Faculty
Professors committed to your success
Southern Catholic College faculty members immeasurably enrich your college experience. Each a respected professional in his or her field, professors are also fully committed to providing the best of Catholic liberal arts education. This means that in addition to offering challenging coursework in the classroom, they consider your entire college experience an opportunity for professor/student informal interaction, discussion and growth. The result is a deeply satisfying educational experience rarely achieved on any campus.
Meet the professors
“I love the one-on-one access I have to faculty. I can easily find the professors for help or just a stimulating conversation.”
Laura Copenhaver
Granger, IN
Business Faculty
Preparing students for a fast-paced, demanding business world.
Courses taught: Business.
Educational Background: M.B.A., Golden Gate University; B.S., Lamar University.
Courses taught: Business.
Stacey Mizell
Dick Scharf
Preparing students for a fast-paced, demanding business world.
Charles Auvermann
Courses taught: Business.
Educational Background: M.B.A., Golden Gate University; B.S., Lamar University.
Charlie Auvermann started his career working in computer simulation modeling with the oil & gas division of the defense industry giant, Litton Industries. He then accepted a research & development position with Gulf International Oil Company which was later purchased by
Teb Bowman
Courses taught: Business.
Educational Background: J.D., Duquesne University School of Law; M.B.A., University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Graduate; B.S., U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis.
Teb Bowman brings to his classes a wealth of experience gained over a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy and through over 20 years in private business and education. Graduating with distinction from the prestigious U.S. Naval Academy, he was commissioned to serve aboard nuclear submarines, training young officers and enlisted persons in highly critical duties. From there, he went on to earn an M.B.A. from Wharton, the world’s first collegiate school of business that today ranks among the most respected business programs anywhere. Professor Bowman is recognized as a Fellow of Wharton, which is a network of thought leaders, senior executives, Wharton faculty, and leading experts that provides continuous critical knowledge and unparalleled decision support to meet the challenges of change in the business world. Professor Bowman was also a founding faculty member of the University of Phoenix Atlanta campus where he taught ethics, critical thinking skills, professional development, business operations and law.
Villa 10 C
706-344-4018
Courses taught: Accounting.
Educational Background: M.S., Keller Graduate School; B.S. Georgia Institute of Technology.
Stacey Mizell has experience in both the academic and corporate realms. He has spent numerous years working in the fields of accounting, finance and engineering. Stacey Mizell’s real world business experience allows him to communicate accounting and other business concepts into a practical dialogue that is relatable to students. He has also been a faculty member of Gainesville State College Watkinsville campus where he taught accounting.
Villa 10 C
Dick Scharf
Courses taught: Business.
Educational Background: M.S Civil Engineering-Economic Planning, Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA; B.S. Engineering, United States Military Academy at West Point, New York
Dick Scharf brings to his classes a wealth of experience gained through 27 years of an active and distinguished career in the U.S. Army and through over 20 years in private business and education. Graduating with distinction from the U.S. Military Academy, he was commissioned in the US Army Corps of Engineers serving in various theaters throughout the world in positions of increasing responsibility. Upon completion of his active duty Army career, he served in such capacitates as Director of Marketing and Regional Director of Operations for architectural, engineering and construction companies. These opportunities provided him first hand experiences with the daily challenges and vagaries of business that are translated into practical examples in the classroom. He is a Fellow with the Society of American Military Engineers; was selected as Engineer of the Year in Georgia and, later awarded the AIPE award for Professionalism.
Villa 10 C
Exploring the language, its literature and exciting career possibilities.
Cicero Bruce
Courses taught: English.
Educational Background: Ph.D., English, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, major: Modern British Literature; first minor: Victorian Literature; second minor: Renaissance Drama; M.A., English, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; B.A., English, Georgia State University.
Dr. Bruce is Professor of English at SCC. He teaches Masterworks of Literature, Literary Theory, Lyric Poetry, Shakespeare, and other courses in the English major. Dr. Bruce is the author of W. H. Auden’s Moral Imagination. He has also written book introductions, book reviews, and essays for journals such as Modern Age, Theology Today, The Explicator, Seven, Christianity and Literature, Faith & Reason, University Bookman, Steinbeck Review, Nineteenth-Century Literature, New Oxford Review, The American Conservative, and Crisis.
Academic Center, 212D
706-344-4025
Director of the Writing Center
Educational Background: M.S., English Education, Florida International University; B.A., Communications, Barry University; State of Florida Certified Teacher of English and Journalism.
Lively, engaging and enthusiastic — Aimee Busquet has the personality and commitment that endear her to students and bring her classroom presentations to life. An educator with extensive experience in the classroom and as an advisor to student activities, Professor Busquet works hand-in-hand with Southern Catholic’s students to publish the popular, useful and journalistically sound SCC campus newspaper. A whirl of activity seems to follow this energetic professor around campus, but students will always find her office door open and her ear attentive to their needs and concerns.
Villa 10 A
706-344-4031
Aaron Urbanczyk
Courses taught: English and Philosophy.
Educational Background: Ph.D., English, Florida State University; M.A., Philosophy, Franciscan University of Steubenville; B.A. English, Franciscan University of Steubenville.
Dr. Urbanczyk is Associate Professor of English & Philosophy at Southern Catholic College. His teaching and research interests include: American Literature, Literary Theory and Criticism, Contemporary Catholic Fiction, Philosophy of the Human Person, Ethics, and Aesthetics. Dr. Urbanczyk’s essays and reviews have appeared in Religion & the Arts, the St. Austin Review, The Intercollegiate Review, Modern Age, Essays in Arts & Sciences, Papers on Language & Literature,the Journal for Cultural & Religious Theory, Perspectives in Religious Studies, The Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly, The Catholic Thing,and the Ignatius Critical Editions of Frankenstein, The Scarlet Letter, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Academic Center, 212 B
706-344-4016
Elizabeth Linn Bowman
Courses taught: Art.
Educational Background: B.A., Art History, Wellesley College; AP Seminar, Columbus College of Art and Design; AP Seminar, Atlanta College of Art; InTech, Kennesaw State University; School of Arts Management, North Carolina State University; Fine Arts Graduate, Famous Artists School.
A professor who is both an accomplished fine artist and a dedicated teacher, Mrs. Bowman is an enormous asset to the art program at Southern Catholic. Among her many accomplishments, she served an extended tenure at the prestigious High Museum of Art in Atlanta. She is an art historian and sought-after for her works in pastel, graphic arts, batik and illustration. Through her classes, SCC students gain an appreciation of art history from the unique viewpoint of an artist. Her extensive knowledge of Christian art, including iconography and the role the Church has played in fostering the development of art in Western civilization, give her classes an added depth and richness that makes them popular with students representing a broad range of majors.
Villa 10 C
706-344-4029
Kallan Williams
Courses taught: Music.
Educational Background:M.M., Music Theory, University of South Carolina; B.A., Music, Piedmont College.
Mr. Williams holds a Master of Music in Music Theory from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Piedmont College, graduating summa cum laude. His article entitled “The Magnus Liber Organi: An Annotated Bibliography” was published in the peer-reviewed Music Reference Services Quarterly in 2008. Additionally, he received the LeDare Robinson Graduate Award for Academic Excellence from USC and is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda (National Music Honor Society). Studying classical guitar at Piedmont College, Mr. Williams continues to perform in the area. He has composed numerous pieces for choir, string quartet, piano, and other ensembles. Students will learn pertinent and functional aspects of music in his engaging classes.
706-344-4074
Pamela Petersen- Frey
Courses taught: Spanish.
Educational Background: M.A., Spanish, Western Kentucky University; B.A., Spanish, Carson Newman College
Ms. Peterson-Frey has taught Spanish or advanced ESL at Southern Polytechnic University, Lockheed-Georgia, Sundal Surugadai (Tokyo), and worked in ESL services at Oglethorpe University and Kennesaw State University.
Villa 10 C
706-344-4034
Exploring our world’s past to make sense of today’s complex challenges.
Jerry Combee
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Courses taught: History and Political Science.
Educational background: Ph.D., Government, Cornell University; M.A., Political Science, Emory University; B.A. Political Science, Emory University
While he has a long and distinguished career as both a college president and chief academic officer — including currently serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Southern Catholic College — Dr. Combee finds his greatest love is educating students in the classroom. He is a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest academic honor society in the United States, which grants membership to only approximately 1 percent of college graduates. He also was recognized as a Ford Career Scholar and he graduated with highest honors from Emory University. A published author of numerous books and a frequent contributor to scholarly journals, Dr. Combee has made a substantial addition to the body of literature discussing morality, religion, democracy and individual rights. Dr. Combee is a man of deep thought and even deeper convictions. He raises the bar on the instruction of political science and history, giving students an educational experience that is second to none.
Academic Center, 219
706-344-4011
Andrew Henry Miklós Stern
Courses taught: History.
Educational Background: Ph.D., Historical Studies, Graduate Division of Religion, Emory University; M.T.S., Christianity and Culture, Harvard Divinity School; B.A., Magna Cum Laude, Theology, Georgetown University
For the past three years, Dr. Stern has served as a member of the writers’ workshop at In Trust, an organization dedicated to improving governance in theological education. He has written several articles for their magazine and visited board meetings and interviewed board members and seminary presidents. Dr. Stern recently contributed an article on Catholicism in the South for the new Encyclopedia of Religion in America.
Dr. Stern holds the distinguished honor of having been granted membership in Phi Beta Kappa - the preeminent honor society for the liberal arts. He is also a member of Theta Alpha Kappa (the National Religious Studies Honor Society). In addition, he holds the Brennan Medal for most outstanding student of Theology at Georgetown University. While his honors are many, around Southern Catholic’s campus he is appreciated most as a dedicated and highly knowledgeable professor who has the ability to bring history alive as few can. Dr. Stern’s high engaging, eagerly anticipated classes showcase an ability to give meaning and energy to history.
SDH 102
706-344-4023
Integrated Sciences Faculty
Education that promotes the relationship between science and math supports today’s most promising careers.
Education that promotes the relationship between science and math supports today’s most promising careers.
Elaine Bailey
Courses taught: Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, Principles of Scientific Reasoning and Research.
Educational Background: Ph.D., Chemistry, Auburn University; B.S., Chemistry, Armstrong Atlantic State University.
Whether she is leading a class in organic chemistry or introducing students to physics or earth science, Dr. Bailey has the ability to capture and hold her class’s attention while she breaks our world down into the fundamentals of life. Known as an excellent researcher who could easily have had a career in the lab, her first love, unlike many science Ph.D.s, is teaching science in the classroom to both science majors and those majoring in other fields. She knows her subjects demand deep concentration and study from her students. For this reason, her door is always open and she is ready to explain concepts in a fresh way that leads to mastery.
Academic Center, 212 A
706-344-4017
Andrea Zbell
Courses taught: Biology.
Educational Background: Ph.D., Microbiology, University of Georgia; B.S., University of Mary Washington.
After graduating with a BS in Biology at a small liberal arts college, Andrea Zbell received her PhD in Microbiology at the University of Georgia. During her time at UGA, she studied bacteria that commonly cause food poisoning. She then became a postdoctoral research associate for Emory University. While at Emory, she worked at the Atlanta VA Medical Center and studied a species of bacteria that often causes disease in military personnel. During her career, Dr. Zbell has published several articles and presented her research at numerous international meetings. After teaching several laboratory classes at UGA, Dr. Zbell discovered her love of teaching. Her research background helps her to explain real-world applications of the biology topics that she teaches and also helps her design fun, innovative laboratory experiments. She is excited to be teaching biology at SCC.
Nicholas Bain
Courses taught: Math.
Educational Background: M.S., Operations Research, Northwestern University; B.S., Mathematics, Illinois Institute of Technology.
Professor Bain is that rare academician who has strong ties to both the educational community and the practical, everyday world. In addition to holding degrees in mathematics and operations research, he rose to the position of Vice President, Corporate Strategy Group at United Parcel Service prior to accepting his position at SCC. This experience gives Professor Bain’s lessons a practicality that makes them highly valuable to his students. In addition to the demands of his professorship, he also serves as Vice Chairman of the Southern Catholic Board of Trustees and is a Eucharistic Minister at the Church of St. Brigid.
Villa 10 C
770-361-4699
David Burrows
Courses taught: Astronomy, Physics.
Educational Background: M.S.E.E., Michigan State University; B.S.E.E., U.S. Naval Academy.
Mr. Burrows has spent the majority of his career in the fields of applied physics, quality practices as applied to research, and software quality, with service at Argonne National Laboratory, Savannah River Laboratory, and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. He has taught as adjunct faculty at a number of North Georgia colleges but he hopes to have found a final home at Southern Catholic College. When not engaged in teaching, Mr. Burrows spends much of his time as a volunteer at Dahlonega’s Community Helping Place.
Villa 10 C
706-344-4027
dburrows@southerncatholic.org
dburrows@southerncatholic.org
John Hewitt
Courses taught: Math.
Educational Background: M.S., Georgia State; B.S. Georgia Institute of Technology.
John Hewitt feels strongly about his mission at Southern Catholic. “It’s not just getting the material across that’s important,” he commented. “It’s making it part of the student’s life and helping them understand practical application.” John Hewitt’s life path has taken him into a variety of industries before coming to SCC and today he uses those experiences to demonstrate the practical side of mathematics to his students. A teaching method he believes in strongly is having one student explain a problem to another. Hewitt reasons, “If you can explain it to a fellow student and he or she understands, you know you’ve mastered it,” It’s a system that seems to work.John Hewitt is proof positive that with the right instructor the study of mathematics can be exciting, practical and even fun. It’s a role he proudly fills on the SCC campus.
Villa 10 C
706-344-4019
Equipping students with analytical skills and problem-solving abilities that open up career opportunities.
Father Paul Burke
Courses taught: Philosophy and Theology.
Educational background: J.C.L., School of Canon Law, Catholic University of America; M.Div, Cum Laude and a M.A. Summa Cum Laude, Moral Theology, Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary; B.A., Geography and Sociology, Summa Cum Laude, St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Ireland.
Father Paul Burke was born, grew up and was ordained a priest in Galway, Ireland. Shortly after his ordination, he came to Georgia and ultimately over several years time found his way to Southern Catholic College. Beyond being an outstanding educator with a superior academic record, Father Burke is also published in Homiletic and Pastoral Review and Intercom. He is a member of numerous organizations such as Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre; Knights of Columbus, Fourth Degree; and the Canon Law Society of America. Students find a well-reasoned scholar in Father Burke who is always available to discuss points of faith and other theological topics.
Villa 10 C
706-344-4026
pburke@southerncatholic.org
Herbert Hartmann, Jr.
Herbert Hartmann, Jr.
Courses taught: Philosophy.
Educational Background: Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Toronto, M.A., Philosophy, University of Toronto; B.A., Philosophy, Beloit College
Dr. Hartmann has over 25 years of teaching experience in the field of philosophy. He was one of three inaugural professors charged with starting the Center for Thomistic Studies in Houston. He came to Southern Catholic following distinguished service at Thomas Aquinas College in Ojai, California.
Academic Center, 212 E
706-344-4015
Richard F. Washell
Courses taught: Philosophy.
Educational background: Ph.D., Philosophy/Islamic Studies, University of Toronto; M.A., Philosophy, St. John's University; B.A., Philosophy/Theology/Psychology, St. John's University.
Dr. Washell comes to Southern Catholic College with over 30 years teaching experience in both Catholic and secular settings. He has a number of published articles which have appeared in scholarly journals here and abroad. Throughout his career, Dr. Washell's work has focused on classical philosophy with an emphasis on the logic of St. Albert the Great and the application of philosophy to the areas of community and communication.
Dr. Washell comes to Southern Catholic College with over 30 years teaching experience in both Catholic and secular settings. He has a number of published articles which have appeared in scholarly journals here and abroad. Throughout his career, Dr. Washell's work has focused on classical philosophy with an emphasis on the logic of St. Albert the Great and the application of philosophy to the areas of community and communication.
Villa 10 C
Preparing for your career studying the most complex organism on earth: the human mind.
M. Katrina Smith
Courses taught: Psychology.
Educational Background: Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, Georgia State University; M.S., Research Psychology, University of Tennessee; B.S., Psychology, University of Tennessee.
When it comes to exploring the miracle of the human mind, few professors rival Dr. Smith in her dedication to her science and her ability to communicate the joy and wonders of psychology to students. Dr. Smith has extensive experience teaching everything from Cognitive Psychology to Psychology of Aging, Statistics of Psychology, Research Methods and many other topics. She has also conducted extensive research in the area of early language development as well as in other areas of scientific exploration. Professor Smith is frequently invited to present her ideas at such professional gatherings as the biannual meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, the annual meeting of the American Psychological Society and the IX International Congress for the Study of Child Language and the Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders, among other gatherings. Dr. Smith has a wealth of experience and knowledge to share with Southern Catholic’s students, making her the ideal instructor to launch them on a career in psychology.
Academic Center, 212 C
706-344-4022
Ann Greif Howe
Courses taught: Psychology.
Educational Background: Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst; M.S., University of Massachusetts, Amherst; B.S., Purdue University.
A clinical psychologist for thirty years, Dr. Howe has worked in her field to help those with mental health problems. She has seen patients in a long term psychiatric residential hospital, low cost clinic, private practice and university clinic. Her range of expertise extends into research and teaching as well as clinical work. She has taught at the graduate, undergraduate and post-doctoral level on topics ranging from attachment theory, identity problems and adolescence, and treatment of severe mental illness. She is a published author and a presenter at national conferences. Her undergraduate degree is from Purdue University where she obtained her degree summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Her graduate degree is from the University of Massachusetts where she was awarded a National Science Foundation grant and was a University Fellow. For twenty years, she worked as a clinician, supervisor and researcher at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She was Director of the Village of St. Joseph Counseling Services in the Atlanta Archdiocese until February 2009. She now is in private practice in Roswell, sits on the board of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association, and is a member of the Society of Catholic Social Sciences.
A clinical psychologist for thirty years, Dr. Howe has worked in her field to help those with mental health problems. She has seen patients in a long term psychiatric residential hospital, low cost clinic, private practice and university clinic. Her range of expertise extends into research and teaching as well as clinical work. She has taught at the graduate, undergraduate and post-doctoral level on topics ranging from attachment theory, identity problems and adolescence, and treatment of severe mental illness. She is a published author and a presenter at national conferences. Her undergraduate degree is from Purdue University where she obtained her degree summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Her graduate degree is from the University of Massachusetts where she was awarded a National Science Foundation grant and was a University Fellow. For twenty years, she worked as a clinician, supervisor and researcher at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She was Director of the Village of St. Joseph Counseling Services in the Atlanta Archdiocese until February 2009. She now is in private practice in Roswell, sits on the board of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association, and is a member of the Society of Catholic Social Sciences.
Carleen Newsome
Courses taught: Psychology.
Educational Background: M.S., Counseling, North Georgia College and State University; B.S., University of California Davis
Ms. Newsome received the 2006 Outstanding Community Counseling Graduate award from North Georgia College and State University.
Villa 10 C
706-344-4032
Deepening understanding of the beliefs that shape our world and our lives.
Paul Thigpen
Courses taught: Theology.
Educational background: Ph.D. and M.A. Emory University, Division of Religion. B.A. Yale University, Department of Religious Studies.
Dr. Paul Thigpen is a Professor of Sacred Theology at Southern Catholic College in Dawsonville, Georgia. He is also former editor of The Catholic Answer, a national bimonthly magazine that answers questions about the Catholic faith.
Dr. Thigpen graduated from Yale University in 1977 summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with Distinction in the Major of Religious Studies. He was later awarded the George W. Woodruff Fellowship at Emory University in Atlanta, where he earned an M.A. (1993) and a Ph.D. (1995) in Historical Theology. In 1993 he was named as a Jacob K. Javits Fellow by the U.S. Department of Education. He has served as an assistant professor of religious studies at Missouri State University (Springfield), a Fellow in Theology at The College of Saint Thomas More in Fort Worth, Texas, and on the adjunct faculty of Saint Leo University in Savannah, Georgia.
An internationally known speaker, best-selling author and award-winning journalist, Dr. Thigpen has published thirty-seven books in a wide variety of genres and subjects: history and biography, spirituality and apologetics, anthologies and devotionals, family life and children’s books, study guides and reference works, fiction and collections of poetry and prayers. In addition, he has published more than five hundred journal and magazine articles in more than forty religious and secular periodicals for both scholarly and popular audiences. His work has been circulated worldwide and translated into twelve languages.
Dr. Thigpen is a member of the National Advisory Council for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and has served the Church as an historian, apologist, evangelist, and catechist in a number of settings, speaking frequently at conferences, seminars, parish missions, and scholarly gatherings in the United States and abroad. He is also a frequent guest on both Catholic and secular media broadcasts.
SDH 202
706-344-4030
Father Theodore Book
Courses taught: Theology.
Educational background: M.S. degree pending, Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology; S.L.L. Pontifico Istituto Liturgico; S.T.B., Pontifica Universitá Gregoriana; Philosophical studies in preparation for theological studies, Saint Vincent and Saint Meinrad Seminaries; B.S., Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology.
Father Theodore Book serves as both a professor of Theology on the Southern Catholic campus and the Director of Worship, Archdiocese of Atlanta. A man fluent in four languages — English, Spanish, Latin and Italian — he also has conversational ability in French and a familiarity with Hellenistic Greek. Father Book graduated Magna cum Laude from both Pontificio Institute Liturgico and Pontificia Universitá Gregoriana. He is a noted author and thought leader on theological topics, who has had a great impact on the Southern Catholic campus.
Villa 10 C
404-888-7836
Father Paul Burke
Courses taught: Theology and Philosophy.
Educational background: J.C.L., School of Canon Law, Catholic University of America; M.Div, Cum Laude and a M.A. Summa Cum Laude, Moral Theology, Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary; B.A., Geography and Sociology, Summa Cum Laude, St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Ireland.
Father Paul Burke was born, grew up and was ordained a priest in Galway, Ireland. Shortly after his ordination, he came to Georgia and ultimately over several years time found his way to Southern Catholic College. Beyond being an outstanding educator with a superior academic record, Father Burke is also published in Homiletic and Pastoral Review and Intercom. He is a profound scholar of the writings of Pope John Paul II. He is a member of numerous organizations such as Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre; Knights of Columbus, Fourth Degree; and the Canon Law Society of America. Students find a well-reasoned scholar in Father Burke who is always available to discuss points of faith and other theological topics.
Villa 10 C
706-344-4026
