“The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training go the mind to think” A. Einstein
Jennifer Haeussler
jbrewer1@sienaheights.edu | 517-264-7841
Dr. Haeussler is currently the Division of Education Chair, Early Childhood Education Coordinator and Assistant Professor at Siena Heights University. She places and supervises early childhood practicum students as well as teaches courses in the Division of Education. Dr. Haeussler is committed to helping teacher candidate’s matriculate through the process of earning a teaching degree. Dr. Haeussler is an active member of the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children and speaks at local conferences. She joined SHU in 2018.
Dr. Haeussler is involved with the Michigan Department of Education, Early Childhood Education Professional organizations and has over 30 years of teaching experience. She began teaching in the federal school system, then owned and operated her own licensed childcare center before teaching in the public schools in southeastern Michigan.
Carrie Mitchell
Cmitchell@sienaheights.edu | 517-264-7899
Dr. Mitchell is the Program Coordinator for the Special Education Department. She began her career over 25 years ago as a K-12 special education teacher, before moving on to higher education. She started at Siena Heights in 2012. Her backgrounds are in genetic and neurological disorders, as well as administration.
Dr. Mitchell is a recognized by Continental Who’s Who as Top Pinnacle Professor and Marquis Who’s Who Top Educator in the field of Special & Gifted Education. She has also been a long-time member of the International Council for Exceptional Children.
Sr. Diane Brown, IHM, PhD.
dbrown23@sienaheights.edu | 517-264-7921
In her fourth year at Siena Heights University, Dr. Diane Brown, I.H.M., is an Associate Professor of Education and teaches courses in Elementary Education, Curriculum Design, Assessment, and Methods. Sister Diane is also the Accreditation Coordinator for the Division of Education.
Sister Diane’s research interests lie in teacher narratives – those stories teachers tell and write about the day to day activities in their classrooms. She feels both that the general public needs to hear these stories to better understand the challenges of teaching, and that these stories can help motivate and encourage teachers to remain in the profession and to do “good work.” She is also interested in researching the use of Currere as a method to retain experienced teachers in the profession and is the author of Restorying Ourselves: Using Currere to Examine Teachers’ Careers.
Prior to the Siena Heights University appointment, Brown was a faculty member and Chair of Education at Marygrove College for 12 years and taught first through tenth grades for 21 years in Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma in both public and private schools. Her favorite grades were 4th and 5th, probably because she considers herself “just a big kid at heart.” She received her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education, her Master’s in Reading Education from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and her Ph.D. in Curriculum, Literacy and Technology from Oklahoma State University.
Sally Rae, Ed.S.
SRAE@sienaheights.edu | 517-264-7892
Sally Rae is the Program Coordinator for Secondary Education, Certification Officer and Student Teacher Placement Coordinator. She began her career 42 years ago as a K-12 physical education/health education teacher in Texas, before moving to Michigan and higher education in 1999. Sally taught at Eastern Michigan University until she started at Siena Heights in 2004-2005. Her backgrounds are in physical and health education with a concentration in pedagogy which drew her to higher education with a focus on educational leadership. During her years at Siena Heights Sally was recognized by the Michigan Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD) as University Educator of the Year in 2006. She served as MAHPERD President from 2003-2005. Sally served as President of the Michigan Association for Colleges of Teacher Education from in 2019-2020 and is currently on the board as a President Emeritus.
Eleanor Wollett
ewollett@sienaheights.edu | 517-264-7888
After having served as an adjunct faculty member at Siena for several years, Doctor Eleanor Wollett began as full-time faculty in 2011. She is currently the Program Coordinator for the Language Arts, Elementary Grades PK – 6, and Elementary Grades 3 – 6 Teacher Education Programs.
Eleanor completed both her BA in English and MA in Education at Siena Heights College. Then in 1996, Eleanor graduated from the Teacher Education Department at Michigan State University with a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy.
Eleanor’s teaching experiences include: classroom teaching in Lenawee school districts; higher-education teaching at Siena Heights University, Michigan State University, and Adrian College; and consultant work through the Lenawee Intermediate School District. A focal point in her educational experiences has been participation in and facilitation of various Writing Projects including the: Southeast Michigan Writing Project, Red Cedar Writing Project, Coastal Georgia Writing Project, and Lenawee Writing Institute. Over the years, Professor Wollett has also served as President of both the Lenawee Reading Council and Phi Delta Kappa.