Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, Tennessee

Dr. Maria hartley

Maria Hartley is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and also directs the emphasis in Criminology Program. She attended Midway College, where she obtained a Bachelor of Art degree in English Literature. She received a Masters of Science in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University. She completed her doctoral training at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2019. Her research interests include social theory, qualitative methods, debt, and counter-cultural groups. Maria has presented her research at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the American Society of Criminology, the International Crime, Media & Popular Culture Studies Conference, and the Southern Sociological Society. Maria is the faculty advisor for the Gamma Sigma Sigma service sorority at Carson-Newman. She is passionate about engaging in alternative and novel methods of pedagogy with her students. Maria enjoys riding motorcycles in the Great Smokey Mountains and cuddling her two dogs, Rocky and Topper. She is a devoted fan of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Dr. Nathan West

Nathan West is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Carson-Newman University. He received a PhD in Counselor Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2018. Dr. West teaches courses covering theories of counseling, counseling skills, group counseling, neuroscience, and counseling ethics. Dr. West is Co-Chapter Faculty Advisor for the Chi Nu Upsilon chapter of Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society. Dr. West was developed interest in service-learning as a doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, where he was the student coordinator of the Grief Outreach Initiative for two years. In this role, he coordinated a grief-focused service learning mentor program and was as an instructor for an associated college course. Dr. West is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health Service Provider (LPC-MHSP) in Tennessee and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). Since beginning counseling practice in 2013, he has served in counseling settings that include community mental health, residential addictions, elementary school, and private practice. Dr. West’s research interests include counselor development and wellness and service-learning in the counseling profession.

Faculty Fellow Role

Carson-Newman’s first CEL Faculty Fellows Program will incubate sustainable, measurable, and energized opportunities for faculty to better integrate community engagement into their teaching, research, and service priorities. In partnership with the Community Service & Service Learning Committee and the Center for Community Engagement, the Faculty Fellows will focus on four core priorities for year one:

1. Develop field and resource knowledge in order to be a consistent and knowledgeable resource for faculty. 

2. Gather updated information and data then highlight faculty service-learning and community work that’s already being done in academic departments at Carson-Newman.

3. Plan and implement an academic community engagement symposium to take place during Carson-Newman’s Spring 2022 Research, Creativity, & Performance Day.

4. Create and make available a user-friendly resource database surrounding faculty best practices for academic community engagement.