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Dan McAvey's artistic practice explores mental health and human interconnection through the genre of landscape painting. Dan teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in studio art and art education at Gustavus Adolphus College and at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Dan encourages students to adopt a spirit of experimentation and play in their work and to embrace mistakes as a joyful part of developing their artistic practice.

Dan earned an M.F.A. in Visual Studies from MCAD. Prior to pursuing art full-time, he worked in psychology and student development on college campuses. Dan also holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Carleton College.

Daniel C. Moos (PhD) is a professor of Education where he teaches courses in developmental and educational psychology, educational technology, and the supervision of student teachers. His work centers on understanding how students learn, particularly through the lenses of motivation, metacognition, and self-regulated learning, and how these processes can be intentionally supported through instruction and assessment.

Dr. Moos’s scholarship focuses on self-regulated learning in classroom and technology-rich environments. His research examines how learners plan, monitor, and evaluate their thinking, and how instructional design, feedback, and classroom technology can foster deeper learning. He has published extensively in leading journals and edited volumes in educational psychology, learning sciences, and educational technology, and he has collaborated frequently with undergraduate students as research co-authors. His work is nationally and internationally recognized, including invited keynote and symposium presentations and service in leadership roles within professional organizations focused on self-regulated learning.

At Gustavus, he is deeply committed to teacher preparation and evidence-based teaching. He works closely with pre-service teachers as they learn to design instruction, integrate technology meaningfully, and use assessment to support student learning. His teaching philosophy emphasizes helping future educators become reflective practitioners who understand how students learn and who can adapt instruction to meet diverse learner needs. He is particularly interested in bridging theory and practice, ensuring that research on learning, motivation, and assessment is accessible and useful for teachers in real classrooms.

In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Moos has held several institution-wide leadership and service roles at Gustavus. These include serving as department chair, college assessment director, faculty associate for teaching excellence, and assessment coordinator for the Education Department. Through this work, he has supported faculty development, program assessment, accreditation efforts, and conversations about effective teaching and learning across the college.

Dr. Moos also contributes extensively to the broader field of education through editorial board service, grant advisory work, external reviews, and mentoring early-career scholars. He is regularly involved in reviewing research for major journals and supporting national initiatives related to self-regulated learning and teacher education. Before entering higher education, Dr. Moos was an elementary and middle school teacher, an experience that continues to shape his teaching, research, and commitment to teacher education. Outside of Gustavus, he enjoys staying active, following youth and collegiate athletics, and spending time with his family. He values the close-knit academic community at Gustavus and especially enjoys working with students as they develop into thoughtful educators and lifelong learners.