The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Sustainability program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is 100% online* and designed for working professionals from interdisciplinary fields in sustainability. The program will prepare graduates to be educators and leaders who hold a passion for transforming systems of teaching and learning. The curriculum is intended to provide students the opportunity to actively engage in coursework, research and professional practice in the field of sustainability. For the purpose of the degree, sustainability is broadly defined using the six core principles. Students can explore sustainability in one or more of these principles to personalize learning in the program.
ED.D. IN EDUCATIONAL
SUSTAINABILITY
DIRECTORY Student and Alumni
Student Directory Click on each name to jump to the page.
Hess, Gloria L.............................6 Young, Deb.................................7 Cohort 3
Kant, Jessica..............................9 Stricker-Orlovsky, Heather.......10 Cohort 4
Cohort 5
Coleman-Jayne, Colleen..........12 Lange, Lori...............................13 Lange, William.........................14
Mills, Kasia...............................15 Olsen, Pauline E.......................16 Sandstrom, Sara......................27
Schultz, Jean............................18 Wood, Lee................................19
Cohort 6
Ace, Ashley...............................21 Bowman, Monica.....................22 Davies, Ansleigh.......................23 Gambino, Elisabeth.................24 Johnson, Veronica....................25
Kane, Katie..............................26 Kneeland, Arthur ....................27 Kramer, Kate ...........................28 Mitchell, Jennifer.....................29 Nusz, Benjamin........................30
Nusz, Chamomile.....................31 Snarski, Maria..........................32 Sosa, Larissa............................33 Sumner, Brooke.......................34
Cohort 7
Abt, Kristin................................36 Burhop, Danielle......................37 Caballero Orozco, Luis Roberto...38 Foss, Angie...............................39 Gullickson, Michelle ...............40 Herek, Jennifer.........................41
James, Heidi.............................42 Holtzman, Sara........................43 Kuhry-Larsen, Ashlee..............44 Mendes, Ana C.........................45 Minch, Sam..............................46 Riebe, Katherine......................47
Schroeder, Jared......................48 Struckmeyer, Amanda.............49 Tidd, Rachel.............................50 Titterton, Michelle....................51 Williams, Jodi...........................52
Cohort 8
Cornelius, Gail..........................54 Davis, Laura.............................55 Davis, Rachel...........................56 Fong, Jessica............................57 Goracke, JoDee........................58 Howell, Alyse............................59 Bindrich, Robyn........................72 Christensen, Jeff......................73 Coho-Horvath, Justine.............74 DeLain, Leslie..........................75 Ehinger, Gabbie.......................76 Hausch, Chelsey......................77
Lane, Alexander.......................60 Mizgalski, Joelle.......................61 Nusinov, Terina........................62 Oberstadt, Heidi.......................63 Ratsaphonh-Withers, Alicia.....64 Scheer, David...........................65 Helms Kotre, Grace.................78 Johnson, Chris.........................79 Mahanna, Evan........................80 Martello Hanselman, Marti.....81 Pearson, Chelsea.....................82 Pitts, Erika................................83 Cohort 9
Seme, Nick...............................66 Simon, Matt.............................67 Swanson, Samantha...............68 Warzynski, Marissa..................69 Woldt, Amanda........................70
Sieber, Jenna...........................84 Trinkner, Aaron.........................85 Vang, Sue.................................86 Viray, James.............................87
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Alumni Directory Click on each name to jump to the page.
Aprill, Michael.................................89 Barros, Frank..................................89 Benedith, Julia “Jay”.......................89 Boesen, Robert...............................90 Boudjou, Urbain..............................90 Brown, Nathan................................90 Chabi, Deborah...............................91 Collier, Shelley.................................91 Cordaro, Jessica..............................91 Davis, Tiphani.................................92 DeDeker, Bo....................................92 Dresen, Chelsea.............................92 Eaton, Ashley...................................93 Folkman, Maxwell...........................93 Gaffney, Jess...................................93 Geddes, Mandy...............................94 Goetsch, Amanda...........................94 Goldberg, Sara................................94 Hankins, Kimberly..........................95 Harris, Jason...................................95 Holland, Rose..................................95 John, Rebecca.................................96 Kadoch, Aaron................................96 Kapsa, Stephanie...........................96 Kilmurray, Rose...............................97 Lee, Erin..........................................97 Lewis, Branden...............................97 Liesch, Jacqueline..........................98 Lloyd, Deanna.................................98 Loftland, Charles............................98 Mangan, Tara..................................99
McAllister, Kerri...............................99 Mendelson, Erin E..........................99 Miller-Porter, Angela.....................100 Mitchell, Shelley............................100 Norman, Emily..............................100 Nussbaum, Deborah....................101 Ortega, Jennifer............................101 Payne, Lynn...................................101 Payne, Stephanie Renee..............102 Pfisterer, Abby ...............................102 Pfundheller, Mariah......................102 Potter-Nelson, Liz..........................103 Redbird, Bethany..........................103 Reynolds, Desiree.........................103 Romero, Sergio.............................104 Rost-Allen, Rachael......................104 Rudinger, Belinda.........................104 Santry, Jennifer.............................105 Schaefer, Lyn.................................105 Schmierbach, Amy........................105 Schommer, Megan.......................106 Seehawer, Rebecca......................106 Solinsky, Cindy..............................106 Spielman, Riley.............................107 Turner, Leann................................107 Valentino, Heather........................107 VanderVegt, Tasia.........................108 Vedvig, Ashley...............................108 Wahl, Kim......................................108 Wilson, Shari.................................109 Yang, Xee.......................................109
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Welcome from the Director
It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome you all to the Educational Sustainability doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Through this program, I hope to empower and equip you with the knowledge, skills, and resources that you need to create positive change for a more sustainable future. As educators in schools, libraries, zoos, museums, neighborhoods, and beyond, we can advocate for action towards justice, equity, inclusive participation, and the regeneration and vitality of our communities and ecosystems. Striving for sustainability is not something we can do alone. In this program you will find a support system within your
cohort, amongst faculty and staff, and beyond to the Global Affiliate Scholars, and alumni. We are a community of learners–all of us–and I am so grateful to get to learn from each of you along this journey. Meeting in-person during residency has been transformational and I am grateful for all the moments; those when I have laughed or cried, painted sunsets, meditated, gone for walks around Schmeeckle Reserve, held snakes, and much more. This program is filled with trailblazers, each bringing their own unique lens to the doctoral process. To date, we have seen students complete article-focused dissertations, curriculum-focused dissertations, photovoice dissertations and videography-based dissertations. Our alumni are now professors, researchers, and practitioners—integrating sustainability into their work in the United States and around the world. Sustainability emerged as a field focused on solving complex, wicked problems. YOU are part of these solutions and give me hope for our future. I look forward to watching you grow in this program, follow your sustainability passions, and join our global community of scholars who are transforming systems of teaching and learning. Erin Redman, Ph.D. Professor and Director Educational Sustainability Doctoral Program University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
UW-Stevens Point
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Cohort 5
COHORT 3
PROFILES
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 3
Gloria L. Hess
EDUCATION • M.S. in Communication Northwestern University • B.S. in Speech: Radio-Television-Film & Sociology Northwestern University
ENROLLED • Cohort 3
LOCATION • Chicago, Ill.
Across a career spanning corporate, academic, and nonprofit sectors, Gloria has enjoyed roles in higher education administration, alumni and career services, employer relationship development, community services management, business communications, and marketing. Her most recent leadership role was as vice president of career services for an online school with multiple ground campuses serving nontraditional students. In that post, she designed and led a university-wide transformation of its career services, resulting in improved outcomes and higher user-satisfaction ratings. Prior to that, she launched an employer relations unit for a new career services office serving alumni, part-time and executive MBA students; then, for another master’s program for working professionals, she established career development services where none had existed before for its students and alumni. Today, Gloria currently serves as a board-certified career coach with a private practice based in Chicago, Illinois. Throughout the past two decades as a career services professional and career development expert, Gloria has worked with several post-graduate experienced-hire professionals, nontraditional adult learners, and clients who have encountered barriers to gainful employment. Reflecting upon their stories, she notes that their circumstances varied greatly, but common interconnected themes of discrimination and displacement emerged. It was the running memory of those stories that ultimately inspired her to make a difference on a broader scale beyond providing personalized assistance one client at a time or for the constituency of a particular institution. But having the “field experience” wasn’t enough to effectively make that transition from services provider to industry thought leader and change agent. She needed a doctoral degree. After years of contemplating which doctorate to pursue and which doctoral program to attend, it was ultimately the intersection of her three primary interests—employment, education, and the environment that brought Gloria to the Ed.D. Program in Educational Sustainability at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. It is through the Brundtland Commission’s far-reaching definition of sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” that Gloria applies her understanding of educational sustainability—using education as a tool to facilitate the meeting of those needs. With this doctorate, she specifically intends to transform continuing education within the career development field to better facilitate the employment sustainability of vulnerable populations. While Gloria is most passionate about helping older workers and job seekers overcome ageism in the workplace, she is also considering that her doctoral studies could extend to helping other vulnerable workers and job seekers, as well, including those from the disability community, those who are (or soon will be) practically displaced due to advancements in technology, and those who are (or soon will be) geographically displaced due to consequences of climate change. Born a “Cheesehead,” and having been raised on a dairy farm outside of Wonewoc, Gloria is thrilled to return to her proud Wisconsin roots. With a teenage son who is very clearly on a path toward biology and environmental science, she imagines that it is not outside the realm of possibility that they could very well become the first multigenerational graduates of this new program at UW-Stevens Point!
UW-Stevens Point
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Cohort 3
Deb Young
EDUCATION • M.S. in Training and Development UW-Stout • B.S. in Business Administration Lakeland College
ENROLLED • Cohort 3
LOCATION • Tomah, Wis.
Debbie Young is an educator and leader who holds a passion for transforming systems of teaching and learning, educational sustainability means taking an approach that seeks to make change for our society. As a teacher, or learner, or leader, Debbie strives to facilitate change. She believes through this educational approach, learners, teachers, organizations, communities, and government should better understand the complexity of the world around them and should encourage people and organizations to think in terms of relationships, connectedness, and context and motivate them to do something about sustainability – in their personal lives and within their community. Many of Debbie’s life experiences showcase examples of her interest in building socially, ecologically and economically sustainable communities and in transforming systems of teaching, learning and leadership. She was motivated to join the Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability due to the program’s learning goals and a strong desire to grow in the knowledge and skills that this program has to offer. One of the proudest accomplishments of Debbie’s life was earning her college degree. During the 1970s, her parents discussed college plans after high school graduation with her younger brothers, but it was not discussed as an option for her or her sister. The experience of being treated differently because of gender caused both her sister and her to be even more determined to go on to college. Debbie joined the Army when she was 19. She wanted to see the world, experience different roles as a woman, and attend college. It would take 14 years to complete a bachelor’s degree, pursuing her educational goals part-time when her military duties allowed. It was during one of her first assignments in the Army, she became an instructor and discovered a passion for teaching. While working as an Army Instructor, Debbie worked closely with curriculum developers and acquired an interest in instructional design systems. Another door opened right at the end of her undergraduate program when a graduate program in training and development was offered on the Army base. In 2014, Debbie started in a new position as the Tomah VA Medical Center’s Education Coordinator. In this role, she analyzes, develops and implements the Medical Center’s master educational plan, considering health care priorities and medical center goals and objectives; develop policies and procedures which provide guidance to services and units in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of education programs. She manages the local Leader Development Program and consider this one of her proudest accomplishments. This opportunity develops staff leadership skills and create a work environment in the facility that supports, encourages, and grows servant leaders. The program strengthens a commitment to sustain an organizational climate that is focused on quality of service through leadership actions, builds a sense of community, and builds strategic skills for effective decision making, strategy development, and implementation. Additional examples of service within Debbie’s community include her as an active member of the local American Association of University Women (AAUW), the American Legion, and the Disabled American Veteran Tomah Chapters. AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research, believing that together we can transform society for the better. The American Legion is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization aimed at advocating patriotism across the U.S. through diverse programs. The Disabled American Veterans organization is dedicated to empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. In the past, I have also been a Girl Scout leader and trainer and taught religious education in my community. Over the last 40 years, Debbie has worked to establish herself as an educator, a systems thinker, and a leader in her professional and personal life. She believes firmly that the field of educational sustainability resonates with her mind and spirit and will support her life and career goals. As an educator and leader who holds a passion for transforming systems of teaching and learning, Debbie can see how her past experiences align with sustainability. She believes that education will help not only herself but also help other people understand the complexity of the world around them. She is a self-directed, independent learner, who also enjoys learning and working collaboratively with a group. Debbie loves the idea of transforming teaching and learning and as a life-long learner, she is encouraged and open to learn how she can learn better as a student. As Debbie reviewed the six core principles, she was drawn towards two areas specifically, transformative learning and systems thinking. She has studied and worked in these areas for years and am interested in learning not only more about these two areas but strives to learn more about the other four core principles.
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 5
COHORT 4
PROFILES
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Cohort 4
Jessica Kant
EDUCATION • M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology UW-Stevens Point • B.S. in Communicative Disorders UW-Stevens Point
ENROLLED • Cohort 4
LOCATION • Brentwood, Calif.
Jessica Kant was raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with nature as her playground. She freely explored the land and participated in immersive activities like Girl Scouts and 4-H that instilled worldly knowledge, curiosity, self- determination, and independence. This inspired her to seek out a helping career to assist others overcome communicative and cognitive challenges and become capable, expressive individuals who can relate to each other and the world. Jessica has worked as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) across medical and educational settings. She began her career as an elementary and high school SLP in northern Wisconsin where she focused on delivering naturalistic early childhood special-education services in community settings. After moving to California, Jessica worked for Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, one of only 21 remaining public health systems and safety-net facilities in the state. She provided rehabilitative communication, cognition, and swallowing services to underserved adults following medical events that often resulted from drug overdose, persistent homelessness, incarceration, or fear of accessing health care; and also completed multidisciplinary assessments of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She currently evaluates and treats children with communication impairments at the Brentwood Union School District special education preschool program. Childhood communication and mental-health disorders that require special education services are on the rise and Jessica is interested in examining early familial interactions and educational practices to better understand this shift. This knowledge could identify barriers and inspire parents, educators, doctors, policy makers, and others to promote more simplistic and explorative early childhood experiences that better support communication and brain development and result in a reduced need for specialized instruction. Jessica believes a sustainable world is one that fosters an affinity for life with intentional and meaningful connectedness to other living beings and nature as the cornerstone of development; something that everyone is capable of giving and receiving despite ability or status.
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 4
Heather Stricker-Orlovsky
EDUCATION • M.S. in Conservation Biology Central Michigan University • B.S. in Animal Ecology Iowa State University
ENROLLED • Cohort 4
LOCATION • Rhinelander, Wis.
Heather Stricker-Orlovsky has spent the last 15 years working as a wildlife and conservation biologist, with specialties in forest ecology, large carnivores, geographic information systems, and biodiversity. Heather has worked for various universities, state agencies and tribal governments, and is currently in a joint research position between the UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. Noticing a lack of impact and disconnect between scientific research and society, Heather began to search for stronger meaning in her work to find ways to foster relationships between people and the natural world. Prompted by her personal transition into motherhood, she became driven to improve access to nature for children and communities in order to foster this important relationship. Heather found grounding and a place for her ideas in the Educational Sustainability program at UWSP. Heather intends to effectively combine her expertise in ecology and conservation with her experiences in indigenous cultures, incorporating aspects of place-based learning, traditional ecological knowledge and other cultural ties that relate people to their environment. Heather intends to research various educational pedagogies to identify the most effective and engaging techniques to synthesize them into a comprehensive educational paradigm that benefits humans and the planet by creating inspired learners with full capacity to tackle complex environmental issues. While she has a strong interest in childhood relationships to nature, Heather envisions outcomes of her work extending to adult and in-service educational and scientific communities, creating strong leadership in environmental sustainability. Heather resides in northern Wisconsin with her husband, two young sons, two dogs, and a fish. While the family loves spending time in the woods and waters of the Northwoods, Heather and her family also spend lots of time exploring the fields and farms of Iowa where Heather grew up.
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Cohort 5
COHORT 5
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 5
Colleen Coleman-Jayne
EDUCATION • M.A. in Teaching
Lewis and Clark College • B.S. in Marine Biology University of Oregon
ENROLLED • Cohort 5
LOCATION • Evansville, Wis.
Colleen Coleman-Jayne is a caring and dedicated science educator. This year she will be starting her seventh year of teaching, working for Whitewater Unified School District in Whitewater, Wis. Colleen intended for her career to be in marine ecology research, but after an unexpected experience teaching outdoor education she dedicated part of her college career to exploring environmental education as a minor. Colleen took a course covering environmental education theory and practice, where she chose the Pacific Northwest intertidal ecosystem as the focus for developing curricula that would create an opportunity for local K-12 students to engage in high-level inquiry concerning intertidal ecosystems. While creating and implementing her curricula, she was fortunate to connect with established programs like NSF, GK-12, and South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, from which she garnered best-practice teaching techniques for delivering environment education in K-12 science education. Colleen has been using environmental education as the foundation for transforming high school science curricula. Now, Colleen feels compelled to advance her career by obtaining a Doctorate of Education in Sustainable Education at UW-Stevens Point in order to deliver best-practice teaching to her students by researching education methods that will advocate social equity, social justice, and scientific literacy.
UW-Stevens Point
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Cohort 5
Lori Lange
EDUCATION • M.A. in Education and Special Education Aurora University • B.A. in Cultural Anthroplogy and History University of California Santa Barbara
ENROLLED • Cohort 5
LOCATION • Walworth, Wis.
Growing up in a very transient lifestyle, Lori Lange often felt at a disadvantage among peers of the same age. Through strong adult models, Lori gained the confidence needed to take risks and expand her educational goals. This resulted in increased self esteem, better job opportunities, which provided access to an increased amount of educated adults, resulting in a better lifestyle. Through the educational sustainability doctoral program, Lori plans to focus her studies on enhancing learning opportunities inK-12 self contained education. Her focus is on increasing lifetime holistic wellness through community belonging among the Intellectually Disabled. Lori will utilize Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in a rural community by increasing independence and participation within the community of the intellectually disabled residing there. By addressing Physiological needs, (food, water, warmth, rest), with Safety needs (Security, safety), Belongingness (intimate relationships, friends), Esteem needs (prestige, feeling of accomplishment) then one can obtain Self-Actualization (achieving one’s full potential, including creative activities) Lori believes this will decrease health issues and increase life expectancy of the individual.
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 5
William Lange
EDUCATION • M.A. in Education Aurora University • B.A. in Cultural Anthroplogy and History University of California Santa Barbara
ENROLLED • Cohort 5
LOCATION • Walworth, Wis.
Bill Lange is an educator working at Cudahy High School in Cudahy, Wisconsin. Bill teaches multiple levels of Mechanical Engineering Design, Electronics and Circuitry, Robotics and runs a Maker-space. Bill is also an active member of the schools diversity club and oversees Anime Club, Dungeons and Dragons Club and often coaches e-sports. Bills research interests lie in the sustainability of School CTE programs. Sustainable design in Engineering. Creating sustainability in project based learning. Should school CTE programs continue to push student into trades and away from higher education or is it possible to meld the two into a far more sustainable solution. Can we prepare students for the jobs of the future. What do future ready students really look like. When not working or studying Bill enjoys spending time cycling, practicing Tai Chi and reading. Additionally he volunteers for Special Olympics and a theater group dedicated to working with the disabled.
UW-Stevens Point
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Cohort 5
Kasia Mills
EDUCATION • M.A. in Development Studies University of Auckland • B.A. in Anthropology and Political Science Hunter College
ENROLLED • Cohort 5
LOCATION • De Pere, Wis.
Kasia Mills is an assessment coordinator and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. In her current position, she works closely with faculty, staff and administrators to collaborate on assessment projects and to foster a culture of inquiry, critical self-reflection, evidence-based decision making and a learner-centered environment. Her perspective of sustainability is rooted in inclusiveness, in that sustainability will only be realized when people who have been consistently marginalized in society can access, participate and equally benefit from our foundational institutions. For over 20 years, Kasia has worked on a variety of social justice issues, including affordable housing, community development, equitable urbanization processes, disability rights, refugees, and educational access. Her work domestically and internationally has brought engagement with international NGOs, foreign governments, community groups, and educational institutions. Yet it is her passion for effective and impactful programming that drives her current research as a doctoral student. Kasia’s research in the Educational Sustainability program is focused on the assessment of complex issues in the higher education setting. She plans to explore Wisconsin’s universities and their work towards diversity, equity and inclusion, with a focus on their steps taken to monitor and assess the programming. Other interests include inclusive pedagogy and curriculum design, as well as faculty training. Her vision is an accessible postsecondary education system that leverages and boosts Wisconsin’s increasingly diverse population. Outside of her professional and academic career, Kasia volunteers her time to support local schools and non-profit organizations.
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 5
Pauline E. Olsen
EDUCATION • Master’s in Education in Learning Tech and Media University of Minnesota • M.A. in History UW-Eau Claire • B.A. in Latin American Studies and Spanish Flagler College ENROLLED • Cohort 5 LOCATION • Ontario, Wis.
Pauline E. Olsen believes all humans and animals are global citizens with responsibilities to each other, one’s family and culture (or cultures), to the community, and to the survivorship and sustainability of the globe. Her deepest desire would to be an agent of change in the development of just and equitable educational approaches to transfer ancient engineering water practices to water and food-poor cultures of today. Pauline believes that each of us has untapped potential, and that compassion and empathy can be learned. She has a ‘recently discovered’ limited patience for political stupidity. The eldest of six, Pauline grew up in Lima, Peru, four states of the Midwest, Florida and Mexico and considers herself a ‘Third-Culture Child’ who grew into a ‘Third-Culture Adult’. She taught high school Spanish and history for seven years in the inner cities of Milwaukee and Kansas City. She taught intermediate and advanced Spanish as an Adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and University of Wisconsin-Stout, as well as English at the University of Guanajuato, GTO, Mexico. She spent seven years teaching and learning in Asia in Okinawa and Guam, for the Department of Defense Education Activities and the last two years, living, learning, and teaching middle school history, Humanities and Spanish for the DOD in Germany. Pauline will work to make education a conduit for sustainable practices for lives across systems and cultures. She believes equitable access to education for all girls and women could ultimately move the planet’s economic systems away from capitalism and engage all members of the global community in sustainable, just, equitable, ecological, educational, and economic practices that solve the problems of today, for tomorrow’s children. Pauline’s first passion is reading. She loves museums...and sports of many kinds and has been a high school and middle school girls’ soccer coach, a middle school boys’ basketball coach (with her son, Noah) and a soccer, cross country, and basketball mom to her three sons. She can be found practicing yoga, lifting weights, or hiking with her funny puggle, Phoebe or being a ‘cat mom’ to her Okinawan rescue kitty, Aliyah-Minerva. Her best and favorite job, however, is mom and travel companion to her four amazing human children, Ari, Addison, Noah, and shopping partner, daughter Charlotte. They, by birth, have a foot in at least two cultures: Mexico and the United States, and have had many traveling adventures in other cultures. They continue to inspire her, teach her, and keep her on her toes.
UW-Stevens Point
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Cohort 5
Sara Sandstrom
EDUCATION • M.A. in Social, Multicultural, and Bilingual Foundations of Education/Linguistically Diverse Education (K-12) University of Colorado • B.S. in Secondary Education and Social Studies Concordia University
ENROLLED • Cohort 5
LOCATION • Rollinsville, Colo.
Sara Sandstrom comes from a family of educators. Teaching is an undeniable part of her character. She grew up in rural areas in Indiana, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Each place different and unique that put her on a path of learning and knowing that every place she goes has beauty and every person she meets has worth. After graduating with a degree in secondary social studies education Sara accepted a teaching position at a high school in Tisovec, Slovakia. Sara taught English and history at the Evanjelicke Gymnazium in Tisovec for two years. Sara has taught in a variety of schools in the United States; public, private, charter, rural and urban. She finds teaching history and geography with primary sources, music and from all points of view gives students a more accurate view of events and culture. She also is a true advocate for the English Language Learners in her school. Sara sees herself as an as an advocate for all students who are underserved or do not “fit” in the education system. Her advocacy starts quietly by showing that she cares for the students and their families. It is about making connections and building a student’s confidence in a system that tells them too often that they are not good enough. Sara is endlessly curious about the world around her. The history and culture of where she visits and where she lives. She loves to hear peoples stories and works to keep them alive, so they are not lost to history. Sara wants to bring the voices that are silenced in our society and make them heard in our classrooms and in our communities. When all students see people like them integrated into their lessons, not just one month a year, they will see themselves and see their value in our society. Then, we can sustain a society where all people feel like they have an equal place at the table. As a journalist Sara uses her voice in her local newspaper to inform her readers about sustainability. A story about the farmer market is not only about the fresh veggies. Sara shares with her community that they are playing a role in reducing the carbon footprint and thus creating a more sustainable planet. When there is a chance Sara does not shy away from challenging her readers. For example, to think beyond hot dogs and parades on the Fourth of July. She wants them to consider how Native Americans might feel on this National holiday. Sara sees herself as one woman in a small mountain town and in a small mountain school trying to change hearts and minds. She wants people to think beyond the same old patterns we have seen and been taught time and time again. To create a society where everyone is proud to speak their native language. To create a society where everyone can proudly show what religion they believe in. To be in a society where the color of your skin does not bring judgment to your character. To be in a society where we are all valued.
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 5
Jean Schultz
EDUCATION • M.S. in Sustainable Management UW-Parkside • B.S. in Geography-Physical Environment and German UW-Stevens Point
ENROLLED • Cohort 5
LOCATION • Franklin, Wis.
Jean Schultz’s family has a love for nature. Growing up, she spent her summers in Northern Wisconsin with her grandparents learning to appreciate and protect the wonders of nature. This love of nature led Jean into a career of environmental protection. Over time this love grew to protect environmental and public health. As she learned about environmental contamination from human activities, Jean also learned about health impacts from the built environment. This knowledge led her into a career in Public Health where she is currently the Director/Health Officer for Polk County, Wisconsin. She has witnessed firsthand how economic and social factors influence people’s living and working conditions. Jean believes that health inequalities can be prevented and reversed. No person’s health should be negatively impacted because of their surrounding build environment. Utilizing a systems thinking approach can reduce health inequities to improve human and environmental health now and for future generations. Her educational background includes a B.S. in Geography: Physical Environment and German from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She received her M.S. in Sustainable Management from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Jean also is enrolled in the Doctorate of Education in Educational Sustainability program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She plans on studying how to address health inequities through a sustainable lens.
UW-Stevens Point
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Cohort 5
Lee Wood
EDUCATION • M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee • B.S. in Liberal Arts Excelsior College • Associate of Arts Degree Milwaukee Area Technical College ENROLLED • Cohort 5
LOCATION • Milwaukee, Wis.
Lee Wood is an assistant principal in the Milwaukee Public School District. He has worked in the Milwaukee Public School District for approximately 20 years. During his time at Milwaukee Public Schools, he also served in the U.S. Navy for 27 years, retired in 2017. Over this time, he has experienced many different circumstances that have resulted in many different beliefs regarding education. The idea that stands out the most is that education is the key to existence and economic growth. He received his knowledge in the Milwaukee Public School District, he enjoys teaching and being around the young men and women from the same area where he still resides. This allows him to see his students’ goals and teach them the truth about the obstacles they may face as they attempt to achieve these goals. Leden feels the primary purpose of education is the overall development of a student. Its purpose is to develop a student into a complete, whole, and integrated person. His desire to prepare children for the future has pushed me to establish creative ways to reach the students and teach them from a perspective they can understand and to which they can relate. The reason the Ed.D. program was so captivating to him aligned with his vision to be a transformational leader and get all community stakeholders to prepare students for college and careers. He will inspire and empower students to excel academically and socially while preparing them to be productive citizens and future leaders. Leden strives to provide a nurturing and safe environment that fosters a rigorous academic and technical curriculum to prepare students to become lifelong learners.
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Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 5
COHORT 6
PROFILES
UW-Stevens Point
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Cohort 6
Ashley Ace
EDUCATION • M.S. in Education Viterbo University • B.S. in Elementary Education UW-Platteville
ENROLLED • Cohort 6
LOCATION • Verona, Wis.
Ashley Ace has spent 14 years in public education throughout a variety of early childhood and elementary education settings in Southern Wisconsin. I believe with my whole being that a school is at its best when all voices are heard and when different cultures and experiences come together to meet the needs of all students. I have immersed myself in opportunities to learn more about equitable practices and what it means to be an anti-racist educator. I have participated in multiple Equity Institutes with Middleton Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD), helping to facilitate one of the institutes; Building Culturally Responsive Systems with the RTI Center;Responsive Classroom Training in Chicago; Integrated Comprehensive Systems for Equity Part1 & 2 with UW- Madison; and The History and Structure of the Hidden Curriculum: A Deep Examination of the Binary Code (Black and White) with MCPASD. Institutional racism has had a large impact on K-12 education. We see the systems and the top-down effect on our students and staff everyday. Our discipline and behavioral systems in K-12education affect our black and brown students much more than they affect our white students. The way we teach and expect our children to “sit and get” for hours at a time is a historical Eurocentric way of teaching. I think that educators need to be open to thinking outside of the box and changing the ways we have always taught. We need to take our cues from our students,their interests, and their ways of thinking to help support them in taking ownership of their own learning.
21
Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 6
Monica Bowman
EDUCATION • M.A.T. in Biology Indiana University • B.S. in Biology Indiana University
ENROLLED • Cohort 6
LOCATION • Ballwin, Mo.
Monica Bowman retired after over 32 years of teaching science at the secondary public-school level in school districts in South Bend, Indiana, and the Saint Louis Metropolitan Area. She has experience teaching seventh grade general science, biology, chemistry,oceanography, environmental science, anatomy & physiology, and personal finance at various levels. She coached several extra- curricular teams over the years including Envirothon, Science Olympiad, Lexus EcoChallenge, Academic Decathlon, and Speech and Debate. In addition to advocating for her Districts to help encourage students of diverse backgrounds to enter challenging STEM coursework, she helped to encourage the initiation of the Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a new more energy-efficient high school, and a more collaborative K-12 approach towards sustainable practices that included members of the community and various academic disciplines within her last school district. Monica has presented on multiple occasions at national conferences such as National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and other more local events in the Saint Louis area. She is hoping to continue sharing her experience by helping to produce an updated secondary life science curriculum that discusses sustainability practices implemented by indigenous cultures and how we can encourage future generations of students to creatively generate sustainable solutions. She hopes to encourage future STEM students and staff to be the positive agents of change.
UW-Stevens Point
22
Cohort 6
Ansleigh Davies
EDUCATION • M.A. in Secondary Education in Mathematics University of Alabama at Birmingham • B.S. in Mathematics Birmingham-Southern College
ENROLLED • Cohort 6
LOCATION • Birmingham, Ala.
Ansleigh Davies believes a sustainable future is one centered in community and environmental stewardship. This future is possible through quality education and swift climate action. Ansleigh joined UWSP’s Educational Sustainability doctoral program to become a part of the community doing the work and research necessary to make this future a reality. Ansleigh received her bachelor’s in Mathematics from Birmingham-Southern College and her master’s in Secondary Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She works as a middle school math teacher for the Birmingham City Schools district, where she has served on the curriculum and assessment committees for the district, coordinated the after-school math and English language arts tutoring programs, and served as the school coordinator for district-wide math tournaments. Each of these programs is improving the quality and variety of educational opportunities for her students. She also secured grants to improve school-wide resources for students, such as culturally relevant books for the library and Positive Behavior Intervention and Support incentives. Finally she built a school garden and facilitates both academic and social-emotional lessons using the garden to help students connect to the natural world. Through these lessons, Ansleigh hopes to foster a sense of responsibility to the environment and to each other in her students. Ansleigh serves outside of work to enact solid, meaningful climate legislation in Birmingham. To that end, she sits on the Alabama Environmental Council’s Junior Board and the Greater Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution’s Green New Deal Committee. She also volunteers with local mutual aid groups and urban farms which are building and sustaining communities throughout Birmingham. Ansleigh lives with her partner and their two cats. She loves reading, traveling, ice skating, and gardening. Ansleigh believes that care for the planet is care for people and that, through collective action, people can help heal much of the harm done to the planet. These beliefs, coupled with her passion for education, inspire her to work toward quality education as sustainability for all students. She is eager to contribute to UWSP’s Educational Sustainability program through research focused on sustainability in K-12 education and will use her experience in this program to improve educational experiences for students, helping build a future centered in community and stewardship.
23
Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 6
Elisabeth Gambino
EDUCATION • MFA in Illustration Savannah College of Art and Design • B.A. in Studio Art, Writing, and International Studies Hampshire College
ENROLLED • Cohort 6
LOCATION • Baltimore, Md.
Elisabeth Gambino is a Professor of Visual Arts for Bard Early Colleges and has taught in Baltimore City Public Schools for over 16 years. Elisabeth earned an MFA from SCAD in 2005, and studied education at Johns Hopkins after earning a B.A. on the arts and social change through writing, international studies, and studio art at Hampshire College. Sustainability has been a passion of hers since 1997; and in 2000-2001 she studied international development and culture with SIT in Mali and IPSL in South Dakota. She assisted curator Mary Jane Jacob with the Evoking History public art series at Spoleto Festival USA, which illuminated the history of slavery and race in Charleston for an international audience. A global educator and experienced curriculum developer, Elisabeth is a two-time Bard Early College Fellow, with work focusing on arts integration and student- driven, project based learning. Fellowships with Earthwatch in Kenya and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation helped to kick start her inclusion of sustainability in the art room. Through the Maryland State Department of Education, Elisabeth has trained teachers on incorporating environmental education, visual storytelling, and project based learning. A 2017 Grosvenor Teaching Fellowship with the National Geographic Society in Alaska and a 2018 Fellowship with the National Endowment for Humanities in Montana and Yellowstone National Park deepened her understanding of sustainability in the U.S. Elisabeth is a three-time Fulbrighter, researching culture and biodiversity in Ecuador, art and culture in Mexico, and culture and education in Morocco and Japan. At Bard Early College Baltimore, she currently teaches college level courses including Environmental Humanities. She is committed to applying reflective practices of art-making to positively impact communities and relationships, guiding students to use the power of the arts to advocate on local and global issues.
UW-Stevens Point
24
Cohort 6
Veronica Johnson EDUCATION • MBA – Sustainability Bard College • B.A. in Environmental Engineering Rice University
ENROLLED • Cohort 6
LOCATION • Georgetown, Texas
Veronica Johnson is a sustainability professional with five years of experience in higher education. She is a strong advocate for social justice, human rights, climate action, wildlife conservation, and advancing the circular economy. Through collaborations with campus stakeholders, she strives to equip higher education students with the knowledge and skills to make a sustainable difference in local communities and beyond. She earned a B.A. in Environmental Engineering from Rice University in 2016. During her undergrad, she interned in Rice University’s Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management. In her role, she established and grew the “Sustainability at Rice” brand through active social media engagement, the creation of a campus sustainability e-newsletter, and the redesign of the sustainability.rice.edu website. She also co-developed a proposal to implement a stand-alone BS Environmental Science degree. She earned an MBA in Sustainability from Bard College in 2021. During her graduate program, she started as Southwestern University’s first-ever sustainability coordinator. In that role, she administered numerous programs to promote campus sustainability to students, faculty, staff, and the Georgetown community; facilitated a campus-wide sustainability strategic plan; oversaw the sustainability grant program; spearheaded Southwestern University’s STARS data collection and reporting process, earning the institution’s first gold rating to date. She began pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2022. Starting in August, she will start her new role as the academics and engagement program manager at Santa Clara University’s Center for Sustainability.
25
Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability
Cohort 6
Katie Kane
EDUCATION • M.A. in Education: Special Education Truman State University • B.A. in English – Creative Writing Truman State University
ENROLLED • Cohort 6
LOCATION • St. Louis, Mo.
Katie Kane is a Peruvian adoptee with indigenous Quechua roots, who was raised in the suburbs of St. Louis. Growing up she witnessed and experienced systemic racism and knew that she had to fight for social justice. She has spent the last eight years teaching as a high school special educator. She is the lead teacher for her school’s social emotional behavioral program and is working to build a holistic curriculum using restorative justice, social emotional learning, and land based cross-cultural education. As a member of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, Green Team Committee, and Character Education Committee, she believes in Sterling’s assertion that sustainable education is transformative and engages the whole person and the whole learning institution (Sterling, 2009). As a doctoral student of Educational Sustainability, Katie hopes to enhance her career creating a sustainable future. She is called to this work because she has the passion and drive to find creative ways to keep moving forward and fighting for social justice in this diverse world. She knows she can effect change from anywhere on the globe because everything and everyone is connected–that is educational sustainability. When she is not teaching or learning as a student of UWSP, Katie is spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys reading, crafting, puzzles, hiking, gardening, and making her house as ecologically sustainable as possible.
UW-Stevens Point
26
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