My approach to teaching is through application.  What I mean by this is that I want students to apply concepts as a part of their in-class learning and homework assignments.  Having spent over 15 years in industry, I recognize the importance of translating concepts into action.  Indeed when I was a project manager in industry, the most successful college graduates on my projects were the ones that had the skills to translate their knowledge into meaningful work products.

How can students apply their learning?  I teach quantitative-based courses and so my approach is to require students to use software applications where possible.  Microsoft Excel is just one example.  In fact, I often demonstrate problems in class using Microsoft Excel and then have students work on problems using the software.  It is so rewarding for me to see a student learn course concepts while at the same time become proficient with a specific software application that is prevalent in industry. 

I recall once that in an online course I taught, I gave the students the option to create a project schedule using Microsoft Project, a popular project scheduling software application.  One student had little knowledge of the application but was open to giving it a try.  As she worked through the assignment, she became very excited about it.  In fact, she later mentioned that she was going to encourage her organization to plan their projects using project scheduling software.

Having to students master course concepts while concurrently learning how to apply the concepts in a meaningful way is one of my goals as an instructor.  I hope to empower my students with skills that help them be successful in organizations!

Faculty Spotlight

I grew up in Ellsworth, Minnesota, a small farming community in southwestern Minnesota and am an Associate Professor of Business (Business Intelligence). I have been a full-time faculty member at GCU since 2005.

Prior to coming to GCU, I spent 17 years industry. In my first position, I worked as an Avionics Systems Design Engineer on the F-16 Fighter Aircraft program at General Dynamics. It was an exciting place to be during the Reagan years! In the 1990s and in the early 2000s, I primarily worked as a Project Manager in embedded systems (Motorola), educational software (National Computer Systems), and information technology logistics industries (MicroAge). Post 9-11, I returned to General Dynamics as a project analyst and was blessed to work on some high technology secure communication projects.

I hold a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree in Management from Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. I also hold Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Technology degrees from Arizona State University. I also have a Bachelor of Engineering Technology degree from Southwest Minnesota State University.

My primary research interests include selected aspects of project analytics and project communications. I am also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and have published articles in selected project management publications including PM Network and Project Manager Today. One of my articles also appears in the book People in Projects. I recently spoke at the Predictive Analytics World conference in Chicago. I also have an article that is scheduled to appear in Leadership & Organization Development Journal in 2013.