Newman University has made the following appointments of new faculty and staff for the 2024-25 school year. The list includes those who began employment April 1, 2024, or later:
Faculty:
Cristina Dieni, assistant professor of biology
Kelly Foudray, assistant professor of nursing
Rebecca Romaneschi, instructor of nursing
Robert Norman, assistant professor of computer science
Yashasvi Nidal, instructor of nursing
David Lehman, program director and assistant professor of agribusiness
Staff:
Brooke Randleman, technology customer care associate
Jessica Soto Botello, student success specialist
Jill Lew, admissions CRM Slate specialist
Montez Aguilera, custodian
Kelli Teague, human resources coordinator
Alex Schartz, custodian
Nika Sykes, assistant director of campus ministry
Brady Matthews, head men’s and women’s tennis coach
Grant Figueroa, groundskeeper
Brenda Whitley, administrative assistant for admissions
Robert Schoenthaler, assistant esports coach
Brittanie Brickhouse, custodian
Adison George, workforce and community liaison
Noel Torres, assistant wrestling coach
Judy Espino, access coordinator
Madison Sifuentez, reference and instruction librarian
Donald Short, custodian
Daphne Williams, sports information director
Brandon Williams, custodian
Amber McVicar, head cross-country coach
Andrew Giorgetti, instructional designer
Viet Hoang, head esports coach
Sharrilyn Smith, assistant registrar
Jeannie Ross, director of Student Success Center
Lawna Kurtyka, academic intervention specialist
Ivy Annen, mental health project coordinator
Administration:
Father Edmund Herzog, chaplain and director of Campus Ministry
Michael Probus, vice president of enrollment management
Get to know a handful of new hires
Norman, assistant professor of computer science
- Norman is from south Georgia and is a graduate of The University of Oklahoma.
- Hobbies: Playing video games, pickleball, exercising, ice skating, roller skating, reading ancient and medieval history, programming, building computers, tearing computers apart, providing tech support for his immediate family, parents, extended family, their friends and “anyone they talk to,” and most of all, spending time with his wife, three kids and puppy-dogs.
- “One fun fact is that I went my entire life without being able to solve a Rubik’s cube, but I finally figured it out, and now I solve one almost every day. My fastest time is 1 minute 9 seconds, which I was fairly proud of until my 9th grader achieved a time of 25 seconds. So now I feel very slow.”
Hoang, head esports coach
- Hoang is from Sioux City, Iowa.
- Favorite hobbies: Media in general; movies, video games, music and comic books.
- Fun fact: Hoang owns Daikon Cafe.
Espino, access coordinator
- Espino is from Garden City.
- Hobbies: Spending time with family and taking lots of pictures.
- Fun fact: Her two sons play in a band. The oldest plays the saxophone and the youngest is a drummer.
Sifuentez, reference and instruction librarian
- Sifuentez is from Omaha, Nebraska, and has lived in Wichita for four years.
- Hobbies: Drawing, taking her dogs on walks and watching her niece’s and nephew’s soccer games
- Fun fact: “All my pets are named after produce: a cat named Squash and two dogs named Zucchini and Peach.”
- “I’ve been so impressed already with the kindness and hospitality the campus shows their students on a daily basis, and I’m excited to learn more and continue to meet people as the semester progresses.”
Soto Botello, student success specialist
- Soto Botello is from Garden City, Kansas.
- Favorite hobbies: Spending and enjoying “every minute I can with my family,” a husband, daughter, three boys, parents, sisters, brother, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles and friends.
- Fun fact: “I’m a soccer mom and life right now is all about soccer. I’m not only a cheerleader and No. 1 fan of my boys, but I’m also committed with our soccer club as a representative in supporting where is needed.”
Job openings at Newman University
Looking to join a team of staff, faculty and administration that empowers its students to transform society for the better?
