FACES & FRIENDS AT TUSCULUM

DR. MICHELLE FREEMAN

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Associate Professor of Business Administration Dr. Michelle Freeman was born in Georgia, but has lived in Greene County since the age of four. Today she is raising her own children in Greene County, her home just a short distance from Tusculum College.

One member of the Tusculum College family who is particularly happy about that is Sharon Susong, who mans the "front desk" in the Admissions Department. Sharon is Michelle's mother. Michelle's father is Wayne Susong, a pharmacist/businessman in the Greeneville.

Michelle's only break from Greene County residency was made up of a few years in the Knoxville/Maryville area when she attended the University of Tennessee and worked for two years as a CPA. After going through public schools in Greeneville (Eastview and Greeneville High) she did both her undergraduate and graduate studies at UTK, earning a four-year degree in Business Administration with an accounting emphasis, then a Master's Degree in accounting and a doctorate in education.

Michelle has three children: daughter McKinley, son Colby and daughter Ainsley.

Michelle has been a highly active educator at Tusculum College, serving now as Faculty Moderator and Director of the Teaching and Learning Initiative. She is a two-time winner of the Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award at Tusculum College. She has twice presented at the Appalachian College Association's convention, discussing assessment for accounting students and Tusculum's Teaching and Learning Initiative.

She has published three articles. The first article, “Analyzing the TJ Maxx Data Security Fiasco: Lessons for Auditors,” was published in the August 2008 edition of The CPA Journal. Co-authored with Schneider and Gary Berg, also of ETSU, the article addresses the January 2007 breach of the TJ Maxx retail chain’s computer system that resulted in massive theft of customer information, including 94 million Visa and MasterCard accounts. The second article, “PollEverywhere.com: Turning Cell Phones into a Tool for Student Engagement,” was published in the December 2008 edition of The Teaching Professor. The article was co-authored by Kent Schneider of East Tennessee State University. The third article, "Teaching Circles: A Low-Cost, High-Benefit Way to Engage Faculty" was published in the February 2011 edition of The Teaching Professor.

She has served on various campus committees, including chairing the Admissions and Standards Committee for three years, and she serves as advisor for the Tusculum College Business Club.

As a committed Christian, Michelle is very active in her church where she currently directs children's drama.

FAST FACTS ABOUT DR. FREEMAN

QUOTE: A favorite quote comes from her graduate studies advisor at UT, Grady Bogue, who often said, "Your actions are guided by your beliefs."

MOVIE: Her favorite movies are those derived from Marvel Comics characters such as "Spiderman," the western "Tombstone," and the Julia Roberts classic "Pretty Woman."

BOOKS: Dr. Freeman recently read the Book "Seven Principles of a Godly Woman." She is also a fan of John Grisham and Mary Higgins Clark novels.

TELEVISION: Dr. Freeman enjoys ensemble television stories with developing "mythologies" or "backstories" such as "Heroes" and "Lost," though she admits to growing frustration with the latter program because the plot is becoming so complex she fears the writers will never be able to find, much less connect, all the loose ends.