Health and Health Care

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Bruce Anderson

Associate Dean, Offutt School of Business, Concordia College

Phone: 
218-299-3489
Email: 
branders@cord.edu

Anderson has 30 years of experience as a healthcare administrator with the most recent being as an Executive Partner at MeritCare from 1997 to 2001. He has been the director of the program in healthcare administration at Concordia College since 2001.

Laurel Anderson

Program Director, Master of Arts in Health and Human Services Administration, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Phone: 
612-238-4549
Email: 
lqanders@smumn.edu

Anderson’s expertise includes healthcare work force issues, hospital emergency preparedness and hospital-based alternative medicine. She has experience in international health administration and wrote a policy and procedure manual for an Indian hospital. She has presented at national health workforce conferences, is a former Director of Health Policy for the Minnesota Hospital Association and works for the American Hospital Association Integrative Medicine conference.

Richard Benson

Professor of Kinesiology and Health Science, Concordia University, St. Paul

Phone: 
651-641-8245
Email: 
benson@csp.edu

Benson contributes to the development of appropriate and assessable forms of instruction in the areas of health and physical education, particularly related to combating childhood obesity through various primary prevention methods at every level of education, including early childhood. Benson is president of the Minnesota Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD).

Mark Blegen

Assistant Professor of Exercise and Sport Science, St. Catherine University

Phone: 
Julie Michener, 651-690-6521
Email: 
jcmichener@stkate.edu

Blegen teaches exercise physiology, nutrition, biomechanics, fitness assessment and strength and conditioning. He can address how environmental factors influence eating behaviors, holiday eating tips and nutrition for student-athletes. He was recently elected president of the Northland American College of Sports Medicine (NACSM) and is co-director of the Women’s Health Integrative Research Lab (WHIRL) at St. Catherine University.

Devavani Chatterjea

Assistant Professor of Biology, Immunology and Global Health, Macalester College

Phone: 
Barbara Laskin, 651-696-6451
Email: 
laskin@macalester.edu

Chatterjea is an immunologist who has previously worked on developing models of bone marrow transplantation and bacterial infection in mice as well as in therapeutic drug development for autoimmune diseases. Chatterjea, the associate director of Macalester’s Program in Community and Global Health, is interested in curricula and programs that bring public health education into undergraduate liberal learning.

Bridget Duoos

Associate Professor, Health and Human Performance Department, University of St. Thomas

Phone: 
651-962-5909
Email: 
baduoos@stthomas.edu

Duoos’ field of expertise is biomechanics and kinesiology. She has taught anatomy, motor development, physical education methods courses and activity courses. Duoos’ research interests are cross-country skiing and golf.

Dave Durenberger

Senior Health Policy Fellow and Chair of the National Institute of Health Policy, University of St. Thomas

Phone: 
651-962-4137 (direct) and 651-962-4630 (NIHP office)
Email: 
ddurenberger@stthomas.edu

Durenberger teaches health policy at St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, School of Law and School of Education. He served as U.S. Senator from Minnesota from 1978-95 and currently serves on national health policy commissions, is a director at Allina Health Systems, lectures, and writes a nationally known Commentary on policy and politics.

Liz Jansen

Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, Academic Program Director for the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program, Macalester College

Phone: 
Barbara Laskin, 651-696-6451
Email: 
laskin@macalester.edu

Jansen is a neuroscientist with research experience in neural plasticity, transplantation, and regeneration in animal models of ischemia and pain. She is active in consulting and outreach in the neurosciences and women’s health and biology and serves on the University of Minnesota's Animal Care and Use Committee. She teaches courses in neuroscience; Women, Health, and Reproduction; and Biology of Women.

John Lammert

Associate Professor of Biology, Gustavus Adolphus College

Phone: 
Matt Thomas, 507-933-7510
Email: 
mthomas@gustavus.edu

Lammert has expertise in the areas of immunology, immune systems, food poisoning, microbiology and pharmaceutical side effects. As bacteria, viruses and human diseases continue to develop and be prevalent in our society, there is a growing importance to the study of microbiology and immunology.

Cheryl Leuning

Professor, Chair and Graduate Program Director, BSN/MAN/DNP, Augsburg College

Phone: 
Stephanie Weiss, 612-330-1476
Email: 
weisss@augsburg.edu

Leuning's expertise includes transcultural nursing, community/public health nursing, experiential teaching-learning pedagogy, and curriculum and program development. Her publications and presentations focus on advancing the science and art of nursing across care settings and within a global society. She is a consultant to the University of Namibia and a peer reviewer for nursing journals.

Tami Lichtenberg

Executive Director of the Center for Healthcare Innovation, The College of St. Scholastica

Phone: 
218-723-7030
Email: 
tlichten@css.edu

Lichtenberg’s specialty is improving the effectiveness of healthcare professional education in areas of best practices for Electronic Healthcare Records implementation, interdisciplinary leadership courses in the health sciences and interdisciplinary initiatives in rural health care.

Dawn Ludwig

Director, Physician Assistant Studies, Augsburg College

Phone: 
Stephanie Weiss, 612-330-1476
Email: 
weisss@augsburg.edu

Ludwig worked as a Physician Assistant in Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine and Urgent Care, and still practices part-time. She is interested in curriculum and program development, professional development, cardiology, otolaryngology and pediatrics. She is actively involved with the Physician Assistant Education Association, the national organization of PA educators.

Daniel McLaughlin

Director, Center for Health and Medical Affairs, University of St. Thomas

Phone: 
651-962-4143
Email: 
dbmclaughlin@stthomas.edu

McLaughlin helped establish St. Thomas’ National Institute of Health Policy. He is the author of books on healthcare management and blogs about healthcare reform, policy and management at High Performance Healthcare Blog. He is former CEO of the Hennepin County Medical Center and former chair of the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems.

Merri Moody

Dean, School of Health and Human Services, Director/Associate Professor, Graduate Program in Nurse Anesthesia, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Phone: 
612-728-5133
Email: 
mmoody@smumn.edu

Moody has taught, lectured and written curriculum about nurse anesthesia. She has expertise in advanced practice nursing education, advanced practice nursing, nurse anesthesia and anesthesia. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the Minnesota Association of Nurse Anesthetists, where she's on the Minnesota Association of Nurse Anesthetists Education and Research Committee.

Susan Nash

Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Nursing Program in Rochester, Augsburg College

Phone: 
Stephanie Weiss, 612-330-1476
Email: 
weisss@augsburg.edu

Nash's interests include child-rearing, child-bearing, and the role of parenting.  She is a member of the Nursing Education Learning Network, funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. The Network is committed to the study of the emerging science of complexity as it relates to health care and nursing.

Paul Niemuth

Assistant Professor, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, St. Catherine University

Phone: 
651-690-7981 or 651-430-2840
Email: 
peniemuth@stkate.edu

Niemuth’s research interests are sports medicine-related topics. He teaches courses in diagnosis, kinesiology, musculoskeletal systems, clinical orthopaedics and sports medicine. He is a Certified Athletic Trainer and the Assistant Athletic Trainer for St. Kate's. He is an adjunct faculty member at the Hennepin County Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program and the founder of Orthopaedic Sports, Inc.

Ryan Sandefer

Chair and Assistant Professor of the Department of Healthcare Informatics and Information Management, The College of St. Scholastica

Phone: 
218-625-4931
Email: 
rsandefe@css.edu

Sandefer’s specialty is health care optimizing the electronic health record and related health information technology to increase effectiveness and cost efficiencies, especially rural facilities achieving “meaningful use” levels.

Debra Barone Sheats

Chair and Assistant Professor of Family, Consumer and Nutritional Sciences Department, St. Catherine University

Phone: 
Julie Michener, 651-690-6521
Email: 
jcmichener@stkate.edu

Sheats’ expertise is in public health nutrition (she holds a Master in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Minnesota) and she is also a licensed and registered dietitian. A St. Kate’s alumna, she is a textbook reviewer and frequent guest lecturer on diet and healthy eating.

Kenneth Solberg

Director, Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Phone: 
612-238-454
Email: 
ksolberg@smumn.edu

Solberg has taught and conducted research in psychology for over 40 years. He has expertise in cognitive psychology, including learning, memory, decision making, language and critical thinking. He serves as a consultant for statistical analysis, research methodology, test and survey construction and outcome research. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Item Development Committee for the psychology licensure examination (EPPP).

Martha (Marty) Witrak

Dean and Professor of the School of Nursing, The College of St. Scholastica

Phone: 
218-723-6021
Email: 
mwitrak@css.edu

Witrak’s specialties include nursing’s role in rural health care and the application of health information technologies to nursing education and practice. She is a member of the National Rural Health Association and co-chairs the Minnesota e-Health advisory committee.

Barb Zust

Associate Professor of Nursing, Gustavus Adolphus College

Phone: 
Matt Thomas, 507-933-7510
Email: 
mthomas@gustavus.edu

Zust teaches maternity nursing and mental health nursing at Gustavus. Her clinical practice has had a family health focus that includes her work with grieving families in oncology/hospice; acutely ill patients and their families in ICU/CCU; struggling and/or violent families in public health; and new families in OB.