Northwest welcomes new employees to begin 2021-22

Faith Adkins is an academic scheduling specialist in the registrar’s office. She earned her bachelor’s degree in May at Northwest in business management.

Dr. Nina Adanin is an assistant professor of recreation in the School of Health Science and Wellness. Her previous professional experience includes work as a teaching and lab assistant at Ohio University’s Data Analytics and Academic Technology Center. She also was assistant director of Kotor Bay Tours in Montenegro and manager of the National Sports Association of Serbia. She has a Ph.D. in innovative learning design and technology with master’s degrees in educational research and evaluation and outdoor recreation and education, all from Ohio University. She also has bachelor’s degrees in sport management and sports coaching.

Dyan Akkouche is an assistant professor of art education in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. His professional experience includes roles as a Catron Visiting Artist, lecturer of art education at Washburn University and a K-12 art educator. She has a master’s degree in education from Texas State University and a Master of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University Carbondale as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kansas State University.

Ali AlAli is a lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems. He joins the faculty after earning a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and a master’s degree in information systems, both at Northwest.

Dana Barnes joined Northwest in July as a facilitator of curriculum and instruction at the Regional Professional Development Center. Most recently, she was an assistant elementary administrator in the Mid-Buchanan School District and an elementary administrator and special education director in the West Nodaway R-I School District. In 23 years as an educator, she also has classroom experience in grades second through fifth, as a reading specialist and literacy coach and as director of the Prairie Lands Writing Project summer institute at Missouri Western State University. She has master’s degrees in reading and literacy, K-12 reading specialist, from Walden University and in administration from William Woods University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Graceland University. 

Julie Boucher-Moore is a secretary in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Most recently, she was as an access representative with Mosaic Medical Center-Maryville. She also worked at SSM Health Care for nine years where she served with the Mission Awareness Team and the clinic communication team.

Rhonda Brown is an instructor of mathematics and statistics in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. She previously was a developmental math specialist and math faculty member at Missouri Western State University. She has a master’s degree in teaching mathematics from Northwest and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Kevin Cagg joined Northwest in April as a manager of information security in the Office of Information Technology. He spent the previous 30 years with Heartland Health and Mosaic Life Care, most recently at the director level with responsibility for network infrastructure, telecommunications, help desk, biomed and enterprise applications. He has a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in computer science information, both from Missouri Western State University.

Weston Carter joined Northwest in May as a Title IX and equity coordinator in the Office of Title IX and Equity. He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in corporate finance at Northwest.

Jacquie Cason started at Northwest in July as an assistant volleyball coach in the Department of Athletics. She served the last two years as a graduate assistant coach at Northwest. Previously, she was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Eastern Illinois University and Nicholls State University, and she coached at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Texas at El Paso and her master’s degree in applied health sciences at Northwest.

Jake Coffman began at Northwest in July as an assistant athletic trainer in the Department of Athletics. Previously, he worked as an athletic training intern at the University of Florida where he earned his master’s degree in applied physiology and innersole. He has a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Corey Cross began work at Northwest in February and is a driver in Maintenance Operations.

Quaid Curtin joined Northwest in July as an assistant soccer coach in the Department of athletics.

Dr. John Dailey is an assistant professor in the School of Communication and Mass Media. His 30 years in higher education have included a variety of faculty roles while teaching communication, television production, interactive media and media design at Missouri State University, University of Kentucky, Ball State University, University of the Ozarks in Arkansas, and Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. He also worked in live television production in Kentucky, serving in every capacity from studio camera operator through electronic graphics artist to on-air director. He earned his Ph.D. in communication at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and he earned both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees at the University of Kentucky.

Roberto Davis joined Northwest in February as an assistant football coach in the Department of Athletics. He returns after one year on the staff of Wayne State College in Nebraska. Prior to that, he was a graduate assistant coach at Northwest, where he earned a master’s degree in applied health and sports sciences and his bachelor's degree in corporate recreation and wellness.

Chris Dawe joined Northwest in April as assistant vice president of student affairs for health and well-being in Wellness Services. His previous experience includes consulting and work in Canada and the U.S., including as a director of recreation and wellness at Northern Illinois University and Mount Royal University in Calgary. He has a master’s degree in athletic administration from Idaho State University and a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Calgary.

Danica Drake began work at Northwest in March as a dispatcher in the University Police Department. She is pursuing her bachelor's degree in emergency and disaster management at Northwest.

Hannah Dudley is a secretary in the School Health Science and Wellness. Her previous professional experience includes work as assistant manager at Bank Midwest and an underwriting quality specialist at American Family Insurance.

Dr. Tina Ellsworth is an assistant professor in the School of Education. Her previous experience includes teaching middle and high school social studies in addition to working as an economic education specialist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and a K-12 social studies coordinator for Olathe (Kansas) Public Schools. She has a Ph.D. in social studies education from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in history as well as a bachelor’s degree in social studies education from University of Central Missouri.

Rebecca Ferris joins Horace Mann Laboratory School as a third and fourth grade teacher. She previously taught fourth grade for 14 years in the North Nodaway R-VI School District. She has a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, both from Northwest.

Mitchell Gladman joined Northwest in June and is an electrician in Maintenance Operations.

Kelly Griffith began work at Northwest in June as an assistant athletic trainer in the Department of Athletics. She joins Northwest full-time after one year a graduate assistant in pursuit of a master’s degree in health and sport science. She has a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Fort Hays State University.

Dr. Taylor Harrison is an assistant professor of mathematics education in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He previously was a research assistant at the Hub for Innovation and Research in Statistics Education, Friday Institute for Educational Technology, and an instructor at North Carolina State University. He has a Ph.D. in learning and teaching in STEM with a mathematics and statistics education emphasis and a master’s degree in mathematics education, both from North Carolina State, as well as a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of North Carolina.

Kevin Hawkins returned to Northwest in March as an officer with the University Police Department.

McKenna Heller joined Northwest in April as a human resources specialist in the Office of Human Resources. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Northwest in organizational communication in December 2020.

Aimee Hoffman began work at Northwest in February and is a custodian in Custodial Services.

Breann Hunt joined Northwest in April and is a transcript specialist in the registrar’s office.

Sarah Jones joined Northwest in March and is a cataloger in the B.D. Owens Library. Previously she was a systems and information services librarian at San Diego Christian College. She has a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Point Loma Nazarene University.

Erin Kaplan came to Northwest in July as a resident director in Residential Life. Previously she was a graduate resident educator at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and an academic advising intern for the College of Arts and Science at the University of North Dakota. She has a master’s degree in higher education from the University of North Dakota and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Paul Kessler began work at Northwest in July and is an accountant for the Northwest Foundation in the Office of University Advancement. He has more than 20 years of experience as a corporate accountant, mostly as a business analyst at Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois, with a focus on financial statement analysis and budgeting. He has a master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University, both in accounting.

Dr. Chandra Kotteti is an assistant professor in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems. He completed his Ph.D. last year in electrical engineering at Prairie View (Texas) A&M University and has a master’s degree in applied computer science from Northwest. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering at Koneru Lakshmaiah College of Engineering in India.

Dr. Ratan Lal is an assistant professor in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems. He completed his Ph.D. last year in computer science at Kansas State University and has master’s degrees in computer application from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology and in computer science from Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata, India. He has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and statistics from University of Allahabad in India.

Sondra Langley joined Northwest in July as an advisor and coach in the Office of Academic Success and Retention. Her previous professional experience includes work as a literacy counselor at John A. Logan Community College in Carterville, Illinois. She has a master's degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in teaching English as a second language as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Northwest in English.

Shelby Letuli is an admissions representative in the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Previously she worked in the field of mental health and substance use at Preferred Family Healthcare in Kirksville, Missouri, and with the elderly population and Medicaid at Immanuel Pathways in Southwest Iowa, in addition to work as a florist. She earned her bachelor’s degree in human services at Northwest.

Pam Madison joined Northwest in July as a project assistant in the Regional Professional Development Center with a focus in special education improvement. She has 30 years of experience in public education as a teacher at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. In addition, she co-taught career and technical education and spent 10 years as an administrator. She has master’s and specialist degrees in administration from William Woods University and a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Central Missouri.

Zach Martin started work at Northwest in February as an assistant football coach in the Department of Athletics after serving the Bearcats as a graduate assistant and part-time assistant. He earned his bachelor’s degree in applied health with an exercise science emphasis and a master’s degree in health and physical education, both at Northwest.

Madalyn Mosbauer joined Northwest in January as an admissions representative in the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. She completed her bachelor’s degree in 2020 at Northwest in mass media with a broadcast production emphasis and is pursuing a master’s degree at the University in recreation management.

Tiffany Otto joined Northwest in July as a project assistant for curriculum and instruction in the Regional Professional Development Center. She has served as an elementary and middle school principal at schools in northwest Missouri as well as a middle and high school math teacher and adjunct math instructor at North Central Missouri College. She is pursuing a doctorate degree in education administration at William Woods University, where she also earned master’s and specialist degrees in educational administration. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Missouri Western State University.

Jennifer Partridge began work at Northwest in May and is a secretary in the Office of Admissions and Student Success.

Jessie Peter joined Northwest in May as a senior coordinator of diversity in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Previously as a graduate assistant at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, she worked with its Office of Diversity and Inclusion, graduate studies, Bureau of Sociological Research, and methodology and evaluation research, among other areas. She is pursuing a doctorate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a focus in marginalized women’s access to education. She has a master’s degree from Bangalore University in psychological counseling with a specialization in marriage and family therapy and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Madras University in India.

Christopher Pierson began work at Northwest in June and is a custodian in Custodial Services.

Dr. Caleb Pickering is an assistant professor of percussion and music theory in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. In addition to frequent work as a guest artist and clinician, he previously was an instructor of music at James Madison University, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He also has a Master of Music degree in music performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Dr. Sanjay Prabhakar is an assistant professor of physics in the Department of Natural Sciences. He comes to Northwest from Gordon State College-Barnesville where he was an assistant professor in the Department of Natural Science. He has a Ph.D. in engineering physics from State University of New York-Albany and a bachelor’s degree in physics, chemistry and mathematics from Tribhuvan University in Nepal.

Melissa Ramirez joined Northwest in June and is an officer with the University Police Department. She previously worked as a mall security officer and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Missouri Western State University.

Dr. Narges Sareh is an assistant professor of early childhood education in the School of Education. Her previous professional experience includes service as an adjunct instructor and doctoral fellow in the Department of Early Childhood Education at East Tennessee State University. She has a Ph.D. and master’s degree, both in early childhood education, from East Tennessee State University as well as a bachelor’s degree in Italian literature from University of Tehran.

Alec Scroggie came to Northwest in July and is a plant operator in maintenance. His previous professional experience includes working as a poly tank fabricator at Houston PolyTank in Hopkins and as a field service technician for Tradewind Energy.

Reesa Smiddy started work at Northwest in July as a project assistant at the Regional Professional Development Center. She previously supervised student teachers for Missouri Western State University, was elementary principal at Mid-Buchanan Elementary in Faucett, Missouri, and was a classroom teacher in the Raytown C-2 School District. She earned an education specialist degree in administration and policy analysis at the University of Missouri-Columbia, a master’s degree in art of teaching at Webster University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. 

Sue Smith is a registrar services specialist in the registrar’s office. She returns to Northwest where she previously spent 12 years as administrative Secretary at the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics and Computing. She has a master’s degree in higher education leadership from Northwest and a bachelor’s degree in history from College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Joanne Snapp began at Northwest in May as assistant director of Greek Life in the Office of Student Involvement. Her higher education career includes work as director of admissions at Hofstra University’s School of Medicine, and she directed an advising department at the University of California, Davis. She is pursuing an Ed.D. in leadership and learning in organizations at Vanderbilt where she also earned a master’s degree in leadership and policy in higher education. She also has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Northwest.

Taylor Suiter is an advisor and coach in the Office of Academic Success and Retention. She was previously a graduate assistant of leadership and student organizations at the University of Central Missouri, and an evening library assistant at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa. She has a master's degree in college student personnel administration and a bachelor’s degree in history, both from Central Missouri.

Brad Sullivan came to Northwest in March and is fire and safety coordinator in Environmental Health and Safety. Previously, he worked as an inspector and reserve investigator at the Missouri Division of Fire Safety’s Office of the State Fire Marshal. He also has volunteered with the Maryville Fire Department for 19 years and holds the rank of lieutenant. He has a bachelor’s degree from Northwest in psychology.

Anna Swink is advertising and business manager in the School of Communication and Mass Media. She completed her bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism at Northwest last spring.

Paetyn Turner joined Northwest in June as a human resource compliance specialist in the Office of Human Resources. She was previously employed as a human resources coordinator at H&H Trailers by Novae Corp. in Clarinda and Red Oak, Iowa. She earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational behavior and human resource management at Northwest.

Nikki Wetstein is an assistant track and field coach in the Department of Athletics. For the last four seasons she was the associate head track and field coach at Millikin University. She has a bachelor’s degree in health promotion from Emporia State University.

Chase White joined Northwest in July as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in the Department of Athletics. He completed his master’s degree at Northwest last spring in applied health and sport science and has a bachelor’s degree from the University in applied health with an exercise science emphasis.

Lacy Williams began work at Northwest in July as a resident director in Residential Life.

Dr. Kylie Wilson is an instructor of communication in the School of Communication and Mass Media. Previously she was an instructor in the Department of Communication Studies at West Virginia University while completing her Ph.D. in health communication and media effects. She also has master’s and bachelor’s degrees in communication from Western Illinois University. 

Lindsey Wood began work at Northwest in March and is a painter in Maintenance Operations.

Racheal Wood is an associate teacher in the infant and toddler area at the Leet Center. Her more than 20 years of professional experience includes roles as an infant and toddler program coordinator at a San Diego church, lead teacher, school director, administrative assistant, facilitating music and movement, and cooking programs as well as work with neurodevelopment specialists. She has an associate degree in early childhood education and a Montessori infant and toddler teaching certificate, and she intends to pursue additional degrees at Northwest.  

Dr. Adam Zrust is an assistant professor of choral music education in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. He previously was director of choral activities at the University of Central Missouri, and he taught public school and was director of choirs in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and in Fairbury, Nebraska. He has a Ph.D. in choral conducting and music education and a master’s degree in choral music education from Florida State University as well as bachelor’s degrees in K-12 music and music business from University of Nebraska-Kearney.

Angela Zarybnicky joined Northwest in June as an academic success coach in Student Support Services (SSS). Her previous professional experience includes work as a TRIO Upward Bound advisor at Iowa Lakes Community College and a TRIO SSS student intervention coordinator at Peru State College. She also served as a math and language arts teacher and an assistant volleyball coach for Howells-Dodge Consolidates Schools in Nebraska. She has a master’s degree from Concordia University in Nebraska in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and a bachelor’s degree from Peru State College in elementary education, middle grades math and language arts education, and secondary math education.