Our History
The Office of Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence was founded in 2024 after
many years of effort and dreaming on the part of a team of faculty and administrators
to have an entity on campus dedicated to the mission of faculty support and success.
Led by Industrial Engineering Professor Jan Twomey, the team successfully applied
for two National Science Foundation grants to support the professional development
of faculty at Wichita State University. The second grant in 2024 provided the support
needed to formally launch the FARE Office, with the strong support of then-Provost
Shirley Lefever.
The FARE Office space in Jardine 112 opened in November 2024, and FARE's first full-time
staff member, Dr. Debby Hinsdale, was hired in January 2025. Since then, FARE has
been steadily adding programming to support the success and career satisfaction of
faculty at WSU, in partnership with other units on campus.
FARE Founders
- Dr. Shirley Lefever, former Provost
- Dr. Jennifer Friend, Dean of College of Applied Studies
- Dr. Linnea GlenMaye, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs
- Dr. Brent Mai, Dean of University Libraries
- John Jones, Executive Director of Media Resources Center
- FARE Leadership Team (see members below)
FARE Founding Director and Professor, College of Engineering
Dr. Twomey earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, PA. She currently serves as the
Director of the Office for Faculty Advancement, Retention, and Excellence. Previously,
she held the position of Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development in the
College of Engineering. Her passion for assisting faculty in developing successful
research programs began during her tenure as a Program Officer at the National Science
Foundation. Dr. Twomey has delivered numerous presentations and participated in various
workshops on research at institutions across the United States.
Debby Adams Hinsdale, Ph.D.
Faculty Development Coordinator
Dr. Hinsdale holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Kansas and an
M.A. in Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the University
of Texas at Arlington.With over 15 years of experience in adult education, Dr. Hinsdale
has worked primarily in grant-funded programs and in higher education. Her doctoral
research focused on belonging, a theme rooted in her experience as a first-generation
college graduate, her work with immigrant/refugee populations, and three years spent
teaching at universities in Southeast Asia. Dr. Hinsdale's interest in faculty development
began as a graduate student fellow at the University of Kansas Center for Teaching
Excellence, where she supported faculty in redesigning courses to align with research
on how adult learning works.
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research
david.eichhorn@wichita.edu
(316) 978-7367
Dr. Eichhorn is the Interim Dean of Fairmount College and a professor of chemistry. He started his career as an assistant professor of chemistry at Wichita State in 1996, with promotions to associate professor in 2002 and professor in 2009. He has served as associate dean of the graduate school (2005-2008), chair of the department of chemistry (2008-2018), and Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Research (2019-2024). He earned a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1992 and a BA in chemistry from Harvard University in 1986. Dr. Eichhorn has authored more than 60 papers in bioinorganic and transition metal chemistry.
Community Program Coordinator, Graduate Coordinator, and Professor of Psychology
rhonda.lewis@wichita.edu
(316) 978-3695
Rhonda K. Lewis, Ph.D., MPH, is a professor and graduate coordinator in the Department of Psychology at Wichita State University. She uses behavioral and community research methodologies to promote health among adolescents and reduce health disparities. Dr. Lewis has over 20 years of experience in community organizing, program development and evaluation. She has more than 60 publications and 100 presentations at regional, national, and international conferences. Currently, Dr. Lewis has nine doctoral students. She is a Service-Learning Faculty Fellow at WSU and serves as an Action Editor for the Journal of Community Psychology and as an editorial consultant for the Journal of Black Psychology.
Professor
moriah.beck@wichita.edu
(316) 978-5476
Dr. Beck is the Talaty Endowed Research Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Her research involves a wide variety of biochemical tools aimed at understanding regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in processes that include cancer, cardiomyopathy, and Listeria infections. She is also deeply involved in both faculty and student retention efforts and currently serves as co-PI on the ADVANCE Catalyst grant. She directs the First Year Research Experience in STEM and is also the faculty advisor for WSU’s American Chemical Society Student Chapter.
Assistant Director and Senior Research Analyst, Office of Planning & Analysis
tiffany.franks@wichita.edu
(316) 978-6784
Tiffany Franks is the Assistant Director and Senior Research Analyst for the Office of Planning & Analysis. She manages the OPA website, responds to internal data requests, and assists in creating reports and providing data analysis. She supports the ADVANCE team using institutional data and analysis.
