ELPS Department Faculty
Susan B. Twombly is professor of higher education and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Her PhD is in Higher Education from the Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests include postsecondary faculty member's careers, international higher education... more
Jennifer Bessolo, Ed.D., teaches courses in the MSE-Educational Leadership program and the Ed.D. doctoral cohort program. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Kansas and currently serves the Lawrence School District as the K-12 Curriculum... more
Angelo Cocolis, Ed.D., is a Lecturer/Academic Program Associate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.
Dr. Cocolis earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Washburn University, Master of Science from Southern Connecticut State College, and Doctorate in... more
Thomas A. DeLuca, Ph.D., proudly serves the students of Kansas and western Missouri through his face-to-face doctoral (Ed.D.) courses on KU's Lawrence and Edwards campuses. In addition to his academic background, his experience serving local community school districts as a teacher, principal,... more
Zak Foste is an assistant professor of Higher Education Administration. He received his Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University. His research examines issues of diversity and equity in higher education, with particular attention to the ways in which... more
Rick Ginsberg, Ph.D., has served as Dean of the School of Education at the University of Kansas since August, 2005. He served three years as the Chair of the Kansas Professional Standards Board, is Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education... more
Bryan Mann is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. He received his PhD in Educational Theory and Policy from the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Mann’s research centers on issues of geography and educational policy. This work revolves around a... more
Dr. Amanda L. Mollet (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the Higher Education Administration program at the University of Kansas. She also serves as the coordinator for the master’s program. Dr. Mollet received her Ph.D. from the University of... more
Joe Novak is a senior lecturer in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. He is the coordinator of MSE – Educational Leadership program for both the campus and online programs. He directs the Professional Development Schools (PDS) program for the School of Education. Dr.... more
Eugene (Gene) T. Parker III is an associate professor of higher education administration in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Kansas. He is interested in matters of diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to college students and organizations... more
Deborah Perbeck serves as the program coordinator for the doctorate program in Educational Administration and teaches courses in district-level leadership. She earned her EdD at Wichita State University In Educational Leadership. She served over 30 years in a variety of positions in PK-12... more
Eric J. Punswick is the Executive Director of Human Resources and Benefits for the Blue Valley Schools in Overland Park, KS. Previously, Dr. Punswick served as an Executive Director for General Administration with the Olathe Public Schools. Dr. Punswick also served the Leavenworth Public Schools... more
Suzanne Rice has taught courses in foundations of education (philosophy, history, and sociology of education), as well as in curriculum, pedagogy and the organization and governance of schools. Rice conducts research mainly in foundations of education with an emphasis in philosophy of education... more
Marlesa A. Roney, Ph.D., serves as Professor of Practice in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies department of the School of Education at the University of Kansas, a position she has held since January 2012. She currently teaches graduate courses in student affairs administration,... more
I received my Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University, specializing in sociology of organizations and education. My scholarship and teaching focus on educational and organizational inequality, educational policy, governance, and quantitative methods.
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Mike Slagle is the Deputy Superintendent for the Blue Valley School District. He holds responsibilities for the departments of human resources, facilities and operations, legal, business and finance, program evaluation, and state and federal legislative affairs. Mike began his teaching... more
Anna Stubblefield currently serves as the Deputy Superintendent for Lawrence Public Schools. During the 2018-2019 Interim Superintendent for Lawrence Public Schools for 2017-18 school year. She plays a vital role supporting all department leaders and district initiatives, while promoting... more
Lisa Wolf-Wendel, PhD is a Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She is also the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the School of Education. Dr. Wolf-Wendel joined the faculty of the University of Kansas (KU) in 1995.... more
Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas. He is also a professorial fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy, Victoria University in Australia. He previously served as... more
