Faulkenberry, Straley joint ATU-Ozark faculty

Gwen Ford Faulkenberry has been hired to teach English at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus, and David Straley will join the campus as chairman of the Viticulture and Enology program.

Faulkenberry is a graduate of Ozark High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Central Arkansas, and a master’s in liberal arts from Arkansas Tech. The Ozark resident has authored two two novels and two Christian devotional books.

Straley, a professional chef, studied viticulture and winery technology at Napa Valley College in Napa, Calif., and completed coursework in plant science, production viticulture and enology at California State University-Fresno. He worked in viticulture for Gallo Sonoma and Sterling Vineyards in Napa Valley and in wine production at Rombauer Vineyards. Also, he worked in a United States Department of Agriculture wine grape research program at Parma, Idaho.

He moved to Fort Worth in 2003 to care for his mother. He began a viticulture and vineyard consulting business in Texas. Straley is a member of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA) and several of his clients are now in their fifth and sixth year of grape production.