Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU) has welcomed new nursing, communication, psychology, education, and business professors. These individuals bring a combined 100+ years of experience and come to SWAU from across the United States. They represent a variety of cultures and backgrounds, including Tongan and Mexican heritage. More importantly, they bring a shared passion for educating and inspiring young people through quality Christian education.

Katherine Davis MNE – assistant professor of nursing 

Professor Davis holds a Master of Science in Nursing Education. Davis has spent 29 years working in healthcare, including working in adult and children’s emergency and trauma departments.

Elisane Grellman MSN – assistant professor of nursing

Professor Grellman earned a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She has experience in a variety of clinical specialties and has held leadership roles at Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance, where she previously worked as a charge nurse.

Richard Hadley MFA – department chair and associate professor of communication 
Professor Hadley holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theater from the University of California and previously ran the theater program at Union College. He holds 20 years of experience teaching at different Adventist academies across the United States. Hadley has served as a youth pastor for churches in California and Nebraska and has run Adventist Christian Theater, a drama team, and Reel Word Productions for almost 20 years.

Alison Hill MA – assistant professor of communication
Professor Hill holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from the University of North Texas and has taught in higher education since 2006 at various campuses across North Texas, including as an adjunct instructor at SWAU. She has spent the past six years as SWAU’s assistant director of records. 

Zaira Rico MS - assistant professor of psychology 
Professor Rico holds a Master of Science in Family Therapy from Texas Women’s University. She has experience working in family services as a youth care specialist/counselor and has previously taught as an adjunct professor and counselor at SWAU since 2019. 

Tevita Tameifuna EdD – associate professor of education 
Dr. Tameifuna obtained a Doctor of Education in Administration and Leadership from Loma Linda University. His career in education includes serving at San Antonio Christian School, Taiwan Adventist College, Parkview Adventist Academy, and Hawaiian Mission Academy. 

John Turk MBA – associate professor of business administration 
Professor Turk earned his Master of Business Administration in Management from Southern Adventist University and holds a graduate certificate in business analytics from the University of Nebraska. Turk has experience in various fields, including teaching at Union College, where he developed a business analytics minor. He also brings 14 years of pastoral experience. 

Tamara Watson MA – assistant professor of communication
Professor Watson holds a Master of Arts in Leadership with an emphasis in creativity and innovation from Andrews University. Watson has experience in public relations working as PR director at La Sierra University and Washington Adventist University and as the communication director for the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. 

 

Licci Zemleduch MBA – assistant professor of business administration
Professor Zemleduch earned a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from Montemorelos University in Mexico. Zemleduch has experience as a creative strategist for over 20 years, including consulting for non-profit organizations and leading teams in South America and Europe. She has worked for three Adventist Universities. At SWAU, she has taught as an adjunct professor. She also assumes the role of Enactus faculty advisor and director for the new innovation and entrepreneurship center.

“We are excited to welcome our newest faculty members and are grateful for the expertise they each bring in their area,” says Dr. Donna Berkner, VP for Academic Administration. “I look forward to seeing how they will enrich our students’ lives and add to our academic programs.” 

Southwestern Adventist University employs over a hundred faculty and staff members across nearly five dozen departments. To learn about SWAU’s programs, visit swau.edu/academics. To explore open positions at the university, visit swau.edu/hr.