PERU STATE COLLEGE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Office Assistant II / School of Education
Job Titles:
- Department Head for Both Elementary Education
- Professor of Education / School of Education
- Senior Professor of Education in the School
Dr. Anthony Citrin is the senior Professor of Education in the School of Education at Peru State College. His primary responsibilities are teaching Elementary methods courses, advising elementary education majors, teaching Graduate Education courses and advising undergraduate students. Teaching responsibilities include both live and on-line courses.
Dr. Citrin has been a department head for both Elementary Education and Graduate Studies. He was the Chief GED Examiner for Southeast Nebraska for fifteen years. His special area of interest is the detection and prevention of child abuse and neglect. His many workshops on this topic have included every geographic region of Nebraska, as well as presentations across the United States.
Dr. Citrin has also functioned as an expert witness and advisor for the Attorney General's office of Nebraska and has trained EMT's for the Nebraska Health Department. Dr, Citrin served as the most senior board member of Project Response, a local domestic abuse service organization for over thirty years. He has in the past been a member and unit chairperson of the Nebraska Foster Care Review Board.
Dr. Citrin's publications are primarily in the area of Child Abuse and Neglect.
Dr. Citrin is a native of Portland, Maine where he received his public-school education. He received an Associate of Arts Degree and a Social Services Technician Certificate from Lees Jr. College in Kentucky and a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Citrin completed an Educational Specialist Degree at Central Michigan University in School Administration and a Doctor of Education Degree in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University. Preceding his work at Peru State College Dr. Citrin was an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a tenured Associate Professor of Education at Minot State College (now Minot State University).
Dr. Citrin also served as an Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine on a non-tenure contract. His first experience as a college professor was as a part time instructor at Western Michigan University while he was earning his doctoral degree.
Dr. Citrin's public school experience included three years with the Fayette County Schools in Lexington, Kentucky. Here he taught one year in an inner-city ghetto elementary school and two years in a suburban elementary experimental school. Dr. Citrin Also taught three and a half years in the Beaverton Rural Schools of Beaverton, Michigan where he was a tenured fourth grade instructor.
At various times Dr. Citrin has been certified as an Elementary Teacher, Secondary Social Studies and Language Arts teacher, Elementary Principal and Supervisor. Dr. Citrin has continued a close association with elementary students by sponsoring and participating in area Social Studies Fairs in conjunction with his methods class. Dr. Citrin has also taught specialty honors classes for a neighboring elementary school system.
At the present time Dr. Citrin is completing his thirty-sixth year at Peru State College and his fifty-second year as an educator. Dr. Citrin resides just outside Peru, Nebraska in a rural setting. His home is less than two miles from his office.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor for the School of Education
- Professor of Education / School of Education
Dr. Darolyn Seay is an Associate Professor for the School of Education at Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska. Her primary responsibilities include: teaching graduate courses, also undergraduate courses such as Professional & Collaborative Practices, Teacher Education - Principles and Practices, and Teaching Science in the Elementary & Middle Schools; advising undergraduate students; and representing the college at both the state and regional level, particularly in the areas of Elementary Education and Guidance and Counseling.
Dr. Seay is the faculty sponsor for the Peru Student Education Association (PSEA) which hosts the annual "Dr. Seuss" performance every year. This organization is an opportunity for teacher candidates to become more involved on campus participating in community service projects, professional development opportunities, attending state and local conferences, and becoming better acquainted with the School of Education Faculty.
A native of Edmond, Oklahoma, Dr. Seay received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, Master's degree in Education - Guidance and Counseling from the University of Central Oklahoma, and Doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching from Northcentral University. She taught elementary school including grades 2nd, 4th, and 5th as well as middle school 6th-8th grade Language arts and Reading courses before joining the faculty at Peru State as a full time instructor.
Prior to her arrival at Peru State College in August of 2008, Dr. Seay was employed for thirteen years with the Putnam City and Edmond Public School Districts in Oklahoma. In addition to public school experience, Dr. Seay has taught classes for the University of Phoenix on campus site in Oklahoma City working primarily with non-traditional students. Finally, Dr. Seay worked as an adjunct instructor for Northwestern Oklahoma State University teaching classes in the Educational Psychology field, while serving as the student teacher supervisor supporting teacher candidates.
Dr. Seay served six years on the Professional Practices Commission for the State of Nebraska, ending in 2019. The Governor of Nebraska appoints the 12 members of this commission is to uphold rules, regulations, standards and professional practices for teachers and administrators holding certificates. This board may, for just cause, revoke or suspend any teacher's or administrator's certificate.
Dr. Seay resides in Auburn, Nebraska with her husband, Greg, and has four children, Madilyn, Mallory, Myranda and Grayson.
Evi has experience as a High Ability Learning Coordinator, a 7-12 Language Arts and Journalism Teacher, a self-contained fifth-grade classroom teacher, and is a certified PK-12 Librarian. Outside the classroom, she has worked as a consultant with the National Research Corporation and Allo/Nelnet and did website redesign/revision work for Wartburg Seminary. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Nebraska Writing Project and the Nebraska Educational Technology Association.
Dr. Wusk's primary research interests are: (1) how we build educational systems that are sustainable and life-giving for teachers, specifically in the Midwest; (2) how evolving technology can improve educational practice, making us more human, not less; and (3) the ways our actions and reflective movements, both as teachers and students, can create learning communities that are engaging, innovative, and joyful.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Education at Peru State College in Peru
- Professor of Education / School of Education
Dr. Gina Bittner is an Associate Professor of Education at Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska. She is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education. She went on to earn her Master of Arts Degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, and in 2014 she earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Capella University.
She spent nine years in the classroom; first in elementary special education and then in elementary regular classrooms. Dr. Bittner also taught classes for the University of Colorado-Denver campus for the training of paraprofessionals. During her nine teaching years in Colorado, she also spent six years coaching basketball at the high school, middle school, and elementary levels.
Dr. Bittner joined Peru State College in the fall of 2006 as a full-time instructor where she primarily taught undergraduate elementary education methods courses. She also served the field of education through various committee assignments both at Peru State College and the Department of Education. Furthermore, Dr. Bittner serves the field of education on the national level through assessment work with Educational Testing Services, primarily through the Praxis Performance Assessments for student teachers.
A native to this area, she resides on her family farm outside Dawson, Nebraska with her husband, Jeremy, and children, Isaac, Addison, Emma Kay, Savannah, Gavyn, MaeLynn, and Dax (DJ).
Grace Leu joins Peru State College as an Assistant Professor of Education. She taught for eight years as a secondary teacher in New York City, Los Angeles, Taiwan, and Kansas. Her scholarship centers around adolescent literacy pedagogy and curriculum in inclusive classrooms. Her academic interests are in inclusion, critical literacy, diversity, disability studies, and co-teaching. Prior to her teaching career, she worked as an adolescent counselor in Texas and Oregon.
Job Titles:
- Dean of Graduate Programs and Interim Dean of School of Education
Job Titles:
- Bartlett / Instructor of Education / School of Education
- Instructor of Education / School of Education
Heidi Jo Bartlett started at Peru State College in August 2017. Prior to her arrival at Peru State, she had varied teaching experience including K-12 German and ESL in Wisconsin, adult and university-level ESL in Florida, and EFL in Japan, Colombia, and China. At Peru State, she teaches courses in second language acquisition, diversity, and ESL teacher development. She is also the coordinator of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Supplemental Endorsement courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Special Education
Job Titles:
- Professor for the School of Education
- Professor of Education / School of Education
Dr. Judith Ruskamp is a Professor for the School of Education at Peru State College . Her primary responsibilities include teaching core undergraduate education courses such as Assessment for Student Learning, Managing the Learning Environment, Content Literacy in the Secondary Schools, and MS/HS Teaching Methods; advising undergraduate students; working with student teachers, supporting various Peru State College Teacher Candidate research, national presentation and publication endeavors; and representing the college at both the state and regional level, particularly in the area of standards and assessment and overall teacher preparation. Dr. Ruskamp received the Nebraska State College System Teacher Excellence Award for Peru State College in 2007.
A native of Arlington, Nebraska, Dr. Ruskamp received her bachelors in Secondary Education from the University of South Dakota and Masters in Secondary Education from Peru State College. She received her Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She taught high school language arts courses for number of years and was actively involved in extracurricular speech and drama activities.
Prior to her arrival at Peru State College in August of 2002, Dr. Ruskamp was employed for thirteen years with the Johnson-Brock Public School District as a 10 - 12 grade language arts instructor, track and field coach, and one-act play production and speech and drama coach.
She resides on an acreage near Auburn, Nebraska, with her husband, Jerry. Dr. Ruskamp has two daughters and three grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor for the School of Education
- Education
Dr. Kelly Kingsley is an Associate Professor for the School of Education at Peru State College, Peru, Nebraska.
Dr. Kingsley started her educational career in 1988, in the Bellevue Public Schools District, in Bellevue, Nebraska. She taught 2nd through 6th grades, primarily focusing on 3rd grade, for a total of 26 years. She served as a Team Leader, Instructional Technology Coach, a Literacy Facilitator, District Writing Consultant, and was a member of the Reading Language Arts Curriculum Committee.
Dr. Kingsley completed her doctoral work at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, as part of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate in 2012, with an emphasis in Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education. Her doctoral emphasis was on word work with elementary students.
Dr. Kingsley joined Peru State College in the fall of 2014 where she teaches undergraduate elementary education methods courses and graduate level courses. She also serves the educational community through committee work at Peru State College, the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society as a member and counselor, as a member of the Nebraska State Literacy Association and the International Literacy Association, and she serves on the Bellevue University Education Advisory Board. Dr. Kingsley is also a published children's author and illustrator.
Dr. Kingsley resides in Bellevue, Nebraska with her husband Jim. She has two married daughters, and an adorable group of grandchildren.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Kinesiology / School of Education
Professor Kyle Ryan serves as lead faculty for the Kinesiology major and maintains active certifications as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with Distinction (CSCS, *D) and Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach with Distinction (RSCC, *D) through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). He is also certified as a Level II coach through USA Weightlifting (USAW).
Dr. Ryan currently serves on the Grants Committee for the NSCA Foundation, the Nebraska State Advisory Committee for the NSCA, the Board of Directors for the Richard P. Kimmel & Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation and is active in Nebraska City Rotary. He holds a PhD in Sport and Exercise Science with a minor is Statistical Research Methods from the University of Northern Colorado, a Master of Science in Kinesiology from Humboldt State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Humboldt State University.
Aside from his personal accomplishments, Dr. Ryan has mentored four Newman Civic Fellows, 14 AmeriCorps Scholars, and 14 NSCA Strength & Conditioning All-Americans.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor for the School of Education
- Education
Dr. Ingram started his education career in 1980, in the Bellevue Public Schools District, in Bellevue, Nebraska. He taught third and fifth grade for a total of thirteen years and led several elementary schools as a school administrator for an additional twenty-two years.
Dr. Ingram completed his doctoral work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha with an emphasis on Educational Administration and Supervision. His doctoral focus was on the impact on learning of children with a parent serving the military in a war zone.
Dr. Ingram joined Peru State College in 2015 where he teaches undergraduate elementary methods courses and graduate level courses. He serves the educational community through committee work through Nebraska Department of Education and Peru State College, the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society as a member and counselor, as a member of the International Literacy Association, the Peru State College Optimist International Inc. as a faculty advisor, and as a member of the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
Dr. Ingram resides in Bellevue, Nebraska with his wife, Cizette. He is the father of two adult children, and the grandfather of one grandchild.
Dr. Robert Ingram is an Associate Professor for the School of Education at Peru State College, Peru, Nebraska.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in the School of Education
- Associate Professor of Health, Physical Education & Recreation
Frank J. Lynott III, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska. Dr. Lynott's area of expertise is in the development and delivery of Quality Physical Education. Dr. Lynott has extensive experience teaching in the K-12 environment. His experiences include teaching in The Republic of South Korea, Kuwait, rural Alaska, and domestic suburban settings in California. Dr. Lynott also has extensive experience teaching at the university level. Dr. Lynott aspires to help foster Physical Educators who are dedicated to providing all students with Quality Physical Education.