Wyoming Catholic College- Staff Directory

B.A. (English and History), North East Wales Institute of Higher Education; M.A. (English), University of Wales; Ph.D. (Medieval and Renaissance Literature), University of South Florida.

Dr. Adderley, a native of Wales in the United Kingdom, has taught on a wide range of literary figures and periods, including Old English poetry, Arthurian Romance, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Tolkien, and contemporary British fiction, as well as composition, creative writing, rhetoric, and drama. He has directed productions of Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. In addition to his scholarly work involving Old and Middle English and Old and Modern French, Dr. Adderley is an avid fiction writer, having recently published an historical novel The Hawk and the Wolf, with its sequel The Hawk and the Huntress.

Jason Baxter

Instructor in Art History and Humanities

B.A. (Classical Philology), University of Dallas; M.A. (Italian Studies), University of Notre Dame; Ph.D. cand. (Literature), University of Notre Dame

Professor Baxter comes to us from the University of Notre Dame, where he taught Italian and Latin for three years and where he is currently a doctoral candidate. His graduate studies included literary critical and linguistic training in Italian, Latin, Greek, and Syriac, but his research is focused mainly on the relationship between medieval Latin and vernacular literature; the classical heritage of the Middle Ages; and the relationship between poesis, philosophy, and theology in the Christian tradition. He is the co-translator of Nicola Fosca’s commentary on Dante’s Inferno, scheduled to be published by ISI Books in Spring 2011. His dissertation investigates the influence of the poetic exponents of Chartrian philosophy on Dante’s great epic, the Commedia. As an Eagle Scout, and former guide for wilderness expeditions in the Minnesota Boundary Waters, Professor Baxter is particularly excited about incorporating outdoor components into his classroom instruction.

Michael Bolin

Assistant Professor of Theology and Philosophy

B. A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College; M.A. (Philosophy), University of Dallas; Ph.D. (Philosophy), University of Dallas

Dr. Bolin has previously taught undergraduate philosophy at the University of Dallas; mathematics, natural science, and Latin at Faustina Academy in Irving, Texas; and mathematics and natural science at Immaculate Conception Apostolic School in Center Harbor, New Hampshire. He specializes in the work of Aristotle and Aquinas, particularly as they apply to the philosophy of religion. His other personal interests include Latin, sacred chant and polyphonic music, and computer programming.

Robert K. Carlson
Professor of Humanities

A.A. (Liberal Arts), Casper College; B.A. (English), University of Wyoming; M.P. (Comparative Literature and English), University of Kansas; Ph.D. (Comparative Literature and English), University of Kansas

Dr. Robert K. Carlson taught philosophy and literature for 29 years at Casper College in Casper, Wyoming. In addition to his regular teaching duties, he founded, directed, and taught in Casper College’s Summer Humanities Program in Europe (Italy) for many years. He has lectured at the University of Notre Dame, the University of Kansas, Simpson College, Magdalen College, the University of Wyoming, and Notre Dame Seminary. Among his academic honors are memberships in Phi Theta Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa, nominations to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, and invitations to speak at the International Humanists Congress in Montepulciano, Italy, and the First World Meeting of University Professors in Rome (in celebration of the Jubilee Year). He is one of the founders of Wyoming Catholic College and the Wyoming School of Catholic Thought, a summer academic and spiritual retreat sponsored by the Diocese of Cheyenne. His articles have appeared in publications such as Homiletic and Pastoral Review, The Wanderer, and Crisis. He published the book Truth on Trial: Liberal Education Be Hanged in 1995.

John Freeh

Visiting Associate Professor of Humanities

B.A. and M.A. (English), Georgetown University; M.S.J. (Journalism), Northwestern University; M. Phil. (Renaissance Literature) and D. Phil. (English Language and Literature), St. Catherine’s, Oxford University

A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Dr. Freeh has taught English Literature to undergraduates at Oxford University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Gonzaga University, and Hillsdale College, from which he has taken a leave of absence for the 2011-12 academic year. He has also served as Director of University Ministry at Gonzaga and worked as a reporter and editor for The Associated Press and The Cleveland Plain Dealer. He spent the first semester of his 2010 sabbatical teaching Humanities at WCC and is delighted to return with his wife Helen, who also taught literature at Hillsdale. They enjoy camping, back-country hiking and racquetball and look forward to exploring the great outdoors of Wyoming and the West.

Stanley Grove

Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Music

B.A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College; M.A. (Philosophy), The Catholic University of America, Ph.D. (Philosophy), The Catholic University of America

Dr. Grove served as teacher and assistant principal at Holy Rosary Academy in Anchorage, Alaska, for seven years, in which capacity he taught natural sciences, mathematics, philosophy, and choral singing. Prior to that, he taught undergraduate philosophy at The Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Grove directed a Gregorian schola at the cathedral church in Anchorage. He pursues various outdoor hobbies and is an active member of several philatelic societies, exhibiting 19th and early 20th century postal history.

Jeremy R. Holmes
Academic Dean

Assistant Professor of Theology

B.A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College; S.T.M. (Theology), The International Theological Institute, Gaming, Austria; Ph.D. (Biblical Studies), Marquette University

Dr. Jeremy Holmes spent much of his childhood two miles outside the tiny town of Redfield, Arkansas, under the tutelage of goats, cows, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, and all manner of wildlife. He received his bachelors in liberal arts from Thomas Aquinas College in California, his masters in theology from the International Theological Institute in Gaming, Austria, and his doctorate in theology with specialization in biblical studies from Marquette University in Milwaukee. From 2006 to 2008 he was Assistant Professor of Theology at Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida, teaching courses in Christology, biblical studies, and patristic and medieval exegesis. Dr. Holmes has published a number of articles in scholarly and popular journals.

Thaddeus J. Kozinski
Assistant Professor of Humanities

B.SC. (Comprehensive Science), Villanova University; M.LA. (Liberal Arts), St. John’s College Graduate Institute; Ph.D. (Philosophy), The Catholic University of America

Dr. Thaddeus J. Kozinski has taught courses in the humanities, the Trivium, and philosophy for over ten years at the secondary and postsecondary levels, including medieval and modern philosophy, logic, and ethics at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy in Barry’s Bay, Ontario, medieval philosophy at Christendom College, and philosophy and mathematics at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. Dr. Kozinski was also the Assistant Headmaster and Director of Curriculum at The Montfort Academy, a Great Books-oriented Catholic preparatory school in Katonah, New York. Here he taught Socratic conversation classes in several areas of the humanities and created a monthly lecture and discussion series, the disputatio, modeled on the famous medieval disputations. He is particularly dedicated to political philosophy, and has published in both Catholic and secular venues. His book, The Political Problem of Religious Pluralism: And Why Philosophers Can't Solve It, is now available from Lexington Books.

Peter A. Kwasniewski
Professor of Theology and Philosophy
Instructor in Music History and Theory

B.A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College; M.A. and Ph.D. (Philosophy), The Catholic University of America

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski was born in Chicago and grew up in New Jersey. After attending Thomas Aquinas College and The Catholic University of America, he taught courses in natural philosophy, philosophical anthropology, metaphysics, moral theology, social ethics and Catholic social doctrine, fundamental theology, Christology, ecclesiology, sacramental theology, eschatology, and biblical theology at the International Theological Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Gaming, Austria, from 1998 to 2006. During this period he also lectured on medieval philosophy for the Austrian Program of Ave Maria University, on human rights for the Phoenix Institute Europe Foundation, and on music history for the Austrian Program of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Dr. Kwasniewski has directed Gregorian scholas and mixed choirs from 1990 to the present and is currently director of the Wyoming Catholic College Choir. His articles on philosophy, theology, and music have appeared in many scholarly and popular journals; he has published two books (one as editor, one as translator and commentator) with The Catholic University of America Press: Wisdom's Apprentice: Essays in Honor of Fr. Lawrence Dewan, O.P. and On Love and Charity: Readings from the Sentences Commentary of St. Thomas Aquinas. Dr. Kwasniewski was invited to be a Newman Fellow for 2008-2009 by the Cardinal Newman Society's Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education.

Sean Lewis

Assistant Professor of Humanities

B.A. (English), University of Dallas; M.St. (English), University College, Oxford; Certificate (Rhetoric), The Catholic University of America; Ph.D. (English), The Catholic University of America

Dr. Lewis grew up in a military family, living in Massachusetts, Germany, New York, Virginia, Texas, and Alaska. He received his B.A. in English from the University of Dallas, then earned an M.St. in English from University College in Oxford, England. His master's dissertation on Chaucer passed with distinction. He continued his graduate studies at the Catholic University of America, studying Rhetoric, Literary History, and Aesthetics, with a particular interest in ethos and ethical criticism. He completed a Certificate in Rhetoric in 2006 and successfully defend his doctoral dissertation, Chaucerian Works in the English Renaissance: Editions and Imitations, in the spring of 2011. He taught Rhetoric and Literature at C.U.A. for six years, while moonlighting as a professional cantor, having sung with the choirs of the Basilica of the National Shrine, Lincoln College, Oxford, and the Oxford Oratory. He is currently serving as Assistant Choirmaster of the Wyoming Catholic College Choir.

Nancy E. Llewellyn
Associate Professor of Latin

B. A. (Latin), Bryn Mawr College; Licenza (Christian and Classical Letters), Pontifical Salesian University; Ph.D. (Classics), University of California, Los Angeles

Dr. Nancy Llewellyn is a California native who has studied the Latin language and Latin literature of all periods for over twenty years. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Bryn Mawr, she studied with noted Vatican Latinist Fr. Reginald Foster for three years in Rome. She earned her Licenza in Christian and Classical Letters at the Pontifical Salesian University under the direction of Fr. Cletus Pavanetto, President of the Vatican’s Latinitas Foundation. During her graduate studies at UCLA, she was awarded the prestigious Luckman Fellowship for Distinguished Teaching. In 1997 she created SALVI, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to promoting the speaking of Latin, under whose aegis she conducts annual spoken-Latin workshops that attract teachers and students from around the country. She taught at Loyola Marymount University and, most recently, served as Project Coordinator of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Latina initiative at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities. Dr. Llewellyn’s interests include language pedagogy, Neo-Latin literature, paleography, and archaeology.

Mary P. Murray

Instructor in Horsemanship

B.A. (Pastoral Ministry), University of Mary; M.B.A. (Management), University of Mary

Mary and her family own and operate a small farm where she professionally prepares horses for competitions. She specializes in Dressage, a classical form of riding which leads to extraordinary results for both rider and horse. Although Mary exhibits her horses in Dressage by preference she also shows in Western Equitation, English Equitation, Trail, Showmanship and Halter. She has training experience in Jumping, Reining and Cutting, is a Certified Instructor, and particularly enjoys judging competitions. Although horses have become her livelihood, her true passion is to introduce new riders to Horsemanship. She spends her free time volunteering for local youth groups such as 4-H and FFA.

John R. Mortensen
Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy

B.A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College; S.T.M. and S.T.L., International Theological Institute, Austria; Ph.L. and Ph.D., Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Italy; S.T.D. cand., Universität Freiburg, Switzerland

Dr. John Mortensen grew up in Boise, Idaho, before attending Thomas Aquinas College in California. He spent the next ten years in Europe where he studied theology and philosophy in Austria, Oxford, and Rome. From 2002 to 2007 he was Assistant Professor at the International Theological Institute, an institute of papal right in Gaming, Austria, teaching courses in logic, natural philosophy, metaphysics, fundamental theology, and Trinitarian theology. During these years he also held the positions of Director of Finance and subsequently Vice President of Administration. He completed a doctorate in philosophy at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation in theology. He specializes in the work of Aristotle and Aquinas, but his interests also include spiritual theology, music theory, Catholic literature, and computer programming.

Herbert B. Mosher
Assistant Professor of Humanities

Coordinator, Mentor Student Program

B.A. (Liberal Arts), Bates College; M.A. (English), University of Kansas; M.Ph. (English Literature), University of Kansas

Herb Mosher was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, and received a liberal arts education at Bates College in Maine. He subsequently earned a Master of Arts in English and a Master of Philosophy in English Literature at the University of Kansas. The recipient of numerous awards for excellence as a student and a professor, Mosher taught English composition, literature, and interdisciplinary studies for many years prior to his career as director of development at a variety of institutions. For the past three decades, Mosher has helped raise funds for schools, hospitals, and economic development programs—among them, Tuskegee Institute, the Menninger Foundation, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services, and the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce. Mosher has contributed countless hours to improving health services, substance-abuse programs, and educational opportunities for Native Americans in New Mexico.

Scott Olsson
Assistant Professor of Mathematics and the Natural Sciences

B.S. (Physics), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; M.S. (Mathematics), University of Maryland; Ph.D. (Applied Mathematics) University of Maryland

Prior to arriving at Wyoming Catholic College, Dr. Olsson served as a Graduate Fellow at the Human Language Technology Center of Excellence at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He has developed MultaVerba, an open source project for the morphological analysis of the Latin language, and founded Free Learn Conversational Latin Audio Project in an effort to produce high quality audio for learning conversational Latin. This expertise in Latin – which he speaks at home with his small children – will be put to good use by our unique Latin program. He directed the Schola Gregoriana of St. Mary of the Mills Parish in Laurel, Maryland, and is currently translating St. Jerome’s Commentary on Jonah.

Patrick Owens

Instructor in Latin

B.A. (Classics), Fordham University; M.A. (Latin Literature), University of Kentucky

Mr. Owens was born and raised in New York City. He earned his B.A. at Fordham University, spending a year abroad in Rome, Italy, studying with Papal Latinist Fr. Reginald Foster during his time there. After finishing his undergraduate degree, Owens moved to Montella, Italy, to do a post-baccalaureate in Neo-Latin literature and spoken Latin. Owens then went on to earn his masters degree in Latin literature at the University of Kentucky under the direction of Prof. Terence Tunberg, director of the UK Institute for Latin Studies. He was granted a prestigious award by the Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Filosofici to complete his studies on St. Thomas More's Utopia. Mr. Owens also edited an anthology of Christian Latin authors annotated according to the Ørbergian method, entitled Florilegium Latinitatis Christianae. His interests include Ancient Greek and Neo-Latin literature, patristics, philosophy, and Catholic liturgy.

Teresa M. Tibbets

Adjunct Professor of Field Science

B.S. (Biology), Arizona State University; Ph.D. (Biology), University of New Mexico

Dr. Tibbets earned her doctoral degree in biology at the University of New Mexico, where she studied river ecology and taught undergraduate courses in biology, limnology, and plant physiology. In addition to teaching field science for Wyoming Catholic College, she has taught botany for the University of Wyoming, where she currently holds an adjunct assistant research professor position. Dr. Tibbets has conducted field research of rivers across the globe, from the arctic tundra of Alaska to the forested valleys of Galicia, Spain. She spends her summers studying streams in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks and locally in the Wind River mountains.

Patricia A. Trautman

Assistant Instructor in Horsemanship

Stock Contractor and Coordinator

B.S. (Range Management), University of Wyoming

A long-time Lander resident and rancher, Patricia brings a lifetime of ranching and administrative experience to her role as Stock Contractor for Wyoming Catholic College’s Horsemanship program. Prior to coming to WCC, Patricia served as Coordinator for the Lander Outreach Center of Central Wyoming College, handling the administrative details for both distance education and community education classes. In addition to serving as a member of the state’s Guardian Ad Litem Program, Patricia owns and operates Mortimore Publishing, a printing company which specializes in historical research publications. She and her husband, Garry, live on their ranch just outside Lander, where they raised their five children.

Thomas Zimmer

Assistant Professor of Leadership and Outdoor Education

B.A. (Recreation & Outdoor Leadership), Western State College; B.A. (Business Administration, Entrepreneurship), Western State College; M.S. (Parks, Recreation, and Tourism), University of Utah; Ph.D. (Parks, Recreation, and Tourism), University of Utah

Since graduating from Western State College with dual degrees in Business Administration & Entrepreneurship and Recreation & Outdoor Leadership, Dr. Zimmer has excelled in both the academic and business spheres. As co-owner of two outdoor guiding outfitters and the sole owner of The Colorado Wilderness Institute (an Adventure Education program for young adults and adolescents), he has had the opportunity to put his studies into practice. After working in the outdoor industry for 10 years he pursued his Master's degree and then his Ph.D. in Outdoor Education. Prior to teaching college, he held many positions in an educational setting, including serving as director of Outdoor Education for a therapeutic boarding school. His former college teaching positions include: Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Physical Education and Recreation at Utah Valley University (2005-06); and Adjunct Instructor for the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at the University of Utah (2006-09). For the two years prior to joining WCC, Dr. Zimmer was a Lecturer in Western State College’s Department of Recreation and Outdoor Education. Dr. Zimmer is also an officially certified NOLS Instructor. He and his wife, Cristin, are eagerly looking forward to the arrival of their first child later this fall.

Staff Biographies

Rev. Robert W. Cook
President

Classical B.A., Regis College; LL.B., Stanford University Law School; M.Div., Sacred Heart School of Theology

Fr. Cook, born in Rifle, Colorado, attended the Catholic liberal arts college of Regis, graduating magna cum laude with a Classical B.A. in 1962. He received his LL.B. (a doctorate equivalent) from Stanford University Law School and practiced law from 1965 to 1970. He then founded Alternatives Inc. in Boulder, Colorado, which offered an alternative to abortion by providing life-supportive solutions to people with “unwanted” pregnancies. Fr. Cook was a monk at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, Abiquiu, New Mexico, for over three years. Thereafter he practiced law in Denver for 19 years. He attended Sacred Heart School of Theology, where he received his M.Div. degree. He was ordained to the Priesthood of Our Lord for the Diocese of Cheyenne on May 11, 2000. Fr. Cook served as an associate pastor at St. Anthony’s and pastor of Our Lady of Fatima, both in Casper, WY, and as the Director of Bishop Ricken’s Wyoming School of Catholic Thought. He has also taught religion in parochial school and biblical studies at Casper College. On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2005, Fr. Cook was named the first President of Wyoming Catholic College.

Bruce Liu

Dining Services Director

B.A. (Business Management); M.A. (International Trade) University of Taiwan

Bruce Liu comes to Lander from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Liu, who received Bachelors and Master degrees from the University of Taiwan and whose past experiences include cooking for the Beijing Olympics, does the majority of the cooking himself, while WCC’s students provide much of the support labor.

Charles R. Mercer

Associate Director of the Annual Fund

Mr. Mercer makes his way to Wyoming Catholic College by way of Greeley, Colorado. While there, he worked with Catholic Students at the University of Northern Colorado for three years in the work of evangelization. Previously, he had experience in commercial insurance and youth ministry. He attended St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, where he saw the value of an authentic Catholic Education. Charlie enjoys golf, hiking, hunting, and spending as much time as possible with his four young daughters and beautiful wife.

April M. Pendleton
Business Manager and Financial Aid Officer

A.A.A. in Data Processing; DIP. in Accounting Bookkeeping, Central Wyoming College

Mrs. Pendleton is a native of Lander. She graduated as valedictorian from Central Wyoming College in 1995. Since then she has worked for several entities gaining experience in business administration and accounting. Her conversion to the Catholic faith in 1982 has led her to active participation in parish life and a dedication to passing on the faith. She has taught the first communion class at Holy Rosary Parish since 1987. She enjoys sewing, quilting, gardening, and camping.

Mark Randall, CFRE
Vice President for Institutional Advancement

B.B.A, St. Joseph's College; Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE)

A product of Catholic elementary, secondary, and higher education, Mark Randall earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree from Saint Joseph's College (IN). As Vice President for Institutional Advancement, he oversees all fund development, endowment issues, and marketing and public relations efforts for the College. Randall most recently served as Director of Institutional Advancement for St. John's Catholic Newman Center, the nation's largest, at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). While there, he expanded the donor base by nearly 200% and led a capital campaign to fund part of a $30 million expansion and renovation. He also previously started a development program at a new Catholic high school in Illinois. Earlier in his career, Mark designed and implemented a business operations model for a financial software company that successfully landed on Wall Street. He also was the owner of his own gourmet food business for four years, after traveling to Belgium to receive training as a chocolatier. He holds the "Certified Fund Raising Executive" credential and has lectured and consulted nationally on Catholic fundraising. A passionate convert to the Catholic Faith, he also has taught Pre-Cana workshops and coordinated his parish RCIA program.

Richard Rollino

Vice President for Operations and Finance

B.S. (Business Administration), University of Southern California

Rick attended the University of Southern California and earned a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. His experience includes public accounting with Arthur Andersen & Co. and a Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer with several organizations from start-up entities to middle-market businesses. He has served on many not-for-profit boards, including Life Centers and Catholic Professional and Business Club of Ventura County. His interests include coaching and officiating in Little League and AYSO, Boy Scouts Adult Leader, Toastmasters International and travel. Rick and his wife Mary have five children and are very excited to leave their native California to be part of Wyoming Catholic College.

Kathleen Sawtelle

Advancement Assistant

Kathy attended Plymouth State College in Plymouth, New Hampshire before enlisting in the U.S. Navy, specializing in communications. She served for six years, along with her husband, Steve. They lived in the Panama Canal Zone for three years and graduated from Satellite communication school in Ft. Gordon Georgia before ending service after two years in Keflavik, Iceland. Kathy and her husband ran their own Plumbing business for 27 years in New Hampshire and Georgia before relocating to Lander this past year. Kathy enjoys cooking, entertaining, quilting, gardening, and spending time with her husband and their four children

Owen M. Sweeney, Jr.

Director of Admissions

B.A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College; 1997-98 California Senate Fellow, Center for California Studies, California State University, Sacramento

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Sweeney grew up in Toms River, New Jersey. Upon graduation from Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California, the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento awarded him its prestigious California Senate Fellowship; while serving as an aide to a senior member of the state Senate, he gained firsthand experience of the legislative process. His graduate case study was published by the University of California at Berkeley as part of a university-level casebook on public policy. This experience launched his government relations career; over the course of this, he worked for a presidential candidate, for the nation’s leading state and local government relations consulting firm, and as a lobbyist in state capitols throughout the country and on Capitol Hill on behalf of the world’s largest aviation member organization and a Fortune 500 software corporation. While living in Northern Virginia, Mr. Sweeney and his wife Regina (also a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College) helped found Siena Academy, the parish school of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Great Falls, Virginia, one of the only authentically Catholic Montessori schools in the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney have eight children.

Joseph G. Susanka
Associate Director for Institutional Advancement

B.A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College

Joseph Susanka, a native of southern California, graduated from Thomas Aquinas College in 1999. After graduation, he worked for eleven years in the Development Office there, where responsibilities included foundation and donor research, grant writing and reporting, gift solicitation, and database management. His interests include classical music, writing, photography, and cinematography.

Emily Tonkowich

Assistant Dean of Student Life

A.A. (Humanities), Merced Junior College; B.A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College

Emily is a native of California where she attended Merced Junior College and Thomas Aquinas College. She has taught grade school and Junior High in Catholic schools. Currently, she teaches Confirmation and does youth ministry with her husband. Her interests include theology, dance, painting, hiking, skiing and tea.

Jonathan Tonkowich

Dean of Student Life

B.A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College

After graduating from Thomas Aquinas College in 2006, Jon moved to Washington, DC to found Wash For Life, a grass roots pro-life organization that coordinates a series of carwashes throughout the country in an effort to increase awareness and support for the pro-life cause among young Americans, and which has raised nearly $180,000 for pro-life organizations over the past three years. During his time in DC, he worked as a congressional staffer for Congressman Dave Weldon (FL). Prior to coming to Wyoming Catholic College, he managed the West Coast operations of P.S. Furniture. He is an avid reader, musician, and sports fan, with a particular devotion towards his beloved Red Sox.

Rev. James Walling, CPM

Chaplain

B.A (Thomistic Thought), St. Philip Neri Seminary; M.Div., Holy Apostles Seminary

Born and raised in Jackson, Michigan, Fr. Walling began discerning his vocation to the priesthood and religious life in high school, after which he spent two years with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary in Boston. Deciding to leave the seminary and enlist in the U.S. Navy in 1988, Father Walling served as Postal Clerk Third Class on board the USS Comte De Grasse DD 974. On August 15th, 1995, he entered the religious life with the Fathers of Mercy, and was ordained a priest on May 31st, 2001. He attended St. Philip Neri Seminary in Toronto where he received a B.A in Thomistic Thought and Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut, where he received an M.Div. Fr. Walling served as associate pastor in two parishes for a combined five years and as a Parish Missions Preacher for three years before coming to Wyoming Catholic.

Jennifer Westman
Executive Secretary and Registrar

AA Degree (Humanities), Central Wyoming College; Junior Year Abroad, University of Lancaster, England.

Jennifer Westman was born in Wisconsin and raised in Hudson, Wyoming, near Lander. She served for four years in the Army and was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, and the Pentagon in Washington, DC., where she lived for 11 years. A self-described information junkie, she has a great deal of experience working with databases and computers. A convert to the Catholic faith, Mrs. Westman enjoys reading, making rosaries, knitting, and riding her motorcycle.

Lindsey Yates

Manager, Office for Institutional Advancement

B.A. (Liberal Arts), Thomas Aquinas College

Born and raised in the central valley of California, Lindsey graduated from Thomas Aquinas College in May of 2010, and moved to Lander later that year. She has experience working as a Receptionist, Medical Records Custodian and Office Manager for various medical offices. She has also been a teacher with Mother of Divine Grace Home School for 4 years. After moving to Lander, she worked at an elementary school until beginning at WCC. Lindsey is a country girl, and loves rural WY. She enjoys reading, dancing, journaling, playing with her animals, and photography.