Faculty Profiles

Heather Carroll, MLIS

Adjunct Faculty

Jane Savage

Admin Assist/Onboarding Spec.

Heather KT Bidinger, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA

Founding Program Director, Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Studies Program

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John Fleming, PhD

Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy

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Anne Weyandt

Associate Professor, Education

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Kate Larson, MPAS, PA-C

Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Studies

Kate Larson graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 2009. She received her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Marquette University in 2013. She joined the St. Catherine University Physician Assistant Program as an Assistant Professor in 2019. Her areas of clinical experience include Women's Health, Family Medicine, and Urgent Care. She continues to practice Family Medicine in the South Metro, with a special interest in acute care.
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Lisa Rovick, EdD, CO, COMT

Associate Professor, Interprofessional Education

Lisa is a faculty member of the Interprofessional Education (IPE) at St. Catherine University who initially came to develop and direct a pioneering Orthoptic program and join the faculty for the Ophthalmic Technician program. She has practiced Orthoptics in a Pediatric Ophthalmology clinic and on several teams providing eye care to children living in poverty in Guatemala.
Lisa has been an active presenter at national and international eye care meeting since her certification in 1988.

In the IPE Department, Lisa has developed an interest in how teams develop and is studying ways to help interprofessional student teams rapidly develop cohesiveness and a sense of psychological safety.

Jessica Scholl, PTA, MA

Director of Clinical Education and Assistant Professor, Physical Therapist Assistant Program

I have been with St. Catherine University since 2005. My clinical background is in outpatient orthopedics. In addition to teaching, I serve as the Director of Clinical Education for the Physical Therapist Assistant Program. My areas of scholarship include intraprofessional teaming in physical therapy and leadership.
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Mary Henderson - MBA, Ed.D.

Professor, Business Administration

Dr. Mary U. Henderson currently teaches management, leadership, sales, and the Business Practicum courses within the School of Business at St. Catherine University. She is the Faculty Internship Advisor for Business Administration students. Her teaching priority is to bring together theory and application to prepare students for rewarding professional careers.
Henderson has 18 years of industry experience in buying, marketing, and management. This includes experience as a vice president for a Fortune 500 corporation. Dr. Henderson's scholarship focuses on business ethics and Catholic Social Teaching, leadership, and career preparation.

Mehnaz Parvez (aka Geeta Deka), MBBS, MS

Assistant Professor, Master of Physician Assistant Studies program

Geeta Deka is an Assistant Professor at St. Catherine University in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. She is a Physician and an educator with more than 18 years of experience in hospitals, clinics and educational institutions. She brings in a blend of career experience from India and US. Her clinical background is working as a General Practitioner and as a house surgeon in women’s health & internal medicine. Her research focus is global health, infectious disease and innovative teaching education and is currently  working on a project that is assessing the knowledge, attitude and practice about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation among nurses in a tertiary hospital of Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland, a northeastern state in India.

Mari Ann Graham, MSW, PhD, LISW

MSW Program Director, Associate Professor

Mari Ann Graham, MSW, PhD, LISW, joined the St. Catherine University faculty fall 2019 as MSW Program Director and as tenured associate professor. She completed a PhD in Social Welfare from Case Western in 1999, her MSW from the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) in 1983 and her BSW also from UNO in 1979. She also served as MSW Program Director for 6 years and as Interim Chief Diversity Officer while on faculty of the joint program with the University of St. Thomas for 25 years. She taught MSW practice, policy and research courses as well as courses in the DSW Program she helped develop and launch, summer of 2014.

John Schmitt, PT, PhD

Professor; IRB Co-Chair

Dr. John Schmitt received a Bachelor of Science from Central College in Pella, Iowa, followed by an M.S. in Organic Chemistry and a Graduate Certificate in Physical Therapy from the University of Iowa. After practicing outpatient orthopaedic physical therapy for 11 years, he returned to graduate school and was awarded a PhD in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Minnesota in December, 2002. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and has been active in outpatient orthopedic physical therapy practice since 1986. He has a certification in manual therapy from the Institute of Physical Therapy in St. Augustine, FL.

Dr. Schmitt joined the faculty at St. Catherine University in 2001.

Jonathan Duellman PT, DPT

Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy Assistant

Dr. Jonathan Duellman, PT, DPT, is a professor in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program at St. Catherine University. He is a graduate of St. John’s University of Minnesota receiving his undergraduate degree in Psychology. He received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy in Omaha, NE at Creighton University. Upon graduation, Dr. Duellman completed an orthopedic residency at Creighton University before returning to Minnesota for clinical practice. He received board-certified specialist in orthopedic physical therapy in 2017. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association within the Orthopedic and Sports Sections.

Amy M. Shaw, MLIS, MM

Head of Archives and Special Collections / Associate Professor, Library

I became Head of Archives and Special Collections in 2019, my 25th year at St. Kate's. (Prior positions included Systems Librarian and Performing Arts Librarian.) The Archives and Special Collections department encompasses historical university records, manuscript collections, rare books, and several thousand physical objects. My research and creative activity reflect the archivist's interest in primary sources as well as my subject area of music. In the field of music, I am particularly interested in the history of musical instruments and in the traditional music of the Nordic countries, Ireland, Scotland, and Canada.

Megan Kalina, MBA

Professor, Business Administration

I am a professor in the Business Administration Department. I currently teach a variety of courses in the department including, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, and Auditing. I also teach Strategic Leadership in our Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership program. I teach in all formats - in the class, online and hybrid and enjoy all the formats and all classes!
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Julie D. Bass, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Professor, Occupational Therapy

Dr. Julie D. Bass, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Professor and past Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy and the Founding Director of the Public Health Program in the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health at St. Catherine University. Dr. Bass also served as the Director of Research at the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. Dr. Bass is an established and well-published scholar who has been a frequent presenter at national and international conferences and an invited member on several AOTA task force committees. Her areas of expertise include population health and health disparities, program development and evaluation, statistics and research methods, educational methods and emerging areas of practice for occupational therapy.

Janie Felder-Walker, MBA

Adjunct Faculty, Master of Business Administration

Janie Felder-Walker comes to St. Catherine University with over 20 years of experience in the disciplines of retail and consumer healthcare, international business, and human capital. Her range of experience also includes consulting, new business development, healthcare, pharmacy, health plan, P&L, financial and pricing work. Janie earned her MBA at St. Catherine University with a concentration in Healthcare and her undergraduate degree from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a BS in Human Resources/Capital Development. Janie is particularly proud of building private label products and insourcing pharmacy and medical services in healthcare as well as developing innovative healthcare products for her clients.

David Chapman, PT, PhD

Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Dr. David Chapman, PT, Ph.D. is an associate professor and Co-Chair of the IRB at St. Catherine University. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science and secondary education in 1980. He received a Master of Science degree in Physical Education/Adapted Physical Education with an emphasis in measurement from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 1984. He completed his doctor of philosophy degree at Indiana University in Human Performance and Developmental Psychology in 1999 as well as his physical therapy degree in 2000.

Deborah Madanayake, PT, JD, GCS, CLT, CEEAA

Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy

Deborah Madanayake is a 1986 graduate of the College of St. Scholastica with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Therapy. She is certified as a Geriatric Clinical Specialist through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Deborah earned a Juris Doctor degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 2005. She holds certifications as a lymphedema therapist and an exercise expert for aging adults. She is continuing her lifelong education as a student in the Doctor of Bioethics program at Loyola University. Deborah joined the DPT faculty in 2006 where she teaches course content in geriatric physical therapy, ethics, legal issues, and practice management.

Katherine Campbell, PhD

Assistant Professor, Interprofessional Education Department; Director, Women's Health Integrative Research (WHIR) Center; Co-Director, Katies for Aging Research and Equity (KARE) Program

Dr. Campbell has a PhD in Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics from Mayo Graduate School. Her research interests include regenerative medicine, modes of emotional support for mothers and families, and student persistence in MSTEM research fields. She is actively conducting collaborative research in the areas of (1) parental support for families of children with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, (2) the role of mentorship support for couples experiencing infertility, and (3) the impact of research education programs on MSTEM student persistence into graduate school. In her role as WHIR Center director, she is engaged in collaborative projects with local women founders of early-stage femtech companies.

Karen M Sames, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Professor, Occupational Therapy

Karen M Sames, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, FAOTA started teaching at St. Kate's in 1995. Karen primarily teaches content related to foundational knowledge of occupational science and occupational therapy, management of occupational therapy services, entrepreneurship, and political influences on occupational therapy practice. Karen takes an active role in advocating for the profession of occupational therapy through her leadership of the Government Affairs Committee of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association. She is active in the American Occupational Therapy Association, currently serving on the Board of Directors as Treasurer.

Suanne Barthol, DBA

Adjunct Faculty, Master of Business Administration

Suanne Barthol comes to St. Catherine University with over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry to include proper casualty, life, and annuities. She has held personal production as well as various leadership roles. She is focused on using technology for process improvements and digitizing the customer services process. Dr. Barthol is particularly proud of working collaboratively across multiple departments to create process improvements that not only make the individual employee work more enjoyable, but also provided an efficiency win for the company. She has completed an RFP process for a divisional initiative that expanded and resulted in a corporate wide initiative and participated in a pilot agile team that resulted in multiple team adoptions across the company.

Cort Cieminski, PT, PhD, ATC, LAT

Program Director, Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Dr. Cort Cieminski, PT, PhD, LAT is a professor and Program Director in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at St. Catherine University. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 1988. He received a Master of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Studies from Boise State University in 1992 and his PhD in Rehabilitation Science, with an emphasis in biomechanics, in 2007 from the University of Minnesota. He is also a Certified Athletic Trainer and is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, National Athletic Trainer’s Association, and the International Society of Biomechanics.

Craig Roger, MBA

Associate Professor & Chair, Business Administration

Professor Roger currently serves as chair of the undergraduate business department and teaches primarily in accounting and business analytics. Professor Roger worked professionally in both accounting roles and systems analyst roles prior to starting his 30-year teaching career, completing the most recent 20 years at St. Kate's.
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Carey Winkler, MSW, DSW, LICSW

Assistant Professor, Social Work

I am passionate about co-creating transformative learning experiences that engage us all in growing, leading, and healing. Inspired by the words of the late Senator Paul Wellstone who said, "We all do better when we all do better," I am called to work towards all people being seen, heard, and felt in the world.
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Sally Adams, MBA, CPA (inactive)

Assistant Professor, Business Administration

Sally Adams works at St. Catherine University in the School of Business as an assistant accounting professor. She is an enthusiastic educator with over 20 years of teaching experience at the secondary and post-secondary level. She earned both a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Risk Management and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin -Madison.  Her professional experience includes working as a CPA in both public accounting at Price Waterhouse and litigation support consulting.  She considers financial literacy a vital life skill. She currently sits on the Board for the Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy and recently testified before the Minnesota Senate Education Committee regarding Financial Literacy Standards at the high school level.

Catherine Sullivan, PhD

Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy

Dr. Sullivan is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy. Her past and present teaching areas have included Kinesiology, Neuroscience, Research and Gerontology. Her primary areas of research, practice and advocacy are in gerontology, with a focus on safe mobility within the home and the community, and on promoting quality of life through continued participation in the arts and other valued occupations. Her recent projects have focused on statewide initiatives to improve older driver safety and transition to alternative community mobility options. She also has an ongoing partnership with Rebuilding Together Twin Cities to develop and implement assessments and interventions to improve safety within the home for low income homeowners.

William Eisele, MBA

Adjunct Faculty, Master of Business Administration

William Eisele has taught undergraduate and graduate business students for over 20 years, in both face-to-face and online learning as well as to traditional and adult learners at St. Catherine University. He also has a 40 year career in financial management, first in the commercial banking industry and then in state government administration. William is particularly proud of having been involved in expanding Medicaid coverage to women and children while working as a division budget director in Missouri State government. As a teaching he enjoys seeing students find ways to improve their performance in their current positions - plus seeing ways they are enhancing their future opportunities - by using finance and accounting tools they study and master.

Laura Gilchrist, PT, PhD

Admissions Co-Chair, Professor

Dr. Gilchrist is a Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and a Clinical Research Scientist at Children's Hospitals and Clinics. She holds a BA in Biology from Lawrence University, as well as a BS in Physical Therapy and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Gilchrist has an active research program aimed at improving physical function in children and adolescents undergoing treatment for cancer. Her current focus is on investigating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in this population. She has received both institutional and national awards for her work in this area.

Mary Thomas, EdD, MBA

Associate Professor, MBA

Mary received her BA from St. Catherine University and considers it an honor to be back! After graduating from St. Kate's she continued her education receiving her MBA with focuses in Management and Quantitative Analysis, and later her Doctorate in Leadership. Mary has been teaching higher education on an adjunct basis since 1998, and her industry experience consists of 20 years of leadership in the fitness/wellness industry. Mary's hobbies include exercise, healthy cooking, and writing/blogging about wellness. She also enjoys traveling and takes at least two vacations every year, usually one involving somewhere warm during the winter months.

Holly Clynch, PT, DPT, MA

Professor, Physical Therapist Assistant

Faculty member at St. Catherine University since 1998, PTA program director since 2015. Currently also serving as president of the Minnesota Physical Therapy Association. Teaching/scholarship interests include regulatory issues, leadership, and geriatric physical therapy.
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Edie Wasyliszyn, MBA, CPA

Assistant Professor, Accounting

Edie Wasyliszyn teaches accounting in the College for Women and the College for Adults. She brings over 20 years of experience in business including management, public/ private/governmental/not for profit accounting. She has been teaching in higher education since 2011 and maintains an active CPA license in the State of Minnesota. She holds undergraduate degrees in accounting and social work and a graduate degree in business.
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Robert Connor, PhD, MHA

Assistant Professor, Business Administration and MBA

Dr. Connor has a BA with honors from Princeton University, an MHA from Duke University, and a Ph.D. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the faculty at St. Catherine University, Dr. Connor has been the co-founder of a community health center, an associate director of a teaching hospital, a tenured professor at the University of Minnesota, and the founder and CEO of medical device and wearable technology companies. 
Dr. Connor has published in Academic Medicine, Health Affairs, Health Care Management Review, Hospital & Health Services Administration, Inquiry, International Journal of the Economics of Business, Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management, Managed Care, Medical Care Review, Topics in Health Care Financing, and even Cosmo Magazine.

James Johanning, MPAS, PA-C

Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Studies

Professor James Johanning, MPAS, PA-C is an assistant professor at St. Catherine University in the Physician Assistant Program, a graduate degree path in the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health. Johanning added St. Catherine University to his resume in May 2019 after celebrating his 20-year career anniversary as a Certified Physician Assistant. In addition to general medicine, his areas of expertise include all subspecialties of orthopedics and orthopedic surgery. Johanning's experience in general orthopedics, sports medicine, spine surgery and hand surgery -- highlights of his syllabi -- are also shared as part of his teaching and training experience at a variety of continuing medical education conferences.

Craig Kage, PT, DPT

Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy

Craig Kage, PT, DPT is an assistant professor at St. Catherine University in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2008 (Bachelor of Science - Kinesiology) and 2011 (Doctor of Physical Therapy). He is currently a PhD candidate in the Rehabilitation Science program at the University of Minnesota with a research focus in cervical spine kinematics. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and the American Society of Biomechanics. Dr. Kage's scholarship is in the area of spine biomechanics and he has presented his research at local and national conferences.

Patricia Finch Guthrie, PhD

Associate Professor, Interprofessional Education

Patricia has worked in a variety of staff nurse and leadership positions in nursing ranging from a nurse manager of a progressive cardiovascular unit to the director of education, practice and research at a large acute care organization. Currently, she is working as the Director of Interprofessional Practice, Education, and Research at St. Catherine University. Her scholarship focus is in gerontology and interprofessional teamwork, education, and practice. Patricia teaches a variety of interprofessional courses and experiences. Patricia is one of the co-founders and coordinators of the Interprofessional Evidence-based practice Clinical Scholar Program, a partnership with practice sites within the Twin Cities.

Mark W. Grenfell, MBA, MS

Adjunct Faculty, Master of Business Administration

Mark Grenfell, MBA joined the St. Catherine University's MBA faculty in 2015. He brings to the classroom his 5 years of work experience at General Motors as well as 35 years at 3M, from which he is now retired. He has experience as a technical inventor, program manager, project manager, global business manager, and global lab manager. He also has extensive experience with new product introduction, intellectual property (along with dozens of patents), program and team leadership, and brand marketing. Professor Grenfell is particularly proud of negotiating and implementing a brand licensing agreement for the use of Scotchgard™ on eyeglass lenses, for which the team won a 3M Global Marketing and Sales Professionalism Award.

Alyssa Farrell MS, OTR/L

Assistant Professor, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, OTA Online

Alyssa Farrell works at St. Catherine University as an Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.

Alyssa has been a practicing OT since 2009. She graduated with a Master's of Science degree in Occupational Therapy in 2009 from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI.

For the first 7 years of her career, she worked in various acute care hospital settings focusing her research on early mobilization in the ICU. She transitioned into an outpatient pediatric clinic in December 2015 until December 2019 before accepting a full time Assistant Professor position at St. Catherine University in December 2019.

Sharon Radd, EdD

Associate Professor & Program Director, Organizational Leadership

Sharon Radd is Associate Professor and Program Director in the MA-Organizational Leadership program at St.Catherine University. She is also an Equity Fellow with the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis; the Founder and Lead Consultant of ConsciousPraxis based out of Minneapolis; and a Senior Partner with The 5 Practices Group. With 20+ years of experience in public education as a school administrator, professional development facilitator, and school social worker, Radd holds a BA in Liberal Arts from UW-River Falls; a BS in Social Work and an MS in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State Mankato; and an Ed.

Jennifer Andrews-Gonzaga, PA-C

Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Studies

Jennifer is a clinical coordinator at the Physician Assistant Program at St. Catherine University. Her clinical background also includes a 16 year history of working at both Regions and Hudson Emergency Departments. In 2018, she switched her clinical practice to OB-GYN with MetroPartners. She enjoys having her clinical year PA students with her in the hospital. She is also working on her Master's in Holistic Health, and is enjoying her coursework, as an excellent adjunct to her clinical practice. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family.
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Tara Olson

Professional Faculty, Physician Assistant Studies

Tara is a clinical coordinator in the Physician Assistant Program at St. Catherine University. Her background includes 17 years of medical practice experience with an emphasis in reconstructive plastic surgery. She is also actively involved in the training of surgical residents from the University of Minnesota across various subspecialties in plastic surgery.
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Virginia Green, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor, Capstone Coordinator, Level I Fieldwork Coordinator, Occupational Therapy

Ginny Green, OTD, OTR/L is an assistant professor in the occupational therapy department at St. Catherine University. She serves as the doctoral capstone coordinator for the occupational therapy entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD EL) Program in which she oversees each phase of the student doctoral capstone from development to completion and dissemination. She also serves as the Level I Fieldwork Coordinator for the occupational therapy program in which she coordinates level I student clinical experiences with community partners. Ginny teaches Entering the Profession, Psychological and Social Factors Impacting Performance, Fieldwork Practice Reflection, and Capstone Experience.

Meghan Mason, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor, Public Health

My research interests are in zoonotic diseases, infections that transfer from animal to human populations, and in the health of marginalized urban populations. My passion for these two topics stemmed from my time in Kenya and Chile during my MPH and PhD programs. Abroad, I am focused on the importance of free-roaming dogs in the transmission of infectious diseases, and the perceptions of the role of these animals in urban communities. In the Twin Cities, I am interested in better understanding the burden of disease in individuals experiencing homelessness. In the classroom, you will primarily find me teaching Biostatistics and Epidemiology.

Pa Der Vang, PhD, MSW, LICSW

Associate Professor, Social Work, Mission Chair for the Liberal Arts

I am currently serving as the Endowed Mission Chair for the Liberal Arts. In this role, I am focused on promoting the liberal arts at St. Kates through professional development, community engagement, and student engagement.

My teaching centers on the use of theory in generalist social work practice with an emphasis on social justice and empowerment. My research is on the experience of Hmong American immigrants and the acculturation process, especially Hmong Women. I am the editor of Staring Down the Tiger: Stories of Hmong American Women published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2020.

Mary Nienow, PhD, LGSW

BSW Program Director and Assistant Professor

Dr. Mary Nienow earned her BSW from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1997, her MSW from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, in 2003, and her PhD in Social Work from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, in 2018. Dr. Nienow has over twenty years of experience in research, teaching, advocacy, program coordination, policy development and analysis and community organizing. Dr. Nienow was the co-founder of Grasstops, a nonprofit advocacy organization that assisted nonprofits and small community groups with their policy and advocacy goals. Her extensive practice experience also includes Policy Consultant for Hennepin County Medical Center, Field Director at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Executive Director at Child Care WORKS, and lead researcher on Health and Human Services for the Minnesota Senate DFL Caucus.

Stacy M. Husebo, MSW, LICSW

MSW Director of Field Education, Assistant Professor, Social Work

Stacy M. Husebo, Assistant Professor, MSW, LICSW, earned her MSW from St. Catherine University/University of St. Thomas in 2002 and her BA in English/Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 1989. Husebo joined the joint Social Work program in 2007 as a Clinical Faculty/Instructor, and primarily teaches foundation and clinical field seminars, History and Philosophy of Social Work (MSW), Social Policy (BSW), and MSW clinical electives. She is deeply committed to student-centered learning, as well as, committed to social work practice and field education with a focus on reflective practice, critical questioning, social justice, and the flourishing of human and social well-being.

Kia Lee, MSW, LICSW, MBA

BSW Director of Field Education, Assistant Professor

I'm passionate about educating, coaching, and guiding students to become social workers who are ready and prepared to take on the world! As a practicing social worker, I understand the importance of preparation and experiences! I enjoy meeting with students and taking on their goals and interests. As a female Hmong social worker, I'm interested in cross-cultural best practices through critical and radical social work from integrated approaches.

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Carrie Marzolf, MSPA, PA-C

Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Studies

Carrie Marzolf joined the St. Catherine University Physician Assistant Program in 2018. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Science degree in Life Science Communications in 2002. She received her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of New England in 2007. Her clinical experience is primarily in hospital medicine.

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Paula Rabaey, PhD, OTR/L

Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy

Dr. Rabaey is an Associate Professor in the OT Graduate Department at St. Catherine University. Her clinical background includes 29 years of experience working with children with disabilities and their families in early intervention, school, clinic, community, and NICU settings. She specializes in feeding and eating difficulties in children with a variety of diagnoses in both the US and in low and middle income countries. She serves on the medical advisory board and as a feeding technical expert for SPOON Foundation (www.spoonfoundation.org) and has traveled internationally to conduct training with caregivers of children with disabilities living without families.

Paul Greene, PhD

Associate Professor, Theology

Paul has lived in Minnesota his whole life, graduating from St John's in Collegeville twice, and Luther Seminary for his terminal degree. He enjoys teaching, photographing sunsets, and relaxing with family and friends in the ebb and flow of Minnesota's seasons. Paul's work interests include Buddhist Christian dialogue, which form the heart of his Master's thesis and doctoral dissertation. He is also captivated by the philosophy of organism and the organic theology that flows from it. His first book, The End of Divine Truthiness: Love, Power, and God, works to deconstruct a number of theological idols that diminish divine love, by constructing a Buddhist-Christian-Taoist doctrine of power that empowers the vast flourishing of the God who is love.

William McDonough, STD

Program Director of Graduate Theology; Professor ;Theology

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Jane Carroll, PhD

Professor, History

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Joyce Yukawa, PhD

Program Director & Associate Professor, Master of Library and Information Science Program

Joyce Yukawa is the Program Director and Associate Professor in the MLIS Program of St. Catherine University. She has taught introduction to LIS, reference and information services, research methods, internet fundamentals and design, information literacy instruction, social networking technologies, human information behavior, web usability/accessibility, and older adults and the web. Her teaching, research, presentations, and service draw upon interests in the blending of face-to-face and online interaction in librarianship and professional development, with a particular focus on social learning and service learning within communities of practice.

Rafael Cervantes, PhD

Associate Professor, Communication Studies

Communication Studies, Electronic Media Studies, Applied Science in Communication Studies (Pre-OT)
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Monica Brown, MS

Mary T. Hill Director of Data Science; Assistant Professor, Mathematics

Monica is currently serving as the first Mary T. Hill Director of Data Science at St. Catherine University in addition to her role as an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics. She holds her master's degree in Applied Mathematics (emphasis in Statistics) from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and is currently engaged in doctoral coursework in Leadership. Monica has been a faculty member at St. Kate's since 2008. She is responsible for the development and implementation of an Interdisciplinary Statistics minor (2015) and a Data Science major (2018) at St. Kate's. Her current work involves establishing a Data Science Institute for the community of St. Catherine University.

David Lesniaski, DMA, MLS

Associate Professor, Library and Information Science

I came to St. Catherine University in 2004 from St. Olaf College where, as a member of the library faculty, I served in several different positions, including Co-College Librarian, Collection Development Librarian, and Catalog Librarian during my 15-year career there. I also had a Fulbright grant to travel to Greece in 1995 to help with the development of a research-level music library in Athens. Before I arrived at St. Olaf I had several short-term positions in many different libraries, including the University of Minnesota (where I cataloged Polish and Ukrainian archival material), the Minnesota Senate Index, and Minneapolis Public Library.

Rachel Neiwert, PhD

Sister Mona Riley Endowed Professorship in Humanities; Associate Professor, History

My research is in Modern British history, with a particular emphasis on children and education in the British Empire. I am particularly interested in how children understood and interpreted what it meant to be British. I am also engaged in a new research project focused much closer to home, entitled "Welcoming the Dear Neighbor?: A History of Housing Inequality in Ramsey County." This project focuses on understanding the historical context of racial covenants and housing segregation in Ramsey County, Minnesota. My teaching focuses on Modern European history, with a particular emphasis on women's history, the Modern Middle East, and World History.

Merdi Rafiei, PhD

Assistant Professor, Health Informatics

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Carol Geisler, PhD, RN

Associate Professor, Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies

I have been teaching and serving as the Research Coordinator in the Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies since 2004 and have guided over 250 graduate students in completing a Master's thesis of their own choosing. Personally, I have been interested in the interconnections between mind, body, and spirit since I was a young child. My life journey has taken me on an interesting and ever-evolving path where I have studied nursing, counseling, psychology, spirituality, energy healing, plants as medicine, soul purpose, ritual, death & dying, meditation, collaboration, and research as part of my own lifelong integrative health journey.

Kurt Olson, PhD

Associate Professor, Biology

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Gina Mancini-Samuelson, PhD

Professor, Chemistry

Professor Gina Mancini-Samuelson earned her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. She has been teaching at St. Catherine University since 1996 where her primary teaching responsibilities are the analytical chemistry courses and the general chemistry for health sciences course. In 2008 she was recognized for outstanding teaching through the Teaching Excellence Award sponsored by the Myser Family Foundation, a great honor as nomination for this award comes from St. Catherine University alumna. She has directed over 20 undergraduate research projects ranging from analytical chemistry and materials science to environmental science.

Paula Furey, PhD

Associate Professor, Biology

I am a freshwater ecologist, with expertise and interests that span phycology (algae), invertebrate biology, taxonomy, biodiversity, and conservation biology. My research centers on the ecology of aquatic ecosystems (lakes, rivers, streams, wetwalls), especially benthic (bottom) communities and algal assemblages. I focus my research on trying to understand what shapes and controls the structure and function of biotic communities and ecosystems, and on using ecology to find better ways to monitor, protect and predict changes in aquatic ecosystems. Visit my lab website: http://drpcfurey.com/
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John Pellegrini, PhD

Professor, Biology

Dr. Pellegrini joined the Biology Department in 1994. He teaches Human Anatomy & Physiology and Biopsychology, and he coteaches interdisciplinary courses on anatomy, art, and the history of medicine. His current research examines endurance in pediatric cancer survivors. He is also one of the faculty mentors for the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program.
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Cuc Kim Vu, MS

Assistant Professor, Biology

Cuc Kim Vu has taught at St. Catherine University since 2000. She teaches various biology courses (Anatomy and Physiology, Human Disease, and Microbiology), foundational courses (math, study skills, computer skills), and inter-professional courses (Core Integrated Learning, CIL). Her area of research is in biology education, with a focus on equity and inclusion in STEM Education. One of Cuc Kim Vu's current projects is on Critical Skills Integration (CSI-StKate's) with General Anatomy and Physiology.
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Kathleen Tweeten, PhD

Professor, Carondelet Scholar, Biology

Kay Tweeten is a professor of biology at St. Catherine University. Her courses in molecular biology, cell biology, and immunology feature problem-based learning, case studies, and student-designed research projects. She has collaborated with numerous students in her research laboratory on cellular and molecular analysis of regeneration, degrowth, sexual reproduction, and ploidy levels in populations of the freshwater annelid, Lumbriculus. She involves students in experimental design, data collection and interpretation, and dissemination of results. The research environment provided allows students autonomy in their thinking and helps them explore their potentials as scientists.

Tami McDonald, PhD

Associate Professor, Biology

Tami McDonald is a microbiologist and evolutionary geneticist specializing in the evolution of symbioses in fungi, plants and bacteria. She employs techniques from phylogenetics, genetics, genomics, epigenetics and molecular biology to understand nutrient exchange molecules and pathways. Her work focuses on the transport of nitrogen and carbon between symbiotic partners. Since joining the faculty in 2014, Dr. McDonald has welcomed student collaborators to participate in independent projects related to reconstructing the evolutionary history of a protein family responsible for the transport of ammonium across cell membranes as well as other projects relating to nutrient transport and symbiotic life.

Joshua Guggenheimer, PhD

Associate Professor, Exercise Sciences

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Lana Prokop, DPT

Assistant Professor, Exercise Sciences

Lana Prokop, Assistant Professor of Exercise Sciences, teaches the undergraduate courses of Kinesiology and Biomechanics and Motor Learning and Motor Control. Her interests include gait biomechanics and women's health. Lana is a Board Certified Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. Lana enjoys bringing her clinical background to the classroom to help students understand how theory translates to practice.
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Jeanne Bailey, PhD

Adjunct Faculty, Organizational Leadership

Dr. Jeanne Bailey is the founder of Convergence Consulting Partners. She brings with her 25 years of experience leading as a nonprofit CEO, teaching scientists and engineers to be leaders, and serving as a “thinking partner” for health center re-strategy and change. Dr. Bailey has been teaching for 12 years, and in 2021 was received the “Teacher of the Year” award given at St. Catherine University. She teaches Foundations of Leadership and Ethics and Advanced Principles of Leadership and Ethics in MAOL. She enjoys helping students develop a solid ability to translate theory into practice, as well as discover and apply their strengths and insights to make a difference in the world.

Maryam Becker, MA-HRIR

Adjunct Faculty, Master of Business Administration

Maryam Becker, MA-HRIR joined St. Catherine's MBA faculty in 2021. She brings to the classroom 11 years of Human Resources and Leadership experience from Target Corporation. Maryam has experience in recruitment, talent management, performance management, diversity and inclusion, coaching, and mentoring. She has  experience leading executives through ambiguous talent initiatives to hit their business strategies through talent. Maryam's biggest accomplishments have been leading organizational changes and developing talent initiatives in partnership with executives of an organization. Maryam received her Master's degree in Human Resources Industrial Relations from the Carlson School of Management at University of Minnesota and her undergraduate degree in Human Resource Development with an emphasis in Leadership from the College of Human Development at University of Minnesota.

Philomena Morrissey Satre

Adjunct Faculty, Organizational Leadership

Philomena Morrissey Satre brings 33 years of experience leading in corporations, community nonprofits, and a co-op. She currently serves as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and External Strategic Partnerships at Land O’Lakes. A highlight of her career includes being asked to co-lead the Twin Cities Diversity and Inclusion Roundtable. Philomena is an MAOL graduate and has taught Leading Organizational Change for seven years, with the goal of supporting students to apply their class-based learning to the workplace. She loves the strategic pillars of the program and embraces the importance of being an ethical, enduring, and effective leader.

Christopher Jordan, PhD

Assistant Professor, Chemistry

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Bethany Rahn, MFA

Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

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Lisa Shields, MA, DNP, RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Lisa Shields, DNP, MA, RN, PHN is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at St. Catherine University. She completed her Master's of Arts in Nursing degree with a certification as a Gerontologic Nurse Practitioner at St. Catherine University and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree also from St. Catherine University. Dr. Shields has over 20 years of experience in nursing managing patients with chronic health conditions in areas including palliative care, hospice, geriatrics, and community health. She has a passion for holistic and integrative health.
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Kathryn Molitor, MA, RN, CHSE

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Katie Molitor currently works at St. Catherine University as an Assistant Professor of Nursing. She completed her MA at St. Catherine University in 2010 and has been working in nursing education (much of it in simulation education) since that time. She has recently earned a graduate certificate in Healthcare Simulation from Boise State University in June 2019. Katie's specialty areas of practice include teaching and care of childbearing families and simulation learning.

Katie has facilitated simulation learning with multi-disciplinary teams in the acute care setting at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, and has spent her most recent practice working with nursing students in the University setting.

Shelley Rayborn, DNP PHN RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

My background is in emergency nursing and critical care. I am currently working as a clinical educator in a hospital system. My current focus is on research and evidence based practice. I have many unpublished research projects as well as those published with links found below.
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Susan Hageness, DNP

Associate Professor, Nursing

Susan Hageness, DNP, RN, CNE, AHN-BC is an advocate for integrating holistic-focused care and integrative therapies into nursing and interdisciplinary healthcare practice. She currently teaches in the doctorate and baccalaureate degree nursing programs, as well as in the Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies program. Susan is a Board Certified Advanced Holistic Nurse (AHN-BC), a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), a Healing Touch Practitioner (HTP), and a Certified Clinical Aromatherapy Practitioner (CCAP).
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Renee Colsch, PhD, RN, SCRN, CQ

Associate Professor, Nursing

Renee Colsch has a passion and specialty in the area of neuroscience nursing. Her professional experience includes acute care nursing in the intensive care unit, emergency room, and the United States Air Force deployment in Balad Iraq, 2007. She teaches courses in undergraduate and graduate pathophysiology, leadership and serves as a DNP student mentor. She views the teacher as the facilitator of learning. Her teaching focuses on cultural awareness and sensitivity, holistic nursing, bringing technology into the classroom and practice, evidence-based practice, research, learning, and retention.

Cynthia Dols Finn, MN, DNP, PHN, CNE, AHN-BC, CHTP/A

Associate Professor of Nursing

Cynthia is faculty in the College for Adults Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN CFA), Masters of Science in Nursing Entry Level (MSNEL) and the Doctor of Nursing Program (DNP).  She is an Associate Professor at St. Catherine University and has been on the nursing faculty since fall 1999. She assisted in the development of a Unitary Human Caring Science BSN curriculum, which includes integrative and cultural healthcare curricular components. She is active in promoting healthy learning environments built upon safe interpersonal behaviors. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at St. Catherine University.

Dorothea Hansmeyer, MS

Assistant Professor, Nursing

I earned my Masters in Nursing Leadership at St. Catherine University. This pilot program was a collaborative venture between the Masters of Organizational Leadership (MAOL) and the Nurse Educator departments. I was interested in learning from both of these educational departments in order to challenge myself as a leader and educator. I strive to align my professional beliefs with my personal MAOL Leadership Credo. These are based on my five core beliefs: 1. Listen with an open mind 2. Be Curious 3. Speak from your own voice 4. Be patient with your journey. I strive to treat people with dignity and respect, develop cooperative relationships, follow through on promises and commitments, praise people for a job well done and actively listen to diverse points of view.

Karen Loewenson, MA

Assistant Professor, Nursing

I have been a member of the St Catherine University faculty since 2010. I have taught in the baccalaureate degree nursing program and now teach in the master's degree entry-level nursing concentration. The focus areas of my classroom and clinical teaching include pediatrics, family health, community/public health, and leadership. Prior to coming to St Kate's, I was a school nurse for St. Paul Public Schools and a staff nurse for a county health department children's clinic. Until 2019, I also maintained a casual staff nurse position on the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.

Rachael McGraw, MSN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Rachael is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at St. Catherine University. She is a nurse educator who infuses her clinical and teaching practices with caring ethics. Rachael has a broad clinical background with many years of experience in maternal child health and a current practice in surgical oncology. Her faculty position is the Graduate College where she focuses on evidence-based teaching strategies. Her scholarship is based on pairing simulation with ethical issues that impact care outcomes and the health care experience. She serves the University through leadership in Anti-Racist Pedagogy Across the Curriculum work with the goal of increasing nursing workforce diversity.

Krista Ollom-Klein, MA, RN, CNE

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Krista Ollom-Klein MA, RN, CNE joined St. Catherine University in 2006 after completing both her Baccalaureate and Master's degrees at the University. She completed her Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) in 2012. She specializes in medical-surgical acute care settings (focusing on neurological, post surgical, and gastroenterology), high fidelity simulations (both at the junior and senior level), and educating in the skill's lab.

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Vicki Ericson, DNP

Associate Professor, Nursing

Vicki Ericson, DNP, ANP-BC, FNP-BC is an Associate Professor of Nursing in the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. She obtained a BA and MA degree in nursing from St Catherine University as well as a post baccalaureate certificate as an adult nurse practitioner. She obtained a postmaster’s certificate as a family nurse practitioner from George Washington University and a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from the University of Minnesota. She has a strong clinical background as an emergency department nurse practitioner for 22 years. Her teaching interests are on experiential learning and simulation.

Rebeca Barroso, DNP, MSN, APRN, CNM, FACNM

Associate Professor, Nursing

Rebeca is an Associate Professor of Nursing with St. Catherine University in Saint Paul, MN. She is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota, Case Western Reserve University, and Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. Rebeca teaches in both the nurse practitioner and master's entry level prelicensure programs. She has extensive clinical experience as a nurse-midwife, and has educated and precepted several generations of nurse-midwives throughout the course of a four decade clinical career. As part of a multidisciplinary team, Rebeca served at-risk populations at Seton Catholic Charities Clinic until the closing of the clinic in 2016.

Candalee Hill MS, MAOL, RN, CNE-cl

Assistant Professor, Nursing

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Stacey R. Hurrell, DNP, RN, LSN

Associate Professor, Nursing

Stacey joined the nursing faculty at St. Kate's in August of 2019. She has worked in a variety of settings during her nursing career, including acute care (GI surgical, neuro -trauma, collaborative practice), home care, hospice, as a family nurse practitioner and most recently as a school nurse. Nursing interests include: health care literacy and navigation, adolescent health, school-based health centers to increase primary care access, the role of the school nurse as a front-line provider in community health, diabetes care, preventive and maintenance care for the elderly, and the impact of emotional intelligence on teaching effectiveness and nursing student success.

Deborah St. Anthony, DNP, MEd, BSN, RN, AGCNS-BC

Assistant Professor, Nursing

I started my teaching career at The College of St. Catherine Minneapolis in the Associate Degree Nursing Program. Since then I have been in nursing education for 29 years and completed a DNP degree from the University of Minnesota in May, 2020. I am Board Certified as an Advanced Practice Adult/Geriatric Clinical Nurse Specialist, AGCNS-BC. I am a new Assistant Profession in the Department of Nursing in the College for Adults. I am happy to be back and feel like I have come back home!
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Joyce B. Perkins PhD, MS, MA, RN, SGAHN, AHN-BC, CHTP, RMP-T, ACE-GFI

Associate Professor, Nursing

Dr. Perkins is an Associate Professor at St. Catherine University Department of Nursing in St. Paul, MN, facilitating curriculum development for the American Holistic Nursing Association endorsed BSN program in the College for Adults. Dr. Perkins trained in Psych/Mental Health nursing at the University of Minnesota and worked for 14 years as a psych/mental health nurse at the bedside of patients at Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, MN. She completed her PhD in Nursing at the University of Colorado. She is an Advanced Practice Board Certified Holistic Nurse (AHN-BC) with certifications in Healing Touch (CHTP), Reiki (RMT-P) Therapeutic Touch, and Qigong.

Beth Meighan-Palanivel MA, BSN, CCAP

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Beth completed her BSN at Allen College in Waterloo, Iowa in 2008. In 2013, she received her MA in Holistic Health Studies from St. Catherine University. Beth has served on the Board of the Minnesota Holistic Nurses Association (one of the largest and oldest chapters of the American Holistic Nurses Association) since 2014. Additionally, Beth is a Certified Clinical Aromatherapy Practitioner (CCAP) and has training Healing Touch, Therapeutic Touch and Reiki. In 2020, Beth was awarded the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty.
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Kathleen Bell EdD, RN, PHN

Associate Professor, Nursing

It is my honor and pleasure to work with the nursing students in various programs at St. Catherine University. My role involves teaching with the BSN, MSNL, Nurse Educator, and DNP students. As a healthcare educational leader with over 20 years of experience in higher education, I possess an expansive knowledge of course and program development and assessment, leadership with supervisory experience, internal and external partnership and alliance initiatives, diverse team building, fiscal responsibility with institutional and grant budgets, nursing and healthcare accreditation, and a diligent dedication to meeting the needs of students, faculty, administration, and stakeholders.

Andrea Toft, MSN, RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Andrea has worked as a Critical Care Float Pool RN at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital since 2016. In 2016, Andrea completed her Master's Degree in Nursing through Marquette University. She began teaching at St. Catherine University the fall of 2019 in the Baccalaureate Degree Program for the College for Women. During her time at St. Catherine University she has taught in the Pediatric courses, in both the classroom and clinical settings along with Nursing care of Individuals and families in the classroom and lab setting.
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Chris Purfeerst, MA, RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Chris Purfeerst has been a faculty member of the nursing program since January of 2008, and prior to that as an adjunct clinical instructor beginning in 2003. She has taught in several nursing fundamentals and clinical courses in the department, most recently in N3800 & N3810, and has practice expertise in adult medical-surgical nursing. She has ten years of experience working as a RN at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview hospital on an adult medicine unit (2002-2012). She has been recognized as a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) specializing in knowledge, skill, and excellence in practice (2012-2017).

Sarah Beman, PhD

Associate Professor, Nursing

Sarah has taught at St. Catherine University since October of 2006. Sarah is currently nursing faculty teaching primarily in the MSN - Entry Level Program (MSNEL). She specializes in simulation and is the MSNEL Simulation Coordinator. Previous work at St. Kates includes Interim Program Director of the MSNEL Program, Collaborative Practice Site Coordinator between the HSSH and the MDVA, Coordinator and then director of the Associate Degree Nursing Program. Sarah's clinical practice began at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) on the Cardiac and Renal Unit and then the Newborn Intensive Care Unit.

Vane Gichana, MSN, RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Vane Gichana has been an assistant professor at St. Catherine in the School of Nursing since 2019. Previously, she was a professor at Rasmussen College in the School of Nursing since 2015. Currently she teaches Holistic Care of Adults and Foundations of Nursing Holistic Care. She specializes in theory, lab, clinical, and simulation. She serves in the admissions Committee. She received her Master's in Health Care Leadership and Management from Bethel University in 2014. Vane Currently lives in Minnesota and enjoys travelling, reading and meeting new friends.
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Carol Chase, MFA

Associate Professor, Art and Art History

I am an artist that loves to teach. I teach all things two-dimensional here in the Art and Art History department at St. Kate's: drawing, painting and design.
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Todd Deutsch, MFA

Professor, Art and Art History

Todd Deutsch earned his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. His photographs have been exhibited nationally and internationally. His work has appeared in Real Simple (US), New Scientist (UK), Nido (Germany), Vision Magazine(China) and others, and is included in private and public collections including the Walker Art Center, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, and the Portland Art Museum. A monograph of his work titled Gamers was published in 2008 by FP Editions, Brescia, Italy. Selections also appeared in Gamescenes: Art in the Age of Videogames, Johan & Levi, Milan.

Amy Hamlin, PhD

Associate Professor , Art and Art History

Amy K. Hamlin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Art History, where she teaches across the art history curriculum. Hamlin holds a PhD in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, an MA in art history from Williams College, and a BA in art history from Vassar College. She is the author of essays on the work of Max Beckmann, Jasper Johns, William H. Johnson, and Kara Walker. In 2014, she cofounded with Karen J. Leader the project Art History That, which aims to curate, crowdsource, and collaborate on the future of art history. Between 2016 and 2019, she served as the inaugural Alberta Huber, CSJ, Endowed Chair in the Liberal Arts and Director of the Evaleen Neufeld Initiative in the Liberal Arts.

Monica Rudquist, MFA

Assistant Professor, Art and Art History

I am ceramic artist and teach all the ceramics and sculpture classes in the Art and Art History Department.  I am interested in how the arts can build community and create opportunities to learn from one another, to look closely, reflect, and discover connections and new perspectives. 
I have worked with clay for most of my life, and love sharing my passion with students and others. My own work begins on a potter’s wheel, thrown objects (such as bowls and cylinders) are my starting point—They ground me in the tradition of functional wheel work. Through the process of throwing, altering and abstracting these familiar forms, I re-imagine and reinvent the shapes and the spaces they inhabit.

Deep Shikha

Professor, Economics and Political Science

Deep Shikha, Ph.D. is Professor of Economics at St. Catherine University. Previously, she served as the associate dean for the School of Business and Leadership, Economics Department Chair, coordinator for the Center for Women, Economic Justice, and Public Policy. Her major fields of expertise are in financial economics, resource economics, gender economics, and quantitative business analysis. She has several workshop/presentations to her credit, and has authored/co-authored several articles. Recently, she has presented several workshops on the global financial climate. Dr. Shikha has almost 35 years experience, primarily in the area of education.

Cassandra Donahue

Assistant Professor, Radiation Therapy

As the Clinical Coordinator for the radiation therapy program, I am passionate about educating and mentoring students to become high quality radiation therapists. I take pride in what I do because I know that at the completion of our program, our students are well prepared for a rewarding career in radiation oncology.
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Cynthia Norton, PhD

Professor of Biology and Women's Studies; Director of Collaborative Undergraduate Research

Cindy Norton is an evolutionary biologist with broad interests in the intersections of ecology, evolution and behavior. She studies reproduction, growth, and development of the freshwater snail Planorbella (Helisoma) trivolvis as a model for understanding the life history, reproductive biology and behavior of hermaphrodites. Students actively collaborate in all aspects of the research – from conception of projects, data collection and analysis to presentation at both local and national conferences. Dr. Norton has been a faculty member at St. Kate’s since 1990, teaching courses in both Biology and Women’s Studies including: Foundations of Biology I, Evolutionary Biology, Animal Behavior, Biology of Women, and Foundations of Women’s Studies, as well the interdisciplinary collaboration Discovering the History of Evolutionary Thought: Darwin in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands during January.

Sharon Doherty

Professor, Women's Studies

Dr. Sharon Doherty is Professor of Women’s Studies and Director of the Abigail Quigley McCarthy Center for Women. She also serves as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Mission Chair for Women's Education.  Sharon’s focus at St. Kate’s is on students as members of communities within and beyond the university. A cultural anthropologist who anchors her work in intersectional feminist studies, Sharon takes a collaborative and applied scholarship approach at the Center for Women, encouraging faculty, staff, students, and alumnae/i to connect their talents to the St. Kate’s mission.  
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Daron E Janzen, PhD

Professor, Chemistry

Daron Janzen is a Professor and Carondelet Scholar in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He received his Ph.D. in the area of Inorganic chemistry. He routinely teaches General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry laboratory courses, and Advanced Inorganic Chemistry. Professor Janzen’s research foci include coordination chemistry and organometallic chemistry, X-ray crystallography, green chemistry, materials chemistry, and laboratory curriculum development. All of his scholarship involves collaborative undergraduate research, with students at St. Kate’s as well as numerous faculty and students from other Primarily Undergraduate Institutions.

Kyunghye (Konhe) Yoon

Associate Professor, Master of Library and Information Science Program

Dr. Konhe Yoon joined St Kate in the Fall of 2012 from the State University of New York at Oswego where she was a faculty in the Information Science Program for 10 years. Konhe’s research and teaching interests include human information interaction in the web-based information systems and digital environment, which encompasses cognitive, linguistic, communicative and shared information seeking and use behaviors. Her research examines user's information meaning represented in various interaction contexts, such as reference interviews or social tagging and folksonomy of users in representing information content on social media.

Justin Small, EdD

Department Chair, Assistant Professor, ASL and Interpreting

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Hella Cohen, PhD

Associate Professor, English

Hella Cohen specializes in postcolonial literature and theory, Anglophone global writing, and Israel-Palestine studies. She teaches courses cross-listed with Critical Studies of Race and Ethnicity, and Women's Studies. She studied English and Political Science as an undergraduate, and obtained her masters degree in English and American literature thereafter. As a doctoral student, her primary concentration was modern and contemporary literature of the Commonwealth and liberated British colonies, and her secondary concentration was eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British imperialist literature.

Tarik W Michael MD, RDMS (Abdomen & OB/GYN), RVT

Assistant Professor, Sonography

Dr. Tarik W Michael graduated from Kharkov Medical School in 1993 and worked as a Physician for more than 8 years and a Medical Director of a hospital for three years. He then pursued the field of Sonography at Argosy University of Minnesota and Adventist Medical University of Florida. He has worked as a lead Sonographer III at Edina Family Physicians and then at Allina Health Services for 13 years. His credentials are a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) in the field of General Abdomen & OB/GYN and also a Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT). He is a member of the professional organizations such as American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) and Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS).

Paul Buttenhoff, MA

Assistant Professor, Biology

My name is Paul Buttenhoff and I'm an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department. I received my B.S. in Zoology from the University of Wyoming in 1992 and my Master's degree in Zoology Auburn University in 1996. My research background is in herpetology (the study of amphibians and reptiles). I started here at the University in 1998 as an adjunct instructor and have held the rank of assistant professor since 1999. My primary teaching responsibilities include teaching biology courses.
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Susan D. Bosher, PhD

Professor and Director, English as a Second Language

I received my M.A. in TESOL from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1984 and my PhD in Second Languages and Cultures Education from the University of Minnesota in 1995. From 1984–1986, I taught in the English Program for International Students at University of Minnesota and from 1984–1988 in the Commanding English Program, a 1-year transitional program for high school immigrant youth, at General College, University of Minnesota. As Curriculum Coordinator for the Commanding English Program, from 1988–1992, I was responsible for evaluating and revising the curriculum to focus on content-based academic reading and writing.

Kellie Agrimson, PhD

Assistant Professor, Biology Department

I am passionate about teaching and connecting with my students and hope to incorporate research into their college experience. As a first-generation college graduate, I relate strongly to disadvantaged students and feel that I can effectively combine inclusiveness with high expectations in my teaching practices. My primary research interest is testis development in the field of reproductive biology. In humans, infertility affects twenty percent of all couples and half of cases result from male infertility. Furthermore, twenty-five percent of male infertility cases are determined to be idiopathic, or unexplained.

Laurie Swabey, PhD

Professor, ASL and Interpreting

Laurie Swabey is Professor of Interpreting at St. Catherine University and Director of the CATIE Center where she is the principal investigator on two federally funded projects related to interpreter education. She holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota in Linguistics and her research interests include interpreting pedagogy and healthcare interpreting. Publications include co-edited volumes Advances in Interpreting Research (John Benjamins) and Educating Healthcare Interpreters (Gallaudet University Press). In addition to several book chapters, she has also published in a variety of journals including Interpreting: International Journal of Research and Practice, Translation and Interpreting Studies, Journal of Healthcare Quality, Journal of Interpreting, and International Journal of Interpreter Education.

Susan Trelstad, MAEd

Program Director, Assistant Professor, Sonography

Susan Trelstad is the program director for the Sonography department. She primarily teaches courses on anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the abdomen, as well as scanning labs dedicated to teaching students successful scanning techniques. In addition, she teaches a presonography course on communication in healthcare. Susan is a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) and is certified in Abdomen and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Also, she holds a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership.
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Erick Agrimson, MS

Associate Professor, Physics

Professor Agrimson uses high altitude weather balloons as a delivery method to send up payload boxes with varied instrumentation to study near space. St. Kate’s has had balloons reach altitudes of up to 35,000 meters (~115,000 feet) depending on the size of balloon used and payload mass. One of the current projects involving collaborative undergraduate researchers is the study of the Regener-Pfotzer (R-P) maxima to study galactic cosmic ray showers. Agrimson holds a BS (with a concentration in space physics) from Augsburg College, an MS from the University of Iowa and has completed advanced coursework toward a PhD in plasma physics.

Amy Hilden, PhD

Associate Professor, Philosophy

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Jean Omodt, DPT, MHS, PT

Associate Professor, Biology

I have treated patients as a physical therapist for more than 25 years, primarily working in Minnesota but also in California and Missouri. I have extensive experience treating patients in a variety of settings including acute care (hospital), long term care, home care, and outpatient. I attended graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri where I received a Master of Health Science in Physical Therapy degree. After graduating in 1992, I accepted a full-time teaching position at St. Catherine University, where I helped develop the Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) Program.

Jennifer Downs Man, PhD

Associate Professor, History

I am a Chinese historian with a research focus on the early modern period. I teach an introductory courses on East Asia, a series of three courses covering the entire scope of Chinese history from the Neolithic period to the present, an upper division course on women in Asia, and topics courses, such as Panda Diplomacy. My research, which explores famine policy and ideas about famine, focuses on the dynamic interaction between state institutions and rural society in Ming dynasty China (1368-1644). My work combines institutional and social history. The study of famine policy provides a way of exploring power relationships within local communities, how local elites interacted with the state apparatus, how interactions were affected during times of systemic stress, and how all of these relationships changed over time.

Francine Conley, PhD

Professor, International Languages and Literature

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Patricia Montalbano, PhD

Assistant Professor, English

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Sarah Hassebroek, EdD

Assistant Professor, Montessori

Sarah Hassebroek specializes in Elementary Montessori Education. Before joining St Kate's, she was a classroom teacher for 10 years and taught in the Midwest and in Costa Rica. She was a Literacy Specialist and an Instructional Coach for four additional years. Sarah studied Anthropology and Spanish in her bachelor's program and obtained a MAED at St Kate's in 2006. Sarah studied Educational Policy and Leadership Studies with an emphasis on Equity in Education and Online Learning at the University of Iowa, where she obtained her Education Specialist degree.
Sarah continues to support the ongoing professional growth for Elementary and Montessori teachers.

Christopher Kopp, MAED

Clinical Coordinator, Instructor, Sonography

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Sook Lim, PhD

Associate Professor, Library and Information Science

Sook Lim is an Associate Professor in Master of Library and Information Science Program at St. Catherine University. She holds a doctorate in library and information studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research centers on human information behavior concerning user-generated content such as Wikipedia. She has published articles in Information Processing and Management, Information Research, Journal of Association for Information Science and Technology, Journal of Academic Librarianship, Library & Information Science Research & First Monday.
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Andrea Olson, PhD

Professor, Psychology

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Suzanne Kaback, EdD

Associate Professor, Education

I began my teaching career in Maine in 1990, teaching 5th and 6th grades.  I moved to Boston, MA, where I taught 7th grade language arts while earning my Master's degree in Literacy, Language, and Cultural  Studies at Boston University.  From Massachusetts, I moved back to Maine where I taught 5th grade, before leaving the classroom to earn my EdD in Literacy Education from the University of Maine in 2003.  After earning my  doctorate, I was hired as an assistant professor at Elmira College where  I taught for three years before moving to Minnesota and joining the  Education department at St. Catherine University in 2006.

Anne Maloney, PhD

Associate Professor, Philosophy

Anne M. Maloney received her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Marquette University in 1988. She is currently an Associate Professor of Philosophy at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. Her areas of specialization include Philosophy of Women, Ethics, Philosophy and Literature, Philosophy of Religion, and Existentialism. She has published articles in Crisis Magazine, Human Life Review, and The Journal of Prolife Feminism. Also, she has contributed chapters to two books dealing with abortion and social ethics: Living With Contradictions: Controversies in Feminist Social Ethics, edited by Alison Jaggar, and Catholicism and Abortion: A New Generation of Catholic Response.

Caroline Krafft, PhD

Associate Professor of Economics

Caroline Krafft is an economist specializing in development economics, primarily labor, education, health, and inequality in the Middle East and North Africa. She collaborates with St. Kate’s students, international non-governmental organizations, and a global network of scholars in her research. Current projects include work on early childhood development, labor market dynamics, life course transitions, human capital accumulation, and fertility. Caroline teaches courses in economics and statistics, and serves as the program director for the Women and International Development major. She is particularly interested in how economics can help societies understand and address social issues, and is writing a textbook on that topic.

Angela Burns, MS

Assistant Professor, Sonography

Angela Burns is the Clinical Coordinator for the echocardiography program at St. Catherine University. For over 19 years, she worked in the cardiovascular department at Mayo Clinic. She began her career as an exercise physiologist in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation before moving into echocardiography and then advanced cardiac sonography. Throughout her career, Angie has been involved in teaching, presenting and mentoring students. She holds a bachelor of science in physical education and a master of science in cardiac rehabilitation from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse and is credentialed in Adult Cardiac Sonography and Advanced Cardiovascular Sonography.

Arturo Sesma, PhD

Associate Professor, Psychology

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Erica Alley, PhD

Associate Professor, ASL and Interpreting

Erica Alley, Ph.D., NIC-Advanced, holds her degree in ASL/English Interpreting Research and Pedagogy from Gallaudet University. Erica has published and presented on the topics of video relay service, video remote interpreting, and interpretations of job interviews with deaf job applicants. Erica serves as the Program Director for the Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies and Communication Equity (MAISCE).
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Catherine M. Kelly, PhD

Associate Professor, Education

Catherine M. Kelly, Associate Professor of Education at St. Catherine University, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy methods and children's literature, content area literacy, research methods, and assessment in addition to supervising practicum and student teaching experiences. Her research interests focus on effective preparation of and induction for elementary teachers particularly for diverse school contexts. She holds current Minnesota teaching licenses in Elementary Education K-6, Reading K-12, and English as a Second Language K-12.
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Nancy A. Heitzeg, PhD

Endowed Professor in the Sciences (2018-21), Professor of Sociology, Critical Studies of Race and Ethnicity

Dr. Nancy A. Heitzeg is a Professor of Sociology , Director of the Critical Studies of Race/Ethnicity Program, and Endowed Chair in the Sciences.. Professor Heitzeg writes & presents widely on issues of race, class, gender, & social control with attention to the school to prison pipeline & the prison industrial complex.

Professor Heitzeg is co- editor of an on-line series, Criminal InJustice, which is devoted to encouraging public education & action on issues of mass incarceration.
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Nawojka Lesinski, PhD

Assistant Professor, Economics and Political Science

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Merry Richards, MA

Assistant Professor, Radiography

I was one of the original faculty members that started the Radiography Program at St. Catherine University in 1993. We were housed in the Minneapolis campus until moving over to St. Paul in 2018. We will be accepting our 58th cohort of students in fall of 2021. With an average of 15 students in each group, I've taught over 800 students become successful radiographers. Many of these graduates are still in contact with me and also serve in leadership roles at our clinical partners.
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Kim N. Ha, PhD

Associate Professor, Chemistry

My laboratory is interested in correlating structure-dynamics-function relationships in proteins utilizing an array of biochemical techniques and solution-state NMR spectroscopy. I have extensive expertise in the study of mutations of the cardiac membrane protein phospholamban (PLN), and the adipocyte lipid chaperone fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4). Students in my laboratory develop practical skills in recombinant protein expression, isolation, and characterization.
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Viv Ross, PhD

Associate Professor, Master of Library and Information Science Program

Viv Ross came to St. Kate's from Florida State University, where in 2008 she completed her dissertation titled The scholarly use of journals offered through the Health Internetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI) and Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) programs as suggested by the journal-citing patterns of scholars in the least-developed nations. She earned her MLIS in 2001 from the University of North Texas and then served as Social Sciences Librarian and Electronic Resource Librarian at the State University of New York, Purchase Library.

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Bridget Sabatke, MS, NIC-Master, EIPA 4.0, QMHI-S

Assistant Professor, ASL and Interpreting

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Teresa Ripple, EdD

Associate Professor, Montessori Program Director

Education: Online Montessori (AM2), Education: for Licensed Educators, Education: Montessori Credential, Education, Early Childhood Education Montessori, Early Childhood Education
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Hui Wilcox, PhD

Professor, Sociology

Born and raised in a rapidly changing China, Hui Wilcox received her Ph.D. in Sociology in 2004 from the University of Minnesota. Since then, she has been teaching at St. Catherine University and dancing/researching with Ananya Dance Theatre, a Twin Cities-based dance company based that has built a transnational women-of-color feminist contemporary dance aesthetics. Her research has been focused on sociology of dance especially in connection to immigrant identities, race/ethnicity, multiculturalism, and transnational feminism. She has also published research in critical food studies, feminist pedagogy/epistemology, and East African cultural studies.

Kristine Haertl, PhD, ACE, OTR/L, FAOTA

Professor, Occupational Therapy

Kristine Haertl, Ph.D., ACE, OTR/L, FAOTA, has been with St. Catherine University since 1997. She loves teaching and outside of the department has taught additional courses in the psychology department and in the CORE. She too has served for a number of years on the CORE Lead committee.
Within the department, Kristi teaches masters and doctoral courses related to foundations of occupational science, educational methods and practice, sensory-perceptual-cognitive processing, and introductory and advanced mental health practice.

Kristi has been active in mental health research related to peer-supported mental health housing models and exploration of the nature and efficacy of services at a free standing psychiatric occupational therapy clinic.

Krista Anderson, MSN, RN, CHSE-A

Director of Simulation, Henrietta Schmoll School of Health

Krista Anderson is a Certified Health Care Simulation Educator-Advanced (CHSE-A) with over twelve years of experience developing, facilitating, and evaluating healthcare simulation-based methods/techniques. She has experience in leadership and has contributed to the application of simulation-based education modalities for education, assessment and systems integration of healthcare professionals, students, and teams.  Krista is the Director of Simulation for the St. Catherine University Henrietta Schmoll School of Health.  This program is dedicated on creating an IPE Simulation program that will involve 28 Nursing and Health Sciences programs.

Jacqueline Parr, MS

Assistant Professor, Fashion Design and Merchandising

Jacqueline Parr is an Assistant Professor at St. Catherine University in the Fashion Design and Merchandising program. In addition, she is completing her Ph.D at The University of Minnesota in Retail Merchandising and Consumer Studies. Prior to her current position, Jacqueline received her Masters in Merchandising from the University of North Texas and Bachelors in Fashion Merchandising from Texas Christian University. Her professional experience includes positions held at Neiman Marcus as an Assistant Buyer in Men’s Couture Clothing and as a vendor account manager for Wal-mart Accessories.

Molly Wheeler, MEd

Sister Ann Harvey Visiting Professor, Early Childhood & Montessori Programs

Molly Wheeler is an educator focusing on the Early Childhood and Montessori areas. has earned a B.A. from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, her AMS Early Childhood credential, and her M.A. in Education from St. Catherine University. Molly is passionate about Anti-Bias education and promoting access to Montessori through public programming. Her research interests include supporting teacher self-efficacy and child self-regulation skills through the use of mindfulness techniques and record-keeping strategies.

Molly currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia with her family, serving in the U.S. Foreign Service.

Alicia Stock

Director of Clinical Education, Assistant Professor, Respiratory Care

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Janet Marinelli, MS

Assistant Professor, Holistic Health Studies

I am grateful to teach in the Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies Program and have been doing so since its creation.  A highlight of my teaching career has been to lead the early collaborative development of curriculum that formed the foundation for Holistic Health Studies at St. Kate’s.  I have many interests, as our students do, including:  spirituality, energy healing, the arts and healing, women and myth, and Jungian psychology.  The overarching theme for my teaching is transformative process, and it is a joy for me to work with students as we explore at the edge of knowing.

Kristine West, PhD

Endowed Professor in the Sciences; Associate Professor, Economics

Kristine Lamm West completed her PhD in Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota in 2012. Her primary fields of interest are labor economics, program evaluation, and the economics of education. Recent research projects investigate topics ranging from unions and performance pay to the impact of vision services on student achievement. Her research has been published in The Journal of Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Economics of Education Review, and Education Finance & Policy.
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Scott Haglund MA Ed, RT(R), LAT, ATC

Radiography Program Director, Assistant Professor

Scott joined St. Catherine University in 2011. Prior to that he was the Assistant Program Director and Clinical Coordinator for Fairview Radiography Program in Edina, MN. Scott received his Baccalaureate degree in athletic training, health physical education and recreation with a minor in physical therapy at South Dakota State University. He furthered his education into radiography at the Fairview / University of Minnesota medical center, and then went on to earn his master's degree in educational leadership and curriculum design. Scott maintains both his imaging and athletic training credentials while steering the radiography program at St Kate's and serving as an athletic trainer through Twin City Orthopedics.

Grace Gao, PhD, DNP, RN-BC, LHIT-HP, RWJF Future of Nursing Scholar Alumni

Associate Professor, Department of Nursing

Grace Gao earned her DNP degree in Nursing Informatics and Integrative Health, and PhD in Nursing from University of Minnesota. In addition, Grace is a public health nurse and ANCC certified Informatics Nurse. Grace has worked in a variety of roles in both public and private sectors across extensive health care settings, including case manager in home care, care plan coordinator in long-term care, staff nurse in hospital, nurse educator in the academic setting, and clinical informatics specialist and consultant.

Grace’s nursing experiences showcase expertise in public health, nursing informatics, and integrative health.

Vaness Hargens, LPN, RN

Assistant Professor

Michael B. Householder, PhD

Director of Undergraduate Curriculum, Professor

Kari Fleming, RT (R) (ARRT)

Clinical Coordinator

Mulki Habad

Assistant Professor

Amy Kelly, MD, MPH

Medical Director for PA

Madison Swanson, BA

Office Coordinator

Margret McCue-Enser, PhD

Associate Professor, Communication Studies

Dr. Margret McCue-Enser teaches and researches rhetoric of place with a focus on Indigenous activism and settler colonialism.

Dr. McCue's work has appeared in the Quarterly Journal of Speech, Argumentation and Advocacy, and Communication Studies. Her work is included in Decolonizing Native American Rhetoric (2018, Kelly and Black, eds.) Her research includes collaborative work with Luther professor Derek Sweet on the rhetoric of President Barack Obama which resulted in the Communication Studies article as well a as a book chapter in Reconsidering Obama: Reflections on Rhetoric (2017, Terrell, ed.

Robin Ann Lukes, J.D.

Associate Professor

I have been teaching in the associate degree programs since 1992. I have taught courses in the social sciences, as well as interdisciplinary courses. I am particularly interested in connecting critical skill outcomes to disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning.
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Andrea Kalis, PhD

Associate Professor, Biology

I am interested in how genes regulate the development of specific cell fates in the model system C. elegans. My current research focuses on how Hox genes and their TALE co-factors regulate neuronal identity of male-specific ventral cord neurons. With this research project, I collaborate with undergraduate student researchers and include aspects of the project in upper-level Biology courses that I teach.
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Milpha Blamo, MNM

Adjunct Faculty, Organizational Leadership

Milpha Blamo is the Vice President of Talent and Culture at the Minneapolis Foundation. She has 16 years of field and academic experience in nonprofit management, individual leadership and team development, and human resources (including talent acquisition, training, development, retention, and culture building). She is most proud of bringing industry expertise and thought leadership to nonprofit and advisory boards, including the Forbes Human Resources Council. As a teacher, Milpha’s goal is to help students develop their individual leadership skills and understand how their leadership influences others.

Jo Treat-Haug, MS

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Jo Treat-Haug's professional clinical experience has focused on adult acute care in the medical-surgical setting. She has experience in the Oncology and Orthopedics specialties. She received her Masters of Science in Nursing Education in 2019. He is also certified as a Public Health Nurse. She has been teaching at St. Catherine University since September 2019. She teaches didactic content in 2900 Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice, 2910 Nursing Care of Individuals and Families, and 3281/3282 Pathophysiology, as well as lab in 3800/3810 Application of Nursing Practice and Lab/Simulation in 4010 Care of Complex Patients.

Diane Fittipaldi, MBA, EdD

MBA Program Director, Assistant Professor, Business Administration

Diane Fittipaldi, MBA, EdD. joined St. Catherine University in 2015 and serves as the Director of the MBA Program and Assistant Professor. As a practitioner and an academic, Dr. Fittipaldi brings a rare blend of experience to our students giving them not only an understanding of theory but also the ways theory comes to life in practice. She completed my MBA from the University of Michigan in 1982 and spent 30 years in business, initially as a brand manager for General Mills and later as an advertising executive for two of the world's largest advertising agencies,BBDO and the McCann World group.

Sharyn DeZelar, PhD, MSW, LICSW

Assistant Professor, Social Work

Sharyn DeZelar, PhD, MSW, LICSW, joined the St. Catherine University faculty in fall 2019 as a full-time Assistant Professor.  Dr. DeZelar earned a PhD in Social Work in 2018 from the University of MN (Twin Cities) along with a certificate in Disability Policy and Services. She earned her MSW in 2006 from St. Catherine University/University of St. Thomas School of Social Work, and her BSW from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1998.  Dr. DeZelar’s research focus is largely related to disabilities, and its intersection with family support, parenting, poverty and child welfare.  Dr. DeZelar also has been working on several projects related to diversifying the social work profession via inclusion and equity for students with disabilities.

Habiba Ibrahim, MSW, PhD

Assistant Professor, Social Work

Habiba Ibrahim joined St. Kates Social Work Department in August 2021. She earned Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis and PhD in Public Policy Analysis from Saint Louis University. Her scholarship focuses on immigrants and refugees in the area of economic mobility and financial inclusion, health practices and health care services utilization, resettlement experiences, and international Social Work. Dr. Ibrahim's work examines the role of institutions and policies in enabling low-income households gain self-reliance through structured support. She has over 15 years of Social Work research and practice in community development, policy analysis and school social work.

Leah Wonderful, PharmD, BCGP

Assistant Professor

Sara Rippie, MS, RNC-OB

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Sara teaches nursing in the College for Women program and the Entry-Level Master's program at St. Catherine University. She works with students in the classroom, lab, and simulation settings. Sara also takes students into the acute care clinical setting on medical, surgical, and maternity units of the metro area hospitals.

Sara has been a registered nurse for more than 20 years and is still in practice at the bedside. Sara's expertise is in maternity nursing care. Sara is also an instructor for the neonatal resuscitation program (NRP).
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Mary Hedenstrom, PhD

Assistant Professor, Education Department

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Jan Lynch, MS, RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Jan joined the team at St. Kate's in January of 2022. She received her undergraduate degree (BSN) from Dickinson State University in Dickinson, ND (1997), and a graduate degree, (MS in Nursing), at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks in 2008. Jan began her career as a nursing assistant in long-term care, then worked her way through college as an LPN, and finally graduated as an RN. Her career has included roles such as med nurse, charge nurse and manager in long-term care. Her acute care specialty is labor, delivery, post-partum and gynecological care, which she worked at for 12 years in 3 different states.

Maureen Wosepka, DNP, RN, PHN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

My work as a nurse and educator is driven by a desire to create healthcare in which all individuals, families and communities are provided with equal and just care, not only while under the roof of a facility, but in the context of their environment.
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Kimkesia Morgan, MS, OTR/L

Assistant Professor/Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, OTA Online

Kimkesia has practiced OT for over 19 years with experience in various settings. As the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the Pacific region at St. Kate, she brings to this role a passion to inspire and create an environment where professional growth can flourish. One of her proudest achievements while working as a clinician was being chosen to teach her colleagues a new treatment intervention program for stroke patients. Kimkesia says that this is when she believes the teaching bug bit her!

Kimkesia believes one of the many wonderful things about St. Kate is its commitment to excellence and opportunity.

Allyson Green, MS, MS

Assistant Professor, Public Health

Educator, organizer, and gardener with experience at the intersections of environmental justice, environmental health, food systems, sustainability, and civic engagement.
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Katie Arnold, MS, OTR/L, CLT

Assistant Professor, OTA Online

Katie is a registered Occupational Therapist and full-time assistant professor for St. Catherine's University - OTA Online program.

Katie has a Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

Katie's clinical work experience includes acute care, subacute care, SNF care, outpatient orthopedic therapy services, and industrial rehabilitation. She is a certified lymphedema therapist. Katie also has experience in healthcare management and leadership and is extremely passionate about the profession of occupational therapy.

Terri Grundy, MOT, OTR

Assistant Professor, Student & Fieldwork Manager, OTA Online

Terri Grundy, works at St. Catherine Univeristy as the Student Fieldwork Manager in the online OTA program. Terri was hired by St Kate’s as an adjunct professor in 2017and taught a number of courses and labs before being hired as FT faculty in 2020. Terri has over 20 years of experience in school systems as both a clinician and a special education administrator overseeing a number of related service programs and providers including AT, OT, PT, APE, and MT and serving as an advocate for universal design.

Terri has presented on AT related topics at both local and state AT and OT Association workshops, guest lectured at universities, and has spoken nationally at the Technology for Reading and Learning Disabilities and the Urban Collaborative conferences.

Heather Beth Johnson MS OTR/L

Assistant Professor, OTA Online

Heather "Beth" Johnson obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation Studies in 2002 and her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy in 2007. She is currently enrolled in a Post Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate with an expected graduation date of May 2022. She began working as an occupational therapist (OT) in 2007 in a skilled nursing facility. In 2014, she obtained my first position in academia as an OTA program director. She completed the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) re-accreditation requirements for that program. In 2015, Beth was offered the opportunity to become the founding program director of an OTA program in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Katelyn Brady, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor, OTA Online

Katelyn Brady, OTD, OTR/L is an assistant professor in the occupational therapy assistant program at St Catherine University.
Katelyn graduated from Creighton University with her OTD degree in 2011 and a bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2008 from the University of Minnesota. Katelyn has practiced in a variety of areas of occupational therapy clinical practice, including adult acute care, acute rehabilitation, outpatient orthopedics and school based practice. She enjoys teaching a variety of courses, but focuses mainly on the courses on Aging and the Foundations of Human Occupation.

Darla Coss, OTD, OTR/L, CHT

Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy

Darla joined the OCTH department at St. Catherine University full time in August of 2016. In addition to clinical expertise in areas of hand therapy and industrial rehabilitation, Darla has spent the past few years exploring the effects a cancer diagnosis has on one’s ability to participate fully in life. She is an active member and educator at Gilda’s Club Twin Cities, helping those living with cancer-related issues like fatigue and cognitive changes return to the activities they want and need to do.
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Janet Dahlem, MA

Associate Professor, Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies

Janet Dahlem, associate professor, educator-activist, came to SCU in 1990 serving as program director for 18 years.  My teaching/scholarship/service reflects the intersection of holistic health, social justice, transformative learning, community-engagement, feminism/gender justice, and environmental & food justice/injustice. It was an honor to lead the creative team that developed the Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies in 2004. I was thrilled to be awarded the 2017 Sister Anne Joachim Moore Lectureship. Personally, I am grateful to use holistic therapies and integrative healing as the center of my health care for most of my adult life.

Katie Toon, MOT, OTR, CLT

Assistant Professor, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, OTA Online

Katie Toon, MOT, OTR, CLT is an Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and assistant professor for the OTA Program at St. Catherine University. She has been practicing occupational therapy since 2010. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science in 2008 and a Master of Occupational Therapy in 2009 from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas. Katie became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist in 2012. She then completed the oncology focused Survivorship Training and Rehab Program in 2013. She began teaching Occupational Therapy Assistant Students in 2015, and became a Program Director at Brown Mackie College in Dallas, Texas in 2016.

Taisha Trotman, COTA/L, MS

Assistant Professor, OTA Online

Professor Trotman is a licensed OTA with a passion for mentorship and professional growth! Over the years, she has honed her skills at cultural competence, diversity/bias recognition, and conflict resolution. She's been an OTA educator for 11+ years, and has a clinical background centered on patient care, management/HR duties/Quality Assurance & Control. She has a track record of being an essential part of the university’s management team and instrumental in providing effective solutions that produce immediate impact and contribute to student long-term success.

Here's a little about her.

Stephanie Adams, DHSc, OTR/L

OTA Online Program Director, Assistant Professor

Educational Journey-Dr. Adams has four degrees in occupational therapy, first as a COTA in 1994, then she earned a BS in OT in 2000. After being in practice for several years, Dr. Adams returned to school to earn a post-professional MHS OT degree in 2009 and a Doctor of Health Science degree in OT (DHSc) in 2017. Stephanie believes that being a life-long learner helps to keep abreast of best practices for this ever-changing health care profession.
 
Employment Path-Stephanie worked in a variety of setting including hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health with geriatric clients and infants.

Holman Tse, PhD

Assistant Professor of Language Studies, Dept. of Literature, Language, and Writing

Holman Tse is a linguist who specializes in sound change in language contact settings. For example, his current research focuses on English influence (as well as lack of influence) on vowel pronunciation patterns among bilingual Cantonese heritage speakers in Toronto, Canada. At St. Kate’s, Dr. Tse teaches general linguistics and sociolinguistics courses for the Language Studies Program. These courses are part of the “language” part of the Department of Literature, Language, and Writing (formerly Dept. of English and International Languages). Dr. Tse also teaches a section of Global Search for Justice (CORE 3990W) focusing on Language as a Human Right.

Marisol Chiclana-Ayala, MPA

Adjunct Faculty, Organizational Leadership

Marisol Chiclana-Ayala, MPA, has over 30 years of experience in government and non-profit sectors. As a woman of color, and immigrant from Puerto Rico, she understands the challenges immigrants face. She brings both her real-life experiences and her professional expertise to the areas of public health, business administration, organizational development, and equity. Her most exciting accomplishment to date was leading a team of over 70 public health professionals in the COVID-19 response. She has taught for MAOL since 2018 in both the Study Abroad program and the Difference, Conflict, and Inclusion course.

Erin Schumacher, PT, DPT

Assistant Director of Clinical Education, Assistant Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Erin Schumacher, PT, DPT is the Assistant Director of Clinical Education and assistant professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at St. Catherine University. Erin is a graduate of Penn State University where she earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology with a movement science emphasis. She received a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences in 2010. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree from Liberty University. Her areas of interest are in sustainability of clinical education and diversification of physical therapy education and practice.

Kristen Maisano, OTD, MAEd, OTR/L

Associate Professor, OTA Online, Occupational Therapy

Dr. Kristen Maisano, OTD, MAEd, OTR/L has been practicing occupational therapy since 2005. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a Master of Science in occupational therapy in 2005 from Misericordia University, Dallas, Pennsylvania. Kristen earned her post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy at Boston University, Boston Massachusetts, in May 2010. In 2011, Kristen joined the Department of Defense as an occupational therapist working with service members diagnosed with mild traumatic brain and post-traumatic stress disorder. Kristen has presented on the topics of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder at multiple state conferences.

Cynthia Graham, MA, MLIS

Assistant Professor, Library

Cindy Graham is a health sciences librarian, working with students and faculty. In this capacity, she builds collections of books, journals, and electronic resources to meet the needs of health sciences programs. Cindy's research interests include health sciences collection management and conducting and teaching students to conduct systematic reviews. She has a BA in Architectural Studies, an MA in Library and Information Science, and most recently, an MA in Holistic Health Studies.
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Jennifer Hutson PhD, OTR/L, ATP

Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy

Jennifer Hutson is an associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at St. Catherine University.  She teaches courses primarily in assistive technology and adult rehabilitation in both day and hybrid formats.  She facilitates problem based learning sessions and advises students on evidence or research based Doctoral Capstone projects and Master's projects, covering a range of topics some of which include twenty-four hour postural care, seating and positioning for wheeled mobility, sleep and nighttime positioning.   From 2002-2021, Jennifer's clinical practice has been at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in the area of assistive technology, primarily seating and positioning.

Anupama Pasricha, PhD

Department Chair/Professor, Fashion Design and Merchandising

Personal evaluation and reflection deepens my sense of consciousness towards the mission and vision of St. Catherine University and the realization that I have embodied this mission and vision. St. Catherine University has given me inspiration, the opportunity to work with wonderful people, and helped me grow and flourish as an individual, educator, researcher, and servant leader. This growth has enabled me to bring forth progressive influence on my students, colleagues, and community. It has brought me bliss, triumph, and an empowerment to continue the journey. I am so proud of the diversity of our students, their aesthetics, inspirations, and designs which are shaped by the innovative curriculum we teach.

Teresa Wickboldt OTD, OTR/L

Fieldwork Specialist and Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy

Teresa has been practicing as an Occupational Therapist since graduating from Creighton University in Omaha, NE in 2009 with an Occupational Therapy Doctoral degree. Clinical work includes serving individuals across the lifespan from pediatrics to older adulthood. Practice areas have included inpatient, ICU, pediatric outpatient, TCU, Skilled Nursing, and home based services; wheelchair assessment and home modification assessment as specialty areas. Areas of expertise and passion include older adult rehabilitation where her clinical practice continues on a monthly basis. Teresa teaches across many of the practice-based courses such as rehabilitation, older adults, assistive technology and wheelchair seating and positioning, and physical assessment and rehabilitation.

Leso Munala, PhD

Associate Professor, Public Health

My educational experience spans several disciplines. I earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from The Ohio State University, a master's degree in social work from the University of Chicago, and a doctorate in public health from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. My dissertation investigated the factors influencing the quality of assistance offered to female survivors of sexual abuse in Nairobi, Kenya. My primary research interests are investigating and combating violence against women in East Africa. This involves the establishment of legislation and interventions for survivors of sexual violence, the eradication of damaging cultural practices such as widow inheritance, and the enhancement of the quality of post-rape care services.

Kelly Holmgren, ARRT

Instructor, Radiography

Dongfang (Julia) Hou, PhD

Assistant Professor, Economics and Political Science

Meredith Wold, MS

Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Studies

Sonia Ostlund, ARRT

Instructor, Radiography

Ashley Phillips, PhD

Assistant Professor, Psychology

Janelle Jones, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Maura Donovan, PhD

Assistant Professor, Interprofessional Education

Rebecca Carlson, APRN, CPNP-PC

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Sarah Streyle, MA

Assistant Professor, Education

Sarah (Mobley) Allyn, PhD

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Catherine Graeve, PhD

CFA Program Director, Associate Professor, Nursing

Catherine Graeve is an Associate Professor in the College for Adults. She has taught global health, community health, mental health, and holistic care of the older adult. Catherine also works as a Hospice Nurse. She has nursing experience in public health, oncology, bone marrow transplant and hospice. She is currently a mentor for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE). She is on the policy committee for the Minnesota Cancer Alliance. Catherine has also worked as a community liaison for a research effort to better understand how environmental factors affect health beginning before birth.

Kara S. Koschmann, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC

Associate Professor, DNP Program Director, Nursing

Kara teaches in the BSN-DNP: Nurse Practitioner and DNP - post master's (DNP-PM) programs. She is also the program director for the AGNP, PNP, PMHNP, and DNP-PM programs. She is certified as a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner. Kara earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Valparaiso University in Indiana and her master's of science in nursing of children from Saint Louis University, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her PhD in Nursing is from the University of Minnesota. She is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholar. Her dissertation research study was titled, "Urban, low-income, African American Well-Child Care: Parent and Provider Experiences and Expectations.

Lauren Guengerich, MSN, M.Ed., RN, APRN, CNP, FNP-C

Assistant Professor, BSN Simulation Coordinator, Nursing

Lauren Guengerich is an Assistant Professor of Nursing in the College for Adults, where she works as the College for Adults Simulation Coordinator. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner graduate from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, and former high school science teacher with an M.Ed. and 9 years of teaching experience. She is passionate about using nursing simulation to train the next generation of nursing professionals to provide high quality, cost-effective, culturally fluent, collaborative, holistic care to patients families, and communities.
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Suzanne Burke Lehman, DNP, RN, PHN

Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Nursing, Associate Professor, Nursing

Dr. Suzanne Lehman, DNP, RN, PHN is an Associate Professor and Director of the Baccalaureate Nursing Program in the College for Women Nursing Program at St. Catherine University.  Dr. Lehman has provided healthcare leadership and service in a variety of community, education, and practice settings over her career. She is an appointed member of the Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center Community Advisory Council and co-founder of the Nursing Diversity Collaborative, a nursing education/practice partnership to increase registered nurse and nursing faculty workforce diversity at St. Catherine University and Minnesota Children’s Hospitals and Clinics.

Jen Kluck, MS, RN

Assistant Professor, NP Clinical Coordinator, Nursing

I am a St. Kate's graduate from 2011. I have a husband whom I garden with. I have a son attending the University of Madison, WI and I have a daughter in elementary school who keeps me on my toes! It's a busy life. I love teaching and am so happy to be here at St. Kates.
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Christina Cyrus, DNP

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Experience teaching lab, simulation, and clinical courses in Introduction to Nursing Science and Practice with a focus on introductory nursing skills and critical thinking, as well as Family Centered and Population Focused Care with a focus on the pediatric content.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Bear Care Clinic (Rise Up Health Clinics) as part of faculty work load providing sports physicals, immunizations, acute illness diagnosis and management, and nutrition counseling.
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Michael Hvidsten, PhD

Assistant Professor, Mathematics

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Jessica Miehe, DNP

Assistant Professor, CFW Program Director, Nursing

Dr. Jessica Miehe's nursing career began in 2007 as a float pool nurse serving patients in many clinical areas with an expertise in critical care as emergency response nurse. During that time, she also was a member on the Nursing Practice Council with Allina Health, a nurse union steward, and clinical educator. She developed programs and education to improve potentially-preventable hospital readmissions. Jessica also has experience as a nurse consultant, clinic director, school nurse, and development and director of nursing of a new assisted living facility. Jessica transition into nursing education in 2013, developing clinical innovation and process quality improvement to strengthen education for nursing students.

Kristin Morris, EdD

Adjunct Faculty, Organizational Leadership

Dr. Kristin Morris is CEO & Principal Consultant of Genesis Consulting Services, LLC. She has been teaching adults for 13 years, merging theory and practice to foster a robust learning experience and environment for students. It is important to her to provide a safe space for experiential learning and growth. In her 16 years of leadership experience, she is most proud of winning the Provider of the Year Award for Ramsey County. Dr. Morris is excited to join MAOL for both the people-centered focus of the program and the focus on diverse, inclusive, and equitable leadership. .

Sherry Hemauer, DNP

CNA Program Director, Simulation Specialist, Assistant Professor of Nursing

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Kabo Yang, MAOL

Adjunct Faculty, Organizational Leadership

Kabo Yang is a Strategic Services Senior Consultant at Propel Nonprofits and former Executive Director of the Minnesota Women’s Consortium. She brings a community leadership perspective, as well as her perspective as a woman of color and former refugee, to her teaching. She helps students leverage their core values and identities as strengths and assets to their leadership. As an MAOL graduate, she loves that students genuinely care about others and use their knowledge, experience, and power to advance equity. She’s taught Foundations of Leadership and Ethics, Leading Teams, and Advanced Practice in Change Leadership.

Kristin Tupa, MBA

Adjunct Faculty, Organizational Leadership

Kristin Tupa currently works as a sustainability manager at Cargill, Inc. and brings over two decades of experience in a large, global corporation working in agriculture and food. She has worked with customers in the EU, Asia, and South and Central America, as well as with well-known brands in the U.S. like McDonald's and Target. She earned her MBA from the University of Minnesota while working at Cargill, so she understands what it is like to balance work and school. She helps students build confidence in their knowledge, gifts, and talents. She loves the intellectual energy in MAOL courses, which comes from working with students from across business, government, and nonprofit sectors.

Josie Christian, DNP, RN, PHN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Josie Christian, DNP, RN, PHN, PHN joined St. Catherine University in 2022. She completed her Masters of Nursing Education at Walden University in 2008, and is a proud DNP “Katie” graduate from St. Catherine University in 2017. Her varied nursing experience includes roles with inpatient nursing disease management, medical device, quality improvement, employee health nurse leader, nursing education including training and professional development and nursing academia. Josie’s research passions include ethical nursing practice including moral courage, faculty caring behaviors and presence within the online learning context, and emotional intelligence.

Sean Fitzpatrick, PhD

Associate Dean, Henrietta Schmoll School of Health

Dr. Fitzpatrick came to St. Kate's in the Summer of 2020. Prior to that, he was a faculty member at Marian University (WI) where he led the Exercise and Sport Science program and was the Chair of the Allied Health Department. He began his career at John F. Kennedy University as a faculty member in Sport Psychology. Dr. Fitzpatrick has an ongoing research line in graduate student preparation and early career experiences in the field of Sport and Performance Psychology. Additionally, he has presented nationally on assessment issues in higher education and is an active member within the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AALHE).

Emily Asch, MLIS

Director, Library and Archives

Emily Asch, MLIS has enjoyed being the Director of Library and Archives since 2014. She came to St. Catherine University in 2008 as the Head of Technical Services. Her vision for the library is to be a space supporting and providing for interdisciplinary dialogue through resources, physical space, virtual presence, services, and staff. Student success is the primary focus of our work in the library, through research support, providing resources and tools wherever and whenever students and faculty need them. Emily has been in academic libraries for over 25 years and has a strong collections and systems background, but has had the privilege of supporting all parts of an academic library and is passionate about students and faculty succeeding in all academic and scholarly endeavors.

Elizabeth M Allen, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor, Public Health

Dr. Elizabeth Allen holds a master’s degree in environmental health and a PhD in environmental epidemiology. In addition, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship focused on community engaged research methods to advance health equity and justice. Dr. Allen collaborates with students, international non-governmental organizations, and a global network of scholars in her research. Her work focuses on the impact of the environment on social, emotional, physical health.  Current projects include work on community health volunteer models, women’s empowerment in Peru, climate change, and social justice focused education.

Hannah Y. Oldenburg, EdD, OTR/L, BCPR

Assistant Professor & Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Occupational Therapy

Hannah Oldenburg, EdD, OTR/L, BCPR is an assistant professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (AFWC) in the Department of Graduate Occupational Therapy at St. Catherine University.  She teaches courses primarily in evidence based practice, adult rehabilitation, program evaluation, and educational methods in both entry-level masters and doctoral degree tracks. She coordinators and prepares graduate occupational therapy therapy students for Level I and Level II fieldwork experiences. She facilitates problem based learning sessions and advises students in preparation for entry-level doctoral capstone projects.

Stephanie de Sam Lazaro, OTD, MA, OTR/L

Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Programs in Occupational Therapy, IPE Director for the Institute of Simulation and Interprofessional Learning (I-SAIL)

Stephanie de Sam Lazaro is Director of the Graduate Occupational Therapy (Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy and Doctor of Occupational Therapy) Programs. She primarily teaches courses on occupational therapy's role and process with children, adolescents, and their families. In addition, she teaches courses in human occupation, doctoral orientation, master's projects, and capstone projects. Her scholarship focus is on equitable practices for children, adolescents, and their families with a particular focus on primary care settings and the relationship of oral health to participation in daily activities.

Yasemin Gunpinar, PhD

Associate Professor, Education

Yasemin Gunpinar earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Department of Elementary Mathematics Education in Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) sponsored her while pursuing her master's degree. From 2006 to 2008, she taught mathematics in both private and public schools in Turkey. She co-wrote a publication titled "Supporting Lesson Book Including Subject Teaching for All Courses in Elementary 6th Grades". She enjoyed teaching mathematics as much as she enjoyed studying. This feeling influenced her desire to focus on mathematics education as her future career goal.

Renée (DeVries) Broughten, PhD

Professor, Interprofessional Education

Renée (DeVries) Broughten, DC, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Interprofessional Education at St. Catherine University, in St. Paul, MN. She received her Doctor of Chiropractic degree, and completed a residency in Diagnostic Imaging, at Northwestern Health Sciences University. Her PhD in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development is from the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include curriculum development and design in the areas of interprofessional education. Specifically, she is interested in evidence-based clinical practice as she feels that creates a solid foundation for providers from diverse disciplines to engage in interprofessional practice.

Rebecca Berru Davis, PhD

Assistant Professor, Theology

Dr. Rebecca Berru Davis is Assistant Professor in Theology at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. She earned her degree in the area of Art and Religion with a focus on Latinx and Latin American Theologies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. She was a Hispanic Theological Initiative Fellow and held a two-year Louisville Institute Post-Doctoral Fellowship at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN. Rebecca is interested in the intersection of art, faith, and justice as a way to understand the spiritual and religious expressions of those located on the margins of society.

Angela Ekwonye, PhD, CPH

Associate Professor of Public Health

Angela Ekwonye obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology and Education from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, her master's degree in Microbiology, and her Ph.D. in Health Sciences. Dr. Ekwonye's research interest lies heavily in the area of mental health promotion and prevention, with a specific focus on the mechanisms and factors of resiliency underlying the health of vulnerable and diverse populations in the face of social and economic adversity. My expertise includes a strong background in spirituality, meaning, aging, and mental health, with a particular interest in immigrant/refugee and other underserved populations.

Christina Anderson, PT, DPT

Director of Clinical Education, Associate Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Christina Anderson joined the DPT faculty in 2013 as Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education. She is a graduate of the Physical Therapy Program at St. Catherine University, receiving her Master of Physical Therapy degree in 2001 and returning to complete her transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2010. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College. Dr. Anderson is currently pursuing an EdD degree from Bethel University.

Dr. Anderson practiced clinically for 12 years in the areas of acute care, home care, and geriatrics. She has worked closely with DPT students in various capacities including ICE Clinical Faculty, Clinical Instructor, Site Coordinator of Clinical Education, and now as the Director of Clinical Education.

Gwendolyn (Gwen) Short, DNP, MSN, MPH

Associate Professor & DNP Programs Director, Nursing

Gwen is an Associate Professor and previous NP Programs Director at St. Catherine University. She holds a Doctor of Nurse Practice (DNP) degree from the University of Kentucky, where she was a member of the nation's inaugural DNP cohort. She also holds a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Kentucky, Master's in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Minnesota, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of Virginia. She has had clinical positions as a family nurse practitioner in a variety of practice sites including rural health, academic health, federally qualified health centers, and healthcare for the homeless and underserved.

Rahul Roy

Assistant Professor, Biology

Rahul Roy is a plant molecular biologist focusing on the mechanisms of nectar production in flowering plants and plant root movements. He teaches Foundations of Biology, Environmental Biology, Plant Biology and Senior Seminar writing courses at St. Kate's. His lab research focuses on the biochemical analysis of colorful nectar, dissecting genetic networks in nectar production of model flowers and the morphometry of plant root movement in response to touch and gravity. As a student researcher in the Roy lab you will train in microscopy, genetic, biochemical, cellular and molecular techniques to elucidate biological networks.

Jayne Sparks, MS, RN, CNE, CCM

Assistant Professor, RN-BSN Program Director, Nursing

I am a two-time graduate of St. Kate's and have been teaching in the RN to BSN section of the Department of Nursing since 2013. The focus of my teaching is community health nursing and nursing leadership.
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Laurie Anderson Sathe, Ed.D.

Program Director and Professor, Master of Arts in Holistic Health Studies

Teaching: I teach courses that introduce students to a holistic perspective of health and healing, specifically global and cultural studies that expose students to the interconnections of people across the globe and their approaches to healing. Also, courses that assist students in finding their authentic voices for leadership, connection and social change.
Research: I am interested in the ways that education can bring about positive change in health and healing. In particular, a holistic transformative pedagogy that integrates the mind, body and spirit in the learning process. I am intrigued by the richness and discoveries available through narrative and listening theories and their application to teaching, healing and connection.

Tamara Zurakowski, PhD, GNP-BC

MSNEL Program Director, Associate Professor, Nursing

I am a second generation nurse educator, and can't remember ever wanting to be anything else. I have spent most of my career working with pre-licensure students, and considering how to best prepare them for the important work of nursing. I am always looking for better ways to nurse, and to educate. I don't think we have designed the perfect nursing education system yet, and I am very interested in exploring innovative models that help students find their passion in nursing, and develop the skills needed to pursue it.

My clinical background is in community health and gerontologic nursing, and I am a certified gerontologic nurse practitioner.

Kari A. Hartwig, DrPH

Associate Professor, Masters in Public Health in Global Health

Kari Hartwig is Program Director of the MPH in Global Public Health. Her public health and international development training have shaped her interests in gender analysis of health disparities, structural inequalities in health systems, organizational capacity and sustainability, and community-based participatory research. Dr. Hartwig has worked on a number of research and evaluation projects in eastern and southern Africa and southeast Asia in addition to urban communities in the United States. Recent projects include a study of refugee women, resilience and gardening, a qualitative impact evaluation of a community based organization in Minnesota supporting low-income families and individuals emerging from homelessness, and assessing burnout among Minnesota physician assistants.

Kristen Lillvis, PhD

Division Chair of the Humanities, Mary Alice Muellerleile Endowed Chair and Professor of English

Kristen Lillvis is the Mary Alice Muellerleile '60 Endowed Chair in English at St. Catherine University, where she teaches courses on digital humanities and contemporary American and African American literatures. Her research explores issues of identity in diverse texts across a range of media, including works of electronic literature.
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Lisa Borneman, DSW, MSW, LICSW

Assistant Professor, Social Work

Vincent Skemp, PhD

Professor, Theology

Theology (undergraduate), Theology (MAT)
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Colleen Carpenter, PhD

Professor, Theology and Women's Studies

Carondelet Scholar
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Emily Blanchard West

Professor, History

I am the editor of the Journal of Indo-European Studies. My complete cv is available here.

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Matthew Byrne, PhD, RN, CNE

Adjunct Faculty

I am passionate about improving the technologies used by nurses and patients in both the clinical and educational contexts. My research focus in in the areas of Nursing Informatics, notably clinical decision support, UX/UI design and workflows. In terms of nursing education my focus is on instructional technology and educational analytics. My clinical "home base" is perianesthesia nursing and I serve as a reviewer and columnist for the Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing, serve on their Ed Board and publish in several perianesthesia texts.
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Jeff Johnson, PhD

Associate Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences & Associate Professor of Philosophy

Jeff Johnson's teaching and research engages issues in food ethics, environmental ethics, and animal ethics more broadly along with non-Eurocentric philosophical traditions (like Indigenous philosophies, Asian philosophies, and more). Jeff's graduate work engaged issues in philosophy of language and perception, ordinary language philosophy, and Wittgenstein. While he still teaches a couple of classes per year, Jeff transitioned into his current role as Associate Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, & Sciences in June of 2020.

Jeff first started teaching in the St. Kate's Philosophy Department as an adjunct back in 2003.

Allison Scheel, MSW, LGSW

MSW Director of Field Education and Assistant Professor

Allison Scheel earned her undergraduate BA degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and her MSW from Augsburg College. She joined the St. Catherine University BSW Social Work Department in 2019 as the BSW Director of Field Education and in 2020, she stepped into the MSW Field Director. Allison currently teaches field seminar courses and has taught a MSW diversity and inequality course at Augsburg College. She has over 25 years of experience in the social work sector engaging in community practice work as a program manager at Goodwill Easter Seals and Neighborhood House agencies.

Carol Mager, MS

Assistant Professor, Fashion Design and Merchandising

I am an unconventional instructor. I worked in the fashion industry for 20+ years before coming to love teaching! I have designed and made industrial patterns for womenswear, menswear, and outerwear. My specialty is production quality pattern making, grading, and curating student collections. The courses I teach are: Apparel Construction & Analysis, Patternmaking, Advanced Construction, Collection Development, and Capstone Collection. I love working with individual students helping them grow their talents. Teaching and designing are my passions!
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Gay M. Varecka, PhD, APRN, CNP

Associate Professor, Nursing

Gay M. Varecka, PhD, APRN, CNP is an Assistant Professor of Nursing in the DNP program. She obtained a BS in Nursing from D'Youville College, an MS in Nursing from the State University of New York, and a PhD in Higher Education Administration and Policy from the University of Minnesota. Gay also completed a post-doctoral certification as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. She has more than 25 years of experience in both Family Practice and Internal Medicine managing the care of underserved patients with complex, chronic health problems from ages 16 to the elderly in Hennepin Health System.

Sarah Rand, PhD

Associate Professor, Business Administration

I have been teaching in the Department of Business Administration at St. Catherine University since 2001. I currently teach a variety of courses in the department including Leadership and influence, Principles of Management, Principles of Marketing, Buyer Behavior and Market Research, Strategic Marketing, Global Business, and Strategic Management. I also co-developed and led a study abroad course called Sustainability through a Business Lens: Exploring People, Planet, and Profits in Chile and a topics course called #MeToo: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.

I grew up in the St. Paul Midway area, just a few miles away from St. Kate's. I received a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Hamline University and later earned an MBA in Management from the University of St. Thomas. I completed my Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development at the University of Minnesota.

Megan Williams, MPH

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Emily W. Nowak PhD, RN, CNE

Interim Assistant Dean for Online Nursing & Director- MSN: Nurse Educator - Professor

Professor Nowak is the Interim Assistant Dean for Online Nursing in the School of Nursing as well as the Program Director for the MSN: Nurse Educator program of study. She is a full Professor serving the St. Catherine community since 2009. Dr. Nowak completed a PhD at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and her BAN from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University). As an undergraduate alum of the baccalaureate nursing program, Professor Nowak fully embraces the St. Catherine mission and values. Her work at St. Catherine has largely focused on developing and implementing nursing curriculum to reflect the rapidly changing landscapes of healthcare and education.

Anthony Molaro, PhD, MLIS

Associate Professor, MLIS Program

Anthony Molaro, Ph.D. Tony (he/him) is a nationally recognized speaker, teacher, and consultant in libraries and higher education.  He is an Associate Professor in the MLIS Program at St Catherine University. He teaches and researches in the areas of public libraries, public services, technology, leadership, management, and marketing.  His most recent publication examined declines in women in leadership in public libraries.  He is also interested in services and teaching for those experiencing mental health challenges and recently received a grant to deliver Mental Health First Aid training around the state.

Katie Mancl, MIHM, RDCS (AE, PE)

Assistant Professor, Echocardiography

Katie Mancl became an Assistant Professor in the sonography program, echocardiography track at St. Catherine University in the fall of 2021. For over 13 years, Katie has gained both clinical and teaching experience while working in the Mayo Clinic echocardiography lab. She holds a Associate in Applied Science Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Echocardiography from Argosy University, Bachelor of Science, Business from Saint Mary's University and a Masters in International Healthcare Management (MIMH) from Arizona State University. Additionally she is maintains credentials in both adult and pediatric echocardiography.

Vera Stephenson MSN, RN, PHN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Nursing, Nursing: RN-BSN Degree Completion
Co-Chair on CoFei (committee on faculty equity inclusion) in the Nursing Department

My nursing career began in 1994 after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Nursing (BAN) from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. My husband’s career with the Army relocated our several times across the nation over the next twenty years. Each move provided me with unique opportunities to advance my training, enrich my experience, and heighten my versatility within multiple specialties of nursing. I have worked in a variety of areas of Nursing all over the US prior to finding my home at St. Kates including; Med/Surg in Texas and Kansas, Pediatric Rehab in Kentucky, OB in Kansas, Telephone Triage in California, College Health in Colorado, Community Health, Urgent Care, and currently I work as a perioperative nurse in MN.

Kimberley Persons, DHS, OTR/L, CLA

Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy

Kimberley Persons, DHS, OTR/L, CLA joined St. Catherine University's Occupational Therapy Department in August 2020. She teaches in the both the master's and doctoral program and mentors master's projects. Kimberley's current research is exploring community-based practice and the role of the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator in occupational therapy education. In 2018, she became a Certified Leader in Academia. She has been an occupational therapy educator for more than 10 years including 6 years as an AFWC. Her clinical background is working with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in home and community-based setting.

Brian Jonart, PT, DPT, NCS

Assistant Professor, Physical Therapist Assistant Program

As a practicing PT and Assistant Professor, I continue to be excited, challenged, and grateful to be in the PT profession. I teach primarily in St. Catherine University's PTA program, and teach in the DPT program as well. Clinically, I continue to practice at the Acute Rehab Unit at M Heath Fairview. My primary practice/teaching areas are Neuro/Orthopedic rehab. I also have a passion for health and wellness for the general population, healthcare provider, and patients with chronic medical conditions.
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Marcella (Marcie) J. Myers, PhD

Professor of Biology, Carondelet Scholar, Biology

I am a Professor in the Department of Biology at St. Catherine University and a Carondelet Scholar. I work in the areas of physiology and physical anthropology (PhD from UW-Madison), with a particular focus on the locomotor physiology and biomechanics of humans in contemporary as well as early human populations. I am co-PI on a $1.5 M R25 NIA grant called Katies for Aging Research and Equity (KARE), which prepares underrepresented students for careers in longevity and aging research. I teach Human & Comparative Physiology, Biology of Longevity & Aging, Measuring Human Locomotion, and Biology of #Women.

Michelle Koopman, DNP, RN, CNE, PHN

Associate Professor, Nursing

Dr. Michelle Koopman joined St. Catherine University in 2015. Her varied nursing experience includes roles as nursing faculty, case manager, nursing supervisor, diabetic educator, and float pool bedside nurse. Working as a float pool nurse involved caring for multiple, diverse patient populations in acute care settings. Professor Koopman currently teaches in the College for Women Baccalaureate Degree Nursing program and serves as a mentor in the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Dr. Koopman obtained her Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential in 2016 and maintains the certification to assert her commitment to teaching excellence.

Taviare L. Hawkins, PhD

Chair for the Math & Sciences Division; Professor of Physics

Dr. Hawkins oversees the departments of Mathematical Sciences (math, statistics, and computer science), Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. Before joining St Kate’s, she was Professor and Chair of Physics at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. She completed her graduate work at Syracuse University, where she holds two M.S. degrees (in Computer Science and Physics) and a Ph.D. in Physics. She was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She is an experimental biophysicist.

Dr. Hawkins places great emphasis on teaching and training undergraduates in research. She has trained over 50 undergraduate students and is published with them on the topic in microtubule mechanics.

Traci Gerner MS, OTR/L

Assistant Professor OTA Online Program

Traci works at St. Catherine University as an Assistant Professor in the Online Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.

Traci has been a practicing registered occupational therapist since 1997.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Mount Mary University (MMU) in Wauwatosa, WI. She later went back to MMU to further her education, graduating with her Master of Science degree with a focus on higher education teaching.

Traci began her career in acute care and then moved into school-based practice. She has continued to practice for the past 24 years, working in various public schools, private schools, charter schools, Indian reservations, day treatment schools, and specialty programs.

Kjersti Nelson, MS, RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Kjersti is an Assistant Professor of nursing at St. Catherine University in the Baccalaureate Degree Program - College for Adults. She earned her BSN and MS degrees from the University of Minnesota. Her practical background includes experience in orthopedic and cardiovascular care. Kjersti has an interest in the development of critical thinking in students and new nurses, specifically through the practices of curiosity and questioning. Additional areas of interest include caring science and holistic practice. Kjersti assisted in the development of a Unitary Human Caring Science BSN curriculum at St. Catherine University.

Laura Peterson

Program Director, Assistant Professor, Radiation Therapy

I worked as a radiation therapist in the Twin Cities area for eleven years and have been teaching since 2001.
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Damon Klaphake, MS

Assistant Professor, Liberal Arts and Sciences

I have taught Human Anatomy and Physiology, Human Disease, Human Ecology, Microbiology, Chemistry, College Study Skills, Transcultural Communication, and Dosage Calculations Math at St. Catherine University since 1997. I am a member of the Biology Department and primarily teach courses to students in the College for Adults.
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Ashley Singh, MS

Assistant Professor, Nursing

While earning my undergraduate nursing degree at SDSU I received a scholarships to study abroad in Sweden and study world maternal and child issues. I also obtained a degree in Spanish while attending SDSU where I received another scholarship to study Spanish in Mexico. After graduating, I worked on a medical unit at Avera St. Luke's, a rural hospital in Aberdeen, South Dakota. I was able to cross-train to pediatrics, surgical and outpatient units. I then accepted an RN position at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota on the bone marrow transplant unit.
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Anaya Mitra, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor, Psychology

Anaya is associate professor of psychology at St. Catherine University. Her area of specialization is biological psychology and she received her doctorate from the University of Florida. Her doctoral work examined the impact of maternal obesity on fetal development, using a rodent model. She also holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Florida. Her master’s thesis examined smoking cessation outcomes at the local public health department, following dissemination of information regarding the adverse effects of smoking on one’s health and on one’s wallet. Following her doctoral work, she did a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota and the Veterans Administration Medical Center.

Judy Rognli, APRN CNP-Pediatrics

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

Judy teaches in the BSN-DNP Nurse Practitioner Program. She is certified as a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP), having worked as a PNP for the last 25 years in a variety of settings including school based clinics, community clinics and several grant programs working with underserved, uninsured as well as homeless adolescents, young adults and families. Judy earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Gustavus Adolphus College and her master's degree from St Catherine University. Judy had been adjunct faculty for 6 years and since 2020 (in the midst of COVID) transitioned to teaching full time in the nurse practitioner program.

Linda Nelson

Assistant Professor, Nursing Department

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Melissa Kittock, MS, RN, OCN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

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Nicole Lamb

Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Studies

Nicole Lamb graduated from Marquette University MPAS program in 2009 has been primarily practicing in Emergency Medicine and Primary Care since. Currently Nicole works clinically at Regions Hospital Emergency department, a busy level I trauma center in St. Paul. Here, she previously participated in the education coordination and delivery to PA, NP and medical students and was voted Preceptor of the Year at Regions prior to coming to St. Kate's.

Additionally, Nicole received her Master's of Public Health from George Washington University in Washington, DC and divided her time working clinically in emergency medicine and developing and running the evaluation for a holistic program focused on veteran health, PTSD and Military Sexual Trauma.

Rachel Mary Harriss, PhD, RN, PHN

Associate Professor, Nursing Department

Rachel joined the faculty of St. Catherine University in Fall 2021 after relocating from the East Coast.  As an Associate Professor, she teaches psychiatric and public health nursing in the College for Adults.  She earned her B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in nursing at Boston College and her M.S. in Forensic Nursing at Fitchburg State University.  Her passion and research interests center on mental health, substance abuse, forensic, and social justice issues evidenced by her extensive work with individuals seeking asylum in the United States after experiencing trauma, violence, and persecution in their home countries.

Lacey Rotier, MLIS

Assistant Professor and School Library Media Coordinator, Library and Information Science

Lacey Rotier works at St. Catherine University as an Assistant Professor and the School Library Media Program Coordinator in the Library and Information Science Department. Lacey received her Master's of Library and Information Science and K-12 School Library Media license from St. Catherine University. Prior to her position at St. Kate's, she was the Library Media Specialist at an elementary school in Robbinsdale Area Schools and other Twin Cities districts. Her professional interests include collaboration, technology integration, and effective instruction.
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Bethsabe Huaman Andia, PhD

Assistant Professor. Literature, Language and Writing Department. Spanish Program

I am an Assistant Professor at St. Kate's in the department of Literature, Language and Writing, also affiliated to the Women's Studies Program. 
I am originally from Lima, Peru, where I studied Literature. I graduated from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMS) with a dissertation about the Peruvian poet Blanca Varela. I continued with the study of poetry among Peruvian female poets from 1980's generation in comparative research with Mexican female poets of the same generation. I graduated from El Colegio de Mexico (Colmex) with a dissertation about Coral Bracho and Rocío Silva Santisteban.

Hugo Klaers, DPT, OCS

Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy

Dr. Hugo Klaers, DPT, OCS is an assistant professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at St. Catherine University. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology in 2010. He received a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from St. Catherine University in 2014, and completed the Fairview Health Services Orthopedic Physical Therapy residency program in 2015. He became a board-certified specialist in orthopedic physical therapy in 2016. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association. Dr. Klaers has journal publications in the area of the athletic shoulder, has taught continuing education courses for local physical therapists and other allied health professionals, and has presented at the APTA's national annual conference.

Sarah Rodriguez, MS, RNC, NPD-BC

Assistant Professor, Clinical Experience Liaison, Nursing

 
 
Experienced Clinical Educator with a demonstrated history of leadership in the health care industry. Skilled and certified in Nursing Professional Development, Maternal Newborn Nursing, and LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt. Experience leading and managing diverse teams. Strong healthcare services professional with an interest in education, quality, safety, and process improvement.
Proud veteran of the United States Air Force.
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Maria Tice, PhD

Associate Professor, Nursing

Maria Tice, PhD, RN, PHN, CNE is an Associate Professor at St. Catherine University in the MSNEL program. Dr. Tice earned her MSN in Nursing Education at St. Catherine University and her PhD in Nursing Education at the University of Northern Colorado. Dr. Tice has over 20 years of combined clinical practice in mental health, pediatrics, geriatrics, and as a licensed school nurse; and 9 years as a nurse educator and community/mental health clinical instructor. Dr. Tice’s research interests are in competency development in nursing education, specifically how to develop foundational mental health nursing and intercultural competency for all nurses; and intentionality in nursing as a spiritual practice.

Julie Sabo, PhD, RN, APRN, CNS, FCNS

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Julie joined St. Catherine University in 2022 as an Assistant Professor. She holds a Master of Nursing: Cardiovascular Critical Care from the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing- Emory University in 1989 and a PhD from the University of Minnesota in 2016. Dr. Sabo's clinical practice has been a bedside clinician, CNS, and Director of Nursing Practice, Research, and Education. She served as the APRN Specialist at the Minnesota Board of Nursing prior to joining St. Catherine. She has expertise in healthcare policy, leadership, healthcare systems, nursing regulation, and has been active in APRN professional associations.

Roberto B. Salgado, PhD

Associate Professor, Physics

Professor Salgado is interested in various aspects of Special Relativity and General Relativity, which is Einstein's (now experimentally well-tested) Theory of Space, Time, and Gravity. He uses geometrical techniques, applied mathematics, computation, and scientific visualization to be better understand relativity and to make it more accessible and understandable to others. He developed a new method of graphical calculation for relativity, called "Relativity on Rotated Graph Paper". More recently, he has been using similar methods to analyze PV-diagrams in thermodynamics. He is an advocate of using computation (e.

Kelli Nielsen, PT, DPT, NCS

Associate Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Kelli Nielsen joined the St Catherine University DPT faculty in 2017 as an assistant professor. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a bachelor of science in kinesiology. She completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at the Mayo School of Health Sciences in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Nielsen completed a neurologic residency at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, WA and became an American Board of Physical Therapy Certified Neurological Clinical Specialist in 2013. Her research interests include acute care safety and postural control.
Dr. Nielsen teaches course content in neurologic examination & intervention, pulmonary rehab, acute care and complex medical physical therapy.

Teresa Cyrus

Assistant Professor, DNP

Teresa is an Assistant Professor in the NP-DNP program and has been teaching at St. Catherine since 2019. She earned her MSN from St. Joseph's College of Maine and DNP from St. Catherine University. She is a certified family nurse practitioner and has a private practice in geriatrics. She is passionate about the care of seniors and has a special interest in geriatric cognitive disorders and in bringing holistic care to underserved patients. Teresa is a proponent of meditation and mindfulness in healthcare and education and is a certified meditation instructor.
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Taiyon J Coleman, MA, MFA, PhD (she/her/hers)

Associate Professor, Departments of Literature, Language, and Writing & Women's Studies

Taiyon J Coleman is an educator, scholar, and writer. 

Taiyon’s research focus includes US American, African-American, and African Diaspora literatures and cultures; gender and women’s studies; film; college composition, developmental writing, and rhetoric; creative writing; education; assessment; anti-racist curriculum; and DEI consulting.
 
Taiyon’s most recent projects include the published essay, "Fool’s Gold," and she and three colleagues' co-authored grant application has received part of the $12 million in funding offered by The Mellon Foundation’s Inaugural Higher Learning Open Call for Civic Engagement and Social Justice-Related Research and Projectsto develop an interdisciplinary, intersectional curriculum that would promote anti-racism.

Joyce Brettner, DNP, MAHS, RN-BC

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Joyce Brettner, DNP, MAHS, RN-BC. Dr. Brettner has a BS in Nursing from Bethel University, MA in Holistic Health Studies from St. Catherine University, and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a specialty in nursing informatics from the University of Minnesota. She completed the Veterans Administration Quality Scholars (VAQS) 2-year, post-doctoral fellowship at the Minneapolis VA Healthcare Center in October 2021. VAQS is a multi-site, interprofessional, Federal fellowship program that has been developing quality leaders for over 20 years. She has been board certified in nursing informatics through the American Nurse Credentialing Center.

Katrice Ziefle, PhD, RN, CNE

PM DNP Track Coordinator, Professor, Nursing

Katrice Ziefle is a Professor of nursing at St. Catherine University. She completed her Masters of Nursing Education at Bethel University and PhD in Nursing Education at Capella University. Dr. Ziefle’s research interests include generational theory and the impact of the environment on learning, specifically civility in nursing. Her teaching experience includes associate degree nursing, entry-level master’s degree nursing and doctor of nursing practice. Dr. Ziefle has a passion for teaching and learning strategies in nursing education and works to engage students at every level.
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Jill Campbell, MA, RN, PHN, CNE, CDCES

Assistant Professor of Nursing

Jill began her nursing career as a registered nurse on a cardiac care unit at Abbott Northwestern Hospital from 2006 to 2010. In addition to providing patient care, she participated in preceptorship and mentorship roles. In 2010, Jill transitioned to a clinical research role at Children's Minnesota, where she developed skills in grant and proposal writing along with subject recruitment, screening, and data collection for several diabetes and endocrine research studies. In 2011, Jill graduated from St. Catherine University with her master's degree in nursing education. With her knowledge from her master's program, Jill became a pediatric diabetes educator at Children's Minnesota, where she participated in curriculum development and program management.

Rebecca Busanich, PhD

Associate Professor, Exercise Sciences

Dr. Rebecca Busanich is an Associate Professor of Exercise and Sport Studies (EXSS) at St. Catherine University. She holds a Ph.D. in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Iowa (’11), a Master's degree from the University of Oregon (’05), and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan (’03).
 
As a cultural sport psychology scholar, Dr. Busanich’s research explores the social and cultural narratives around physical activity, eating and the body and translates her findings to promote healthy/positive eating and physical activity experiences, along with exercise adherence, for underrepresented populations.

Nicole Beckmann, PhD, APRN-CPNP-PC

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Dr. Beckmann is the track coordinator of the pediatric nurse practitioner program. She is a nurse scientist and practicing PNP with clinical expertise in pediatric hospital medicine and stem cell transplant. She is passionate about supporting parent family caregivers of children with life threatening and life limiting conditions. Her expertise and research interest focus on resilience, post-traumatic growth, and meaning making for patients, families, and healthcare providers. Dr. Beckmann earned her Master of Science in nursing from Duke University and a PhD in nursing from Vanderbilt University.

Jennifer Biggs, PT, PhD, MPH, CWS

Associate Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Dr. Biggs is a graduate of the UW-Madison where she received a BS in Physical Therapy in 1997.  She received an MPH in Public Health Administration in 2002 and a PhD in Health Services Research in 2016, both from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.  She is also a Clinical Wound Specialist through the American Board of Wound Management and she practiced extensively in this specialty area.  Dr. Biggs teaches course content in acute care, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and wound management.  She also coordinates service learning within the DPT curriculum.  Dr. Biggs’ research interests include service delivery models in physical therapy and community based participatory research.

Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, PhD

Division Chair of the Social Sciences, Professor of Women's Studies and Critical Studies of Race and Ethnicity

Jocelyn Fenton Stitt (jfstitt342@stkate.edu) is an interdisciplinary scholar trained in women's and critical race studies. She earned her BA in Women's Studies and English from Pomona College, her MLitt in Caribbean cultural studies from the University of Edinburgh (UK), and her PhD in Women's Studies and English from the University of Michigan. Before joining St. Kate, she was Director of Research Development at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan, and before that, Associate Professor of Women's Studies at Minnesota State University.

Her book Dreams of Archives Unfolded: Absence and Caribbean Life Writing (2021) is part of Rutgers University's Critical Caribbean Studies series.

Kathy Keller, MA

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Welcome! My goal is to help motivated students to become RN's that I would trust to care for a loved one, and in the process, I hope to make learning as interesting and as non-threatening as possible.
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Jocelyn Bessette Gorlin, PhD, MSN, CPNP

Associate Professor, Nursing

Jocelyn is a tenured associate professor in the Department of Nursing. She obtained a BSN from Villanova University, MSN from Yale University, and PhD from the University of Minnesota. She has been a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) in hematology for over 25 years, first at Boston Children’s Hospital then at Children’s Minnesota (CM). She was one of the first nurse practitioners at Boston Children’s Hospital and on the forefront of the pediatric AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, caring for children with hemophilia and AIDS.  Research interests involve quality of life in families raising a child with severe chronic illness.

Beth Cunniff, PhDc, RN, PNP-BC, CNE, AHN-BC

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Beth Cunniff is an assistant professor of nursing at St. Catherine University in the Baccalaureate Degree Program - College for Adults. She holds a BSN degree from Creighton University, an MSN-NP degree with a focus on Children with Special Healthcare Needs from the University of Minnesota, and an MSN-NE degree from St. Catherine University. Beth is currently a PhD candidate with a focus in Nursing Education at the University of Northern Colorado. Special areas of interest include pediatrics, curriculum design and evaluation, and simulation.
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Lanlan (Lacey) Chu, PhD

Assistant Professor, Economics

Lacey Chu completed her Ph.D. in Economics at Texas Tech University in 2017. She joined St. Catherine University in Fall 2020 after working as an assistant professor at Buena Vista University in Iowa. Her primary research interests are in the fields of health economics and industrial organization, with a particular focus on health, aging, caregiving, and gender. Current research projects include cross-national comparison in prevalence and predictors of healthy aging, impacts of informal care on caregivers and recipients, and gender disparities in health and well-being. Her work has been published in journals such as Social Science & Medicine, Journal of Aging and Health, Journal of Women & Aging, and Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics.

Marcy Mears, DSW

Assistant Professor, Social Work

Aimee Sever-Hall, MA

Assistant Professor, ASL & Interpreting

Aimee Sever-Hall is an accomplished individual who takes pride in her Latine and Indigenous heritage, being a first-generation North American and collegian, and advocating for social justice and human rights. In her role as department chair and faculty member in the ASL and Interpreting department at St. Catherine University, Aimee oversees the ASL and Interpreting programs and teaches various courses in ASL, linguistics, and deaf studies. Aimee is part of the BIPOC faculty and staff group on campus to advocate for and support the needs of BIPOC students, staff, and faculty members on campus, aim to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion by addressing systemic issues, providing resources and support for underrepresented groups, and facilitating communication between different members of the campus community.

Amy Bowers, MSN, RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Amy M. Bowers MSN, RN is an Assistant Professor of Nursing in the Baccalaureate Day Program at St. Catherine.  She obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a Master’s degree in Nursing Education from St. Catherine University.  Amy’s clinical background covers various areas of nursing including: Medical Surgical, Emergency Department, Post-Partum, Newborn Nursery, Birthing and Lactation Education, Long term care, and pharmacy medication audits.  Her teaching interests include Educating mothers and children to thrive in their situation in life, Cultural Humility, Global studies with an emphasis on interprofessional educational opportunities for health science majors, increasing critical thinking in Baccalaureate nursing students, and finally improving health literacy in populations that are underserved within the healthcare system.

Mary Heppner, MSN, RN, CCRN, CMC

Assistant Professor, Nursing

I have been a nurse since 2016 and the majority of my career has been bedside at Abbott Northwestern until November 2022. My background is primarily in Cardiac ICU and acute care. I have been an educator at St. Kate's since 2020.
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Sonja Rivers, MAN, RN, PHN

Assistant Professor of Nursing, Director of the RN-BSN Degree Completion Program Nursing

I spent the first part of my nursing career working in acute care assuming both clinical and administrative roles. I have always been drawn to education and helping people reach their greatest potential: patients, families, nurses, and now nursing students. I find the transformation rewarding.
I obtained my Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from Augsburg University as well as my Master of Arts in Nursing with a focus on Transformational Leadership. I earned my Post-Masters in Nursing Education from Walden University with a focus on online education. The research I have conducted has focused on the role of the charge nurse as a leader, and ethical leadership practices.

Megan Baumler, PhD, RD, LD

Assistant Professor, Program Director, Nutrition and Dietetics

As a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and with a PhD in Nutrition Sciences, I'm passionate about evidence-based nutrition practice and sustainable dietary patterns that promote long term health. I'm most interested in the connection between our gastrointestinal physiology and our health outcomes, nutrition for the older adulthood life stage, and modifiable dietary factors that can improve our long term health.
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Laura Fero, PhD, MSN, RN

Dean of Nursing - Henrietta Schmoll School of Health

Laura Fero brings an extensive background in healthcare as both a practitioner and higher education administrator to St. Catherine University. In her role as the dean of nursing in the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health, she is responsible for the growth and sustainability of Minnesota’s oldest nursing program. In addition to managing daily operations and the effectiveness of the nursing program, Fero leads innovation, curriculum design, and interprofessional education, ensuring all nursing graduates are prepared to provide cutting-edge, compassionate, and ethical care to patients. 

Her research interests include critical thinking skills development for nursing students, nursing career pathways, and supportive health services.

Ambria Crusan, PhD, MS, RD/LD

Assistant Professor, Exercise Science and Nutrition, Nutrition Science, Dietetics

Ambria started teaching at St. Kate's in 2017. After working as a Clinical Dietitian for 4 years, she pursued her PhD in Human Nutrition and a career in academia. She is a Registered Dietitian passionate about nutrition assessment, diet quality, and obesity-related inflammation. Her current research is focused on carotenoids and markers of adiposity in population samples. Ambria is involved in many Interprofessional Education (IPE) opportunities as she hopes to promote the field of dietetics in these settings and finds high value in IPE collaboration for students.
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Kathy Thames, MS, RDN

Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Dietetics

As an alumnae of St. Kate's Nutrition and Dietetics program, Kathy returned to St. Kate's as faculty in the Fall of 2020. Kathy has over 30 years working as a dietitian in a variety of settings including critical care, wellness and rehab, academic, private practice and culinary training. As the capstone to her career, Kathy brings her practical application skills to the classroom to prepare diverse nutrition and dietetics students as leaders for a variety of professional roles. Kathy's passion is to educate and provide culinary and practical tools to help translate the science of nutrition into food choices.

Katherine Tolcser, MA, RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Katherine has worked as a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit RN at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital since 2008. In 2012, Katherine completed her Master's Degree in Nursing Education through St. Catherine University. She began teaching at St. Catherine University the following fall in 2013 in the Baccalaureate Degree Program in the College for Women. During her time at St. Catherine University she has primarily taught in Pathophysiology, Pediatric, and Pharmacology courses.
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Susan Martinson, MA RN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

I have been at St Catherine University for over 40 years, teaching at various levels in the nursing program. My primary teaching responsibilities have included both didactic and clinical teaching, in both the College for Women and College for Adults. Most of my clinical experience is in adult medical-surgical nursing, but also have extensive experience in telephone triage. My education includes University of Wisconsin - Madison where I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN) and St Catherine University where I earned a Master's Degree in Nursing, with a focus in Nursing Education.

Ashley Borchardt, MSN, RN, AHN-BC

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Ashley is passionate about the holistic delivery of nursing care that transfers into her guidance of student nurses in the College for Adults. She received her Associate Degree in Nursing from Minneapolis Community and Technical College and her RN-BSN degree from Augsburg University. While attending Augsburg, she notes her public health coursework in Nicaragua was particularly impactful and strongly believes in the global impact of nursing on world healing. She received her Master in Nursing Education from St. Catherine University and is interested in how nurses can maintain caring amidst a highly-technical care environment.

Lori Winchell, DrPH, MN, CWP

Associate Professor, Nursing

Lori Winchell, DrPH, CNP-FNP, CWP has been a provider of health and wellness services for over 40 years. She is a wellness practitioner and a licensed Advanced Family Practice Registered Nurse in Minnesota. Lori has extensive background and experience in education, public health, preventative care, health promotion, and disease prevention. She has provided direct patient care to diverse populations in a variety of healthcare settings.
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Hilda Soko, DNP, RN, PHN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Hilda Soko is an assistant professor of nursing at St. Catherine University in the Baccalaureate Degree Program - College for Adults. She holds an Associate of Nursing degree from St. Catherine University, BSN degree from Metrostate University, MSN-Nurse Educator degree from St. Catherine University, and a DNP in Transcultural Nursing Leadership from Augsburg University. Before coming to the US, Hilda was a Nurse/Midwife in her birth country Malawi. She has experience in mental health (geriatric psychiatry). Hilda also works as a Psych Nurse at Mercy hospital (Unity campus).
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