Professor Jennifer Cheek was hired as the new criminology and sociology professor. She appreciates getting to know students because of the smaller class sizes.
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Cheek Starts as Sociology Professor
Karsen Silvernail
Professor Jennifer Cheek is the university’s new instructor of criminology and sociology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s in applied Sociology from the University of Southeastern Louisiana and brings eight years of strong and varied teaching experience to Manchester. “I’ve taught at a large diverse state school; two regional universities (one being diverse and the other being homogeneous); and a diverse community college,” Cheek said.
Cheek looks forward to being able to connect with her students on a personal level, through the university’s smaller classroom sizes. She taught at Mississippi State University and the classrooms or teaching spaces there held more students, as is the standard at a state school. “I also really connected with my department faculty and found them to be a good fit for me personally and professionally,” she said.
She also taught at Triton College, Southeastern Louisiana University and Tennessee Tech University. In addition, she spent five years collaborating with people with intellectual disabilities. When it came to choosing Manchester, Cheek had a variety of reasons for taking the position. “The deciding factor was the tenure track offer,” she said. “After I finish my dissertation, my title will change to Assistant Professor, and I’ll have more job security.”
Cheek is currently finishing her PhD in sociology at Mississippi State University, which she plans to complete this year.