Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) of Leadership in Higher Education

Dr. Glenda Ballard began her tenure at St. Edward's University this fall, Dr. Glenda Ballard brings her 33 years in education to lead the School of Education. Dr. Ballard holds a Doctorate of Education in Adult and Continuing Education from Virginia Tech. A certified Texas teacher, she also has her MS in counseling and K-12 counselor certifications. Hailing from Texas A&M University - Texarkana, she served for eight years as dean of the College of Education and Liberal Arts and associate professor of adult education. Under her leadership there, the College of Liberal Arts expanded to include 16 academic programs, taught by 42 full-time faculty and 80 adjuncts.

Dr. Tom Sechrest has had a long career in leadership development as an entrepreneur, in the public sector, in the private sector, in the non-profit sector, and in higher education. He started his career as an entrepreneur in educational & industrial television, creating training films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos for Don Kirshner's Rock Concerts. He then worked as a television producer for the U.S. Department of Labor and led a national leadership development project. He worked in corporate leadership & succession planning for AMD, then served as Faculty Chair for Leadership Austin before joining the faculty at St. Edward's.

Tony Alvarado, JD is on the faculty at the Bill Munday School of Business, St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas where he teaches courses in Entrepreneurship, Business Negotiation, Legal Environment of Business and Digital Law. Tony has taught the Business Negotiation course in the MBA program at St. Edward’s University since 2010, for which he has developed several unique role play negotiation scenarios and in class exercises. He maintains a limited solo private practice in Austin, Texas serving business clients. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas (SBOT) and the American Bar Association.

Dr. Glenda Ballard is the Associate Vice President for Graduate and Professional Studies at St. Edward’s. She holds a Doctorate of Education in Adult and Continuing Education from Virginia Tech. A certified Texas teacher, she also has her MS in counseling and K-12 counselor certifications. Dr. Ballard served as Dean of the College of Education and Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University-Texarkana for eight years, where she also taught as associate professor of adult education. Under her leadership there, the College of Liberal Arts expanded to include 16 academic programs, taught by 42 full-time faculty and 80 adjuncts.

Dr. Rebecca Frost Davis is the Associate Vice President for Digital Learning at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX whose works focuses on the intersections of digital pedagogy and liberal education. She teaches about digital learning environments in the university's Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) of Leadership in Higher Education.

Dr. Sara Gibson specialized in the tax and accounting aspects of retirement plans and worked in several venues such as bank trust departments and accounting firms including eight years with Ernst & Young. Sara completed her PhD in human and organizational systems in 2011. Her dissertation research focused on the psychology of adult learners and a group process known as Action Learning. She has taught a number of university-level courses over the last several years including Career Development, Principles of Ethics, Human Resources Management, Building Ethical Organizations, Critical Thinking, Design and Delivery of Training, Strategic Planning, Adult Development, Organizational Communication, Global Ethics and Responsibility, Leadership and Team Development, and Creativity and Innovation.

Dr. Ralph Gohring has over 35 years of experience consulting with executives, managers, and work groups at all levels on strategic, business and operational planning. He has extensive experience in the leadership and management of organization development functional areas and of organization development programs at major universities, a Fortune 500 company, a 12,000-employee public-sector organization, and as an independent performance consultant.

Dr. Lisa Kirkpatrick is Vice President for Student Affairs. She reports to the university president and serves on the president’s cabinet, while providing supervision to the associate vice president and director for Athletics, associate vice president for Student Affairs, directors of Residential Education and Housing, director of Health & Counseling Center, and Dean of Students. Additional areas in her portfolio include Student Activities, Student Transitions and Family Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion, and Recreation & Wellness. She served in the Associate Vice President role since 2008, Dean of Students since 1998, and continues to serve as Title IX Coordinator since 2012.

Dr. Kimberly Kvaal, Ed.D. is the Vice President for Finance & Administration at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas since August 2014 and has over 24 years of experience in the higher education industry at two previous institutions. Her areas of responsibility include finance, facilities, human resources, auxiliaries, campus safety, and compliance and risk management. She serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and is responsible for an annual operating budget of approximately $110M and an endowment of $115M.

Dr. John Loucks is Professor of Management in The Bill Munday School of Business. He earned his BBA in Management Science at University of New Mexico and his MBA and PhD in Operations Management at Indiana University. During his 25-plus years at St. Edward’s, he has taught a host of quantitatively oriented courses for undergraduates, master’s students in several different programs, and now doctoral candidates. His administrative roles at the University include graduate program director and department chairperson.

Dr. Ellen Melton is an assistant professor of counseling. Ellen has been a professor in psychology and counselor educator for over 20 years. She is a Psychologist, a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor. Ellen maintains a private practice where she sees clients with a wide range of psychological and emotional issues and concerns. In addition, she also supervises LPC-Interns during the completion of their licensing journey.

Dr. NguyenVoges is an Associate Professor of Education and the Director of the Masters of Arts Program in College Student Development with more than 10 years of teaching experience in adult and higher education contexts. Her research explores the practice of adult learning theory targeting experiential learning, narrative, critical reflection, and sociocultural influences on study abroad participation.

Dr. Lori West Peterson received her Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of South Florida, and is currently an associate professor at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. Her interest in the study of human communication arose from her earlier career as a social worker, where she witnessed how empathic listening and compassionate responding could transform lives. Dr. Peterson served as Associate Vice President for Faculty Development and Academic Programs from 2015-2018, where she was responsible for coordinating training and development for faculty across five schools.

Dr. Tom Sechrest has had a long career in leadership development as an entrepreneur, in the public sector, in the private sector, in the non-profit sector, and in higher education. He started his career as an entrepreneur in educational & industrial television, creating training films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos for Don Kirshner's Rock Concerts. He then worked as a television producer for the U.S. Department of Labor and led a national leadership development project. He worked in corporate leadership & succession planning for AMD, then served as Faculty Chair for Leadership Austin before joining the faculty at St. Edward's, where he has served as Associate Dean and Interim Dean of the Business School, and Director of the Master’s Program in Leadership & Change.

Dr. Kris Sloan is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Development & Education at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. He is the Director of the Master of Arts in Global Development Practice program. He teaches courses on culture, curriculum, pedagogy, leadership, ethics, and educational policy at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Dr. Sloan has published works on anti-oppressive pedagogy, educational policy, teacher education and assessment literacy. He has worked as a professional curriculum designer and has taught in the United States and abroad.

Dr. Teri Lynn Varner is an Associate Professor of Communication at St. Edward’s University (Austin, TX). She holds a Ph.D. in Communication with an emphasis in Performance Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She teaches basic courses in communication, communication theory, nonverbal communication, public speaking, and active listening.