Graduate faculty
Department Chair & M.S.Ed. Program Director
Associate Professor
345F Morris Hall
tsvoboda@uwlax.edu
608.785.6759
Specialty areas:
intersections of gender, racial/ethnic, and social class identities; orientation, transition and retention programs; program assessment; budget management; supervision; social justice education
Ed.D. Program Director
Associate Professor
345 Morris Hall
belkins@uwlax.edu
608.785.6489
Specialty areas:
Higher education organization and governance; higher education history; student affairs law and policy; assessment of student learning and program efficiency; social class identity; and college students in recovery.
SAA Staff
Academic Department Associate
tconnelly@uwlax.edu
608.785.6869
Specialty areas:
Office Management
Development Skills Specialist
hdovalina@uwlax.edu
608.785.6869
Specialty areas:
Writing Consultant
Full-time Faculty
Associate Professor
345 Morris Hall
belkins@uwlax.edu
608.785.6489
Specialty areas:
Higher education organization and governance; higher education history; student affairs law and policy; assessment of student learning and program efficiency; social class identity; and college students in recovery.
Assistant Professor
345 Morris Hall
alozano@uwlax.edu
608.785.6871
Specialty areas:
Latinx Student Leadership Development; Student Development; Student Retention
Associate Professor
345F Morris Hall
tsvoboda@uwlax.edu
608.785.6759
Specialty areas:
intersections of gender, racial/ethnic, and social class identities; orientation, transition and retention programs; program assessment; budget management; supervision; social justice education
Professor
345D Morris Hall
jvianden@uwlax.edu
608.785.6870
Specialty areas:
College student persistence; Men and masculinities in higher education; Whiteness studies
Clinical and Affiliated Faculty
Kris Anderson
Charlotte Davidson
Independent Scholar
Specialty areas:
Indigenous/Diné Women, Indigenous/Diné Leadership, and Indigenous Higher Education
SAA Courses Taught:
810
Dre Domingue
Assistant Dean of Students at Davidson College
Specialty areas:
College student development, student leadership and activism, critical pedagogy and facilitation, campus equity and inclusion, Black feminist theory and intersectionality
SAA Courses Taught:
702, 820
Vitaliano Figueroa
Robin Hart Ruthenbeck
Dean of Students at Kenyon College
Specialty areas:
Specific areas of interest include new student transition, belonging, first-generation and underrepresented students, equity and inclusion and student accessibility.
Jaimie Hoffman
Leilani Kupo
Saby Labor
Director of Gender and Sexual Centers for Queer and Trans Life at The University of Minnesota
SAA Courses Taught:
700
Anh Le
PIESL (Programs in English as a Second Language) Advisor/Success Coach at The University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Specialty areas:
College Student Development, College Student Personnel, International Education, Asian and Asian American student development, International student development.
SAA Courses Taught:
706
Heidi Levine
Vice President for Student Development and Planning at Simpson College
Specialty areas:
College Mental Health & Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, and Crisis Management.
SAA Courses Taught:
840
Kristin McKinney
Specialty areas:
Institutional research and assessment.
Research on student experiences and outcomes, particularly related to co-curricular experiences and well-being.
Stacy Narcotta-Welp
Director of Student Support Services at UWL
Specialty areas:
Leadership development training and instruction, including Strengths-based Leadership, Culturally Intelligent Leadership, and NCBI workshops.
SAA Courses Taught:
704
Larry Ringgenberg
Director of University Centers at UWL
Specialty areas:
University Centers, Student Development, organizational development.
SAA Courses Taught:
702
Paul Shepherd
System Director for Student Development and Success at Minnesota State System
Specialty areas:
Student Engagement, Basic Needs Security, Co-curricular Assessment, Shared Governance, Leadership Development, Administration in Higher Education, Persistence, Sociodemographic differences in student engagement, Community Development.
SAA Courses Taught:
760
Kerri Smith
Assistant Director of Faculty Programs at New York University
Specialty areas:
Faculty and student affairs partnerships, assessment, residence life & housing services.
SAA Courses Taught:
825
Krista Soria
Director of Student Affairs Assessment at The University of Minnesota
Specialty areas:
Quantitative and qualitative research on the following topics: campus climate, the experiences of underrepresented and marginalized students (e.g., first-generation students, working-class students, BIPOC students), high-impact practices, students' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health, social class, leadership development, civic engagement, community service and service-learning, and strengths-based approaches in higher education.
SAA Courses Taught:
765
Mary Beth Vahala
Members of our community who are not listed individually above include:
- the many alumni who support our program in numerous ways, including volunteering their time to assist with recruiting, generously donating scholarships, and advancing our field in their positions, or
- the site supervisors at UWL and several other campuses who support master's students in graduate assistantships or practicum, or
- the many graduate faculty affiliated with our department who graciously support our doctoral students by serving on dissertation committees.
To connect with our broader communities, find us on Facebook or LinkedIn.