Graduate School Academic Programs Support D.C. Community

New Degree Programs Added to Established Government Training and Education Curriculum

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to become a more integral part of the D.C. community and to better serve its residents, the Graduate School began offering its first academic degree programs with the opening of its Center for Health Sciences in October.  The School continues to move forward by building its staff to support degree-seeking students.  With four key executives recently brought on, the Graduate School is making strides to fulfill its expanded mission to provide a full complement of career courses, certificates, degree programs and other professional development activities.

These executives are responsible for helping to build a robust academic program and they bring a wealth of experience to the School.  They include Daniel Thurman, Lesha Gordon, John Osae-Kwapong and Timothy Keating.

"Bringing this caliber of people into our academic programs at this early stage gives us the breadth of skills and experience to build a strong foundation," says Dr. Elaine Ryan, Provost, Academic Programs Division, Graduate School.  "We're thrilled to have them on board."

Daniel Thurman is the Chair of Management Programs and is initially responsible for developing an Associate of Science in Accounting Degree Program with an option in Federal Accounting as well as additional accounting certificate programs. He will soon apply his program development skills to other areas of management sciences. Having served as a Senior Adjunct Faculty member at the Graduate School, USDA as well as the Chief Financial Officer for FedSource at the United States Department of Treasury in Brea, California, Dan has led organizations' financial programs and has successfully developed, implemented and executed operation and financial programs with a strategic focus across multiple organizations and business units.  His academic experience includes ten years as assistant professor and Executive Administrative Officer in the Management Department of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Timothy Keating is the Chair of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.  In this position, he will bring his combined experience at liberal arts colleges with the innovation and application of learning to immediate employment in the community college setting to develop a robust program for the Graduate School. Keating also brings accreditation and international education experience. He was most recently Campus Dean at the New York Institute of Technology on the Abu Dhabi Campus in the United Arab Emirates.

John Osae-Kwapong is Director of Institutional Research and is primarily responsible for data collection and analysis in areas of student learning outcomes and institutional effectiveness.  Osae-Kwapong has experience in program evaluation and research with the Legislative Office of Education Oversight as well as the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission. His prior roles include Director of Institutional Research at Lord Fairfax Community College and Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness at Blue Ridge Community College.  He also served as Director of Institutional Research at Gallaudet University.

Lesha Gordon is Director of Enrollment Management and Student Support Services. In her new role, she oversees and participates in student recruitment and retention activities, career services and academic advising, and helps students identify and fulfill their education and career goals. Gordon's experience comes from her time at three Virginia community colleges and as the Associate Dean of Student Success for DeVry University's Irving, Texas campus.

About the Graduate School's Center for Health Sciences

The Center for Health Sciences is currently offering a Medical Laboratory Technician, Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate program in Phlebotomy.  The first of many programs to be offered, both curricula provide a combination of coursework and clinical experience with strong emphasis on employability skills such as problem solving, effective communication, professional conduct, and information and technology literacy.

About the Graduate School

Since 1921, the Graduate School has served the D.C. metro community and is dedicated to providing relevant learning opportunities in public service.  An independent, not-for-profit accredited educational institution, the School is dedicated to academic excellence and lifelong learning. Services include individual assessments, career-related courses, certificate and degree programs, continuing education and distance learning. Graduate School experts provide training and education solutions, including conferences, workshops and symposia, for participants from U.S. federal, state and local government agencies as well as the private sector and international organizations.  More information can be found at graduateschool.edu.

SOURCE The Graduate School