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Education

Humphrey Doermann

Historically Black Colleges

Economics Department

Doermann has researched historically black colleges in the U.S. and has written a book on the subject funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. In addition, Doermann and Macalester President Michael McPherson recently team taught a class in the Economics Department on the financing of higher education. Doermann is the former head of the Bush Foundation.

Elizabeth Halden

Early Childhood

Halden specializes in kindergarten and early childhood education. Her teaching and research interests include developmentally appropriate practices, multicultural issues and the fine arts in elementary school.

Nancy Johansen

Elementary Education

Johansen teaches reading and language arts curriculum courses. She is interested in child and adolescent literature, language arts and diversity issues in school curriculum. She also directs the elementary licensure program and coordinates elementary student teaching.

Ruthanne Kurth-Schai

Education Philosophy/Social Justice/Reform

Kurth-Schai chairs the Education Department. She specializes in educational reform and philosophy. Her research interests include philosophic and policy analyses centered on the role of public education in addressing social justice, environmental and spiritual issues as well as a multinational study on education for democracy. She is also interested in ways to change the images, roles and conditions of young people. She teaches courses on social, philosophical and political issues in education.

President Michael S. McPherson

Higher Education

President McPherson is a nationally known economist, writer and authority on the financing of higher education, as well as on the philosophical dimensions of economics. He can discuss issues such as the cost and future of higher education, the SATs, tax cuts for higher education, as well as the value of a liberal arts education and the role of technology in higher education. His comments on these issues have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and U.S. News and World Report. He is the co-author and editor of seven books, including Keeping College Affordable and The Student Aid Game: Meeting Need and Rewarding Talent in American Higher Education. In addition, he is a trustee for The College Board and serves on the boards of several organizations including the American Council on Education and the Minnesota Private College Council. McPherson McPherson is also a member of the U.S. Department of Education's Advisory Council on Educaton Statistics. He has been a consultant on enrollment, tuition and financial aid policy to liberal arts colleges and universities around the country and was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Connie Morey

Educational Psychology/Special Education

Morey teaches courses in educational psychology and education for exceptional students. She specialzes in special education, learning theory and assessment. She serves as a school psychologist in a Twin Cities school district.

Jeremiah Reedy

Liberal Arts Education/Core Knowledge Curriculum

Classics Department

Reedy has published articles on the history and philosophy of liberal arts education and controversies over education. He supports the "Core Knowledge" curriculum, which focuses on learning common knowledge that is key to literacy. Reedy is a co-founder of two charter schools, The New Spirit Primary and Middle Schools in St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood. His other interests include Latin and Greek (languages and literatures), mythology and Greek philosophy.

Rica Van

Children and the Arts

Van specializes in young children and the fine arts. She directs the Jean Lyle Children's Center in St. Paul.