Andrea is very focused on helping others and received the Outstanding Faculty Award in April of 2024.

Rose has always desired to make a positive impact on the lives of others. She began her career as a secondary teacher and taught for 15 years. She joined the Waldorf family in 2023 with the opportunity to help students succeed in higher education. Now, she is an Instructional Designer for Waldorf Online Learning and Instruction. Her passion for making a positive impact continues as she helps create engaging online content for students.

Elaine's background is in social psychology, with an emphasis on how people make decisions. In particular, her research interests center on individual differences and external sources of information, including how information is presented, that can contribute to more successful decision-making.

In addition to obtaining a core understanding of psychology, Elaine's main goal for students is for them to appreciate the field as a practical science that can inform them about how humans think and behave (both from an intuitive and a non-intuitive standpoint) and how to navigate within the social world effectively. She also strives for students to develop as investigators who are capable of asking questions, actively contribute to the understanding of how the world works, and learn communication skills to share their knowledge with scientific and non-scientific audiences in any setting.

Born and raised in eastern Montana, Dr. Britton-Johnson came to Iowa via both Washington state and Texas. Dr. Britton-Johnson’s primary research is in Holocaust drama and the representation of female camp guards (Aufsherinnen) on stage and screen. Her thesis and dissertation have been included in the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Archives in Israel.

Prior to coming to Waldorf, Dr. Britton-Johnson was an adjunct professor and senior academic advisor at Texas Tech University for the Pre-Professional Health Careers department. She has also served as an online course designer for Texas Tech University with the Integrative Studies department.

Dr. Britton-Johnson began teaching for Waldorf in 2015 and teaches various fine arts
classes, including Elizabethan and Restoration theatre, Classical Theatre History, Lighting Design, Costume Design, Theatre Management, Artistic Expression, and Stage Makeup. Her online teaching also includes teaching Speech Communications. She has also directed 20 productions at Waldorf and designed for over 36 and counting! 

In her free time, Dr. Britton-Johnson enjoys music, reading historical fiction, watching documentaries, and spending time with her husband, three children, and four dogs.

• Taught 7-12 Vocal Music and French - Exira Comm. School 1978-1986
• Graduate Assistant in Music Theory and Piano - UNI 1986-1987
• Taught Vocal Music and Drama - Belmond-Klemme 1987-2014
• Adjunct Professor  Music Appreciation - NIACC - 2016-present
• Waldorf University - 2015 - present
• All State Chorus Chair - 2012 - 2017
• District Advisory Group IHSMA - 2008-2011
• NCICDA Chair - 2004-2010
• Tour Representative - Good News Tour and Travel 2014-present
• Chancel Choir and Bell Choir Director, Organist - Trinity Lutheran Church, Belmond
• Married, 3 sons, 8 grandchildren

Erik is from Long Beach, Calif. and is a five-generation Californian. He entered the Marine Corps right out of high school and served in Desert Strom. He joined the Long Beach Police Department and remained in the Marine Corps Reserves and was recalled to active duty as a Military Police Officer, then returned to LBPD and was promoted to Sergeant. He was recalled again to active duty as a Master Sergeant and retired for the Marine Corps Reserve in 2013 at the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant and the Long Beach Police Department as a Sergeant. He's been married for 31 years, has three grown children, and one grandson.

My professional accomplishments:

• Provost Sergeant, Camp Pendleton Provost Marshal’s Office. Rank Master Gunnery Sergeant.
• Lead Instructor, Advanced Training Cell, I MEF Camp Pendleton California. Rank Master Gunnery Sergeant.
• Provost Marshal, Camp Dwyer Afghanistan. Rank Master Gunnery Sergeant.
• Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Operations Chief. Rank Master Gunnery Sergeant.
• Provost Marshal’s Office, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Training Chief. Rank Master Sergeant.
• Long Beach Police Department, Patrol Sergeant.
• Provost Marshal’s Office, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Watch Commander.
• Long Beach Police Department, Academy Staff.
• Long Beach Police Department, Field Training Officer. 

Dr. Burrack has worked in the education field for over 40 years. She has served as a secondary English teacher, a secondary principal, a university professor for teacher education students, and a university administrator primarily working with academic assessment. Her passion is ensuring students are provided with the necessary tools to be successful in their personal and professional lives.  

Joni's professional career has been focused on the work of clinical psychology and teaching. For 20 years, she was a full-time tenured professor and chairperson at Union College (now Union Commonwealth University). During that time, she also worked at the campus clinic as a Coordinator of Counseling and at the local mental health clinic as a therapist. In 2010, she entered Spalding University to complete my clinical licensure training, and in the same year began working with Waldorf University as an adjunct professor. In 2012, she was elected President of the Kentucky Psychological Association and has served on the KPA Ethics Committee since 2007. In 2015, she was licensed as a clinical psychologist and currently holds that license both in Kentucky and in Texas. She provides both psychotherapy and clinical evaluations. Since the pandemic, her clinical practice has been primarily online, which allows her to work with individuals from both states. She most enjoys staying abreast of academic psychology in her adjunct teaching, which informs and is informed by her clinical practice.

Tyrone Carter earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Degree from Capella University and a Master of Philosophy in Criminal Justice from Walden University. He has a Ph.D. in Public Administration Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Online Higher Education from Walden University. He also has over 25 years of experience in criminal justice, working with individuals of all ages in various stages of the criminal justice process. His field experience and ability to establish rapport with students have proven to be an effective tool to support students in grasping and applying the course content.

Dr. Chambers teaches ENG 1010 English Composition I and ENG 1020 English Composition II for Waldorf University as an Adjunct Professor. She currently lives in McKenzie, Tenn. where she also teach English classes for Bethel University. She teaches English composition classes for Bethel as well as ENG 312 American Literature II and ENG 442 English Literature from 1700-1830.

As an Instructional Designer at Waldorf University, Joey is passionate about creating engaging learning experiences that support students' success. He works closely with faculty to ensure that our learning materials, such as exams, lecture materials, and assignments, are carefully aligned with course outcomes, helping students achieve their academic goals.

With a background in curriculum development and a Bachelor of Arts in English Linguistics, Joey brings both practical experience and a love for teaching to his role. He also holds certifications in corporate training, teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) specializing in business English and teaching young learners, and a postgraduate certificate in digital and collaborative learning and teaching, which allow him to support a diverse range of learners in academic and professional settings.

Joey is always excited to collaborate with colleagues and students to create meaningful, effective learning environments!

Gary is currently a professor of cell and molecular biology and chair of Waldorf University's Biology department. He teaches General Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Microbiology, Cell and molecular Biology, and Developmental Biology, in addition to mentoring research literature discussions and student research. He also facilitates student applications for summer research opportunities in NSF-funded REU programs and university-funded SURF programs around the country. His research career includes publishing 27 research papers, a review, and two book chapters.

Research:

• Use of peptide substrate kinetics and substrate phage display to characterize the active site specificities of tissue and urokinase type plasminogen activators and prostate specific antigen.
• Expression of a family of endothelial cell displayed serine proteases potentially involved in tumor metastasis, and discovery of lead inhibitors.
• Development of a high throughput screen for modulators of Wnt signaling that led to the discovery of multiple pathway stimulators and inhibitors, including an inhibitor of the enzyme porcupine that is the first small molecule drug candidate developed in Singapore to enter clinical trials.
• Studies of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy using fruit flies as a genetic model organism.
• A selection that identified bacteria strains that thrive in toxic levels of ammonia and strongly assimilate ammonia followed by whole genome sequencing of 2 discovered strains.
• Expression of candidate drug target enzymes from Naegleria fowleri (brain-eating amoeba) and kinetic characterization of their activities.

Dr. Bari Courts has been teaching online for about 21 years, covering topics such as economics, finance, management, organizational behavior, and statistics. His professional background includes some time in the insurance industry as well as some time with an ERP implementation software consulting firm. And just for fun, he owns a small storage business just outside of Cincinnati where he lives. 

Professionally, he's on a couple of different non-profit boards and is a frequent guest speaker at events. He most recently returned from Africa where he spent twelve days at a West African Leadership Summit. He also writes articles on such things as leadership in social media. His most recently published article is entitled The Influence of Social Media on 21st Century Leaders. 

At home, he has a somewhat unique life. He and his wife have six kids. His two older kids are out of the house, but his four smaller kids have been adopted; the two older ones from Russia and the two younger boys from the Democratic Republic of Congo. So, he has a very diverse family. 

In his free time, he enjoys getting outside and playing some soccer. He's also an avid singer, sing barbershop quartet and barbershop chorus music all the time.

Hayli May Cox holds a Ph.D. in Creative Writing (prose emphasis) with a graduate minor in Women's and Gender Studies from The University of Missouri. Throughout her career, she has received several awards and honors for her teaching in both creative writing and composition. Her creative work has been widely published online and in print and has won or been nominated for numerous awards. In addition to her writing and research, she serves as a Nonfiction Editor at Doubleback Review and as an Editorial and Publicity Assistant at Persea Books.

​A Michigander by birth, Hayli paints, builds with Lego, critters, watches, and hikes around with a backpack full of field guides in her free time.

Ashley Derrington specializes in marketing and graphic design and received her master's degree in Integrated Marketing Communication from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In her free time, she loves seeing family and friends, art, photography, and spending time in nature.

Mary Eggebraaten is an adjunct professor in the English department at Waldorf University, Forest City, Iowa. She joined the department in August 2008. She has taught or is teaching classes include English Composition I: College Reading and Writing, English Composition II: Rhetoric and Argument, English: Introduction to Literature, Communications: Editing, and Humanities: Freshman Seminar. She has also taught English as a Second Language for a private company, Home Language International. She has a great love of vocabulary and writing, both in fictional and non-fictional settings. In the writing field, she has been employed, besides teaching, as a juvenile probation officer, writing investigatory reports, and recently, writing and editing for Lutheran Hour Ministries THRED. She and her husband successfully owned and operated two businesses, one in California and one in Iowa. With her teaching and business background, Professor Eggebraaten sees the importance of good writing skills in all fields of endeavor, especially in this technological age where more and more communication is in the form of writing. She is a member of The Society of Professors in Christian Education (SPCE), Christian English Language Educators (CELEA), and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Fraternity.

Professor Eggebraaten received a Bachelor of Arts in English from South Dakota State University and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Columbia Southern University. She enjoys hunting for special antique clocks, arranging flowers, quilting, and, of course, reading. Over the years, she has hosted and taught 37 international students from all over the world in her home.

Dr. Melanie Harms Espeland is an Associate Professor of Education with teaching responsibilities primarily in preparing preservice special educators. Courses taught by Dr. E include Educational Psychology, Exceptional Learners, Assessment in Special Education, Methods & Materials in Special Education, Behavior & Social Interactions in Special Education, as well as Child, Family, & Community Relations. Along with the education courses, she can be found teaching Critical Thinking, Introduction to Music Therapy, and Functional Guitar. 

Dr. (Harms) Espeland was the Director of Music Therapy/Associate Professor of Music at Wartburg College for nine years before joining Waldorf University as the Department Chair in Music in 2019. She brings experiences from Los Angeles, the Bronx, Florida, Kansas and Missouri to the classroom. She returned to her hometown of Forest City to raise a family with husband, Todd Espeland, daughters Madysen and McKenna, and son, Easton. She is now a proud grandmother of Scarlett and more to come.

Dr. Falck-Yi divides her time between leading Honors courses, overseeing senior thesis projects, and teaching English major courses in literature. She also teaches in the First-Year Composition program. She began her academic career by publishing a critical edition of Thomas Hardy's 1874 British novel "Far from the Madding Crowd," and she is currently editing another Hardy novel, "Two on a Tower."

Dr. Flores has held management and leadership positions in major companies, including Shell Oil Company, Prudential, and USAA. At USAA, he managed the $11.5 million budget for the IT department. He has extensive experience developing and teaching courses for organizations in Project Management, Human Resources, Agile Scrum, and Information Technology. Dr. Flores founded a global IT enterprise that operates in India, Costa Rica, and the United States. He has achieved the ITIL Expert® credential, and he has earned the following Project Management and Agile credentials: PMP®, CAPM®, PMI-ACP®, PMI-SP®, PMI-PBA®, PMI-PfMP®, PMI-RMP®, CSM®, CSPO®, CSP®, and Advanced-CSM® and -CSPO®. Dr. Flores has written several books, including How to Become a Proficient Online Learner. He has earned two doctorates and seven master’s degrees. Dr. Flores has taught corporate training classes since 2008, and his clients include the City of San Antonio, the U.S. Air Force, Rackspace, and the Veteran’s Administration.

Ericka Forsberg has served as Adjunct Faculty of Vocal Studies at Waldorf University since 2018, teaching applied voice, diction, and vocal literature. In addition to her time at Waldorf, she has taught voice lessons in the Twin Cities area, both through her private studio and the Academy of Music at the University of Northwestern and as a voice faculty member at Crown College.

Ericka studied voice with Carol Eikum at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, where she received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. After her undergraduate education, she received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at DePaul University, studying with Susanne Mentzer. As a graduate student, Ericka performed with DePaul Opera Theatre where she played the title role in Bizet's Carmen, The Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas, and Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo. Other roles have included Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, and L'ecureuil in L'enfant et les sortileges.
During her time in Minnesota, Ericka served as a cantor for Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Edina, performed with The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, the Rochester Aria Group, and with Minnesota Opera in their productions of La donna del lago, Lakme, and The Fortunes of King Croessus.

Mike’s responsibilities include the overall coordination of accreditation, program evaluation and assessment, faculty development, and institution-wide programs for strategic planning. He started at Waldorf University in 2013 as a Health Promotion and Exercise Science program faculty member. During that time, he was a tenured, associate professor and served as the department chair, division chair of the social sciences, and faculty chair. He taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the content areas of exercise and health sciences, physical education, health promotion, health education, philosophy, educational leadership, teacher leadership, and organizational leadership.

Honors

• 2020 - Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) of the Year - NAIA - North Star Athletic Association
• 2019 - Holmen Professional Excellence Award - Waldorf University
• 2016 - Professor of the Year, Alpha Chi National Honor Society - Waldorf University

With over twenty-five (25) years in law enforcement, seventeen (17) years in academia, and nearly a decade in senior security management, Dr. Gauthier has built a dynamic and diverse career centered on service, leadership, and continuous learning.

Throughout his journey, Dr. Gauthier has worn many hats: senior security manager, criminal investigator, detective, field training officer, and tactical unit leader. He's also been privileged to work in special operations, ensuring the safety of staff, victims, witnesses, and informants. Each role has deepened his understanding of security and leadership while sharpening my ability to manage risk and inspire teams.

Dr. Gauthier has shown his passion for criminal justice, homeland security, strategic security, and leadership as an academic program director, professor, mentor, and curriculum developer. Beyond teaching, he's served as an assistant dean of student services, alumni president, honor society president, and accreditation assessor while contributing to leadership and advisory committees that shape the future of education.

At the heart of everything Dr. Gauthier does is a dedication to developing others, solving complex challenges, and making a lasting impact in the fields he's passionate about.

Brenda began her teaching career teaching middle school science. It was a variety of physical science and biological sciences. During this time, she gained a lot of knowledge in cross-curricular activities for students and worked with the four core disciplines of Reading, Language Arts, Math, and Science. From there, she moved to a high school position where she taught Biology, Anatomy/Physiology and Advanced Biology (College Credit Course). Beyond teaching, she has also been in school administration for 14 years as an assistant principal, curriculum director, and head middle school principal. She supervised a staff of over 70 people and worked together as a team with them to build a culture of respect and responsibility in our students. For the last few years, she has been back in the classroom as the teacher for an alternative school where students work on courses online and finish their high school diploma. Working with these At-Risk students has been a tremendous pleasure!  Seeing them work through adversity and being able to guide them in their lives has been a very rewarding experience.

Brenda's job at Waldorf happened by chance. She ran into a former mentor and mentioned that she would be interested in teaching at the college level. From there, everything fell into place as an online faculty member! She enjoys helping adults of any age grow and work towards their personal goals.

In her free time, Brenda enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and reading. In the summers, when she has extra time, you can usually find her exploring new places around the United States. She loves an adventure and seeing new places. She also enjoys reading thrillers and mystery novels. You can usually find her reading a book if she is not traveling.

Dr. Gilliard  has over 30 years’ experience as a Project Manager and Consultant and over 22 years’ experience in Online Teaching and Instructional Design at both the graduate and undergraduate level. 

A sampling of her experience includes the following:

• Over 30 years Leadership and Organizational Development experience
• Management and Business Consulting
• Strategic Planning
• Leadership Coaching
• Faculty Mentoring

Angela is an influential human resource leader with 25+ years of progressive results. She is an experienced adjunct faculty member with over 20 years of experience. 

Awards:

• Columbia Southern University, Innovative Educator Award, College of Business and Technology, August 2024
• Columbia Southern University, Teaching Excellence Award, College of Business, August 2023
• Columbus Business First, People to Know in Employment and Human Resources, November 2016
• Columbus Business First, Top 40 Under Forty Honoree, May 2013
  NCJW, 2013 Emerging Leader Award Recipient, April 2013
• Columbia Southern University, Faculty Service Award, January 2012

• Special Ops Combat Marine Corps Veteran with the Combined Action Program (CAP).
• Served with CAP 1-2-4 1968-1969
• Writing & Publication of CAP MOT UNT Press 1997
• Parker County Sheriff's Office Deputy 1989-2006 Patrol, Patrol Sergeant, Civil Process
• Officer, Public Relations Officer, CID Sergeant, Special Investigator (Cult Crimes), Second in Command of CID, Crimes Against Children Task Force Investigator, Received Sheriff's Commendation Award for Outstanding Service and numerous Officer of the Year awards.
• Writing and publication of COUNTRY COP UNT Press 2020
• Service as Central Region Commander ANCOP Program Afghanistan 2006-2008
• Service as Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) Administrative Trainer 2019 to the present.

David Greder has been an online and residential faculty member at Waldorf University since 2016. He enjoys teaching biblical studies, critical thinking, world religions, and philosophy. David also teaches a number of upper-level courses on topics ranging from the problem of evil, the history of modern Christianity, death & the afterlife, and existentialism. His primary research interests are in modern European intellectual history, with special focus on Britain and Ireland during the early modern period from 1600 to 1800. David’s primary philosophical interests are in logic, metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophical theology, and metaphilosophy.

Cody has a Corgi named Boomer, enjoys traveling, and is planning to get my master's degree.

Jordana Hall is the English Department Chair and an Associate Professor of Young Adult Literature and Technical Writing. She teaches courses in composition, literature, and rhetoric. She has publications on the study of children's literature in academic journals such as The Looking Glass: Perspectives on Children's Literature, Children's Literature in Education, and The Journal of Children's Literature Studies. She is also a free-lance writer of literature guides for Super Summary, writing guides on contemporary and classic works of literature for use in educational settings. Jordana is married to Mark Stellpflug and has six children. They attend Mass at Saint Casimir's Catholic Church in Wells, Minn.

Daisy has served as Vice President for Finance and Administration in higher education for the past 25 years.  She has also served the Higher Learning Commission as a peer reviewer for the last 10 years and recently being appointed to the Institutional Action Council (IAC) has honed her understanding of the complexities of higher education. She currently serves on various boards, internal and external, in higher education, which has broadened her knowledge of finance and team building and she shared some of those experiences when speaking at NACUBO.

A (former) Member PSI CHI, National Honor Society in Psychology, Vickie has worked as a mental health therapist with various populations, served as a higher education administrator, and taught psychology for many years at colleges and universities. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, painting and being outdoors.

Danielle is 24 years old and is a financial aid counselor II in the online Financial Aid department. She has an A.A. degree from NIACC and a bachelor's in Liberal Studies from University of Northern Iowa.

• Married to Dr. Rebecca Hill (professor emeritus).
• Four service-oriented children (Carrie, Christopher, Jennifer,Stephanie)
• Eight amazing grandsons.
• Career educator (Kindergarten through Graduate School).
• Superintendent of Schools
• Principal
• Was appointed to the Governor's Board of Educational Examiners for Iowa
• Waldorf Distiquished Professor  (2015)
• Iowa's Superintendent of the Year (2005)
• Waldorf University Graduate Program

God has blessed Sarah with her husband, Kent, and their two daughters, Emma and Isabella.  They have a third daughter on the way.  

Sarah has worked at Waldorf for over seven and a half years. She started in Waldorf's Orange Beach office but now lives in Dothan and works remotely. She used to be a Records Coordinator but switched to being an Evaluator.

John T. Hope, Ph.D. is the Academic Program Director of Instructional Design and Technology at Waldorf University. In this role, John collaborates with faculty and staff across the Academic Affairs division of the university to provide students with a quality academic program.

John has over 27 years of experience in education that has contributed to the building of core competencies in curriculum development, classroom instruction, assessment, quality assurance, process improvements, leadership, public/private, and K12/Higher Education within the field.

He has been developing and implementing online instruction for public and private organizations since 2004. In 2008, John designed and initiated a nationally recognized Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) middle school program in Alabama. Since 2018, John has served on the Board of Directors at Bayshore Christian School, a classical Christian school in Fairhope, Alabama.

John writes, consults, and presents on topics related to instructional design, curriculum planning, and assessment. Over the years, both John and his students have been recognized for their accomplishments in the field. He is an active member several professional organizations and has served on advisory boards for leading industry providers.

Dr. Hubbard is from Spain where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management and a Ph.D. in Applied Economics. She also completed different master’s programs focused on Teaching Spanish as a Second Language and Literature as well as a second Ph.D. in Spanish Language. 

Regarding her teaching experience, Dr. Hubbard has taught different levels of Spanish at the college level and the State Department. Working in different institutions has allowed her to acquire extensive experience in teaching students how to learn Spanish at different proficiency levels, from beginner to intermediate and advanced.  

Following a student-centered communicative approach, she observes student-to-student interaction as well as student-instructor interaction, moving from basic communicative structured skills to the more complex. Students are continuously involved in different types of assignments, which address diverse learning styles. Additionally, she has developed a variety of activities to cover oral expression, written expression, listening comprehension and reading comprehension skills. Dr. Hubbard feels that stressing the cultural portion of a course is key to enhancing the student's learning experience, and she strives to include examples using authentic materials.

A proud art educator and instructor for 20 years, having taught every grade level, pre-K through college Regina has helped and witnessed so many achievements in her students' growth and talents, showcasing and winning numerous county, regional, and state awards and competitions, she, too, has received some notable achievements to include the Outstanding Alumna in Art Education from Columbus State University (2009-10) and her school's Teacher of the Year recognition (2019-2020).

Regina enjoys spending time with her family when not teaching, to include her loving husband, two wonderful sons, and two crazy cats!

Korey Hurni was born and raised in Lansing, Mich., and is currently an Assistant Professor of English & Creative Writing at Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and his M.F.A. from Western Michigan University. Previously he has served as a poetry editor for Cream City Review and Third Coast. His work has appeared in West Branch, RHINO, Quarterly West, and elsewhere.

Chief Joos began his fire service career in 1985, having worked both as a career and part/on-call firefighter/training officer/EMT for three different agencies in Utah and Louisiana. In addition to working in the fire service Chief Joos has been involved in state training and certification programs for the Utah Fire Academy (1995-2007), in Louisiana at the Fire & Emergency Training Institute / LSU (2007-2014) and currently with SFM – Nebraska Training Division (2014 - present).

Chief Joos is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) from the National Fire Academy, has received status as Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designee from the Center of Public Safety Excellence was awarded recognition as a “Fellow” with the Institute of Fire Engineers US Branch (FIFireE) and is an Executive Green Belt – Lean/Six Sigma. Certified Fire Protection Specialist from the National Fire Protection Association.

Chief Joos holds a Master’s of Science from Grand Canyon University in Executive Fire Service Leadership; a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management with a minor in Fire Science from Utah Valley University.

Chief Joos is co-author for the Fire Service Instructor Principles and Practices published by Jones and Bartlett. He has also assisted with several course development projects for publishers and several universities.

Michelle has been teaching in higher education since 1999 and online in higher education since 2006. Her published works include her 2009 dissertation as well as peer-reviewed journal articles. Most recently, “Technology Initiatives Derailed in U.S. Early Education Schools: Should Leadership Redesign the Organizational Blueprint?" was published in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy. The article was about the importance of aligning project management with technology development in school systems. Her professional experience began in the year 2000, teaching at a community college in Massachusetts and subsequently teaching online with both the University of Phoenix and in Massachusetts in 2006. She also teaches graduate and postgraduate courses at Columbia Southern University in the MSL and DBA College of Business programs.  

Michelle is involved professionally in various aspects of business and education, including serving as a reviewer for the Academy of Management Journal for the 2006 annual meeting. She received a Course of Distinction Award from Massachusetts Colleges Online (MCO) for an online course, served as a college department accreditation committee member and as a member of the Association of Leadership Education (ALE). She has presented research-based studies and strategies at various conferences from coast to coast. Most recently, she co-presented with the vice president and co-owner of Columbia Southern University, Chantell Cooley, in San Antonio, Texas.  

Jonathan teaches all of the world history surveys (Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Contemporary) as well as several upper-level history courses, including Church History, the Roman Republic & Empire, Anglo-Saxons & Vikings, Magic, Monsters & Heroes of the Middle Ages, the Middle East, History of Science, History of Warfare, and the World Wars.  With a background in history and physics, he enjoys merging the two by exploring patterns and connections over time, historical causation, and the intersections of technology, science, religion, philosophy, government, warfare, and economics within history. He focuses on developing analytical and communication skills while using the details to explore larger questions in history and study human nature. In classes, he typically utilizes several approaches, including lectures, discussions, debates, and hands-on recreation; you may learn how to duel with a longsword, form a Greek phalanx or Viking shield wall, participate in a witch trial, take on an opponent in a joust, or lead a raid to loot and pillage other classes.  In 2022, Jonathan received the Board of Trustees Outstanding Faculty Award.

At Waldorf, Jonathan has filled several roles including chair of the division of Humanities, chair of the Faculty Senate, Faculty Chair, and even professor of Physics on a rare occasion. He helps lead the History Club and The Bridge Campus Ministry program. His academic interests are broad but tend to focus on medieval Europe and the history of science in the ancient and medieval world. He applies mathematical models to explain outcomes and long-term patterns in history and studies the translation and transmission of knowledge, particularly in the medieval world, through various mediums, including literature, textbooks, and instrument manuals.  

Outside of school, Jonathan enjoys building things, particularly woodworking, which he often incorporates into his classes by building demonstrations or replica swords and shields.  He also makes medieval armor, which frequently appears in class. He enjoys sports, playing ice hockey and coaching soccer and flag football for his kids' teams. He also enjoy playing guitar and talking music, reading, hiking/camping, and lightsaber duels with his kids.

Higher Education Faculty, Administrator, Consultant, Researcher, School Leader, Mentor, Project Manager ( board, member, volunteer, childhood specialist, policy writing).

Certifications:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
• Forensic CPA (FCPA)
• Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)

Research Areas:

• Internal Auditing
• Technical Aspects of Current Financial Accounting Pronouncements
• Accounting and Business Education
• Information Technology (IT) Research
• Ethics and Corporate Governance  

Kristin Manning is a married mother of four from the Alabama Gulf Coast. She enjoys music and art festivals, game night with family and friends, and travelling. She started at Waldorf in September of 2024 and was awarded Employee of the Month and Positive Warrior in November of 2024. She loves getting to know people and being a beacon of light in the lives of others.

Kevin Mason, Ph.D., is a rural and environmental historian of the American Midwest. An Associate Professor of History at Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa, Mason chairs the Department of History, Geography, and Political Science. He brings past experiences with service with organizations, including Humanities Iowa, the State Historical Society of Iowa, Preservation Iowa, the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Wright on the Park, the Winnebago Historical Society, and the Forest City Historic Preservation Commission. An author of various articles and a forthcoming book on Iowa’s environmental history, Mason also founded the public-facing digital humanities project “Notes on Iowa” to better connect Iowans with their shared history.

Tammy has worked for Waldorf University's Online Registrar's Department for over 9 years and has worked in higher education for over 17 years.

Prof. Meade has taught and developed over 22 different courses on all major Distance Learning platforms (Blackboard, ANGEL, Desire to Learn etc) for approximately 15 years. His courses contain multi-media, numerous external links, are voice-enabled so that active discussions in real-time (no typing) can be had in each learning module, use Video Conferencing with a free download where students can see and hear each other, even if they have to dial-up and no Web Cam. Prof. Meade’s courses are interactive between the student and the content, the student and his or her classmates and the student and himself! Prof. Meade's have been reviewed by Quality Matters as meeting 100% of their high standards!

Dr. Karyn Melligan has more than 20 years of experience in Emergency Management, beginning her career as a wildland firefighter with the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection. As a consultant, she has specialized in assisting clients in obtaining Federal Emergency Management and Homeland Security grants and evaluating emergency operations plans. Additionally, Dr. Melligan is a subject matter expert with the Homeland Defense & Security Information Analysis Center.

Hannah Meyer graduated Waldorf University in May of 2024 before returning to the Waldorf campus as the Content Specialist in January of 2025. In her time as a student, Hannah was closely involved with film and creative writing. "Lightbulb," a short film directed by Hannah, was accepted into multiple film festivals and won Best Local Film at the Iowa Independent Film Festival in September 2023. Within her writing career, Hannah was awarded the Top of Iowa High School Writing Contest winner by Waldorf before attending in the Fall of 2020. Following her presentations at the Alpha Chi National Convention in 2023 and 2024, Hannah was also awarded the Thelma Hall Prize in Creative Writing both years.
Hannah currently serves on the board of the Iowa Independent Film Festival. In her free time, Hannah can be seen writing, playing games, and working with color guard for both the Algona School District and the Colt Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps.

In addition to obtaining her M.A. in Criminal Justice, Kristie has worked in the criminal justice field for over 25 years. She started with Juvenile Probation, then local probation, State Probation and finally, Federal Probation. She has worked for the Federal Probation Office for over 16 years and has a wealth of knowledge of many areas of the probation and criminal justice field.  

Stacy Nelson resides in Clear Lake with her husband, Tony. Together, they have six children.

Stacy held numerous roles in education before coming to Waldorf including title reading, first grade, fifth grade special education, behavior coach, adjunct professor at Upper Iowa University, and Special Education Consultant at Central Rivers AEA which included being an IEP Trainer, an AEA mediator, and being on the Crisis Response Team. 

In addition to working at Waldorf, Stacy also owns a pet store (Paws at the Lake) in Clear Lake and assists Morningside University as a student teaching supervisor.

As a professor and mentor, Prof. Newcom is dedicated to teaching his students practical skills needed to excel in fields related to digital media, including experiences using the latest technologies. In each of the classes he teaches, Prof. Newcom provides students with opportunities to produce portfolio projects that may be used by clients in a “real world” setting, while they gain skills that can be applied in future careers. Like his departmental colleagues, he began teaching after a rewarding career in communications and continues to actively produce.

Prof. Newcom’s work in the field of video production began in 1989 after receiving his master of arts in communication from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. As a producer for Younkers Video Production Network (YVPN) in Des Moines, he created monthly news programs designed to train sales associates and keep them informed about company policies and directives. While in Des Moines, he also worked as a free-lance videographer for the Principal Financial Group, American Allied, Farm Bureau, Iowa Public Television (IPTV), Busby Productions, and ITC (ScreenScape).

In 1992 and 1993, Prof. Newcom taught video production courses at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, before joining the faculty of Waldorf College in the fall of 1993. As associate professor in communications and director of video production, he teaches courses related to radio, television, web design and social media and serves as advisor of KZOW-FM (the campus‚ 100-watt radio station).

In addition to being honored as Professor of the Year by the Waldorf College Board of Regents, Mark was presented with the college’s Holman Award for Professional Excellence in 2001 and Community Service in 2018. His spare time is spent building audio systems that shake the walls, watching movies with his son Stross, attending performances of Skye's in "The Cities" and singing with his wife Joy.

Dana Norman-Brown has been married to my wonderful husband for 20 years. They have four sons, one daughter, and one grandson. She has accomplished one of her goals, which is to obtain a master's degree.  

Mary O’Connell serves as Director of Instrumental Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Waldorf University, where she conducts the Waldorf University Wind Symphony and the Jazz Ensemble, is the low brass studio instructor, and teaches courses in conducting and instrumental methods.

Prior to her appointment at Waldorf, Ms. O’Connell conducted various concert and athletic ensembles during her studies at the University of Northern Iowa, including the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, the Panther Marching Band, and the UNI Pep Bands. She has teaching experience in the Iowa public school system, instructing middle and high school concert bands and jazz bands, as well as music theory and appreciation courses.

An active member of the instrumental music community, Ms. O’Connell participates in many professional organizations, including the Iowa Bandmasters Association, the National Association for Music Educators, Jazz Educators of Iowa, and the International Tuba and Euphonium Association. She has been honored with a membership in Pi Kappa Lambda National Honor Society for Music, and a lifetime honorary membership in Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority for “outstanding ability, accomplishment, and devotion”.

Ms. O’Connell holds degrees from the University of Northern Iowa (M.M., Wind Conducting) and Wartburg College (B.M.E., Secondary Instrumental Music Education). She has studied with conductors Danny Galyen, Justin Mertz, Paula Crider, Craig Hancock, and Scott Muntefering. An active performer on euphonium and trombone, she holds positions with the Karl King Municipal Band, Waterloo Municipal Band, and the Cedar Falls Municipal Band; and has performed with the University of Northern Iowa Wind Ensemble, University of Northern Iowa Jazz Band III, the Wartburg College Wind Ensemble, and the Wartburg College Knightliters Jazz Band.

Tony is a child of God, a husband, father, and grandfather. From his back deck, he enjoys a stunning view of Pike's Peak. Throughout his 30-year career in the retail industry, he held various leadership roles at both store and corporate levels.

Tiffany Olson is a Professor of Communications at Waldorf University with more than 20+ years of experience in graphic design, brand development, and web design.

Olson’s love for art and design began at a young age, and as a professional, that passion carried into the workplace. After graduating with a B.A. from Waldorf (College) University, Olson worked as a graphic designer for a technology and design firm in North Mankato, Minn. While there, she received three national awards for her work: The Communicator Crystal Award of Excellence and a Silver Omni Intermedia Award for character development used in an animation and The Communicator Award for a promotional brochure.

Later, Olson went on to pursue a career in teaching graphic design. She earned her MFA in Graphic Design from Iowa State University. While completing her thesis, she was hired by Waldorf University.

Olson continues to stay active in the freelance world and also competes in graphic design competitions. A notable recognition was being named one of the top five finalists in the 2018 Jordan Wine Bottle Poster Contest: Bring the Le Tour de Melchior to Life.

Melissa is an Instructor of Music, Keyboard Coordinator, and Waldorf Community Artist Series Coordinator. As an Instructor of Music, she teaches applied piano lessons, group piano classes, Aural Skills, and other piano courses. Additionally, she works as a Collaborative Pianist for the Waldorf University Choir, Schola Cantorum, recitals, and vocal lessons.  As Waldorf Community Artist Series Coordinator, she oversees the planning and implementation of each WCAS season.

Prior to her work at Waldorf University, Melissa taught the comprehensive Yamaha Music Education method at Children’s Yamaha Music School in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. She also became a certified Yamaha Music Education Specialist and was invited to teach training seminars held at the Yamaha Corporation in California and her local area. She also contributed articles for Yamaha publications, providing teaching help and insights for all Yamaha teachers throughout the United States.

Throughout her teaching career, Melissa has maintained her piano studio, teaching piano students of all ages. Her students participate in area festivals, recitals, district and state competitions. She is an active member of the Music Teachers National Association and the Iowa Music Teachers Association, serving as the State Collegiate Chapter chairperson and on the State Repertoire Committee. She is also the coordinator for the local IMTA piano festival held at Waldorf University each January. Additionally, Melissa began the first MTNA Collegiate Chapter at Waldorf, where student members benefitted from educational programming to further their future music vocations.

Melissa holds a Master of Education degree from Waldorf University and a Bachelor of Music Education degree with piano emphasis from Wartburg College. During her undergraduate studies, she was privileged to serve as the principal accompanist for the choir and accompanied many colleagues for their degree recitals.

After working in juvenile psychiatric corrections and then in adult case management and teaching at Ball State University, Pickett spent seven years on the residential campus in Forest City, Iowa. She served as Department Chair on campus, as well as the Online Program Director and worked to update and make changes to the curriculum in both modalities. Since leaving residential in 2021, she has worked as the Online Program Director for Criminal Justice, leading course development and teaching online as an adjunct. 

Her special interest and focus areas are juvenile justice, mental health, serial killers and cults, as well as criminology and victimology.

Leana Polston-Murdoch, Ph.D. is a seasoned professional in marketing and communications, website design and development, learning and development, and organizational development consulting. She has also dedicated nearly a decade in education as a course facilitator. Leana is a proud veteran of the United States Navy.

Leana holds two master’s degrees, one in business administration and the other in public administration. She earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership in 2015 with the School of Business & Leadership from Regent University.

Leana is an avid daily runner and enjoys reading and spending time with her family and her collection of German Shepherds who are great running partners.

Kerry Poole is a retired U.S. Air Force officer with various roles in operations management, logistics planning, and the U.S. Central Command Staff. As a member of the Headquarters U.S. Central Command joint staff, he served as an international programs manager for countries in the Middle East and Central Asia. He participated in both Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Following his military service, he served as a history teacher and department chair at Hillsborough County Schools, Fla. He taught Advanced Placement courses in social studies and participated in numerous high school and district academic support teams. He has also served as an instructor at the University of South Florida College of Education, where he taught teacher education courses and supervised practicum student teachers. He joined the Waldorf faculty in July 2017 and teaches courses in the Organizational Leadership Department.

Originally from South Carolina, Ashlyn came here in August of 2024, started out in the Academic Achievement Center then moved to Admissions a few months later.

A Wells, Minn. Native, Waldorf University is the fifth university Ramaker has been part of within a student development role. Other employment opportunities included service at UW-River Falls, University of Northern Arizona (Flagstaff), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.) and Viterbo University (LaCrosse, Wis.) while employed in leadership roles in Residence Life and Student Affairs.

Accomplishments

Specialized leadership and management in residence life & student housing, student activities, student conduct, security and parking, Title IX, new student orientation, health and counseling services. Supportive leadership in international student services, campus ministry & community service, and intramural sport/recreation.

• Waldorf University Holman Professional Excellence Award-2010
• Governor's Service Award Recipient (Kim Reynolds, Iowa)-2019
• Coordinator & Developer of Waldorf University Esports program-2019
• Coordinator & Developer of Waldorf Warrior Cup/WinterFest Traditions 2007
• Coordinator & Developer of Waldorf University Student Leadership Recognition Program
• S.E.A.L. Awards (Students Excelling in Activities & Leadership) 2007

Prof. Rasmussen was raised in rural, north-central Iowa. From a young age, she was intrigued by science, particularly the world of water. She attended Texas A&M University at Galveston and received a B.S. in Marine Biology. She graduated with a M.S. in Fisheries Biology from Iowa State University. Her thesis research focused on aquatic vegetation’s role in Iowa Lakes. During graduate school, she spent two years traveling the state collecting and analyzing macrophytes, juvenile centrarchids, and water chemistry samples. In addition to teaching college-level courses, she is a middle school STEM educator and Instructional Coach. Prof. Rasmussen has spent over a decade in the classroom and online sharing her enthusiasm of science to the future scientists of the world. In her free time she enjoys bicycling, gardening, reading a good book, dabbling in technology, and spending time with family and friends. When the opportunity arises, she likes traveling, especially to warm coastal waters.

Ernest Reineke is currently in his 36th year of teaching choral music and his 24th year in the Mason City, Iowa Community Schools. At Lincoln Intermediate School, Ernest is in charge of twenty sections of general music and directs four fifth-grade choirs and two sixth-grade choirs, involving 375 choral students.

Ernest has served the Iowa Choral Directors Association in many capacities. He has been a piano accompanist since 1993. He was a co-creator of the North Central Iowa 7-12 Choral Festival, established the 5-6 North Central Iowa Honor Choir Festival and served on the executive board as a North Central District Representative. Not only was he the 2015, 5th and 6th Grade Iowa Opus Honor Choir Director, but he has also conducted area district honor choirs. He has been featured in the “Sounding Board,” the official publication of the Iowa Choral Directors Association; “Rhythms,” the official publication of the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa; “Seasons by the Lake,” the official publication of the Ingham-Okoboji Lutheran Ministries, Okoboji, Iowa; and “The Classic,” the official alumni magazine of Northwestern College. He has also published two local history books and several family history books. In 2024, Ernest was recognized by the Iowa Choral Directors Association as the North Central Iowa award recipient through their honors initiative.

His students have performed in the Iowa All-State Choir, Iowa Opus Honor Choir, and the Iowa State Capitol. As a middle school teacher, his choir was one of two selected to perform at the three-state Middle-Level Educators Convention held in Ames, Iowa. His church choir and his select Lincoln Singers Choir performed at the Iowa Choral Directors Association Summer Symposium. His students sang at the Minnesota Music Educators Winter Convention in February 2025. He also supervises student teachers from Wartburg College, Luther College, Waldorf University, the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University.

Missy earned a bachelor's degree in athletic training from a small college in Iowa and continued her studies in the exercise and medicine discipline, earning a master's degree while also working full-time as an athletic trainer. While she loved her time serving the athletic population, she also missed the classroom and her love of learning! She went back to earn her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in teaching and learning. She now gets to impart her joy of learning to students each semester. She enjoys teaching a variety of classes at Waldorf both residentially and online.

Missy joined Waldorf University in 2007. She was excited to return to the state of Iowa and to help grow and advance the university and the Wellness Department, which is now the Health Promotion and Exercise Science Department. She’s had fun watching so many different students thrive at our university and then go on to be leaders in their communities.

Missy has a passion for outdoor adventures and pushing personal limits. A few of her experiences include hiking the Grand Canyon from rim to rim, completing a full Ironman triathlon, running a 100-mile ultramarathon, participating in multiple RAGBRAI cycling events...and raising two sons. In addition, she enjoys trail running, backpacking, kayaking, and reading.

Wes Riddle is the Dean for Online Programs at Waldorf University and an adjunct
professor with over 20 years of leadership development, teaching, and higher education
experience. Wes has been with Waldorf University in an administrative faculty position since 2014 and serves on a variety of institutional committees. He started his career at the University of Georgia where he received his Master of Education degree and advised multiple student organizations before being asked to teach at Kennesaw State University (KSU) in 2005. Wes taught at KSU until 2011, almost exclusively in the Leadership Studies Program, before being deployed to Afghanistan with U.S. Special Operations Command in 2012. Upon his return, Wes joined Columbia Southern Education Group as a course developer and returned to teaching in an adjunct status with KSU’s Leadership Studies Program, transitioning to his position as Waldorf’s then-Director of Online Learning in 2014.

Concurrent with his civilian education background, Wes is a Military Intelligence officer in the Georgia Army National Guard. His military record includes time as a Human Intelligence Platoon Leader, Multifunction Team Leader, Company Executive Officer, Company Commander of a multi-intelligence tactical collection company, a Battalion Operations Officer of an expeditionary military intelligence battalion, an Instructor at the National Intelligence University, a brigade intelligence officer, and a battalion commander.
While deployed in 2012, he served as Task Force East Team Lead and Senior Intelligence Analyst for U.S. SOCOM in eastern Afghanistan. Wes recently completed a three-year active duty tour at the National Guard Bureau where he worked in the NG-J5 Strategy, Plans, Policy and International Affairs Division overseeing various international affairs engagements on behalf of the State Partnership Program.

Wes’s research interests focus on higher education policy and law, security cooperation, international organizations, conflict, and the application of international affairs theory. He is married to a veterinarian in the U.S. Army, and they have three young sons. In his spare time, Wes enjoys trail running, reading, riding bikes, and traveling.

Severin believes deeply in the value of liberal arts education to transform lives, following Waldorf's mission to "educate the whole person."  Severin served in advancement roles in a variety of private and public colleges and universities, and brought experience, best practice, and enthusiasm to Waldorf.

Dr. Eric Rothgery has more than 20 years of experience teaching world religions. He specializes in the religions of India (Hinduism and Islam, especially), although he also researches death, near death, mysticism, and Lutheran approaches to world religions. He has also spent several years traveling through Asia and South America, working on international university partnerships. He is currently working on book manuscripts that explore Hindu participation in Islamic healing rituals in ancient Sufi tombs in Hyderabad, India, as well as a project that explores death, near-death, and mysticism in world religions. He teaches in ways that imagine religious traditions as living, dynamic ways of life for generations of people and communities. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia, with his three sons. He enjoys camping, working with his hands—he owns his own remodeling business—and restoring his classic 1968 Chevelle muscle car.

Ann Rowley is the current Waldorf University Base Representative at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Before her work at Waldorf University, Ann coached and taught Physical Education and Health classes for three years at Ben Eielson Jr/Sr High School in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. She also served in other elementary and secondary education positions for over 12 years in four states. Before Ann's work in Education, her interests lay in strength, performance, and recovery modalities as she worked as a research assistant at the US Olympic Training Center before the Summer 2008 Beijing Olympics, served as the Graduate Coordinator of the Exercise and Sports Performance Laboratory at ETSU, and played an active role in the ETSU Sports Performance Enhancement Consortium.  

Carlos Ruiz was born and raised in Denver, Colo. and as an avid lover of all art forms, he considers himself an artist at heart. His creative work spans multiple disciplines including graphic design, photography, filmmaking, and screenwriting. In the filmmaking field, he works professionally under the pseudonym Charlie Gandez.

Carlos practically grew up on a soccer pitch, which is what led him to Waldorf College (now Waldorf University) on a soccer scholarship. There, he served as team captain for two out of his four years with Waldorf. During his tenure as a student-athlete, Carlos was honored with the award of Scholar Athlete by the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) and received the Champions of Character award.

After graduating with his Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Waldorf, Carlos moved to the greater Los Angeles area, where he worked in the telecommunications field, specifically on cellular carrier sites. He then returned to Colorado after accepting a position in the audio/visual field with the Marriott and White Lodging hotel corporations.

Upon his return to Waldorf as a professor, Carlos earned his Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting from Asbury University. During this time, he wrote his thesis, Twice as Perfect, a feature-length screenplay about a Mexican-American and soon-to-be attorney grappling with the struggles of cultural identity in the midst of an interracial relationship.

Carlos’s work has been featured all over the country. He has experienced a limited theatrical release of his first feature film, Rise of the Sea Urchins, which he co-directed. The film was later distributed through Amazon Video. Some of his other work has also been featured on Iowa PBS. His screenplay work has been featured in many film festivals throughout the country, including the notable Hollyshorts Film Festival and Atlanta Film Festival, both of which are Academy Award (Oscar) qualifying film festivals.

Carlos currently serves as President of the Iowa Independent Film Festival, a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Mason City and Clear Lake, Iowa. The festival has hosted filmmakers and films by Adan Canto, Pearl Gluck, Christine Toy Johnson, Chris White and Martin Gooch.

Carlos teaches both online and residentially at Waldorf, where his courses focus on graphic design, photography, video production and screenwriting. In addition to his primary role as a professor, he serves as the Media Specialist, responsible for the department’s technology and the university’s academic streaming.

Carlos can be found cycling, playing video games, writing, or fishing in his free time. He resides in Forest City with his wife and daughter.  

Mrs. Rutt has taught in the Forest City Community School district for the past 24 years. She teaches Middle School applied lessons to grades 6, 7, and 8 and assists in preparing All-State, Honor Band, and Solo and Ensemble students at the High School level. Mrs. Rutt also maintains a private French horn studio, teaching young children through teens.

Mrs. Rutt is an active adjudicator and clinician at regional and state contests and festivals for the Iowa High School Music Association. Mrs. Rutt is a member of the Iowa Bandmaster’s Association, the North Iowa Bandmaster’s Association and MENC/NAfME (Music Education Association).

Mrs. Rutt participated in the 2023 Iowa Ambassadors of Music Europe tour as the advisor for the French horn section in the 250-piece concert band. During the summers, she is a member of the Forest City Municipal Band the  Clear Lake Municipal Band.

Mrs. Rutt joined the Waldorf Music faculty in 2019. She can be located in room 23 of the Odvin Hagen Music Building.

Dr. Mary M. Rydesky has cultivated a career in entrepreneurship, operations, and human resources, holding a doctorate in Business Management with a research focus on Trust in the Workplace. She serves as a faculty member at both Wayland University and Waldorf University. In her private practice, she provides career management planning for job seekers and recruiters. Mary is known for her ability to facilitate distance learning and deliver non-academic training to adults, particularly those transitioning from military to civilian careers. She is dedicated to inspiring learners to ask questions and share their knowledge.

Mary has gained supervisory, management, and coaching experience honed across multiple industries. Her technical skills span IT, Human Resources, Marketing, and Knowledge Management. Her academic journey includes all-but-dissertation credits in Management of Engineering & Technology, postgraduate degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Information Science (MSLS), and a Bachelor of Arts with majors in Education, Communication Arts, and Psychology. She completed her doctorate in Business Administration/HR at Walden University, focusing her research on trust in the workplace.

As a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) leader, Mary has held various leadership roles in the Anchorage SHRM chapter, the Alaska State SHRM Council, and the regional NHRMA affiliation. She mentors professionals committed to enhancing workplace environments. Mary envisions companies that are both productive and nurturing, fostering cultures where teams can thrive.

Dr. Sarver spent 35 years in supply chain and logistics, finishing his career as a senior director of supply chain at Walmart Logistics. His wide-ranging experience includes wholesale and retail distribution, international logistics, and time spent in contract packaging and consulting. Joining Waldorf University in 2017, he developed and implemented the online Master of Business Program serving as its first Program Director and developing the residential Operations Management track. He is now the Department Chair for the residential Business program.

Dr. Christian A. I. Schlaerth graduated from the University of Miami with a Ph.D. in sociology in 2014 and currently serves as the Department Chair of Criminal Justice at Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa. He has written on subjects pertaining to service-learning, social theory, and modern labor movements, particularly in higher education. His areas of interest are theory, race, neo-liberalism, the future of higher education, and, more recently, incel cultures online. Dr. Schlaerth's work can be found in national and international journals as well as several edited books.

As a graduate of Waldorf, Theo believes it is an honor to represent the institution as Director of Engagement & Alumni Relations. Cultivating relationships with our alumni base, students, and other friends of Waldorf is the best part of his job, and he is here to help you stay connected with your Waldorf family!

With nearly 20-years of experience in higher education Advancement at four institutions, Rod strives to engage alumni & friends at Waldorf and to advance philanthropic priorities.  Outside of work, he enjoy cycling, skiing, and the Great Outdoors.

Allison is a biology instructor and lab manager. She teaches BIO 105 (Principles of Biology) and has done research on the diversity and taxonomy of Malagasy pygmy hippopotamuses and regional and stratigraphic variability of microwear on the molars of an extinct animal called Leptomeryx from Eocene-Oligocene strata of Wyoming and Nebraska.

Leslie graduated with high distinction from Liberty University in 2013 with a Masters in Human Services-Criminal Justice after receiving two bachelor's degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology. She brings over 15 years of experience working in the criminal justice field into the classroom. Leslie is also a Certified Family Law Mediator and serves as the WIOA Title I Director for the Northeast Iowa Region.

Prof. Smith serves as an Associate Pastor at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Virginia, Minn., a Pastor at Silver Lake Lutheran Church in rural Northwood, Iowa and a Pastor at Beaver Creek Lutheran Church in rural Joice, Iowa. He has also served as a supply preaching pastor to many churches in the area and taught in the Lay School of Ministry for the Western Iowa Synod over the years. His work at Waldorf began as an adjunct professor of religion and philosophy for ten years. Then, he moved to a full-time position as chair of the religion and philosophy department. At various times, he has served as campus pastor as well.  

Prof. Smith started coaching hockey for his step-daughter's teams in Albert Lea, Minn. and Mason City, Iowa. He was also charged with helping Waldorf University begin a men's hockey program and became the assistant coach for eleven years.

Dr. Spoons brings extensive academic and practical expertise to Waldorf University's Homeland Security and Emergency Management programs. With a Ph.D. in Public Administration specializing in Terrorism, Mediation, and Peace, complemented by master's degrees in Criminal Justice, Public Administration (Homeland Security concentration), and Public Health, her interdisciplinary background provides students with comprehensive insights into modern security challenges. Additionally, she holds bachelor's degrees in Russian Studies, French, German, and Broadcast Communications from Illinois State University and an Associate's degree in Fire Science.

As an active emergency management professional, Dr. Spoons serves with the local Emergency Management Agency, instructs for the American Red Cross, and contributes to several National Fire Protection Association committees, including those focused on Firefighter professional qualifications and electronic safety equipment. This hands-on experience, combined with previous experience as a Firefighter/EMT, enriches classroom instruction with practical applications of homeland security principles.

Her scholarly contributions include numerous presentations at national and international conferences on fire science, homeland security, and emergency management topics. Notably, Dr. Spoons has contributed to global disaster policy discourse through a presentation on disaster risk reduction at the United Nations, bringing international perspectives back to Waldorf's curriculum to benefit students' understanding of global security frameworks.

Her professional background also extends to journalism and public relations, offering students a multifaceted perspective on crisis communications and public information management during emergencies.

Based in the Chicago area, Dr. Spoons is an avid photographer and travel enthusiast who applies observational skills from both professional and personal experiences to enhance the learning environment for Waldorf's homeland security students.

After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s in music education, Tommy taught in the public school arena for nine years. He served in various roles in several churches for 33 years following those years. Those roles included worship, education, student ministry, executive roles, and as a senior pastor. Those years were valuable as God allowed me to gain great experience. He went on to earn a Master of Education, a Master of Divinity, and a Doctoral degree. Since then, the Lord has given me opportunities to teach religion, business, human resources, and managerial leadership at the college level for the past 24 years. He has a wife, a son who is 27 and works as an admissions supervisor at Legoland in Florida, and a daughter who works with her own video marketing company.

Master Sergeant (retired) Ron Spradling is a decorated, 20-year Air Force veteran. Born in Birmingham, Ala., and raised in St. Louis, Mo., he joined the United States Air Force in 1992. He has a structural maintenance background on fighter aircraft such as the F-16 Falcon, A-10 Warthog, F-15 Strike Eagle, and numerous others. He instructed over 2000 hours at the Aircraft Structural Maintenance Technical School at NAS Pensacola, Fla., and served multiple deployments and tours in Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Afghanistan. Since retirement, Ron has served in many leadership roles within the business community, which led to his appointment as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce. He has also demonstrated his entrepreneurial acumen by launching, developing, and successfully selling several locally and regionally owned companies. Ron resides in Biloxi, Miss., with his wife, Patty, where they enjoy boating, fishing, and all the casinos along the Gulf Coast.

Dr. Steelman has worked in healthcare for nearly 20 years and brings unique perspectives as a faculty member. He has worked in CBRN public health and comparative medicine research, as well as in patient safety and healthcare quality.

Eric's early research focused on the relationship between attitudes and perceptions and the quality of care and safety of patients. Current research focuses on the strategic planning of programs of large health organizations.

Patti Strukel taught high school social studies for more than 20 years prior to starting in the Waldorf University Education Department in the fall of 2019. She teaches a variety of courses; most of them are associated with candidates seeking a Secondary Education endorsement, but she is also the instructor in Educational Media, Introduction to Teaching, and Assessment and Goal Setting. She graduated with her Ed.D. in May of 2018, and her dissertation explored instructional practices that support student comprehension of informational text. 

Patti lives in Forest City with her husband, Joe, and has two adult sons, Grant and Carson. Among the community organizations and activities in which Pattiinvests her time are Immanuel Lutheran Church and Forest City High School girls’ basketball. Her hobbies include reading, running, and watching sports.

Kevin has enjoyed the blessing of working for Waldorf University since 2013 and received the Viking Outstanding Faculty of the Year award on two occasions. He lives close to campus so has the opportunity to work from home but also visit campus and take part in events frequently.  

An experienced nurse and healthcare leader, Deana worked in multiple leadership roles in acute care, home health, and outpatient settings (i.e., Director of Nursing, Sr. Director Human Resources, Education Director, Director Organizational Development, and others). She has 40 years of healthcare/nursing experience and has taught nursing and healthcare management courses part-time (in-person and online) for over 20 years.

Jill started at Waldorf University in October, 2017, as a FA Counselor/Reporting Specialist. In February 2024, she added the duties of the Federal & State Award Specialist.

Jill has been married to Todd for 30+ years. Their family consists of son Dalton and daughter Makenzie & her husband Dawson. They enjoy family time, traveling to new places, touring the countryside on their Harley, and playing with their two family pets.

Chaplain Jeniffer graduated from PLTS with an emphasis in Evangelism and Justice and a Stewardship Training certificate. She has the opportunity to work at the Training and Counseling Center at St. Luke's in Atlanta, Ga., where she earned her first unit in Clinical Pastoral Education. She then completed a residency of CPE with Lutheran Social Services New York Alliance and became a Missionary of Accompaniment through Young Adults in Global Missions before training to become a certified Mission Developer of the ELCA. She has been an Ordained Minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for seven years.

Prof. Maurie Tomke is an active sport industry professional who enjoys his time in the classroom with future professionals but loves the knowledge he gains and brings back from his work outside the walls of Waldorf. His experiences and knowledge greatly builds on the classroom knowledge and experiences needed to educate future industry professionals through an ever-growing and changing field of work.

Before coming to Waldorf, Prof. Tomke was the Coordinator of Athletics and Student Engagement at Ellsworth Comm. College. During his time at ECC, he was the Head Assistant Wrestling Coach for eight seasons, and two as a volunteer (29 All-Americans, 14 National Finalists, 4 National Champions), and was the Co-Head Men's & Women's Golf Coach for a season. 

Since coming to Waldorf, Prof. Tomke has made a big impact within his passion for the sport industry, specifically wrestling. He stepped into the Interim Head Men's Wrestling Coach position for the 2020-2021 academic season, where he doubled the team size in one season, when current coach, Ryan Dickison, was deployed to active duty. Also, for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons, Prof. Tomke was asked to join the Indian Hills Comm. College staff, primarily on the women's team (33 All-Americans, 11 National Finalists, 6 National Champions). In his two seasons, the IHCC Warriors won back-to-back (part of 4 consecutive) NJCAA Women's Wrestling National Championships. 

Prof. Tomke actively works throughout the year with USA Wrestling at many of their national events that are held in the Midwest. His biggest stage was being on staff with USAW during the 2022 United World Wrestling- World Cup.  Also, Prof. Tomke is the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference/District 11 Wrestling Tournament Director each year since 2017 and serves in his community on the Forest City Parks & Recreation Board.
On campus, outside of the classroom, Prof. Tomke serves as the Sport Management Department Chair and serves on the Athletics Committee, which oversees academic and procedural policies for the Waldorf Athletic Department. 

Prof. Tomke lives in Forest City with his wife, Jessica, and their three children, Charlotte, Jacob, and Augustus.

Ruth taught elementary school and middle school classes from 1973 through 2002. She was an elementary vice principal and principal from 2002 through 2012 and continued teaching in adult basic education from 2012 through 2022. She started working for Waldorf in February 2015.

Shukhrat is a researcher in the area of Analysis and Ergodic Theory.
In his educational activity, he is interested in the online Math education.

Lauren is a native of San Diego, Calif., and has also lived in Northern Virginia. Her passion for research, analysis, business, accounting, marketing, and technology has grown over many years. Throughout her career, she has achieved various academic and business goals, but has also come to appreciate that failure can be an effective teacher. Success, in her experience, comes from hard work, assertiveness, and strong communication skills. She believes in creating a clear strategy for tackling complex tasks and achieving goals. This always includes developing a roadmap with deadlines to ensure timely completion. Additionally, her work has taught her the value of flexibility—no matter how well something is planned, obstacles will arise that need to be addressed.

Austin has spent the past decade working in a variety of industries including non-profit, professional sports, and over a decade of sales and recruiting experience. He has received awards in customer service, community engagement, and outstanding volunteerism.

Renee Weeks earned her college and graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin system through distance education and online education and has been an online educator for over 17 years. Her Master of Business Administration (MBA) emphasizes human resources management. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in various business administration and management areas, including human resources management, supply chain management and information systems. Renee is a former dean of student learning, business and accounting program coordinator and student-faculty mentor with experience in curriculum development. She is a former corporate general manager in retail/service in the private sector and a former mid-level manager in the public sector. She is a subject matter expert in human resources management, information systems, strategic supply and supply chain management, earning her project management essentials certification (PMEC). She also works as a curriculum development project manager in business, accounting, human resources, and marketing.

• Over 50 publications, including 40 books
• More than 10 years as a professional musician
• Taught by a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and a Grammy award-winning jazz musician, as well as many academics with international reputations
• Arrangements and compositions for jazz and rock bands, Broadway, and film

Kristi ha taught at Waldorf University for over twelve years, and was previously a student here. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center and is a fitness Instructor at the Family YMCA in Albert Lea, Minn.

Professor Will started his career as a police cadet when he was 16.  He was promoted to reserve police officer at 18, reserve commander at 19, full-time at 20, and was hired as chief of police at 26. Professor Will was also a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician working on both fire ambulances and police ambulances until he became a chief. At the age of 33, he enlisted in the Alaska National Guard as a private and 18 months later received a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army. He served on active duty in the National Guard and the Army Reserve before an injury ended his federal military service. He went into the Oregon Military Department, where he rose to the rank of Major, with his final duties being the acting executive officer and the S3 (Operations, Planning and Training officer) for the 41st Regimental Group within the Oregon military department.

Professor Will continued his law enforcement career as a chief of police, becoming licensed or certified in five different states. During his career, he worked in areas including undercover drug enforcement, traffic enforcement, commercial motor vehicle enforcement, and as a deputy medical examiner. As a chief, he also had the additional duties as director of emergency management for several communities. He served as the chair of the Southern Southeast Alaska local emergency planning committee and served a term on the Alaska State Emergency Response Commission. He became a FEMA Type 3 incident commander and worked in all types of disasters during his career from the ashfall of Mount St. Helens, floods, earthquakes, tornados and was on the last plane into Baltimore before super hurricane Sandy hit riding out the hurricane near the water in Annapolis, Maryland.

Professor Will has been married to his wife Tamee since 1981 and together they have had four children and six grandchildren. Professor Will has written three books, so far, is a member of the American Legion and currently serves as the 1st Vice-Commander of the Forest City Post. He is also a life member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.  In his spare time, he loves to travel and operates his own travel agency.

Heather has served on the Waldorf residential and online faculty since 2009, the year she first joined the college as communications director. Heather loves the diverse courses she teaches in public relations and religion, and being part of the vibrant Waldorf community. She is a faculty advisor for the Communications Pillars students and the Waldorf Gender & Sexualities Alliance (GSA). 

Heather began her career in public relations in 1989, focusing mainly on non-profits. She is a past supervisor and current board member for Crisis Intervention Service. 

Heather is also a registered yoga teacher and Jazzercise DanceMixx instructor and the founder of Uptown Fitness & Yoga Studio and Uptown Boutique in Lake Mills, which is home to her biggest loves - her spouse, children and puppy.

Heather has a passion for mentoring students toward their fullest potential!

Rev. Dr. Rob Zahn holds a Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics, Church, and Culture, and is ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), with a rich history of ministering in diverse communities such as Las Vegas, metro Detroit, metro Chicago, and Rochester, Minn.

His academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in music, showcasing his talents in esteemed venues ranging from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to the House of Blues in Hollywood, Calif. Notably, he also contributed his musical talents as a understudy for The Second City Comedy Club in Las Vegas, N.V. Beyond his professional achievements, Rev. Dr. Zahn finds fulfillment in his roles as a devoted husband and father.

Driven by a fervent commitment to exploring faith and its relevance in contemporary society, he actively engages in conversations that resonate with the challenges and opportunities of today's world and the evolving landscape of the future. Dr. Zahn’s doctoral work has propelled him to become one of the world’s leading experts in the world of psychedelics and religion (Christianity) through the story of the hippie mafia known as the Brotherhood of Eternal Love and their influence on the birth of Contemporary Christian Music in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Professor Cindy L. Zastrow has been with Waldorf University since 2014, serving as the Online Program Director for the Occupational Safety and Health Department. Professor Zastrow is a veteran of the United States Navy, as well as the National Disaster Medical System's Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team - Weapons of Mass Destruction Division. She is a Certified Firefighter I & II, NFPA Fire Inspector, HAZMAT Technician, EMT, and Certified Industrial Storm Water Operator. Professor Zastrowserved as a Senior Industrial Hygienist for Michigan OSHA for nearly ten years. In addition to her duties at Waldorf, Professor Zastrow currently works as a Senior Engineering Technical Analyst in the Utilities Industry in Michigan.