About Whigham
Our Distinguished Faculty
Whigham's Global Faculty
Our faculty reflects the global character of our Master’s program, bringing diverse cultural perspectives and lived experience to an education grounded in discovery. As scholars and educators shaped by different parts of the world, they help students connect academic study with the people, places, and challenges they encounter. This depth of perspective positions our faculty to guide experiential learning with cultural insight, thoughtful inquiry, and practical understanding. Together, they encourage students to listen closely, question thoughtfully, and develop the wisdom to lead across cultures and do substantial good in the world.
Jeremy Patterson, DML, Ph.D.
Ihab Joseph Griess, Ph.D.
Deborah Finley-Jackson, Ph.D.
Bright Nkrumah, Ph.D.
Brenda Thompson Schoolfield, Ph.D.
Felix Kwame Sosoo
Leslyn Tonge, Ph.D.
Jeremy Patterson, DML, PhD
Vice President of Academic Affairs
& Senior Interculturalist
Dr. Patterson is a professor of French and Spanish whose research explores the relationship between language, identity, and power in colonial and postcolonial contexts, particularly in the Americas and the Caribbean. Guided by the question of how language shapes individual and collective identity, his work draws on literary theory, translation studies, and cultural criticism. A globally experienced academic leader, multilingual educator, and intercultural strategist, Dr. Patterson specializes in global leadership development, language immersion, and cross-cultural education. Fluent in four languages and deeply engaged in international education, he believes that effective leadership is cultivated through humility, adaptability, cultural understanding, emotional intelligence, and meaningful human connection.
Brenda Schoolfield, Ph.D.
Professor of Experiential European Studies and Experiential North American & Caribbean Studies
Dr. Schoolfield has worked in higher education for over 30 years, teaching undergraduate and graduate students in history and anthropology. Her research interests include the experiences of women and families and the ways people are conscious of time. She is fascinated by the eighteenth century.
She grew up in Baltimore and moved to Greenville to study History and French at Bob Jones University. She earned a Master’s in Education in Teaching History at BJU and then a Ph.D. in History from the University of South Carolina.
She is the immediate past SC president of Alpha Delta Kappa, an honorary and service teacher organization. She serves as a deacon and sings in the Sanctuary Choir at First Presbyterian Church, Greenville, SC. She is also a member of the Conference on Faith and History and the South Carolina Historical Association. She volunteers and serves on the board of the Greer Heritage Museum in Greer, SC.
Ihab Griess, Ph.D.
Professor of Experiential West Asian & North African Studies
Dr. Griess is a scholar of Old Testament theology and Semitic languages, integrating historical, linguistic, and literary research. He earned his Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in biblical studies and theology at Liberty University. His academic interests include Hebrew exegesis, Ancient Near Eastern backgrounds, hermeneutics, and interdisciplinary approaches that draw on literary criticism and psychology.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Griess has contributed extensively to Bible translation as an Old Testament General Editor with the World Bible Translation Center and a translator for the Tree of Life Bible Society. He has authored numerous studies in Arabic and English aimed at making scholarly research accessible to diverse audiences. His current research explores human character, divine providence, and agency in the Old Testament.
Felix Kwame Sosoo, Ph.D.
Professor of Experiential African Studies
Dr. Sosoo is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana and Head of the Department of African and Asian Languages, where he provides academic and administrative leadership across the Arabic, Chinese, and Kiswahili units. A specialist in Kiswahili literature, translation studies, and applied linguistics, he has published widely on language, literature, intercultural communication, and legal language.
His career spans academia, corporate leadership, and diplomacy. He previously served as East African Manager for Omni Group of Companies and as Ghana’s Acting Honorary Consul General to Tanzania, advancing bilateral cooperation in trade, education, and culture.
Dr. Sosoo also brings legal training to his multidisciplinary profile, holding an LL.B., an LL.M. in Corporate and Commercial Law, and completion of the Professional Law Course at the Ghana School of Law. Known for integrity and mentorship, he contributes to several university committees and is committed to developing future scholars and professionals.
Leslyn Tonge, Ph.D.
Professor of Global Leadership
Dr. Tonge is an adjunct professor and higher‑education administrator dedicated to developing creative leadership and global learning in students. She holds a Ph.D. in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change, an M.A. in School Counseling and Guidance, and a Graduate Certificate in Creativity and Change Leadership, and is a certified FourSight facilitator.
She brings extensive international experience to her teaching, having led or participated in travel‑learning programs in 14 countries. Her approach centers on inclusive, experiential, and reflective learning that connects course concepts to real‑world challenges. In the Global Leadership Seminar, she encourages students to examine leadership across cultures, question assumptions, and build intercultural awareness.
Dr. Tonge views global leadership as the ability to listen across differences, approach unfamiliar contexts with curiosity and humility, and collaborate to create meaningful change.
Deborah Finley-Jackson, Ph.D.
Professor of Global Benevolence
Dr. Finley-Jackson is a Creativity Specialist who serves as a consultant for the University of the Virgin Islands Creativity Lab, as well as for nonprofit organizations, schools, and other entities throughout the United States Virgin Islands. Her areas of expertise include creative problem-solving, creative mindset development, and creative strategic planning. Through her work, she supports participants in identifying their individual creative preferences and understanding how those preferences are reflected within the groups for which they are responsible.
Finley-Jackson earned a B.A. in Anthropology/African Studies, an M.S. in Elementary Education, a Master of Divinity, and a Ph.D. in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change. As an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, she brings together her ministerial and professional experience to encourage thoughtful, respectful, and compassionate engagement with the world we share.
Bright Nkrumah, Ph.D.
Professor of Experiential East Asian & Australasian Studies
Dr. Nkrumah is a scholar of Chinese language, linguistics, and cross‑cultural education whose academic journey spans three major institutions, including two in Shaanxi, China. He earned a B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature from Xi’an‑Yang Normal University, followed by an M.A. in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages at Xi’an International Studies University. He later completed his Ph.D. in Chinese Linguistics at Northwest University, where his work deepened his expertise in modern Chinese characters and second‑language acquisition. His research focuses on the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language, the acquisition of Chinese characters, and the role of Chinese language education within African higher education and broader Africa–China relations. In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Nkrumah currently serves the United States Army as a specialist, bringing his linguistic and cultural expertise into a new professional arena.
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