VCSU welcomes new, talented faculty

Greetings from Valley City State University!

As part of Welcome Week activities on campus, we welcomed several new faculty members to our campus. They range in years of experience and education, but they all have one thing in common. They all strive to help our students succeed every day. I’m excited by the energy, enthusiasm and experience they bring to their teaching positions with us, and I’m pleased to introduce them via the brief biographical sketches below.

	Allen Burgad joined VCSU this summer as the new Dean of the School of Education. Dr. Burgad has a long and distinguished career as an administrator in multiples school districts.  Most recently, he served as the assistant superintendent for the West Fargo school district. He leads a team with three new members.
	Angie Zerface has joined us as a professor in our School of Education. She holds her bachelor’s degree from VCSU and master’s from NDSU. Angie lives in Hope and has been an educator since 1999. Most recently, she was the high school principal in the Hope-Page School District. Previously she worked at Northern Cass School District and Detroit Lakes High School in Minnesota.
	Jaimie Pollert has joined our School of Education as an assistant professor. Jaimie has degrees from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota State University, Moorhead and the Principal Credential in Educational Leadership from North Dakota State University.  She has been working in classrooms, and universities since 2001 and brings a wealth of experience. Jaimie is also a registered Yoga and Sculpt Instructor.
	Michelle Abshire started on campus in the spring of last year as an assistant professor in Science. She is a post-doctoral student at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and previously supervised several geochemistry labs and undergraduate research projects. She has worked for ConocoPhillips, Terracon Consultants and for the School of Geology at OSU.
	Jacob Clauson is teaching in the Social Science Department as an assistant professor. Jacob has degrees from the University of Oregon and the University of North Dakota. He has taught at the University of Oregon, in Bottineau Public Schools and at Alexandria Area High School in Alexandria, Minnesota.
	Nicola Katzman Nicola Katzman is an assistant professor of Psychology. Nicola joins us from the University at Buffalo in New York. She has been instructing at the college level since 2014 and has attended Cornell University, New York University and the University at Buffalo. In 2018, she was awarded the University at Buffalo PGSA Outstanding Research Award.
	Scott Klimek is now on campus full time as an institutional data analyst in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning.  Scott has been an adjunct professor for us for a handful of years and has been a teacher since 1995. He has a PhD in Educational Leadership from the University of North Dakota and is a VCSU graduate.
	Christine Morgensen has joined our Department of Kinesiology and Human Performance (KHP) team as a full-time instructor. She has a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education. She worked at the Open Door Center in Valley City for 25 years and as an adjunct faculty member for VCSU since 2013.
	Barbi Mattson Barbi Mattson has assumed an additional role as a lecturer in the KHP Department. She is also the associate head coach of the VCSU softball team. Barbi earned a master’s degree in athletic administration and coaching from Concordia University-Irvine (Calif.). She also holds a bachelor’s degree from Adams State College in exercise physiology and leisure science. Barbi has taught classes as an adjunct instructor in the physical education department at both NDSCS and Angelina College.
	Dr. Kathryn Rolf joins the faculty in the Music Department as a special appointment assistant professor. Kathryn has a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from North Dakota State University. She has been an adjunct faculty member at NDSU teaching ear training and sight signing. In addition to directing parish music at Immanuel Lutheran Church, she has served as the guest conductor for the Vancouver Chamber Choir.
	Dr. Lindsey Wiehl has also joined the Music Department as an assistant professor. Lindsey came to VCSU from Indiana University Kokomo. She earned the doctor of arts from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Wiehl has been working as a teacher and leader since 2015 and has taught at numerous education workshops across the nation. She was a part of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.
	Dustin Mallory is a new special appointment instructor in the Music Department. Dustin earned the master of arts from Rutgers, New Jersey. His primary focus at VCSU is in percussion. Most recently, he taught at Lincoln University and has experience with elementary and high school teaching. Dustin has had several publications including All About Jazz, Sound Teaching and the Journal of Jazz Studies.
	Anthony Rohr joined the music department as a special appointment assistant professor of voice. A native of the Dickinson area, he holds the bachelor of arts from Northern State University, Aberdeen and the master of music in vocal performance from the University of Kansas. He has performed in many productions since 2015 including roles with the New Amsterdam Opera, Seagle Music Colony and at the Lake George Music Festival.
	Taylor Mounts started this semester as an assistant professor in Business and Accounting. She hails from Bemidji, Minnesota and has degrees from Harding University. Taylor has worked in management for Enterprise Holdings and Pinnacle Marketing Group. She is an avid volleyball player and is an assistant coach for Viking Volleyball.
	Christopher Argenziano has transitioned to a full-time special appointment music instructor. He has been working with VCSU students since 2015 as an instructor of guitar. He has degrees from NDSU and is a performer in a variety of rock, jazz and classical groups in the upper Midwest. He is a member of the Classical Music Society and the Minnesota Guitar Society.
	Edward Basile will begin next January as an assistant professor of Business, Finance and Economics. Edward has studied at Walden University and Norwich University. He has also worked at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a Director in Exchange Traded Derivatives.  He also was previously in the U.S. Army and served as a senior advisor doing training, education and leader development.

That’s an impressive group and I’m so glad to have them with us this fall.  Please join me in welcoming these outstanding faculty members to VCSU and Valley City!

Go Vikings!