Your AU Staff
College of Liberal Arts
- Curt Lowe, PhD - Dean
- Rob Engelson, DMA
- Ed Gall, MS
- Gary Heath, PhD
- Sr. Theresa Judge, MA
- Sr. William McCue, MA
- Carl Robinson, PhD
- Tamara Schnepel, ABD
- Michael Wiseman, PhD
Curt Lowe, PhD - Dean
William C. "Curt" Lowe is Dean of Ashford's College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of History. He came to the institution in 1980 and served as a full-time faculty member, chair of the Social Science Division, and Academic Dean before assuming his present position. He served as self-study coordinator for the 1995 and 2006 comprehensive accreditation visits. He has taught a variety of history courses at Ashford, as well as interdisciplinary courses on the Civil War in American Culture and, with Dr. Gary Heath, Race Relations in America. A native of Savannah, Georgia, Lowe taught at Auburn University, Marshall University and Black Hawk College before joining Ashford University. He earned an Artium Baccalaureatus (AB) degree from the College of William and Mary and MA and PhD degrees from Emory University. He has published articles on British and American history in a number of scholarly journals and authored more than a hundred articles for reference works, including "The New Oxford Dictionary of National Biography." He is also the author of "Blessings of Liberty: Safeguarding Civil Rights," a book for middle-schoolers. In 2006-7, he received a research grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa, and spent a sabbatical semester researching Civil War commemoration in the state. He is married to Flora Lowe, Ashford's Library Director. Watching Ashford sports teams is a favorite pastime. Read more about Dr. Lowe.
Rob Engelson, DMA
Engelson's degrees include a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Choral Music from Arizona State University, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Choral Conducting from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Music Education and German from Augsburg College. He began teaching at Ashford University in 1995, and currently teaches all music and music education-related courses; interdisciplinary courses including World Musics, Music / Art / Literature of the Romantic Era, Fine Arts Seminar, Shakespeare and Music, all Scholars Institute courses since its inception (2002), and Freshman Experience. His words of wisdom to students are, "Jump in with both feet, get to know as many of the faculty and staff as you can, get involved in student activities, and do your work on time!"
Ed Gall, MS
After growing up in eastern Pennsylvania, Ed Gall pursued a BS and an MS in Environmental Engineering at Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) and Clemson University (Clemson, South Carolina). Following his time at Clemson, Gall spent four years as a research technician at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory studying the movement of pollutants in soil and groundwater. He then moved to St. Louis to pursue another academic passion, theology, and completed a Master of Divinity degree at Covenant Theological Seminary. His first experience at teaching was at a community college teaching chemistry. Gall began teaching at Ashford in 2005 as an adjunct faculty member, teaching philosophy and religion courses both in the traditional program and in the accelerated program. He became a full-time faculty member in fall, 2006. When not involved with teaching religion, philosophy, and physics courses at Ashford, Gall spends his time involved with his church and also enjoys reading, walking, cooking, and attending Ashford athletic events. His advice for students: "First, practice putting yourselves in someone else's shoes and trying to think like they do. This will definitely help you understand others better, and in doing this, help you to better understand yourself. Second, to all my physics students, math isn't all that bad - it is a language that opens a door to a deeper understanding of the universe around you."
Gary Heath, PhD
Earned degrees: BA, MA, PhD, University of California at Berkeley. Heath has contributed 20 years of service to Ashford. "I feel privileged to serve at Ashford. The small classes and my passion for sociology and liberal arts make an excellent chemistry for committed, effective teaching. I love to do ongoing research for my classes." Heath also loves to read and write. His recent works include a book of short stories about Ashford University and the co-authored "Gifts From Decorah Laurah," a novel constructed around a plot featuring Abraham Lincoln and the Winnebago Indians of the Minnesota Territory in the 1860s. These books have "added zest and growth to my recent professional and creative life." His Harper and Row book, "The New Teacher," articulates his educational philosophy of social scientific inquiry and cultural progressivism. Heath's courses include: Racial and Ethnic Groups, Public Policy and Social Services, Cross-Cultural Perspectives, Social Justice and Society, and Sociology of Sport.
Sr. Theresa Judge, MA
A member of the teaching faculty at Ashford University since 1993, Judge earned an MA in English Literature and completed MA work in Guidance and Counseling from Western Illinois University. She also has a BA in History from Marycrest College, and an AA from Mount St. Clare College. Judge has taken students on a London Spring break trip every year for the last 23 years.
Sr. William McCue, MA
Sister William McCue, OSF is the Chairperson of the Philosophy Department and the Religious Studies Department. She was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Creighton University and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. She is a member of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa. Sr. William is the longest standing faculty member at Ashford University with 44 years of service. Read more about Sister McCue.
Carl Robinson, PhD
Carl Robinson received his Bachelor of Arts in English from Randolph-Macon College, his Master's in English from Virginia Tech, and a PhD in English from Kent State. His dissertation was entitled: "The Modern Language of Ring Sport: A Cultural Phenomenon and Its Literary Forms." This is his second year at Ashford and he teaches Composition, American Lit, British Lit, African-American Lit, Business Writing, Business Speaking, and Speech. Read more about Dr. Robinson.
Tamara Schnepel, ABD
Tamara Schnepel has been with Ashford University since August, 2008 and teaches Introduction to Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, and American National Government. She holds a BA in Psychology from Marycrest International University, Masters' degrees in Criminal Justice and Juvenile Justice from St. Ambrose University, and is currently ABD for her PhD in General Psychology at Kaplan University. She worked at Skyline Center, Inc., for five years, the Clinton County Mental Health Department, Community Care., Inc. as a social worker, the State of Iowa, and the Salvation Army Homeless Shelter in Davenport, IA. Most recently, she has been teaching in the criminal justice department at Kaplan University.
When asked what advice she can give students, she says, "The best thing that any student can do is maintain an open line of communication between themselves and their instructor; as instructors they are not only here to teach, they are here to help them succeed in the goals they have set for themselves. By maintaining an open line of communication, instructors can help a student through a difficult situation or assignment and get them one step closer to the goal of a higher education."
Michael Wiseman, PhD
With a BA in American Studies from the University of Wyoming, a MA in American Studies from the University of Wyoming and the University of Iowa, and a PhD in American Studies from the University of Iowa, Mike Wiseman teaches a variety of on-campus and online courses for the College of Arts & Sciences at Ashford University. They are 1) Cultural Anthropology, 2) Environmental Policy, 3) Environment & the Human Spirit, 4) Mississippi River: Environment, History, and Politics, 5) 20th Century American West: Region, Politics, and History, 6) U.S. History after 1865, and 7)History of the Vietnam War.
His words of wisdom for students: "Nurture your relationships because we are all connected to many different worlds in ways we have yet to imagine."
