Board Members and Staff
Dr. Andro Barnett |
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| Title | Professor and APST Board Member |
| abarnett@shepherd.edu ( Email ) | |
| Phone | 304-876-5259 |
| Butcher Center 216 | |
Dr. Ben Martz |
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|---|---|
| Title | Dean, College of Business and APST Board Member |
| bmartz@shepherd.edu ( Email ) | |
| Phone | 304-876-5007 |
| Contact For | Master of Business Administration |
Dr. Benjamin Bankhurst |
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|---|---|
| Title | Assistant Professor of History and APST Board Member |
| bbankhur@shepherd.edu ( Email ) | |
| Phone | 304-876-5253 |
| Colonial and Revolutionary North America, Appalachian History and Culture, Atlantic History, Ireland and the Irish Diaspora Ph.D., King’s College, University of London M.A., King’s College, University of London B.A., University of New Mexico Dr. Bankhurst’s research focuses on migration to the Appalachian frontier in the colonial and revolutionary periods. Before Joining the History Department at Shepherd, Dr. Bankhurst held teaching and research appointments at the London School of Economics; the Institute of Historical Research; and Queen Mary, University of London. His articles have appeared in the Pennsylvania Magazine for History and Biography, The Journal of Irish and Scottish Studies, and Eire/Ireland. The American Council for Irish Studies awarded his first book Ulster Presbyterians and the Scots Irish Diaspora, 1750-1763 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) the Donald Murphy Prize. |
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Dr. Jeffrey Groff |
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| Title | Associate Professor of Physics, Chair, Institute of Environmental and Physical Sciences and APST Board Member |
| jgroff@shepherd.edu ( Email ) | |
| Phone | 304-876-5143 |
| Education: B.A. McDaniel College M.S. The College of William & Mary Ph.D. The College of William & Mary |
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Rachael Meads |
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| Title | Assistant Director of Student Engagement and APST Board Member |
| rmeads@shepherd.edu ( Email ) | |
| Phone | 304-876-5113 |
| Courses: Appalachian Culture (APST 256/556), Appalachian Music and Ethnomusicology (APST 343/543) M.A., West Virginia University B.A., Shepherd College Rachael Meads is an educator, mother, and advocate for Appalachia, social justice, and the power of shared experiences to connect communities. As the Assistant Director of Student Engagement at Shepherd, she environmentally engineers learning opportunities for students and the greater community. Each year she oversees more than 175 events including the annual student leadership conference, Program Board activities, and the Performing Arts Series at Shepherd. Born and raised in Gilmer County, she is a passionate West Virginian who teaches in Shepherd’s Appalachian Studies program. She is the founder of the Appalachian Heritage Festival at Shepherd, a guest lecturer in the NEH Teacher Training Institute held at Shepherd, and a former program chair for the Appalachian Studies Association annual conference. In March 2018, she was honored to receive Shepherd’s Phenomenal Woman Award. She loves stories, gardening, singing with her family, podcasts, and homegrown tomatoes. Rachael Meads, Professional Vitae |
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Julie Shehan |
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| Title | Creative Writing major and graduate student |
| Julie Shehan is a Creative Writing major and graduate student at Shepherd University. Her stories have been published in the Anthology of Appalachian Writers as well as Sans Merci magazine. Her artwork was featured in Shepherd University’s Art Exhibit, Ties that Bind, and she is a contributor to Voices from Appalachia Radio Show. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. | |
Isabelle Lawrence |
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| Title | Appalachian Studies Major |
| Isabelle Lawrence is a first-year (2022-23) student at Shepherd University majoring in Appalachian Studies, double minoring in Environmental Studies and Mass Communications. She is interested in the environment as well as cultural studies of the region. “Izzy,” as friends refer to her, is from Annapolis, Maryland, graduating from Annapolis High School in 2021. She serves on the Appalachian Studies Board, representing the Shepherd undergraduate point of view in both program and curricular concerns. |
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Adam Booth |
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| Title | Coordinator of Speak Storytelling Series |
| adam@adam-booth.com ( Email ) | |
| Phone | 304-886-9481 |
| Adam Booth is an award-winning storyteller and adjunct professor in the Appalachian Studies Program at Shepherd, teaching storytelling and traditional music. Booth holds an MM degree from Case Western Reserve University in Music History, graduating magna cum laude. Adam Booth’s original stories blend traditional mountain folklore, music, and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia. He has been featured at the International Storytelling Center, the National Storytelling Festival, the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, the National Storytelling Conference, and has been a Spoken Word Resident at the Banff Centre. His recordings have received two Parents’ Choice Silver Honors and three Storytelling World Awards and Honors. He is a four-time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Contest. Booth is founder and coordinator for the acclaimed Speak Storytelling Series, a nationally and internationally recognized program of storyteller and part of the Appalachian Studies Program at Shepherd University. adam-booth.com |
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