OCE Faculty and Adjuncts

Welcome to Linfield's School of Business, where we build resilience and agility. We ardently prepare our students to thrive in an ever-changing work world. We facilitate critical thinking and innovation. We leverage networks. We bring ideas to fruition. We are bridge builders and boundary spanners engaging other faculty, alumni, business, nonprofit organizations, community and government—locally, nationally and internationally—to create a transformational experience for our students.

We are home for students interested in studying business, sport and wine as well as students interested in emotional intelligence, creativity, design thinking, innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship, team building, nonprofit management and grant writing. We are also home for students interested in research, projects and initiatives led by our faculty.

We wake up every morning excited to educate the next generation of change-makers and solution finders.

Dr. Jennifer Madden
Dean, School of Business Professor of Management

I grew up in eastern North Carolina. I graduated from East Carolina University with a B.S. and M.S. in accounting. I have my CPA license in North Carolina and received my Ph.D. in accounting at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

I began my career as a staff accountant with Arthur Andersen. I left Arthur Andersen in 1996 to return to eastern North Carolina and became the tax manager for a multinational company headquartered in Wilson, North Carolina. This position was very interesting because I was responsible for domestic and international tax issues.

In 1999, I decided to leave industry and pursue a career in teaching. I like teaching; it gives me the flexibility I need with children. That’s a little about me and I look forward to getting to know a little about you!

Wendy Achilles
Accounting
wachill@linfield.edu 

Virlena Crosley joined Linfield in 2009, where she teaches management and accounting courses, both on-campus and online. During the 2021-22 academic year, she became associate dean for undergraduate programs in the School of Business. In 2023, Virlena was named associate provost for the university.

Previously, Virlena held management positions with the State of Oregon, the last of which was director of the employment department. During her five-plus years as director, she was responsible for 47 field offices across Oregon and more than 1,500 employees. She has also taught at other higher education institutions in either the role of adjunct instructor or visiting professor, including universities in Shanghai, China and Nurtingen, Germany. Her academic interests include workforce development, human resources management and other employment-related laws and managerial and tax accounting.

Virlena Crosley
vcrosle@linfield.edu 

Professor Chen teaches Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I and II, Cost Accounting, Auditing I and II, and CPA review courses. In addition to teaching, he served as a senior assistant controller with the Global Controller Organization at Oracle Corporation.

Professor Chen began his accounting career at EY (Ernst & Young) in Metropolitan New York, serving large corporations like Verizon and Fujifilm for six years. He also had a six-month expatriate stint in EY's Beijing office. A certified public accountant in California and New York, Chen is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and passed all CPA Exam parts on his first attempt.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from the University of Minnesota, where he received the Michael Chowdry Entrepreneurial Scholarship. Chen completed his MBA in public accounting at St. John's University, New York, on a full research assistant scholarship. At St. John’s, he was part of the executive-in-residence program. He earned his doctorate in accounting from Jacksonville University.

Baizhou Chen
Accounting
bchen@linfield.edu 

April Rose Castillo

Malek Daaboul has extensive experience in marketing, sales, customer support, engineering, manufacturing, IT, and business management, backed by strong planning, technical, and analytical skills. He spent nine years at Owens Illinois in Toldedo, Ohio, in roles like manufacturing engineer and systems software supervisor. Daaboul then joined Tektronix in Beaverton, Oregon, as a technical services manager for six years, followed by four years at Sequent Inc. as a computer resources group manager and marketing manager. He worked at IBM Global Services in Portland, Oregon, as a senior business management consultant/solutions manager for four years, and at Oracle Corporation as a consulting services practice manager for two years, focusing on business development, project management, and consulting engagements.

Since 1974, Daaboul has been teaching undergraduate and MBA courses since 1974, including Strategic Marketing Management, International Marketing, and Operations Research. He holds master's degrees in electrical and industrial engineering and has completed two years of Ph.D. work in systems engineering.

Malek Daaboul
Marketing
mdaabou@linfield.edu 

Chris Dahlvig joined the faculty of Linfield in 2018 where he teaches courses in accounting. Chris spent 20 years working in the not-for-profit sector in various accounting roles in a wide range of industries including higher education, outdoor ministry, healthcare, e-waste recycling and philanthropy. As controller for Inland Northwest Community Foundation, Chris accounted for more than $100M in assets which generated nearly $7M in grants annually for the region. Many of his career highlights include process improvements that led to significant time savings including the development of a payables process that reduced staff time by more than 98%.

Chris teaches Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting II, Cost Accounting, and Government and Not For Profit Accounting.

Chris loves the Green Bay Packers and '80s techno-pop. His interests include running 5ks with his wife and reading books while drinking good coffee.

Chris Dahlvig
Accounting
cdahlvig@linfield.edu 

History

Steven L. Danver is an adjunct professor of history at Linfield University and is managing editor of Journal of the West. He is a historian of the American West, Indigenous peoples both in the US and around the world, and the interaction of people with the environment. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Utah, an M.A. in historical studies from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and a B.A. in religious studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Among his publications are Native Peoples of the World: An Encyclopedia of Groups, Cultures, and Contemporary Issues (2012) and the Encyclopedia of Politics of the American West (2013) and The SAGE Encyclopedia of Online Education (2016).

Steven Danver
History
sdanver@linfield.edu 

I'm Dr. Edwards (just call me Dr. E) and I am an instructor of anthropology for Online and Continuing Education at Linfield University. My background is very broad, and I am fortunate to have worked and/or specialized in the following subfields of anthropology: cultural, environmental, archaeological, physical/biological and applied anthropology.

Before I ever taught anthropology, I was a teaching assistant for the geography department while working on my B.A. in anthropology at Plymouth State University. After graduating I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa, where I taught environmental education to both children and adults. While there, I also spent considerable time learning about local environmental perceptions and understandings – topics that would come to play a central role in my scholarly pursuits. In fact, the picture you see of me is from my doctoral fieldwork on wildlife use in Mali (the animal in my arms is a common duiker and it is used extensively in local medicinal remedies across West Africa).

After the Peace Corps, I returned to the States and worked as a contract archaeologist (cultural resource management specialist). While my firm was based in Raleigh, NC, I did archaeology from upstate NY to the US Virgin Islands (the entire East Coast). Given my interest in natural resource use, I specialized in faunal analysis (zooarchaeology) from historic and prehistoric archaeological sites.

I earned my M.A. in applied anthropology from Oregon State University, where I examined the functions and community values surrounding a traditional medicine market in Mali that sold wildlife as medicinal ingredients. After completing my master's, I worked as a state-certified archaeologist for the Museum of Natural and Cultural History at the University of Oregon. There, I worked on many small- and large-scale cultural resource surveys, conducted phase I-III site mitigation and taught both undergraduate and graduate archaeology students in field operations and procedures.

A traditional medicine stall from Bamako, Mali, West Africa. After a few years working for the University of Oregon, I decided to get my Ph.D. in cultural anthropology there, with an environmental focus. I spent nine years teaching all subfields of anthropology while I completed my doctorate where I explored the networks, processes and interactions surrounding two markets in Mali that sell wildlife. As you can tell, I have a "thing" for Mali and wildlife use.

After receiving my doctorate, I did a two-year teaching post-doc at the University of Oregon, where I taught a wide range of anthropology courses both in the classroom and online. Some of my primary disciplinary interests include ethnography, ethnohistory, natural resource management, globalization, ethnomedicine, wildlife use through history, tattooing (I actually paid my way through my undergrad slinging ink) and lithics (stone tools).

Ian Edwards
Anthropology
iedwards@linfield.edu 

I'm delighted to be your instructor. I'm originally from the UK but have been in Portland for some years now. Academically, here is my very much condensed resume: BA (Hons), history, Royal Holloway College, University of London; MA, Holocaust studies, Royal Holloway College, University of London; MPhil Holocaust research, Oxford Brookes University, UK.

I've published and presented on a range of aspects of Holocaust history, especially on the history of Nazi medicine and human experimentation.

Nichola Farron
History
nfarron@linfield.edu 

I am an art historian, grant writer and curator based in Portland, Oregon and Honolulu, Hawai'i. I also did my undergrad at Linfield University in studio art with minors in French and art history. I then went on to receive my master's in art history and criticism from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a focus in contemporary Mexican photography.

I have a great love for the visual arts and artists and try to support creative production and research through the work that I do as an educator and art administrator.

When I'm not working, I'm traveling back and forth between Portland and Honolulu, swimming in the ocean or hiking in the woods. While I love the mountains, the water is definitely my favorite place to be!

Arminda Gandara
Art
aganda@linfield.edu 

My path to becoming a history professor was a bit non-traditional, in that I did not start focusing on history until my Ph.D. program. I have a B.A. in international studies and Spanish from Whitworth College (now Whitworth University); - an M.A. in Latin American studies from the University of Arizona; and a Ph.D. in history (Mexico/Latin American emphasis; secondary fields in comparative gender history and world history) also from the University of Arizona. I have been teaching at Linfield University since 2003.

My academic training is in Latin American history and world history, with special emphases on Mexican history and comparative gender histories (Latin America, Africa, Europe and the United States). I am especially interested in the roles of race, class and gender in historical events, as well as urban social and cultural history.

On the McMinnville campus, I frequently teach the world history surveys (HIST 122/123), as well as surveys in Latin American history (HIST 153: Latin America to 1810; HIST 154: Latin America Since 1810). My upper division courses include a mix of classes specific to Mexican history (HIST 315: History of Mexico), as well as thematically based courses that examine the region more broadly (HIST 215: Revolution in 20th Century Latin America; HIST 318: Women and Gender in Latin American History; HIST 304: The Spanish Conquest of the Americas; HIST 314: The US/Mexico Border Region). I also teach an INQS course on the History of Mexican Immigrants in the U.S.

Beyond my professional life, I have two children – James (23), and Sophie (19). My husband Jeff is also an academic – he is an adjunct professor in the history department at Linfield, and he teaches courses on world history and the history of the British Isles (England, Scotland, Ireland). We live in Salem and when time permits enjoy yurt camping, hiking, trips to the coast, cultural opportunities in Portland and sometimes just hanging out at home!

Sharon Bailey Glasco
History
sglasco@linfield.edu 

I was born in Wisconsin, one of eight children, and as active as a girl could be, but had limited sports experience because there was no Title IX when I was going to school. So I went off to college to become a PE teacher. A broken collarbone sustained while goofing off at a dance practice resulted in the need to drop some of my PE courses and to replace them with health courses so I could retain financial aid. The rest is history. I graduated with double major in health education and physical education and was hired by a school district to design their new health education curriculum. Breaking my collarbone was a happy accident since I have spent my career teaching health education, first in the public school setting, and eventually moving into higher education.

I met my husband Walt while working on my Ph.D., which I earned at Oregon State University. Son Delaney, was born five years later. Walt and I were both very active in softball, and later added to our interests becoming involved with local community theater. Walt has been a mainstay acting and directing at the Gallery Theater in McMinnville, and Pentacle Theater in Salem. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2011 and currently works in HR at Amazon. In 2018 we were overjoyed to celebrate Delaney's marriage to Marianne, a very talented children's book illustrator.

Buoyed by Delaney's childhood interest in Japan, and my passion for health education, I've spent quite a few years studying factors that contribute to longevity. I've traveled with students twice to Japan during January Term, and have conducted research comparing US and Japanese customs that relate to longevity. I've also led a travel course in Costa Rica, performing service and studying ecology and human health. In August of 2019, I checked off one of my bucket list items: hiking to the top of Mt Fuji!

From 1996 to 2019, I taught health education major courses at Linfield for students who are interested in working with people to promote health and well-being in community and school settings. I also taught a variety of classes of interest to the general student body. Two popular courses, Human Sexuality, and Drugs in the US fulfill requirements for the Linfield Curriculum. I retired from my full-time faculty position in spring 2019, but continue to teach several courses in OCE: Stress Management Practice, Stress Management, Human Sexuality, and Drugs in the US. I'm also an adjunct professor at Cleveland State University.

I feel like the luckiest person on Earth. I teach about my passion and adore working with college students. In addition, my love of sports, theater and music means that you will still find me attending many campus events. Nestled here in this incredible place, doing what I love provides a great deal of satisfaction.

Dawn Graff-Haight
HHPA
dghaight@linfield.edu 

Randy Grant, professor of economics at Linfield University. Formally I'm "Dr. Grant" or "Professor Grant," but I much prefer the informal "Randy" or "Captain Randy" (if you're a fan of Star Trek you understand why the rank of captain is preferred to that of admiral).

I received my Ph.D. in economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, after earning my B.A. in economics from Pacific Lutheran University. I've taught at Linfield for 30 years, and have taught this course a few times over the years. The other parts of my professional life include the Economics of Sports and the History of Economic Thought (I'm a coauthor of both The Economics of Intercollegiate Sports, 2e, and The Evolution of Economic Thought, 8e). I've also published a few journal articles on a variety of topics.

As you probably guessed, I'm also a bit of Star Trek fan. I've seen (and own) all the episodes (except for the Discovery, Picard and Strange New World series, but I subscribe to Paramount All Access), I can recite at least some of the dialog, and obviously I'm teaching a course that merges Star Trek with my passion for economics.

If you're curious about the picture, I'm the guy wearing the sunglasses. I'm holding my dog, Balin (some may appreciate the reference from The Hobbit), and the statue is of "Captain Herk." Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa. The Hawkeye mascot is "Herky," and when I visited Iowa City (and adjacent Coralville) in the summer of 2014, they had a number of Herky statues throughout the area, all with different themes. This was obviously the best one, somewhat fitting since the nearby town of Riverside is the future birthplace of Captain Kirk.

My wife and I live in McMinnville, not far from campus. Our two kids are grown up and out of the nest, but we replaced them with our two pups, Balin and Augi. When I'm not immersed in economics and/or Star Trek, I'm spending time with family, traveling, running or some combination of those things.

One of my favorite Trek-adjacent memories happened in January 2023. I took students abroad to England and while in London, saw the play "Allegiance." It was the brainchild of George Takei, Mr. Sulu from the original series. Not only did I get to see him perform live on stage, I got to meet him after the show and chat for a bit. Heckuva nice guy.

Randy Grant
Economics
rgrant@linfield.edu 

I have run my own occupational health and safety consulting business located in suburban Philadelphia, PA, over the past ten years, which is committed to assisting companies, institutions and individuals to live a safe and healthy life at work and at home. My work is based upon more than thirty years in the field and having earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, from Villanova University and Drexel University. In the latter instance, I received an M.S. in environmental science. I have also earned four national board certifications in this field: Certified Safety Professional, Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (Master level), Certified Environmental Trainer and Certified Environmental Professional Auditor.

I have served as adjunct professor at South University Online, Strayer University, Devry University/Keller Graduate School, Peirce College and Eastern University, teaching online, onsite and a combination of both for more than ten years, at undergraduate and graduate levels.

Facilitating the grasp of new knowledge and information to help students reach their academic goals, is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences for me. Learning is a lifelong journey. I, too, travel along this path, since we learn from each other, and the use of internet technology allows greater flexibility in this realm.

My hobbies include reading, traveling and hiking. I have two adult children, two grandchildren and zero pets.

Arnelia Hollinger
Environmental Science
aholinger@linfield.edu 

Like quite a few people here, I'm not a native Oregonian. I've only been here since 1972 (well yeah, that was a long time ago...) That's when I came out from a suburb of New York City (30 miles east of Long Island – still much too close!) to go to Oregon State University. I graduated from there in 1977 with two B.S. degrees (zoology and fisheries) and two years later with an M.S. degree (fisheries). Then it was down to the University of California at Davis for five more years and a Ph.D. (ecology) in 1985, where the summers were way too hot, and I couldn't wait to get back up here!

From 1986 through 2021 I taught introductory biology laboratories at Reed College in Portland, covering a wide range of subjects each year.

I started teaching at Linfield on the McMinnville campus in 1992. I've been teaching environmental science there each year since, plus more recently a course in climate change. Although I retired from on-campus teaching in May 2021, I'm still active for OCE.

The OCE program advertised for an instructor up at the Portland campus for the summer of 1994, and after filling that role, it's built up to several courses each year, and now all online. I'm currently teaching Environmental Science, Climate Change, Environmental Issues and the Physical Sciences, and Water Resources at various times throughout the year.

Ned Knight
Environmental Science
nknight@linfield.edu 

B.A., instrumental music, California State University Los Angeles, 1967.

M.A., instrumental music, California State University Los Angeles, 1972.

Private instructor, woodwinds, 1968-present.

Elementary, middle and high school music instructor, three years. College instructor in woodwinds, jazz band, chamber music, woodwind methods, understanding jazz, understanding music, 1972-present.

Professional musician, 1959-present.

Big bands: Harry James, Louis Bellson, Toshiko-Tabakin, Bill Holman, Jimmy Dorsey, Art Abrams, Woody Hite, Tony Bennett.

Studio musician: Streets of San Francisco, PBS Specials, Rookies, Kojak, Barnaby Jones, Cannon, Grizzly Adams, Donnie and Marie Show, The Mad Bomber, The Thing with Two Heads, Man in the Moon Marigolds, Hanna-Barbera Productions, 1968-1982.

On-call musician: Oregon Symphony, Portland Symphonic Choir, Portland Festival Symphony, Bassoon Brothers, Linfield Chamber Orchestra.

Musical productions: Porgy and Bess, Evita, Chorus Line, Boyfriend, 42nd Street, Grease, Annie Get Your Gun, Man of La Mancha.

Emmy for ABC-TV “Playbreak” Special, 1975.

Recording Producer: “Old Friends,” “David Angel Saxtet and Big Band,” 1997-1998.

Stephen Kravitz
Music
skravitz@linfield.edu 

Richard Lewis has his BA from Gonzaga University, MA from Columbia University in modern literature; and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in medieval English Literature. He was a graduate fellow at Oxford University where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on Anglo-Saxon poetry. He has published scholarly articles in his primary field and taught at Carnegie-Mellon University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Willamette University, WSU-Vancouver, and, since 1998, for OCE at Linfield University. He has taught literature, History of Western Thought, medieval history and culture, Renaissance art and culture, and modern literature. He has authored two chapbooks of sonnets.

Richard Lewis
rlewis@linfield.edu

My name is Dr. Ed Lisoski. I have taught on a part-time basis at the university level for approximately 18 years, teaching online at Northeastern University, Champlain College, as well as at Linfield University. I have also taught face-to-face classes at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas for approximately eleven years.

I retired from my full-time job on November 1, 2016. I was the plant human resources manager with ETHICON Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company for almost 37 years; the first 6 years were in operations as a supervisor in various manufacturing departments, and the last 31 years in the human resources field. I have worked in all capacities within HR: labor/employee relations, benefits, compensation, training, organizational development, safety and environmental. I've worked in both the operations and corporate environment, preferring the operations environment.

I graduated from Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA with a B.S. in biology, earned my MBA from Angelo State University in 2000, and completed my Ph.D. from Capella University in 2009 in organization and management, specializing in human resource management.

I am a father of four, grandfather of two, and husband of 45 years to my lovely wife Debbie. My hobbies are doing fix-it projects around the house, traveling with my wife and kids and exercising.

Ed Lisoski
Business
elisoski@linfield.edu 

My name is Juli McKee. I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and a Linfield College (now Linfield University) alum. I graduated from Linfield with a B.S. in exercise science and a passion for food and nutrition. I spent a year as a ski instructor and personal trainer before heading off to Boston, Massachusetts, to get my master's degree in food policy and applied nutrition. I am also a certified pre and postpartum coach and CrossFit level 1 trainer.

I have worked for the past twelve years doing individual nutrition counseling and fitness coaching in a variety of settings in Central Oregon. I taught nutrition for a semester with Linfield several years ago as well as for Central Oregon Community College. I currently practice as a Health at Every Size (HAES) dietitian for women's health and sport and am a personal trainer specializing in pre and postpartum fitness. The rapidly emerging HAES field of research and philosophy for approaching individual care will be introduced in this course.

I reside in Bend, living with my husband, Yellow Lab and 3 1/2 year old daughter. Since she was born (and since the pandemic) I am blessed to have been working minimally and from home.

I have participated in a number of sports throughout my life; my latest formal endeavor was as a pole vaulter for Linfield. Post college I found myself participating in marathons and triathlons, which now have morphed into HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). I still enjoy running the occasional race or two a season.

My activity interests now lie mainly in the outdoors; mountain biking, trail running and skiing. I also like to hunt and gather as I find that these are the most rewarding ways to feed myself and my family.

Juli McKee
HHPA
jmckee2@linfield.edu 

Education: I graduated from the Western State Colorado University with a B.A. in accounting. I then went on to Regis University in Denver, Colorado and earned an MBA with a concentration in finance and accounting. I also hold a CPA license from the state of Oregon.

Professional: During college, I worked a couple of jobs doing bookkeeping and helping with tax returns. After college, I worked in public accounting as an auditor and in private accounting as a staff accountant. I have also worked independently for clients on my own as well. Most recently I was a controller at a fish processing plant in Ilwaco, Washington.

Teaching experience: I started my teaching career off with teaching accounting at a technical school in Colorado. I then taught full-time at Clatsop Community College for five years. After that, I have held various accounting professional jobs, part-time teaching jobs and was busy raising kids. I am now full-time faculty again at Clatsop Community College and teach part-time here at Linfield.

Personal: I have three kids ages 16, 18 and 20 that keep me busy! I love to teach accounting and am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue teaching. I live by the ocean, in Warrenton, Oregon so I enjoy beachcombing and trying to swim in the ocean on the two days during the year that it is warm enough.

Carla Moha
Accounting
cmoha@linfield.edu 

I am originally from the Los Angeles area and have lived in many places (including Indianapolis, IN and Durham, NC), but I currently reside in Boston, Massachusetts. I greatly enjoy living in Boston, as public transportation is always close at hand, and I do not mind the cold weather in the winter.

My hobbies include reading and writing fiction and poetry, being a fan of Los Angeles and Boston sports teams, and trying to keep my jade plant healthy!

Teaching is one of my passions in life. I have taught a diverse array of students in a wide variety of settings. Some of my teaching experiences include serving as an online instructor for paralegal studies courses for George Washington University, an online instructor for Master of Science in business and ethics compliance courses at the New England College of Business and Finance, a teaching assistant at Harvard Law School, an assistant supervisor for a legal clinical at Harvard Law School and an ESL basic skills tutor for Wake Tech Community College.

I have also designed a variety of online courses at the graduate and undergraduate level. I am a graduate of Duke University, where I earned a B.A. in political science and history, and of Harvard Law School, where I earned a J.D.

Roger Pao
Business
rpao@linfield.edu 

I am a citizen of the United States and a former citizen of the European Union. I am also a British subject with a German last name and a Scottish first name! I have taught online for approximately 20 years. I teach online for Linn Benton Community College, Capella University and Linfield University. I am also a full-time member of faculty at Linn-Benton Community College, Albany, Oregon.

I was educated at The University of Lincoln (formerly University of Lincolnshire and Humberside) in the UK. My management experience includes being self-employed and chairing the business management department at Linn-Benton Community College.

Outside of education, I have a property management business and I am a musician and an entertainer, recently completing four years employment as an entertainer at the Embarcadero, Newport, Oregon.

Ian Priestman
Business
ipriest@linfield.edu 

I'm Dr. Ray! I am an instructor in the psychology department at Linfield University on the McMinnville campus.

Education:

• B.A. in psychology; Whitworth University (Spokane, WA)
• M.S. in Psychology; University of Oregon (Eugene, OR)
• Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology; University of Hawaii at Manoa (Honolulu, HI)

Research Focus: I investigate people's perceptions of what it means to be an "adult" (#adulting, anyone?). I consider how different demographic variables, including educational status, affect those perceptions.

Hobbies: I love reading (particularly fiction), crafting, baking, all things Harry Potter and playing with my three-year-old son!

Cara Ray
Psychology
cray@linfield.edu 

I had experienced firsthand how research and understanding a target audience applies to many business decisions throughout my career, especially when I co-founded Country USA in Wisconsin some 25 years ago. It was essential to ensure that this outdoor music festival would operate with complete integrity and be consumer-centric. As the director of marketing, I had to ensure our messaging was transparent and authentic and that the marketing strategies would yield the financial expectations of the organization.

I am a workforce development advocate who desires to help develop professionals and students seeking growth and success in the workplace to satisfy employer talent needs. You will see me bringing in real-time examples of what is happening in the business and relate it to our learnings.

Five years ago, I moved from Wisconsin to leave the white snow behind and traded that for the white sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. My daughter now lives in Texas, and my mother and most relatives and good friends still reside in Wisconsin. I often return to Wisconsin for visits.

I have been teaching for Linfield University for more than five years. I also instruct for five other universities nationwide.

Carla Rutley
Business
crutley@linfield.edu 

Dr. Lori Sanchez's educational journey spans across K-12 and higher education in both teaching and leadership positions. She also has a strong interest in international education and has visited approximately 60 countries. These combined experiences have afforded her the opportunity to maintain a global outlook on educational matters, including how to bring research and relevance together to create the best outcomes.

Lori Sanchez

lsanchez2@linfield.edu 

Kristi Strong has been studying and practicing yoga for more than 20 years. She received her teaching certification in 2004 from The White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA with teachers Ganga White and Tracey Rich. Since that time, she has continued her studies in Buddhism, mindfulness, various styles of yoga, biomechanics, and anatomy and physiology.

Kristi Strong
HHPA
kstrong@linfield.edu 

My name is Dr. Angela Thomas (please call me either Dr. A. or Dr. Angela). I grew up in Detroit, Michigan and went on to attend the University of Michigan for undergraduate school where I received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biopsychology and the cognitive sciences. I went on to the School of Public Health and received my Master's in Public Health (MPH) in health behavior and health education.

Throughout both my undergraduate and graduate studies, I worked in a variety of capacities in healthcare. I began as a work-study clerk, then an administrative intern, and finally a vestibular technologist (testing patients with dizziness to determine if the dizziness came from an inner ear problem). After graduating with the MPH, I sought a position in research and landed a job working as a research associate with a pelvic floor research group in obstetrics and gynecology. This position led to other positions in the department, including pelvic floor research group manager, and manager of research operations.

After five years of doing research administration, I decided to go back to school for a Master's in Business Administration and received that degree from Walsh College of Business. Later, a career opportunity moved me and my family to Washington, DC where I was the executive director of cardiovascular research administration for a major healthcare system in the DC/Baltimore/Virginia area. I then became the executive director of the MedStar Health Services Research Network for the same healthcare system and am now the vice president for healthcare delivery research where we look for ways to make healthcare more affordable, more accessible, safer and delivered with the highest quality.

I am also the executive lead for DC Safe Babies Safe Moms, an initiative to reduce disparities in adverse maternal and infant outcomes in DC. A major factor in doing any of these is understanding the diversity of populations we serve and the global landscape that influences our ability to deliver care locally! I went on to receive a Doctor of Public Health in advance practice leadership from the University of South Florida.

Throughout my career, I have had to train associates, managers and directors on many facets of healthcare, including public and community health. I am very passionate about what I do and enjoy the opportunity to teach others about public and community health.

My husband and I have been married for 16 years and have a blended family of five children ranging in age from 26 to 34. We also have an 11-year-old Yorkie named Macy! My hobbies include restoring old furniture, reading, singing, going to movies and writing.

Angela Thomas
HHPA
athomas@linfield.edu 

My name is Dr. Ben Thompson. My permanent residence is in Arlington, TX. I have more than 15 years of experience in academia and six of those years as a department chair. I also worked as a senior financial analyst for corporations Belo Corporation, which is the parent company of ABC Corporation and the Dallas Morning News, Primeco Telecommunications before they merged with Verizon, and the U.S Small Business Administration (Disaster Assistance Section). I have a doctoral degree with a concentration in finance from Walden University.

I am married with two elderly children and three grandchildren. My passion was soccer. I used the past tense because old age has a way of humbling you and has slowed me down a notch.

I look forward to your scholarly exchanges in the virtual classroom.

Ben Thompson
BNFN
bthompson@linfield.edu 

I would like to welcome you to Online and Continuing Education at Linfield University! I work as an IT consultant in Central Florida in Oracle technologies and e-commerce/e-business technologies. It isn't sitting behind a computer for most of the day that excites me, but it's the creative aspect that sparks my interest. Developing really allows both sides of my brain to work with the other. I seek very challenging and difficult work to improve myself. I have been a consultant for all my life (or so it feels that way) and love travel and challenging new work. I greatly enjoy the high stress and difficulty in new and innovative projects.

I am usually requested to join a company when there are strict deadlines or high-end projects. I also enjoy teaching, but due to my traveling, I am unable to teach in a classroom. Instead, I teach online and love it! I look forward to working with all of you online and getting to know all of you a little more before we get started.

Vincent Tran
Computer science
vtran@linfield.edu