Western Nevada College News
WNC Celebrates Five Tenured Faculty Members
Mar 6, 2025
Kathryn Cocking, regory Sly, Dr. John Duerk, Dr. Christian Copley Salem and Jaspreet Gill are newly tenured faculty members at WNC.
Five Western Nevada College faculty members reached a professional milestone on Thursday when their tenure appointments were approved by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.
Kathryn Cocking, Nursing and Allied Health instructor; Dr. Christian Copley Salem, Chemistry and Biology instructor; Dr. John Duerk, Political Science and History instructor; Jaspreet Gill, Mathematics instructor; and Gregory Sly, Criminal Justice instructor, received tenure after serving the college and its students for at least three years with excellent instruction ratings.
"I congratulate our newly tenured faculty members on this milestone in their career — this is a huge accomplishment,” said WNC President Dr. J. Kyle Dalpe. “Their commitment and teaching experience means that WNC students will benefit the most!"
Cocking arrived at WNC in 2020 after a distinguished administrative career at Carson Valley Health and Barton Memorial Hospital. She worked as the director of nursing at Carson Valley Health for four years and devoted 34 years at Barton, where she was employed as the director of nursing and vice president of operations. Prior to Barton, she worked in the neonatal intensive care unit at UC Medical Center in Davis, Calif. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing degree at California State University, Sacramento,
“I’m excited to be receiving tenure this year since I appreciate the recognition from my peers, the college administration and the Board of Regents,” she said. “The quest for tenure has been thoroughly enjoyable since it has introduced me to colleagues and committees, exposed me to volunteer opportunities, and encouraged me to be creative and committed in my classes and with the students. I look forward to a long, illustrious career at WNC!”
Copley Salem took a less-traveled road to college instruction. He worked as a grocery store manager before realizing his lifelong dream of teaching at a community college. He has an Associate degree in Science from Truckee Meadows Community College (2008), a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Science Biology from University of Nevada, Reno (2011) and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from UNR (2019).
"Tenure represents not just my efforts but the efforts of the faculty and staff that supported me,” Copley Salem said. “Their helpful and friendly attitudes confirmed that THIS was the place I wanted to work. Being awarded tenure is the affirmation that they felt the same about me."
Dr. Duerk, who received the first two years of his college education at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, Ill., used that experience as the reason why he pursued teaching at a community college. He earned his Bachelor’s degrees at Illinois State University and his Master’s and Doctorate of Philosophy degrees at Northern Illinois University. He has instructed students at colleges in California, Texas and Arizona prior to coming to WNC.
“Tenure means being formally accepted into an academic community after having demonstrated your capacity to thoughtfully contribute to it. I am deeply grateful to all of the people here at the college who have made this professional milestone possible,” Dr. Duerk said.
Sly carved out an acclaimed 30-year law enforcement career before “retiring” in Carson City and launching his second professional career. Initially a grant writer for WNC, Sly accepted the reins of the Criminal Justice program in 2017. He has also taught students at Lake Tahoe Community College and Truckee Meadows Community College.
“Tenure means acknowledgement of years of preparation and work toward my professional goals in higher education, which is supported by the college and my academic peers,” he said.
Gill earned a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno, and will complete her Master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Colorado in the fall. She has been teaching mathematics and engineering at WNC since 2013. Prior to teaching at WNC, she worked at the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy.
“Being awarded tenure is a significant milestone in my career, representing my dedication, expertise and commitment to academic excellence,” Gill said. “As a tenured faculty member, I am excited to bring more innovation into my classroom and contribute meaningfully to both my students and the college community for years to come. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey.”