UIU introduces new faculty

Upper Iowa University (UIU) formally welcomed two new faculty members to its staff during Faculty Development Day at Fayette Campus Wednesday, Aug. 17. UIU educators provide instruction at Fayette Campus, through 25 domestic and international education centers, online and as part of the University’s self-paced degree programs.

The new Upper Iowa University faculty members are as follows:

Blair Seim, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been named assistant professor of accounting application at the Fayette Campus.

A graduate of University of Northern Iowa, Seim earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting. He also received an associate of arts degree in elementary education at Marshalltown Community College.

Seim, who became a certified accountant in 2006, most recently served as senior tax accountant at Transamerica in Cedar Rapids. His Transamerica duties included teaching qualifying CPE and intern training courses.

Sarahmarie Hardy, Waterloo, Iowa, will serve as assistant professor of education at the Upper Iowa University-Waterloo Center. While earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Hardy

graduated Summa Cum Laude at Upper Iowa. She later earned a master’s in educational leadership at Clarke University.

In addition to eight years of teaching experience at the elementary and middle school levels of education, Hardy has served as an adjunct professor and teacher education coordinator at UIU.

Additional faculty introductions

A 20-year faculty member at both the UIU Waterloo and Cedar Rapids centers was also introduced Aug. 17 as the UIU-Waterloo Center counseling instructor. Kimberly King of Cedar Falls previously taught psychology, education and social sciences at Upper Iowa.

In July, UIU also announced Dr. Richard E. Bleil of Rapid City, South Dakota, had been named the dean of the UIU School of Science and Mathematics. Bleil comes to UIU from his position as director of the Rapid City Police Department Forensic Lab, having served in that capacity for nearly four years. In that time Bleil was instrumental in securing international accreditation for the Forensics Lab. He also served as adjunct professor at National American University, Western Dakota Technical Institute, and the University of South Dakota.