Graduate School
Ed.D. Faculty Biographies
Joni Burgin-Hartshorn, Ph.D.
JONI BURGIN-HARTSHORN is superintendent of the Grantsburg, Wisconsin school district. Her educational experience also includes serving as principal, dean of students, and assistant principal at high schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Prior to her work in educational administration, Joni taught music and served as choral director 7-12 in two high schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin for ten years. She has a doctor of education degree in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota, a master of science in educational administration from St. Cloud State University, and a bachelor of arts in music education from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. She is a member of the American Association of School Administrators, Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, the Virtual Learning Consortium--CESA #11, and Distance Learning Consortium--CESA #11. She has written and presented on the topics of strength-based learning communities and ninth grade interdisciplinary teams. Joni lives in Grantsburg, Wisconsin.
Michele Brouse, Ph.D.
MICHELE BROUSE served as an elementary
school principal for three different schools in the Mounds View School
District. She worked with numerous district committees including those focused
on teacher and principal evaluation and wellness. She has been active in the
Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association since 1992. During 2009,
Michelle has begun working with Bethel University principal interns as their
university supervisor.
Carla Dahl, Ph.D.
CARLA DAHL is a professor of Marriage and Family Studies, director of the Center for Spiritual and Personal Formation. She received her PhD from the University of Minnesota, her M.A. from the University of St. Thomas, and her B.A. from Bethel University.
Since 1981, Dahl has provided counseling and family life education in a variety of educational, community, and congregational settings. She has worked as a consultant with clergy and seminarians at the North Central Career Development Center, and has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Minnesota, Saint Mary’s University, and Bethel University. She was awarded the Bethel Seminary Faculty Excellence Award in 1998, and the New Teaching Excellence Award by the College of Human Ecology at the University of Minnesota in 1993. Dahl is a Certified Family Life Educator and has conducted research and coauthored articles in the areas of spiritual and personal formation and change, families and spirituality, grief and bereavement, perceptions of justice, and clergy involvement with families.
Lori Fildes, M.A.
Lori.Fildes@wayzata.k12.mn.us
LORI
FILDES has served as the Director of Special Services for the Wayzata Public
School District since 2000. Previously, she was a special education teacher and
the Director of Special Education within the Buffalo School District. She is
active within numerous professional organizations such as the Minnesota
Administrators for Special Education, the Council for Exceptional Children, and
the Council of Administrators for Special Education. Her leisure time is spent
with her family members enjoying their cabin and participating in active sports
such as boating, biking, and running.
Joel Fredrickson, Ph.D.
JOEL FREDERICKSON is professor and
chairperson of the psychology department at Bethel University.
He is also an assistant dean of institutional assessment. Joel received his
M.A. and Ph.D. from the educational psychology department at the University of Minnesota. While at the U of M, Joel was
a research assistant for the Center for Applied Research and Educational
Improvement (CAREI). He conducted data analyses for a number of applied
educational research projects, including studies on block scheduling, school
start times, and universal breakfast programs.
Currently, Joel is involved in institutional assessment activities at Bethel,
particularly studying growth in undergraduate students' critical thinking. Joel
primarily teaches Introduction to Psychology, Social Psychology, and Research
Principles in the undergraduate psychology program and Introduction to
Statistics in the College of Adult & Professional Studies. During the
summer, Joel teaches EPSY 5009 Human Relations for the teaching degree
completion program at the University
of Minnesota.
John Greupner, Ph.D.
JOHN GREUPNER has had a passion for educating students to be lifelong learners. He started his career in education in 1970 as a science teacher in the Hopkins Public Schools. In 1976, John became an associate principal and then principal in the Wayzata Public Schools where he served for 24 years. John served as the assessment and evaluation director for Wayzata Schools from 2000 - 2004, which includes responsibilities for state and district testing, educational research, gifted/talented programming, and coordination of diversity/integration programs. Significant educational experiences have included the Bush Principals Leadership Program, the Metropolitan Principals Academy, and a tour of European schools during a one-year sabbatical. John has served as one of the program directors for the Bethel University Doctoral and Licensing Program in Educational Leadership since its inception in 2004.
Dan Jass, M.Div., M.A.
DAN JASS holds both a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and a master of divinity degree, and is completing a doctor of ministry degree. Dan currently serves as Director of Seminary Student Development at Bethel University. Before coming to Bethel, Dan served as a licensed social worker and as an in-home therapist, working primarily with families that had been impacted by homelessness. Dan developed and directed Minnesota’s first transitional living program for homeless teens and was a member of both the Minnesota Coalition for Homeless Teens and the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. In addition to his doctoral work, Dan is currently working toward a certificate in Intercultural Foundations from the Intercultural Communication Institute in Portland, Oregon. Dan is a frequent lecturer and instructor in the area of building intercultural competency.
Don Johnson, Ed.D.
DON JOHNSON is currently the Principal of Owatonna High School and is serving this year as the President of the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals. Don previously served as a school administrator in Dover-Eyota Secondary School, Dakar Academy (Senegal, West Africa), and Chisago Lakes High School. He has presented at numerous conferences and state educational committees. His doctoral degree was earned at the University of Minnesota while his masters degree was obtained at DePaul University.
Michelle Langenfeld, Ph.D.
MICHELLE LANGENFELD received her masters and doctorate in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota. She is the Associate Superintendent of Anoka Hennepin School District. He formerly was the principal at Coon Rapids Middle School located in the state of Minnesota’s largest school district, Anoka-Hennepin. In 2006, CRMS was recognized nationally by Standard and Poors and NBC Nightly News for significantly closing the achievement gap. In 1996 she began her tenure with Anoka-Hennepin, as an assistant principal at Northdale Middle School and later was appointed to head principal at Sandburg Middle School. Michelle taught both middle and high school students in Minneapolis, Osseo and Rosemount, Apple Valley Schools. Since coming to Anoka-Hennepin, Michelle has been very involved in curriculum and instruction in mathematics K-12. Her research, publications, and state and national presentations have focused on topics including: Leadership, Understanding Backward Design, Teacher Evaluation – Performance Appraisal Systems, Students on the Margins, Diversity, and Facilitating Student Learning. Prior to going into the field of education, Michelle was a lobbyist and business owner. Along with her husband David, she enjoys travel, cantoring at church and spending time with family and friends. Michelle and David have been blessed with two sons, a daughter-in-law and a fiancee. Adam is in the medical scholars program working to complete his Ph.D. in organic chemistry and M.D. at the University of Illinois and Alex is at Columbia studying film.
Mike Lindstrom, Ph.D.
MIKE LINDSTROM holds a B.S. in Mathematics, a B.S. in Industrial Education, and an M.S. in Industrial Education from Winona State University. He also holds an Ed.D. in Work, Community, and Family Education from the University of Minnesota. Mike taught industrial technology/technology education at the middle, high school, and university levels for 18 years and mathematics at the middle schoollevel for five years. He has also worked as a technology education consultant, instructional and assessment facilitator, and secondary mathematics specialist for the Anoka-Hennepin schools. He currently serves as president and secretary for the North Suburban Technology Education Association. Other professional involvements include serving as president and professional growth chair for the Minnesota Technology Education Association; board member and past chair of the SciMath MN organization since 2000; and executive secretary of the Council of Minnesota Professional Education Association. Dr. Lindstrom is currently serving as the Executive Director of SciMath Minnesota.
Craig Paulson, Ph.D.
CRAIG PAULSON is the director of the Bethel University Doctoral and
Licensing Program. He is the former principal of Cambridge
Isanti High
School, which is 30 miles north of Minneapolis. He was principal of Cambridge Middle School from 1984 to 1994, while
that school was recognized as a National School of Excellence. Craig served as
assistant principal at Cambridge High School prior to that, preceded by teaching
economics and law at Coon Rapids High School and Blaine High School.
Before becoming an educator, Craig was a UN Navy officer and worked for Merrill
Lynch and Pierce Fenner & Smith on Wall Street in New York City.
Craig’s wife Patti is an associate professor at Bethel University
in science education. Their three sons (Doug, Nels, and Peter) and
daughters-in-law graduated from Bethel
College and Concordia
College Moorhead within the last four years. They and their wives are busy with
new young families and serving as educators, pastors, and counselors, and
attending medical school and graduate school. Craig enjoys outdoor activities,
singing, and travel. He gives thanks to the Lord for His grace and compassion.
Steve Paulson, Ph.D.
spaulson@unf.edu
STEVE PAULSON, Ph.D. teaches research
courses at Bethel University. He recently retired from his position as Blanche
and Luther Coggin Professor of Management at the University of North Florida.
He also was a faculty member in the Florence Italy Study Center as well as an
Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Graduate Studies in Sociology
at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. He has done extensive
international research in Asia (Turkey), Caribbean (Barbados, Cuba, Dominican
Republic, Jamaica), Central America (Belize), Europe (Austria, Belgium, France,
Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain), North America (Canada, Mexico), and South
America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguary). He has lead many
research grants, published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and case
studies, and written several academic books. Steve and Sally enjoy the various
unique attractions surrounding their residences in Atlantic Beach, Florida;
Beech Mountain, North Carolina; and Aix-en-Provence, France.
Mark Robertson, M.A.
MARK ROBERTSON has served as superintendent of schools for Fridley Public School District
in the Twin Cities area for the past four years. Mark has an undergraduate
degree in biology from Bethel University, and graduate degrees in teaching and
educational administration from St.
Thomas University.
Mark has had a wide range of experiences working in education the past 31
years, including work as a science teacher, staff developer, activities
director, associate principal, high school principal, and as an adjunct
professor of education. His initiatives in school and district reform, data use
and analysis, international education, and alternative compensation are evident
in the district he serves. He has been a state-wide educational leader as
demonstrated in the challenge of a group of superintendents put forth in the
fall of 2006 entitled, “Minnesota’s
Promise: World-Class Schools, World-Class State.”
Mark’s wife Kathy is a graduate of Bethel
University and a first grade teacher
in the Mounds View School District.
They have been blessed with four great sons and two daughters-in-law.
Chuck Sambs, Ph.D.
CHUCK SAMBS served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction from 1985 to 2007 first within the Winona Minnesota School District and then in the Hudson Wisconsin School District. Prior to that time, he was principal for two years and superintendent for two years within the LaCrescent Minnesota School District. From 1973 to 1980 he was the high school principal in Idaho Springs, Colorado. He began his career in education by teaching in both Wisconsin and Colorado. He was very active in the Wisconsin ASCD where he was on the Board of Directors from 1995 to 2003 and president during the 2002 – 2003 school year.
While retired from public education, Chuck remains committed to the field by teaching classes at Bethel University. Chuck and his wife spend much of the year working for Habitat for Humanity.
Barry Sullivan, Ph.D.
BARRY SULLIVAN’s current position is with the Office of Government
Relations in the Minnesota Department of Education where he has served for over
25 years. His responsibilities include coordinating the development of state
education policy recommendations to the legislature; interpreting state and
federal education laws and rules for school staff, education groups, media, and
the general public; and acting as a liaison between the department and other
agencies at both the federal and state levels. This job includes writing annual
summaries of new education laws affecting public and nonpublic schools as well
as children and youth.
Teaching and research related to education policymaking are Sullivan’s teaching
and professional interests. He has taught classes in education policy and
school law at several colleges and universities in Minnesota over the last 20 years. Most of these
classes have been at the graduate level. He has also conducted, with staff at
the University of
Minnesota, several
education politics case studies. These have been published in academic journals
and books. Dr. Sullivan’s teaching has focused on school laws and education
policy making at various levels of government. Using topical education issues,
his classes have aimed at helping students apply various social science
techniques to study how and why specific education policies are formed. He has
also taught school legal issues courses, with a special focus on how teachers
and school administrators should apply knowledge of current “laws” (state and
federal statutes, rules and regulations, and court cases) in their work.
Mary Whitman, DBA
MARY WHITMAN is the Research Specialist for the Bethel University
Doctoral and Licensing Program in Educational Administration. She was
previously the director for the MBA program at Bethel University. Mary has
extensive experience in the development of adult education programs, serving as
a program director of a graduate program at another university and consulting
with several online universities.
Mary has over 20 years of experience in management positions in business,
government, and the nonprofit sector. She is a member of the Academy of Management
and the Society of Human Resource Management and has presented at numerous
conferences. She has served as a consultant to many organizations in the areas
of human resources, team building, and change management.
Mary earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University
of Minnesota and her doctoral degree
from the University
of Sarasota (now Argosy).
Her areas of research include the management of expatriates and repatriation in
global companies. She has worked with 3M, Honeywell, Medtronic, and Bell
Helicopter Textron. Mary enjoys international travel with her husband Dennis,
as well as swimming, reading, and hiking.