Welcome to Concord University
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.
Featured Stories
Nursing Major with Psychology Minor
Shannon Phipps of Monroe County, WV began her studies at Concord in the spring of 2023, and she’s chosen nursing as a major and psychology as a minor. She transferred from Marshall University because she wanted to be closer to home. When asked about her most memorable experience in academia, Shannon remembers the first day she met the director and teachers in the nursing program at Concord. “Each professor introduced themselves to me and made me feel at home. I was also given an in-depth tour of the nursing building. All of these things made me feel very welcomed on campus and into the program.” Phipps has wanted to be a nurse ever since kindergarten, when the teacher asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Her future plans include pursuing a job as a flight nurse, and then attending Nurse Anesthetist School.
Shannon Phipps
Nursing Major with Psychology Minor
Allen Smith '05
Director of Admissions
Dr. Joan Pendergast
Chair, Department of Social Work and Title IX Coordinator
Dr. Allison Bean
Assistant Professor of Business
Assistant Professor of English / Director of Veteran Services
George joined the Navy at age 17, and then worked for British Aerospace Engineering, where he helped design, install and repair advanced electronic systems on US Navy Ships. Later, he moved his family to Wilmington, NC, where he started his own business focusing on electronic and electrical systems for private yachts. Once his three daughters were grown, he and his wife sold everything and hit the road, eventually settling in Bluefield, WV. Dr. Williams attended Concord University and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy. He and his wife then moved to Scotland, where he earned a Master of Letters (MLitt) in English Literary Studies at the University of Aberdeen. They spent nearly a decade there before returning to West Virginia in 2018 and began working at Concord as an adjunct professor, and finished his PhD from the University of Dundee. He was soon hired as an Assistant Professor of English and the CU Veterans Advocate. When asked about his most memorable experience, he relates, “I was presenting at an international conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, discussing how German author Goethe influenced Sir Walter Scott. After my presentation, my PhD advisor pulled me aside to inform me that I had been mispronouncing Goethe’s name throughout my talk. Embarrassed by my mistake in front of an international audience, I now use this experience as a teaching moment for my students.”
