Faculty
Business
Faith Benson, Professor
"I want to contribute to my society, and I believe the best way to do that is to have knowledgeable and informed citizens that aren't afraid to face challenges."
Dr. Teuta Cata, Professor
"I love to share with other people information and experiences I know, and learn the same things from them. It is a great feeling to see that you can change young people's lives by opening new windows of opportunities for them."
Teressa Elliott, Professor
"Talking to my students and hearing their perspectives on the law makes me look at my thoughts and beliefs in a different way, and I think it helps keep me open-minded and makes me, for that reason, a better person."
Dr. Chip Heath, Instructor
"Success in marketing is all about controlled creativity. One has to be creative and willing to take chances. But they also need to fully understand the underlying strategy and adhere to that while being creative."
Dr. Denise Luethge, Professor
"I managed MBA programs in Hong Kong, Singapore, Greece and El Salvador. I have taught abroad in nine countries and worked in over twenty countries. My research focuses primarily on cross-cultural aspects of international strategy.""
Dr. Debra Meyers, Professor
"I want to help others achieve their goals through higher education just as I did as a non-traditional student."
Dr. Doris Shaw, Department Chair and Professor
"Focus on providing balance and structure to the competing demands in your life!"
Dr. J.C. “Duke” Thompson, Chair of Department of Economics and Finance and Professor
"I had always enjoyed the classroom environment and after a decade in the automotive industry, I thought I would try my hand at teaching to see if I liked it. That was 35 years ago."
Healthcare/Nursing
Dr. Bill Attenweiler, Associate Professor, Program Director
"Professionals in Industrial and Organizational Psychology work under the scientist-practitioner model, where practitioners are expected to contribute to advancing the science, and researchers are expected to investigate practical matters that will add to the practice. Compounding this commitment are the expectations of organizations for quick results."
Dr. Marybeth Baribeau, Adjunct Professor
"I started teaching because I felt my experiences and love of nursing would help others to improve the healthcare system. I believe that anyone can learn if given the right tools, so I look for innovative teaching methods."
Dr. Teresa Huber, Director, MSN Program
"My personal value/belief system has always been to be compassionate and caring. This caring not only involves the patient's physical health, but also their emotional health. In addition, I wished to share my nursing knowledge and experience with others. I chose to teach based on these value and belief systems."
Brian Kasson, Assistant Clinical Professor
"The role of advocacy for the nursing profession is critical for all nurses at all levels. Nursing is fortunate to be in the position it is today because of the efforts of those who have gone before us. It is our professional obligation to continue the efforts to grow our profession."
Dr. Adrianne Lane, Professor
"I have enjoyed motivating students to learn. Igniting the spark to continuous learning has been my passion throughout my career."
Jennifer Moreland, FNP Concentration Coordinator, Clinical Coordinator, and Lecturer
"I would advise students who are considering this program to be ready for a challenge, but that in the end it will be worth it."
Kristine Pfendt, Associate Professor of Nursing
"I have taught laboratory skills, medical-surgical clinicals and leadership practicums in addition to many didactic courses. Working with students has been my main objective and has made for a most rewarding career."
Crystal Summers, Lecturer
"Teaching is a fulfilling career. I enjoy sharing knowledge. In the classroom, I have the ability to be creative, which makes learning fun."
Dr. William Terry Ray, Director of Nurse Anesthesia Program and Clinical Professor
"Set your goals and firmly commit to your education."
Dr. Denise Robinson, Regents Professor
"Teaching enables me to share with DNP and MSN students what I have learned over the years from the perspective of an active scholar, writer, researcher and active clinical practitioner. I am passionate about facilitating motivated students to achieve their career goals."
Dr. Michelle Teschendorf, Director of the RN to BSN Program
"Since all of the students I teach are registered nurses, my goals for them are to increase their knowledge of nursing and increase their ability to seek solutions for quality care."
Dr. Lynne Zajac, Post Masters DNP Program Director & Assistant Professor
"I have been involved in teaching nursing for almost 30 years in both the clinical and classroom setting and consider it a privilege to guide nursing students as they expand their roles as health care professionals."
Undergraduate
Shannon Alexander, Health Science Program Director and Assistant Professor
"I have found the most successful students in my classes have excellent communication skills, are self-motivated and above all, have effective time management skills. My advice for any online student is to really focus on these three areas."
Sharon Almquist, Adjunct Professor
"Be prepared to interact online a great deal. The only way to truly understand management is to discuss it and collegially critique others’ ideas."
R. Lynn Baker, Adjunct Instructor
"I enjoy connecting adults with intentional teaching practices that help them develop their own programs and services that foster literacy development for children."
Perry Bratcher, Professor of Library Services
"While getting your degree, get some experience working or volunteering in a library in order to get some "real world" experience to supplement your classroom teaching. Additionally, working in various areas of a library will help expand your experiences."
Andrea Brooks, Information Literacy Coordinator
"I kind of fell into teaching on accident. But, now that it has happened, I can't imagine doing anything else!"
Mary Chesnut, Associate Professor and Library Informatics Lead Faculty Member
"Get registered! There is no time like the present. We have an innovative online program with caring instructors, interesting classes and demonstrated graduate success. Our graduates have been given promotions, obtained jobs in the library and information fields, and are well prepared for graduate school."
Deborah S. Dempsey, Senior Lecturer
"In the field of healthcare, being dedicated, hard-working and compassionate are necessities."
Katie Englert, Adjunct Instructor
"I love learning more about the world and various anthropological concepts, and I want to help facilitate the learning process for others while I continue to learn myself!"
Dr. Joan Ferrante, Professor of Sociology
"My teaching method absolutely hinges on hearing how students process, question, challenge, and even ignore the ideas I present. I make a point of watching and listening to students and other audiences (in all their diversities) as they work to process those ideas."
Dr. Rudy Garns, Associate Professor and Interim Director
"The big, complex, real-world problems that confront us all require interdisciplinary insights and solutions. I am fortunate to be in a position to help students see these problems from perspectives that are philosophical, scientific, humanistic, social and political."
Jane Hammons, Instructional Services Librarian and Lecturer
"This is a great program, not just for those who want to work in libraries, but for anyone who is interested in the role of information in our society—how information is created, accessed and shared—and the impact that information, or a lack of information, has in shaping our world."
Ken Kippenbrock, Instructor
"The flexibility of the online program allows you to better manage life commitments. As long as you are willing to commit time, thought, and effort, this program will provide you the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in future endeavors."
Dr. Boni Li, Professor
"The students who take online classes need to work hard, know the class requirements and schedule well, and communicate with their instructors if they have anything they do not understand."
Dr. Barbara Oswald, Adjunct Assistant Professor
"I love inspiring others to learn."
Kellie M. Pierson, Part-time Professor
"It's my goal as a professor to help students gain an appreciation for psychology as a science and also be a better consumer of psychology and psychological information."
Dr. Alexis Miller, Associate Professor and Criminal Justice Online Program Coordinator
"I enjoy working with students. Their excitement for life and desire to learn is a positive energy."
Dr. Irina Parkins, Psychologist
"I would like for students to learn about the importance of psychology in human development and behavior. I want students to recognize all of the different facets of psychology."
John Schlipp, Intellectual Property Librarian and Associate Professor
"Budget your study time and be flexible to allow time for many readings and activities for upper-level courses such as LIN 405: Intellectual Property & Info Rights."
Dr. Brad Sieve, Lecturer
"I enjoy chemistry and hope that I can show the importance of chemistry in everyday life."
Dr. Michael J. Simonton, Lecturer in Anthropology, Director of Celtic Studies
"I enjoy this subject, and I wanted to share Anthropology (and all that it can teach) with other people."
Donna Smith, Associate Professor
"A library informatics degree offers a variety of opportunities because you can work in so many diverse areas and because it is so flexible."
Dr. Kalif Vaughn, Assistant Professor
"I want students to be able to understand scientific research—and be able to identify potential confounds in experimental designs. I also want my students to develop strong communication skills."
Lynn Warner, Library Informatics Advisor
"I enjoy working with students and seeing them develop over the semester."
Threasa Wesley, Head of Library Education Programs
"The overarching knowledge that I hope students gain in my courses is that information is a powerful tool for decision-making and growth—in daily life, in professional work, in avocations, in scholarship and in our role as citizens."
Dr. Robert Zai III, Associate Dean
"I would like my student to have the knowledge of how to use information retrieval systems to satisfy various information seeking needs."
