By Catherine Montgomery (’18)
SCOM has recently welcomed six new faculty members into the school. One of these professors is Ms. Annelise Ewing. Prior to coming to JMU, Ewing attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska for her undergraduate degree. Following that, she received her Master’s degree from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, where she taught as well. Ewing has been quick to make Harrisonburg her home and JMU her second family.
So what brought Ewing to James Madison University? Well, she was fresh out of Illinois State University having received her masters and she was looking for a program. She then came across JMU and found it quite appealing. Ewing came to visit and fell in love with the department, as well as the gorgeous town. Ewing happily accepted a position once it was offered. Since being at JMU, she has mostly taught the course SCOM 123, while dabbling in interpersonal communication courses as well.
However, Ewing has not just been teaching though. She has also been quick to get involved in the JMU community. One way she’s gotten involved is by working with the university‘s speech team by doing voluntary coaching. This past spring break, she also went on an Alternative Break to Lakeland Florida through JMU as the faculty member. On the Alternative Break she worked with a team of students on the East Coast Migrant Head Start Program for one week.
Moving to a new place can be tough, but it can also be exciting. When asked what was her favorite part about JMU, Ewing stated, “I’ve loved the sense of community that is here in both the department, university and Harrisonburg in general.” This may be something we hear a lot and perhaps don’t understand after being at JMU for so long but she went on to say, “It’s different than anywhere I’ve ever been, and generally very nice.” She takes note of how people make a point to always say “thank you” and “please, as well as open doors for others.
While here, Ewing has become a popular teacher among students, which we may be able to partly attribute to her teaching rule of thumb, “Always make it apply back to what you’re going to use in your life beyond the JMU bubble.” In addition, she maintains an open door policy saying, “My door is always open if people want to come visit, tell me about new places to go in Harrisonburg.” So stop by Roop Hall and show Ewing the JMU hospitality we’re known for and have a chat.
Please give a warm welcome to Professor Annelise Ewing!
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