Seven faculty members achieve tenure

Seven Cincinnati State faculty members were awarded tenure by a unanimous vote of the College Board of Trustees at the January 27, 2026, Board meeting.

At the meeting, Provost Robbin Hoopes described the steps that lead to a recommendation for tenure, including the “wonderful peer mentoring process” that provides guidance for faculty members during the years preceding their tenure application. Dean Yvonne Baker (Business), Associate Dean Mike Chaney (Health & Public Safety), and Dean Geoffrey Woolf (Humanities & Sciences) introduced the tenure candidates to the Board members.

Trustee Chairperson Jane Garvey commended the faculty members for their contributions to the College and said the tenure class members’ achievements “make you feel strong about Cincinnati State and our future.”

The newly-tenured faculty members are:

Lauren Bregel, Nursing (Health & Public Safety)

• Lauren is the lead instructor for Nursing 103, a course that helps students develop advanced nursing skills and competencies. She collaborated with colleagues to update medical/surgical clinical and lab components of the course., and she created simulated experiences for students utilizing the Health Simulation Lab.
• She has 16 years of clinical and patient care experience as a Registered Nurse in a variety of hospital units and medical/surgical settings.
• Lauren has served on several programmatic and College-wide committees, including the Scholarship Committee and the Co-op/Experiential Learning Committee, and has represented the College at numerous health-related educational events.
• Lauren holds Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing degrees from Indiana Wesleyan University. She earned an Associate of Science in Nursing from the Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science.

Antionette (Toni) Durban, Occupational Therapy Assistant Technology (Health & Public Safety)

• Toni serves as the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program and in that role has developed 80 new clinical affiliation agreements to provide clinical experience sites for OTA students. She also restructured the Patient Care Skills course (MCH 138) to align with competencies required for several allied health majors, and she revised the Fundamentals of OTA Practice course to include lab activities that strengthen students’ skills as they prepare for their clinical experiences.
• She has extensive field experience in hospital rehabilitation units, skilled nursing facilities, and therapy department management.
• Toni has served on College committees including the Peer Mentoring Advisory Committee and the Commencement Committee. She is the Chair of the OTA Committee for the Ohio Occupational Therapy Board and is Chair of Xavier University’s OT Advisory Board, and she has delivered presentations at several professional conferences.
• Toni is a graduate of Cincinnati State’s Occupational Therapy Assistant associate degree program. She earned a Bachelor of Health Science and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

Dr. Jeremy Huber, Department Co-Chair, Physics and Physical Sciences (Humanities & Sciences) 

• Jeremy’s efforts obtained Ohio Department of Higher Education designation of statewide transfer guarantees for several Physics and Physical Science courses, and he created or adapted 60 lab activities for six different courses. He also created 50 hours of instructional video to support hybrid format versions of the Physics 1 and Physics 2 courses. 
• He has provided leadership for science education opportunities for students, including serving as the research advisor for seven students who participated in the Ohio Space Grant Consortium program.
• Jeremy has served as a member of Faculty Senate and on several College committees including the Learning Outcomes/Program Self Study Committee and the Peer Mentoring Advisory Committee. He also is a volunteer leader for Cincinnati State’s Academic League and Science Bowl programs for high school students.
• Jeremy holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Kentucky, and he earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Louisville. He also earned the Effective College Teaching certification from the American Council of College and University Educators (ACUE).

Dr. Carla Rhoades, Early Childhood Education (Humanities & Sciences) 

• Carla redesigned several Early Childhood Education (ECE) courses to align with requirements of the Ohio Office of Special Education program and the Bold Beginnings Higher Education program. She redesigned the course Administration and Leadership in Early Childhood Education for remote delivery using free resources to replace an outdated textbook. She also facilitates partnerships with experiential learning sites for ECE students.
• She has 23 years of experience as a preschool teacher and director, and holds two licensures from the Ohio Department of Education.
• Carla has served on College committees including the Scholarship Committee, and she facilitates a partnership with the Queen City Book Bank to provide book collections to each ECE graduate. She is a National Peer Reviewer for the National Association for Education of Young Children.
• Carla holds a PhD in Developmental and Learning Sciences from the University of Cincinnati. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from Berea College and a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from the University of Dayton.

Greg Skibinski, Program Chair, Culinary Arts (Business)

• Greg restructured Culinary associate degree courses to align with the Culinary & Food Science bachelor’s degree program, and he restructured Culinary program electives to provide more opportunities for students to gain relevant content and earn related certificates. He also developed new content for classes in Butchery and Plant-Based Cuisine, and provided leadership for a team of new adjunct instructors for culinary courses.
• He has significant experience in all facets of the culinary industry, and serves as president of the local chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF).
• Greg serves as Co-chair of the Scholarship Committee and as regional Chair for the National ACF Culinary Competition Committee. He organized regional competitions at the Midwest Culinary Institute and assisted in organizing the 1 Night 12 Kitchens fundraising event.
• Greg holds the Certified Executive Chef credential from the American Culinary Federation. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Ohio University and an MBA from Bowling Green State University.

Shawn Stacy, Program Chair, Emergency Medical Services (Health & Public Safety)

• Shawn developed online versions of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) courses and worked with accrediting boards to establish EMS as essential training during the pandemic, ensuring continued graduation of EMS workers. He also implemented delivery of the EMS National Exam at the College, and developed a hybrid version of a Cardiology course for students in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program.
• He is a nationally registered Paramedic and holds multiple EMS certifications and licensures in Ohio and Kentucky. He serves as a Firefighter and Paramedic for Colerain Township.
• Shawn served on the College Scholarship Committee and is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Health Simulation Lab. He is the regional director for the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation and the regional coordinator for the American Heart Association credentialing activities for students and instructors.
• Shawn has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Science in Security and Emergency Management from Eastern Kentucky University.

Donna Von Deylen, Accounting (Business)

• Donna is the “course keeper” and content developer for four accounting courses, including annual assessments of learning outcomes for Financial Accounting and Intermediate Accounting 1 and 2. She also evaluates objectives and outcomes for the Financial Accounting course to ensure Ohio Department of Higher Education designation of statewide transfer guarantees.
• She has significant industry experience in the banking and accounting fields, and 25 years of experience as an adjunct instructor in Cincinnati State’s Accounting program.
• Donna serves as Co-chair of the Scholarship Committee and as a member of the Commencement Committee. She has participated in numerous community volunteer activities sponsored by the College, and she is a member of the Ohio Department of Education’s statewide curriculum review committee for accounting courses.
• Donna earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Ferris State University and an MBA from Western Michigan University.

Background: How tenure is achieved

To be eligible for tenure, a Cincinnati State faculty member must complete five years of full-time service.

Then, eligible faculty members complete a five-month review process. During that time their qualifications and contributions to the College are examined by the Faculty Tenure Committee, the division Dean, the Provost, and the President. The Board’s vote is the final step in the review process.

The process steps leading to tenure are defined in the Cincinnati State AAUP contract, which states that tenure is awarded in recognition of “demonstrated excellence and consistent contributions” to the College.

Following the award of tenure, a faculty member may use the title “Professor.”