Feature Story
Michael King, Tyson Sadleir, and Kim Anderson Join Southern Virginia University as Faculty Members
Southern Virginia University is pleased to welcome three accomplished professors to its faculty this fall, adding expertise in family and human development, history, and English. Michael King, Tyson Sadleir, and Kim Anderson each bring impressive teaching experience, active research programs, and a desire to help students grow inside and outside the classroom.
Michael King | Assistant Professor of Family & Human Development
Michael King joins Southern Virginia University as assistant professor of family and human development, where he will teach Marriage and Family, Family Process, and Families and Sexuality.
“Whether you’re majoring in family and human development or not, you’re going to learn things that’ll make you a better artist, a better engineer, a better computer scientist. And more importantly, it’s going to make you a better person,” said King. “Every class is meant to have something to offer students that will benefit them in both their professional and personal lives.”
King’s research focuses on youth sports and performing arts systems, examining how factors such as family financial investments, parental pressure, and parent education influence child outcomes. A Certified Family Life Educator, he also studies couples’ experiences with stillbirth and the supportive role that medical providers play in family grief. King has contributed widely to academic journals, has presented at national family relations conferences, and has translated educational curricula for broad audiences.
Before joining Southern Virginia University, King taught at Utah State University, where he was named Graduate Instructor of the Year and honored with the CEHS Graduate Student Research Award. His professional experience also includes serving as an adjunct instructor, clinical psychotherapist, student academic case manager, and program director for The Legacy Kids Club.
King earned a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family, a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a bachelor’s degree in Family, Consumer, and Human Development from Utah State University.
Tyson Sadleir | Assistant Professor of History
Tyson Sadleir joins Southern Virginia University as assistant professor of history, where he will teach Western Civilization II, Russian History & Culture Through Literature, and Russian 101.
“I’m excited for the chance to teach in smaller classes, to get to know students individually, and help them achieve their academic and personal goals however I can,” said Sadleir. “I’m looking forward to being part of the SVU community, to be part of something bigger than myself, and to join a campus and town that is very friendly, congenial, and close-knit.”
With over 15 years of experience in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies, Sadleir centers his research on Eastern European history and Jewish identity. His published articles and book reviews examine topics ranging from Enlightenment-era statehood to modern political movements. A multi-linguist in Russian, Georgian, Macedonian, Italian, and Swedish, and has contributed literary translations and review essays to The Jewish Fiction Journal and Kritika.
Sadleir has taught at the University of Cincinnati, where he was awarded the John K. Alexander Teaching Prize for excellence in the classroom; at the University of Washington, where he was recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures; and as a Teaching Fellow at Columbia University. Sadleir is also a member of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, and practiced law as a public defender in Washington.
Sadleir earned a Ph.D. in modern European history at Columbia University, a master’s in history with a certificate in Judaic Studies from the University of Cincinnati, and a J.D. from Florida State University. He also received a master’s in Slavic Language and Literature from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in Russian from Brigham Young University.
Kim Anderson | Assistant Professor of English
Kim Anderson joins Southern Virginia University as assistant professor of English, where she will teach British Literature I, Modern Usage and Grammar, and College Composition.
“I believe that studying the humanities makes us more aware of the beauty around us,” said Anderson. “We’re more able to appreciate the beauty around us, and we can find a lot of lessons about who we should be in the world–our goodness, our morality, our souls, what we want to be. I think it can be very aspirational and beneficial, regardless of your field of study.”
Anderson centers her research on medieval ecocriticism, gender studies, and feminist scholarship. Her published articles examine topics ranging from Aristotelian binaries and maternal symbolism to female agency and invention. With a double-minor in Spanish and Classical Studies, she has contributed peer-reviewed research to Medieval Ecocriticisms, Le Cygne: Journal of the International Marie de France Society, and the Medieval Feminist Forum.
An award-winning educator, Anderson has taught at the Virginia Military Institute, Wittenberg University, Florida State University, and DePaul University. She received Wittenberg University’s Outstanding Teaching Award for excellence in the classroom and Florida State University’s Senate Ethics Award. She served as president of DePaul University’s English Graduate Student Association and is an active member of the Modern Language Association, the Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship, the Medieval Academy of America, and the Southeastern Medieval Association.
Anderson earned a Ph.D. in English literature from Florida State University, a master’s degree in English Language and Literature from DePaul University, graduating summa cum laude, and a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Norbert College, graduating magna cum laude.