The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology has hired Misty Anne Winzenried, PhD, as Associate Dean of Teaching & Learning. Dr. Winzenried received her MA in Counseling from The Seattle School in 2004, and her PhD in Education from the University of Washington–Seattle in 2016.
Dr. Winzenried has 15 years of academic and administrative experience in higher education, including as Director of the University of Washington–Seattle’s Odegaard Writing and Research Center and, most recently, Interim Dean for Student Learning at Cascadia College. She has also worked with The Seattle School for more than a decade, including as adjunct faculty and an instructional and accreditation consultant. Her vocational focus is on supporting ongoing faculty development around teaching excellence and equitable teaching practices.
“The Seattle School is a place of creativity and praxis, with tremendous potential to reshape theological education in service of equity and justice,” says Dr. Winzenried. “I am looking forward to collaborating with faculty and supporting accreditation because The Seattle School’s vision of education is hopeful and expansive and holistic.”
Dr. Winzenried’s interdisciplinary experience has enabled her to develop integrative strategies for supporting faculty in a wide range of disciplines as they reflect on and improve their pedagogy, align their assignments with course outcomes, and integrate course outcomes with program learning goals. This expertise well equips her to support The Seattle School’s faculty as we continue innovating, refining curriculum, and moving through the Candidacy status for accreditation with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. “The work of Dean is fundamentally people work,” says Dr. Winzenried. “My goal as a leader is to create the conditions under which people are able to bring their experiences, their expertise, and their best selves to our work together. On all my teams, I seek to create a culture of compassion, creativity, and clear expectations.”
“This new role focuses on supporting faculty around curriculum development and movement toward contextual and hybrid learning,” says Dr. J. Derek McNeil, Acting President and Provost. “Misty Anne brings energy, creativity, and expertise around the technology of learning. I trust her capacity to collaborate with us toward innovation and look forward to working with her.”