New Faculty Directory 2025-26

Augustana welcomes the following faculty for the 2025-26 school year.

Alannah G. Alexander

Part-time Instructor
Department of Education

B.A., Elementary Education, Augustana College
M.S., Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies, Western Illinois University

Sydney E. Arlis

Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Biology

B.A., Biology, Miami University (Ohio)
Ph.D. (expected June 2025), Integrated Biology, University of Iowa

For her doctorate, Dr. Sydney Arlis studied the development of the face, focusing on how disruptions to neural crest cell development result in cleft lip and/or palate. She enjoys learning new things about all areas of biology and is especially interested in making complicated science accessible to non-scientists. In her free time, Dr. Arlis enjoys board games, jigsaw puzzles, sand volleyball, and playing with her two cats, Henry and Freya.

April M. Arquilla

Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Biology

B.A., Biology, College of Wooster
Ph.D.,  Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology, University of California (Riverside)

Dr. April Arquilla is an organismal biologist who is passionate about training the next generation of physiologists. As a graduate student, she worked extensively helping pre-health majors prepare for their medical school goals. Her research has predominantly focused on animal communication, specifically interactions between parents and offspring with focus on plasticity of the auditory system as mammals become first-time parents. Outside of the classroom and the lab, she enjoys camping, hiking, traveling, and sampling as many cuisines as she can find.

Ruby Auf

Associate Professor
Public Health Program

M.B.B.Ch, Medical School, Ain Shams University
Ph.D., Public Health (Epidemiology), Florida International University

Dr. Ruby Auf was trained as an oncologist and later served as a tenured associate professor at Ain Shams University, the leading public university in Cairo. She brings more than two decades of practical experience across multiple sectors of public health. Most recently, she has served as a research health scientist and epidemiologist at the CDC.

At Augustana, Dr. Auf will be teaching PUBH-100: Introduction to Public Health; PUBH-180-01: Health Disparities; and PUBH-300-01: Epidemiology. She looks forward to inspiring students as they explore career paths and graduate school opportunities beyond their undergraduate studies. She also hopes to involve students in research projects to help them become more competitive in their post-graduation pursuits.

Dr. Auf’s research has focused on tobacco control and reducing health disparities, with a growing interest in aging-related studies. She brings a wealth of both practical and academic experience to her teaching and scholarship, spanning a range of public health domains.

Brian T. Baxter

Part-time Instructor
Department of Music

B.M., Composition, Illinois Wesleyan University
M.M., Composition, Roosevelt University

Angela M. Boelens

Professional Faculty Instructor
Department of Business Administration

B.B.A., Business Administration, Western Illinois University
M.B.A., Business Administration, University of Iowa

Lakshmanan Chokalingam

Part-time Instructor
Data Analytics Program

B.E., Production Engineering, University of Madras
M.B.A., Sales and Distribution and Marketing, Annamalai University
M.S., Data Analytics, University of Iowa

Laks Chokalingam brings more than 27 years of corporate experience across diverse domains, including supply chain, marketing, sales and industrial software engineering. As an experienced software architect, he has contributed to numerous software projects across multiple industries and clients. In his spare time, he teaches the Tamil language and serves as a school principal. He also enjoys playing badminton, volleyball and pickleball.

David M. Ciasto

Part-time Assistant Professor of Accounting

B.S., Engineering Technology with Nuclear Specialty, University of the State of New York
B.B., Accountancy, Western Illinois University
M.B.A., Finance, University of Colorado
C.P.A., Public Accounting, Illinois

Julie C. Delaney

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Education

B.A., Elementary Education, University of Iowa
M.S., Educational Leadership, Western Illinois University
Ph.D., Educational Studies, Educational Leadership and Higher Education, University of Nebraska

Robert C. Dickerson

Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

B.S., Computer Science and Mathematics, Truman State University
Ph.D., Computer Science, Purdue University

Dr. Robert Dickerson’s research focuses on using programming language theory and formal methods to develop principled software reasoning techniques with practical applications in software engineering. Before earning his doctorate in computer science, he spent more than 10 years as a software engineer at companies including Square, Inc., and Riot Games. When not studying computing, he enjoys fencing, running and making music.

Larissa C. Frimpong

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department of Art

B.F.A., Photography, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design
M.F.A., Studio Art, Photography, University of Arkansas

Larissa Frimpong is a multi-disciplinary artist, educator, curator and community-building facilitator. Her work investigates and invests in visual media through photography, archival methods, anti-colonial curatorial practices, and building community toolkits, skill-sharing and workshops by promoting care, dialogue and resources within her social-artistic practice.

Vincent Frimpong

Assistant Professor
Department of Art

B.A., Industrial Art in Ceramics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
M.F.A., Ceramics, University of Arkansas

Vincent Frimpong is an educator and a contemporary artist born in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. His works are shown in multiple group exhibitions, and recently had solo exhibitions in Nashville, Tenn.; Indiana; and Mississippi. He was awarded The Windgate Accelerator Grant from the University of Arkansas, Artists 360 Practicing Artist Grant from the Walton Arts Foundation, The Consortium for Intercollegiate Research in the Ceramic Arts (C.I.R.C.A), the Midsouth Dianne Komminsk sculpture winner, and the 2023 The Medium (CACHE) - Creative Exchange Fund (CXF) MARs Award Recipient. He received the 2022 Zenobia award from Watershed in Maine, Maxwell-Hanrahan Haystack Recipient for the 2023 Fellowship, and John Glick Penland School of Craft Scholarship 2023. Frimpong is an Amaco Fellow from Archie Bray and a 2025 NCECA Emerging Artist Fellow.

Paul J. Greufe

Part-time Instructor
Department of Business Administration

B.S., Drake University
M.B.A., Business Administration, St. Ambrose University

Yoonji Kim

Assistant Professor
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

B.A., English Language and Literature, Sungkyunkwan University
M.A., Linguistics, Seoul National University
M.A., Speech, Language and Hearing Science, Temple University
MPhil, Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University
Ph.D., Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University

Dr. Yoonji Kim, CCC-SLP, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in motor speech disorders, acquired cognitive-communication disorders, and aphasia. Her research interests include human vocal behaviors in typical adults and individuals with acquired neurological disorders. Her work examines the mechanisms underlying speech motor control in individuals with dysarthria caused by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and cerebellar ataxia. Dr. Kim is also a licensed speech-language pathologist with experience in tracheostomy and ventilator management, augmentative alternative communication, and school-based practice.

Kevin N. Kock

Part-time Assistant Professor
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

B.S., Communication Science and Disorders and Psychology, University of Houston
M.P.H., University of Iowa
M.A., Speech Pathology and Audiology, University of Iowa
Au.D., Audiology, University of Iowa

Dr. Kevin Kock is an audiologist with expertise in hearing loss prevention, amplification, leadership strategy and the integration of public health within audiology. Dr. Kock possesses a rich leadership background and a steadfast commitment to advancing the profession of audiology. He serves as vice president for audiology practice on the ASHA Board of Directors and is dedicated to advancing audiology locally and nationally. He strives to empower patients and students with tools to be successful communi- cators. He frequently presents on supporting LGBTQ+ patients and provid- ers, enhancing patient–provider concordance through diversity initiatives, and integrating public health principles into community outreach, advocacy and audiology practice. Dr. Kock serves patients of all ages for hearing loss prevention, diagnostic and hearing aid services locally at Audiology Consultants.

Michael R. Koepp

Part-time Instructor of Physics, Engineering, and Astronomy

B.A., Physics, Augustana College
M.S., Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

John H. Lindberg

Part-time Instructor
Department of Environment, Geography, and Geoscience

B.A., Geography, St. Cloud State University
B.A., Russian Studies, Karelian University
M.S., Geography, St. Cloud State University

John Lindberg, born and raised in Minnesota, has Swedish and Finnish roots. His academic focus included environmental tourism and cartog- raphy, enriched by overseas study in Russia. He has taught at St. Cloud State, Missouri State University and Eastern Iowa Community College. A passionate traveler and cultural explorer, he once owned a travel agency specializing in Oceania. Now living off-grid in a home he built, Lindberg continues to embrace sustainability and global discovery.

Rachel A. Lockart

Assistant Professor
Department of Education

B.A., Anthropology, Macalester College
M.A., Educational Policy and Administration, University of Minnesota
Ph.D., Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education, Michigan State University

Dr. Rachel Lockart’s scholarship engages with and challenges the fields of teacher education, critical policy analysis, theories of de/coloniality, comparative and international education, and anthropology of education. Her scholarship analyzes how education policies sustain systemic forms of oppression and the many ways in which educators counter these harms. Her current research analyzes the recruitment, education and employment of elementary teachers in Senegal. Dr. Lockart is a white settler who has spent most of her life in the U.S. and has also lived in the United Kingdom, Mali, Cameroon and Senegal. She is a former teacher and study abroad advisor and a member of the Decoloniality Dialogues Collective. Dr. Lockart is an aunt, sister, daughter and friend who enjoys reading, traveling, cross-stitching, playing the piano, and spending time with lakes, rivers and oceans.

Nidhi Mourya

Visiting Instructor
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

B.A., Computer Science, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya University
M.C.A., Computer Application, Rajiv Gandhi Technical University

Ramin Roshandel

Part-time Assistant Professor
Department of Music

B.A., Iranian Music Performance, Tehran University of Art
M.M., Music Composition, University of Tehran
Ph.D., Music Composition, University of Iowa

Dr. Ramin Roshandel is a composer and setar player. His composition has been described as “brutally Persian,” and his performance on the setar has been considered “masterful.” Dr. Roshandel’s compositions have been performed by Benjamin Coelho, Anna Elder, Nicole Esposito, Will Fried, Daniel Schreiner, The JACK Quartet, University of Iowa Center for New Music Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, Kamrato-n Ensemble, and LIGAMENT duo. His compositions have been either featured or performed in Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS), NYC Electroacoustic Improvisation Summit, MOXSonic, TurnUp Multimedia Festival, and Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project’s “Summer Sounds.” He was the setar soloist in Jean-François Charles’ opera, “Grant Wood in Paris,” in its premiere.

Mandeep Singh

Part-time Professor
Department of Business Administration

B.C., Economics and Accountancy, Osmania University
B.B.A., Finance, Western Illinois University
M.B.A., Finance, Western Illinois University
D.B.A., Marketing Strategy, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Dr. Mandeep Singh comes to Augustana after a 25-year career at Western Illinois University. He has been widely recognized for his teaching and research. His teaching and research have focused on marketing education and international marketing strategies.

Scott A. Vanzuiden

Part-time Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science

B.S., Education, Elementary, Northwest Missouri State University
M.S., Education, Special Education Supervision, University of Kansas
M.S., Education, Mathematics Education, Walden University
Ed.D., Leadership & Innovation, Purdue Global University

Claudia M. Vaughan

Assistant Professor
Department of Business Administration

B.B.A., Business Administration, Universität Mannheim
M.B.A., Global MBA China Track, University of Hawaii — Manoa Shidler College of Business
Ph.D., Marketing, University of Hawaii — Manoa Shidler College of Business

Born and raised in Germany, Dr. Claudia Vaughan started her professional career in public accounting, first in Mannheim and then in Munich. The last 12 years she has spent in Hawaii, where she chose a career in academia teaching marketing. In the classroom, in the hallway or when meeting strangers in the airport, Dr. Vaughan enjoys the exchange of ideas in conversation. She is interested in a variety of topics and research areas that are relevant across the social sciences. These include value creation in markets and the diffusion of innovation through markets, but extend to many issues outside marketing, which are generally studied by students of the history, philosophy and sociology of science.

Lesley E. Zwicky

Professional Faculty Instructor and Clinical Supervisor
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

B.A., Communication Sciences and Disorders, Augustana College
M.A., Communication Disorders, Truman State University