St. Catherine University
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St. Catherine University
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.

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.

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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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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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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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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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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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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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.

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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Hugo Klaers, PT, DPT, OCS

Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy | Director, Human Anatomy Lab

Dr. Hugo Klaers, PT, 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.

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. She has taught Pharmacology, and Medical - Surgical Nursing. Currently she teaches Holistic Care of Adults, Foundations of Nursing Holistic Care, Holistic Nursing: Reflection in Action clinical, and Global Communities and Public Health Clinical. She specializes in theory, lab, clinical, and simulation. She has previously served in the admissions Committee. She currently co-chairs in curriculum committee.

Cort J. Cieminski, PT, PhD, ATC, LAT

Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Dr. Cort Cieminski, PT, PhD, ATC, LAT is a professor 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.

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

Assistant Professor, ASL and Interpreting

Bridget Sabatke has her ASL/English interpreting degree from St. Catherine University and an MS in Interpreting with an emphasis in Pedagogy from University of North Florida. In her interpreting practice Bridget has specialized in behavioral health health, medical, and DeafBlind work. At St. Kate's Bridget teaches many different interpreting classes including Ethical Decision Making. Beyond St. Kate's she is invited to present around Minnesota and the US (and once for Ghana) on topics including mental health interpreting, educational interpreting, case consultation practice, and a feedback process of her design called Work and Worth.

Candalee Hill MS, MAOL, RN, CNE-cl

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Undergraduate degree in Nursing from the College of St. Catherine.

Graduate degree from the University of Minnesota with a focus on nursing education.

Graduate degree from St. Catherine University in Organizational Leadership with certificates in Ethics, Leadership and Strategic Management.

Certificate in Dispute resolution from Hamline University.

Certificate in Nursing Education from the National League for Nursing with a focus in clinical.

Current interest in medical-surgical nursing and clinical judgment.

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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!

Since beginning by position here in Aug 2020 I have implemented a DEU Clinical Partnership with Mayo Clinic Red Wing.

Rachel Mary Harriss, PhD, RN, PHN (previously Boersma)

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.

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 holistic nursing practice.

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

Associate Professor of Nursing

Cynthia is faculty in the College for Adults Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN CFA) 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 currently involved in the redesign of the holistic curriculum for the Baccalaureate Program. She is active in promoting healthy learning environments built upon safe interpersonal behaviors.

Beth Meighan-Palanivel MA, RN, HNB-BC, NC-BC, CCAP

Assistant Professor & Advising Liaison CfW Nursing

Beth serves as a content expert in Holistic Nursing and is a certified Holistic Nurse (HNB-BC) and Nurse Coach (NC-BC) through AHNCC. She was awarded the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty in 2020. As the Advising Liaison for the College for Women (CfW) BSN program, she plays a key role in early identification and intervention to support the retention and success of 169-259 in-program pre-licensure CfW BSN students. Additionally, Beth provides mentorship to faculty advisors and collaborate with key university resources in addition to her teaching role within the CfW nursing program.

Aimee Sever-Hall, Ph.D. Candidate

Department Chair, Assistant Professor (Tenure Track)

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.

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.

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.

Ashley Singh, MSN, RN, BMTCN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Ashley has worked as a bone marrow transplant nurse at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, since 2010. In 2014, Ashley completed her Master’s Degree in Nursing Education through Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Nursing at Washington State University, Spokane, Washington. She began teaching at St. Catherine University in the fall of 2014 in the College for Women Baccalaureate Degree Program. At St. Catherine University, she has taught acute care across all levels in the classroom, lab, and simulation settings.

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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.

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.

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.

Virginia Green, OTD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor, Doctoral 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.

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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Rahul Roy

Assistant Professor, Biology (rroy858@stkate.edu)

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.

Katie Mancl, MIHM, RDCS (AE, PE)

Program Director, Assistant Professor Echocardiography Track

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.

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

Associate Professor, Nursing

Rebeca is an Associate Professor of Nursing at 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. She has educated and precepted several generations of nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners 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.

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

Associate Professor, Assistant Dean of Graduate Clinical 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.

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 has taught 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.

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. .

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. Dr. Gilchrist is actively involved in the American Physical Therapy Association at the state and national level. She began her career at St. Catherine University in 1999 and currently teaches throughout the DPT curriculum primarily in the areas of neuroscience and pathophysiology.

Jennifer Biggs, PT, PhD, MPH, CWS

Program Director, 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.

Craig Kage, PT, DPT, PhD

Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy

Craig Kage, PT, DPT, PhD 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 completed his PhD in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Minnesota with a research focus in cervical spine kinematics in 2023. 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.

Amy Haynes, DPT, PT

Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy

Amy Haynes, DPT, PT is an assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at St. Catherine University. She serves as the Director of Curriculum Development and Assessment, in which she oversees the annual planning of curriculum goals and objectives within the OT department, development and engagement of course planning with faculty members, coordinates Problem Based Learning labs and provides facilitator training, and serves as the Department Assessment Lead (DAL). In addition, she collaborates with the Program Director to mentor faculty in teaching strategies, provides curricular feedback and faculty development, and contributes to scholarship of teaching/learning. She is a Physical Therapist by training and also serves as a senior affiliate faculty member for the Center for Interprofessional Health Program at the University of Minnesota. She teaches a variety of courses in both the undergraduate and graduate programs, including Kinesiology, Physical assessment and Rehabilitation, and IPE evidence-based practice in healthcare. Her clinical background includes a variety of settings throughout the Midwestern United States, with subject matter expertise in the topics of Falls and Balance/Bone Health and Joint Replacement, as well as practice guideline development and clinical instructor to graduate therapy students during their Fieldwork and Clinical Rotation placements.

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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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.

Jo Treat-Haug, MSN, RN, CNE, PHN

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Jo Treat-Haug has been teaching at St. Catherine University since 2019. She received her Masters of Science in Nursing Education in 2019 from Western Governors University and received her Bachelor of Arts in Nursing from St. Olaf College in 2015. Her professional clinical experience has focused on adult acute care in the medical-surgical setting. She has experience in the Oncology and Orthopedics specialties. At St. Catherine University, she teaches in 2900 Introduction to Professional Nursing Practice, 2910 Nursing Care of Individuals and Families, 2920 Foundations of Pharmacology and 3281/3282 Pathophysiology.

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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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.

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.

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.

Susi Keefe, PhD

Director and Associate Professor, Public Health

Susi Keefe is Associate Professor and the Program Director for the Master’s of Public Health at St. Catherine University. She earned her undergraduate degree with a self-designed major from Mount Holyoke College in Culture, Health, and Science. She received her A.M. and Ph.D. in Anthropology with a focus on global health in East Africa from Brown University, where she was also a predoctoral trainee in Anthropological Demography in the Population Studies & Training Center. Based on over two years of ethnographic fieldwork in northern and coastal Tanzania, she has published articles and chapters on Islam and ethics, marriage and kinship, and intimate relationships among Pare and Swahili women. More recently her work includes collaborative, community engaged, social justice research projects. Community engaged research topics include: health equity, food access, reproductive justice, and environmental health. She is the director of the Food Justice Research Team and a co-founder of the Cross Campus Food Access Coalition in the Twin Cities, a member of the leadership team of the Metro Food Justice Network. Her current project is a collaboration with Our Streets Minneapolis on how communities experience the Twin Cities highways.

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.

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.

Jill Campbell, DNP, 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. In addition to providing patient care, she participated in preceptorship and mentorship roles. After several years of providing adult nursing care, 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.

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.

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.

Carey Winkler, MSW, DSW, LICSW

Assistant Professor, Social Work

Carey A. Winkler, Assistant Professor, MSW, DSW, LICSW, earned her BSW, MSW and DSW from St. Catherine University/University of St. Thomas joint School of Social Work. She taught adjunct in 2007 and joined the full time faculty in 2008 in the joint school. She served as the director of BSW field education from 2010-2018.

I am passionate about co-creating transformative learning experiences that engage us all in growing, leading, and healing. I am called to work towards all people being seen, heard, and felt in the world. "Love is the greatest power of the universe." ~Wim Hof~

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Stacey R. Hurrell, DNP, RN, LSN, CNE

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.

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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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.

Jonathan Okstad, PhD, MBA

Adjunct Faculty, Organizational Leadership

Dr. Jonathan Okstad recently finished his PhD in Higher and Postsecondary Education Policy from Loyola University Chicago and brings over 10 years of industry experience. He currently serves as Manager of Research Administration in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. As a higher education professional and former nonprofit director, Jon brings a unique perspective to support students in applying their MAOL curriculum to their everyday and professional lives. Modern leadership is grounded in 