Sonia Balasch, PhD, assistant professor of Spanish
Balasch earned an MA in Spanish (Hispanic linguistics) and a PhD from the University of New Mexico. Originally from Venezuela, she brings five years of faculty experience teaching Spanish and has most recently been a visiting assistant professor of Spanish at George Mason University.

David Berry, PhD, assistant professor of music
Berry earned a BM from the Eastman School of Music and an MM and DMA from The Julliard School. He brings experience as a solo pianist and chamber musician in a variety of innovative and nationally-recognized touring chamber ensembles.

Ryan Good, PhD, assistant professor of applied social sciences and assistant director of Washington Community Scholars’ Center
Good earned a BA from Goshen College and master鈥檚 degrees from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary and Temple University. Good completed his PhD in planning and public policy from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He has taught at Rutgers and Eastern universities.

Michael Horst, MA, instructor
Michael Horst has worked at EMU for many years, and begins this year with a new title. He earned a BS in Psychology and MA in Counseling from 草莓社区 and is currently a PhD candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision at James Madison University.

Ji Eun Kim, PhD, assistant professor of political studies
Kim earned a BA from the Catholic University of Korea, an MA from Seoul National University and a PhD in political science and peace studies from the University of Notre Dame. Her research interests focus on political violence and conflict, transitional justice, post-conflict reconciliation and human rights.

Joohyn Lee, PhD, assistant professor of recreation leadership
Lee earned a BA from the Catholic University of Korea, an MA from Radford University and a PhD in leisure studies from Pennsylvania State University. She has teaching experience in the leisure, recreation and sport industry field at both Florida State University and the University of Florida.

Irma Mahone, PhD, assistant professor of RN-BS Nursing
Mahone earned a BS in nursing from EMU and an MS in psychiatric nursing and PhD in nursing from University of Virginia. Mahone鈥檚 extensive experience includes case management, individual and group therapy, and emergency intervention along with her psychiatric nursing experience. Mahone was most recently a research assistant professor at the University of Virginia.

Meg Sander, PhD, assistant professor of education and director of MA in Education
Sander earned a BA from Virginia Tech, an MEd from JMU, a JD from the University of Richmond School of Law and a PhD in education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Sander brings teaching experience in special education, law and ethics, and educational foundations. Most recently, she was a research associate at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education.

Kristopher Schmidt, PhD, assistant professor of biology
Schmidt earned a BS from Trinity Western University, an MS from the University of British Columbia and a PhD from Simon Fraser University. Schmidt brings teaching experience mostly recently from Goshen College in biology and also as director of the premedical sciences program.

Ann Smith, PhD, associate professor of nursing
Smith earned a BS in nursing from the University of Virginia and a PhD in community college leadership from Old Dominion University. In addition to experience working as a nurse, Ann brings extensive college teaching and administrative experience, including service as the director of nursing programs at Piedmont Virginia Community College.

Andrew Suderman, MT, instructor of theology
Suderman, who came to EMU for the spring 2017 semester, earned a BA in philosophy from Canadian Mennonite University and an MT in theological studies from Conrad Grebel University. Suderman anticipates completing a PhD in systematic theology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa this year. He brings international and cross-cultural experience from living in Costa Rica, Bolivia, Columbia, and South Africa.

Ryan Thompson, PhD, assistant professor of psychology
Thompson earned a BA from Berry College and both an MA and PsyD from George Fox University. He has teaching experience as an assistant clinical professor and as a clinical psychologist.

Mahone is an assistant professor and RN-BS location coordinator in the Department of Nursing at 草莓社区. A 1980 nursing graduate of EMU, she has a MS in psychiatric nursing and a PhD in nursing from the University of Virginia.

鈥淲e chose to honor Irma on our 30th anniversary because she is always looking to advance shared communication within the community psychiatric setting to better assist our nurses and clients,鈥� said Jennifer Phelps, VACPN co-president. 鈥淲ithout Irma鈥檚 foresight to start this organization we simply would not exist.鈥�

Mahone was working as a psychiatric nurse in a community health clinic when she felt the need to network with colleagues. 鈥淚t takes a unique person to like the challenges of community psychiatric nursing,鈥� Mahone said. 鈥淭he nurses who like it really like it. There鈥檚 a real camaraderie and respect when these nurses come together.鈥�

Psychiatric nurses diagnose and assess patients and their mental state, educating and counseling families and patients on methods of coping with mental health symptoms and administering medication.

Introduced to psychiatric nursing field while an EMU student

Mahone first encountered psychiatric nursing at EMU when she did a community psychiatric practicum at a local public mental health clinic. 鈥淭here was a dear old psychiatrist who took me under his wing and showed me just why he loved working with persons with serious mental illness,鈥� Mahone said. 鈥淚 was hooked on community psychiatric nursing after that.鈥�

Mental health and substance abuse diagnoses are growing and depression is predicted to be the leading medical disorder by 2020, according to Phelps.

鈥淐ommunity psychiatric nursing is a specialty, and not many nurses know what they do or the demands put upon them,鈥� Phelps said. 鈥淥ur clients range from first psychotic episodes, bi-polar disorder, substance addiction, intellectual disabilities, from children to adults.鈥�

The job outlook for psychiatric nurses shows a projected growth rate of 26 percent by 2020, according to Nurse Journal.

鈥淚 believe persons who have serious mental illness need nursing interventions in the community,鈥� Mahone said. 鈥淭heir biggest challenge is learning how to adjust to life in the community following inpatient treatment of an acute episode Psychiatric nursing is helping them recover and find meaning in life.鈥�

Mahone also worked as a nurse researcher at the University of Virginia for ten years. She focused on shared decision making between provider and patient in mental health.

鈥淎 patient is more likely to follow through [in taking medication, etc.] if they had a say in creating the treatment plan,鈥� Mahone said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a consensus-building approach, and the end result is a treatment plan where the patient is more likely to get better. It鈥檚 a rapidly growing concept in healthcare.鈥�

Joined education field in March

In March Mahone began working as EMU鈥檚 RN- BS program in Harrisonburg. It is an accelerated evening program for adults who already have an RN and want to get a BS in Nursing.

“It鈥檚 a nationwide trend to make the BS the entry level for the RN,鈥� Mahone said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a gap EMU is helping to fill.鈥�

The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice has recommended that at least two-thirds of the basic nurse workforce hold baccalaureate (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) or higher degrees in nursing.

Mahone鈥檚 academic and professional expertise provides RN-BSN students with an important perspective.

鈥淧ersons with serious mental illness have many needs and really do benefit from nursing interventions when they are in recovery and trying to find their way to a meaningful and purposeful life in the community,鈥� Mahone said. 鈥淐ommunity psychiatric nursing is very gratifying.鈥�

Mahone also teaches a course in ethics in the RN-BS program and a health policy course in the .

鈥淲e are grateful for her community mental health experience and expertise which is certainly a priority in our world today and will be an important aspect to share with our students,鈥� said , director of the RN-BS in Nursing Program. 鈥淗er community organization experience brings strength to our program and she brings a strong interest in the area of peace and justice which fits well with the mission and vision of EMU.”

The award, which will nominate a nurse every year, also comes with a donation to the organization of his/her choice. Mahone will be donating hers to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

鈥淚鈥檓 humbled and honored to have this award established in my name,鈥� Mahone said. In her remarks following the presentation of the award, Mahone stressed that 鈥渋t takes a village鈥� and acknowledged that it was the psychiatric nurses throughout the state who have kept this organization alive and flourishing for 30 years.