Education Conference Speakers

Chris Perry has a diverse background in K-12 education, with nearly 20 years experience as a paraprofessional, special education teacher, behavior specialist, administrative intern, state trainer with the Kansas State Department of Education, researcher, author, and consultant. Chris holds degrees in Psychology, Special Education, and School Leadership. Additionally, Chris co-founded Cultivate Education, LLC. in 2016, where he currently serves as the Executive Director providing professional development and coaching support to improve initiative implementation in school districts across the country. 

In addition to his current work with Cultivate Education, Chris also serves as the Vice President on the School Board of USD #348 Baldwin City, Kansas and as the Vice President of the East Central Kansas Cooperative in Education which provides Special Education services to the several communities in Northeast Kansas. 

Dr. Beth Clavenna-Deane serves as the Director of the TASN Autism and Tertiary Behavior Supports (ATBS) Project for Kansas, where she leads statewide efforts to improve outcomes for students with autism and complex behavioral needs. In this role, she oversees technical assistance, professional learning, and systems-level support for districts, schools, and educators across Kansas, with a strong focus on evidence-based practices, implementation fidelity, and providing high quality tertiary supports within a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS).

Dr. Clavenna-Deane brings extensive experience in special education, behavior supports, secondary transition services, and MTSS implementation, including supporting schools in developing high-quality instructional practices alongside creating meaningful inclusive pathways and work-based learning experiences that improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. She is known for her collaborative, practical approach and her commitment to partnering with schools to build capacity, strengthen inclusive practices, and support educators working with students who have intensive needs.

Assistant Professor Rachel E. Finnell received her Master of Arts (2018) and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (2021) from the University of Kansas with concentration in Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Research Methodology. In the classroom, Finnell utilizes civic engagement assignments and activities to increase student engagement. Further, she develops in-class simulations that further reinforce the importance of being civic engagement minded. Her research areas include Global Politics, Support for Democratic Norms, and Authoritarian Regimes. Recent Publications by Finnell include The Dictator Wears New Clothes: Authoritarian Home Style in Action (2024) and Democracy at Gunpoint: American Gun Owners and Attitudes Towards Democracy (2024). Courses she teaches include US Government, Comparative Government, International Relations and Diplomacy, Constitutional Law: The First Amendment, and The American Presidency

Mary Ellen Hodge is a State Trainer for Technical Assistance Systems Network (TASN) and Autism Tertiary Behavior Supports (ATBS). Her degrees are in K-9 Elementary and Special Education. She has a District Level Leadership license and an Autism Certificate. She's been in education for 17 years and taught students with intellectual disabilities, autism, and has been an Autism Coordinator. She enjoys working with districts to improve student outcomes. 

Stephanie Stindt has spent over 30 years in education championing high-quality reading instruction for all students. She began her career as a classroom teacher and reading specialist in Kansas, where she saw firsthand how evidence-based practices could transform student outcomes. After discovering the science of reading, she made it her mission to help more educators build that knowledge, knowing it’s the most powerful way to eliminate reading difficulties and create lasting improvement in reading outcomes.

Stephanie served as a state-level reading and district alignment specialist with Kansas MTSS, providing professional learning and implementation support to districts across the state. Her work helped school and district teams use data and research to design effective instruction for all students. Most recently, she led large-scale state implementations of LETRS as Regional Manager of State Success at Lexia, guiding departments of education in meeting their literacy prorities through professional learning.

She currently teaches graduate-level literacy coursework at Bethany College, helping educators translate reading research into practice and earn the Seal of Literacy. Across all roles, Stephanie brings a systems-level lens, expertise in reading science, and a deep commitment to empowering educators through meaningful, engaging, and high-impact learning experiences.

Janell Neer, MSE, currently works on the Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) Coordination Project through the Kansas State Department of Education. Throughout her career, Janell has focused her time and energy on empowering educators to become more proficient and adept in embedding the science of reading into their teaching practices.

Janell began her career in special education, working directly with students with dyslexia. She then went on to coach special education teachers in reading instruction. She is a fierce proponent for bringing what is known through the science of reading into the instruction students receive.

Throughout her career, Janell has been involved with several organizations, including the International Dyslexia Association, Academic Language Therapy Association and she is currently a board member on the Kansas chapter of The Reading League. She is a Local Certified Facilitator for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) and spends time supporting other LCFs and educators across the state.

Brittany Torres is the Director of Learning Systems & AI Initiatives at Bethany College. She came to Bethany after receiving her bachelor's degree in psychology from College of the Ozarks. She worked at the Bethany College library for 15 years and during that time chose to pursue a master's degree in library science at Emporia State University, which she completed in 2013. Two years ago, she shifted to her current position where she is the administrator for Swede Space and leads AI initiatives on campus.

Mark McDonald has been a faculty member at Bethany College since 1996.  A graduate of Bethany College in 1991, McDonald earned his doctorate in systematics and ecology at Kansas State University in 1996.  McDonald has taught general biology, microbiology, genetics, immunology, and numerous other courses and serves as the pre-medical programs advisor. 

McDonald has been active in various campus initiatives including curriculum reform projects and sustainability initiatives.  He has served on several campus and faculty committees and has served as President of the Faculty Senate and Faculty Representative to the Board of Directors. McDonald is a past recipient of the Mordvedt Teaching and Campus Leadership Award, the Greg and Beth Pierce Service to Students Award, and the Donna Meredith Humphreys Award for Teaching. 

Assistant Professor Emily Rude has taught at Bethany College for five years. Six years? Surely it hasn’t been eight years. Well, at any rate, for more years than one normal presidential term of office. She graduated with a M.S. in Plant Breeding & Plant Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015. Her research was on the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of switchgrass, a perennial prairie plant with several surprising parallels to human evolutionary history. Currently she enjoys teaching genetics, evolutionary biology, environmental science, and various Core Curriculum courses at Bethany College. She enjoys it, even though it’s really hard, because she now finally understands some very important things about science that four years of doing actual scientific research in graduate school was not enough to convey.

Bio coming soon!

Molly brings a deep passion for inclusive education and behavioral support to her role as a Behavior Consultant in the Manhattan School District, now in her second year. Before stepping into district-level work, she spent several impactful years teaching in the Adaptive Communication and Social Skills (ACSS) Low Incidence Special Education program at Junction City Middle School, where she developed a reputation for compassion, creativity, and unwavering commitment to students with complex needs.

A graduate of Bethany College and Pittsburg State University, Molly’s professional reach extends statewide. She has served as a Kansas Learning Consultant (KALC) through the Technical Assistance Systems Network (TASN) and contributed to their KALC Training Cadre, helping train educators across Kansas in evidence-based practices.

Molly also shares her expertise with future educators as an adjunct professor at Bethany College, teaching the Introduction to Special Education course and mentoring the next generation of teachers.

She resides in Chapman, Kansas, with her husband. Their daughter, a 2024 Bethany graduate, has already begun her career as a special education teacher, and their son will graduate in May and follow a similar path into the special education field, proudly extending the family’s connection to Swede Nation.

Dr. Ann Marie Schrick is a highly qualified and experienced educator and behavioral specialist with an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Kansas State University, focusing on the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy. She is actively honing advanced skills by completing an EdS in School Psychology/BCBA coursework at Wichita State University to prepare for licensure as a School Psychologist and Board Certified Behavioral Analyst. Currently, she applies her expertise in dual roles as a self-contained Special Education Teacher at Newton High School, specializing in academic and behavioral instruction for students with emotional needs , and as an Autism Specialist/BCBA for Kansas Behavior Supports, where she designs and oversees evidence-based behavioral interventions using Applied Behavior Analysis principles. Dr. Schrick holds Kansas licenses in K-6 Elementary Education, 5-9 Social Sciences, and Special Education.

Kimberlee Chestnut Chang is a research scientist at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with dual BS degrees in physics and astrophysics, and went on to receive her MS in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University. Since joining MIT in 2000, she has worked in radar systems, air traffic control, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and AI systems in support of our armed forces. For the past six years she has focused on the socio-technical considerations that lie at the intersection of AI and human behavior. In this capacity, she has developed and taught multiple classes on Human Machine Teaming for members of the US Air Force Academy, US Naval War College, US Marine Corps University, and for various government agencies. 

Nick Sisson is a behavioral and resiliency specialist with over 25 years of experience in public education. After spending more than two decades as a classroom teacher, he now works at the district level supporting schools in the areas of student behavior, social-emotional learning, and resilience. 

Nick’s work focuses on helping educators better understand the developing teenage brain and the neuroscience behind behavior, self-regulation, and emotional resilience. Drawing from both current research and real-world classroom experience, he bridges the gap between neuroscience and practical strategies that educators can immediately apply in their work with students. 

He regularly presents to educators, administrators, parents, and students, offering engaging, research-based insights that are both accessible and actionable. Nick is passionate about empowering adults to support adolescent well-being while creating learning environments where students can thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. 

Susan Schiffelbein, MSED, is a Kansas MTSS Trainer and has experience training in the areas of social emotional learning, behavior, math, and reading. Her teaching credentials and experience span Early Childhood through Secondary. Susan earned her English as a Second Language and Reading Specialist endorsements along with her Master of Science in Education Degree. She was a former PBIS coach, MTSS district coordinator, and Kansas Teacher of the Year candidate. Having experience in Cognitive and Appreciative Inquiry coaching models allows Susan to facilitate meaningful conversations which inspire positive change. Additionally, Susan serves on her local school board creating vision, driving policy, and setting goals for student and staff well-being and achievement.