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As a Professor in the Department of Environment, Geography, and Earth Sciences (EGE), Julie K. Bartley teaches courses in the Geology and Environmental Studies programs. With a background in chemistry and geology, Professor Bartley brings an interdisciplinary perspective to the study of the Earth’s past and present. As a teacher, she strives to know her students as individuals and to inspire interest in the Earth’s past and care for its future. She has also held significant leadership roles at Gustavus, including serving as chair of EGE, as the project director for the Inclusive Excellence Project, and as Associate Provost and Dean of Sciences and Education.

Professor Bartley’s expertise lies in interpreting ancient environments, with a particular focus on the Precambrian. Her research explores how microbial communities shaped and were shaped by the environments in which they lived. She and her students study the fossil record and the chemical signatures left by life hundreds of millions or even billions of years ago. At Gustavus, she actively involves students in this discovery process, supervising numerous undergraduate research projects that range from evaluating stromatolites in Minnesota to analyzing the Martian surface signs of habitability.

Students who collaborate with Professor Bartley might conduct fieldwork, perform laboratory analyses, analyze imagery, work with databases, or some combination of these. In the classroom, Professor Bartley teaches a wide array of courses taken by students across campus. Her teaching philosophy is characterized by a commitment to effective and inclusive instruction and a firm belief that every student is equipped to succeed. Whether a geology major, a general education student, or a first-semester Gustie, students can expect to take an active role in class, have many opportunities for hands-on experiences, and be challenged to grow as they learn. 

Beyond her teaching and research, Professor Bartley serves Gustavus and the broader scientific community in many ways. She recently served as the Faculty Shepherd for the Nobel Hall of Science renovation and addition project and has co-chaired the Nobel Conference. She is a trained facilitator for two national programs: the ADVANCEGeo Partnership, which aims to improve workplace climate in the geosciences, and the Traveling Workshop Program, whose workshops help strengthen geoscience departments.

As the curator of the Chester Johnson Geology Museum, Professor Bartley regularly shares her passion for geology with K-12 students and the public. Whether leading fossil collecting field trips or presenting to local community organizations, she enjoys helping others see the landscape as a "time machine." Her dedication to service was recently honored with the Gustavus Faculty Service Award.

Outside of her professional life, she has served as the chair of a local charter school board and remains an active member of several professional societies, including the Geological Society of America, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, and the Association of Women Geoscientists.

Maria Kalbermatten is a scholar and educator in Hispanic Studies. She teaches courses in Spanish language, culture, and linguistics. Her work centers on the study of humor in discourse, with a particular focus on verbal irony, political humor, and the ways humor operates in contexts of power, ideology, and social interaction. Drawing on approaches from pragmatics, discourse analysis, and critical literacy, her research examines how humor functions not only as entertainment but also as a tool for critique, affiliation, and meaning-making in everyday communication.

Her scholarship includes analyses of spontaneous conversations and media texts, exploring how speakers use irony and humor to negotiate relationships, express stance, and challenge dominant narratives. She has a particular interest in humor in Spanish-speaking contexts, including Latin America, and her recent work engages with questions of political discourse, manipulation, and the role of humor in shaping public opinion. Her research has been presented at national and international conferences and contributes to ongoing interdisciplinary conversations about language, culture, and society.

Kalbermatten is deeply committed to student-centered teaching and to creating an engaging, inclusive classroom environment. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes active learning, critical thinking, and the development of interpretive skills that allow students to analyze language and culture in meaningful ways. She frequently integrates her research into her courses, designing classes that invite students to explore authentic materials such as political cartoons, media discourse, and everyday interactions. In courses like Political Humor and Manipulation, she applies a critical literacy framework to help students examine how humor can both reinforce and challenge systems of power.

Kalbermatten teaches across the Spanish curriculum, from introductory language courses to advanced content courses, and contributes to interdisciplinary programs that engage with global perspectives, media, and cultural studies. She values mentoring students at all levels and enjoys supporting them in developing linguistic proficiency alongside cultural awareness and analytical skills.

In addition to her teaching and research, Kalbermatten is actively involved in service at the College and within the broader academic community. She contributes to curriculum development, participates in collaborative initiatives, and engages in professional activities that connect her work to wider scholarly and educational networks.

One of her favorite aspects of teaching at Gustavus is the opportunity to work closely with students in a liberal arts setting, where discussion, curiosity, and intellectual exploration are central. She values the strong sense of community on campus and the ways in which students bring diverse perspectives into the classroom.

Outside of her academic work, Kalbermatten enjoys creative and cultural activities that complement her scholarly interests, including drawing, exploring global cuisines, and engaging with music and the arts. These interests often inform her teaching and contribute to the dynamic, culturally rich learning experiences she fosters in her courses.

Dr. Amanda Nienow began her Gustavus career in 2007, in the department of chemistry. She obtained her PhD in (Physical) Chemistry at the University of Minnesota and completed a brief post-doctoral fellowship at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. In 2013, she was promoted to Associate Professor and in 2018, was promoted to Professor. She has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications with undergraduate students related to environmental fate and photochemistry of herbicides. She recently won the Janet Anderson Award from the Midstates Consortium for Math and Sciences for her work mentoring students in undergraduate research. Dr. Nienow served as co-chair of the Chemistry Department from 2015-2020 and 2023-2026 with Dr. Dwight Stoll. She currently serves as the Director of Undergraduate Research and regularly teaches SIG-370, Signature Experience - Research along with physical chemistry courses.

Ursula Lindqvist, PhD, is Thorstensson, McKnight, Nordstrom Endowed Chair and Professor in Scandinavian Studies and a founder of the interdisciplinary minor in Comparative Literature. She is known for her research in Nordic global cinema and in postcolonial studies, commitment to undergraduate teaching and mentorship, and her leadership within the College and in her field. Before coming to Gustavus in 2013, Dr. Lindqvist directed the undergraduate program in Scandinavian Studies and founded the Scandinavian Languages Program at Harvard University. 

A passion for interdisciplinary teaching and research brought her to Gustavus, where she contributes to programs in Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies; Peace, Justice, & Conflict Studies; African & African Diaspora Studies; Film & Media Studies; Latin American, Latinx & Caribbean Studies; and Comparative Literature. She leads a college-wide grant project, “Storytelling and Sensemaking at a Settler Institution: Walking a Shared Path with Dakota Neighbors,” funded by the Council of Independent Colleges/the Lilly Endowment.

Dr. Lindqvist’s research has focused on Nordic cinema, global literatures, and unsettling colonial narratives. Her first book, Roy Andersson’s Songs from the Second Floor: Contemplating the Art of Existence, was published in the University of Washington Press’ Nordic Film Classics series. She also co-edited two global anthologies: A Companion to Nordic Cinema (Wiley-Blackwell) with Mette Hjort, and New Dimensions of Diversity in Nordic Culture and Society (Cambridge Scholars) with Jenny Björklund. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals including PMLA, Modernism/Modernity, and African and Black Diaspora. Her most influential work, “The Cultural Archive of the IKEA Store” (Space and Culture, 2009), has been taught at colleges worldwide. Her expertise as a Nordic film scholar has been sought by media outlets such as the New York Times and National Public Radio as well as film festivals and retrospectives. 

In recent years, Dr. Lindqvist’s research has pivoted toward settler history, culture, and decolonization. Her current monograph in progress, Unsettling the Settler Archive, includes a critical examination of the founding story of Gustavus Adolphus College on Dakota lands. She has involved Gustavus students in her research since it began in 2021 and sponsored a student advisee to present at a national scholarly conference in 2023. Dr. Lindqvist recently received external grants to support additional archival work at the Swenson Center for Swedish Immigration Research at Augustana College in Illinois and at the House of Emigrants in Växjö, Sweden, where she gave an invited public lecture in 2024. From this work she developed the college’s first approved Signature Experience (SigX) research course, SCA-290 Unsettling the Archive, to immerse students in archival research and to train them to carry out sensitive, intercultural interviews with Indigenous people, bringing their stories in dialogue with settler archives.

Dr. Lindqvist spent five years as news writer and investigative reporter in the Arabian Gulf, India, and Florida prior to earning her PhD. Her roots are in Finland’s Swedish-speaking minority, and she is bilingual in Swedish and English.
 

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. 
 

John C. Volin, PhD serves as the 18th President of Gustavus. 

Following a postdoctoral fellowship in plant physiological ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Volin accepted a faculty position at Florida Atlantic University, where he rose to the rank of full professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and served as the director of the Environmental Sciences graduate program. Volin joined the University of Connecticut in 2007 to head the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, advancing to serve as Vice Provost of Academic Affairs. From 2020-2025, Volin served as the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Maine, where his portfolio included oversight of more than 1,000 faculty and staff and a budget of over $250 million. Volin is recognized as a national leader in using evidence-based practices to support holistic student wellbeing. He serves on the Executive Committee of the LearningWell Coalition and is a co-founder and senior advisor of LearningWell magazine.

Born and raised in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Volin holds a BS in botany and biology and an MS in agronomy from the South Dakota State University, and a PhD in forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Volin and his wife, Valeria, have five children and six grandchildren.

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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.