AU Announces Three Leadership Hires
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Anderson, Ind. — Anderson University has announced three new hires for leadership positions on campus. Lonnie Leeper is the new dean of the Falls School of Business, James Bell is the new director of the Nicholson Library, and Elizabeth Imafuji is the new dean of the School of Humanities, Education, and Behavioral Science. Imafuji started her role in the fall, while Leeper and Bell will assume their new positions on June 1, 2022.
Leeper has been promoted to the dean of the Falls School of Business after serving as the undergraduate program director and associate professor of finance since 2020 when he arrived at AU. Prior to AU, Leeper spent eight years at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana. At USF, Leeper earned the Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership award for 2017-18. He is a 2005 graduate of Purdue University and holds a Master’s and Doctorate of Business Administration from Anderson University.
“The Falls School of Business is known as a premiere, relational, and innovative Christian business school,” said Leeper. “I have known first-hand the excellent quality of the Falls School of Business. I am honored to accept this position and look forward to working closely with students, faculty, staff, and the business community to develop the next generation of Christian business leaders.”
Though Bell is originally from the West Coast, the Azusa Pacific University alum moved to Anderson to be near family and eventually joined Anderson University in 2014. At AU, he’s worked primarily as the instruction and reference librarian, interacting with students and teaching faculty, while promoting information literacy skills and concepts.
Bell is a candidate for a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education at Indiana University, and is working on a dissertation related to undergraduate students and scholarly communication.
“I’ve been truly fortunate to work with Dr. Janet Brewer for eight years, to be mentored by her in leadership as well as librarianship,” said Bell. “Continuing the next stage of my career at AU is a wonderful opportunity. I’ve enjoyed getting to know and work with so many good folks on this campus, most especially my colleagues in Nicholson Library, and look forward to deepening those relationships and developing them in new ways.”
Imafuji took over as the dean of the School of Humanities, Education, and Behavioral Science at the start of the 2021-22 academic year. She is no stranger to AU, having joined the faculty in 2005. She most recently served as a professor of English, writing program director, and also serves as the co-director of AU’s Honors program.
She holds a Ph.D. in English with a concentration in rhetoric and composition from Ball State University, and she recently presented her work at national conferences, including the Conference on College Composition and Communication, the Council of Writing Program Administrators National Conference, and the Writing and Well-being Conference.
“Serving as dean of the School of Humanities, Education, and Behavioral Science allows me to support the faculty as they pursue excellence in their fields,” said Imafuji. “In this new role, I have opportunities to champion the faculty’s interests, alleviate burdens, and help connect them with resources, and that’s work I am happy to be doing.”
Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.