Valpo LEAD’s Program Team

The Valpo Leadership Education Across Departments is planned and implemented by the Valpo LEAD’s Program Team.

Randa Duvick is Professor of French in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Valpo. She came to Valpo in 1986 after completing a B.A. at Luther College and A.M. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Chicago. She has taught courses from beginning French to seminars on all areas of French literature as well as advanced language and culture classes, and courses on West African literature and culture. She has presented and published on topics in 19th-century French literature, world-language pedagogy, and the history of the French in the US Midwest. Randa served as Department Chair for 15 years and was Chair of Faculty Senate for eight years. At Valpo, she has served on CCPC, EPC, Arts & Sciences Curriculum Committee, General Education Review, Strategic Planning, Budget Review, and many other committees and task forces. She was a Thrivent Fellow in 2009-10. She served as President of the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association in 2015, and was a member of the national Executive Council of the American Association of Teachers of French for six years. She created a “future leaders” program for the AATF; she led their strategic planning efforts, and runs the French advocacy website for AATF as well as chairing a national Task Force on French Standards revision. In 2018 she was named “Officier” in the Order of Academic Palms, an order of chivalry created by the French government. In 2019 she received the national Dorothy S. Ludwig Excellence in Teaching award from the AATF.

Dr. Kevin Goebbert is an Associate Professor of Meteorology in the Department of Geography and Meteorology at Valparaiso University and has been there since Fall 2009. He has taught a wide range of courses for undergraduates primarily focusing on large-scale weather phenomenon and technology driven courses including synoptic meteorology and forecasting, numerical weather prediction, and meteorological computer applications. His research interests vary across the meteorological scales of motion from turbulence (very small scales) to synoptic frontal systems (large scale) to global climate change, as well as the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Dr. Goebbert currently serves as Chair of the Valparaiso University Faculty Senate, Member of the Valparaiso University President’s Council, Member of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Valparaiso University Board of Directors, Chair of the Unidata Users’ Committee, Member of the Unidata Strategic Advisory Committee, Chair of the AMS Board on Higher Education, as a Member Representative for University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), and on the President’s Advisory Council for University Relations of UCAR. Other than things meteorological, he enjoys reading, traveling, and has been singing in a choir since the age of three.

Steve is a 25 year veteran of higher education and student development. Steve is currently the Assistant Dean of Students for the Harre Union and Student Programs at Valparaiso University.  Steve holds a B.A. degree from the University of Wisconsin in management and political science, and an M.Ed. in higher education leadership from the University of Idaho. He has served in areas including admissions, residence life, student activities and student unions in public, private and faith-based institutions. He has served as the first Director of the Leadership Academy and Assistant Director of the Hartman Center for Civic Education and Leadership at DePauw University, as an Assistant and Associate Dean for Student Engagement at the University of Idaho, and as Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students at Briar Cliff University.  As Vice President, he had oversight of athletics, campus ministry and service, residential and campus life, student center and activities, career services, counseling services, health services, campus safety, and student employment.  He was part of the team that oversaw the largest physical building project, facility acquisition and renovations in University history at that time.

As the Inaugural Director of the Leadership Academy at DePauw University he developed and managed a Civic Intern program for students and a portfolio of leadership development programs. He was the Founding Director of the ASUI Center for Volunteerism and Social Action at the University of Idaho. He has also developed credit based leadership curriculum for the College of Natural Resources at Idaho and at VU.  Steve has served as an adjunct instructor in the classroom at three institutions. Steve has served in the leadership of the Association of College Unions International as a regional director. Steve has been involved as a national board member in the COOL, Idealist.org, and the IMPACT national conference for almost 15 years, and established the IMPACT Conference with five others in 2008 and is on its board today.  He likes drinking good whiskey, listening to live music, wandering, and exercising by rocking chair.

Eric W. Johnson received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Valparaiso University in 1987, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in computer science and engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1994 and 1997. After completing his Ph.D., he joined the faculty at Valparaiso University where he has held the Paul and Cleo Brandt Professorship, served as Chair of the Electrical and Computer Department, and helped create the Valparaiso International Engineering Programs. His research interests include modeling electronic components using nanodevices and engineering education pedagogy. In January of 2013, he was named Dean of the College of Engineering where he continues to promote holistic engineering education and entrepreneurial-minded Learning.

Dr. Johnson is Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and has served in a number of leadership roles in the IEEE Calumet Section. He has also been an active member of the American Society of Engineering Education and served in leadership roles within the Illinois/Indiana Section.

Nancy Scannell served as Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences from 2009-2019. She directed the Exploratory Program and continues teaching GS 150 Exploratory Studies. She has taught in the freshman Core and in the English Department. She earned her Bachelor of Arts with a major in English Literature from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and her Masters of Arts in Education from St. Xavier University in Chicago. She completed her M.S. in Digital Media from Valparaiso University in December 2018. In 2019, she obtained the Accredited Coaching Certification through the International Coaching Federation.

Nancy loves guiding students toward people, readings, and resources that will help them discover their interests, talents, and vocations. She takes joy in connecting people and creating community.  She is an avid reader and runner and has worked at Valparaiso University since 2003.

Dr. Carolyn Whittier has been a higher education professional for over 20 years, specializing in fraternity and sorority life, student development, leadership programming, and event planning and implementation.  Carrie is a graduate of DePauw University with a degree in music education, Ball State University with a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, a Master of Business Administration degree from Valparaiso University, and a Ph.D. in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Carrie currently works at Valparaiso University as the Assistant Dean of Students working with fraternity and sorority life, leadership programming, and volunteer programs.  Previously Carrie has worked at Virginia Commonwealth University, Elon University, Randolph-Macon College and Centre College.  Carrie served as the 2009 President for the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Foundation, and is a member of  The Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Editorial Board. Carrie is a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Women’s Fraternity, Rotary International, and serves on the United Way of Porter County Board of Directors.

Dr. Lissa Yogan has worked in both the student affairs and academic areas of higher education. Currently she is the Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences of Valparaiso University where she taught Sociology for many years. She also serves as the University’s Faculty Athletic Representative. Dr. Yogan directed the first year curriculum program (CORE) at Valparaiso University, chaired the Sociology and Criminology Department, the honorary degrees committee, the Arts & Sciences curriculum committee, and served on the tenure and promotion committee, faculty senate, first year experience committee and Presidential task force on diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Yogan’s research is primarily in the area of Sociology of Education. Currently she is participating in a longitudinal study on the effects of parents’ communication on college student’s success. Through research projects on student learning, cheating in high school and parent communication she has worked collaboratively with colleagues in the departments of Social Work, Education, Mathematics, Biology, Psychology, and Nursing as well as several undergraduate students.

Dr. Yogan is a member of the American Sociological Association’s Departmental Resource Group, which does on-campus program reviews for departments of sociology. She was an elected member of the ASA’s Section on Teaching and Learning as well as Past President of the North Central Sociological Association. She was a 2017-18 Thrivent Fellow in Lutheran Higher Education leadership. She and her husband Tom have lived in Valparaiso for 26 years and raised three children. Her youngest, Maria, is a senior in high school. She loves to walk her dog, Finn, as well as read, cook, and work-out.