JMU Welcomes New International Faculty

The Office of International Programs’ International Student and Scholar Services has welcomed two faculty members to JMU this year in the School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management. New faculty members Dr. Emeka Anaza and Dr. Stephanie Bae may come from quite different parts of the world but they have both found a home at JMU.

Dr. Anaza, originally from Nigeria, traveled to Illinois to pursue his B.S. and M.S. from Southern Illinois University, in Business and Administration and Sports Management, respectively. After completing his degrees, Anaza spent time in a sales position but then decided to return to school for a Ph.D. in Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois. After leaving Illinois, Anaza decided to come to JMU because he found the people to be warm, attentive, and collegial.  He particularly enjoys his department’s open-door policy, which establishes positive teacher-student relationships. 

Dr. Anaza has also enmeshed himself in the Harrisonburg community outside of JMU. Wanting to share his skills and enthusiasm, Anaza volunteers as a soccer coach for a coed team of 13-14 year olds through Shenandoah Valley United. He loves seeing his team grow and develop and is delighted that some of his players have moved on to JV soccer at Turner Ashby High School.

Dr. Anaza’s courses at JMU include Introduction to Sport and Recreation Management and Human Resource Management. 

JMU’s other new faculty member, Dr. Bae, grew up in Seoul, South Korea, where her family was involved in the horse racing industry. In South Korea, she worked in customer service for the industry, but found it unsatisfying. While visiting her sister in San Antonio, she decided that she wanted to come to the U.S. to study the hospitality industry.  She began with ESL courses, yet she felt the curriculum was too easy so she enrolled in a community college in Las Vegas. She found fulfillment in that early training led to her B.S. and M.S. in Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and then to her Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration at Texas Tech.

Although she came to JMU only this fall, Bae had met Dr. Reg Foucar-Szocki and Dr. Michael O’Fallon, faculty members in the School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management, at various conferences during the last few years. With that familiarity, she felt instantly welcomed joining the SHSRM team.

Dr. Bae teaches courses in Hotel Operations, Human Resources in the Service Industry, and Purchasing in the Hospitality Industry.