Education Faculty

Miranda Brand is the dean and vice president of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and School of Aviation at Purdue Global. Brand's areas of expertise are in leadership development, industry partnerships, faculty mentoring and new program development. As dean, Brand oversees more than 700 faculty members across 45 academic programs and five academic departments. She also cultivates the more than 1,000 college-industry partnerships that the college maintains. Brand’s experience in education allows her to focus on student success while serving almost 11,000 students who are pursuing degrees at the doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s, associate and certificate levels.

Since 2011, Brand has served as the associate dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. In this role, she facilitated the development and launch of twelve degree programs in the college, served on numerous university cross-functional action teams to promote institutional improvements and worked with then Dean Sander for over a decade to create and implement a strong college-industry partnership program for students and employer partners. Additionally, she has served in faculty and department chair positions within the college since joining the University in 2006. Prior professional experience includes 20 years of public education service in various roles including teacher, curriculum coordinator, district staff development presenter, and school administrator.

Education: EdD, Nova Southeastern University;  MA, Educational Leadership, Fayetteville State University; BS, Education, Methodist University

Maggie Morgan joined the university as an adjunct faculty member in 2006 before transitioning to a full-time role in 2007. Morgan has almost two decades of progressive leadership experience in higher education driving strategic initiatives, fostering program innovation, and enhancing student and faculty persistence. Most recently, she has led initiatives focused on integrating service learning and AI into the curriculum, developed the College’s first departmental YouTube channel, and integrated employment competencies into assessments. Morgan previously provided operational oversight for the Graduate School of Education, directing faculty management, the development of programs, authored accreditation standards, and established the school’s first assessment committee. Morgan is a dedicated advocate committed to advancing the educational success of military-affiliated learners and their families. In the Fall of 2024, Morgan was chosen as the keynote speaker for a dinner honoring military and military-affiliated graduates. She has also represented Purdue Global at two White House events related to her work focused on military children.

Education: PhD, Capella University; MEd, Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Memberships: American Psychological Association (APA); Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (ALHE), and the National Organization of Human Services (NOHS)    

Research Interests: Assessment in higher education, resilience, educational outcomes in military children
 

Tessa Holst currently serves as the assistant dean of students within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences where she oversees and generates initiatives to develop student engagement and improve student retention. She is also responsible for problem identification and resolution for second-level student complaints and conflicts. Prior to her current role, Holst served as the graduation director and event planner within the Provost Office. She was responsible for bi-annual graduation event ceremonies, celebrations, and faculty retreats. She has worked in higher education for over 25 years and recently completed her second term as school board member for her local school district, having served for 4 years as president. 

Education: MS, Kaplan University (now Purdue Global)

Honors and Achievements: 2017 Social and Behavioral Sciences Outstanding Non-Academic Support Team Award (Kaplan University), 2005 Hero Award (Kaplan University), 2003 Extra Mile Award (Kaplan Higher Education)

Terri Smith serves as the assistant dean for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the School of Aviation. In this role, she works closely with the dean and vice president to oversee budget management, accreditation standards, compliance, and research and development. Her professional and research interests center on artificial intelligence, thoughtful technology integration for nontechnical disciplines and users, and the development of creativity through digital tools. She is also interested in expanding educational capacity through technology and strengthening access to meaningful learning experiences for diverse student populations, including military and dislocated students.

Smith earned her Doctorate in Education from Regent University, where she was recognized as the outstanding graduate and served as the commencement speaker. She also holds an MBA in IT Management and a Master of Teaching from Western Governors University, as well as a BA from Fort Valley State University. Her recent publications explore ethical artificial intelligence, including the use of AI detectors, the alignment of student learning goals and ethics, and the role of proactive technology integration in supporting teaching and student success.

Education:  Doctorate in Education, Regent University; MBA in IT Management, Western Governors University; Master of Teaching, Western Governors University; BA, Fort Valley State University        

Publications: Smith, T. (2026, January 14). Ethical AI: Should we hold students accountable with AI Detectors. Online Learning Consortium

Smith, T. (2025, August 27). Ethical AI: ‘The alignment issue’ - Do student learning goals and ethics align with AI. Education AI

Smith, T. (2025, August 11). Ethical artificial intelligence: Proactive districts, better teaching, and stronger students. ET Magazine, 3(3), 24–30

Smith, T. (2025, April 12). Ethical artificial intelligence: Proactive districts, better teaching, and stronger students. Educate AI

Smith, T. (2025). Ethical artificial intelligence: Proactive districts, better teaching, and stronger students. Educate AI, 1(6), 18–22

Research Interests: AI tutorial supports; thoughtful technology integration for nontechnical disciplines and users; creativity through digital tools; educational success of military and dislocated students

Dena AuCoin began her career with Purdue Global in 2013 as an adjunct and now serves as the department chair. In the past decade, she has held multiple positions including academic department chair. She holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching and has over 20 years of experience in education from early childhood to higher education. During her time with Purdue Global, AuCoin has supported many initiatives to build dynamic learning environments, encourage critical thinking, and mentor students and colleagues to successful outcomes. Outside of Purdue Global, she is a PATH equine therapy instructor for children with special needs and a board member of her county farmer's market.

Education: EdD, Northcentral University

Publications: Information Resources Management Association (2023) Chapter author: AuCoin, D. & Waldow, J. Computer to community: Fostering the online classroom environment.

Fudge, T. (2021). Chapter author: AuCoin, D. & Waldow, J. Curriculum Development and Online Instruction for the 21st Century. IGI Global Publications.

AuCoin, D. (2020). Chapter author: AuCoin, D. & Berger B. Building Integrated Collaborative Relationships for Inclusive Learning Settings. IGI Global Publications.

AuCoin, D., & Berger, B. (2021). An expansion of practice: Special education and Montessori public school. International Journal of Inclusive Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1931717 

AuCoin, D. J., & Wright, L. A. (2021). Student perceptions in online higher education toward faculty mentoring. E-Learning and Digital Media. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530211022927

Epstein, A. (2020). Chapter author: AuCoin, D. & Berger B. Following the Child: A Montessori Approach to Inclusion. Parent-Child Press.

AuCoin, D., LaCouer, M., Fitzgerald, E., Boone, J., Dees, L. (2019). “Perceptions of students and faculty using ePortfolio to complete undergraduate degree program”. Arkansas Association of Teacher Educators Electronic Journal, 9(2), p. 23-31.

Certifications: PATH Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor; Arizona Teaching License: early childhood, special education, general education; Michigan Teaching License: special education, general education

Honors and Achievements: Purdue GLOBAL Distinction Awards: Organizational Builders Group Award & Accomplished Learners Group Award 2022; Consultant and Special Education program founder, Leelanau Montessori Public School Academy; Member-at-Large board member, Southern Arizona NAEYC affiliate 2020-2021; Grant winner, leading to College curriculum project with Northern Michigan Community College: Fulfillament

Memberships: National Association for the Education of Young Children

Research Interests: Collaboration education, inclusivity and intellectual diversity, faculty mentoring, and student well-being in higher education

Carol Laman is an assistant academic department chair and full-time instructor and teaches a variety of early childhood education courses including early childhood development, child nutrition, and current issues in administration. She has experience as a director of an early childhood facility, teaching in the early childhood and elementary school age environment as well as working with children and young adults with autism. Laman holds teaching certification in the state of Texas for general edcuation as well as special education. 

Education: MA, Kaplan University (now Purdue Global); MS, University of North Dakota

Monal Patel began her career at Purdue Global as an adjunct faculty member, teaching courses at the master's and doctoral levels in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She later served as full-time faculty before being promoted to assistant academic department chair for the Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation. In her current role, she supports faculty and curriculum development and fosters a student-centered learning environment.

Education:  EdD in Higher Education Leadership, Virginia Commonwealth University; MS in Higher Education Administration, Purdue University; BS in Computer Science, University of Michigan

Publications: Nasim, A., Patel, M., & Marcoux, C. (2021, February 18). Ensuring diversity drives excellence: A cross-departmental collaboration. eAIR. https://www.airweb.org/resources/publications/eair-newsletter/special-features/2021/02/18/ensuring-diversity-drives-excellence-a-cross-departmental-collaboration

Drake, B. M., Pytlarz, I., & Patel, M. (2018). Let me paint you a picture: Utilizing visualizations to make data more accessible. In K. L. Webber (Ed.), Building capacity in institutional research and decision support in higher education (pp. 81–93). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71162-1_7

Pytlarz, I., Pu, S., Patel, M., & Prabhu, R. (2018). What can we learn from college students' network transactions? Constructing useful features for student success prediction. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED593202.pdf

Wolf, M., Taimuty, M., Patel, M., & Meteyer, J. (2016, November 28). The dean's information challenge: From data to dashboard. EDUCAUSE Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2016/11/the-deans-information-challenge-from-data-to-dashboard

Certifications: Magna Online Course Certification in Finding Your Way So students Can Find Theirs: Aligning your Vision with Research-based Teaching Practices; Teaching Fundamentals for New College Instructors; Practical Solutions for Faculty: Higher-Order Learning

Honors and Achievements: Best Paper Award, Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange

Memberships: Reviewer, Journal of Graduate Education; American Educational Research Association (AERA);  Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)

Research Interests: Ethical use of artificial intelligence in higher education; online learning success for adult learners