WARREN EDMINSTER, Academic Dean of the Commonwealth Honors Academy, is a Professor of English and Philosophy and the Director of the MSU Honors Program. Warren has a Ph.D. in Medieval Language and Literature from Baylor University and teaches Humanities, Medieval Literature, Chaucer, Tolkien, History of the English Language, and other assorted literature and writing courses. He directs the Murray Shakespeare Festival each year and is the organizer/director of The Towneley Players, an academic readers’ theatre group that performs and records medieval theatre for The Chaucer Studio. Along with a number of academic articles, Warren is the author of The Preaching Fox: Festive Subversion in the Plays of the Wakefield Master (Routledge, 2005), which won the Best First Book Award from the Southeastern Medieval Association.

RANDALL BLACK, Student Life Dean of the Commonwealth Honors Academy and professor of music, begins his twenty fourth year of teaching voice at Murray State University. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Illinois University (Music Department's Distinguished Alumnus Award, '96-'97) and his Master and Doctor of Music degrees from Indiana University. As a professional singer, he has appeared in the United States and Europe including performances with: Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony, St. Martin-in-the-Field Church in London, the Santa Fe Opera, and as a soloist in Carnegie Hall. Next year he will recreate the role of the Evangelist in a newly revised St. Matthew Passion by Will Averitt, with performances in Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, and Washington DC.

Dr. Black has served on the national board (Secretary/Treasurer) for the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) as well as the NATS Foundation Board, he taught for twelve years as a faculty member of the Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program, and was recently recognized with Teaching Awards from the Music Department (Charles and Marlene Johnson Outstanding Music Faculty Award) and Murray State University (Regents Award). He and his wife, Kim, also a music teacher, have two children.

LLENA CHAVIS, Counseling Director of the Commonwealth Honors Academy. Currently Llena teaches Social Work in the department of Social Work, Gerontology and Criminal Justice at Murray State University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, serves on the Gentry House board of directors and is a member of NASW (National Association of Social Workers) and ACA (American Counseling Association).

Ms. Chavis received a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, a Masters of Social Work degree from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI., and is currently working towards a Doctorate degree from Southern Illinois University in Counseling Education in Carbondale, Il. Ms. Chavis and her husband Dereck, track coach at Murray State University, reside in Murray with their three children, Danielle, Xavier and Ian.

LORI ROGERS is the administrative secretary for Murray State's Honors Program. Having served in this position for 20 years, Lori enjoys the opportunity to work with the high school honors students.

COLIN LEE is a senior at Murray State pursuing an Area in Creative Writing, though he has many other passions including music and the outdoors. He has been active in Murray's Residential College system in a variety of positions and learned many invaluable lessons, but he's still looking forward to his December graduation. This is his second year in the Commonwealth Honors Academy having worked as a Resident Counselor for last year's program, but he is excited to embrace the challenges of the Activities Coordinator for this summer. Colin reads voraciously, mostly short fiction, and writes whenever his mind slows down enough for him to put a pen to paper. One day he hopes to be a published author and perhaps obtain an English professorship.

MARVIN DENISON is Upper School Head at University Heights Academy in Hopkinsville. After graduation from Russellville (KY) High School and attending Lindsey Wilson College, Marvin received his B.S. and M.A. from Murray State University. His experience at the independent school began as history teacher and has included 10 years as Headmaster. He now serves as college counselor and teaches AP U.S. History and AP Government and Politics.

Marvin was a founding member of the Hopkinsville Madrigal Singers, sings bass with the Chancel Choir of First United Methodist Church, and has served on the boards of the Hopkinsville Community Concert Association and the Pennyroyal Arts Council He is an active member of the Athenaeum Society of Hopkinsville. Marvin and Cathy (Knight) have two children, Erin, co-owner of Bluegrass Cheercats, and Adam, a May 2008 graduate of Murray State’s music department. Adam is currently performing on Carnival’s Sensation, cruising from Florida to the Bahamas.

KEITH DOOLEY received his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Mississippi. After completing a Master’s in counseling psychology at Ole Miss, he attended the University of Georgia, where he earned his PhD in lifespan developmental psychology and gerontology. Keith is now an assistant professor in the department of psychology at Murray State University, where he teaches courses in general psychology, lifespan development, health psychology, and the psychology of aging. His research interests include examining society’s views on aging and older adults, quality of elder care, and cross-generational family relationships. He also has an interest in the relationship between stress and health across the lifespan.

While teaching and advising students takes up the vast majority of his time, Keith does have a personal life. He has a lovely wife and five-year-old daughter. He loves working with his hands – gardening, remodeling his home, and building a cabin in the woods offer plenty of stress relief and blisters. When autumn arrives, you’ll find him (or, preferably, you won’t find him) fishing, hunting, and thoroughly enjoying the solitude of nature.

LAURIE EDMINSTER is a National Board-Certified English teacher at Murray High School. She has also taught courses for future English teachers at Murray State University. Laurie received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Clemson University and has been teaching for twenty years. She has taught a variety of courses, ranging from traditional English classes to creative writing, speech communication, southern literature, and drama.

Laurie has been married for sixteen years and has three lovely daughters: Ashlee, Lauren, and Hannah. She enjoys singing, reading, writing poetry, and spending time with family. This is Laurie’s eighth year working with CHA, and her favorite part of the program is getting to work with old and new friends while teaching students who possess a sincere desire to learn and grow.

GLENN LECKIE received his Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master in Education and +30 in Administration from Murray State University. Glenn began his teaching career with the Dawson Springs Independent School District where he taught Visual Art, Gifted and Talented, Social Studies and Kentucky History. Glenn left Dawson Springs to work as the Visual Arts instructor at Callaway County High School. During this time, his other duties included Yearbook Sponsor, Extended School Program Coordinator and Resource Teacher for the Kentucky Internship Program. Glenn has also worked as an adjunct with Murray State University Art Department and Hopkinsville Community College where he has taught Art Materials and Techniques for the Classroom Teacher, Introduction to Drawing, Life Drawing, and Art Appreciation.

JEFF OSBORNE is Assistant Professor of English and Philosophy at Murray State University. Jeff has a B.A. in Philosophy and a PhD in American Literature. He is currently working on a research project exploring the concept of friendship from the Ancient World to the Enlightenment. He has published several articles on early American literature, culture, and history, including one on Benjamin Franklin and another on the rhetoric of the Constitutional debates. This past year he won the MSU Board of Regents Award for Teaching Excellence.

TAUFIQ RASHID grew up in Pakistan and Bangladesh before moving to Lexington, KY. He attended the University of Kentucky, did some more growing up and graduated with a B.S. in Economics. Abandoning prospects of a promising (and lucrative) career as a financier, Mr. Rashid chose graduate work in Economics at the University of Iowa where, according to a promotional T-shirt, the skiing was excellent. He subsequently earned a M.A. in Political Science at Indiana University, where he also pursued doctoral studies in International Political Economy. He came to Murray in 1999 and, since 2001 has been teaching World Civilizations and Western Tradition courses at Murray State University. His interests include music, ping-pong and highbrow sci-fi. Typically, on a pleasant afternoon, he will not be found golfing or skiing.

JEFF WYLIE is a social worker who has been teaching and directing field education in the Social Work Program at Murray State University for the past 12 years. He has an MSW and an MDiv degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville and was a therapist at the community mental health center in Paducah for 8 years working with families and children specializing in parenting and behavior disorders in children. He has worked with victims of sexual assault and supervised therapists in child advocacy and sexual assault centers in the region, as well as in behavioral health and gerontology. Jeff is returning to CHA after teaching summer school at MSU for the past 4 years. Jeff’s wife Jennifer is a physical therapist and together they have 3 children: Justin (22), Sarah (19), and Rebecca (16). In addition to teaching, Jeff is involved with his church, private practice, and enjoys playing the guitar and fly fishing.

SHAVONNA EDWARDS is a senior from Greenville, KY pursuing an Area in International Business and a Major in Spanish. She has served as a First Year Leader as well as secretary for the Hart College Residential College Council. She currently serves as secretary and treasurer for the International Culture and Language Association. She is a member of the Alpha Mu Gamma foreign Language Honrary and of the Hart College Honor Society. She works on campus in the Foreign Language Department. Shavonna participated in the KIIS study abroad program in Segovia, Spain and hopes to find a career that will allow her to continue her travel experiences after she graduates in December.

STOYA ENGLAND is a senior Art Education major with an emphasis in painting from Greenville, KY. She was a member of the Hart College Residential Council for two years, a member of the Hart Honor Society for three years, and a Hart College First Year Leader for two years. Stoya was a counselor at the Summer Art Workshop at Murray State University for the past two summers. She studied abroad in Italy a summer and took an on-site drawing class. She is looking forward to doing her student teaching in the fall in the Murray area and doing part of it in Belize through a study abroad program. Stoya is planning on graduating in December of 2009 and wants to find an art teaching position in the state of Kentucky. Stoya spends a lot of her time painting, watching movies, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. She is also very interested in travel and wants to experience many different cultures.

KIERNAN MAGUIRE is a senior Business Administration major from Louisville, KY. He graduated from DeSales High School in 2006 and is an alumnus of CHA 2005. In high school, Kiernan served as president, vice president, and historian for Key Club and was a National Honor Society member. He also wrestled and played baseball and soccer. Kiernan has served as a Residential Advisor in Lee Clark College for two years, and this is his second year working for CHA. Kiernan spends most of his spare time with friends and family and also enjoys reading, watching movies, playing intramural sports, and running.

ANDREW PERKINS hails from the small town of Symsonia, KY. He is a recent graduate of Murray State with a Bachelor's degree in music. He enjoys playing piano and guitar whenever the opportunity presents itself. Andrew is also a composer. Over the past nine years, he has written over two hundred songs with some earning radio play - a major accomplishment for an unsigned artist. He has also been recognized as a two-time state finalist in the BMI John Lennon Songwriting Competition. Aside from popular music, Andrew also writes art music including pieces for choirs and chamber ensembles. His most recent piece is the recessional for his sister's wedding. His other hobbies include enjoying the great outdoors, collecting WWII memorabilia, learning to cook new things and shouting out answers during Jeopardy.In the fall, Andrew will begin his Masters of Music in Music Theory at the University of Arkansas where he received a full graduate fellowship. He will also teach undergraduate classes in aural perception.

HOLLY PRITCHARD is a senior Music major from Cape Girardeau Missouri. She has sung in the Murray State Concert Choir for the past two years and played violin in the Murray State Orchestra. She was member of Alpha Omicron Pi for four years and co-directed the organization’s All Campus Sing show for the past two years. Holly was also a previous Resident Advisor and is currently a Residence Director. She enjoys such activities as music, movies, acting and traveling and hopes to go back abroad someday soon. Her future plans are to graduate in December and to start graduate school the following spring semester.