The Austin College 2023-2024 academic year enters the spring term with several new tenure-track, adjunct, and visiting faculty members joining the campus community earlier in the year.
Farren Benvenuti is the coordinator of instruction and research services and assistant professor working out of Abell Library. She completed a bachelor’s degree at Texas Christian University and a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Louisiana State University with an emphasis on academic libraries.
Ben Bryan, a visiting assistant professor in philosophy, teaches and writes on a wide range of topics in moral and political philosophy. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and philosophy from Belmont University and a Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University. Bryan has taught at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Nevada-Reno and North Carolina State University.
Shannon Cain is an assistant professor of medical science with the Austin College physician assistant program. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in community health from Texas A&M University, and a Bachelor of Science in physician assistant studies from UT Southwestern Medical Center School of Allied Health. She has a Master of Physician Assistant Studies from The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.
Cain has had a 25-year career as a physician assistant in an orthopedic and sports medicine practice where she has precepted many students in high school, college, and PA programs, and medical students and residents.
Sharon Felix is a physics fellow and an assistant professor of physics. Originally from Kerala, India, he completed his undergraduate studies at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata. He recently completed his Ph.D. at The University of Texas-Dallas. His primary research interests revolve around astrophysics and cosmology, particularly focusing on topics related to dark matter and gravitational lensing.
Ashley Glenn is the director of bands and assistant professor of music at Austin College where he directs the Wind Orchestra and ’Roo Band, and coordinates music education studies. Glenn holds a Bachelor of Music degree in music education from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, a Master of Music degree in wind conducting from The American Band College, and a Ph.D. in music education with an emphasis in wind conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi.
He has served on the faculties of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, and Frostburg State University in Mountain, Maryland.
Nicholas Graff is an assistant professor of economics from Indianapolis, Indiana. Graff completed both his graduate and undergraduate education at the University of Kentucky. His primary areas of research are in labor and public economics with recent work on the economics of entrepreneurship.
Patrick Kozey is a visiting assistant professor of Spanish, originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Stanford where he earned a B.A. in Spanish, and Cornell where he earned his M.A. and Ph.D. He has taught in Melbourne, Australia; Massachusetts, and North Carolina.
Mary Linder is an adjunct instructor of political science and has been teaching government and history at Grayson College since 2006. She earned a B.A. in political science and a Master of Education in secondary history, both from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She is ABD (All But Dissertation) in Educational Leadership at Texas A&M University–Commerce and is pursuing a master’s degree in strategic communication and digital marketing from the University of Oklahoma.
Jesse Reinhard is an adjunct assistant professor of art at Austin College. Jesse began as a professional artist in the Grayson County region and has also lived and worked as an artist in New Mexico while teaching at New Mexico State University.
Amy Thimesch is a core faculty member for the Physician Assistant program. She earned a bachelor’s degree of nutritional sciences from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree of health sciences in physician assistant studies from University of Oklahoma College of Community Medicine in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She continues to practice medicine.
Krista Thomas comes to Austin College as a biology instructor and biology support associate. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science and a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from Oklahoma State University. She has earned her master’s degree in agricultural science at Texas A&M-Commerce.