joined the faculty this fall as the first Joseph B. Oxendine
Distinguished Professor of Education.
The endowed chair in the School of Education was cre-
ated in late 2007 by a gift from the C.D. Spangler Founda-
tion and named for Chancellor Emeritus Oxendine.
Dr. Jones, who comes from Marshall University, teaches
in the graduate School Leadership program.
With more than 20 years in higher education, Dr. Jones
began his career as an elementary school teacher, and he
worked as a guidance counselor, principal and superinten-
dent of two school districts.
"We are excited about this new addition to our faculty,"
said Dr. Leah Fiorentino, dean of the
School of Education. "Our search com-
mittee was incredibly impressed with
his credentials.
"He brings an understanding of rural
education to this position," she said.
Dr. Jones has published seven text-
books on a wide range of topics from
"Insuring That No Child is Left Behind"
and "101 Tips for School Leadership"
to "A Handbook for the Teaching of
Science and Math" and "Curriculum
for Teachers of Early Childhood Educa-
tion."
He described his current scholarly
interests.
"I have an interest in creativity in
school management and the renewal
of organizations," Dr. Jones
said. "I am also interested in
working with schools who are
struggling to lower dropout
rates."
Dr. Joseph Oxendine, who
was a member of the search
committee, said UNCP has
added an outstanding scholar
who has distinguished himself in public and higher educa-
tion.
"Dr. Jones has all the qualities that one would expect of
a distinguished professor," Dr. Oxendine said. "I am very
pleased with the selection. He will be outstanding.
"The faculty will gain from his experience, and students
will learn a lot from someone with his background in
education," he continued. "He is a prolific writer who has
Dr. David Oxendine, director of the School Administra-
tion program, welcomed Dr. Jones to the department.
"It is a great honor to have such an experienced indi-
vidual as Dr. Jones in this position," Dr. Oxendine said.
"His wealth of experience can only enhance the Depart-
ment of Professional Leadership in the School of Educa-
tion.
"I am sure he will provide our graduate students with
excellent guidance that helps them to be better educators
and administrators in our public schools," he said.
A St. Albans, W.Va., native, Dr. Jones earned a Bachelor
of Science degree in education at West Virginia State Col-
from the West Virginia College of
Graduate Studies (now Marshall
University) and a doctorate in edu-
cational supervision from Virginia
Tech.
Dr. Jones has spent most of
his professional career in West
Virginia, but he said two experi-
ences outside his home state were
influential.
"My experience teaching in
Guatemala gave me an under-
standing of diverse cultures," he
said. "And, I got to see the world
while in the Navy."
He described the region and the
Oxendine Distinguished Professor-
"I am a rural educator, and
this is a place I believe I can
make a difference," Dr. Jones
said. "I have a pretty good
understanding of rural school
systems."
In his last post, Dr. Jones
was a tenured professor in the
Before that he served as a professor and department
chair at the University of Charleston, associate professor at
West Virginia State University and as a member of the fac-
ulty at Trevecca College and the University of Rio Grande
and Community College, where he was also an associate
academic dean.