Meet Us

Meet the Faculty & Staff

The Walker School of Education works hard to provide programs that benefit learning outcomes and the students within our program. With the help of our faculty, students can not only benefit themselves, but they can also become leaders within their organizations and communities.

Meet Our Faculty

Dr. Cammy Romanuck-Murphy

Director of Graduate Programs, Walker School of Education

BS, MS, Minot State University; MA, Wayne State College; EdD, Trident University International

Dr. Cammy Romanuck-Murphy serves as the Walker School of Education Director of Graduate Programs. Dr. Romanuck-Murphy holds an EdD in Educational Leadership from Trident University International, a Master of Arts in P-8 Educational Administration from Wayne State College, a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, and a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders from Minot State University. She began her career as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and remained an active SLP for nine years in K-12 education. In 2019, Dr. Romanuck-Murphy began teaching graduate courses as an adjunct instructor, in addition to her role as an SLP. She taught in the Masters and Doctoral programs at Trident University International in the College of Education and in the Communication Disorders undergraduate program at the University of Nebraska, Kearney. In 2021, Dr. Romanuck Murphy served as a full-time doctoral professor and research chair with Trident University International before accepting the Director of Graduate Programs role at Midland University.

Dr. Kerry Williams

Professor of Education, Midland University

Kerry graduated from UNL with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and an emphasis in science education. She taught elementary school in Elkhorn, Nebraska and Bellevue, Nebraska while completing a master’s degree in Leadership and Adult Development from Drake University. Kerry went back to graduate school full time working as a graduate assistant within the Math Matters program at UNL.

After receiving a Ph.D. in Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction, she worked as an adjunct professor at Wayne State College mainly teaching master’s students within Wayne State’s Learning Community format, teaching online courses, and supervising student teachers.

In 2011 Kerry’s husband, a Nebraska Air National Guardsman, applied for and accepted a position working as a Bilateral Affairs Officer in Prague, Czech Republic. While in Prague, Kerry worked for the International School Prague providing professional development for para educators and as a long-term substitute in a PreK classroom.

Upon returning to Nebraska, Kerry took a position teaching education majors at Midland University. While at Midland, she partnered with Omaha Public Schools to create a Para to Teacher program. Kerry has presented at national conferences and published several articles and two books. In 2016, she was presented with the Stephen E. Fritz Award for Excellent in Teaching at Midland University.

Dr. Jennifer Murnane-Rainey

Interim Director of Graduate Programs for the Dunklau School of Business, Midland University

Dr. Jennifer Murnane-Rainey has held executive-level finance, sales, marketing, and operations leadership positions and played a key role in strategic planning efforts for organizations in the financial services, business services, and education industries. Jennifer has consulted on complex business issues to improve corporate, government, and nonprofit organizational performance.

Jennifer’s experience spans the fields of finance, adult education, and human capital. Her unique experience in securities analysis and management led her to further pursue the value of human capital in organizations. She has authored several dozen academic and practitioner articles. Jennifer is an associate professor of management and finance at Midland University and has her own strategy consulting company (JAM Group).

Jennifer holds a Ph.D. in Family & Consumer Sciences Education from Iowa State University, and an MBA and a BSBA in Finance and Banking both from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Dr. Kate M. Hobgood

Adjunct Faculty, Midland University

Dr. Kate M. Hobgood holds a PhD in Educational Psychology with a certificate in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Georgia. She was the Director of Doctoral Studies at Piedmont University where she taught content courses, research methods courses, and served as methodologist for dissertation committees in the EdD Curriculum & Instruction and EdD Educational Leadership Programs. She is a part-time Lecturer at the University of Georgia teaching qualitative research theory and design, helping students orient themselves to qualitative ways of thinking and conducting research.

Prior to academia, Kate was an Instructional Coordinator for the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at the University of Georgia, where she trained stakeholders (nationally and internationally) how to score the TTCT-Figural Forms. She earned her M.Ed. in Educational Psychology and B.S.Ed. in Secondary Mathematics Education and spent six years in high school and middle school classrooms at public, private, and charter schools.

Dr. Kimberly Becker

Doctoral Writing Consultant, Midland University
beckerk@midlandu.edu

Dr. Kimberly Becker is an applied linguist with a specialization in academic writing and English for research publication. Earning her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Technology from Iowa State University in 2022, she brings a wealth of knowledge from her research on ethical AI for automated writing evaluation. As a professor and communication consultant, Kimberly has a proven track record of supporting both native and non-native English speakers across various communication mediums. Beyond her academic pursuits, Kimberly is a dedicated yoga practitioner and enjoys time outdoors with her poodles. For a deeper dive into her research contributions, you can view her ResearchGate profile.

Dr. Terrell Strayhorn

Adjunct Faculty, Midland University
strayhorn@midlandu.edu

Dr. Terrell Strayhorn brings a wealth of expertise to his work at Midland. He has served as a chief academic officer at two institutions, led campus-based research centers, and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in education, psychology, sociology, Black studies, women’s and gender studies, just to name a few. He has authored over 13 books and more than 200 academic publications including book chapters, journal articles, reports, and blogs, including those at Academia.

Prior to academia, Terrell worked as a music teacher in Prince George’s County Public Schools and a Research Associate at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia (UVA) and, later, the Council for Graduate Schools. He earned a bachelors in music and religious studies from UVA, a masters (MEd) in education policy from UVA’s School of Education, a masters (MS) in psychology from Indiana Tech, and doctorate (PhD) in higher education leadership from Virginia Tech.

Dr. Greg Hodges

Adjunct Faculty, Midland University
hodges@midlandu.edu

Dr. Greg Hodges serves as an adjunct faculty member for Midland University and holds degrees from the College of William and Mary (Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and Theatre & Speech), Bethany Theological Seminary (Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies), University of Phoenix (Master of Arts Degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision), and Trident University (Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration for Higher Education). He has served in several positions in higher education including college president, Chief Academic Officer, Vice President of Advancement, Dean, and teaching faculty in the field of early childhood education. Prior to transitioning to higher education, Greg served for 12 years as an elementary school teacher.

Meet Our Staff

Our recruiting and advising team at Midland University is a valuable resource to students who have questions about their program, school schedule, or even what books to purchase for next semester!