Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership

Suzanne serves as the Interim Director of the EdD and MA Educational Leadership programs. She leads the EdD Research and Writing Center by coordinating consultation and academic writing programming. She is also a Sr. Lecturer who teaches courses in both the Higher Education and Leadership Studies and Doctoral Completion concentrations. Suzanne’s research interests focus on gender inclusive leadership, ethical leadership, and ethical leadership development. She brings over 20 years teaching experience that spans from 6th grade to post- secondary education and in diverse settings. She is a first-generation student who earned her BA from the College of St. Benedict, her MA from Cardinal Stritch University, and her EdD from Edgewood College.

Dr. Kirsten Brown’s research agenda engages topics of disability, educational access, and postsecondary outcomes. Dr. Brown is interested in neurodiversity and practices that support the retention and success of students with disabilities in postsecondary education. Selected publications include a co-authored book, Disability in Higher Education: A Social Justice Approach and articles in the Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Higher Education, Journal of Community College Research and Practice and Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability. Dr. Brown’s teaching background is in Higher Education Administration, Sociology, and Disability Studies; she teaches research methodology courses for the Ed.D. Program. Dr. Brown is active in several professional organizations and has presented nationally at ASHE, AHEAD, and ACPA. She holds an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University.

Brian S. Busler is a recently retired school superintendent from Oregon School District and has over thirty-five years of experience as an administrator.  He holds an undergraduate degree in Finance and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  In 1992, he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.  His researched focused on strategic planning, decision-making and school culture.  He has taught graduate classes at Edgewood College and other universities for the past thirty years.  His public-school experiences include improving educational outcomes for all students, leading numerous school/community planning sessions, advancing equity work, leading school referenda and  construction projects, mentoring and training school administrators and a special interest of serving as a Schools of Hope mentor in his previous district.  In his free time, you can find him spending time with his wife and adult children, training on his bicycle and fly fishing in Wisconsin and Montana.

Diana Elena Moran Thundercloud is a graduate assistant for the Department of Educational Leadership. She is in the Early Completion Doctoral Program and plans to graduate May 2022. Her dissertation research is focused on the visual in curriculum history within the "context" of Critical Native Indigenous perspectives in Las Americas/Indian Country. Diana's research is focused through the lens of Critical Race Theory, Critical Indigenous Studies, and Post-Colonial work within Las Americas/Indian Country regarding Race, Gender, Culture/Language, Power, and Ideology (2019-2020). She has been honored to visit Chile, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia over the past few years to learn more about our Native Indigenous Relatives of the South and their homelands. She holds both a Superintendent and Director of Special Education educational administrative license through the Department of Public Instruction (Wisconsin). She is committed to working against racism and stands in solidarity within our African American, Afro-Latino/a, and Afro-Indigenous communities regarding education and equity at all levels globally. She is committed in supporting our undocumented, immigrant, asylum seeking, and migrant communities at all levels. (Proud mother of five adult children and a grandmother).

Hi there, My name is Kelli Coller and I am a Graduate Assistant in the EdD program. My Edgewood journey began in 2019 when I joined the Higher Education and Leadership Studies EdD cohort. As an assistant in the program, I have had the opportunity to engage with both faculty and students on a variety of projects from course design, to facilitation of virtual web events, to research. Outside of Edgewood College I also teach mathematics in the UW System both face to face and online and am heavily involved in my UW System work as well. I decided to join Edgewood to further myself and more importantly, learn how to grow as a leader so I can better serve others. I enjoy the journey of learning and the EdD program continues to inspire and challenge me to new levels of growth both personally and professionally. In my spare time I enjoy outdoor activities such as kayaking, camping, fishing, gardening and canning.

Bette Lang, liaison in the doctoral Educational Leadership Program, received her EdD from Marquette University in Education Policy and Leadership with a minor in Counseling. She brings 38 years of experience in K-12 education serving 12 years as a teacher and the remaining years in administrative roles including secondary assistant principal and principal, central office administrator, and superintendent in six districts in Wisconsin. She had served Edgewood College as an instructor for several years and continues to serve as an advisor along with liaison. Her research interests include leadership, socialization and role modeling, and curriculum and instruction in K-12 environments. She has co-published two books focused on leadership in K-12 settings. 

Elise S. Ahn, PhD is the Director of the International Projects Office at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an adjunct lecturer at Edgewood College, where she teaches various courses in their Doctor of Education program and also provides support as a dissertation editor. She received her PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA) in 2011 in Education Policy Studies with a concentration on Global Studies in Education and a methodological specialization in Program Evaluation. Her research interests focus on the intersection of space, structures, and scale in examining the effects of internationalization in education and language policy production processes. She co-edited Language Change in Central Asia, which was published in 2016, and is currently co-editing a special issue on English(es) in Central Asia for the World Englishes journal (forthcoming). For more information, please check out her website (https://www.elisesahn.com/). 

Kristina Navarro, Ph.D., CSCS began her tenure at Edgewood College in 2015 as an Adjunct Professor and Dissertation Liaison. She currently serves as the Director of Athletics and Recreation/Assistant Chancellor at UW-Platteville. Navarro earned a B.S. in sport management and business administration with a concentration in strength and conditioning from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2006. She went on to earn a master of arts in sport administration from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2009 and Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis with a focus on higher, postsecondary and continuing education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012. Dr. Navarro’s research center on the nexus of intercollegiate athletics and higher education with a special interest in identity development and career development of underrepresented student subsets in higher education. Her recent book outline best practices for student development in higher education and athletics. A third-generation educator, Navarro grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. Outside of work, Navarro is an avid biker in both mountain and fat biking. She believes in helping graduate students to align their passion and purpose in higher education.

Kathryn Houseman Doctoral Dissertation Editor-Dissertation Support Team Member School of Education Dr. Houseman brings years of classroom teaching experience from the elementary to graduate school level as well as experience in curriculum development and assessment. She has been editing doctoral dissertations for over ten years and remains committed to the researching, organizing, and writing of strong, logical, and clearly worded dissertations. Dr. Houseman graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a BS degree in Education with teaching concentrations of English and Social Studies and has received a MS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in Reading. In addition, she received a licensure certification in Educational Administration and Curriculum from Edgewood College. She also received a doctoral degree also from Edgewood College in Educational Leadership. Her professional interests include the development of literacy and discipline-area literacy strategies, professional development to support literary development, and curriculum development and assessment strategies. 

Worked with the School District of Beloit for 35 years as a teacher and administrator. As a teacher worked with students with learning disabilities in the K-9 classroom settings. Initially worked in the self contained programs then worked to help create the team taught regular/special Ed program at the middle school level. As an administrator was one of the Curriculum Program Directors in charge of concept-based curriculum development and professional development training. Received my Ed.D from Edgewood college as a member of Cohort V.

Dr. Lynea LaVoy's experiences in the business sector has afforded her the versatility to be an effective leader in the focused areas of hospitality management, servant leadership, higher education, communications, and organizational effectiveness. She currently serves as Department Chair, Program Director and Instructor for Madison College's Hospitality Management program. Lynea dedicates herself to a student-first focused teaching and advising approach and was awarded the 2020 President's Award for Service, 2018 NISOD Excellence in Teaching Award as well as the 2017 Excellence in Teaching, National Society of Leadership and Success. Lynea holds her Doctoral Degree from Edgewood College as well as two Master's Degrees and an undergraduate degree. Lynea is dedicated to serving the community through her vast work with the Oregon Area Food Pantry. Lynea also recently started a podcast called Pineapple Sessions where she discusses and interviews industry leaders on topics such as hospitality, servant leadership, and education. Lynea's work in her role as Doctoral Liaison and Advisor for Edgewood College has allowed her to collaborate with and serve over 30 candidates working on their Higher Education pathways.

Mankah Zama Mitchell has worked with students as an editor and liaison in the Ed.D program since 2016. She earned her B.S. from Howard University, and her J.D./Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests include school law related topics, and she is an attorney for the Madison Metropolitan School District.

Dr. Muriel Simms is a lifelong resident of Madison, Wisconsin. She retired from the Madison Metropolitan School District in 2000 after 30 years of service. She taught masters-level courses at Edgewood College and is now on the doctoral faculty at Edgewood College. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English (1968), master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction (1975), her administrator licenses (1988), and her doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2002). Dr. Simms received many awards for her professional duties and community service, one of which was the Wisconsin Elementary Principal of the Year (1992) given by the Wisconsin Association of Elementary School Principals and the Wisconsin and National School Board Associations. Dr. Simms wrote three articles for peer reviewed journals: A Principal Tutors Four Low Achievers in a Third-Grade Mathematics Classroom” (Elementary School Journal, September, 1994), Impressions of Leadership Through a Native Woman’s Eyes (Urban Education, December, 2000), and Teacher Uses Action Research to Develop Culturally Conscious Curriculum Planners (Democracy & Education, November, 2013). She wrote the book Settlin’: Stories of Madison’s Early African American Families in 2018.