Six members of the Wartburg faculty and staff earned their doctoral degrees this spring.
The new doctors are Dr. Lizabeth Gehring, visiting assistant professor of English education; Dr. Christine Schafer, college librarian and director of Vogel Library; Dr. Stephanie TeKippe, interim assistant dean for academic affairs; Dr. Bill Soesbe, instructor in education; Dr. Michael Gleason, Pathways associate for vocation and mentoring; and Dr. Margaret Empie, director of dining services.
Gehring earned a Doctor of Education degree in instructional leadership (teaching and learning) from Argosy University. She completed a bachelor’s degree in creative writing at Ohio University and a Master of Teaching degree in secondary English from the University of Iowa.
Gehring’s dissertation examined the impact of the “high-stakes culture” of multiple standardized tests on the education career choices of college students. She found the tests diminished self-efficacy — “the belief that one is capable, competent and effective.” As a result, she theorizes that fewer public school students will pursue careers in education.
Schafer completed her Doctor of Education degree in leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English, speech, theatre/secondary education from Luther College and a Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Her dissertation dealt with the change from face-to-face instruction to online learning at a two-year college and its effect on faculty and students, particularly the academically disadvantaged. She found the change was necessary for the institution’s survival and the faculty “grew to appreciate the opportunities for students and the institution.”
TeKippe earned a Doctor of Education degree in leadership and educational technology from the University of Phoenix. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in instructional technology from the University of Northern Iowa.
Her dissertation concerned “higher-education faculty perceptions of digital literacies” She said students use digital literacies outside the classroom but not consistently inside the classroom. She found that technology problems beyond the control of faculty and limited time to learn new tools hampered faculty adoption of digital literacies..
Soesbe, Gleason and Empie earned Doctor of Philosophy degrees in higher education from Iowa State University.
Soesbe’s dissertation examined experiences of alumni who had completed an undergraduate leadership degree program at a small liberal arts college. He created a framework for leadership development known as “Soesbe’s Conceptual Framework of Alumni’s Lived Leadership Experience.”
He completed his bachelor’s degree in science education and his master’s degree in education at the University of Northern Iowa.
Gleason’s dissertation studied the “mentoring influence on socially responsible leadership,” based on an institution’s Carnegie Classification, which groups colleges and universities based on such factors as undergraduate and graduate instructional programs, enrollment, size and setting. Gleason determined that involvement in community service and mentoring for personal development mattered more than the college classification.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in post-secondary education at the University of Northern Iowa.
Empie’s dissertation examined students’ on-campus employment. She found it was important for students to start working on campus as soon as they started college, developing skills and relationships to enhance their careers. She made recommendations to help institutions create effective student employment programs for all types work.
Empie earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Northern Iowa.
“Wartburg is very proud of these achievements of our faculty and staff,” said Dr. Fred Ribich, interim dean of the faculty. “The college community, and especially our students, are well served by these dedicated and disciplined professionals who stand as models for successfully balancing the demands of work, school, and family. To be strong and effective teachers requires that we never stop being resourceful and imaginative students as well.”