The Office of the Provost works in coordination with the deans and other university leaders to support the University's strategic and operational plans. Specifically, the Office of the Provost provides university-wide leadership and oversight of Lindenwood’s academic portfolio, academic quality assurance, support for teaching, learning, and research, and academic support services.
Meet Our Staff
Dr. Bethany Alden-Rivers
Provost / Vice President, Academic Affairs
Dr. Bethany Alden-Rivers has served as Lindenwood’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs since September 2021. She joined Lindenwood in July 2019 as Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Chief Assessment Officer. Prior to joining Lindenwood, Alden-Rivers served as Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness and Student Success at Southeast Missouri State University; Assistant Vice President for Teaching and Learning at Utah Valley University; and Head of Teaching and Learning Development at the University of Northampton, UK.
During 22+ years in higher education, Alden-Rivers has taught courses in accounting, management, statistics, digital instruction, educational research methods, and leadership for multiple institutions across three different countries: China, the UK, and the USA. In 2013, she was recognized as a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy for excellence in teaching. She currently teaches in Lindenwood’s EdD Leadership program.
Alden-Rivers holds a PhD in Adult Learning, Assessment, and Performance and a Master of Research (MRes) from the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University, UK; she also holds an MBA and BS in Finance from Missouri State University. Alden-Rivers has a portfolio of published scholarly work and has collaborated on several large grant-funded research projects with UK and EU partners. She served as a visiting researcher at the Institute of Pedagogy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden and at the University of Turku, Finland during 2010-2011. Her research interests include reflective learning, epistemological development, learning analytics, and social innovation education.
Alden-Rivers is a certified project management practitioner, a certified coach, a trained member of the Society for College and University Planning, and a Peer Reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Dr. Emily Barnes
Chief Digital Learning Officer
Dr. Emily Barnes serves as the University’s Chief Digital Learning Officer and the Dean of Lindenwood Global College. In her career, she has held multi-faceted entrepreneurial and academic roles designed to innovate education and expand its reach through the integration of 21st-century technologies in instruction, learning experience design, and operational infrastructure. She has crafted and implemented effective digital learning and data strategies, renovating academic and institutional operations for today’s market. She has 15 years of experience working in higher education with a passion for bringing adaptation, innovation, and forward-focused strategy to executive leadership.
Having served in Provost, Executive VP of Academic Affairs, and Interim President roles, Barnes is a tested leader with significant operational, technological, pedagogical, and managerial experience. Facets of her academic and professional career, as well as her entrepreneurial background in digital education, data science, and information technology, have shaped her as an academic thought leader and creative catalyst. While Barnes embraces the foundations of higher education, she also holds a highly progressive view of the roles that technology and innovation play in sustaining higher education’s future. She is a champion of redefining how institutions utilize data and advanced technology in order to achieve strategic goals.
Barnes has created successful enrollment strategies that effectively reach adult student markets and nontraditional communities. She created student retention and advancement initiatives that yielded a substantial increase in first-year retention, as well as growth among hard-to-reach adult student populations.
As an administrator, technologist, and educator engaged in the progressive impact advancing technology, particularly AI (Artificial Intelligence), continues to have on universities, her professional development emphasis is on exploring methods to prepare graduates who can work with, and alongside, increasingly capable, connected, and intelligent machines. Barnes is a candidate for a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, holds an EdD in Higher Education Leadership, an MS in Library Science, and a BA in Humanities and Philosophy. She holds credentials in project management, data science, python and R programming, and agile coaching and leadership.
Dr. Robyne Elder
Head, Academic Effectiveness
Dr. Robyne Elder is the Head of Academic Effectiveness, an Associate Professor in the Education Leadership Department, and Editor of the Journal of Educational Leadership in Action. She began editing dissertations and assisting EdD candidates in December of 2009 and began teaching a course, Writing for Research and Publication (EDR 58000), to help such candidates in Spring of 2014. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Mizzou, a master's degree in teaching, and an EdD in instructional leadership from Lindenwood University. Elder was a high school English instructor for 13 years and ELA department chair for five years. She began the role of director of general education assessment in 2020 before serving as Head of Academic Effectiveness starting in January of 2022. She was honored to receive the following awards during her career: Teacher of the Year, Educator of the Year for the Ft. Zumwalt School District, Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, Lindenwood University Sue Spellmann Award, and Lindenwood University Assessment Champion Award.
Dr. Kate Herrell
Assistant Provost, Academic Affairs
Dr. Kate Herrell serves as Associate Provost for Academic Operations and Student Success. Dr. Herrell provides leadership for Curriculum and Academic Policies, Academic Integrity, Student Academic Support Services, Academic Effectiveness, Faculty Development, and Research and Creative Activities. She began her career at Lindenwood in 2008 as a faculty member in the Department of Music. Prior to shifting to the Provost’s Office in 2021, Herrell served as the Associate Dean of the School of Arts, Media, and Communications. She has held other leadership positions, including Director of Academic Assessment and Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the School of Arts, Media, and Communications. Herrell has an MBA from Maryville University. She has also earned an MA in Education and an EdD in Instructional Leadership from Lindenwood University.
Julie Ingrassia Hoffman
Office Manager, Provost's Office
Julie Ingrassia Hoffman serves as Office Manager for the Provost’s Office. She earned a BS in English, linguistics emphasis, from NMSU (now Truman State). Prior to joining Academic Affairs in 2022, Hoffman began her career at Lindenwood in 2019 as an Administrative Assistant in Human Resources. Prior to working at Lindenwood, she was a technical writer, editor, and proofreader. She also gained a special appreciation for the ESL community as an instructor and registrar for 10+ years as part of St. Charles Community College’s ESL Program.
Dr. Daniel Kirk
Dean, College of Education and Human Services
Dr. Daniel Kirk serves as Dean of the College of Education and Human Services. Before joining Lindenwood, Dr. Kirk was the Director of Academic Development at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and was formerly Dean of the College of Education and a Professor of Education at Winona State University in Minnesota. Dr. Kirk also served as Dean and Professor of Education at the American University of Ras al Khaimah, UAE. Dr. Kirk was also Associate Dean and Professor at the National Defense College, UAE, as well as Associate Dean in the College of Education and Executive Director of the School of Learning and Teaching at Pacific University, Oregon, where he held a tenured full Professor position on faculty.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Kirk was senior faculty at the Emirates College for Advanced Education in Abu Dhabi, where he led the Division of Leadership and Educational Policy and was an Associate Professor of Education.
Dr. Kirk has served as a Researcher in Education Policy at the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (Abu Dhabi), and on faculty at the American University of Sharjah, Bahrain Teachers College, Macon State College (now Middle Georgia State University), and Pacific University, Oregon. Prior to his move into higher education, Dr. Kirk was a secondary (6-12) school English Language Arts/Literature teacher in the United Kingdom, Qatar, Bermuda, and Dubai. During his time in graduate school at the University of Georgia, Dr. Kirk taught in the undergraduate and graduate teacher education program, preparing the next generation of English Language Arts teachers for the State of Georgia and beyond.
Dr. Kirk was the Founding President of the Gulf Comparative Education Society and currently sits on several editorial and advisory boards based within the Gulf region and the United States. Kirk has been commissioned by various educational organizations and government agencies to conduct bespoke consultancy services, with a particular focus on developing educational institutions, policies, and practices in educator preparation in the Gulf States and internationally. His current research examines educational innovation and policy formation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with a particular lens on the international and comparative implications of such policies on educator preparation and school development.
Dr. Kirk holds a PhD from the University of Georgia, USA, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree, a Master of Arts degree, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status), all from the University of Sunderland, UK.
Liz MacDonald
Director, Library Services
Liz MacDonald serves as Director of University Library Services and has led the department since 2003. She has worked to create an environment that supports student learning, creativity, scholarship, community building, and intellectual curiosity. She holds a Master of Arts in European History from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition to working diligently to promote concepts of information literacy across campus, MacDonald is actively involved in university assessment activities. She also acted in an adjunct capacity from 2007–2017 teaching World History. MacDonald is also extremely active in her professional community and presents regularly at local, regional, national, and international conferences on topics related to information literacy, collaboration, and outreach.
Dr. Jennifer Mack
Dean, Plaster College of Business and Entrepreneurship
Dr. Jennifer Mack serves as Dean of the Plaster College of Business and Entrepreneurship (PCBE). Since joining Lindenwood in 2010, Mack has served in multiple faculty and administrative roles within PCBE, including Department Head for Accounting (2013-2018); Assistant Dean (2018-2020); and Associate Dean (2020-2022). Prior to joining Lindenwood, Mack served as Department Chair for Business Administration at Eastern Oklahoma State College. Her academic area of expertise is SEC reporting, and she is also a Professor of Accounting. She has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate accounting courses as well as developed courses for hybrid and online delivery. Before starting her academic career, Mack spent several years working as a Senior Accountant within the external reporting department for a communications corporation and in the oil and gas industry. She holds a PhD in Applied Management and Decision Sciences with an emphasis in Accounting from Walden University. Mack also holds a Master of General Education with a focus on Accounting and a BS in Accounting, both from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Dr. Roger “Mitch” Nasser, Jr.
Associate Professor, Educational Leadership
Dr. Nasser is an experienced professional with over 16 years of administrative experience in higher education administration before becoming a faculty member in the fall 2016. He earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Louis University, his master's at Western Illinois University, and his Ph.D. from Saint Louis University. Nasser served in residence life capacities at Florida International University, Miami University, University of Dayton, and McKendree University. He also served in career services, academic advising, orientation, judicial affairs, and Title IX capacities. Nasser developed significant research interests in social justice education, supervision, men’s issues, the impact of history on practice, and campus safety during his professional career. Nasser’s passion for social justice developed into presentations for students, staff, and faculty. His interests led to presentations and publications, including a forthcoming book on the intersection of identity and supervision.
Dr. Cynthia Schroeder
Dean, College of Science, Technology and Health
Dr. Cynthia Schroeder, Dean of the College of Science, Technology and Health, earned a PhD in Exercise Science from the University of Kansas, an MS in Exercise Science and Cardiac Rehabilitation from Northeastern Illinois University, and a BS in Physical Education and Athletic Training at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. She has 15+ years professional experience teaching and researching in the area of Exercise Science. Prior to her career in higher education, Schroeder was employed for more than ten years as an athletic trainer working with athletes in rehabilitation centers, high schools, and colleges, as well as athletes at both the semi-professional and professional levels. She also worked as an athletic trainer at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center, the 1998 Goodwill Games, and the 1999 Pan American Games. Schroeder’s professional experiences include having worked with the National Basketball Association Draft Combine, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, and the Junior Track and Field Wheelchair Championships.
Dr. Mark Valenzuela
Associate Provost for Engaged Learning
Dr. Mark Valenzuela serves as Associate Provost for Engaged Learning and supports work to integrate experiential learning throughout the student experience, from first-year programs to the general education curriculum, promoting access to internships, study abroad, and service learning, including efforts to infuse sustainability in the curriculum and co-curriculum. Prior to joining Lindenwood in August 2021, Valenzuela served as Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Evansville, where he started in 1999. His academic area of specialization is in structural engineering, with a special focus on the intersections of science, society, and symbols. He has taught at Evansville’s study abroad center in the UK for three semesters, led student groups to build houses with Habitat for Humanity in Central America, and mentored civil engineering student teams in the National Concrete Canoe Competition. As Associate Vice President at Evansville, he provided leadership in the areas of assessment, accreditation, and institutional research and effectiveness. Valenzuela received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in civil and environmental engineering from Vanderbilt University and his MS and PhD degrees in structural engineering from Cornell University. He is a fellow of the Huguenot Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Dr. Kathi Vosevich
Dean, College of Arts and Humanities
Dr. Kathi Vosevich, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, specializes in Shakespeare and Writing, having earned her PhD in English with distinction from the University of Denver and her MA in English with distinction from St. Louis University, where she also earned her Honors BA in English, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She has more than 12 years of senior administration experience and 17 years of student-celebrated teaching experience, as well as over 150 academic and corporate publications, including a monograph on Joseph Heller (who wrote Catch-22), a scholarly chapter on the education of the Tudor queens in an award-winning collection for Syracuse UP, and an award-winning advanced composition textbook for Simon and Schuster. Vosevich was also selected to be editor of Aletheia (one of the nation’s few peer-reviewed journals for undergraduate scholarship) after a nationwide search, and she serves on the regional board of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society. With more than a decade of corporate experience with such Fortune 500 companies as Microsoft, Sprint, and Intel, earning multiple marketing and excellence awards, Vosevich brings a winning combination of real experience and real success to Lindenwood.
