Academic Dean

Steve began his 20-plus year career in higher education at Sauk Valley Community College where he spent 16 years serving students as a faculty member in the Department of Biology, 14 years as the advisor of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and two years as President of the Faculty Union. He spent his last eight years at Sauk Valley as a senior administrator supervising various departments. In his last role as vice president, Steve provided leadership over all for-credit and non-credit academic programs, student services, the Small Business Development Center, adult education (G.E.D./E.S.L.), and student recruitment. While at the College, Steve also served as a Higher Learning Commission peer reviewer where he participated in over ten accreditation reviews of community colleges.

In 2020, Steve was hired at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College as their fifth President. He currently serves as a Board Member for the Cambria Regional Chamber of Commerce, Somerset County Chamber of Commerce, and the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Development Board. He is also a member of the Greater Johnstown Regional Partnership, the Ebensburg Rotary Club, and the Blair County Chamber of Commerce Executive Roundtable.

He earned an associate degree from Southwest Virginia Community College, both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology from Virginia Tech, and a doctorate in community college leadership (Ed.D.) from Ferris State University.

Dr. David Krueger is a higher education professional with over 30 years extensive experience in collaborating and partnering with Career and Technical Education (CTE) professionals, university administrators, industry and community leaders.  Dr. Krueger began his career as a high school agriculture teacher and CTE professional in Idaho before moving to Michigan to earn a doctorate degree in Agriculture and Extension Education at Michigan State University and begin preparing the next generation of CTE professionals. Dr. Krueger has collaborated on many CTE curriculum projects around the country and started CTE programs to meet the needs of the ever-changing skilled workforce landscape.

In the summer of 2018 Dr. Krueger accepted the position of Dean in the College of Technical Sciences at Montana State University – Northern. Dr. Krueger directs the college which offers a wide range of degrees and programs through a blend of applied, project-based curricula that educates a diverse group of students. Graduates of the College are equipped with strong analytical capabilities, the latest in cutting-edge technologies, and the skills for innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. They continue to fuel the economic and technological development of Montana and beyond. The College of Technical Sciences strives to become a leader nationwide in shaping new concepts of applied technical and apprenticeship education. 

Dr. Coll was born in Havana, Cuba, and migrated to the United States during the 1980 Mariel Boat Lift. After serving as a noncommissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps, he completed a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Saint Leo University, his master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Central Florida, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Education and Supervision from the University of South Florida. 

Dr. Coll is the Dean of the School of Social Work and Acting Dean of the College of Education at Portland State University. Additionally, he has held administrative and faculty positions at Texas State University, University of Southern California, and Saint Leo University. His research interests have been predominantly on worldview development and counseling veterans with a focus on veteran transition. He is the author and co-editor of numerous publications, including The Counselors Primer for Counseling Veterans, Linus Publications; co-editor of The Handbook of Military Social Work, Wiley Press; Student Veterans in Higher Education: A Primer for Administrators, Faculty, and Advisors, Lyceum Books and most recent Civilian Lives of U.S. Veterans: Issues and Identities, Praeger Publishing. 

He is a graduate of the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program, University of California, Berkeley, Executive Leadership Academy (ELA), Harvard’s Institute for Management Development Program (MDP), Harvard’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (MLE). 

Roberta “Robbie” Teahen’s professional experiences include secondary and postsecondary teaching and leadership roles.  Dr. Teahen most recently served as Associate Provost at Ferris State University and as founding director of the Doctorate in Community College Leadership.  Effective January 2021, she will continue teaching and dissertation advising in this nationally recognized leadership program. 

Prior to joining Ferris as a dean and her subsequent associate provost role, Dr. Teahen spent more than 30 years at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Michigan, where she began as an adjunct faculty member and concluded her career as the Dean of Workforce Development.  Throughout her long administrative career, Dr. Teahen has consistently taught in the areas of business, education, and leadership.  Teaching assignments have included undergraduate and graduate teaching for Northwestern, Ferris, Western Michigan University, and Michigan State University.

She earned her doctorate in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education at Michigan State University in 2000.  Professional endeavors include extensive service to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) as a team chair, assessment mentor, and member of the Institutional Actions Council.  She is also a long-serving board member of the Community College Baccalaureate Association and serves on a committee of the Association for the Advancement of Learning in Higher Education.

Recent recognitions include the Athena Grand Traverse Award in 2014, the Distinguished Woman in Higher Education recognition by the Michigan chapter of the American Council on Education (ACE) in 2015, and being selected as a Fellow of Northwestern Michigan College, the college’s highest honor, in 2020.

Robbie is committed to the value of education and learning and regularly helps others to advance their educational and professional careers.  In her personal life, she has been married for 50+ years, has two beautiful and intelligent grown daughters, and three amazing grandchildren.  For fun, she enjoys theatre, travel, golf, cooking, and time with many good friends.   

Seth Bodnar currently serves as the 19th president of the University of Montana where he works alongside students, faculty, staff and the community to ensure students from all walks of life and backgrounds have access to a quality education that prepares them for successful careers and lives as engaged, service-minded citizens.

Before coming to the University of Montana, President Bodnar was a senior executive at the General Electric Company, serving as its first-ever Chief Digital Officer and leading GE Transportation’s Digital Solutions business. Prior to GE, President Bodnar served on faculty at West Point where he taught economics.

President Bodnar graduated first in his class from West Point, received both the Rhodes and Truman scholarships, and earned two master’s degrees from the University of Oxford. President Bodnar had a distinguished military career, serving in the 101st Airborne Division and the U.S. Army’s First Special Forces Group. As a member of the Army’s elite Green Berets, he commanded a Special Forces detachment on multiple deployments around the world and later served as a special assistant to the Commanding General in Iraq.

President Bodnar is the son of two educators and the husband of a fifth-generation Montanan. He is very proud to be raising three kids in Montana, and he considers it a great honor to be working on behalf of public education in such a special place.

 Dr. Stacy Klippenstein is the President of Mohave Community College (MCC). Prior to joining Mohave Community College, Dr. Klippenstein served as the President of Miles Community College (Miles City, Montana) from January 2014 – June 14, 2019. Previously, Dr. Klippenstein served as the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Montana State University Billings, which includes the City College, a two-year technical college. From this experience, Dr. Klippenstein became passionate about two-year education and helping students attain industry recognized credentials, certificates, and two-year degrees. He knows that a college education can transform the lives of so many and a community college contributes to the economic growth of any small, rural community. 

Prior to his time at Montana State University Billings, Dr. Klippenstein served as the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Housing and New Student Programs at Central Washington University. He has also worked at Texas Tech University and Northern Arizona University in various capacities. He received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Eastern Montana College (now Montana State University Billings) and a doctorate in higher education leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Klippenstein also serves as a Senior Associate Consultant for the Strategic Enrollment Planning division of Ruffalo Noel Levitz. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Klippenstein served as an instructor for many first-year experience, student leadership, psychology, and graduate courses. 

Dr. Klippenstein is married to Carrie Klippenstein and has two sons, Steven and Ty. Both are successful college graduates. In his spare time, Dr. Klippenstein enjoys a round of golf, spending time outdoors, traveling with Carrie, and spending time with friends and family.  

Dr. Jane A. Karas became the 11th president of Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) in Kalispell, Montana, on July 1, 2001.  Dr. Karas began her service at FVCC as the vice-president/dean of instruction and student services beginning July 1999.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. in social policy from the Heller School at Brandeis University. Dr. Karas has published numerous articles and has given presentations on education policy, economic development and workforce training.

Dr. Karas serves as chair of Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) Board of Directors, Past-Chair of the board of directors for North Valley Hospital, and Past-President of Kalispell Daybreak Rotary.  She is also a board member of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and a Board member of Logan Health Care.  In addition, Dr. Karas has served as chair of the National Campus Compact Board Executive Committee and as a past board member of Northwest Healthcare. Dr. Karas served as chair of the Board for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) from 2013-2014.   

She was honored with the 2009 and 2016 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Chief Executive Officer Award for the Mountain Region and was the recipient of the 2003 Montana Ambassadors Educator of the Year Award.  In addition, Dr. Karas received the 2016 Association of Community College Trustees, Marie Y. Martin Chief Executive Officer Award.

Nicolle Parsons-Pollard is Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and a professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University. In her administrative role, she is responsible for faculty development to strengthen teaching and research as well as leadership programming for administrators. She is also responsible for developing policies and assisting with the promotion and tenure process.

Dr. Parsons-Pollard continues her research on disproportionate minority contact and program evaluation. The second edition of Disproportionate Minority Contact Current Issues and Policies was released in 2017. 

She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and has a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration. Dr. Parsons-Pollard also completed the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program in 2014-2015.  

Clifford P. Coppersmith, Ph.D., is in his third year as the sixth president of Chesapeake College. He brought with his appointment almost 30 years of experience as a faculty member and leader in higher education, with a particular focus on applied technology education.  In his work at Chesapeake he has focused on continuing the development of Chesapeake College as a rural comprehensive community college providing both liberal arts transfer and professional and career focused programming for the residents of the five counties of the Eastern Mid-Shore region of Maryland.

Born in the West Indies, he grew up on his Grandfather’s farm in Western New York and began his own college education at Jamestown Community College’s Cattaraugus County Campus. He later completed advanced degrees at St. Bonaventure University and Oklahoma State University.  He attended school and paid for college, including graduate school, through military service in the National Guard and Army Reserve as an enlisted man and later commissioned officer in military intelligence and civil affairs.  He also served as an intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. prior to pursuing his graduate education.  

Cliff began his professional higher education career as faculty, teaching history and anthropology at the College of Eastern Utah where he was tenured before transitioning to administrative leadership as a dean and assistant dean at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, a special mission affiliate of the Pennsylvania State University.  He last position before relocating to the Eastern Shore was Dean and CEO at City College at Montana State University in Billings, Montana.

Cliff and his wife Kathleen live in Queen Anne’s County and have three children and three grandchildren.  They enjoy working and living in and exploring the Eastern Shore.

Dr. Marie desJardins joined Simmons University as the Inaugural Dean of the College of Organizational, Computational, and Information Sciences in 2018. Previously, she was a member of the computer science faculty at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, from 2001 to 2018, most recently as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering and Information Technology. Before joining the faculty at UMBC, she was a Senior Computer Scientist at SRI International. She earned her A.B. in Engineering from Harvard University and her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Her research is in artificial intelligence, focusing on the areas of machine learning, multi-agent systems, decision making, and interactive AI. She was named one of the "Ten AI Researchers to Follow on Twitter" by TechRepublic and one of "14 Women in AI You Should Follow on Twitter" by craigconnects. She has published over 135 scientific papers on AI and CS education, and has been PI or co-PI on nearly $12,000,000 of external research funding, including a prestigious NSF CAREER Award. She has mentored 13 Ph.D. students, 27 M.S. students, and nearly 100 undergraduate researchers. She is known on campus and throughout her professional community for her dedication to mentoring, diversity, outreach, and innovative educational practices.

Dr. desJardins is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and a Distinguished Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). She is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award in Computer Science from UC Berkeley; the A. Richard Newton Educator ABIE Award from the Anita Borg Institute; the NCWIT Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award; and the CRA Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award. She was the 2014-2017 UMBC Distinguished Teaching Professor, was an inaugural UMBC Hrabowski Innovation Fellow, and was named one of UMBC's ten "Professors Not to Miss" in 2011. 

Dr. desJardins is known nationally for her support of and commitment to improving student diversity, access, and quality of computer science courses at the high school level, and received multiple NSF awards to support her efforts in this area. She was the lead PI on the NSF-sponsored "CS Matters in Maryland" project, which created curriculum and trained high school teachers to teach the AP CS Principles course.  She built a statewide coalition in Maryland to increase access to K-12 CS education, with a focus on inclusion and diversity, and cofounded the Maryland Center for Computing Education, which received $5,000,000 in state funding for teacher preparation and advocacy. She was the Maryland team leader for the Exploring Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance and a founding member of the Maryland chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association.