Doctorate of Education
Faculty Bios
Peg Bourque
Peg Bourque is the Associate Vice President of Treasury & Auxiliary
Services at Saint Anselm College and just started her 14th year at the
College. She is responsible for all Treasury activities including oversight
of the College's investments and debt portfolio as well as risk
management, management of cash and all banking services and
relationships. In addition, she oversees the College bookstore,
Conference and Event Services, Sullivan Ice Arena and Dining Services.
Prior to her work at Saint Anselm, she was the Treasury Manager at a natural gas utility
company for 14 years followed by a brief stint as Executive Director of a non-profit substance
abuse treatment center.
Peg received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of New
Hampshire and her M.B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University. She is also a Certified
Treasury Professional.
Peg teaches Budget and Finance
Beth Devonshire
Beth Devonshire, Esq., has been the Director of Student Conduct at
Bridgewater State University since May 2013. In this role, Beth oversees the
student conduct system, including drafting all policies and procedures
related to student conduct matters. Prior to that, Beth served as the
Director of Community Standards at Stonehill College for 7 years. While at
Stonehill, Beth also served as the Title IX Coordinator.
Beth has also presented extensively on Title IX including presentations to
colleges, statewide organizations, regional conferences, and at the OCR Title IX Conference
in March of 2011. Additionally, Beth has given multiple presentations on other legislation and
legal issues effecting higher education, including FERPA, Clery, and alcohol and other drug
prevention.
Before beginning her career in higher education, Beth served as a clerk for the Justices of
the Superior Court from 2006-2007. Prior to that, Beth worked at the Massachusetts State
House as Deputy Attorney for House Ways and Means, Chief of Staff for the Committee on
Election Laws and as a Researcher for the Committee on Local Affairs.
Beth teaches Preventative Law
Kathryn Dodge
Dr. Kathryn Dodge is focused on excellence in policy, practice and
professional development in Higher Education.
She co-founded Radio Higher Ed (RadioHigerEd.com), a national
policy podcast designed to inform and challenge listeners to consider
higher education policy and their implications. She serves, by
gubernatorial appointment, as a Commissioner at Education
Commission of the States. In 2013 she was named to the newly
formed National Council – State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).
Dr. Dodge’s practice is focused on clients ready for organizational change that is strategic,
systemic and sustainable, often leveraged by accreditation or compliance requirements.
This organizational level work is balanced by teaching at the public land grant in NH where
she is a faculty affiliate for the Ph.D. program and at New England College where she
teaches in the hybrid Ed.D. program.
Dr. Dodge has significant campus-based experience at Keene State College, a Council for
Public Liberal Arts Institution. She also has a decade of policy experience working as a N.H.
State Higher Education Executive Officer (SHEEO), executive director of a coordinating state
agency with regulatory and fiscal responsibilities. In that capacity she chaired the NH P-16
Council and served as a U.S. Department of Education negotiator representing the national
SHEEO organization. Her board experience includes a decade at the New England Board of
Higher Education. She also spent several years in for-profit education and publishing early in
her career.
Dr. Dodge received her Ph.D. in Human and Organization Systems from the Fielding
Graduate University, Calif., in 2001. She has Master’s degrees in Organization Development
and Student Guidance and Counseling and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biblical Literature.
Kathryn teaches Public Policy in Higher Education
Carlton Fitzgerald
Carlton is Associate Professor of Education and Associate Dean for
Education. He brings his vast experience in education to all the classes
he teaches. Carlton has served as a public school teacher, assistant
principal and principal in elementary, middle, and high schools. Before
coming to New England College he was an adjunct instructor at
Colby-Sawyer and Notre Dame colleges. Carlton is a frequent guest
lecturer at the University of Oradea in Oradea, Romania.
He received his B.A. from Bates College, his M.Ed. and CAGS from the
University of Maine, and his Ed.D. from the University of Vermont.
Carlton teaches Brain Research and Learning, Futuristic Organizational Theory, Curriculum for
the Information Age, and Comprehensive Project Seminar
Gavin Henning
Gavin is Associate Professor of Higher Education and directs the
Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and the
Doctorate of Education programs. Prior to his current position, Gavin
spent 20 years in higher education administration with experience in
residential life and housing, judicial affairs, alcohol and other drug
issues, diversity initiatives, and divisional leadership. He spent 12 years
working in student affairs assessment and institutional research.
Gavin’s scholarship has been published in professional journals and
scholarly magazines and he has been an invited speaker at regional,
national, and international conferences on the topic of assessment and evaluation in higher
education. His scholarly interests include student engagement, student success, assessment,
and institutional effectiveness.
During his professional career, Gavin has been highly involved in ACPA. He currently is Vice
President and has served as annual convention general programs chair (2013-2014), Director
of Professional Development on the Governing Board (2011-2013), and the Chair for the
Commission for Assessment and Evaluation (2007-2009). He is a board member for the
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) where he also serves
on the CAS Executive Committee as Member-At-Large for Outreach. Gavin is founder and
past-president of Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL), an international organization of
student affairs assessment professionals.
He has been received the Annuit Coeptis and Diamond Honoree awards from ACPA for his
contributions to student affairs and higher education.
Gavin holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education Leadership and Policy Studies and a
Master of Arts degree both from the University of New Hampshire as well as a Master of Arts
degree in College and University Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in
Psychology and Sociology from Michigan State University.
Gavin lives in Pembroke, NH with his wife who is a high school English teacher.
Gavin teaches Contemporary Issues in Higher Education, Quantitative Research Methods in
Education, Dissertation Seminars, and Comprehensive Project Seminar
Gene Knott
Gene Knott is a psychologist and Emeritus Professor in the Department of
Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Rhode Island.
He was a university administrator for 27 years at three different colleges and
universities.
Dr. Knott also taught in the University’s MBA program, where his courses
included Leadership, and Organization Development. He has been an
adjunct faculty member in Psychology, Nursing, and Adult Education, and a Fellow in
Gerontology.
In addition, Gene has more than 40 years experience in systems consulting, group
facilitation, as well as in training design and delivery for many public and private sector
organizations globally. He has also been an executive coach for twenty-six years.
Gene has worked extensively with six sectors: health care, human services, banking, high
tech, professional associations, and higher education. His primary areas of interest include
organization change, coach training, leadership development, workforce management
and succession planning, team building, and cultural competency.
He is also the author or co-author of four books and dozens of book chapters and articles,
and has made several hundred invited presentations internationally about his areas of
expertise.
Dr. Knott was a private practice psychotherapist for over thirty years, and specialized in
behavioral medicine. He is an American Board of Professional Psychology Diplomate, a
board certification honor accorded only four per cent of North American psychologists.
A co-founder and former president of the Association for Death Education and Counseling,
he is a frequent presenter on topics of dying and grief.
He and his wife, Nancy, live in Wakefield RI, hosting their out-of-state grandchildren on
frequent, happy occasions.
Gene teaches Organizational Leadership and Change
Brian McCoy
Brian is a Professor of Psychology at Nichols College. Prior to this recent
faculty appointment, Brian served as the Vice President for Student Affairs
and Dean of Students at Nichols for 15 years. He also serves as adjunct
psychology professor at Assumption College as well as in the graduate
programs at New England College and Nichols College. His former
student affairs positions were in the residence life departments at
Wentworth Institute of Technology and Assumption College. He also
served as the Department Manager for the Division of Family Practice at
the Fallon Clinic.
Brian earned his Ed.D. in Educational Policy, Research, and Administration from the University
of Massachusetts-Amherst (2003). He also holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology (1988)
from Assumption College and B.A. in Psychology from Anna Maria College (1985).
Brian’s writings include a co-authored chapter with Dr. Cheryl Barnard entitled The Final Six
Weeks which can be found in Ready for the Real World (Blume, Gardner, Hartell & Schwartz,
1994). He was also the co-author of Fallon 101 – A Longitudinal Orientation which appeared
in the HMO Journal. His most recent publication, Decisions Matter: Using a Decision-Making
Framework with Contemporary Student Affairs Case Studies was published in March 2013.
Brian has also served as a reviewer for Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Human Sexuality
(Taverner & McKee, 2012) and The Developing Person: Through the Life Span (Berger, 2007).
As an active member of NASPA since 1985, he has served in a variety of leadership positions
for the Association, including: Region I Conference Chair (2001); Region I Vice President
(2006 – 2008); Featured Speakers Chair (2009 NASPA Annual Conference); and, as a member
of the Joint ACPA/NASPA Taskforce on the Future of Student Affairs (2008 – 2010). His most
recent involvement is as the 2013 NASPA Annual Conference Chair
Brian teaches Strategic Management in Higher Education
Robert McLaughlin
Robert T. McLaughlin, Ph.D. administers assessment and approval of
professional educator preparation programs for the New Hampshire
Department of Education and advises on relevant state policy. Bob has
served since 2001 on the Association of Teacher Educators’ (ATE) national
commission on technology and the future of teacher education, which he
now chairs. This group advises ATE’s leadership on infusing technology into
educator preparation, and designs and leads hands-on faculty
development on technology integration at ATE’s annual winter and summer conferences.
He also co-chairs ATE’s new presidential task force on “providing resources for professional
growth in the digital age”, whose primary task is to recommend strategies to optimize the
association’s value to experienced and novice faculty, adjunct faculty, and cooperating
educators in the digital age. He founded, and for several years chaired, two special interest
groups on digital equity and innovative learning technologies for the International Society for
Technology in Education. He founded and now co-chairs the nonprofit Digital Opportunity
Consortium, whose aim is to close the digital divide at home for the nation’s low-income
children and their families.
Bob has led large scale technical assistance initiatives supporting systemic reform by P12
and teacher educators in science, mathematics and technology – e.g., the Eisenhower
Regional Alliance for Math and Science Education Reform (1992-98) and the Virtual
Professional Development School Consortium (1998-2003). He has diverse teaching
experience including as a K-8 teacher, school principal, and GED instructor in all subjects for
a tribal community college on a North Dakota reservation. He currently serves as adjunct
professor in grant writing, assistive technology, technology integration, and educational
reform policy and practice.
To this work he has brought an abiding conviction that for educational reform to be
successful, educators need opportunities for sustained collaboration to co-define the goals
of reform and for action research to continually assess and refine their efforts to improve
learning opportunities, climate and results for all students.
Bob teaches Recreating Educational Policy.
Mary McNeil
Dr. McNeil is currently Professor Emerita (Plymouth State University) and an
educational consultant. She serves on the New Hampshire Professional
Standards Board and is actively involved with an international consortium
of universities focused on excellence in teacher education preparation.
Throughout her career, Dr. McNeil has been a contributor to the profession
through her many publications in educational journals and her book
chapters. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences on topics
related to special education and leadership. She has been a successful grant writer
garnering millions of dollars for innovative projects.
Additionally, she was president of the Partners of the Americas (Vermont-Honduras) where
she worked with Honduran partners on projects such as special education, initiatives to assist
women in rural areas gain employment, and water harvesting research.
While at Plymouth State University, she was Director of the CAGS Program in Educational
Leadership and also Director of the Pakistani Institute for Teachers. She was the founding
editor of the New Hampshire Journal of Education and remains on the board of reviewers.
She served as Associate Dean at Chapman University in Orange, California where she
collaborated with colleagues to expand the global initiatives of the College of Educational
Studies and to review and revise curriculum and program offerings. She taught in the PhD
program and served on dissertation committees.
Mary teaches Visionary Educational Leadership
Prue Merton
Prue Merton is an educational developer working with the Dartmouth
Center for Advancement of Learning. With expertise in learning theory,
pedagogy, and curriculum design, she works with faculty at Dartmouth to
support their teaching and to facilitate student learning. She does similar
work with a team of public health professionals at Muhimbili School of
Public Health in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and has conducted faculty
development workshops in Qatar and India as well.
Dr. Merton came to Dartmouth from Texas A&M University's Center for Teaching Excellence
and taught in the higher education administration graduate program for the College of
Education. In her doctoral research, Dr. Merton collected and analyzed educators'
occupational life histories to better understand their experience of teacher development
and curricular reform.
Dr. Merton¹s training and consulting skills were honed while working for the U.S. Peace Corps
in Washington DC. Her experience with supporting academic writing is documented in a
forthcoming chapter in Working with Faculty Writers, (Utah State University Press).
Prue teaches Teaching and Learning in Higher Education – Innovative Pedagogies
Debra Nitschke-Shaw
Debra Nitschke-Shaw is the Associate Dean of Education and Professor of
Education. She has been a faculty member at NEC for over 25 years and
has taught in the public schools (general education and special
education classes), been the Chairperson of the Henniker School Board,
and worked tirelessly to help students who want to become teachers
achieve their goals. Her nationally recognized work in service-learning,
civic engagement, and partnership development is something that she
eagerly shares with her students. She has worked with the State
Department of Education on developing the new Teacher Evaluation
model for the State of NH, is a member of the New Hampshire Council for
Teacher Education, and supports students in their roles as student interns in the classroom. In
addition, she has chaired a number of doctoral candidates’ dissertation committees and is
excited about learning along with her students.
Debra’s areas of expertise and research interests include elementary education, special
education, partnership development, service-learning and civic engagement, assessment,
leadership development, teacher evaluation and development.
Debra is an alumna of New England College where she received her Bachelor of Arts
degree. She has a M.Ed. from Keene State College, and a M.Ed. and Ph.D. from Fielding
University.
Debra teaches Qualitative Research Methods in Education and Dissertation Seminars and
facilitates many Comprehensive Projects and Chairs many Dissertation Committees.
Debra teaches Qualitative Research Methods in Education and Dissertation Seminars
Bill Preble
Bill is a Professor of Education at New England College who has taught
at NEC for 15 years. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses
in Education, Educational Psychology, School Climate Leadership, and
Educational Research. Bill was the 2011 Kilgore Award-winning Professor
of the Year at New England College.
Bill is a former elementary teacher, middle school social students
teacher, and elementary principal. Bill's major area of research is in the
field of youth leadership, youth political socialization, and school climate
leadership and change. Bill is the founder of the Center for School Climate and Learning
that provides schools, organizations, and government agencies with anti-bullying and school
climate and culture research, evaluation and professional development services. Bill has
worked successfully in hundreds of schools throughout the country to help school leaders,
teachers, and students improve school climate, safety, respect, student leadership, and
respectful teaching and learning.
Bill is the developer of the SafeMeasures™ Process, a research-supported school
improvement framework that has been used extensively by schools in NH, ME, MA, TN, FL,
and OH. He is the author of two books: The Respectful School (ASCD), written with Steven
Wessler in 2003, and, Transforming School Climate and Learning (Corwin, 2012) co-authored
by Rick Gordon. Bill’s work was also featured this past year in Educational Leadership and the
New Hampshire Journal of Education.
Bill teaches Quantitative Research Methods in Education
Eric Ramsey
Eric Ramsey joined Dartmouth College in 2004, as the current director of
the Collis Student Center & Student Involvement Office, Eric is responsible
for Dartmouth’s student activities program - including traditions
programming, student governance, student organizations, leadership
and late night programming – and the Collis Center facilities
management. Eric completed his undergraduate work at University of
Arkansas, graduating with a BA in English and his graduate work at
University of Texas, Austin with a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration. After graduation,
Eric worked at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana as a Program Advisor
for Student Activities. In May of 2011, Eric completed his Doctorate in Education (Ed.D) at
the University of Vermont. Eric's research interest is in community development and
understanding how students experience community and how it impacts the collegiate
experience. Throughout his career he has taught college writing. In addition to his student
affairs teaching at NEC, he has also taught in the UVM Masters program.
Eric teaches Qualitative Research Methods
Brian Reed
Dr. Brian D. Reed is an Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Students at
Dartmouth College. His research and writing has focused primarily
on the intersections or race, class, and gender and their effects on
student experiences and outcomes. Specifically, Dr. Reed has
written and presented nationally on the convergence of
socioeconomic status, gender, and whiteness and the simultaneous
embodiment of privileged and marginalized identities. His work on
the intersections of socio-economic status and college men was
published in Jason Laker & Tracy Davis’s “Masculinities in Higher
Education: Theoretical and Practical Considerations.” He serves as an editorial reviewer for
Educational Researcher, is an advisory board member for Center for the Study of
Masculinities and Men's Development at Western Illinois University, and is Vice-President of
The College Garden, a not-for-profit foundation focusing on increasing post-secondary
attendance among rural, low-income and first-generation college students. He has served
as the Chair of the Men and Masculinities Knowledge Community for the National
Association of Student Personnel Administrators and was most recently the Scholar-inResidence for the American College Personal Association’s Standing Committee on Men
and Masculinities. Dr. Reed resides in Orford, New Hampshire with his partner, Laura, and
their four cats.
Brian teaches Advanced Student Development Theory
Sylvia Spears
Sylvia Spears joined Emerson College as Vice President for Diversity
and Inclusion in 2012. As the chief diversity and inclusion officer for
the College, Sylvia is responsible for the development and
implementation of programs and policies that reflect and
enhance the College’s mission while extending its commitment to
diversity, inclusion, and civility. She leads efforts to achieve the
College’s goals related to faculty and staff hiring and retention;
curricular innovation; student recruitment and success; campus
climate; external relationships and partnerships; and building a
stronger campus community. In addition to directing the Office of
Diversity and Inclusion, Sylvia serves as a member of the President’s Council.
Prior to Emerson, Sylvia served as Assistant Vice President for Academic Initiatives at New
England College, working with the college’s senior leadership to promote innovative
academic programming and implement the College’s strategic plan. She also held faculty
status as an Associate Professor of Education and served as Director of the College’s
Doctoral Program in Education.
Sylvia spent more than five years at Dartmouth College in positions of increasing
responsibility. She began her Dartmouth service in 2007 as Associate Dean of Student Life
and Director of the Office of Pluralism and Leadership (OPAL), providing administrative,
financial, and supervisory oversight of numerous departments including the Center for
Women and Gender, the Office of Asian and Asian-American Advising, the Office of Black
Student Advising, International Student Programs, the Office of Latino/a Advising, the Office
of LGBT Advising, and the Native American Program. In 2008–09, she was appointed Acting
Senior Associate Dean of Dartmouth College, serving as the Dean’s principal advisor on
matters related to student academic support for all undergraduate students. The following
year, she accepted the President’s invitation to serve as Dean of Dartmouth College, an
interim position that she held for two years. As Dean she oversaw the largest administrative
unit at Dartmouth and managed a $65 million annual budget.
Between 1996 and 2007, Sylvia worked in a variety of capacities at the University of Rhode
Island, including as an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies (2004–
2007), and a lecturer in the same department (1999–2004), during which time she taught
graduate and undergraduate courses. Sylvia also served as the Interim Affirmative Action
Officer for nearly two years. She previously had held leadership positions at Bryant College in
Multicultural Affairs and with the Narragansett Indian Tribe.
Sylvia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications and Master of Science in Human
Development and Family Studies with a focus in college student personnel from the
University of Rhode Island. She also earned a Ph.D. in Education from the Rhode Island
College/University of Rhode Island Joint Doctoral Program In Education.
Sylvia has served as a Board member of the Consortium for High Achievement and Success,
a member of National Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA), and an
associate member of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Sylvia continues
to be a highly sought after consultant, facilitator and speaker.
Sylvia teaches Promoting Access, Retention, and Achievement