Faculty/Staff Directory
Search Results
In most cases, please use the last 4 digits of the listed phone numbers when calling from any campus.
B C D E F G H J K L M N P R S T W
Adjunct Faculty
MSW-Masters in SWK
Adjunct Faculty
Social Work Extended Studies
Adjunct Faculty
Social Work Extended Studies
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Adjunct Faculty
Social Work Extended Studies
Assoc Prof, SWK/Dir, Grad SWK
MSW-Masters in SWK
Office: T3415
Phone: (218) 625-4430
Adjunct Faculty
Social Work Extended Studies
Adjunct Faculty
MSW-Masters in SWK
Adjunct Faculty
Social Work
Adjunct Faculty
MSW-Masters in SWK
Adjunct Faculty
MSW-Masters in SWK
Adjunct Faculty
Social Work Extended Studies
Adjunct Faculty
MSW-Masters in SWK
Adjunct Faculty
Social Work
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Director of Counseling Services
Counseling Services
Adjunct Faculty
MSW-Masters in SWK
Office: T2149B
Phone: (218) 723-6223
Adjunct Faculty
GTL
Asst Prof/Site Crd Brainerd
Social Work Extended Studies
Office: Brainerd Campus
Phone: (218) 625-4818
Assistant Professor and Director, MSW Program
SSLPS Admin
Office: S1129D
Phone: (218) 723-7032
Adjunct Faculty
MSW-Masters in SWK
Adjunct Faculty
MSW-Masters in SWK
Assoc Prof, Social Work
MSW-Masters in SWK
Office: T3415
Phone: (218) 723-6200
View Site
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Project Associate
MSW-Masters in SWK
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Adjunct Faculty
MSW-Masters in SWK
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Adjunct Faculty
Social Work
Office: S1204A
Phone: (218) 723-6032
Mental Health Therapist
Counseling Services
Office: T2149E
Phone: (218) 723-5906
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Adjunct Faculty
Social Work Extended Studies
Adjunct Faculty
General College
Temporary Manager of Counseling Services
Counseling Services
Office: T2150B
Phone: (218) 723-6746
Richard Coleman, MSW, LGSW
Former Child Protection Division Manager for Ramsey County Community Human Services for nine years. Seventeen years in child welfare services with Ramsey County. National presentations/ workshops in Washington, California, Missouri, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC and Maryland on disproportionality in child welfare, transformational systems change, kinship care, poverty and neglect issues and anti-racism leadership development, implementation and training. Interests include traveling, child welfare and authentic race dialogue facilitation.
Cynthia Donner,
Cindy teaches SWK 4441 Social Work with Communities, focusing on social work with communities/macro systems. Cindi has worked for several years in community organizing projects, including East Hillside PATCH, is a CSS alumnus, and joined us in 2006.
Constance Gunderson, PhD, MSW, LISW
Connie Gunderson, PhD., MSW, LISW, is an associate professor at the College of St. Scholastica. Having completed her undergraduate studies at the College of St. Scholastica, she moved and worked in Germany until 2012. She completed her MSW at the Alice Salomon Hochschule in Berlin, and received her PhD at the University of Bremen. Dr. Gunderson has worked in the field of social work for over 30 years. As an instructor, her areas of scholarly expertise include human trafficking, gender studies, and international social work research. As a relational cultural therapist, her clinical foci has been on women, trauma and addiction and addressing the needs of families. As a researcher, she has completed studies of human trafficking in Germany and the European Union. She has published books and articles addressing social issues such as human trafficking, diversity, and gender. Dr. Gunderson has international teaching and advisory partnerships with diverse universities and colleges in Europe and the United States.
Krista Harju, MSW, MEd, LICSW
Krista is an alumni of CSS, both as an undergraduate and graduate student. She has experience in non-profit development, healthcare, healthcare policy, maternal mental health and early childhood. She is passionate about many areas of social work and enjoys helping students find their place in the field. Krista is married with four children and outside of attending baseball and hockey games, her favorite thing to do is snowshoe.
Matthew Johnson,
Matt teaches SWK 3362-Human Behavior in the Social Environment and is employed as a social worker with Saint Louis County.
Mary Ann Marchel, PhD, MSW, LICSW, IMH IV
Mary Ann Marchel, Ph.D. is a professor in the Masters of Social Work Program. Dr. Marchel has served as a tenure-track and tenured faculty member in higher education for 20 years, most recently at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She currently teaches the research sequence in the Master of Social Work Program emphasizing micro and macro level approaches to inquiry. She received her Ph. D. in 1996 from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and her MSW from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2013. Prior to her doctoral work, Dr. Marchel taught for 10 years in rural and urban settings with children ages birth to eight years with disabilities. She holds Level IV endorsement as an infant and early childhood mental health specialist. Her research interests include the exploration and application of attachment theory-based approaches to intervention in behavioral health, reflective supervision for social work professionals, and fostering children’s mental health in community based settings for young children and their families. Dr. Marchel completed the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate Program (2007-09) offered through the University of Minnesota and is a member of the ZERO TO THREE Fellows Academy, currently serving as treasurer. She is certified in the Newborn Brazelton Observation System (NBOS); the Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training (NCAST); the Circle of Security-Parenting DVD, and trained in the administration and scoring of the Adult Attachment Interview. In addition, Dr. Marchel is a certified Infant Massage Instructor. She is passionate about global service learning and currently is working with Roving Care Providers (birth to three providers) on the island of Dominica in the Eastern Caribbean. She currently serves as a reflective supervision facilitator with home visiting public health nurses and provides community-based children's mental health consultation to programs serving infants, toddlers, and their families.
Carin Mizera, DSW, LICSW
Carin Mizera has been at CSS since September 2015 in the Masters of Social Work Department. She teaches direct practice and filed courses, as well as an elective in the treatment of trauma, which has been her passion for over 20 years. She also practices and teaches mindfulness techniques, and has a great interest in spirituality practices in treatment.
She has a small private psychotherapy practice in Duluth. Dr Mizera is presently serving as the MSW Program Director. She is an avid hiker in all seasons.
Tracy Mongan, MSW, LICSW
Tracy Mongan, MSW, LICSW, Assistant Professor/Online Field Coordinator
Tracy obtained her MSW from the University of MN – Duluth in 2006, and her BSW from Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) in 1996. Her areas of passion include educating and mentoring future social workers, the interweaving of spirituality in the practice of social work, and international travel and connections.
Aileen Moore, MSW, LGSW, LMSW
Aileen P. Moore, MSW, LGSW, Assistant Professor & Field Coordinator, Brainerd Campus
Aileen joined the C.S.S. Social Work Program in the Fall of 2016. Aileen came to CSS from Catholic Charities in Phoenix, AZ, where she served for several years as the Program Director for the Unaccompanied Minors Refugee and Immigrant Foster Care Program. Prior to becoming the Director of the foster care program, she worked as a federal child welfare specialist for unaccompanied minors. It was a year of volunteer work with Annunciation House in Juarez, Mexico which ignited Aileen's passion for working with immigrant families. Aileen also worked in bilingual school social work in Phoenix, AZ. Prior to her work in Arizona, Aileen worked for many years in New York City, first with formerly homeless women and children at Women In Need (WIN) and later with at-promise youth at Grand Street Settlement. There she served as the Director of AmeriCorps and coordinated group and 1:1 mentoring programs. Aileen began her work with CSS at their Arizona campus as an Assistant Professor and has transitioned to working as an Assistant Professor and Field Coordinator for the Brainerd Campus. Before joining the CSS Faculty, Aileen taught in the Master of Social Work Program at Arizona State University. She is thrilled to be a part of the CSS Social Work Team, where the Benedictine values are the foundation of our work.
Leah Prussia, DSW, LICSW, SEP
Leah Prussia is a self-described “tree hugging dirt worshiper.” She has worked with diverse populations throughout her years as a clinician to assist each person find and actualize their definition of health and wellness. Dr. Prussia uniquely blends teachings from Nature, Peter Levine’s Somatic Experience work, Relational-Cultural Theory, and Cognitive-Behavioral approaches to address the biopsychosocial and spiritual aspects of individuals. Her background includes extensive knowledge and practice in mental health services, substance abuse, trauma, program administration, and grass roots advocacy. Due to micro, mezzo, and macro practice experience, Dr. Prussia teaches the following courses for the CSS MSW Program: Assessment/Differential Diagnosis, Evidence Based Intervention/Treatment, Preparation for Field II, Field II, Foundations of Social Justice, Advanced Policy and Community Practice, Advanced Practice with Groups, and Advanced Practice: Environmental Social Work. Her education includes a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Moorhead State University, a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of North Dakota, and a Doctorate in Social Work from St. Catherine University – University of St. Thomas. Dr. Prussia is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in the State of Minnesota and sole proprietor of Natural Connections LLC.
Michelle Robertson, MSW, LGSW
Michelle is the Undergraduate Social Work Program Field Director. Michelle joined the CSS faculty in 2004. Michelle trains for various agencies in the areas of child welfare, Indigenous issues, leadership coaching, and International study abroad.
Russell Rowenhorst,
Russell teaches SWK 3370-Generalist Practice and other foundation practice courses on the FDLTCC campus. Russ works as part of the Child and Family Alternative Response Unit with Carlton County Public Health & Human Services. Russ has been with us since 2005.
Michele Sneed, DSW, LGSW
Michele Sneed, DSW, LGSW, Assistant Professor and Social Work Department Chair started working at The College of St. Scholastica in the Social Work department in the Fall of 2016. Michele completed her Doctoral Degree in Social Work through Capella University. She obtained her Master's Degree in social work from the University of New England, her Bachelor's degree in social work from Winona State University, and completed the Infant and early childhood mental health certificate program through the University of Minnesota. Michele has spent years of her career working within the child welfare system. Currently, she is also working as an individual and family therapist with a specialty working with ages birth to five. Further experience has included curriculum development for community groups, facilitation/coordination of family meetings, authorship, and case management.
Lori Swinney, PhD
Dr. Lori Swinney is an adjunct instructor for the College of St. Scholastica Masters of Education program. She has over 30 years of experience in instructional design, multicultural education, college teaching, and teaching with technology. She worked at the University of North Dakota, as a department director, and taught courses online and on campus as an adjunct assistant professor for almost 30 years. She, currently, works as a consultant and instructional designer at North Dakota State University focusing on student success, quality course design, innovative teaching, and research.
Melissa Watschke, MSW, LGSW
Melissa serves as the Director of the Center for Equal Access and Dignitas instructor. Melissa has over 27 years of experience in working in higher education, over eleven years at St. Scholastica. Melissa started out working in Academic Support Services coordinating the First Year Development Program (FYDP) and serving as an academic advisor. Melissa currently works with students with disabilities and chronic medical conditions to ensure they have opportunities of equal access in their learning and living environments. She assists in the education and promotion of the social model of disability throughout the institution. Melissa collaborates with disability service providers at the local colleges and universities as well as the local school districts to ensure a seamless transition to college for high school graduates. She has served on the Minnesota Department of Education Community of Practice for Special Education, Interagency Coordinating Council of Duluth, and the Northern Lights Interagency Council. She has presented at a number of conferences including The Collaboration for Teaching and Learning, the Northeast Cooperative on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Association for Higher Education and Disability national conference, and the University of Minnesota Diversity Summit.
Melissa's goal for first year students in her Dignitas class is for them to become critical thinkers and successful and willing participants in lifelong learning.
