faculty

Wilmington College offers quality hands-on education in disciplines including agriculture, athletic training, occupational therapy and more.

Wilmington College (Wilmington, Ohio)

Office Location: Robinson Communication Center, Office 128 Mailbox Location:

Corey Adams

Office: Robinson Communication Arts Center, 114-A Katie earned her Bachelor of Art in Educational Studies in 2022 at Wilmington College after spending 8 years and studying at two different institutions. While in college, she served for almost 5 years in a multitude of leadership positions at Kings Island’s in the Games and Paid Attractions department. At Kings Island, she received several awards for her outstanding leadership and was a 2021 Kings Island Scholarship recipient. She is a previous and current commuter of 55 minutes and was a transfer student from Wright State. Katie’s diverse college experiences, transfer and commuting student background allows her to contribute, influence, and relate to many attributes of our student’s experiences and success.

Katie Adams

Address Location: College Hall, President&#8217;s Suite 200-D Mailbox Location: Pyle Box: 1233



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M.F.A. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale B.A. Hendrix College, Arkansas



Representative Theatre Productions



Direction: 



<ul>
<li>“Legally Blonde, the Musical”</li>



<li>“Let Me Down Easy”</li>



<li>“Cabaret”</li>



<li>“Winter’s Tale”</li>



<li>“Curse of the Starving Class”</li>



<li>“Assassins, the Musical”</li>



<li>“Medea”</li>
</ul>



Design:



<ul>
<li>“Shrek, the Musical”</li>



<li>“Children of Eden”</li>



<li>“Sunday in the Park with George”</li>



<li>“Titanic, the Musical”</li>



<li>“Secret Garden”</li>



<li>“Steel Magnolias”</li>
</ul>



Biography



Wynn settled in Wilmington in 1986, following years of teaching, acting and directing across the country&#8211; practicing his craft from the east to west coasts. He especially loves teaching acting and directing classes, not only to theatre majors but to non-theatre majors, because he believes that the skills practiced in theatre are the same skills used in any career—good communication, problem solving, working as a team and strategically accomplishing goals. He also believes that while theatre is hard work, practicing it should also be fun. His classes in “Theatrical Concept: the Artistic Vision” and “Theatre for Social Change” reward students with the knowledge that they too can make a difference and do so in a creative way.



Originally from Oklahoma, Wynn feels like a real Midwesterner after spending more than thirty years in Ohio. He lives in Wilmington with his wife, Mary, and their two sons, Taylor and Joe. In his free time he loves cooking, serving on the Wilmington Schools Foundation Board and volunteering to assist with area school theatre programs.

Wynn Alexander

Address Location: Physical Plant

Dana Andrews

Address Location: 105 College Hall Mailbox Location: Pyle Box: 1286



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Pamela Baessler

Office Location: Pyle Center, Student One Stop Mailbox Location: Pyle Box: 1184



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B.A., Wilmington College



Vicki provides counseling and support to student borrowers. She is responsible for the process of educating and resolving issues with student borrowers on repayment, deferment, and loan consolidation.



Vicki resides near Wilmington with her husband Dave and children Kati and Scott.

Vicki Baker-McFarlane

Address Location: Office 013, Basement of CSS
Mailbox Location: Pyle Box 1293
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Erin Bales is a board certified and licensed occupational therapist with over 20 years of clinical experience, specializing in pediatric, school-based practice. She earned her entry-level occupational therapy degree from The Ohio State University in 2002 and her post-professional doctorate degree from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah in 2015. Erin is a former instructor at The Ohio State University at School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in the Division of Occupational Therapy, and at Kettering College of Medical Arts having taught courses related to pediatric and school-age interventions, advocacy and occupational justice, and professional behavior/healthcare ethics. Erin enjoys developing new community-based programs such as the Wilmington College Therapeutic Riding Camp. Leisure occupations Erin enjoys are hobby farming, beekeeping, hiking, reading, and flower gardening.

Erin Bales, OTD, OTR/L, ASDCS

Office Location QRC Mailbox Location:

Chris Basford

Ed is a licensed CPA and Attorney, an educator, a philanthropist, and an entrepreneur based out of New York City. Ed, his brother Leroy, his wife Kate (all class of 2013) and his dad Manfred (class of 1978) are WC alumni. Currently, Ed oversees the <a href="https://besonglaw.com/">Besong &amp; Associates</a> corporate and tax law firm, the <a href="https://edbesong.com/">Edbesong</a>&nbsp;custom-clothing line, and the <a href="https://besongsmile.org/">Besongsmile</a> nonprofit organization, and he has been a visiting/adjunct professor of accounting and business at Wilmington College since 2018.&nbsp;Ed and Kate enjoy listening to podcasts and audio books, going on long walks or hikes, and traveling across the world.

Edmund Besong

Address Location: 114 QRC
Mailbox Location: Pyle Box: 1247
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Mitch Blankespoor assumed his role as director of athletic communications at Wilmington College on Dec. 5, 2017.
Blankespoor oversees the promotion of the college&#8217;s 20 varsity athletic programs to current and prospective students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff, local and national media, as well as other constituencies. He maintains the College&#8217;s athletic website, wilmingtonquakers.com, provides statistics, writes press releases, coordinates gameday operations, manages social media platforms and develops printed and digital material that promotes Wilmington athletics.
Beginning in the 2018-19 academic year, Blankespoor will be an adjunct member of the Wilmington faculty in the sports management program.
Blankespoor came to Wilmington from Earlham College where he served as the director of sports marketing and communications for two-and-a-half years. At Earlham, he oversaw the promotion of the College&#8217;s 20 varsity athletics programs while also developing a branding guide for the marketing of Quaker athletics. Headed by the design and launch of Earlham&#8217;s current athletics website, Blankespoor broadened the College&#8217;s virtual reach by increasing its social media presence by over 200 percent through graphics, video content and a mobile application. He also worked with Wilmington to re-create the Quaker Bowl Rivalry this academic year.
In the fall of 2016, Blankespoor vaulted Earlham&#8217;s athletics department to the national stage as head football coach Nick Johnson was featured in a five-minute video feature on ESPN&#8217;s College GameDay. He also hosted the 2017 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament last spring.
Before coming to Earlham, Blankespoor served as a graduate assistant for sports information at fellow Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) member Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. At Rose-Hulman, he was the primary contact for six sports while assisting the sports information director with coverage of the remaining athletic teams. Blankespoor created numerous graphics for the athletics website and various social media accounts. In addition, he played a critical role in getting Rose-Hulman mentioned on ESPN&#8217;s SportsCenter following a 74-68 triple-overtime football victory over Illinois College.
Before coming to the state of Indiana, Blankespoor spent a year as the assistant sports information director at Kalamazoo College. As a Hornet, he assisted the sports information director in publicizing Kalamazoo&#8217;s athletic department and oversaw growth in Kalamazoo&#8217;s athletic social media accounts. Blankespoor also created a website documenting Kalamazoo&#8217;s streak of conference championships in men&#8217;s tennis.
A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Blankespoor graduated from Calvin College in 2013 with a degree in sport management (kinesiology and business focus). He was a student assistant in the Calvin sports information office for four years and obtained an internship in that office his senior year.
Blankespoor served as the lead broadcaster during Calvin&#8217;s NCAA Division III volleyball national championship in 2010 and runner-up finish in 2012. In addition, he was the lead play-by-play broadcaster for Calvin road basketball games on WFUR-FM (102.9) in Grand Rapids.
Blankespoor has extensive experience working and hosting NCAA Division III tournaments. In addition to working in the NCAA Division III volleyball championships and hosting two NCAA Division III volleyball regionals, two women&#8217;s basketball regionals, and two soccer regionals while at Calvin, he has also volunteered at several national tournaments. He assisted the Hope College sports information department at the NCAA Division III women&#8217;s basketball championships in 2012, as well as at the NCAA Division III volleyball championships in 2012 and 2017. He assisted Kalamazoo College with the 2014 NCAA Division III men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s tennis championships and has helped Calvin with hosting duties for NCAA Division III volleyball regionals in 2015 and 2016.
Blankespoor was honored with the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAA) Renner Associate SID Award in both 2012 and 2013. This award, named after longtime Hope College sports information director Tom Renner, is given to a student who contributes to an MIAA member school&#8217;s sports information office. To date, he holds the distinction of being the only two-time winner of the award.
Along with working in higher education, Blankespoor also serves as the director of public relations for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Boys&#8217; 18 and 16 National Championships held in Kalamazoo, Michigan each August. He has been in this role since 2013.
Blankespoor is an active member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and serves on the Academic All-America committee.
In December of 2016, Blankespoor graduated from Indiana State University with a master&#8217;s degree in recreation and sport management.
Blankespoor&#8217;s wife, Janel, is the assistant women&#8217;s basketball coach and director of compliance at Wilmington. The couple reside in West Chester.

Mitch Blankespoor

Address Location: Center for Sport Sciences &#8211; Room 117



Mailbox Location: Pyle Box: 1247



Matthew Bliss has been the Program Director and Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Wilmington College since 2017.&nbsp;&nbsp;Matt earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Sports Nutrition and Nutrition &amp; Dietetics at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. He received a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology at Kent State University. While earning his degrees at Kent State he received a Graduate Assistantship. His dissertation focused on cardiovascular responses and cerebral oxygenation between fit and unfit males during exposure to hypoxia.



Prior to coming to Wilmington Matt was an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at Texas A&amp;M – Kingsville. While at Kingsville he taught courses such as Introduction to Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Sports Nutrition, Environmental Exercise Physiology, and Exercise and Chronic Diseases.



While at Wilmington Matt has taught most of the Exercise Science courses within the program as well as topics courses in Environmental Exercise Physiology and Ergogenic Aids. He has also mentored students in Senior Thesis Research Projects.



Matt’s research interests include physiological responses to physical activity in extreme environments, effects of caffeine on performance, and ergogenic aids.



Matt enjoys spending time in the outdoors and avid archery hunter. He also enjoys being an amateur photographer and particularly enjoys capturing waterfalls and long-exposure landscapes.



Matt lives in Wilmington with his wife, Amber, along with their daughter, Laurel, as well as their 4 legged children (Barret, Gretta, Rikky, and Ralphie).

Matthew Bliss

Address Location: College Hall 
Room: 300A
Mailbox Location: Pyle Box: 1293
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Jane Bogan earned her Bachelors of Science in Education at Bowling Green State University, majoring in Elementary Education, Specific Learning Disabilities, and Developmental Handicaps. She taught students with mild/moderate exceptionalities for 7 years in two different school districts. During that time, she earned a Masters’ of Education from the University of Virginia. Following her 7th year of K-12 teaching, Jane moved to Charlottesville, Virginia to attend the University of Virginia full-time to work on her doctorate program. During her 3 years in Charlottesville, Jane supervised student teachers, was assistant co-editor of a journal, and taught the assessment class for special education majors. After graduation, Jane took a job as an assistant professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. During her time there, she was able to co-author a textbook on assessment in special education as well as several articles. After spending 6 years there, she moved to West Virginia and spent two years at Marshall University. In 2016, Jane moved to Wilmington, Ohio to begin a position as an associate professor in education. Jane’s research interests include data-based decision-making in K-12 schools and the implementation of evidence-based practices in reading and math for students with exceptional learning needs.

Jane Bogan

Address Location: Bailey 307 Mailbox Location: Pyle Box 1302



Saskia Boggs is an Assistant Professor of Psychology. She joined the Wilmington College faculty in 2020. Her training lies in developmental psychology, and her primary area of research is at the intersection of developmental and community psychology; with a focus on minority adolescent identity development within school and neighborhood contexts. She has a passion both for complicated statistical analyses and for translational science literacy. She is an active member of both the Society for Research in Child Development and the Society for Research on Adolescence, and has published and co-authored a number of book chapters and research articles on the topic of diversity, adolescent development, and community contexts.



Outside of academia, Saskia enjoys hiking, playing board games, and making things, including but not limited to: homemade cheese, bobbin lace, knitting, and developing new bread recipes.



EDUCATION



M.S. and PhD in Developmental Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University



<ul>
<li>Dissertation topic: A person-centered approach to understand Black students’ racial-academic identities: An examination of predictors and outcomes.</li>



<li>Master’s thesis topic: Latino adolescents’ acculturation and academic outcomes in neighborhood contexts</li>
</ul>



B.A. in Psychology, Kalamazoo College



<ul>
<li>Senior thesis topic: The influence of parental involvement and education level on Latinx students&#8217; academic engagement and performance</li>
</ul>



TEACHING EXPERIENCE



Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology, Juniata College



<ul>
<li>Courses taught: Research Methods, Introduction to Psychology, Identity &amp; The Self, Community Psychology</li>
</ul>



Graduate Student Instructor, The Pennsylvania State University



Courses taught: Research Methods, Multicultural Psychology

Saskia Boggs

Address Location: Watson Library
Mailbox Location: 
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Lee joined the Watson Library staff at Wilmington College in May 2006. In the library, Lee catalogs the incoming library acquisitions, participates in the library orientation and instruction program, spends time at the library reference desk with students needing individualized help discovering resources for their various assignments, and finds material in the College Archive for administration, faculty, staff, students, and alumni seeking historical information about the college and its personnel and graduates. Recently, Lee had the privilege of teaching a short honors course on the history of Wilmington College. He has found that every aspect of his varied education is used in his work in the library. Lee also copyedits and creates back-of-book indexes. He lives in Wilmington with his wife, Rebecca, and daughter, Sabrina, with whom he is learning to play the violin.
Professional Organizations Past and Present:
<ul>
<li>Academic Library Association of Ohio, Presenter 2008</li>
<li>Society of Ohio Archivists, Presenter 2009</li>
</ul>
Degrees:
<ul>
<li>B.A. Religion Cumberland College</li>
<li>M.A.Th. Old Testament Bethany Theological Seminary</li>
<li>M.A. Hebrew and Semitic Studies University of Wisconsin-Madison</li>
<li>M.A. Library and Information Science University of Wisconsin-Madison</li>
</ul>

Lee Bowman

Address Location: Hermann Court, Office 226 Mailbox Location: Pyle Box 1246

Trip Breen, III

Office Location: College Hall 302 Mailbox Locations:

Sandra Briggs

Office Location: Hermann Court 226 Mailbox: Pylebox 1246

Cory Bucur

Office Location: Galvin Alumni House Mailbox Location: Pyle Box 1307



With 37 years of experience in the philanthropic arena, Joe Bull is known as an effective leader of highly performing advancement teams and for his technical expertise as a charitable gift planner.



He is a nationally recognized speaker and author on issues related to charitable gift planning, principal gifts, and philanthropy. His comments have appeared in&nbsp;The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, and The Chronicles of Philanthropy and Higher Education.



Previously, Joe served as Assistant Vice President of Development and Executive Director of Gift Planning at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to that appointment, he was Senior Vice President for Community Engagement at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Earlier in his career, he served 16 years as Director of Planned Giving at The Ohio State University, was Senior Philanthropy Officer for Global Priorities at the Worldwide Office of The Nature Conservancy and held leadership roles in planned gift development at Duke and North Carolina State Universities.



Service to his profession is important to him. Joe is currently the President of the American Council on Gift Annuities and was the 2005 Board Chair of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners. As such, he is only the second person ever to have held the top leadership position at both of charitable gift planning’s professional organizations. Additionally, he was a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the national monthly newsletter Planned Giving Today for 15 years, a member of the Editorial Board of the web-based Planned Giving Design Center, and a faculty member of the College of William and Mary’s National Planned Giving Institute.



He received a BS in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University. Joe also earned both an MA and a JD from Ohio State and is admitted to the Ohio and North Carolina bars.

Joe Bull

Office Location: CSA 136



Mailbox Location: Pyle Box 1305



Tania was born and raised in Puerto Rico where she received her bachelor&#8217;s degree from The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez in 2012. She&nbsp;studied agronomy with a specialization in soil science. Tania earned a M.S. from OSU in soil science with a specialization in soil conservation in May 2015 working under Dr. Brian Slater. The title of her research was “Assessment of Management Practices on Soil Compaction in Ohio Soils” and it focused on the characterization of soil, relating soil compaction with common agricultural practices and physical properties. Tania obtained her doctorate degree from The Ohio State University where she worked with urban soils, specifically she surveyed and assessed the soils at OSU. Tania also compared different methods used to quantify both organic and inorganic carbon in these complex environments. 



During her doctoral studies, she had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for multiple courses including the Australia study abroad program. While pursuing her Ph.D. in soil science at the Ohio State University, Tania earned the Ohio Educator’s license in Agriscience. Tania was involved in teaching at the undergraduate level at multiple institutions, including Columbus State Community College, The Ohio State University, and the University of Cincinnati. She had the opportunity to participate in international research experiences, including a 1-month training in soil microbiology in Dakar Senegal, and teach people from a variety of age groups, ranging from elementary to adults.

Tania Burgos Hernandez

Office Location: Bailey Hall, 204 Mailbox Location: Pyle Box 1302



Dr. Tim Burgoyne, Assistant Professor of Management, started with Wilmington College in 2018. He has over 10 years of teaching experience in the fields of management, leadership, and organizational systems. His scholarship has centered around U.S. child labor policy and age diversity in the workplace.



Dr. Burgoyne’s dissertation,&nbsp;Why Do Children Work? A Case Study on Early Work Experience Opportunities for Children in Washington State,&nbsp;&nbsp;covered a private business that employed roughly 150 seasonal 12-year-olds for full time employment each summer. This study sparked his growing interests in being an advocate for youth employment and to seek social justice on making sure youth employment opportunities are equitable for all children that wish to enter the workforce.&nbsp; In addition, he consults with local businesses on how to manage diverse age groups, how to attract and silicate seasonal workers, and how to develop and retain young workers.



Dr. Burgoyne has developed/lead the Quaker Tank competition that occurs annually at Wilmington College. This program is designed to launch start-up businesses or launch social movements by college students. Quaker Tank provides feedback to students on their ideas from local business owners/leaders, raises seed-money through business sponsorships that is awarded through an annual competition, and encourages all students on campus to develop entrepreneurship skills while in school. In addition to Quaker Tank, he speaks at various seminars on financial literacy and pitching ideas.



Dr. Burgoyne’s education consists of a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration on Public Policy from Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio (2018). He also received his M.B.A. from Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky (2007) and he earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio (2001). His professional work experience consists primarily of six years’ experience as a business manager/analyst in international logistics for American Standard and four years in retail management for Staples in the New York City area.



Outside of academia, he enjoys travel, soccer, golf and spending time with his family. He resides with his spouse and two children in Taylor Mill, Kentucky.

Tim Burgoyne, PhD

Office Location: Galvin Alumni House MailBox Location:

Cheyenne Burnam

Address Location: College Hall

Mailbox Location: Pyle Box 1246



Education: B.A., Wilmington College

 

Pierce grew up on the Ohio River in a small town just east of Cincinnati with his two brothers and two sisters. He works with transfer students and those who aren’t exactly sure what they want to major in. Pierce is a graduate of Wilmington College, where he got his degree in sports management while also participating in track and field. Pierce and his wife, Cheyenne, reside in Wilmington where they love everything the community offers. Pierce hopes that his experiences, knowledge, and passion for Wilmington College can help prospective students and their families during the college search.

Pierce Burnam

Address Location: CSS &#8211; Occupational Therapy



Mailbox Location: Pyle Box 1293



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Heather Buyer is a Wilmington College Alum with a BA in Business Administration. Heather lives in Washington Court House with her husband, son, and dogs. She has a wide knowledge base of occupational therapy and is passionate about increasing accessibility for persons with disabilities. Heather currently serves on the Clinical Advisory Board for Prentke Romic Company (PRC), an AAC &amp; Speech Devices Company. She was a former member on the Family Advisory Council for Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. Heather has presented at The Ohio State University to both the OT and PT programs to share her personal experience and insight regarding assistive technology. She continues to present at Wilmington College regarding assistive technology, accessibility, and funding/reimbursement. Leisure occupations Heather enjoys are reading and spending time with her family.

Heather Buyer

Address Location: Robinson Communication Center 114D Mailbox Location: Pyle Box 1245



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B.A. Wilmington College



Tammi works closely with the Admission Office and Retention Committee in support of strategic enrollment and retention initiatives centered around student success &#8211; from admission to graduation.



Tammi is a Wilmington College graduate with a degree in Business Administration. She is a native of Wilmington and resides with her husband and two daughters on their family farm.

Faculty and Staff