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The mission of Concord University is to improve the lives of our students and communities, through innovative teaching and learning, intellectual and creative activities, and community service and civic engagement.

Upcoming Events

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Penny Drive Fundraiser

Josie Crawford

April18Thursday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Collegiate Recovery Day

Ballroom

Kellie Williams

April18Thursday9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

GEAR UP SWV Regional Advisory Council Meeting

State Room

Kristen O'Sullivan

April18Thursday10:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Featured Stories

faculty
Dr. Thomas McKenna
Professor of Philosophy and History

Professor Mc Kenna is an interdisciplinary scholar in the history of philosophy, religion, and the arts. He is a poet and has edited the short run journal Holler: A Journal of Poetry and Prose, now part of the permanent collection of the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston, West Virginia. As a professor, Dr. McKenna says his goal is to help students understand that the answers to life’s big questions vary, but that it is important to understand everyone else’s answers to better grasp the rich diversity of our world our place in it. Whether it be Language, Literature, History, Philosophy, or Religion, the Department of  Humanities will prepare you for success in any field you choose by teaching you how to listen more carefully, to read with greater understanding, and how to write more effectively, all while acquiring a better understanding of the language, literature, history, philosophy and religion of the wider world.  "We live in a rich and diverse world. The more we know about the people in it, what they think about it, and why they think so, the better we’ll do…no matter what we choose to do for a living.”

Photo of Dr. Thomas McKenna

Dr. Thomas McKenna

Professor of Philosophy and History

Dr. Kathy Liptak

Dr. Kathy Liptak

Associate Provost

Zoey Shamblin

Zoey Shamblin

Sociology Major with Criminology Emphasis

Dr. Jonathan Berkey

Dr. Jonathan Berkey

Professor of History

Dr. Samantha Byrd, DSW, MSW, LGSW, '16 '18
Assistant Professor/Training Manager

Dr. Samantha Byrd began at Concord as an adjunct professor in the Masters of Social Work program in 2020, and was advanced to a full-time position in 2022. She received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Concord in 2016, and her Masters of Social Work degree in 2018, also from Concord. She went on to the University of Kentucky to earn her Doctor of Social Work degree in 2023. Dr. Byrd has practice experience in child and adolescent mental health, grant management, and foster parent training. She is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) interventions. In addition to teaching, Samantha volunteers in the counseling center at Concord, and provides community service in various ways. She founded and manages a foster closet and foster parent support group, and serves on the board of directors for Child Protect of Mercer County. She says of her most memorable experience at CU, “Since starting in academia, I have had the pleasure of working in different capacities with some of the professors and mentors I had during my time as a student at CU. It is incredible to see how everyone comes together behind the scenes to support students in various ways.”