As Central Methodist University welcomes both new and returning students to campus for the fall semester, new members of the faculty have also been preparing for the start of classes on August 17. Seven new professors completed orientation this month and will be part of the faculty when classes begin.
Added this year were (from left to right in photo) Amanda Quinn, Whitney Parks ’25, Mar Quereda Pastor, Dawn Schmidt ’19, Josh Snapp, Kay Conner, and Kara Starnes.
Joining the staff of the occupational therapy assistant (OTA) program is Amanda Quinn, who brings 12 years of experience as a certified OTA to her job as an instructor.
“I wanted a meaningful career in which I could help others,” Quinn says of her work, adding that she hopes to bring more students into that same meaningful career. “I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my career and helping students become strong occupational therapy practitioners.”
Whitney Parks spent the past five years at Central as the executive assistant to President Roger Drake but moves to full-time teaching as an assistant professor of business this semester. Parks, who also earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CMU, is excited to share that experience with her students and help them discover the many opportunities provided by a CMU business education.
“I'm looking forward to meeting and engaging with fellow faculty and the students,” she said. “I hope I am able to make a positive impact on my students as they navigate college and their future.”
Mar Quereda Pastor is joining the faculty as a visiting assistant professor of biology this fall. Curious from a young age, she says biology has given her the opportunity to explore how and why things work at the most fundamental level.
Pastor also says she’s looking forward to collaborating with the rest of the faculty and contributing to the welcoming environment she first experienced at Central when visiting during her Ph.D. work.
“I was immediately captivated by the welcoming spirit of the students, faculty, and staff,” Pastor says of her time on campus sharing research with biology students. “I never imagined that less than a year later I would have the privilege of joining that same community as a faculty member, and I am truly excited to be here.”
Dawn Schmidt has been teaching for Central since fall 2024, working as an adjunct and then becoming a full-time professor with the nursing faculty this past January. Also a graduate of the CMU College of Graduate and Extended Studies (CGES), Schmidt has years of experience both as a staff nurse and educator in the Moberly area. She served in the maternal child unit at Moberly Regional Medical Center and then for 19 years teaching at Moberly Area Community College (MACC).
“I look forward to meeting and interacting with nursing students in the BSN-G program and collaborating with other CMU faculty members,” said Schmidt. “CMU has a positive, encouraging, and supportive atmosphere. I am excited to continue my journey here.”
Joining the faculty as an assistant professor of computer science is Josh Snapp, who will be instructing the computer science classes and some cybersecurity courses. Snapp says he’s looking forward to passing on his knowledge and skills to the next generation, just as his family cultivated a lifelong interest in computers in him that has remained strong throughout his career.
“I was introduced to computers by my grandparents and great aunt and great uncle early in life. They saw the beneficial nature of computers and the knowledge of how they worked and encouraged me at a young age,” said Snapp. “I leveraged that continued curiosity of computers, networking, and cyber security/operations throughout my life and within my career in the Air Force. There I was given the training and opportunity to learn a multitude of new systems and garner skills that I look forward to sharing with the students.”
Also joining Central’s roster of excellent nursing faculty along with Schmidt is Kay Conner, who will serve as a clinical nursing instructor. She will assist students in gaining the hands-on experience necessary for becoming effective healthcare providers, as Central has provided for more than 50 years of the nursing program’s existence.
“I am excited for the new adventure with CMU,” Conner said.
Rounding out the roster of new faculty members is Kara Starnes, who will hold the title of assistant professor of communication and teach a variety of courses in public speaking, interpersonal communication, and group communication.
“One thing I am especially excited to share with students, faculty, and the campus community is that I teach communication, not communications. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they represent different fields of study. Communication is the academic study of how people create meaning and build relationships,” Starnes clarified. “My courses combine communication theory with real world application, helping students develop communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills they can apply throughout their careers.”
A first-generation college graduate from a small liberal arts university, Starnes says she is especially excited to teach and mentor other first-generation college students and hopes to create a supportive classroom environment where all her students feel encouraged to grow and achieve.