Current Student Profiles
(view a list of students by specialization area)
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Jeff Bolster is a second year doc student and has lived in San Diego since 1989. He has been working in higher education since 1993. Most of that time has been focused on co-curricular programs, including the mobilization of undergrads to do international, faith-based relief work. He has worked in over 20 different countries, and did his MA thesis work on the failure of organized religion before, during, and after the Rwandan genocide. Jeff is has been married to his wife Danielle for 7 years, and they have a two-year old daughter, Ana. They enjoy San Diego and just about anything outdoors. The USD program was a great fit for me, as I plan to continue to work in various capacities in higher education. The program will enhance my current administrative work, as well as give me the flexibility to pursue both teaching and administration. BA in Religion, 1993, Point Loma Nazarene University
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Heather has a passion for nonprofit operational excellence and has authored several practical nonprofit management toolkits. She currently serves as Director of the Jenna Druck Foundation and as Graduate Research Assistant in the Caster Family Center for Applied Nonprofit Research at USD. Heather blogs about nonprofit leadership at http://nonprofitleadership601.blogspot.com/
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Sam has lived in Korea, Texas, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Florida, Washington, Zimbabwe, Germany, Georgia, and Nevada, but hopes to finally settle down in San Diego. He speaks Korean, German, and a tiny amount of Spanish. He likes to socialize, cook, exercise, watch TV, view movies, and study personal finance. Degrees earned:
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LaVonnya believes that an exemplary teacher must pledge to be a “lifelong learner” and a leader for students and the profession itself. While pursuing her Master’s Degree and Administrative Credential in Educational Administration, LaVonnya recognized this need for teacher leadership in San Diego schools. Setting the example, LaVonnya has been elected President of the School Governance Team, Chair of the School Site Council, Chair of the Bilingual Teacher’s Committee, Secretary of the School Climate Committee, President of the Social Committee and served as the first “official” teacher leader for the first grade team at Central Elementary. These accomplishments were acknowledged last year when LaVonnya received the “Teacher of the Year” award and was a district finalist for the San Diego Unified School District. In addition to attending classes, she continues to work at Central Elementary as the Director of Student Intervention. She also serves as a board trustee for the La Jolla Playhouse and is a member of the Red Cross Rose Society.
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Since then, Paige has served in professional roles as the Leadership Coordinator for the University of Arizona, where she coordinated the Arizona BlueChip Program and taught a leadership course,and as the Assistant Director of Student Activities at the University of San Diego, where she advised Associated Students. She is excited to begin her doctoral work while teaching courses inand assessing the Leadership Minor at the University of San Diego as a Graduate Assistant. Paige's research interests include: college student leadership programs, women's leadership, and leadership as it relates to social justice ally development. Paige is also nationally involved inACPA (College Student Educators International), where she serves as the Chair for Leadership Education and ison the Directoratefor the Commission for Student Involvement. She also volunteers as a facilitator for the LeaderShape Institute, a college student leadership program focused onvisioning and leading with integrity. Paige continues to serve on the research team for the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership, through which she will writearticles andhelp prepare for the next iteration of the national study.Paige's long-term professional goals includebecoming a faculty member in aLeadership Studies or College Student Development program as well as developing a leadership and organizational development consulting business. Although quite new to San Diego, Paige hasquickly found a strong likingto the city andcalls it home. Paige lives in North Park andenjoysa variety of outdoor sports, travel, and time spent with Ike, her Portuguese Water Dog.
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Sara Henry is originally from Phoenix, AZ and moved to San Diego after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Arizona State University (ASU). While enrolled at ASU, she participated in a four-year leadership development program and found her passion for working with leadership development in higher education. In May 2005, Sara completed her Master of Arts degree program in Postsecondary Educational Leadership/Student Affairs at San Diego State University. Sara currently serves as Director of the UCSD Express to Success Programs at the University of California San Diego, a campus-wide leadership program that assists students in developing confidence in interpersonal communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Sara is also actively involved in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and has served on a number of planning committees and currently serves as Assistant to the NASPA Region VI Vice President, the Graduate Outreach Coordinator for Southern California, and as a member of the planning committee for the 2008 Western Regional Conference in Long Beach. Sara is committed to furthering the field of student affairs administration by mentoring undergraduate students involved in co-curricular programs. Additionally, she would like to increase access to university education by establishing scholarships for students who have exhibited exemplary leadership practices in high school. Sara brings to the program the lessons she has learned about leadership as a student affairs professional in the context of higher education, and in return hopes to grow and learn from the diverse perspectives and experiences of the faculty and students in the Leadership Studies Department.
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Kimberly Hogelucht was born and raised in Iowa where she earned her B.A. degree in Speech Communication in 1991 from Iowa State University. As part of her undergraduate education , Kim also received her teaching credential for grades 7-12 in areas of Speech, English and Drama. In 1994, Kim earned her M.A. in Speech Communication from San Diego State University. Her thesis centered on Communication in the Classroom. She has published work in the area of Discipline as a Negotiated Order between teachers and students. Currently, Kim is employed as an Assistant Professor in the School of Business at Point Loma Nazarene University. At PLNU, she instructs Business Communication and supervises the internship program for the School of Business. Kim has lived in San Diego since 1991. She resides with her family in the Torrey Hills area of San Diego. She is married to her husband, Terry, and has three children: Olivia (age 12), Hans (age 9), and Lars (age 7).
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Karen Kramer Horning Karen is also an educator, currently teaching both online and in the classroom. She serves as an Associate Professor of Business at MiraCosta College and as an Instructor in the HR Certificate Program through UCSD Extension. Karen is certified by the Human Resource Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). She has earned a BA in Sociology from UCSD, an MBA from SDSU, and a Specialized Certificate in Online Teaching from UCSD Extension. In her doctoral studies, Karen plans to focus on executive leadership in organizations and higher education administration.
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After completing an MSW in public policy as well as social and economic development from Washington University in St. Louis, she worked as a Deputy Project Manager for a contractor for the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC. Developing software and building websites that addressed substance abuse prevention, Lan enabled community partnerships to reduce the high costs that are associated with the abuse of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs (i.e. car accidents, cancer treatments, etc.) in their communities by justifying that information and knowledge from prevention programs and services would not only benefit the community, but also cost it less. Leaving Washington, DC due to family circumstances, she moved to San Diego, California and began a life of actively representing and advocating for various groups, neighborhoods and communities. She has not only been a member on many community boards and committees, but she has held officer and chair positions as well. Some of these organizations include the North Park Planning Committee, North Park Project Area Committee, San Diego Urban League Young Professionals and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Lan happily resides in the North Park area with her husband Lawrence. She enjoys staying active and fit by running, hiking, biking, swimming and weightlifting. She also likes spending quality time with people whenever she has the opportunity and finds them fascinating!
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Michael Kelley
Mike is originally from Clarksburg , West Virginia . He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Science from Miami University . Upon graduation, he entered into the United States Marine Corps where he served twenty years as a supply/logistics officer. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Mike went back to school and received an MBA from California State University , San Marcos . He has spent the past eight years working for the Marine Corps on business/process reform and redesign within their supply chain.
Mike currently lives in Vista with his wife Nora and kids (Shawn, Shannon and Jennifer).
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After earning his secondary English teaching certification at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Ron worked as a Language Arts teacher in Nederland, CO, coaching both girls’ and boys’ basketball and soccer. After arriving in San Diego, Ron completed his M.Ed. in Education at USD in Curriculum and Teaching. He is earning his PhD in Leadership with a focus in Literacy, and currently teaches 11th grade American Literature at Mission Bay High, mentoring young people in the classroom and on the basketball court. Besides his beloved high school students, Ron draws most of the inspiration in his doctoral study of Leadership from his Father, whom he calls his greatest teacher and friend.
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Stuart B. Markey was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He served in the USN for 27 years retiring at the grade of Captain. Stu served in various positions ashore and afloat. He earned a M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University in Washington D.C. and an MBA from Adelphi University in Garden City New York.
Stu lives in Poway California with wife Linda and their two children Robert and Allyson. He is currently employed by National University in La Jolla California.
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Lindsey McDougle received her Bachelors of Science degree from The Ohio State University in 2004 where she majored in Human Dimensions in Natural Resources specializing in Integrated Resources and Policy Planning. After graduating, she went on to complete her Masters degree at Duke University where she concentrated in Environmental Economics and Policy with a specialization in Business and the Environment. Her Masters thesis was a research project on environmental, economic and social sustainability in nonprofit organizations and the development of related nonprofit sustainability metrics. While completing her Masters degree she also worked at IBM in Research Triangle Park, NC as a pre-professional environmental engineer. Lindsey's research interests include: organizational social responsibility (among all sectors), nonprofit/corporate collaborations, and community/economic development. Lindsey began doctoral studies at the University of San Diego in the fall of 2006. She is focusing in Leadership Studies with a specialization in Nonprofit Management and is a doctoral research assistant for the Center for Applied Nonprofit Research. Lindsey blogs on philanthropy, leadership, and social change at: http://leadershipasafieldofstudy.blogspot.com/"
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Whitney McIntyre Miller is a first year doctoral student interested in studying international post-conflict community redevelopment. Whitney is a native San Diegan, but completed her prior studies at the University of Pittsburgh where she received master’s degrees in both social work and international development. During her studies Whitney traveled around the world and lived both in Moscow and Washington DC, and briefly worked in Bosnia. She has also worked with several community and international organizations focusing on community capacity building, refugee resettlement and return and youth violence prevention. Whitney was also a writer with the University of San Diego’s Institute for Peace and Justice’s Women’s PeaceMaker program where she workedclosely with Christiana Thorpe from SierraLeone todocument her experiences building communities through girls' education.Whitney is very interested in how communities re-integrate and rebuild after conflict, and hopes to add to the knowledge base of this topic by completing her doctorate here at the University of San Diego.
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Ms. Meza has served in many committees and taskforces. Her current assignment is leading the Hispanic Serving Institution Task Force and WASC Theme #3, Improving First-Year Retention at Cal State San Marcos. Ms. Meza holds a Master of Arts in Business Administration California State University San Marcos Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Writing Studies from California State University San Marcos.
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Cara grew up in San Diego and is elated to be moving back with her husband, Matt and their black pug, Dr. Pepper.
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Her research interests include issues around school reform, accountability and assessment for English learners, applied linguistics, border pedagogy, immigrant students, and how children form their identities as students. She plans to use her research and PhD in Educational Leadership to work throughout all levels of the public school system, including the institutions that prepare teachers to work within it. In addition to her passion for her work, Raquel enjoys traveling Mexico, painting, and judges films for the San Diego Women’s Film Festival. Email: raqueln-11@sandiego.edu
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Alma Ortega Email: aortega-13@sandiego.edu
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Pressley's undergraduate degree was in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. His writing helps him to express his creative side. He has written a novel which is in the editing process and he has published two academic papers in the field of counseling. Pressley is very excited to be entering the SOLES program the fall. His research interests involve the increased use of technology on university campuses and how that affects traditionally disenfranchised and underserved groups. B.A. English from North Carolina State University
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Gloria Rhodes Email: gloriar-12@sandiego.edu
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Karen Robinson, 4th Year Doctoral Student- Higher Education Administration. Karen Robinson is originally from Walnut Creek, CA and currently resides in San Marcos with her husband Chris, her five year-old son, Owen, and assorted neurotic pets. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California at Davis and her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento before heading to Santa Clara University School of Law to complete a Juris Doctorate specializing in civil dispute resolution. Her Master’s thesis explored common law countries’ conflicting applications of automatism as a defense to violent crime. Karen has worked as a design engineer for the past eight years and currently interns as a Human Resources Analyst for Palomar College. A CCLDI Doctoral Fellow, Karen’s research interests focus on the strategic use of dissent as a leadership mechanism and conflict resolution in higher education administration, specifically within the community college setting.
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Mark is hoping to focus his research on the question of access and affordability in independent schools, with a particular emphasis on how independent schools can create sustainable financial models. Mark’s wife, Carla, is currently enrolled in the University of San Diego’s Non-Profit Management and Leadership Program. They have two children, Lily (5) and Jackson (2).
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Lori has a passion for connecting business and education as evidenced by her recent work with Kaleidoscope, an innovative approach to service leadership development. Students in the Kaleidoscope leadership development workshop participate in team based business simulations that are observed by industry professionals. At the conclusion of two 6-hour simulations, participants receive one-on-one feedback regarding their leadership competencies. This unique approach has received attention from educators outside the United States, and Lori has traveled to three international conferences to present related research papers. Lori plans to continue to research leadership development methods as well as exploring the role of leadership in innovation while pursuing her doctorate at USD. She enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her husband, Allen, and children, Lindsay and Tristan.
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Owen Smith The USD doctoral program in Leadership Studies marks Owen Smith’s return to student life after a long absence. He has spent his career working in law libraries of all stripes: a state agency, a large law firm, a U.S. court of appeals, and a university law library. Owen’s favorite part of his job is assisting library patrons with their research and information needs. However, he is very excited about being a part of a Leadership Studies program that has such determined and intelligent students and faculty. Owen completed his B.A. in Economics and a J.D. at the University of Louisville. After taking the bar exam, he completed his M.L.S. in Library Science at the University of Kentucky. Owen is very interested in administrative issues in all levels of higher education. He is also intrigued by the community college system and the promise it offers for so many students.
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Email: osetnes-09@sandiego.edu
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Audrey Barrett entered the doctoral program in fall 2004 and has concentrated her studies in the areas of Nonprofit Leadership and Management. She is currently preparing for dissertation work in the area of organizational culture and ethics and plans to graduate in 2008. Audrey is originally from Michigan and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University in 1996. She also attended San Diego State University where she earned a Master of Social Work degree in 2000. Audrey has worked in the fields of pediatric medical social work, severe and persistent mental illness, and alcohol & other drug issues as a licensed clinical social worker. Currently Audrey is employed as a research assistant with the Caster Family center for Nonprofit Research at USD and as a private practice therapist. Audrey and her husband Kevin have a son William and enjoy global travel and outdoor activities for their hobbies. Email: 
Julie Cantillon is originally from Boston, Mass, but has lived in San Diego for the past five years. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire in 2000. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching from Simmons College in Boston, Mass. in 2002. Since then, she has enjoyed teaching fifth grade at Stella Maris Academy in La Jolla. Julie is also the technology coordinator at her site, and serves on several school committees. In addition, Julie teaches technology integration courses to teachers and is training to become a facilitator in the Schools Attuned program. Her research interests include teacher preparation, metacognition, and curriculum and instruction. Julie enjoys training for marathons, working on her classroom website and spending time with friends and family. 
Heather Carpenter
Sam Chung Sam Chung has over a decade of experience with online learning and instructional technology, and is particularly interested in
organizational leadership and systems theory. He has worked at Pomona College, UGA, UNLV, and National University, and is currently the
Assistant Director for Distance Education at USD's Master of Science in Global Leadership program (School of Business Administration).
LaVonnya Fisher, a native San Diegan, is a bilingual teacher who has taught Spanish-speaking students in San Diego’s inner city for 10 years. She is a role model for children of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds. 
Paige Haber is originally from Telluride, Colorado, making her an avid outdoor enthusiast. Paige received her BA in German Studies and BS in Business Management from the University of Arizona. As an undergraduate she was very involved in the Arizona Blue Chip Program, a four-year comprehensive college student leadership program, which led Paige in the direction of pursuing a career in Student Affairs in higher education. Paige earned her MA in Counseling and Personnel Services with an emphasis in College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland, where she tailored her program to focus on college student leadership development. While at the University of Maryland, Paige taught an undergraduate leadership course, served on a national leadership research team, was a counselor at the counseling center, published a chapter on the structure and design of college student leadership programsin the "Handbook for Student Leadership Programs", and worked for the Department of Resident Life as a graduate assistant. 
Melanie Hitchcock is a research assistant at the University of San Diego's Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research, and is also enrolled as a doctoral student in Leadership Studies at USD. Prior to coming to USD, Melanie completed a 20 year career in the United States Navy.
Lan Jefferson is currently enrolled as a first year doctoral student, Lan Jefferson has a desire to empower women and children by protecting their human rights through policy. Born in Vietnam, but raised in St. Louis, Missouri, she was impacted at an early age by urban and community development issues.
Ronald Lancia, who originally hails from Lansdale, PA outside of Philadelphia, received his TV/R-Screenwriting degree from Ithaca College in upstate NY. His experience helped him design an enrichment program called NMTV, inner-city Denver youth telling stories through the medium of television at Neighborhood Ministries, acommunity action organization. The study focused on specific ways young people utilized storytelling to represent their perspectives on the complex contingencies of urban life. Based on the vernacular theory, stating literacy for a community is one which reflects its basic struggles, his study received a federal grant. 
Lorena Meza currently works at CalState San Marcos as the Senior Director, Centers for Learning and Academic Support Services (CLASS). She provides leadership and oversight for the Writing Center, Math Lab, Language Learning Center, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Program, First-Year Academic Support, and the newly developed ACE Scholar Services (a newly developed program for emancipated foster youth). Prior to this position, Ms Meza worked as the Assistant Dean in the School of Education at the University of San Diego. She served in the senior management team and had management oversight for the following areas: Facilities, Technology Lab and Resources, SOLES Financial Aid, Student Life Programs and Activities for the Graduate Student Association, and supervised SOLES administrative staff. She has held positions in various areas in higher education: Assistant to the Director of Enrollment Services, Assistant to the Director of the Educational Opportunity Program, Summer Bridge Coordinator and Reading Instructor, Admissions Specialist, and Counselor/Instructor. 
Cara Taylor Miller studied the Sociology of Religion in the Religious Studies department as an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara. She earned a Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary and completed two years of doctoral coursework in the Sociology departments at Baylor University and UC Berkeley. Cara will continue working toward a PhD at USD, looking to utilize her previous fields of study as frames for learning about Leadership in organizations and groups. Cara’s previous research questions have examined membership and attendance in religious congregations, as well as the behaviors and beliefs of leaders of new religious movements (e.g. cults, sects, communes, paranormal groups). Using theory and methods distinctive to the Sociology of Religion, Cara has investigated the beliefs, demographics, and characteristics of religious congregations, those who lead religious groups and those who join them. She has published peer-reviewed research on elite, professional leaders and their use of textual material to acquire human capital. At USD, Cara instructs EDLD undergraduate courses and supports and researches for The Leadership Institute. 
John Mosby has spent the last 13 years in higher education administration in the areas of academic & student affairs, and university advancement. Currently, John serves as the Associate Director of Graduate Admissions. John earned his M.A. in Educational Counseling and Psychology at the University of the Pacific, and his B.A. in English from Saint Mary’s College in California. John began his doctoral studies at USD in 2004. His primary research interests are in the areas of establishing equity and increasing access for African Americans college students. John strives to become a university president one day and loves tennis, movies, and spending time with friends and family. Email: 
Raquel Nunez While studying at Pitzer College, Raquel double majored in Sociology and Studio Art. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree, she became a student at Claremont Graduate University, where she finished the Teacher Education Internship Program in 2000, with a Masters in Education. Her Master’s thesis, which was an I-Search paper, focused on how a teacher’s personal history, educational experiences, culture, perceptions, bias, etc. impacts the learning of her students. She has taught for ten years in elementary schools in La Puente, CA and San Diego, CA. Her experience with English learners has led her to her current position as an English Learner Resource Teacher in the Office of Language Acquisition in San Diego Unified School District.
Fran Przechacki resided in Lawrenceville, NJ. the majority of his life. He moved to Philadelphia, PA. in 2000, and relocated to San Diego in September, 2005. His move to San Diego was the direct result of his acceptance into the School of Leadership and Educational Science, Ph.D. program. Education: Fran received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA., a Master of Science degree in Training and Organizational Development with a concentration in Organizational Psychology from Saint Joseph's University, "The Hawk Will Never Die!" Philadelphia, PA. Fran is currently a 3rd year Ph.D. student here at the University of San Diego, SOLES. His program focus is Organizational Leadership and Consulting. His current research involves the use of Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry in relationship with strengths based leadership performance. Professional Practice:
Pressley Robinson Rankin, I.V. comes to us from North Carolina. He has lived in San Diego since 2003 and graduated last year from San Diego State with a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy. During his program he worked for the San Diego Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (GSDBA) as the Operations Administrator. Pressley did two internships during his masters program, one at San Diego Hospice and the other at the San Diego State Clinic. He has a strong passion for relationships and group dynamics. 
Mark Silver has spent his career in independentschools, working for eight years as a teacher, coach, and administrator at Crystal Springs Uplands School in the Bay Area and for the past two years as the Middle School Principal at Francis Parker School in San Diego. Prior to his professional career, Mark earned a B.A. in American Studies from Amherst College and an M.A. in History from Stanford University. 
Lori J. Sipe received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from USD and an MBA from San Diego State University. After working at SeaWorld for more than 20 years, most recently as the director of business analysis and strategic planning, she became one of the first instructors in the Hospitality and Tourism Management degree program at SDSU. Lori enjoys designing innovative curriculum, and she currently teaches service leadership development, strategy, and managerial accounting. 
Ole-Kristian Setnes
Don Trinh is from Los Angeles and earned undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Theology at Saint John’s Seminary College in Camarillo, California. He obtained Bachelor’s (S.T.B), Licentiate (S.T.L.) and Master’s degrees (M.A., M.A.S.) in Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. His thesis was titled: Deacons and Diakonia: The Spirituality and Ministry of Service – A Critical Study of the Permanent Diaconate. Don has worked for the international student magazine of Leuven and was the billing manager of Myrient Inc., an internet-DSL company in Aliso Viejo, CA. He joined the University of San Diego and the SOLES Development Office in January 2006 and is currently the dean’s assistant at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace. Don began the Leadership Studies doctoral program in September 2007 and his interests include higher education, Catholic universities and administration, history of leadership, city government, urban planning, and public service.
