Search Gustavus

Dr. Annalise Rivas teaches all levels of Russian language at Gustavus, as well as contributing to the Eastern European & Eurasian Studies and Comparative Literature programs through courses on Eurasian culture, film, media, and literature. Her scholarly interests focus on pedagogical practices in the teaching of foreign languages, particularly the use of authentic literary texts in building language proficiency. In addition to language pedagogy, Annalise recently focused her scholarly efforts on diversifying and amplifying the voices of Russian speakers from outside of the Russian Federation, including receiving a fellowship to spend time in Central Asia learning more about variations in Russian language use. Prior to arriving at Gustavus, Annalise lived and worked in several different countries, sparking a curiosity and love of travel that she strives to share with students through telling stories, cooking regional foods, and encouraging international experiences. 

Dr. Glenn Kranking is a historian of Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Russia, and Eastern Europe. He has lived, studied, and researched extensively in Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, and Russia. In addition to his regular rotation of courses, Glenn has also taught courses on Nordic explorers, disaster films, and movie musicals. Glenn is currently working on a book manuscript about the Swedish minority population in Estonia during the Second World War as the region passed from independent to occupations by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany; during that time frame, the majority of the Swedish population fled to Sweden as wartime refugees. He also researches and teaches on propaganda, with a recent interest in political stickers as urban propaganda. During summer months, he routinely works as an expert lecturer with Smithsonian Journeys on tours through Scandinavia, around the Baltic and North Seas, and the Rhine River Valley.

Tara Cadenhead serves as the Instructor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where she is also the Director of the Center for Innovative & Entrepreneurial Leadership (CIEL). A Gustavus alumna herself, Tara brings a unique blend of high-level corporate strategy and "maker" entrepreneurship to the Hill, providing students with a practical roadmap for turning creative ideas into sustainable ventures.

Tara’s teaching is informed by nearly two decades of leadership in the corporate sector. During her tenure at FICO, a leading provider of analytics and CRM software, she led talent management and organizational change initiatives, specializing in aligning human capital with strategic business goals. Later, at Target Corporation, she served as a key advisor to Supply Chain leadership, and then played a strategic communication and change leadership role in launching a new enterprise-wide talent system and related processes for a workforce of more than 70,000 users.

In addition to her corporate background, Tara is the founder of Marquess Studios, a creative venture based in Stillwater, Minnesota, that emphasizes intentional design and community-focused commerce. Experience as a small business owner allows her to mentor students with authentic insights into brand storytelling, lean product development, and the resilience required to launch a startup.

In the classroom, Tara emphasizes experiential learning and vocational discovery. She views entrepreneurship as a multidisciplinary mindset relevant to every major, from the fine arts to the hard sciences. Her courses function as laboratories where students are encouraged to iterate, take calculated risks, and solve complex problems through "failing forward."

As the Director of CIEL, Tara spearheads initiatives that foster a culture of innovation across the entire campus. She oversees the Gustie Cup, the college’s premier entrepreneurship competition which offers significant seed money prizes across "Scalable" and "Sustainable" categories. In this role, she mentors student founders through intensive Start-Up Labs and 1:1 consulting sessions, while engaging alumni and industry experts to enhance the viability of students' plans. Gustie Cup winners have advanced as semi-finalists in the statewide Minnesota Cup. Her service extends to the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem, where she builds bridges between Gustavus and Minnesota’s business leaders, alumni mentors, and economic organizations, and recently represented Gustavus on an International Economic Development trip to Ireland.

Outside of her work at the College, Tara is deeply committed to community-driven service and regional development. She is most interested in exploring public-private partnerships to maximize social and economic impact. Tara is a founding Board member for Connect Lake Elmo, where she helps guide initiatives that enhance local connectivity and economic vitality. Her dedication to service is further highlighted by her previous involvement with Rotary International, various non-profit organizations, and was recently nominated as "Volunteer of the Year" by the Stillwater Area Chamber of Commerce. When not mentoring the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, she enjoys traveling, cooking, gardening, and spending time with her family.  

Ernest Briggs is a professor of Theater and teaching Performance 1 and Performance 2, Improv, Directing and World Theater Analysis. He has recently directed The Secret in the Wings, Transforming and previously directed The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at Gustavus. Briggs has been a Warner Bros Discovery Early Access Early Career Bootcamp Fellow, Guthrie Theater Theater Management Fellow, and Park Square Directing Fellow. 

Ernest Briggs has been an actor, director, producer and teaching artist for more than 15 years. He has been seen on the stages at Guthrie Theater, Mixed Blood Theatre, Park Square Theater, South Coast Repertory, Pangea World Theatre, Children's Theatre and in films such as Unholy Communion, Ode for Leviticus, and Sold Out. 

K. Angelique Dwyer is an Associate Professor of Spanish and the Program Director of Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies (LALACS). She specializes in Mexico/U.S. Intercultural Studies and teaches courses on film, border studies, Latina/x/o literature, Spanish language, and Latin American culture. Dwyer is an engaged scholar who created the student organization "Language Buddies" that works in partnership with the St. Peter Public Schools, Free Clinic, and Food Pantry. Her courses co-embed service-learning and community engagement with the goal of broadening student's intercultural skills. She has published in the fields of Chicana/Latina Studies, creative nonfiction, and pedagogy. She is particularly interested in Latin@/Latin American pop culture through the lens of Performance Theory. She has a podcast called “Gringos Mexicanos,” which broadens the dialogue on Mexican American identity that features her short stories written in Spanglish. She has a forthcoming article on the assessment of intercultural skills gained by students via community engagement learning. Dwyer also enjoys dancing, trying new foods, and photography.

Kathy Lund Dean holds the Board of Trustees Distinguished Chair in Leadership and Ethics, a position uniquely designed to engage external stakeholders with students, faculty, and program opportunities. This role supports three main strategic focus areas:

1. Increase Gustavus’ national and international footprint through scholarship and high profile recognitions
2. Increase and broaden career readiness through alumni engagement
3. Increase and deepen opportunities for experiential learning for students across campus

Kathy explores experiential education’s impacts on students, learning outcomes, and teaching practice, especially links between student mental health and experiential learning. In managerial practice, she examines remote work and why managers and executives resist remote work so strongly. Last, her partnership with the City of St. Peter and City Council allows her research insights into how municipal leaders prioritize very different constituent issues and resolve serious conflict.

Her scholarship encompasses more than 100 journal articles, book chapters, and books. Books include “The Ethical Professor: A Practical Guide to Research, Teaching and Professional Life” (published both in English and Chinese); "Course Design and Assessment" (2022, Edward Elgar) and "How to Become an Effective Journal Editor in Business and Management A Guide to Developing Authors" (2024, Edward Elgar).

Getting Gustavus' brand recognized outside the United States is a key focus. She won a Fulbright Specialist role to assist institutions under-represented in academic scholarship, an editorial role she will be continuing with the Journal of Management Inquiry. She has worked with business school colleagues at Rikkyo University supported by a Fulbright award, creating an exchange agreement between Rikkyo College of Business and Gustavus. Kathy holds joint appointments at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Kathy is passionate about engaging students in learning about investing and markets. She advises student members on the Board of Trustees Investment Committee as well as the E. Terry Skone Investment Club on campus, where students work with large endowments and portfolios and make important decisions. The Skone Club won a Magnuson Leadership & Service Award for its long-term positive impact on learning, outreach, and philanthropy, donating more than $135,000 in scholarship money back to the College. 

Her conflict resolution practice takes many forms. As a certified mediator, a Minnesota Rule 114 qualified neutral, and faculty Ombuds, she helps others talk through and resolve complex issues from an impartial and non-judgmental perspective. At the Academy of Management, Kathy supports ethical practice and manages difficult situations as a member of the Ethics Adjudication Committee and the Ethics Education Committee. 

She is a Chicago native and has lived in seven U.S. states and two countries. Prior to joining the Gustavus faculty, Kathy was Professor of Management at Idaho State University for ten years. 
 

The Student Accounts office assists students and parents with payments and understanding charges and credits on a student's bill and account.

Discover summer camps & events at Gustavus—athletic, academic & conference opportunities, with full support in planning, facilities, dining, and services.

Jake Lucas ’25 stays busy on campus, taking full advantage of the Gustavus liberal arts experience.

Find answers to billing and insurance questions at Gustavus Health Service, including coverage, charges, insurance claims, in-network info, and how to waive coverage.

Jon Grinnell is the Francis Morey Uhler Chair in Biology. He spent his youth roaming the hills of coastal California watching the hawks and admiring alligator lizards and rattlesnakes. From the time of his first borrowed binoculars he has been fascinated with wild creatures and places, and now is excited to share those with students. 

As an undergraduate he worked with the last wild California Condors before they were taken into captive breeding programs, and as a graduate student he studied the social and communication behavior of African lions in Tanzania. For years, he worked on lions in South Africa before transitioning to American bison in South Dakota. In each of these projects he eagerly involved research students, as one of his great loves is taking students out into the field to get hands-on experience with animals and ecosystems. 

Recently his attention has shifted to the plight of shallow marine habitats and regularly takes students to study the Mesoamerican coral reef in Belize. Jon feels privileged to have the chance to teach animal behavior, aquatic biology, vertebrate zoology, and other field-based courses at Gustavus, as well as the many travel courses he has led throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Jon is an avid cyclist, scuba diver, hiker, animal watcher, and bow hunter. 

The Gustavus English Department leads students to explore literature, film, and creative writing through inclusive global perspectives, strong writing skills, internships, and community engagement.