CSM Team Expands to Bring Even More Expertise in Business, National Security, and Sciences to Region

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) community continues to grow, and several new professors have joined the college to bring their diverse expertise to benefit CSM students and the region.

“Our new faculty come to us with an array of academic training and work experiences,” said CSM Provost and Vice President of Learning Dr. Rodney Redmond. “They are fully engaged in working with our students. I am happy to have them join us and add to our student success strategies,”

Everett Oliver, assistant professor of Biology and Chemistry at the La Plata Campus, has had no trouble acclimating to campus life: The former CSM student, pictured right, said he saved money by taking classes at what was then the Charles County Community College while working toward his degree at the University of Maryland, said that some of his former CSM professors are even still teaching today.

“When I inform students that I attended CSM, they appreciate the connection,” he said. “Their confidence and level of motivation increases, and the level of stress decreases.”

In addition to attending CSM, Oliver served in the Marine Corps, received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2006, and earned a master’s degree in Biochemistry from Howard University in 2011. He is currently working on a doctorate in Biochemistry at Howard University in collaboration with Georgetown University.

"Overall, my hope is to prompt students to think about chemistry throughout their day, as opposed to memorizing enough chemistry to pass the exam,” he said.

Christopher Ripley is the newest assistant professor of Business at the Prince Frederick Campus.

Ripley received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Virginia in 1981 and master’s in Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus in 2005. He spent 22 years in retail sales and marketing with Macy’s, Dayton-Hudson, and May Company, and for the last 20 years he was the owner of the Strategic Marketing Group, a business consulting firm.

“I’m excited when I can impart some of my knowledge and experience to students today.” Ripley shared. “I was intimately involved the evolution of marketing from newspapers and phone books to the current digital marketing landscape. I had to be constantly learning new tactics and strategies to keep ahead of the technology.”

CSM is also a familiar place for Ripley: he has taught as an adjunct professor at CSM since 2006.  He also served as the senior director of development at CSM from 2002-2003 and has taken several classes at CSM, including website coding. 

“I believe very strongly in the value and mission of community colleges,” he said.

On the administrative side, Dr. Andrew Piercy is the incoming associate dean for the School of Science and Health.

Piercy comes to CSM from Valencia College in Orlando, Florida, where he was chair of the science department and taught courses including biology, ecology, anatomy and physiology.

Prior to becoming an educator, Piercy had a 10-year career as a researcher studying growth and reproduction in sharks and stingrays at the University of Florida/Florida Museum of Natural History and the University of North Florida. He holds a doctorate in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida

He is excited to join the CSM administration and said he hopes he won’t freeze in the winter.

Finally, Michael Coffey is joining the college as an assistant professor of History at the La Plata Campus.

Coffey’s academic background includes masters’ degrees from George Washington’s Elliott School and Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies. He also spent 22 years serving in the Navy and working for the Defense Intelligence Agency.

“I come to the college with a background in national security, having worked on some fascinating and important global, Russian, and Central Asian issues for over 20 years,” Coffey said. “So, at CSM I see part of my role as preparing students to take on these great challenges our nation faces while having fulfilling and meaningful careers,” he said.

“Many years ago, I started on my path toward higher education at Northern Virginia Community College, so in a way coming to CSM is coming full circle for me in terms of education and teaching,” he continued.