About WGU Texas Faculty

About WGU Texas Faculty

In partnership with Western Governors University, WGU Texas’ faculty is committed to providing a unique and comprehensive approach that utilizes and emphasizes competency-based learning. Our online courses are flexible and personalized, allowing you to work outside of the typical timeframes and classrooms. Each student is equipped with a team of dedicated professionals ready to aid in the learning process, including:

Student Mentors
For each student the primary faculty support is a personally assigned Student Mentor. The role of the Student Mentor is to provide continuous academic support from the moment an individual becomes a student to the time he or she graduates. This involves regularly scheduled academic progress conversations weekly or biweekly and active involvement in other aspects of the student’s academic career. While not an expert in all subjects, the student mentor guides the student through the overall program and offers coaching and practical advice.

Course Mentors
Course Mentors serve as subject matter experts who support students as they work through specific sections of their degree program's curriculum. Each Course Mentor is trained to provide a level of support that meets your individual needs. Whether you require complete tutorial support or simple guidance, your mentor will be available to help you. Course Mentors are trained in specific courses; therefore, their expertise can address any question that you have regarding the course, learning resource, or assessment.

Note: Course Mentors do not develop WGU Texas curriculum.

Program Faculty
WGU Texas’ Program Faculty are responsible for assessing and defining the most important areas of knowledge for each subject. They work in concordance with academic councils to design courses and highlight the most effective learning resources. They also work with Student and Course Mentors to ensure superior student learning and overall success.

Note: Program Faculty are not WGU Texas instructors.

A Diverse Group of Qualified Faculty
As of 2011, WGU Texas and WGU employed over 700 full-time and 100 part-time faculty members. Approximately three-quarters of our Student Mentors and over 95 percent of our Course Mentors have earned at least a graduate degree. In addition, many of our other Course Mentors and academic program management members hold a Ph.D., Ed.D., or other form of doctorate or professional degree. The following is a partial list of the WGU and WGU Texas faculty members:

BUSINESS

Scott Allred, Ph.D. University of Utah
Linda Gunn, Ph.D. Union Institute University Graduate School, Cincinnati
Ralph Orr, A.B.D. Oregon State University
Debra Payne, Ph.D. University of Minnesota
Harry Percupchick, Ph.D. University of Phoenix
Rungrudee Suetorsak, Ph.D. University of Utah
Adam Vester, Ph.D. University of Utah
Keith Wade, Ph.D. North Central University
Deborah Ward, D.BA University of Phoenix

HEALTH PROFESSIONS

Veronica Abdur-Rahman, Ph.D. Texas Woman's University
Juanita G. Allen, D.N.P. University of Utah
Bonnie Beardsley, Ph.D. Walden University
Mary Harper, Ph.D. University of Central Florida
Sue Hunter, Ed.D. University of Northern Colorado
Brenda Luther, Ph.D. University of Utah
Alison Stull, Ph.D. Univeristy of Nebraska
Virginia Townsend, Ed.D. Nova Southeastern University

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Yolanda Dupree, A.B.D. Nova Southeastern University
Junhua Jia, Ph.D. Wayne State University
Christine Kowalski, Ed.D. National Louis University
Jackie Brewer, Ph.D. Capella University
Leslie Vance, Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University

LIBERAL ARTS

Bryan Benson, Ph.D. Boston College
Richard Harmston, Ph.D. University of Michigan
Mark Johnston, Ed.D. University of Massachusetts
Emily Morishima, Ph.D. University of California
Murphy Nmezi, M.D. University of Vienna
David Ouellette, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University
Erin Smith, Ph.D. University of London
Kamille Stone Stanton, Ph.D. University of Leeds
Kelly Thrippleton-Hunter, Ph.D. University of California, Riverside
Alison Walker, Ph.D. University of California

TEACHER EDUCATION

Kathleen Allspaw, Ph.D. Indiana University
Paul Anderson, Ed.D. University of Melbourne
Purisima Capadocia, Ed.D. West Visayas State University
Mario Castro, Ph.D. Arizona State University
Debra Dukes, Ed.D. University of Georgia
Jane Evanson, Ph.D. Florida State University
Alberto Flores, Ed.D. Grand Canyon University
Heidi Franco, Ph.D. University of Utah
Jeffrey Gentry, A.B.D. University of Southern Mississippi
Jennifer Geringer, Ph.D. University of Wyoming
Evelyn Giddens, Ed.D. Capella University
Brenna Gillman-McDonald, Ph.D. University of Utah
Jose Gomez, A.B.D. Utah State University
Harold Heap, D.MA University of Illinois
Alexis Hernandez, Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Tontaleya Ivory, Ed.D. Nova Southeastern University
Alisa Izumi, Ed.D. University of Massachusetts
Lenora Johnson, Ed.D. Nova Southeastern University
Kevin Johnson, Ph.D. Samford University
Dorothee Kocks, Ph.D. Brown University
William Leinbach, Ed.D. Oregon State University
Cynthia Leshin, Ph.D. Arizona State University
Timothy Martin, Ed.D. University of Southern California
Patricia McCarver, Ph.D. California Institute of Integral Studies
Monika Nathan, A.B.D. Argosy University
Penny Roberts, Ed.D. Pepperdine University
Lesele Rose, Ph.D. Capella University
Roberta Ross-Fisher, Ph.D. Saint Louis University
Stan Schmidt, Ph.D. Mississippi State University
Vincent Shrader, Ph.D. Brigham Young University
Kristin Spencer, Ph.D. University of Florida
Judy St Martin, Ph.D. Michigan State University
Colleen Story, Ph.D. Capella University
Mari Tinney, Ph.D. Utah State University
Hector Vasquez, Ed.D. University Stillwater, Oklahoma
Gideon Weinstein, Ph.D. Indiana University
Jarral Yokley, Ph.D. University of Missouri

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT and ADMINISTRATION

Veronica Abdur-Rahman, Ph.D. Texas Woman's University
Nanette Black, Ph.D. Wayne State University
Gloria Blatti, D.O.C. Columbia University
Lois Bobo, Ph.D. Brigham Young University
Gwendolyn Britton, Ph.D. candidate Nova Southeastern University
Dan Eastmond, Ph.D. Syracuse University
John Gantz, Ed.D. University of Southern California
Kurt Gunnell, Ph.D. Kansas State University
Mary Harper, Ph.D. University of Central Florida
Cassandra Holifield, Ph.D. Georgia State University
Robert Hunt, Ph.D., J.D. University of Utah
Rebecca Johnston, Ph.D. Texas Tech
Conrad Lotze, Ph.D. American University
Stacey Ludwig Johnson, Ph.D. University of Colorado
Robert Mendenhall, Ph.D. Brigham Young University
Charles Paddock, Ph.D. University of Houston
Sheryl Phillips, Ph.D. University of Utah
Carrie Pottinger, Ph.D. Capella University
Jose Rodriguez, Ed.D. University of Washington
Robert Rustad, Ph.D. University of Minnesota
Philip Schmidt, Ph.D. Syracuse University
Janet Schnitz, Ed.D. Illinois State University
James Schnitz, Ph.D. Northwestern University
Brent Smith, Ph.D. Ball State University
Sean Spear, Ed.D. Fielding Graduate University
Carol Speyerer, M.D. Nova Southeastern University
Scarlette Studdard, Ph.D. University of Georgia
Alison Stull, Ph.D. University of Nebraska
Virginia Townsend, Ed.D. Nova Southeastern University
Gregory Waddoups, Ph.D. University of Illinois
Sherri Johnson, Ph.D. Capella University

ASSESSMENT and EVALUATIONS

Arnold Adler, Ed.D. Northern Arizona
Ryan Albertsen, J.D. New England Law School
John Avella, D.O.C. Nova Southeastern University
Mikala Beig, Ph.D. Rice University
Keith Burton, Ph.D. Northwestern University
Lisa Cantrell, Ed.D. University of Sarasota
Michael Cassidy, Ph.D. University of Illinois
Judy Dallman, Ph.D. Capella University
Lorretta Davis, Ph.D. Capella University
Verl Dennis, Ph.D. Ohio State University
Flora Flood, D.O.C. University of Tennessee
Marlene Goss, Ph.D. Walden University
Jeffrey Grill, Ed.D. Florida State University
Doug Harris, Ph.D. Brigham Young University
Frederic Hartford, Ph.D. Florida State University
Glenn Haslem, Ed.D. George Fox University
Jonathan Hebertson, Ph.D. Arizona State University
Mary Holmgren, Ph.D. University of Missouri
Peggy Orr Jessee, Ph.D. University of Alabama
Chester Jones, D.O.C. University of Alabama
Tara McNealy, Ph.D. University of Arizona
Melissa Miller, Ed.D. Walden University
Laura Ann Miller, Ph.D. New York University
James Minor, Ed.D. Oklahoma State University
Frank Mora, Ed.D. University of Southern California
Tiffani Nieusma, Ph.D. Northcentral University
James O'Connor, A.B.D. Utah State University
Jonathan Palmer, J.D. Gonzaga University
Denise Pfeiffer, Ph.D. University of Utah
Joellyn Pollock, Ph.D. Arizona State University
Allison Pomeroy, J.D. Brigham Young University
Totumoh Powell, Ph.D. Tennessee State University
Mary Rhodes, Ed.D. University of Utah
Douglas Richards, Ph.D. Brigham Young University
Jesse Shelkey, Ph.D. University of Utah
Karen Tidler, Ph.D. University of New Mexico
Darby Ullyatt, Ed.D. Seton Hall University
Catherine Ulrich, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Barbara
Diantha Watts, Ed.D. St. John Fisher College
Steven Williams, Ph.D. University of Oregon
Blaine Wilson, Ed.D. University of Minnesota