Julie Torres-Roman is a faculty member in the Science Department within MaPS. She is passionate about making science approachable by connecting complex concepts to everyday experiences and is dedicated to supporting underserved students in achieving their academic goals. At Purdue Global, she has served in the Faculty Senate, Futures Thinking Group, PG Ambassadors, and multiple committees, in addition to her role as course lead and SME for several science courses. Outside the classroom, Julie enjoys exploring new foods and road trips with her family. She also volunteers as a K–12 science fair judge, ACE faculty evaluator, and mentor to high school students pursuing science careers. 

Director of Faculty Operations | Higher Education Leader

Betsy Tomei is a higher education administrator with nearly twenty years of experience in academic operations and faculty lifecycle management. As Director of Faculty Operations at Purdue University Global, she leads a team responsible for faculty onboarding, orientation, scheduling, and compensation. Her work focuses on strengthening processes, ensuring compliance, and aligning operations with the university's strategic goals.

Betsy brings a data-informed approach to leadership, using analytics and operational insights to guide policy decisions and improve systems. Her career includes extensive experience in scheduling, compensation management, faculty support, and process innovation—spanning roles as Assistant Dean, Scheduling Manager, and Assistant Academic Department Chair.

She holds an MBA from Johnson & Wales University and an MA in Education from Saint Xavier University. Known for her strategic leadership and collaborative style, Betsy excels at turning complex operational challenges into practical, sustainable solutions.

Jamie Thornton graduated from the University of Texas with a B.A. in Political Science, and then continued to Texas Christian University, where she obtained her master’s degree in Education, and her Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition. She currently works for Purdue Global, where she continues to be a part of the educational community as a full-time professor in the English and Rhetoric department. 

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 over 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. 

Sheila L. Slaughter  is a Strategic Healthcare Operations Professional with over two decades of experience in IT, project management, governance, and enterprise change / knowledge management and has had the pleasure of taking her skills to federal agencies such as DoD, Navy and Dept. of State. She has led cross-functional initiatives that improved compliance, streamlined workflows, and aligned technology with clinical and operational goals. Now pivoting into clinical settings, she is pursuing CCS certification and a bachelor's in Health Information Management to deepen her impact on revenue cycle integrity and documentation standards.  She thrives on comparative learning, policy development, and empowering teams to align clinical operations with strategic goals. Sheila brings a systems-thinking mindset to healthcare and her transition is fueled by a passion for process clarity, data-driven decision-making, and patient-centered outcomes. 

Jen Schott has been teaching orientation courses in the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies at Purdue Global since 2022. During her 17 years at her previous institution, Schott taught first-year seminar and career planning courses, supervised academic and career development staff, and oversaw career development services, programs, and events. She has presented at local, state, and national conferences on a variety of academic and career development topics. 

Schnaubelt is a part-time faculty member within the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences and teaches Ed.D. courses. Schnaubelt has been with Purdue Global for four years but has been previously worked as a Department Chair for Kaplan University. 

Schnaubelt currently resides in downtown Nashville with her husband, Kurt and her 7 pound toy poodle, Vino. She is an avid participant of the Nashville exercise scene where she enjoys Pure Barre classes, Bodyrok, and HIIT classes conducted in a 120 degree sauna! Schnaubelt is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and lived in Las Vegas for 20 years before moving to Nashville in 2015.

Cristina Nolan, a full-time faculty member, joined Purdue Global (formerly Kaplan University) as an adjunct over 21 years ago. Over the years, Cristina has taught a wide variety of courses, specializing in the legal support and services curriculum. Before joining Purdue Global, Cristina worked as an attorney and practiced workers’ compensation and family law. She has presented on a variety of topics related to distance learning and artificial intelligence, and written several articles on business law related topics. 

Jonathan (Jon) Racster [he/him] 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 anthropological and sociological research has taken him around the world. 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 multiculturalism and belonging; sex, sexuality, and gender; and best practices in teaching. 

Dawn is a Sr. 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 three very happy and fun years. Dawn has worked in the field of career development/advising for over nine 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. 

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 U.S., 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. 

Dr. Carla Harris serves as an adjunct faculty member at the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies at Purdue University Global. She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix, an M.Div. from Mercer University, and a B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences from Fort Valley State University. With thirteen years of experience in early childhood education, Dr. Harris specializes in integrating play-based learning into classroom environments. She is a strong advocate for incorporating play-based learning across all educational levels, including elementary, middle, high school, and higher education, to promote student achievement and lifelong learning. In recognition of her dedication, she was named Teacher of the Year by DeKalb County School District in 2008. Dr. Harris maintains active membership in several professional organizations, including the Georgia Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and the Southern Early Childhood Association. Her research interests encompass Creativity in the Classroom, Curriculum and Instructional Development, Leadership, Mentoring and Mentorship, Play-Based Learning, and Student Success.

Laurie Hansen has served in multiple roles with Purdue Global. Her current role is Campaign Manager working with the Graduation teams and Purdue Global Ambassadors and as an adjunct instructor in the School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies. Ms. Hansen thrives in environments fostering engagement 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 and is truly fascinated by the power and possibilities of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Rikkisha (Rikki) Gilmore-Byrd is a public health leader, educator, and coach dedicated to translating research into practical strategies that improve individual wellbeing and system-level equity. She combines expertise in health and wellness coaching, cultural humility, and curriculum design to create learning environments and coaching programs that meet learners and clients where they are. In her administrative role as Associate Vice President for The School of Education and Social Sciences, School of Human Services, and School of Health Sciences, she drives program strategy, cross-school collaboration, and initiatives that center student success and workforce readiness. She currently serves Purdue University Global as a Professor in health sciences.

A lifelong practitioner in health and human services, Rikki began her career as a Medical Assistant at 16 and has since earned an MS in Human Services/Counseling, an MPH, and a DrPH focused on health communication and equity. She applies that depth of experience to mentor students and faculty, design trauma-informed and culturally responsive curricula, and coach clients toward sustainable wellbeing. Rikki lives in Central Florida with her spouse and three children.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrikkigilmore-byrd/  

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.

Dr. Carol Edwards is a faculty member at Purdue University Global, and an experienced educator, researcher, speaker, and published author in education with a Ph.D. in Educational Technology. Her work centers on instructional design, student engagement, and the integration of technology to enhance learning experiences. As a frequent presenter at academic and professional conferences, Dr. Edwards shares insights on educational innovation, inclusion and belonging, digital pedagogy, and equity in learning. She also volunteers with a community-based nonprofit and conducts ongoing research on student success, community education, and emerging EdTech practices. 

Dr. Rachel Gallardo was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but raised mostly in and around the Houston area.  After high school, she went back to Baton Rouge to obtain her Bachelor's of Psychology from Louisiana State University. From there, she returned to Houston, and received a Master’s in Business Administration, a Master's in Industrial Organizational Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology.  

After approximately 10 years of working in the corporate world as a manager/director in various human resources capacities in healthcare and oil and gas, she made the transition to teaching in Higher Education in addition to public speaking, research, and writing.

Rachel’s research and speaking topics revolve around counterworkplace behaviors, leadership development, workplace culture, personality, and burnout in higher education and corporate settings. She also has a podcast, “Level the Field Leadership” on Spotify and YouTube that aims to empower leaders to be more effective and resilient in leading their teams.

In her personal life, she enjoys playing golf and watching movies with her husband, Adam. Rachel has two bonus daughters with her husband and just welcomed their son, Roman, in June. 

•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/ 

Jonathan Cardew is a full-time faculty member at the Purdue Global English & Rhetoric Department. He is the author of A World Beyond Cardboard, a short fiction collection, and editor/ workshop leader for Bending Genres Journal. Originally from the UK, he lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife, two daughters, two buff cats, and dog (and maybe a few spiders).  

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.

Department of English and Rhetoric, full time faculty
Sheryl Bone has been a full-time faculty member since 2010. She began her career at PG in the Department of Student Success, teaching underprepared students. Sheryl is a full time faculty member in the Composition department and currently teaches first-term composition courses. She participates in service activities at PG including serving as the chair of the Communications GEL Committee, Course Lead for CM 250 Modern Writing Essentials, and Writing Across the Curriculum Advisory Committee member. Her research interests include student success, Writing Across the Globe, and social emotional learning (SEL) in higher education.

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. 

Dr. Michelle Bianco teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in composition: College Composition I and II, CM 801 Doctoral Writing & Research, and CM 250 Grammar & Writing. Bianco is an avid equestrian and rescues wild Mustangs.  She is a published author with academic research that specializes in quantitative analysis. Publications 

Educational Background
Julia M. Blockberger holds degrees from Bowling Green State University and Wright State University. Her academic achievements have provided her with a strong foundation in accounting and finance.

Teaching Experience
Julia has taught accounting for over ten years at Purdue Global University. Her extensive experience in academia has enabled her to develop effective teaching strategies tailored to students’ needs.

Student Engagement
Julia enjoys working with students enrolled in their first accounting course, AC 114: Accounting I. She is dedicated to supporting beginners as they embark on their accounting education journey. 

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. 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.