Our College of Education Staff
Whitney Repple; Coordinator of Operations
Here are a few things I do for the College of Education: Budget overview and planning, strategic planning and development within the COE, human resources for faculty and staff, employee supervision, and administrative tasks for the COE. I plan events, manage our budgets, help with the hiring process in the COE, and many more things. I also serve on the Aesthetics and Hospitality Committee, as well as the Emergency Operations committee on campus. I am involved in graduation planning as well. I love that the College of Education is a community of people working toward the same goal. These people are my second family, and you can tell by the way we love each other!
Angela McGowan; Teacher Certification & Compliance Coordinator
As the Teacher Certification and Compliance Liaison, I work primarily with our School of Teacher Education (SOTE) faculty, staff, and students. I work with the Director of Field Experiences securing placements for our student teachers in the field and communicating with our MBU supervisors and cooperating teachers. Upon students’ completion of their programs, I review and submit all recommendations for certification to DESE for our School of Teacher Education and School of Educational Leadership candidates.
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I also collect and maintain data for the SOTE and collaborate with the SOTE Associate Dean and faculty to review curriculum and program policies for effectiveness. In addition, I serve as a liaison for both DESE and our School of Teacher Education accreditor, AAQEP, and work closely with the Dean and Associate Deans in the COE to ensure that all of our programs continue to meet state and national requirements. What I enjoy most about my role is serving the wide variety of “people groups ” I have the privilege of working with, from MBU students, faculty/staff and university supervisors as well as cooperating teachers and other school district administrators, to working with others through DESE and AAQEP. No day in the SOTE/COE is ever the same.
Dr. Tammy Cox: “The Old Testament is filled with images of Kings and battle commanders who enjoy success largely because of the armor-bearers that the Lord supplied for them. Armor bearers literally carried the weapons for their leaders and were always found beside their leaders – in battle and in times of peace. Armor bearers, in the Old Testament, were marked by their unwavering loyalty, their practical support, their confidence in their leader and prayers of faith and protection for their leader
In my nearly six years as Dean of the College of Education, I have been blessed to have a number of staff (and faculty) who have lined up squarely beside me to pray, lift up my arms, provide godly council and trust me as their leader.
Two of the most stalwart examples of armor bearers have come in the presence of Whitney Repple, my administrative assistant and Angela McGowan, our certification liaison. They both keep the COE train on the track…daily. But more importantly, they are never far from me when I need support, prayer and sound counsel. I am blessed to have godly women in my shadow.”
Kathleen Wendt; Director of Teacher Certification Advising
As Director of Teacher Education Advising, I work with undergraduate students in the School of Teacher Education, including those majoring in middle, secondary, and K-12 content areas on the Main campus and all students at the Arnold and Jefferson Regional Learning Centers. This includes transcript evaluations, registration, and graduation checks as well as participating in Priority Registration Day and Spartan Start and Welcome Weekend events related to advising. I also develop and/or implement the use of necessary student advising forms and degree plan worksheets for undergraduate programs in the SOTE, as well as working with the Records Office staff to develop and maintain functional degree audits.
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In addition, I assist with the development of articulation agreements with area community colleges for programs in the SOTE. I collect and submit the data for COE APR to DESE. Other tasks include downloading and processing student score reports from ETS, including updating holds and document tracking in CAMS; developing and/or implementing the Teacher Education Admission Packet documents and workflows in Sign Now and loading document tracking sequences in CAMS; and serving on the Academic Affairs and General Education committees. I love being a part of the COE team, working to develop future educators, school leaders, and school counselors. Watching our students walk across the stage at the Commissioning Service and Commencement fills me with a sense of satisfaction knowing they are going out into schools well prepared to serve.
Dr. Kendra Ray: “What I appreciate most about Kathleen is the vast institutional knowledge that she brings to support the College of Education. Her historical knowledge coupled with her understanding of policy, procedures, and the inner workings of DESE help us be efficient. It is a skill set that few of us have (and most of us don't want). She is able and willing to support any of the work needed related to curricular or catalog changes, implementing changes that come from DESE, and helps keep us out ahead of the work. She is a vital part of ur team and we absolutely couldn't do what we do without her!”
annah Lindzy; Undergraduate Advisor
I am an undergraduate education advisor here in the COE. I work with our main campus Elementary, Early Childhood, K-12 Special Education, and Early Childhood Special Education students, as well as all of our online certification program (OCP) students. I work to ensure students take the correct courses, successfully progress through their degree, and connect them with any resources they may need on campus. I also place every education student in their Field I and Field II classrooms. What I love the most about the COE is the compassion that we display toward every student. I have seen so many faculty members go above and beyond their call of duty to help support a student, and it truly sets the COE apart from other colleges.
Dr. Kendra Ray: “What I appreciate most about Hannah is the unwavering support and stability that she provides for our students. She confidently guides them through their plan of study, but also helps them navigate some of the challenges faced by college students - time management, advocating for themselves, finding balance, and making hard decisions. She has learned how to nuance that differently - but just as importantlyfor our OCP students. Her students regularly tell me how much they appreciate all of the support and guidance that she provides to them.”
Michelle Einig; Administrative Coordinator of Counselor Education
It’s been my pleasure to have worked for MBU for over 9 years! My role as Program Coordinator began in the School of Counseling and I now also support the School of Educational Leadership. I am responsible for managing the ongoing operations and supporting the leadership in these two divisions. In addition to serving current, future and former students, I manage a wide range of tasks and projects. A few of these include school counselor and psychological examiner certifications, field experience operations, new student interviews, orientations, end of term surveys and stipend payments. In addition, I maintain, track and analyze various data reporting needs, such as assessment data, student enrollment tracking, gatekeeping functions, annual and semester data, and CACREP data. What I love best about the COE are the friendships I’ve made over the last several years and supporting our students each and every day!
Dr. Andrea Cox: “Michelle is a dedicated member of the SOC team. She is committed to ensuring students feel supported and well served. She is detail-oriented and has a wealth of historical knowledge about the SOC. She is a valuable resource and productive member of the SOC team.”
Eliana Steele; Office Assistant
I assist Whitney with keeping track of the budget and planning events! A lot of my job is making purchases for the COE – from sticky notes to airline tickets. I also handle adopting textbooks and assist with contracts. I love watching the faculty and staff in action. They are excellent at what they do and they serve our students in such a knowledgeable, grace-filled way.
Whitney Repple: “Eliana consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to teamwork and collaboration. Always eager to learn, she actively seeks opportunities for growth and development. She takes initiative by regularly checking in to see how she can contribute, making her a dependable and valued member of any team.”
Patty Stockton; Online Certification Program Assistant
I help support our expanding Online Teacher Certification program, which continues to grow weekly. My role involves assisting the College of Education with various daily tasks, including making copies, designing flyers, conducting research, and helping with events. Additionally, I manage the COE social media accounts, update our website, and compile the monthly newsletter. What I love the most about the COE is our collaborative spirit, as we all work together to nurture the next generation of educators.
Whitney Repple: “Patty approaches her responsibilities with determination and a positive attitude, always. Never hesitant to accept a challenge, she willingly takes on any task assigned to her without complaint. She thrives on staying busy, seeks to be fully utilized, and demonstrates reliability and resilience in everything she does.”
Education Council held on February 24th
The College of Education hosted partners from all over the St. Louis area and more. We discussed hiring challenges, field experience opportunities, and opportunities for students to set themselves apart from other candidates when being hired. Two of our very own students shared their story, Savannah Griffey and Ezekiel Thompkins.
MBU In-Service Day on February 25th
