Our professors are distinguished scholars, active researchers, published writers, and faithful Christians who demonstrate what it means to be both Christ-followers and leaders in their academic fields. As mentors and role models, they play a huge role in the integration of faith and learning at Bethel.
Department Chair
Julie Finnern
Department Chair | j-finnern@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2017
Dr. Finnern has an extensive background in Elementary Education and Education Administration.
Faculty
Linda Bahr
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Education | lbahr@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2006
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Education
Kim Bailey
Adjunct Instructor of Education | kib39769@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2018
Adjunct Instructor of Education
Steve Bennett
Associate Professor of Education | s-bennett@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2017
Areas of expertise include biology, chemistry and environmental education. Steve taught these subjects in high schools and community colleges in Michigan and Wisconsin. His research interest is the bridging of science teaching methods and cognitive science.
Susan Brooks
Professor of English | susan-brooks@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1998
Dr. Brooks works primarily with the Communication Arts and Literature Education major, preparing students to be high school and middle school English teachers. Her scholarship focuses on best practices in reading and writing--particularly how people's underlying ideas about the nature of literature affect the ways they read, write and teach. She specializes in young adult literature and recently had a chapter published in Teens and the New Religious Landscape: Essays on Religion in Young. . . read more.
Scott Brown
Professor of Mathematics Education | sbrown@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1996
Brown has years of practical classroom experience as a mathematics teacher in the public schools of Cody, Wyoming. He teaches a wide range of courses in both mathematics and education and oversees Bethel's 5-8 and 5-12 math education programs, ensuring compliance with Minnesota teacher licensure requirements.
Becky Carlson
Adjunct Instructor and Elementary Teaching Intern Placement Coordinator | becky-carlson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2003
Becky Carlson formerly served ten years as a fourth and fifth grade elementary teacher and began at Bethel University in 2003 serving as a supervisor for student teachers and practicum experiences. Carlson's work focuses on placing student teachers and practicum students in elementary schools and working with local Twin Cities school districts. Her current partnerships focuses on research on induction support for new teachers.
Patricia Danforth
Assistant Professor of Education Emerita | danpat@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1991
Assistant Professor of Education Emerita
Seann Dikkers
Associate Professor of Education | seann-dikkers@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2015
Seann Dikkers formerly served 14 years as a middle school history teacher, high school principal, and education consultant. Dikkers' work focuses on the integration of new media technologies for formal and informal educational settings. His books, "Real-Time Research," "Mobile Media Learning," and "TeacherCraft: How Teachers use Minecraft in the Classroom" (ETC Press) are helping educational innovators to integrate technology into classroom learning. Past project work includes CivWorld, the. . . read more.
Adele Greenlee
Professor of Education Emerita | a-greenlee@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1993
Professor of Education Emerita
Larry Gronewold
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Education | llg39694@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2018
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Education
Mary Hammond
Associate Professor of Education Emerita | hammarj@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1993
Associate Professor of Education Emerita
Dorothy Haugen
Assistant Professor of Physical Education Emerita | haudor@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1995
Assistant Professor of Physical Education Emerita
Steven Henkel
Professor of Physical Education | s-henkel@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1986
Henkel speaks and writes about creative movement, motor skill development, character development, and developmentally appropriate games for children and youth.
Sandi Horn
Associate Professor of Education | sandi-horn@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1997
Horn’s research interests include charter school development, experiential learning for teacher education candidates, and integration of social studies concepts into elementary curriculum. Her teaching specialties include introduction to education and elementary social studies methods.
Bonnie Houck
Associate Professor of Education (Literacy) | bhouck@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2016
Bonnie Houck has served as an educator for over twenty years. She has taught pre-kindergarten through postgraduate education, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, serving as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, and district literacy coordinator. Bonnie also served as the State Reading Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education for over five years, supporting the professional development of educators in research supported practices across the state. Sin. . . read more.
Lisa Kepple
Instructor of Health Education | patlis@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2015
Instructor of Human Kinetics and Applied Health Science
David Klostreich
Associate Professor of Physical Education Emeritus | klolois@comcast.net | Started at Bethel: 1970
Associate Professor of Physical Education Emeritus
Andre Koen
Adjunct Instructor of Education | ank73572@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2013
My focus is in multicultural education in K-12 educational setting and in workplace demographics as they apply to EEO challenges and ADA compliance.
Merry Kowalchuk
Adjunct Instructor of Education | mek26382@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2017
Adjunct Instructor of Education
Donna LeGrand
Associate Professor of Spanish Education | legdon@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1999
LeGrand developed and directs Bethel's Spain Term and oversees the World Languages and Cultures education program at Bethel. Her interests include teaching all levels of Spanish, teaching about and applying theories of second language acquisition, and researching 16th and 17th century literature from Spain and Latin America. LeGrand is on the board of the Minnesota Council of Teaching Languages and Cultures and has been president of the Minnesota chapter of the Association of Teachers of S. . . read more.
Elisabeth Lefebvre
Assistant Professor of Education | eel54258@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2018
Dr. Elisabeth E. Lefebvre is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at Bethel University. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative and International Development Education with a minor in Sociocultural Studies in Education from the University of Minnesota, and an M.A. in International Studies from the University of Oregon. Before attending graduate school, she worked as an elementary school teacher in Louisiana, USA, and in Morocco. Lefebvre's interdisciplinary research examines the m. . . read more.
Mary Lindell
Adjunct Associate Professor of Education | mlindell@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2015
I am interested in practices and interventions that support student success in inclusive environments. I enjoy facilitating general and special education teacher development and partnering with schools to better prepare teachers and serve (P-12) students well.
Jill Martin
Associate Professor of Education | jmartin@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1996
Martin’s scholarly interests include content area literacy, reflective teaching, and teacher’s use of metacognation. Her teaching specialties include secondary social studies, middle level philosophy and pedagogy, and educational psychology.
Jan Merrell
Adjunct Instructor of Education | jmm98944@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2018
Adjunct Instructor of Education
Michael Mignard
Director of Education Clinical Practice | m-mignard@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2002
Introduction to Education
Breanna Mueller
Adjunct Instructor of Education | brm22425@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2015
Adjunct Instructor of Education
Sara Nelson
Adjunct Instructor of Education | smn49478@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: Adjunct Instructor of Education
Adjunct Instructor of Education
Peggy Novak
Adjunct Associate Professor of Education | p-novak@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2015
Adjunct Associate Professor of Education
Patricia Paulson
Professor of Science Education | patricia-paulson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1999
Paulson focuses her research on trustworthy practices for learning science, focusing specifically on scientific practices. She has led the GEMS program, coordinates the STEM certification program, teaches Life Science Concepts, Applied STEM Practices, and Science Curriculum and Methods at all levels. Paulson also teaches in the Ed.D. program.
Jolene Pearson
Associate Professor and Program Director of Early Childhood | jolene-pearson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2012
Dr. Pearson has focused her research on pre-service teacher preparation. Her dissertation was entitled: Too Important to Ignore: Teaching Pre-Service Teachers about Infants and Toddlers. Her current research is focused on analysis of student's reflective journals to understand how they interpret their experiences in early childhood classrooms during practicums. In Fall 2018 her sabbatical research will take her to the University of Iceland, Queen Maud University in Norway, Roehampton Univ. . . read more.
Kari Peterman
Adjunct Instructor of Education | k-peterman@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2018
Adjunct Instructor of Education
Alison Peterson
Adjunct Instructor of Education | apeterso@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2005
Adjunct Instructor of Education
Linda Probert
Adjunct Associate Professor of Education | linda-probert@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1996
Beginning as an elementary teacher, Associate Professor Probert has taught at Bethel since 1996 in both the CAS and the Graduate levels. Her main responsibilities are teaching Reading Foundations and working with students as they complete their edTPA.
Jay Rasmussen
Professor Emeritus of Education | rasjay@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1997
I have now served for 27 years as a teacher educator and I am currently a Professor of Education at Bethel University. My teaching responsibilities include undergraduate and graduate level courses in literacy education and assessment. My administrative responsibilities include serving as a Faculty Development Coordinator at Bethel and as the Program Director for the M.A. Program in Education: K-12. From 1997-2006 I helped develop and oversee four master’s programs and one doctoral program. . . read more.
Mark Rhoads
Professor of Music Education | rhomar@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1988
Rhoads teaches courses in church music, music education, and gen. ed. arts courses. He is a member of the Hymn Society of the United States and Canada and is active in discussions on music and worship, with current research in American hymnody, especially the reform movement in the American Protestant church in the early 19th century. Rhoads is active in church music as director, hymn and tune writer, and worship planner. He also writes and publishes poetry.. . . read more.
Danny Swensen
Professor of Education | d-swensen@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2008
Areas of expertise include mathematics and physics education, education technology, and statistics.
Sarah Tahtinen-Pacheco
Associate Professor of TESL | s-tahtinen@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2006
30 years experience in teaching & research in: Teacher Education, Bilingual-Bicultural and World Languages and Cultures Ed.; Pre-K -Adult, Curriculum, Assessment, and Instructional Design, ESL/Bilingual/Foreign Language Program, Development & Evaluation, Faculty Development/Teaching Mentor, and Doctoral/Masters Thesis Advisor
Steven Thompson
Professor of Music Education | s-thompson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2002
Thompson teaches courses in instrumental conducting, instrumental pedagogies, private trumpet instruction, and conducts the Bethel Wind Symphony. Thompson maintains an active performing schedule as a trumpeter in the Upper Midwest and the Eastern United States. He is sought after as a clinician and as an adjudicator for numerous contest events.
Geri Von Grey
Associate Professor of Education | geri-vongrey@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2012
Associate Professor of Education
Louise Wilson
Associate Professor of Education Emerita | louise-wilson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1999
Associate Professor of Education Emerita
Sarah Wolfe
Adjunct Instructor of Education | sew79427@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2015
Adjunct Instructor of Education
Jodi Wolkerstorfer
Adjunct Instructor | woljod@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2015
Passionate about supporting students and families of those with special needs, including educating soon-to-be teachers on ways to collaborate and find success for all.
