Part-Time Student Profiles

Profiles of some of our part-time MPA students

The vast majority of our over 100 KU MPA students complete the degree as part-time students while continuing to work full-time in their professions. They come from a variety of fields and backgrounds representing local, state and federal agencies as well as non-profit organizations and private firms that provide public services. What they all have in common is a desire to enhance their skills towards becoming better managers.

Stephanie Campbell graduated from Rockhurst University with a bachelor's degree in accounting. After a ten year career in the private sector and as a business owner, she began work as the development director for KIPP Endeavor Academy in Kansas City. In this capacity, she is responsible for marketing, event planning, grant writing and raising financial resources for this free, open-enrollment charter school for traditionally under-resourced students to ensure they have the chance to climb the mountain to, and through, college. An advocate for education reform, Stephanie began pursuing her MPA in the fall of 2010 with the intent of gaining the necessary education to advance in her career in education. She currently plans to pursue doctoral studies in public administration or education after completing the MPA. Stephanie resides in the Kansas City area where she and her fiance are avid tennis players and enjoy spending time with their two Australian shepherds.

Greg Edson Greg graduated with a BA in History from Wichita State University in 1997.  He has been in the Kansas National Guard for 14 years, and is currently a Captain.  As the Officer in Charge of the state's Military Joint Operations Center, he coordinate's the National Guard's response to natural disasters and terrorist events, as well as coordinating with other agencies during the response.  Additionally, Captain Edson works with the Kansas Threat Integration Center, where he assists with critical infrastructure protection and anti-terrorism information analysis. 

Jessie Funk graduated from the University of Kansas with bachelor’s degrees in English and Women’s Studies. During college, Jessie studied abroad in South Africa where she volunteered with a Health and HIV/AIDS program in the township of Nyanga and conducted a research project on rape and intimate partner violence. While in school she also served as a victim advocate at a domestic violence shelter and as a state leader with Amnesty International. Upon graduation, Jessie began working as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA) and now holds the position of Coordinator of Advocacy Services at this non-profit organization which helps adults and children who have experienced sexual assault and abuse.

Sam Houghteling began his collegiate career at the University of Vermont, and graduated from Brooklyn College in 2009 with his bachelors degree in Political Science and a minor in American History. While in school, he worked in a congressional office, interned for the Brooklyn Cyclones (the NY Mets minor league affiliate), traveled to India where he produced a short documentary and co-founded a residential summer camp in Vermont. After graduating, Sam interned for a green energy non-profit in San Francisco, and since last spring has served as a Director for a non-profit summer camp aimed at addressing childhood obesity, where he currently still works.

Sandy Johnson graduated from the State University of New York with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. After a four year tour of duty in the United States Army, she settled in Kansas and started her career in public service. She worked for eight years at the Adjutant General’s Department, Division of Emergency Management, serving in a variety of positions where she was responsible for state-level emergency operations and planning as well as assisting local emergency managers. After the events of September 11, 2001, Sandy accepted a position with the newly created Bioterrorism program at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. She was the first Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator and served in that role for several years. As the program grew into its own bureau, Sandy was promoted to the Operations Director. Since then Sandy has moved to the Kansas Department of Agriculture where she is the Emergency Management Coordinator, responsible for planning and preparing for emergencies involving food, plants and livestock.

Elizabeth Kanost graduated from the University of Kansas with bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Art History. During her undergraduate career she interned at the Spencer Museum of Art, assisting with marketing, volunteer coordination, fundraising, community outreach, and event planning. She currently works at Allen Press, Inc., one of the top printers of scientific, technical, and medical journals, in the copyediting department. She has continued her nonprofit and community involvement by leading the Allen Press Relay for Life team, which benefits the American Cancer Society, and by serving as a co-chair for the company’s United Way committee.

Katie McCollom holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Oklahoma State University's School of Business with a pre-law concentration and minors in marketing and international business. After college she served for two years as a Peace Corps Small Enterprise Development volunteer in Benin, West Africa. After the Peace Corps she began working in fund development, first in the political sector and currently in the non-profit sector. For Katie, the MPA career-option program in Topeka provides an academic grounding for her field experience. With a third of the course work complete, she can already attest to how it has improved her career. She finds that course work is relevant to her daily work and she appreciates the chance to do research projects that she can apply directly to her organization. As a working adult student, she finds that practical application of academic theories is an invaluable piece of the MPA program. Aside from rigorous academic standards, Katie also values the incredible amount of practical experience brought to the classroom by her classmates.

Marilyn Minter graduated from William Jewell College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in nonprofit leadership. Marilyn also earned certifications from the Pryor Leadership Studies Program and Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (formerly American Humanics). Marilyn has work experience in social service organizations, cause-specific nonprofits, and higher education development. Her jobs have included operations management, fundraising, grant writing, volunteer coordination, and community advocacy. Marilyn is currently a senior development research analyst at KU Endowment.

Douglas S. Reinert holds a BA in recreation resource management from the College of Natural Resources at Utah State University. His start in public service was working for the City of Topeka Parks and Recreation as a maintenance worker at the age of 19. After graduating from Utah State he became the Parks and Recreation supervisor for the City of Hannibal, Missouri and now serves as the Parks Superintendent for the City of Ottawa, Kansas, where he’s been for the last five years.While in college Doug read about Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the United States Forest Service, who was famous for this statement about preserving our national parks and forests for future generations: "We must as a nation do the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the long run.” That statement is one of Doug’s driving forces as a public servant. Says Doug, “I was born in 1973 and have been working in this field since I was 19. I am dedicated to it.” He also notes that in his experience, “people want to get their masters degree but are afraid of the commitment. My motivation was that I wanted to be a better manager. I felt stagnant and I felt like my education was not sufficient for what I do. The MPA makes us better.”

Thomas Seberger graduated in 2001 from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln with his Bachelor of Science in computer science and a minor in German. This was after a long career in the U.S. Army where he started out as a teletype repairman and later served as a practical nurse and physician assistant and ended his military career as a fire direction control officer. Currently Thomas is a Lead Computer Specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration for business continuity and life cycle management.  He is also active in his community as a WatchDOGS® for his son’s school, webmaster for his son’s Cub Scout Pack, a Board Member of the Shawnee Soccer Club and he provides technical support to the Metro United Soccer Club.  He began the MPA program as a career-option student in 2009, and he expects to graduate in 2013. He feels that an MPA will allow further advancement in his career with the federal government.

Colin Thomasset holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas and has a Master of Public Health from the University of Kansas Medical Center. During college, Colin was a research intern for nearly four years at the American Academy of Family Physicians and worked closely with numerous faculty at the Medical Center while in graduate school. Upon graduation, he went to work for the non-profit sector, focusing on health care in Topeka, Kansas. Colin currently works for the Association of Community Mental Health Centers where he spends his time on public policy and research in mental health.

Tom Worker-Braddock is a transportation and transit planner at Olsson Associates in Overland Park. In this position he works with municipal and regional government entities to envision and identify transportation opportunities and solutions utilizing all forms of transportation. Tom graduated from the University of Kansas with a Masters of Urban Planning, and the University of Washington (Seattle) with a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies. At UW he participated in forest policy research during a year-abroad in Chengdu, China, which also allowed him to view transportation and government systems in a rapidly developing foreign country. At KU he was board chair of the university transit system and helped initiate a fare-free system. As a graduate research assistant at the University of Kansas Transportation Center (KUTC) he performed transit feasibility studies for Salina, KS, and Hays, KS. An MPA from the University of Kansas will help him approach projects and present solutions with the perspective of a city administrator. With the help of his supportive wife, and balancing full time work, a young child, and frequent trips to China, Tom expects to complete an MPA in 2014.