Biography

Sumner College of Health Sciences (SCHS) is the realization of a dream. Now professional nurses can earn a graduate degree in anesthesia and not leave their community or family commitments. After 31 years as a professional educator, I am proud to have led the design of this new paradigm for science education.

From a two-teacher school in the Blue Ridge Mountains where I first began teaching, my career has given me the opportunity to teach and administer at all levels of education: elementary and middle schools, day and boarding high schools, a stand-alone anesthesia school, and universities.  I have been a teacher, a principal, site director, professor, and director of distance learning.

As an administrator I was responsible for finding the best staff available for student-centered learning. Among my other accomplishments, I have led a university into distance education degree programs and an anesthesia program into simulated learning. It was these experiences that provided me the background and passion to design a program that would treat nurses and hospital personnel as the professionals they are: busy, already committed to family and community, but with a strong desire to obtain an excellent graduate degree.

My doctorate is from the University of Virginia in Higher Education Administration and Curriculum. I am proud to be a part of the dynamic changes that the Internet and new technologies are bringing to education. To continue to stay in touch with all levels of teaching and learning, I occasionally consult or teach a graduate course in my specialization: leadership, curriculum design, evaluation/measurement, and learning theory.

A healthy life needs to be balanced, and when I'm not working I spend my free time hiking with my sons, enjoying the desert sunset or a swim at the beach. I love all creatures great and small and have dogs, birds, exotic fish and horses.  I'll forever be a student of history, and I enjoy restoring old cars. In other words, I love free time. When designing SCHS, we created a program that minimizes wasted time and maximizes time for students to do the things they enjoy.

The most important part of my life is service. I have a deep respect for the dignity of living things and especially the crowning act of His creation - man. I am looking forward to spending the last quarter of my life developing an educational program that integrates the best teaching and learning in a vibrant, supportive and rewarding environment tailored for adult professionals.