Six faculty members from across the university’s three academic divisions earned promotion and/or tenure, effective July 1, 2025. The Linfield University Board of Trustees approved these changes earlier in the year. This recognition reflects the meaningful contributions Linfield faculty members make through teaching, research, mentorship and service to the university and the community.
Congratulations to the following faculty members on these career milestones.
Promoted to professor
Denise Farag ’88, School of Business
In addition to her academic role in the School of Business, Farag has also been the associate dean for graduate programs and new initiatives since 2021. She first became a faculty member at Linfield in 2008 following a career in business law. She remains a licensed attorney and member of the Oregon State Bar. During her time at Linfield, Farag co-created the sport management program and was instrumental in the launch of the Master of Science in business program. Her current work focuses on e-sports and Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) issues on college campuses.
Promoted to associate professor with tenure
Kevin Curry ’92, College of Arts and Sciences
Curry became a faculty member in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies in 2020. He teaches courses on video and audio production, media law and social media. He advises two student media groups, Wildcat Productions and Linfield Pawdcast Network. In addition, he also hosts and produces a podcast, Revisit the Moment, which examines key moments in history. It is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Curry is interested in how the media intersects with areas like politics, how it influences decision-making, and in the history and development of the mass media in the United States.
Kiki Fornero, School of Nursing
Since coming to Linfield in 2019, Fornero has taught students across multiple levels within the School of Nursing. She has also played a key role in developing new curriculum pathways and fully integrated simulation-based learning into the school’s educational approach. Her scholarship focuses on inclusive health education, addressing weight stigma and LGBTQ+ family care. In 2024, Fornero became director of Linfield’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master’s Entry into Professional Nursing programs. She recently earned the Cathy and Dave Haugeberg School of Nursing Faculty Award for Leadership in Innovation and Excellence.
Rachel Schley, College of Arts and Sciences
Schley joined the Department of History in 2018. Her academic interests focus on modern Europe and the Mediterranean, with specialties in the history of modern France and its North African empire and modern Jewish history. Her research focuses on the relationship between colonialism, liberalism and legal regimes; religion and identity; as well as the politics of difference and citizenship. She teaches courses in European history that examine the interconnectedness of different cultures, ideas and individuals within and beyond European borders.
Promoted to associate professor of practice
Gayatree Sarma, School of Business
Sarma has been teaching marketing and management and wine courses with a primary focus on international business at Linfield since 2015. She has lived and worked in three continents and worked in Japan in marketing India as an investment destination in the crucial early stages of India’s economic liberalization. Her culturally rich lived experience shapes her teaching style. Sarma’s academic interests include domestic and global marketing, sustainability and transforming consumer behavior in emerging economies.
Granted tenure
Tonda Liggett, College of Arts and Sciences
Liggett’s research focuses on the intersections of English language education, critical multicultural education and contemporary immigration. Within this nexus, she examines issues of race, language and culture in relation to teacher identity and teaching. Most recently, she has been examining the role of immigration in multilingual student learning to better prepare teachers for the complex and varied experiences that English learners bring to their education. Liggett has been a faculty member in the Department of Education since 2018.
