Over the past 20 years, David White has taught criminal justice at the undergraduate and graduate levels, first as an adjunct and now as a full-time professor. At Purdue Global, he teaches various criminal justice graduate courses. He is also a course lead and facilitator for the comprehensive exam. In addition to teaching, he is on numerous committees, including the Institutional Review Board and Professional Competency Committee. Prior to joining Purdue Global, White was a law enforcement officer with over 25 years of service, working in two departments: Ludlow (MA) Police Department and Collier County (FL) Sheriff’s Office. He was a criminal investigator for many years, investigating property and violent crime, then supervised an Economic Crimes Unit. 

Heather Valdes began teaching as an adjunct faculty member at Purdue Global in 2004 and joined the legal studies full-time faculty team in 2015. She teaches various undergraduate courses in legal studies including legal research and writing, family law, and business law. Valdes has worked in immigration practice and child advocacy, and currently has a private practice centered on smaller issues such as contract construction, real estate leases, small business issues, immigration, divorce, and child custody. 

Julissa (Julie) Torres-Roman teaches various undergraduate courses in biology, anatomy and physiology, and general science. Her work as a full-time adjunct faculty and course lead earned her recognition by the School of General Education and by her peers in the science department. Previously, Torres-Roman was a faculty member at her alma mater, Montclair State University, and at Essex County College, where she taught various science courses and helped underprivileged students pursue their academic goals. Her goal is to make science more approachable by ensuring that students relate to the concepts they are learning about in the classroom. In her personal time, Julie volunteers as an Envirothon instructor for intermediate and middle school students, as well as a judge for local and virtual science fairs for elementary, middle, and high school students, and she is also a trained climate reality leader. 

Nancy Szwydek is an Assistant Dean at Purdue Global. She is responsible for managing and monitoring compliance and programmatic accreditation processes and documentation within the School of Health Sciences. She has previously served as the academic program chair for the health information management, health informatics, and billing and coding programs, and spearheaded PCAP approval for the billing and coding program, accreditation for the BSHIM, Digital Health Leader, and Digital Health Professional programs, and AEP designation for the master of health informatics and health information management programs. Prior to working in education, she worked as a registered nurse for over 30 years. Nancy is the editor of the Kaplan Test Prep Medical Assisting Review Text and serves as an item and module writer for electrocardiography, phlebotomy, and medical assisting exams through the National Healthcareer Association. She is an accreditation peer reviewer for the Commission of Accreditation for Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP) and Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) and was elected to the MAERB board in 2019 where she currently serves as a Co-Chair.

Angela is an Administrative Operations Coordinator within the School of Nursing at Purdue Global. She is responsible for the efficient handling of affiliation agreements by ensuring all agreements are properly processed with the required signatures. Also, she provides operational and administrative services to support academic initiatives such as the completion of student forms i.e. post-graduation certification applications, State of Board of Nursing education verification & Credentialing requests, etc. 

Angela is a compassionate caring person with a strong passion for serving others. She is a minister of God who has unique qualities spiritually and is steeped in the Christian tradition although open to different perspectives. She values diversity and learning through differences. 

Dr. Carolyn Stevenson is a full-time faculty member for the Professional Studies Department, Department of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies (MaPS) at Purdue University Global. She completed her Ed.D. from Roosevelt University, M.B.A. from Kaplan University, M.A. in Communications from Governor’s State University and B.A. in English from Northern Illinois University.  She has been cited for her expertise in online learning, qualitative research, open educational resources, AI, and prior learning. She is also a regular reviewer for conference papers and textbooks and has served on various offices and committees for the American Education Research Association. Dr. Stevenson has over 25 years teaching and administrative experience in higher education at both the undergraduate and graduate level and has been serving the organization for 20 years.  She has published texts and chapters on technical communication, ethical use of AI, professionalism, adult education, qualitative research, competency-based education, credit for prior learning, building online communities, open educational resources, and environmental education. 

Sr. Event Manager with a passion for orchestrating memorable experiences within the academic community. Over two decades of experience in planning and executing diverse events, Beth has become a driving force behind the success of numerous university functions. Her meticulous attention to detail, creative vision, and adept coordination skills have consistently led to the seamless execution of large-scale conferences, graduation ceremonies, and various leadership events. Recognized for her ability to foster strong relationships with stakeholders, students, and staff alike, Beth continually strives to create engaging and inclusive environments that enrich the university experience for all. As an avid advocate for innovation, she remains dedicated to promoting an atmosphere that celebrates diversity, collaboration, and academic excellence within the university community. 

With a PhD in Health Policy and over 17 years of experience in higher education, Karin Richards specializes in curriculum development, student success initiatives, and health science education. She has designed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in mental health, health and wellness, health professions, public and global public health.

Her research centers on psychological resilience, stress reduction techniques, and health equity, with a particular focus on long-term behavior change. Karin has also created and delivered multiple workshops on mindfulness and wellness practices.  In her spare time, she enjoys visiting her daughter in Missouri who is pursuing a degree in Musical Theatre at Stephens College and playing with her rescue pittie, Nani.

Barry Regan is currently a University Faculty member in the School of General Education at Purdue University Global. He has presented at over a dozen academic conferences and published in multiple scholarly journals in the areas of speech and debate and sports communication, as well as the intersection of gender, race, higher education, and communication pedagogy. He teaches courses in professional and organizational communication. Barry also served as the Director of Forensics at Grand Canyon University, where he led the team to a top-25 national ranking in parliamentary debate in 2016 and 2017. He also served as a curriculum and program advisor for Real Talk Agency, an organization dedicated to training college student organizations to eliminate toxic masculinity and racism. He holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Nevada - Las Vegas, an M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Arkansas, and a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Grand Canyon University. He currently lives in Henderson, NV, with his beautiful wife, Carly, and daughter, Fallon.

Jonathan (Jon) Racster [he/him] is a is a full-time faculty member in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Multidisciplinary and Social Sciences (MaPS). He teaches various undergraduate social science courses. He started his academic career in cognitive neuroscience at Miami University with B.A.s in Chemistry and Psychology (1998). Racster moved on to receive an M.A. in anthropology in 2002 from the Ohio State University and an M.A. in sociology in 2015 from New Mexico State University. Racster’s education and research are both eclectic and expansive and include ethnobotany of Central America, maternal health in the developing world, primate reproductive ecology of Indonesia, sexuality and gender diversity, and equity in education and the workplace. Racster frequently presents at various colleges, universities, and academic societies on DEIB topics; sex, sexuality, and gender; and best practices in teaching. 

Cristina Nolan joined Purdue Global as an adjunct faculty member over 18 years ago. Nolan has taught a wide spectrum of courses, specializing in the legal support and services curriculum. Before joining Purdue Global, Nolan worked as an attorney for several years and practiced workers’ compensation and family law. She has presented on a variety of topics related to distance learning, and written several articles on business law, investing, and finance.

Education: JD, Saint Louis University School of Law; BA, DePaul University

Certifications: Licensed to Practice Law in IL

Honors and Achievements: 2021 and 2016 Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Adjunct Award Purdue Global; 2020 Purdue Global Distinction Award Recipient on the Faculty Persistence Committee

Memberships: Chicago Paralegal Association, Purdue Global Professional Skills and Communications GEL Committees           

Research Interests: Business Law, Distance Learning, Legal Technology, and Legal Marketing

Dawn is a career specialist in the Center for Career Advancement and is also a Co-Team Lead for Military Partnerships in the department. She has been at Purdue Global for two very happy and fun years. Dawn has worked in the field of career development/advising for over 8 years and enjoys helping students find the path that is right for them. Previous careers include experience as a culinary instructor at a community college, a cook, a high school teacher, and a physical and occupational therapy assistant.  

Kirsten K. Meymaris is a math educator at Purdue University Global (PG) with over 20 years of experience in online education, including course content development; managing and maintaining online courseware; and direct facilitation of online courses.  Kirsten’s degrees in mathematics and computer science pair together well, allowing her to use technology for teaching students deeper mathematical understanding and interpretation of data. She has published works in scientific journals for innovative citizen science work and a contributor to recent mathematics and educational texts. Kirsten is currently the Course Lead for College Algebra, Linear Algebra and Decision Modeling at PG.

Holley Linkous joined Purdue Global in 2021 as an adjunct faculty member and now serves as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Professional Studies. She has experience in advising and student success at Clemson University and the University of Tennessee. Holley holds a B.S. in Communication with an emphasis on Speech from East Tennessee State University, as well as her MBA and PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Tennessee. Her research includes a focus on self-directed learning, self-regulation, and motivation.  

Dr. Teresa Lao is a 2024 Fulbright Specialist Grantee. She completed her Fulbright assignment in Argentina in March of 2024. She served as a curriculum specialist where she presented on the topic of Artificial Intelligence and its role for journalism teachers and students.

Dr. Lao is an educator with 28 years of teaching experience in the area of education, curriculum and instruction, business communications, public relations, ESL teaching, cultural communications, critical thinking, dissertation studies, qualitative methodologies, etc. She served as a subject matter expert and curriculum developer for various online and face-to-face courses on the following topics: business communications, education, public relations, etc.

Dr. Teresa Lao has a Ph.D. in Education/Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Learning Technologies from New Mexico State University, a Master of Arts degree in Public Relations with a minor in Journalism from Ball State University. She also has a law degree (JD) from Concord Law School of Purdue University Global. Dr. Lao also completed her Graduate Certificate in Applied Project Management from Walden University. In addition to teaching, Dr. Lao is a Certified Arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau National Programs where she arbitrates Class Action Lawsuit Claims and disputes between Consumer and Auto Manufacturers involving Lemon Law claims.

In addition to teaching in the US, Dr. Lao has served as a guest lecturer in Germany in 2019 as part of a Study Abroad Program. She also served as a summer guest lecturer from 2020 to 2024 for a local German University. She taught Intercultural Competencies, Contemporary Management Principles, and Diversity Management to international students in the European Union program.  

Leslie Johnson began her career at Purdue Global as a part-time instructor of mathematics in 2008 and became assistant department chair of mathematics in 2011. She began her academic career at the University of Missouri as a lecturer. After moving to Alabama, Johnson became the developmental mathematics lab coordinator at Calhoun Community College, and she also served on the Alabama state committee for standardizing developmental mathematics curriculum. 

Laurie Hansen has served in many roles with Purdue Global, and her current role is Employee Engagement Manager, and she works with the Communication and Graduation teams. Ms. Hansen thrives in environments fostering allyship, diversity, inclusion and belonging, health and wellness, and collaboration. Ms. Hansen looks forward to the future of working in the ever-changing landscape of online teaching and learning. 

John Gray teaches in the MSLS (Master of Science in Legal Studies) program at Purdue University Global.  He has been with our university since 2003.  Holding two law degrees, a JD and an LLM in tax law, he is a co-sponsor of the Law Society student club at Purdue University Global and enjoys helping students reach their goals.   

Vanessa Wyche Graham teaches as a part-time adjunct faculty member at Purdue Global in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences. With over three decades of experience in the holistic care of individuals and families throughout the lifespan – in both military and civilian settings, Vanessa continues to expand her career experiences as a Registered Nurse and Professional Counselor. Vanessa’s educational background includes a PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision and dual Master's degrees in Professional Counseling and Nursing.

Lisa Giarda teaches various undergraduate courses in the School of Health Sciences at Purdue Global and oversees ethics and leadership and bachelor's capstone courses. Prior to Purdue Global, she was a business manager and consultant in the health care field for over 25 years. Giarda has been a member of the faculty evaluator—student portfolio assessments team and the Academic Governance Board: Faculty Curriculum Committee. She was also an eCYBERMISSION Virtual Judge under AEOP and is on governing committees at other universities. 

Dr. Carol T. Edwards is an Information Technology college professor in the School of Business and Information Technology, a curriculum developer, Course Lead and a Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) certified portfolio evaluator at Purdue University Global. She currently teaches cybersecurity and Information Technology courses and is a member of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion sub-committee. Carol earned her Associate degree at Essex County College, N.J., her undergraduate and Master degrees at American Intercontinental University and her doctoral degree at Northcentral University. Her research interests lie in e-Learning, student persistence, student engagement and diversity. She is a published author and has presented at many academic conferences. Carol believes in the power of motivation, creative expression and inclusion for increasing student engagement and persistence.

Jessi Eaton has more than twenty years of experience in higher education, focused on student engagement and leadership development. She holds an MSEd from Capella University in Leadership for Higher Education. Her experience in student affairs includes student activities, communications, and management of both professional and student staff. She is currently the manager of student life at Purdue Global, where she leads the administration and development of engagement programs. Her professional interests include cross-generational communication and management, and the history of the student union field. She lives in northern Minnesota and enjoys volunteering and spending time with her family.   

•Born in Jamaica, Raised in the Cayman Islands and currently reside in Florida.

•Bachelor in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Miami.

•Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Florida International University.

•14 years of experience in Higher Education

•Adjunct Professor – CS212 course

•Faculty Operations Manager for School of MAPS

•Hobbies – Zumba, Yoga, Pilates and anything water related!

•Dog mom to a cute little pup named Baxter

Dr. Dayton joined Purdue Global University in 2012, and teaches a wide variety of courses in the MSML, MBA, and BS programs in the areas of management, leadership, human resources, and organizational learning. Prior to teaching full-time at Purdue Global, Dr. Dayton held positions as Associate Professor and Research Supervisor in the Doctor of Management, Doctor of Computer Science, and Doctor of Business Administration programs at Colorado Technical University; Visiting Professor of Operations Management at the Wyższa Szkoła Bankowa (Higher School of Banking) in Wroclaw, Poland; Adjunct Professor and Dissertation Chair in the Doctor of Business Administration, MBA, and International MBA programs at Franklin University where he taught in the USA, Europe, and the Middle East; and on the Graduate Faculty of the MBA program at Southern New Hampshire University. 

Dr. Dayton is a veteran of the United States Army, having served as a Non-Commissioned Officer at the White House Communications Agency in Washington, DC under Presidents Reagan and Bush. Subsequently, he made a career working in various capacities as a management consultant, with clients that have included The White House, The US Departments of Treasury and Department of State, The Environmental Protection Agency, several Fortune 500 corporations, and numerous small and medium-sized businesses. Since 2002, Dr. Dayton has been president of his own consulting firm, Alef Consulting. He also serves as Dissertation Chair in the PhD Programs in Organizational Leadership and Business Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Dayton is an active member of the Academy of Management, and the Midwest Academy of Management, for which he reviews several manuscripts and seminar proposals for the annual conferences every year. He has published two books on management, and several articles on leadership, management, organizational learning, and communication, and has supervised more than 60 doctoral dissertations. For a complete list of his publications, courses taught, and awards, visit his profile on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldayton/ 

Tracy W. Burke was born and raised in New York City and teaches various undergraduate courses in the health sciences programs. He joined Purdue University Global as a part-time faculty member and later as a full-time adjunct faculty member. He has been teaching at the collegiate level since August 2008. As a disabled veteran, Burke is proud to have served in our nation’s armed forces and engages in practices to assist other disabled veterans. He is the father of two wonderful young ladies, who have always inspired him to do his best in life.  

Kim Bracey, MS, Mathematics, is a full-time faculty member in the mathematics department. In addition to teaching, she serves as a portfolio evaluator, Course Lead for MM265, accessibility coordinator for the math department, SME, and member of the MaPS DEIB Committee. Kim enjoys helping her math students achieve their goals. She has taught mathematics both at the high school and college level for over 25 years.

Joni Boone is the Senior Manager, New Faculty Experience, where she strives to welcome new faculty and prepare them for their transition to the online classroom at Purdue Global. She began her career at the university in 2006, teaching in the Composition Department and tutoring in the Writing Center, and she was a Faculty Developer at the Center for Teaching and Learning for ten years. Prior to her time at Purdue Global, she taught and tutored writing and literature and worked as a corporate trainer and technical writer. Joni enjoys gardening, books, baking, and yoga. 

Zach Ballard joined Purdue Global in 2021 and has served in multiple roles, including an eLearning & Development Specialist and Faculty Operations and Instructional Technology Specialist. He currently serves as the Assistant Director of Academic Administration and as an Adjunct Professor for Orientation within the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies. Outside of Purdue Global, he also works as a Web Developer & Strategist for a RevOps company in Knoxville, TN called Second Mile. Zach is a big advocate for the power of digital transformation within an institution, pushing for innovative ideas that lead to a better quality of life for people at all levels of an organization.