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Chair, Department of Social Work and Title IX Coordinator
When Dr. Pendergast was finishing her Ph.D. in Social Work Education at the University of South Carolina, she dreamed of teaching at a school like Concord. “I have wanted to live in the mountains for as long as I can remember,” she says. In 2007, she accepted a tenure-track position at CU and has found a home here. “The campus community is welcoming and accepting,” she says. Before completing her doctoral degree, Dr. Pendergast was a practicing social worker, valuable experience she shares with her students. “When I speak with students about social work, I explain that this is the best job and worst job you can have,” she says. “It’s very rewarding to see how people can change their lives, and it can be discouraging when these changes do not come.” Dr. Pendergast is dedicated to preparing her students for the realities they’ll face after graduation, and says she enjoys “being a small part of their journey.”
Dr. Joan Pendergast
Chair, Department of Social Work and Title IX Coordinator
Dr. George Williams '11
Assistant Professor of English / Director of Veteran Services
Amy Walker '12
PA Admissions Coordinator
Zoey Shamblin
Sociology Major with Criminology Emphasis
Health Science Major
A native of Lewisburg, Josi Ervin is majoring in Health Science, with a goal to attend PA school. Josi has always worked hard to be successful in school, and she loves all of her Concord professors. She plays on the Concord softball team, and is a Bonner scholar. In the summer of 2024, she worked as a youth camp counselor in Greenbrier County as part of her Bonner scholarship experience. She says of the experience, “I absolutely loved working there as I got to watch kids come in and have the week of their life! They get to come in and really just be kids with no other worries. I really felt like it made a difference as I got to serve others all summer!” When asked about her most memorable experience at CU, she mentions a time when the campus was covered in snow, and everyone went sledding in the valley. She’s been a member of 4-H since she was 8 years old, and has played sports all of her life.
