Colby-Sawyer welcomes six faculty members this fall to five academic departments. Full-time faculty members teach 90 percent of all Colby-Sawyer classes in 20 undergraduate majors and 24 minors, as well as for the online RN to BS and Master of Science in Nursing degree programs.

Sean Ahern ’09 returned to Colby-Sawyer this summer as Humanities Scholar in Residence to oversee the expansion and renovation of the Baker Communication Center to include a digital humanities lab, podcasting and videocasting stations, media production facilities and student conference areas. He remains on campus as an Assistant Professor of Humanities teaching courses in media and communications, including History of U.S. Mass Media. Professor Ahern graduated from Colby-Sawyer with a degree in communication studies, received his M.A. at Bowling Green State University in 2012 and is pursuing a Ph.D. from the University of Buffalo.

The Business Administration department adds two new faculty members to its ranks. Assistant Professor Kimberly France brings more than 25 years of professional expertise in senior management, human resources and public relations to Colby-Sawyer. She previously taught business courses at Granite State College and Springfield College. She holds a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. in management and strategic leadership from New England College. With experience as a business owner, engineer and educator, Assistant Professor Loren Wehmeyer will teach courses in quantitative business analysis, management science, operational research and global sustainability. He holds master’s degrees in business administration and environmental engineering, as well as a Ph.D. in geoscience with a concentration in water resources management from the University of Iowa.

James McCarragher joins the college as assistant professor of Nursing and Public Health following more than 20 years as an instructor at River Valley Community College. He also brings extensive experience as a nurse, a professional nurse educator, as well as a special interest in community service and Emergency Medical Services and Critical Incident Stress Management for First Responders. He holds a B.S. in nursing from the University of Connecticut and an MSN from Case Western Reserve University.

Assistant Professor Chery Whipple brings nearly 20 years of teaching, mentoring, research and technical experience to the Department of Natural Sciences to instruct courses in biology. She previously taught at Plymouth State University, the University of New Hampshire and Crossroads Academy. Professor Whipple has conducted research and mentored students at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, the University of New Hampshire, The Medical College of Ohio and the New Hampshire Academy of Science STEM Laboratory. She has been recognized by the American Association for Cancer Research and the National Cancer Institute. Professor Whipple holds an M.S. in college teaching and a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of New Hampshire.

Assistant Professor Corri Wilson will teach courses in the Exercise and Sport Sciences Department, including Philosophy of Sport, Sociological Aspects of Sport, and Facility Planning and Event Management. She comes to Colby-Sawyer from Southern New Hampshire University where she has instructed and advised since 2010. Professor Wilson holds a B.A. from Geneseo State University and an M.S. in sport management from Southern New Hampshire University with an emphasis on interscholastic sports and event management.