College of Education and Human Services
Meet Our Faculty
Behavior Analysis Faculty
Maggie Pavone
Dr. Pavone is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA). She holds a B.A. degree in psychology from Saint Louis University, an M.S. degree in psychology from Capella University, and a Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology from Grand Canyon University. In addition, Dr. Pavone has completed a graduate certificate in organizational behavior management from Harvard University as well as a certificate in online teaching and learning from Duke University. Dr. Pavone is on the board of directors for the Missouri Association for Behavior Analysis, the president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International Special Interest Group in Open Educational Resources, the lead event coordinator for the Organizational Behavior Management Network, and a Level Two Google Educator. Dr. Pavone enjoys spreading her passion for behavior analysis to students in the Behavior Analysis program and to the local community.
Counseling Faculty
Michael Rankins
Michael S. Rankins, Ph.D., LPC, received his doctoral degree in 2008 from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. A former intern of both Victim Service Council and the Masters & Johnson Institute in St. Louis, Dr. Rankins was a graduate assistant to Dr. Mark Pope during his term as President of the American Counseling Association. He served as a prevention coordinator with St. Louis Effort For AIDS, a counselor with Hyland Behavioral Health at St. Anthony’s Medical Center, and as assistant director of student life at UMSL. He was also founder and director of the Student Life Resource Centers at UMSL. In the early months of 2008, he received an award for a co-authored article published in “AdultSpan,” the journal of the Association for Adult Development and Aging. Later in 2008, he joined the faculty at Lindenwood University as an assistant professor in the Division of Professional and School Counseling, and he went on to assume the role of assistant dean in 2014. He continues to be involved in advocacy and community outreach, and also remains dedicated to those affected by HIV/AIDS. He is currently completing a book focused on his experiences with marriage-equality efforts in San Francisco.
Janita Springfield
Dr. Janita Springfield joins Lindenwood University and specializes in counselor education and supervision. From Oakland, Tennessee, Springfield holds a bachelor’s in psychology from University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, a master’s in rehabilitation counseling with an emphasis in addiction studies from University of Arkansas, and a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from University of Mississippi.
“Many things in life can be complex, but my decision to work at Lindenwood University was not one of those things. I chose to work at Lindenwood because I genuinely connect with the five core values of the university, and I envision the positive contributions that can be made for not only students and faculty/staff, but also individuals and communities at large,” Springfield said.
“I am most excited about having the opportunity to contribute to this community by providing quality teaching and building meaningful connections with my students, working with fellow faculty members, and continuing my research and service efforts in the field of counseling and mental health. These are the reasons I became a professor–to continue the process of learning while helping others along the way.”
Social Work Faculty
Marilyn (Denise) King
Dr. Denise King graduated as a Hartford Foundation Geriatric Doctoral Fellow from the University of Maryland-Baltimore. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from Howard University and is also an alumnus of Tennessee State University. She has taught undergraduate social work and graduate social work and gerontology courses for the past 14 years. As an instructor, she has taught a variety of classes, including Intercultural Communications, Human Diversity and Social Justice, Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Social Work Practice, Social Welfare Policy, Statistics for the Social Sciences, and Social Work Research Methods. She has a 38-year social work history that includes social work education, research, and direct practice. Dr. King’s experiences include work with a variety of populations, including those with chronic mental illness; older adults; African Americans; and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) individuals. In addition, she has a passion for working with older adults, and she has specific expertise in working with the caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. King is a member of NASW and was a founding board member of SAGE (Service and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) Metro St. Louis.