Faculty focus

Frances Eason

College of Nursing
Professor

For many university professors, five decades in front of students might be reason to take a foot off the gas and take a victory lap.

Person wearing a white textured cardigan stands in a campus building lobby with seating and soft lighting visible in the background. Frances Eason ’71 ’79 isn’t most professors. On Sept. 5, she’ll celebrate 50 years as an ECU faculty member. This spring, she taught 113 undergraduate nursing students, which is just less than the total number of students when she enrolled in ECU’s then-School of Nursing in 1968.

Eason completed her initial nursing training just four years after the inaugural class of Pirate nurses graduated and shortly after taking her first nursing job. Evelyn Perry, the second dean at the College of Nursing and her former advisor, suggested she apply for a vacant teaching position at ECU.

“It was a baccalaureate program, period. Not RN to BSN, not accelerated,” Eason said. “There were nine teachers in that first course.”

Eason became one of them.

Donna Roberson ’86 ’93, an ECU nursing professor who considers Eason a mentor and friend, calls her a dynamic force.

“From the first day I saw her in the Rivers Building, I knew she was the ultimate professional and a nurse of the highest quality,” Roberson said. “As a colleague, she has given me insight into the importance of collaboration for success as an academic citizen.”

By her estimate, Eason has taught at least 8,500 nursing students – probably closer to 10,000. Some of those alumni are now her colleagues. Some have already retired from the faculty. A new scholarship in her honor will continue her spirit of service and dedication to the nursing profession after she retires – whenever that is.

“I kept thinking, ‘I’ll work just one more semester,’” Eason said. “One more semester has turned into numerous semesters. As long as I am mentally and physically competent, I would like to think that I give everything I can give.”

– Benjamin Abel

Heidi Bonner, professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at ECU, has been selected to serve on the N.C. Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission. Gov. Josh Stein appointed her in December. The commission has 29 members who represent the three branches of government, all areas of the criminal justice system and the public. The academic member is selected based on a background in criminal justice or corrections policy and is recommended by the UNC System president. Bonner’s term lasts until June 2027, when she will be eligible for reappointment.

In April, Randall Etheridge, associate professor in the Department of Engineering and associate director for the Center for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering and Technology, received the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award recognizes a sustained record of distinguished teaching by a tenured faculty member and is one of the highest teaching awards presented at ECU.

Professional portrait of a person wearing a dark blazer and light-colored shirt, standing indoors with a softly blurred background.

Phil Lewis has been named dean of the College of Engineering and Technology. He started July 1. Lewis grew up in Zebulon and comes to ECU from Texas A&M University, where he served as a professor and head of the Department of Construction Science in the College of Architecture. Trained as a civil engineer, Lewis has bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from N.C. State University. His academic career spans 20 years, with teaching and research positions at N.C. State, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Lewis has secured 21 research grants and contracts totaling more than $4.1 million and has roughly 130 journal papers, conference papers, technical reports and invited presentations based on his research.

Sharon Paynter has been named senior vice provost for research and innovation, a role in which she will serve as the university’s chief research officer. Paynter joined ECU in 2009 and has held several leadership roles including acting chief research and engagement officer, interim chief research officer, and chief innovation and engagement officer. Paynter has a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, master’s degrees from the University of Denver and UNC-Chapel Hill, and a doctorate in public administration from N.C. State University, and she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University. A professor of public policy, administration and economic development, Paynter has secured more than $4.4 million in external funding as a principal investigator or co-investigator.