Major in Social Studies Education

Dr. Brian Herndon has been in education for over 20 years. He has served as a classroom teacher in Kindergarten, 1^st grade, 3^rd grade, and 4^th grade. He has also served as an elementary principal, elementary assistant principal, and the director of an early childhood special education preschool, where he served as a Local Education Authority (LEA) for hundreds of special education IEP meetings. As a classroom teacher, he developed a special interest in the teaching of reading and language arts and has studied extensively in these areas. Dr. Herndon’s experience in education is complimented by the fact that he is the father of four children, one of whom has Down syndrome. So, education is not just a professional calling for him, it is a personal calling as well.

Dr. Robert Moore completed his Ph.D. at Emory University in West and South Asian Religions, specializing in Islamic Studies.  He received a M.A. in History and a B.A. in Classical Studies from the University of Arkansas.   Dr. Moore’s research interests focus on the teaching of Islamic law in Mamluk Cairo (1250-1517).  His dissertation describes the growth and development of madrasahs, schools of Islamic law, and the ways these institutions transformed the relationships between professors of law, their students, the ruling elite, and the common people.  A research fellowship from the American Research Center in Egypt allowed Dr. Moore to explore the national archives in Cairo and the beautiful madrasahs still in standing throughout the city.

In addition to teaching introductory classes in Western Civilization, Dr. Moore offers classes on the Middle East, Ancient Greece and Rome, and Medieval Europe.  His classes introduce students to the culture of these societies by studying their literature, political systems, religious texts and practices, and social relationships. 

Dr. Trisha Posey’s primary interest is in the relationship between religion and reform.  She recently completed a research project on a 19th century farm school on Thompson's Island in Boston Harbor, which was published in the Massachusetts Historical Review. She is also interested in the history of slavery in the United States as well as the enduring legacy of racism left by slavery. More recently, she has begun researching and writing on Christian higher education in Africa and has led faculty workshops on faith integration at Uganda Christian University.  She is passionate about teaching American history, the history of poverty in the United States, American slavery, and African history. Posey also directs the Honors Scholars Program.

Dr. Posey earned her Ph.D. in American History at the University of Maryland. Before that, she lived in Canterbury, England, where she finished her M.Phil. She received a B.A. in History from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.

Dr. Posey lives in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, with her husband, Jake, her three children, Eliot, Oliver and Beatrice. She enjoys cooking and eating good food, reading books, running, knitting, gardening, and thinking and writing about social justice.

Dr. Curtis Cunningham holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with emphasis in Early Childhood from Southwest Baptist University, a Masters in Education with emphasis in Gifted Education from Drury University and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Gifted Education from the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville. At JBU, he is responsible for teaching classes related to classroom management, curriculum design, differentiated instruction and human development for students in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Prior to coming to JBU, Dr. Cunningham worked for fourteen years in private and public schools. He has experience teaching Kindergarten, third and fourth grade in the regular classroom and teaching second and fifth grades in a program for gifted and talented students. He supported early-career teachers for six years as an instructional specialist before coming to JBU. He is excited to bring his expertise in curriculum design and differentiated instruction to JBU as we prepare the next generation of educators.

Dr. Kimberly Murie joined the Department of Teacher Education at John Brown in 2015. Dr. Murie earned a Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Arkansas. After teaching science in two large public high schools for over ten years and serving as a department chair for eight years, God opened the door for Dr. Murie to resume the role of student herself.  She returned to school to fulfill a lifelong dream of being an educator of teachers. Dr. Murie graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2015, earning a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Science Education. 

Working in a public school setting for many years has given Dr. Murie a passion into the importance of having Christian educators engaged in public education. It is a great honor and privilege to be able to instruct and encourage future educators on how they can be the hands and feet of Christ to a student, a classroom, and a community.