Education Faculty | Bethel University

Sarah Tahtinen-Pacheco

Department Chair | s-tahtinen@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2006

30 years experience in teaching & research in: Teacher Education, Bilingual-Bicultural and 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 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

Assistant Professor of Education 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.

Traci Cox

Adjunct Assistant Professor | tjc35238@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2019

Traci's interests include reading instruction at the secondary level, instructional coaching, and teacher preparation. Her teaching specialties include middle and high school language arts, reading, instructional coaching, Six Trait Writing, and literacy integration.

Patricia Danforth

Assistant Professor of Education Emerita | danpat@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1991

Assistant Professor of Education Emerita

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

Dan Gruhlke

Adjunct Instructor of Education | dag89379@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: Spring 2020

Dan Gruhlke, fondly referred by preschoolers and kindergartners as Mr. G., serves community members in central Minnesota as an educator of the young, resource for their parents, and influencer of preservice teachers' development, particularly science education. Dan is married to Sandy who is full of wisdom and touches and shapes people through her writing, blog, and social media interaction. They live in the oak savanna's of the Hardwoods Biome along the banks of the Mississippi River.. . . read more.

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 Emerita | 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.

Nadine Johnson

Education Licensing and Advising Specialist | n-johnson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2012

Johnson focuses primarily on advising incoming first-time students and transfer students to the education department while also advising seniors through the licensure process as they journey forward into a teaching career.

Heather Johnson Ross

Partnerships Coordinator in Education | heather-ross@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2016

Heather's role is to support community partnerships, including the charter schools authorized by Bethel.

Lisa Kepple

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Education | patlis@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2015

Adjunct Assistant Professor 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

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 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 Spanish. . . 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.

Amber Marsh

Adjunct Instructor of Education | amm79593@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2019

Adjunct Instructor of Education

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

Jan Mrozinski

Adjunct Instructor of Special Education | j-mrozinski@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2016

Professor Mrozinski's education and experiences are in the fields of both mental health and special education. Given this background, she is interested in being a part of preparing teachers to serve students and families in ways that are professional, focused, and compassionate.

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 Emerita | patricia-paulson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1999

Paulson focuses her research on trustworthy practices for teaching and learning, focusing specifically on integrating scientific practices. She has led the GEMS program, coordinated the STEM program, and taught Life Science Concepts, Applied STEM Practices, and Science Curriculum and Methods at all levels. With the completion of her phased in retirement in June 2020, Paulson serves as an adjunct instructor in the Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership program, teaching the Curriculum and Inst. . . read more.

Jolene Pearson

Associate Professor of Education and Program Director of Early Childhood Education | 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

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.

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.

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