CHESS welcomes faculty and staff into new roles

August 16, 2026
Categories: News
Chris Boyer, dean of the UNC Charlotte College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences, speaks to CHESS faculty and staff at the kick-off meeting for the 2026-27 academic year.

As UNC Charlotte begins a new academic year, the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences is excited to welcome 23 new faculty and four new staff members who have joined the College in a variety of roles.

These talented professionals were recognized during the annual All CHESS Faculty and Staff Meeting on Aug. 14, where colleagues gathered to provide updates from the previous academic year and to kick off 2026-27.

The strengths, experiences and perspectives of our new employees will strengthen CHESS’s mission of excellence in teaching, research, service and student success, as well as drive our efforts in the CHESS Promise to cultivate internships and other high-impact learning experiences for students.

New CHESS Faculty

Anthropology

  • Melissa Manus, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor

Communication Studies

  • Joy Davis, Ph.D. – Assistant Teaching Professor
  • David Remund, Ph.D – Professor of Practice
  • Alexandra Riggs, Ph.D – Assistant Professor

Criminal Justice and Criminology

  • Robert Ingram, Ph.D – Associate Teaching Professor
  • Matthew Vanden Bosch, Ph.D – Assistant Professor
  • Liang Cao, Ph.D – Assistant Professor

Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences

  • Alexandra Turgul, Ph.D – Assistant Teaching Professor
  • Christoffel Anthonissen, Ph.D – Assistant Teaching Professor

English

  • Katie Garahan, Ph.D – Assistant Professor of Practice

History

  • Morgan Gray, Ph.D – Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor

Languages, Cultures and Translation

  • James Graham Johnson – Lecturer
  • Ana Ortega Perez – Lecturer
  • Ivan Parra – Lecturer

Philosophy

  • Toby Schonfeld, Ph.D – Distinguished Professor

Political Science and Public Administration

  • John Kim, Ph.D – Assistant Professor
  • Lucille Right, Ph.D – Assistant Professor
  • Amaan Charaniya, Ph.D – Assistant Professor
  • Mary Jo McGowan, Ph.D – Assistant Professor (converted from Teaching Professor)

Psychological Science

  • Kristin Sanders, Ph.D – Assistant Professor
  • Amy Johns Fisher, Ph.D – Assistant Professor
  • Benjamin Fisher, Ph.D – Associate Professor

Sociology

  • Kevin Smiley, Ph.D – Associate Professor

New CHESS Staff

CHESS Dean’s Office

  • Jessie Hess – Grant Support Specialist
  • Denise Lynch – Director of Events and Community Engagement
  • Marcus Washington – Academic Advisor

Communication Studies

  • Tracy Dixon – Business Service Coordinator

Written by Jenn Conway