Lincoln College Online

At Lincoln College Online, we are proud of our faculty and excited about the wealth of knowledge and professional experience they bring into our virtual classrooms.

 

Read below to learn more about some of our instructors!

 

Leonard Assante

MA, Communication | BA, Communication

Communications and Media Instructor

Leonard Assante earned his Bachelor's of Arts degree in Communication at the State University of New York, Buffalo, and completed his Master's of Arts in Communications at Rutgers University. Mr. Assante brings 21 years of teaching experience in the fields of speech communication, mass media, political communication, ethics, management, critical thinking and computer skills to Lincoln. He is currently Associate Professor of Communication and Chair of the Departments of Communication, Foreign Languages and Philosophy at Volunteer State Community College near Nashville, TN. He is past president of the Tennessee Communication Association and has received numerous awards for teaching and community service, including Volunteer State College's Outstanding Faculty of the Year. Mr. Assante currently serves as Speaker of the Faculty Council at Volunteer State, and has been teaching for various campuses within the Lincoln Educational Services family of schools since 2001. He has 12 years of distance education experience on four different learning management systems.

In his spare time, Mr. Assante is active in local politics and is a firearms safety instructor, participating in International Defensive Pistol Association competitions.

 

Shelley Babbit

BS, Health Information Management

Health Sciences Instructor

Shelley Babbit earned her Bachelor's of Science degree in Health Information Management at Boise State University and has over a decade’s worth of professional experience in the world of medical coding. She has a passion for coding, and finds the opportunity to teach students something that is truly special to her very rewarding. Although Ms. Babbit has extensive experience in her field, she finds that she learns something new nearly every week from her Lincoln College Online students.

On a personal note, Ms. Babbit has a 14 year old son, Nathan, and two dogs, Lady and Ben, whom she considers two additional children! She loves to read and scrapbook, and enjoys the peaceful, solitary moments in life when they present themselves.

 

Kelly Bryant

MS, Family and Consumer Sciences | BS, Human Environmental Sciences

Health Sciences Instructor

Kelly Bryant graduated from the University of Tennessee with both her Bachelor's of Science degree in Human Environmental Sciences and her Master's of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences.

Ms. Bryant has worked in the field of healthcare for eight years. She currently works for Apria Healthcare, a national medical equipment supplier, in the role of Supervisor for Billing and Collections for the Eastern portion of the United States. Ms. Bryant worked for Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center for seven years as the Manager of Community Outreach and Coordinated School Health, and has worked as a social worker for a child abuse prevention agency in her community. Ms. Bryant brings her extensive industry field experience into her virtual classroom, teaching several courses in the areas of Healthcare Administration, Nutrition, Healthcare Law and Ethics, Anatomy and Physiology and more.

At Lincoln College Online, Ms. Bryant’s goal is to help ensure the success of each of her students. Ms. Bryant believes that such success is not truly measured by a grade point average, but rather by the level of understanding that each student attains, along with the ability to see how course material covered pertains to one’s real life. As she says, “I do my best to provide my students with the tools they need to be successful learners. For them, I am never too busy and I encourage all students I teach to ask for whatever they need without hesitation.”

 

Dr. Kimberly Caldwell

EdD, Curriculum and Instruction | MS, Mathematics | BS, Mathematics

Mathematics Instructor

Dr. Kimberly Caldwell earned both her Bachelor's of Science and Master's of Science degrees in Mathematics with an emphasis in Mathematical Statistics at Tennessee Technological University. Dr. Caldwell continued on to complete her Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at Tennessee State University, with a dissertation study of Learning and the Brain.

Having taught college level mathematics full time for 20 years, Dr. Caldwell currently serves as Math Department Chair at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, TN and remains fascinated by what physically happens in our brains as learning occurs.

In addition to her lifelong passion for teaching and learning, Dr. Caldwell is an avid gardener and enjoys estate sales and auctions. Dr. Caldwell and her eight year old son, Eli, spend much of the summer swimming and puttering in the garden or at the orchard, enjoying backyard patio fires under the stars in the fall and spring, and hoping for snow to perfect their snowman building techniques all winter!

 

Amanda Dean-Wilson

MS, Microbiology | BS, Biology

Environmental Science Instructor

Amanda Dean-Wilson earned her Bachelor's of Science degree in Biology at Mary Washington College, continuing on to complete her Master's of Science in Microbiology at Virginia Tech. Currently teaching Environmental Science at Lincoln College Online and working in a Quality Assurance Laboratory, Ms. Dean-Wilson has been a Microbiologist for the past five years. Before joining the faculty at Lincoln, Ms. Dean-Wilson taught Biology 101 at Germanna Community College and Microbiology Laboratories at Virginia Tech. Ms. Dean-Wilson lives in Virginia with her family.

 

Mary Kay Driscoll

MBA, Organizational Development and Human Resources | BS, Health Information Management

Advanced Medical Coding and Billing Lead Faculty

Mary Kay Driscoll earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Health Information Management at the State University of New York’s Institute of Technology in Utica, NY. She then continued her studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, earning her Master’s of Business Administration in Organizational Development and Human Resources. Ms. Driscoll has led major leadership and transformation initiatives nationwide and is a former Director of Health Information Management at various health care organizations, where she coordinated large scale data conversion projects. Ms. Driscoll has served as an Executive Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Project Coordinator and Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Hospital Information Management Executive Committee Chairperson. She is a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), holds professional certifications in medical billing, human resources and business analysis and is currently pursuing additional certifications in medical coding and billing.

Ms. Driscoll is actively involved in numerous professional organizations, including the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), Pennsylvania State Health Information Management Association (PAHIMA), and American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), American Academy or Professional Coders (AAPC). She has been published in a number of national Health Information Management publications on a variety of topics including management, human resources, performance improvement and medical coding and compliance issues. Prior to joining the Lincoln team, Ms. Driscoll served as adjunct instructor and professional tutor at Keystone College, Penn State University and Marywood University. When not working or spending time with her daughter Abigail, she enjoys jazz dance, racquetball and other fitness pursuits.

 

Shelia Hamilton

MS, Biotechnology | BS, Biology and Computer Science

Science and Information Technology Instructor

Sheila Hamilton earned her Master's of Science degree in Biotechnology at Johns Hopkins University after graduating with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Biology and Computer Science from Mary Washington College. Ms. Hamilton has been a Scientist with the United States Navy for six years, during which time she managed an Environmental Sampling Quality Assurance Laboratory, tested candidate decontaminants for efficacy and served as the Biotechnology Laboratory Manager. In addition to her work in the biological sciences, Ms. Hamilton has written programming code using C++, Ada 95 and Fortran.

Outside of her work and studies, Ms. Hamilton enjoys playing with her dogs, Daisy, Kai and Toby, quilting and jogging. She calls her family her “most prized possession” and feels extremely blessed to have them in her life.

 

Jennifer Harris

MBA, Finance and Investments | BS, Economics and Mathematics

Business Accounting and Mathematics Instructor

Jennifer Harris grew up in South Central Michigan, and attended the University of Michigan to complete double undergraduate degrees in Economics and Mathematics. She then graduated from George Washington University with her Master's of Business Administration in Finance and Investments.

During her professional career, Ms. Harris has worked as a Research Assistant and Director of Research, has lobbied on Capitol Hill and has run her own research organization. Currently living in Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C., with her husband and three daughters, Ms. Harris teaches courses related to finance, accounting, math and statistics at Lincoln College Online.

 

Patricia (Trish) Kelly

MS, Organizational Leadership | BS, Business Studies

Business Management Instructor

Trish Kelly earned her Master of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. She also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from Quinnipiac College. 
Ms. Kelly attended college in the evenings while working full-time, giving her unique insight into the balancing act that is often necessary to achieve success. Ms. Kelly values education and believes that a college experience should be within everyone’s reach, if they so desire. She is always willing to work with her students to help them to do the very best that they can.

Ms. Kelly is an energetic, enthusiastic person with a solid business background. During her 12 year tenure at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, she held positions in areas such as Health Care Management, Planning & Change Management and Pharmacy. She has strong leadership skills in areas such as group facilitation, contract negotiations, project management and planning.

Ms. Kelly enjoys activities with her family such as bike riding, walking or just playing.    Her favorite vacation spot is Cape Cod and she hopes to live there someday. 

 

Jennifer Lame’

MS, Public Health | BS, Health Education

Health Sciences Instructor

Jennifer Lame’ holds an Associate degree in Health Information, a Bachelor's degree in Health Education and a Master's degree in Public Health. She is credentialed as a Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Ms. Lame’ has been teaching courses in the health field for eight years, and has taught both online and in the classroom, face to face. Before she started teaching, she worked as an inpatient coder and a coding and health information management consultant for over 10 years. Ms. Lame’ feels that her career has afforded her “the best of both worlds,” as she is loves teaching and truly enjoys work in the world of health information management as well. Ms. Lame’ currently teaches a variety of Medical Coding and Billing courses for Lincoln College Online, in addition to health related general education courses, such as Nutrition.

When not working, Ms. Lame’ enjoys life in Idaho with her husband, a college professor, and their family – three children and two dogs. She loves living in a state that offers such a great variety of outdoor activities.

 

Michele Landis

MBA, Self Design | BS, Nursing

Health Sciences Instructor

Michele Landis attended DeSales University for both her undergraduate and graduate studies, earning her Bachelor's of Science degree in Nursing and her Master's of Business Administration. S\In addition to teaching, she is currently employed by a very large hospital and health network as an Internal Medicine Practice Administrator. In this role, Ms. Landis is responsible for all operations of the practice, managing a staff of Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Medical Assistants and Client Service Associates.

Ms. Landis lives in Pennsylvania with her much loved German Shepherd, Dakota. When not busy entertaining Dakota, she enjoys reading and making jewelry.

 

Shane Lauber

MS, Information Systems Management | BA, Information Systems

Information Technology Instructor

Shane Lauber has over 10 years of Information Technology experience in networking, PC repair, website design and other areas of the IT industry. He has been teaching IT courses, from Introduction to Computers to advanced level courses in programming and networking, for over eight years, both online and in the classroom. Mr. Lauber holds his Master's of Science degree in Information Systems Management with additional graduate hours in Business Management.

When he’s not teaching, Mr. Lauber works for Sony as a Technical Trainer, developing and delivering training materials to Sony Customer Service Agents around the globe. Perks include traveling to varies countries and, as he puts it, “playing with really cool technology.” He also owns and operates an IT consulting, web design and hosting company.

As an instructor, Mr. Lauber works to make his classes interesting and fun, doing his best to get his students to think outside of the box by pointing out different thoughts and points of view wherever possible.

Outside of the IT field, Mr. Lauber’s interests and hobbies include golf, movies, travel, boating, fishing and scuba diving. Most importantly, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

 

Cheryl McDowell

MS, Health Management and Policy | BS, Psychology

Business and Management Instructor

Cheryl McDowell has over eight years of experience teaching online courses, and spent two of those eight years with Lincoln College Online. She holds a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from Empire State College and a Master's of Science Degree in Health Management and Policy from New School University. Currently a PhD candidate in Global Leadership with a specialization in Corporate and Organizational Management at Lynn University, Ms. McDowell is currently writing her dissertation on online learning.

Currently teaching several Business and Health Management courses while caring for her fraternal twins, Aiden and Ava, Ms. McDowell is kept very busy!

 

Kimberley Munzo

MBA, Management | BA, Criminology

Online Education Supervisor
Criminal Justice Lead Faculty

Kimberley Munzo obtained her Bachelor's of Arts degree in Criminology from the University of South Florida, where she began her studies in serial murder and violent Crimes. After completing her MBA in Management from Saint Leo University, which helped her in the role of Vice President of Criminal Justice Consulting Services, Inc. from 1998 to 2006, Ms. Munzo followed her passion and earned a Graduate Level Certificate in Criminal Justice. She is currently pursuing her PhD at Northcentral University, and is a member of the American Association of University Professors, Saint Leo University’s Criminal Justice Graduate School Advisory Board, Sunrise of Pasco County’s Fatality Review Board, and Park University’s Speakers Bureau. Ms. Munzo is also a Certified Instructor of Nonverbal Communications & Detecting Deception.

In addition to over 15 years of personal study in the area of violent crime behavior, Ms. Munzo has participated in behavioral analysis training with the Academy Group in Manassas, VA and has completed advanced training with highly renowned experts in the field. In addition to her formal studies, Ms. Munzo has interviewed multiple notorious serial murderers and participated in law enforcement efforts to solve cold cases.

With extensive knowledge in numerous topics within the field of Criminal Justice, Kimberley passes on her expertise and experience by teaching both traditional college students and law enforcement professionals. She has been developing and instructing online courses since 2002. She has personally developed over 35 undergraduate and three graduate level courses. Ms. Munzo joined Lincoln College Online as the Lead Faculty of Criminal Justice, accepting the position of Online Education Supervisor the following year.

 

Michael Murphy

MS, Criminal Justice | BA, Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice Instructor

Michael Murphy earned his Associate of Science degree at Faulkner State Junior College and his Bachelor's of Science and Master's of Science degrees at Troy State University. Over the course of his long and successful career in Criminal Justice, he has truly risen up through the ranks. Starting off as a dispatcher, Mr. Murphy has since held such positions as Correctional Officer, Deputy Sheriff, Investigator and Major / Chief Deputy. He is currently a Crime Information Agent with the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center.

In addition to his formal, college education, Mr. Murphy is a graduate of the Southwest Alabama Police Academy, the FBI National Academy in Virginia and the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s School of Police Staff and Command. Mr. Murphy considers himself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend and graduate from these prestigious law enforcement executive management academies, and his students benefit from this great experience. In particular, the eleven-week FBI Academy and the ten-week program at Northwestern University represent significant career achievements. Less than 1% of law enforcement officers nationwide are invited to attend the FBI Academy, and upon his graduation from Northwestern, Mr. Murphy became only the fourth person from the state of Alabama to accomplish this honor.

 Mary O’Connor

MBA, Business Administration | BA, Criminology

Criminal Justice Instructor

Mary O’Connor completed her Bachelor's of Arts degree in Criminology at the University of South Florida, continuing on to earn her Master's of Business Administration degree at Saint Leo University. Ms. O’Connor has been employed in the field of law enforcement for 15 years, spending much of that time with the City of Tampa Police Department in Tampa, FL. In that time, she has worked as a Patrol Supervisor, a community oriented Police Officer and a Field Training Officer. Currently, Ms. O’Connor holds the rank of Police Sergeant. In that role, she supervises a unit of property crime and robbery detectives. Her unit investigates robberies, auto thefts and burglaries, residential and commercial burglaries, larceny and theft, fraud, vandalism, animal cruelty, harassment, embezzlement, exploitation of elderly persons and various computer related crimes. Recent assignments have involved such as white collar crime issues as financial fraud, cyber crime, computer intrusions, forgery and identity theft.

As a result of her extensive and on-going field experience, Ms. O’Connor possesses vast and far-reaching knowledge of the criminal justice process, including corrections and the court system. She enjoys applying the level of understanding and expertise she has gained to her virtual classroom, helping her Lincoln College Online students pursue their own careers within the world of criminal justice.

 

Harry Timothee

MS, Dietetics and Nutrition | MA, Biology | BA, Biology and Psychology

Science Instructor

Harry Timothee has spent over 25 years in the field of postsecondary education, in such roles as adjunct instructor, permanent faculty member and laboratory manager at Hunter College, Florida International University (FIU), Sanford Brown Institute and Ward Stone College, where he also served as Department Chairperson. His scientific research experience includes secondary data analysis in the field of human nutrition, HIV, and epidemiological studies at College of Health and Urban Affairs and the Latino Drug Abuse Research Center at FIU. Mr. Timothee is pleased to be a member of Lincoln College Online’s faculty.

Mr. Timothee earned two Bachelor's of Arts degrees – in Biology and Psychology – at Hunter College. He completed a Master's of Arts degree in Biology at Hunter College and a Master's of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition at Florida International University. Mr. Timothee’s enthusiasm for science is driven by a strong belief that scientists hold the key to free humanity from its current state. In his words, Mr. Timothee, “upholds science as a symbiotic institution that will significantly reduce many unnecessary insults and intrusions that have led to degraded physical, psychological, psychosocial, environmental and cultural conditions from which humans continue to suffer today.”

A fluent speaker of English, Spanish, French and Creole, Mr. Timothee embraces cultural diversity. His beloved hobbies include reading, especially Shakespearean classics, bike riding and enjoying time with his family.

 

Karen Weigand

MS, Education | BA, Psychology

General Education Instructor

Karen Weigand has taught Critical Thinking and various Psychology courses at the collegiate level since 1995. She has been teaching these courses online since 2006. Among the psychology related courses she has taught are Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Geriatric Psychology, Multiculturalism in Elder Care and Race and Ethnicity. Ms. Weigand is a member of the American Association of University Professors, holds a Permanent Teaching Certification in New York State, and was named General Education Teach of the Year Award in 2005.

With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Molloy College and a Master's of Science degree in Education from Long Island University, Ms. Weigand taught at the elementary level for seven years before raising her family. She served her community as an active Cub Scout leader and coach for 10 years. Ms. Weigand, who currently resides in New York with her family, says that she “always encourages her students to do their best, working with them to help ensure they achieve their goals.”

 

Larry Yawn

MBA | BME, Mechanical Engineering

Information Technology Lead Faculty

Larry Yawn earned his Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and holds an MBA from the University of Alabama. His professional experience includes his successful practice as a Professional Engineer in sustainable design, work as Project Manager on contract to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Project Engineer for process technology design and build projects across the United States. His industry certifications include Project Management Professional, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Cisco Certified Network Associate, Security+ and Certified Wireless Network Administrator. Additionally, he holds his Master Coast Guard License and Commercial Pilot license. Mr. Yawn serves as the Lead Faculty member for Lincoln College Online’s Information Technology programs.

Mr. Yawn lives in Georgia with his wife Debi, a professional consultant. Together, they have five wonderful children. His hobbies include motorcycle trips and sailing, and he is passionate about lifelong learning right alongside his students.

 

Dr. John Zurovchak

PhD, Political Science | MA, Political Science | BA, Government and International Politics

Government and Political Science Instructor

Dr. John Zurovchak graduated from the University of Notre Dame with his Bachelor's of Arts degree in Government and International Politics, and attended Ohio State University to earn his Master's of Arts degree and PhD in Political Science. It is no wonder he is an avid college football fan, considering his alma maters! He has happy to have two great college football traditions to cheer for each year.

Dr. Zurovchak’s specialty lies within the fields of International Relations and Political Psychology, including the study of leadership, personality and decision-making. During his undergraduate years, Dr. Zurovchak got his first taste of international travel, and it has been a passion of his ever since. He has spent time in Ireland, the former Soviet Union (in fact he was in Moscow during the final meeting of the Communist Party!), the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Malaysia, Indonesia and more. Over the course of his academic career, Dr. Zurovchak has authored or co-authored several publications regarding foreign policy, cultural influences and Eastern European nations.

Now living in Columbus, OH, Dr. Zurovchak is married with three young children keeping him very busy with activities like swimming, soccer, baseball, gymnastics and the like. Dr. Zurovchak and his wife share a love for traveling and cooking. He names eating as his “biggest vice” in life, and enjoys all types of ethnic, national and regional culinary specialties whenever he has the chance. He is on a lifelong quest to discover the best BBQ joint in the United States and welcomes tips from his students across the country to aid in this search.