Eight faculty members at Indiana University East recently received approval for promotion and/or tenure by IU President Michael McRobbie and the Indiana University Board of Trustees.

All are effective beginning the 2021-2022 academic year.

Receiving promotion and/or tenure, or a long-term contract is a significant career milestone; a recognition of achievements and contributions, of which these faculty and our campus community can be proud.

Rosalie Aldrich

Faculty Promotion and Tenure
Rosalie Aldrich (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) was promoted to professor of communication studies. Aldrich is the chair of communication studies and the John and Corinne Graf Professor for Communication Studies.

Aldrich received her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Kentucky. She received her Master of Art in Communication from Michigan State University and a Bachelor in Business Administration in Marketing and Management from Grand Valley State University.

Aldrich’s research interests include health communication, suicide prevention and intervention, willingness to intervene with a suicidal individual, message design, teaching and learning online and in-person.

Brian Brodeur

Brian Brodeur (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of English, creative writing/poetry.

Brodeur received his Ph.D. in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Cincinnati. He received his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from George Mason University and his B.A. in English and a Minor in History from Salem State University.

Brodeur’s research interests include forms and genres of poetry, lyric theory, digital humanities, and literary citizenship.

Rebecca Clemons

Rebecca Clemons (School of Business and Economics) received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of informatics, management and computer information systems.

Clemons received her D.B.A. from Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. She received M.S. in Department of Applied Statistics and Operations Research and her B.A. in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Clemons’ research interests include supply chain management, supply chain disruptions, quality management, and knowledge management.

Markus Pomper

Markus Pomper (School of Natural Science and Mathematics) was promoted to professor of mathematics. He is the chair of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Pomper received his Ph.D. and his Master of Science in Mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Pomper’s research interests include Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the online environment and co-requisite learning support, and development.

Andrea Quenette

Andrea Quenette (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of communication studies. She is director of Public Speaking and the Communication Center for the Department of Communications Studies.

Quenette received her Ph.D. from Ohio State University. She holds a Master of Science in Mass Communication and her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication and Psychology from North Dakota State University.

Quenette’s research interests include the area of political communication and the effects of news content on the public.

Kristoffer Rees

Kristoffer Rees (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of political science. He is the program coordinator for International Studies.

Rees received his Ph.D. in Political Science and Central Eurasian Studies and his M.A. in Central Eurasian Studies from IU Bloomington. Rees earned his B.A. in Psychology from Whitman College, located in Walla Walla, Washington.

Rees’ research interests include nationalism, multiculturalism and identity politics, memory politics, language politics, political conflict and protest, post-Soviet regime transition and Central Asia.

Natalia Rybas

Natalia Rybas (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) was promoted to professor of communication studies. She is director of Graduate Programs and the program coordinator for General Studies.

Rybas received her Ph.D. in Communication Studies and her Master of Arts in Communication Studies from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Spanish from Taganrog State Pedagogical Institute.

Rybas’ research interests include feminist and critical studies of technology, online learning and teaching, and critical cultural communication.

Josh Tolbert

Josh Tolbert (School of Education) received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of special education.

Tolbert received his Ed.D. in Special Education/Educational Psychology and his M.A. in Liberal Studies from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He received his B.A. in Art Education and Spanish from Western Michigan University.

Tolbert’s research interests include use of visual strategies in instruction for students with learning disabilities, acquisition of foreign language vocabulary by students with learning disabilities, and exploring multicultural perspectives of pre-service teachers.