Alverno College Announces Faculty Promotions

It is with great pride that Alverno College announces the recent promotions of our esteemed faculty.

David Brooker, Ph.D., has been promoted to professor of Political Science. Brooker earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Russian Studies from Eckard College in St. Petersburg, Fla. He earned a Master of Arts in Political Science and a doctorate in political science from Miami University, and has taught at Alverno since 2005.

James Factor, Ph.D., has been promoted to professor of Mathematics and Computing. Factor earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and in Russian, a Master of Science in Mathematics, and a doctorate in mathematics, all from St. Louis University. He’s been teaching at Alverno since 2008.

Penny Alt-Gehrman, Ph.D., MSN, RN, has been promoted to associate professor of Nursing. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Aurora University in Aurora, Ill. She also earned a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from Marquette University, and she’s been teaching at Alverno since 2012.

Laurie Kunkel-Jordan, Ph.D., MSN, RN, ANP-BC, CCRN, CNE has been promoted to associate professor of Nursing. Kunkel-Jordan earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Alverno College, and a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from Marquette University. She’s been teaching at Alverno since 2017.

Stephani Richards-Wilson, Ph.D., Ed.D., has been promoted to associate professor of Business. Richards-Wilson earned a doctorate in education in leadership studies from the University of San Diego. She also earned a doctorate in German from the University of Wisconsin, and she has been teaching at Alverno since 2016.

Lynda Sommers-Herzog, MFA, has been promoted to associate professor of Visual Arts. Sommers-Herzog earned a Bachelor of Arts in Ceramics and a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She has taught at Alverno since 1998.

About Alverno College

Founded in 1887 by the School Sisters of St. Francis, Alverno College promotes the academic, personal and professional development of its students in a collaborative and inclusive environment. Undergraduate programs for women are offered in more than 60 areas of study, and graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology, school psychology, music therapy, music and liturgy, and business are open to women and men.

A leader in higher education innovation, Alverno has earned international accolades for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, which emphasizes hands-on experience and develops in-demand skills. The college, Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution, ranks among the top schools in the Midwest for its commitment to undergraduate teaching and innovation by U.S. News & World Report. For the past two years, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education named Alverno the country’s most inspiring college.

Based in Milwaukee, Wis., Alverno College is a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college.