For the upcoming fall semester, students will have a choice in choosing newly hired professors for their classes. As of April 3, The University of Tampa hired 18 new faculty members in different departments, according to Provost David Stern.
Aaron Wood, a 29-year-old PhD student at the University of Wyoming, is graduating in May. He will join UT as a new assistant professor of economics. Wood currently teaches Principles of Economics and will be teaching three sections of Principles of Microeconomics at UT.
Wood won the 2013 and 2014 PIE (Promoting Intellectual Engagement) teaching award in Wyoming. These awards are mainly given to professors of first year students, but Wood won them as a graduate student.
“It makes it somewhat easier to communicate in some ways sharing life experiences,” Wood said. “I don’t have an advantage over anybody. I think I’m a very energetic person. Students have seemed to have liked me,” Wood said.
Wood is originally from Peoria, Ill. and said he is used to transitioning to somewhere different.
“I’m not too worried about the transition. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Wood said.
Outside of the classroom, Wood likes to stay active by playing basketball, soccer and running. He is also a self-proclaimed jazz pianist.
“I was a musician in a former life,” Wood said. “So I incorporate music and pop culture and current events into economics.”
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Jeff Neely is an incoming journalism professor who currently teaches at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Neely is no stranger to the Tampa Bay area, which gave him the push to apply to UT. He moved to Tampa when he was 15 years old and attended the Health Academy at Tampa Bay Technical High School. He has family members living across the area. Neely also said that “UT is highly regarded in the community.” He also described how UT’s size is kept at a manageable level, which will allow him to interact closely with his students and fellow faculty members.
The big draw for Neely to teach at UT is its journalism program, while UNCW does not have one.
“I’m very excited to be working with students involved in the journalism major as well as with the student newspaper,” Neely said.
Next semester, Neely is going to be teaching Intro to Journalism, News Reporting and Writing and Feature Writing.
“I have been very impressed [meeting with UT’s students and professors]. I was excited by the enthusiasm that the students at the paper have for journalism and getting the stories,” Neely said.
When teaching journalism, Neely prefers a hands-on teaching method. He envisions himself as more of a coach, guide and mentor to students, as opposed to being “the sage on the stage,” which means loading students up with tons of information at once.
“I learned that every student population is different. It’s exciting to come into a new environment and work with new students,” Neely said.
John Capouya, UT’s current assistant professor of Journalism and Writing, met with Neely during the hiring process. “We thought he was extremely personable, likeable, cooperative and a good guy,” Capouya said. “But before that I thought he had all of the relevant training and experience.”
As a parting statement, Neely said, “[Tampa] seems like a great place to work, [and I] know it’s a good place to live.”
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Jami Lobpries was born in Wharton, Texas and will be finishing up her PhD at Texas A&M, where she also received her undergraduate and graduate degree. She will teach at UT in the Sports Management department. Lobpries is currently a teaching assistant who has taught sports marketing, facility and events management and sport management.
She will teach Intro to Sport Management and Facility Management at UT.
Lobpries will be the first woman sports management professor at UT, which is one of the unique perspectives she hopes to bring.
“I think it’s great because I think you are seeing a lot more women enter into the sport industry, so it’s always nice to have a female professor or mentor you could relate to,” Lobpries said.
“The idea of me teaching four classes my first semester will probably be the biggest transition because I’ve never done it before, but I do feel pretty equipped to do it,” Lobpries said.
Lobpries applied to UT because of the “nothing but good things about the faculty, university and student body” she heard from professor Brandon Brown, who was a PhD student with Lobpries for two years at Texas A&M.
“It also offers a great opportunity to start my career,” Lobpries said, who felt a lot of great energy while visiting the campus. “I’m just excited to help bring a different perspective to the sport management students and connect them to different parts of the sport industry that I’m familiar with.”
Lobpries also played four years in the National Pro Fastpitch league and helped her team out with the marketing and business aspects.
“I feel like I offer a little bit different perspective of being a college professional athlete, so although I might not have worked in the industry in your typical sport job, I feel like I bring a really unique perspective with what I’ve witnessed,” Lobpries said, referring to her time as a collegiate softball player.