony Classics.
John Brent, Associate Professor
School of Justice Studies
College of Justice, Safety, and Military Science
John J. Brent, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. He holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Delaware. His interests focus on: the cultural and structural dynamics of crime and crime-control; how institutions create and perpetuate inequalities; building a theoretical foundation of criminal justice theory; and how individuals are disciplined and punished.
Jamie Fredericks, Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry
College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
Dr. Jamie Fredericks is an associate professor in the chemistry department and is currently the director of the forensic science program. Jamie is originally from the UK and received his PhD in forensic science at Cranfield University. Dr. Fredericks is currently working on a DNA collection tool that could revolutionize the forensic science community.
Kerem “Ozan” Kalkan, Associate Professor
Department of Government
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Ozan Kalkan is an Associate Professor of Government. He specializes in intergroup attitudes, religion and politics, and quantitative research methods. His research focuses on attitudes toward and of Muslims around the world, elite/mass polarization in prejudice toward minorities, and advanced measurement techniques. He currently teaches both in political science and Master of Public Administration programs.
Jessica Lair, Associate Professor
Department of Physics, Geosciences, and Astronomy
College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
Jessica earned a B.S. in Engineering Physics and a B.S. in Mathematics from West Virginia University Institute of Technology. She then went to Clemson University and earned a M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics. Her research interests are observational studies of Type Ia Supernovae and Physics and Astronomy Education Research.
Erin Presley, Associate Professor
Department of English
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Erin earned the Ph.D. in English from the University of Georgia and is an Associate Professor of English. She enjoys teaching courses in her home department at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, in the Honors Program, and for the Appalachian Studies Program. She is currently revising her book manuscript about Horace Kephart’s literary legacy for the University of Tennessee Press.
Matthew Sabin, Professor and Athletic Training Program Director
Department of Exercise and Sport Science
College of Health Sciences
Matthew is the Athletic Training Program Director in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science. He completed his PhD at the University of Illinois, studying neuromuscular control as well as concussion biomechanics, management, and assessment. Though program administration and teaching dominate most of his current role, he has a continued interest in the management of concussions and the use of blood flow restriction in therapeutic interventions.
Contact
Russell Carpenter, Ph.D.
Assistant Provost & Professor of English
Eastern Kentucky University
russell.carpenter@eku.edu