Seven faculty members join Lewis and Clark Community College
New faculty joining Lewis and Clark Community College include: Top, from left: Sue Czerwinski, dean of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Clayton Renth, associate instructor automotive technology, Joseph Genslinger, physical sciences instructor, Catherine Connor, assistant professor, Exercise Science, Middle row, from left: John Zumwalt, welding associate instructor, Ann Welsh, assistant professor of nursing, Shelle Ridings, medical assisting coordinator/instructor, Justin Bernaix, English instructor, Front row, from left: Linda Chapman, vice president Academic Affairs, Jill Lane, dean of Liberal Arts and Business, and Donna Meyer, dean of Health Sciences. Photo by S. Paige Allen, Lewis and Clark Community College photographer
GODFREY – Seven new full-time faculty members recently joined Lewis and Clark Community College.
They are:
Justin Bernaix, English instructor. Bernaix has taught as an adjunct developmental English faculty member at Lewis and Clark since 2011. He was an English composition adjunct lecturer and teaching assistant at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he earned a bachelor of arts in English language and literature and a Master of Arts in teaching of writing.
Bernaix also worked in the SIUE writing center for two years. He has served as the director of Illinois operations for the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club since 2000 where he coaches players ages 7-18.
Catherine Connor, assistant professor exercise science. Connor has served as a Lewis and Clark adjunct faculty member since 2012. She was an instructor at Kaplan University for three years and a nutrition instructor for the University of Phoenix for three years before joining the LCCC adjunct faculty.
She earned her bachelor of science degree in clinical/administrative dietetics at Northern Michigan University. She earned a second baccalaureate in nursing from George Mason University and a master of science in health education/exercise science/allied health.
Connor was the clinical specialist/diabetes education program coordinator at DePaul Health Center for seven years. She also was a nutritionist and health educator at the Florissant Family Care Center for six years.
Joseph Genslinger, physical sciences instructor. Genslinger earned his bachelor of arts in geology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a masters of science in geography-hydrology from SIUE.
He has worked with several companies for the last 14 years as a cartographer, a geospatial analyst, and spent 10 of those years as a GIS analyst.
From 2006-2014, he served as an adjunct faculty member at Southwestern Illinois College where he taught classes in physical geology and earth science.
Clayton Renth, automotive technology associate instructor. Renth earned a Bachelor of Science in automotive technology from SIUC and has worked in the automotive industry for many years prior to and after completing his degree.
During his academic study at SIUC, he worked as an assistant for the automotive department and assisted in multiple classes including engine mechanical systems. He also designed and built mock-ups and equipment for the department.
Renth worked as an auto parts salesman and advanced to technician, product engineer, and service advisor, a position he has held for the past five years.
Shelle Ridings, medical assisting coordinator/instructor. Ridings earned a medical assistant certificate and associate of applied science degree at Southwestern Illinois College. She has a bachelor’s in business administration in health care management from American InterContinental University.
Ridings was a certified medical assistant for four years before beginning her career in postsecondary education. From 1999-2013, she worked at Sanford-Brown College in Collinsville, first as the externship coordinator and instructor for the medical assistant program before becoming the medical assistant program chair.
She most recently was director of education at Sanford-Brown before accepting a part-time position as the developer and inaugural coordinator of Lewis and Clark’s medical assisting program in 2013.
Ann Welsh, assistant professor in nursing. Welsh began her education by earning a diploma in nursing from Lutheran General Hospital School of Nursing in Park Ridge, Ill.
She earned her bachelor of science in nursing from Elmhurst College and a master of science with an emphasis on nursing education from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
Her staff nursing experience spans eight medical facilities, and she has taught at five different nursing educational facilities. Welsh holds registered nurse state licenses in Illinois, Missouri and Ohio.
John Zumwalt, associate instructor in welding. Zumwalt began his postsecondary education at Ranken Technical Institute. Already employed as a custom fabrication welder at Duke Manufacturing Company, a promotion to production line supervisor led Zumwalt to put his formal education on hold. His next promotion was to installation manager for national accounts, and three years later he was promoted to new product development.
In spite of tremendous career success from an early age, he said he decided to return to finish his welding degree and he chose to attend Lewis and Clark.
