Ten faculty members retired from Samford this year and through their multiple decades of service, they each left an impact that will last for generations.
Marshall E. Cates
McWhorter School of Pharmacy
Marshall E. Cates taught psychiatric pharmacy at Samford since 1995 while also holding appointments in various practice settings and leadership roles in statewide and national pharmacy organizations. Cates's work centered around suicide prevention and mental health care for the medically underserved.
Marigene Chamberlain
Howard College of Arts and Sciences
Marigene Chamberlain, a firm believer in the need to develop cross-cultural relationships to contribute positively to a globalized society, joined the Samford faculty in 2005. She served in various roles, including the World Languages and Cultures department and the Global Engagement Office, preparing students for long-term, intensive study abroad courses.
Roy Ciampa
Howard College of Arts and Sciences
Roy Ciampa came to Samford in 2018 as the chair of the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies. In addition to this role, Ciampa taught New Testament and biblical studies and is also an ordained Baptist minister.
Moniaree Parker Jones
Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing
Moniaree Parker Jones retired in December from the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing. In addition to teaching future nurses in Samford’s classrooms, she was very involved in national and international nursing organizations including the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses, as well as Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Mike Pasquarello III
Beeson Divinity School
Mike Pasquarello was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps before entering pastoral ministry. Since graduating from divinity school, he has been ordained in the Methodist Church. He joined Beeson Divinity School in 2018 as the Methodist Chair of Divinity, director of the Robert Smith Jr. Preaching Institute and director of the Doctor of Ministry program.
Allen Ross
Beeson Divinity School
Allen Ross taught in Beeson Divinity School for more than 20 years. Renowned for his expertise in biblical exegesis and the Old Testament, Ross praised Beeson for the school’s emphasis on the biblical languages and exegesis.
Lynette Sandley
Howard College of Arts and Sciences
Lynette Sandley joined Howard College in 1997. Throughout her tenure, she taught communication arts, core texts, creative writing and oral communication, among other topics. However, the. most integral part of her growth as an educator was her involvement in Samford’s study abroad programs and serving as a faculty-in-residence at the Daniel House.
Robert Smith Jr.
Beeson Divinity School
Robert Smith Jr. retired as the Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity after 27 years. A sought-after speaker, he also served as a pastor and has authored several books. Smith is a renowned preacher and teacher of preaching, and Beeson Divinity School's Robert Smith Jr. Preaching Institute is named in his honor.
Henry C. “Corky” Strickland III
Cumberland School of Law
In 1988, after several years of legal practice in Georgia and North Carolina, Corky Strickland joined the Cumberland School of Law faculty. Throughout his tenure, Strickland served as associate dean of the law school from 2001 until 2011 and as dean from 2014 until 2022.
Mary Yakimowski
Orlean Beeson School of Education
A native of Boston, Mary Yakimowski taught graduate courses in leadership, school improvement, tests and measurement, and research. In addition to serving on the Samford education faculty, she directed assessment and accreditation efforts at universities across the country.
This story was first published in the summer 2024 issue of Seasons magazine.
