Faculty

Stephen Wehmeyer

Faculty Member	Core Division  General Education
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Education	University of California-Los Angeles, Doctor of Philosophy; University of Notre Dame, Bachelor of Arts; University of California-Los Angeles, Master of Arts
Areas of Expertise	Folklore and Mythology African, Afro-Atlantic, and African American Vernacular Culture Vernacular Religion
Connect Online	Personal Website
Contact	Aiken 201

Biography

Steve Wehmeyer has been teaching in the Core Division at Champlain since 2008. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. from UCLA in Folklore and Mythology, and a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Wehmeyer’s research and teaching interests are diverse and wide ranging – with particular specialization in the ethnographic study of vernacular religion, the material and ritual arts of Africa and the African Diaspora, Western Esotericism, and Indigenous American narrative traditions. His academic work has been published in several anthologies and museum catalogs, as well as a number of academic journals including “Western Folklore”, “New York Folklore”, “Southern Quarterly”, “Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft” and “Gnosis: The Journal of Gnostic Studies”. Outside of his academic work, Wehmeyer is a professional Celtic musician and songwriter, with credits that include motion picture and television soundtracks, and 13 albums to date (11 of which have reached the top 10 on Billboard’s charts for World Music). With a passion for globally engaged, experiential learning, Dr. Wehmeyer teaches or co-teaches a variety of courses across the Core Curriculum, including several involving travel to and service learning in places like Zanzibar and India.

Publications & Abstracts

PUBLICATIONS & ABSTRACTS

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

American Academy of Religion

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Favorite Quote

“In the beginning was noise. And noise begat rhythm. And rhythm begat everything else. This is the kind of cosmology a drummer can live with.”

—Mickey Hart

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Michael Weinberg

Faculty Member	Applied Mathematics Degree
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Education	University of Vermont, Master of Education; University of Vermont, Bachelor of Arts
Areas of Expertise	Working with students who think they are math phobic. Working with basic life and career skills as they relate to mathematics.
Contact	Freeman 101

Biography

Mike started teaching at Champlain about 1980 while he was also a middle school teacher. He has a Bachelors degree in mathematics and a Masters degree in Education. He really enjoys teaching mathematics and being with students. He also loves to go geocaching and has been doing that for about 10 years. He was a volunteer Advanced EMT with Essex Rescue for 34 years.

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Janet Weinstein

Faculty Member	Media Production Minor
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Areas of Expertise	Video Journalism Production Broadcast News Industry
Connect Online	LinkedIn X

Biography

Janet Weinstein is an Adjunct Professor for Champlain College’s Broadcast Department. She comes with more than a decade’s worth of experiences working as a journalist for companies such as ABC News in Washington, DC and the Associated Press in London, UK. She is passionate about teaching students how to become stronger video producers, especially in an ever-evolving media landscape.

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

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Grady Welch

Faculty Member	Filmmaking Degree
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Areas of Expertise	Filmmaking Music Gaming
Connect Online	Personal Website

Biography

Grady’s interest in filmmaking began as a young child when he ran crying from the theater during Ernest Scared Stupid when the trolls come up out of the ground. He then attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and majored in Cinematography. He lived in Los Angeles for over a decade, where he worked as a cameraman on feature films, tv shows, mayonnaise commercials, and video games. Grady’s also a lifelong performer, having acted in a bunch of very serious plays and was a committed member of the LA improv and sketch community. He’s also a professional Dungeon Master, and sings in heavy metal bands. He moved to Vermont in the spring of 2022, and could not be happier to have left Mordor for The Shire.

Distinctions & Awards

“The Sweetest Show” at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
• The Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson

Favorite Quote

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. —Wayne Gretzky
—Michael Scott.”

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Walter Westinghouse

Faculty Member	Filmmaking Degree  Game Sound Design Degree
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Areas of Expertise	Music Production and Pro Tools Software Audio Post Production Live Sound
Contact	402 G

Biography

Walter Westinghouse is an audio professional and educator form the North East Kingdom of Vermont. Walter has industry experience in live sound, touring, studio recording, component level audio equipment repair and recording studio installation and maintenance. He is an Avid Pro Tools Certified Operator of Post Production and Music and in 2023 became an Avid Certified Pro Tools Specialist.

Distinctions & Awards

2014 Seven Daysies Award: Best Recording Studio/ Engineer

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Dave White

Faculty Member	Champlain College Online
Education	California State University-Dominguez Hills, Master of Arts; Chapman University, Bachelor of Arts; Orange Coast College, Associate of Arts; Golden West College, Associate of Arts
Areas of Expertise	Computer Forensics & Digital Investigations, Cybersecurity, Incident Response, etc. Law Enforcement, Criminal Investigations, Dispute Resolution, etc.
Connect Online	LinkedIn

Biography

Professor White dedicated 30 years to a career in law enforcement (local, state, and federal). He earned a Master’s degree in Behavioral Science (Negotiation, Conflict Management, and Dispute Resolution) from California State University, Dominguez Hills, a Bachelor’s degree (Criminal Justice) from Chapman University, and two Associate’s degrees (Criminal Justice and Business Administration).

During his law enforcement career, Professor White served as a sworn Police Detective (Newport Beach Police Department), District Attorney Investigator (Orange County District Attorney’s Office), and 8.5 years as an Operations Manager and FBI-Certified Digital Forensic Examiner assigned to a highly-specialized FBI Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL). During this time, he was afforded the opportunity to manage several teams of computer forensic examiners and administrative staff, who were responsible for conducting comprehensive digital forensic investigations and providing detailed examination results to stakeholders (e.g., Detectives, Investigators, and Special Agents) on cases involving digital forensics, mobile forensics, audio/video forensics, network intrusion, cybercrime, and malware analysis.

Previous to the FBI Task Force assignment, he worked several specialized details to include:
– Patrol Officer
– Mountain Bike/ATV Officer
– Field Training Officer (FTO)/Master Officer IV
– Motor Officer
– Helicopter Tactical Flight Observer (TFO)
– Detective (Economic and High-Tech Crimes)
– Computer Forensic Examiner
* In 2004, he built, maintained, and managed the Newport Beach Police Department’s “state-of-the-art” Computer Forensics Laboratory and conducted the department’s digital forensic and cybercrime investigations.
– FBI Computer Analysis Response Team (CART) Certified Computer Forensic Examiner
– Operations Manager (FBI Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory)

For the last 25 years, Professor White focused on work in the fields of Digital Forensics and Cybercrime, specifically smartphone forensics, cybersecurity, and incident response (IR). He received extensive formal training in these disciplines and have acquired 50+ technical certificates (e.g., CBE, CCO, CCPA, CICP, CompTIA A+ / Network+ / Security+, CSP, EnCE, FBI CART / CICP, GCFE, GCIH, INFOSEC, vendor certifications, etc.), from attending 150+ formal training courses, conducted 20,000+ hours of practical “hands-on” examination of digital forensic artifacts, and testified as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on numerous occasions (Superior Court and before a Grand Jury). After his law enforcement career, Professor White made the transition from public sector into private sector to serve clients as a “trusted advisor” with their vast cybersecurity needs.

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Willard Widmar

Faculty Member	Champlain College Online
Contact	Remote Email Me

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Van Dora Williams

Additional Roles	Professor
Faculty Member	Filmmaking Degree  Game Sound Design Degree  Marketing Communication Degree
Education	Regent University, Master of Arts; CUNY Hunter College, Bachelor of Arts Communication; Regent University, PhD
Areas of Expertise	Documentary Filmmaking Media History, Journalism African American History
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Contact	402A/CCM Email Me

Biography

Dr. Van Dora Williams brings over 30 years of industry experience as a journalist, documentary producer and researcher to the classroom and is dedicated to teaching the next generation of journalists, writers, audio and documentary producers. She currently serves as Assistant Dean of Administration for the CCM Division and holds the rank of full professor as well. She co-created the Game Sound Design program by combining sound design and audio production courses with Game Studio courses and is currently its program director. She has earned multiple Emmy and Telly awards along with having her work seen on the PBS network and through multiple film festivals that include Sundance. She created content for the print, radio, video and web platforms for several years before moving into teaching at the higher education level. Her multiplatform storytelling experience provides her the flexibility to teach the tenets of journalism and storytelling through several mediums.
She believes in bringing real world experience to students within the classroom as well as outside of the classroom. As faculty, Williams co-led two international service-learning trips to The Gambia in West Africa and to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where students worked with local journalists and filmmakers to create two short films and three short documentaries. A few of those productions earned regional Student Production Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and were broadcast statewide on Vermont Public. In coordination with the College’s Special Collections and community organizations, she worked with her colleagues to gain funding from the Council of Independent Colleges’ Humanities for the Public Good. The grants allowed her to work with students on two documentaries titled Forget Me Not Vermont (2020), Outside the Fence (2023) and a website, Green Mountain Melodies, all examining the historical impact of culture on music and urban planning.
As a researcher Dr. Williams most recent work included serving as an archival researcher for the documentary, Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (2017). She served as an associate producer on Banished (2008) as well as many local documentaries and news programs as a senior producer at WHRO, the PBS station in Norfolk, Virginia where she earned multiple Emmy and Telly awards. Some of her research and producing work include Church Street: Harlem of the South (1997, WHRO), Common Ground: Legacy of Race in Religion (1999, WHRO), Noble Desire (2001, WHRO), Century: 100 Years of Life in Hampton Roads (2001, WHRO), Matters of Race (2003, ROJA Productions), Citizen King (2004, ROJA Productions). In between working on historical documentaries, Dr. Williams earned her PhD in Communication in 2017. Her dissertation focused on the impact Birth of a Nation (1915) had on three Virginia communities. She published a chapter in two international peer reviewed edited books focusing on the film’s 100th anniversary as a controversial and groundbreaking film.
She continues to conduct archival research and produce compelling documentaries on the national and regional events of the Progressive Era that continue to have an impact on American culture and society.

Publications & Abstracts

Resisting The Birth of a Nation in Virginia

Standing their ground: A southern community’s response to The Birth of a Nation

The Growing Resistance: Virginia’s Response to The Birth of a Nation, 1915 – 1925

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

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Rob Williams

Faculty Member	Champlain College Online
Education	University of New Mexico, Doctor of Philosophy; Princeton University, Bachelor of Arts; University of New Mexico, Master of Arts

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Asiah Williams

Faculty Member	Champlain College Online
Contact	Remote Email Me

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Eric Winebrenner

Faculty Member	Game Programming Degree
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Areas of Expertise	Realtime rendering Gameplay programming Game engine development
Contact	West Hall 207

Biography

Eric Winebrenner has always been fascinated by videogames as a unique medium that combines art, design, and technology. A founding member of local Vermont game studios, he has shipped successful commercial independent games as well as educational games that make a meaningful positive impact on the world. As a teacher, he believes that programming is a skill that empowers students to forge their own future, and constantly strives to make it accessible through innovative pedagogy. He is particularly interested in realtime rendering, game engine architecture, UI/UX, and gameplay programming.

Favorite Quote

“You can’t learn everything, but you have to convince yourself that you can learn anything.”

—John Carmack

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Craig Winstead

Pronouns	He/Him/His
Areas of Expertise	Strategic Planning Budgeting Faculty Supervision/Development
Contact	S.D. Ireland Global Center Email Me

Biography

Dr. Craig Winstead is a highly experienced and accomplished academic leader. His career has been a testament to his versatility, with significant corporate and scholarly contributions. In the corporate world, he honed his skills during his 12-year tenure at Verizon Communications, where he specialized in management. His expertise spanned sales, marketing, training, leadership, quality program management, and project management. In academia, he was a dedicated educator at Saint Leo University for 12 years, serving as a department chair for seven years.

His teaching experience encompasses various higher education levels, including undergraduate, MBA, and DBA programs. Notably, he was pivotal in developing project management, supply chain, and management programs at Saint Leo. He has served as the Dean of the Stiller School of Business at Champlain since 2023.

Dr. Winstead’s research interests focus on ethical decision-making, moral business leadership from an international perspective, technological advancements in higher education, and applying project management principles across various industries. He frequently speaks at academic and industry conferences and has published his work in reputable journals.

Dr. Winstead holds a PhD in Organizational Management from Capella University, an MS in Leadership and Business Ethics from Duquesne University, a master’s certificate from George Washington University, and a BA in Theater Arts from Bowdoin College. Additionally, he holds the highest certification, Project Management Professional (PMP), in his field.

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Kristin Wolf

Faculty Member	Applied Sustainability Degree  Core Division  General Education
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	George Mason University, Doctor of Philosophy; Duquesne University, Master of Science; Pennsylvania State University, Bachelor of Science
Areas of Expertise	Educational Apiculture Environmental studies and policy
Contact	304 Aiken Hall

Biography

Kristin Wolf is an associate professor at Champlain College where she teaches courses about environmental ethics, science and society, and landscape field methods. She is the director of the campus apiary which facilitates experiential learning opportunities for the Champlain and wider Burlington communities, fosters environmentally-responsible entrepreneurship with its student-run honey business, and organizes outreach and knowledge sharing with beekeeping communities in Peru and Colombia.

She holds a BS in Biology with a minor in International Studies from Penn State, an MS in Environmental Science and Management from Duquesne University, and a PhD in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University.

Publications & Abstracts

See CV

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Mark Wolzenburg

Faculty Member	Champlain College Online
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Education	University of Wuppertal, Master of Arts
Areas of Expertise	English American History Professional Writing

Biography

Mark Wolzenburg is an E-learning and Curriculum Manager at 4imprint, a promotional products company based in Oshkosh, WI. His main duties include the creation and teaching of online training courses, leadership development, and curriculum development. Mark has been an instructor in the Champlain College online program since 2001, teaching a variety of courses such as Critical Inquiry The Writing Process, Interpersonal Communication, and Modern American Social History. In addition to teaching at Champlain College, Mark also used to teach at Vermont Technical College and the Community College of Vermont before relocating to Wisconsin in 2007.

Mark currently holds a master’s degree in English and History from the University of Wuppertal, Germany. His postgraduate research focuses on urban experience, in particular how literary characters perceive their urban environments.

In his free time, Mark enjoys to spend time with his family, which includes his wife Robin and his children Estelle, Finn, Andrew and Ethan. As an active musician, Mark likes to play guitar as much as possible and has released a variety of albums over the years.

Mark always encourages his students to read as much as possible and to explore what literature has to offer. Here is a list of recommended novels:

Truman Capote ““ In Cold Blood, The Grass Harp, Answered Prayers

Charles Bukowski ““ Ham on Rye, Post Office

Ernest Hemingway ““ The Sun Also Rises, A Moveable Feast

F. Scott Fitzgerald ““ The Great Gatsby

William S. Burroughs ““ Naked Lunch

Claude Brown ““ Manchild in the Promised Land

Brett Easton Ellis ““ Less Than Zero

Upton Sinclair ““ The Jungle

Arthur Conan Doyle ““ The Adventures of Sherlock Homes

Amy Tan ““ The Joy Luck Club

Tim O’Brien ““ The Things They Carried

William Gibson ““ Neuromancer

Aldous Huxley ““ Brave New World

George Orwell ““ 1984

Joan Didion ““ Miami

Luis Rodriguez ““ Always Running

Thomas Mann ““ Death in Venice

Toni Morrison ““ Jazz

Ralph Ellison ““ Invisible Man

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Katheryn Wright

Faculty Member	Core Division  Digital Humanities Degree  General Education  Study Abroad for Current Students
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	Florida State University, Doctor of Philosophy; Stetson University, Bachelor of Arts; Florida State University, Master of Arts
Areas of Expertise	posthuman critical theory, media studies, and modern culture digital humanities and feminist maker pedagogies interdisciplinary curriculum design, including place-based and rhizomatic learning
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Contact	Aiken Hall Email Me

Biography

Dr. Katheryn Wright is professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Digital Humanities. She is also the Director of Study Abroad. Dr. Wright earned her PhD and MA in Humanities from Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL where she specialized in Media Studies and Cultural Geography and a BA from Stetson University in DeLand, FL, where she studied English Literature and Studio Art (ceramics).

Distinctions & Awards

Roger H. Perry Endowed Chair for Innovation

Publications & Abstracts

The New Heroines: Female Embodiment and Technology in 21st-Century Popular Culture

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