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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
Miranda Martin '09
Director of Institutional Research & Data Services
Dr. George Williams '11
Assistant Professor of English / Director of Veteran Services
Adam Cook '18
Bradley, WV
Director of Institutional Research & Data Services
Miranda has been at Concord for 21 years, having begun as a first-generation college student. She loved student life so much that she double majored in Comprehensive Mathematics and Business Administration. During her junior and senior years, she was involved with several research projects in the Math Department, which led to attending and presenting at two different international conferences (The Netherlands and Cyprus). Upon graduating in 2009, she worked part-time in the Human Resources office, and then accepted a full-time position in the IT Department as SQL Developer in 2013. She then took over the federal and state data reporting and is now the Director of Institutional Research & Data Services. She says of her experience at CU, “I love my job and love working with other departments for their data needs! I also have wonderful co-workers and feel proud to be part of such a great team. CU is truly my family. It is my home and always will be.”
