Evening UST MBA
Meet Our Staff
From the Program Director
My goal is to ensure the UST MBA programs provide you with the essential knowledge, learning resources, and challenging experiences on par with any top MBA program in the country. In addition, we strive to exceed expectations for our students with elements unique to St. Thomas:
- You will interact with talented leaders in business education on our faculty, who integrate ethics and societal considerations into our entire curriculum.
- You will be challenged academically and intellectually, but in a supportive environment.
- You will get to know your professors, peers and professional program staff.
- You will find a professional community that will benefit you for the rest of your career.
I invite you to become a part of the exciting UST MBA community today!
Bill Woodson
Director, UST MBA Programs
The Evening UST MBA Management Team
William (Bill) Woodson
Director of the UST MBA programs
Mr. William Woodson, Director of UST MBA programs, brings both excellent academic credentials and extensive real-world corporate experience.
Prior to joining the senior leadership team at the Opus College of Business, Bill worked extensively in product management and international marketing for such industry leading companies as Johnson & Johnson and Hewlett-Packard, and launched his own diversity and business strategy consulting practice. Bill received his B.A. from Brown University, M.A. from Harvard, and M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
Rachelle Holm
Director of Graduate Admissions
1-651-962-4889
rdholm@stthomas.edu
Rachelle oversees marketing, recruiting and admissions for the Opus College of Business graduate programs. In this role she leads the recruiting and admissions teams for the Full-time and Evening UST MBA programs. She also works closely with the other graduate business degree programs on admission policies and procedures, recruiting events, marketing, and branding initiatives. A graduate of Bethel University, Rachelle has her B.A. in Organizational Studies and her M.A. in Organizational Leadership. Prior to joining UST, Rachelle was Director of Admissions for the Graduate School and College of Adult & Professional Studies at Bethel University and Executive Director of Advancement for a national non-profit organization.
Evening UST MBA Admissions Team
David Baker
Assistant Director of Admissions/Multicultural Specialist
1-651-962-4259
dabaker@stthomas.edu
Dave works with those considering and seeking admission to the Evening UST MBA program. Additionally, he directs many of the diversity initiatives for the College of Business, working with professional organizations such as the National Black MBA Association, National Society of Hispanic MBAs, and the National Association of Asian American Professionals, and the Multicultural Forum conference on workforce diversity. As a mid-life career changer, passion for the value of education in career development drives his approach in counseling applicants. Dave holds an M.A. in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota and has been with St. Thomas and in the Opus College of Business since 1993.
Peter Bicanich
Admissions Adviser
1-651-962-4222
psbicanich@stthomas.edu
Peter has been with the Opus College of Business for eight years. He recruits and advises prospective students entering the Evening UST MBA program and is a member of the admissions committee. Peter's expertise is in foreign and domestic transcripts along with GMAT evaluation. Peter has a BA from Carleton College with a major in economics.
Christen Burger
Assistant Director of Admissions
1-651-962-4312
cdburger@stthomas.edu
Christen eagerly counsels prospective UST MBA students regarding admission and works with various external corporate and educational partners to promote the Evening UST MBA. A graduate of the College of St. Catherine, Christen is also currently pursuing her M.A. in Student Affairs.
Corey Eakins
Assistant Director of Admissions
1-651-962-4228
cmeakins@stthomas.edu
A current Evening UST MBA student himself, Corey can offer insight on the program from several perspectives. He serves as a welcoming first point of contact for prospective students, as well as managing various marketing and recruiting efforts, including the information sessions, web communications, and publications. Corey has a B.S. from St. Cloud State University in Mass Communications/Public Relations, and is focusing on Marketing during his UST MBA studies.
Barbara Haenggi
Associate Director of Admissions
1-651-962-4232
bjhaenggi@stthomas.edu
Barb has been with the University of St. Thomas for 20 years, in numerous roles critical to the growth and success of the Opus College of Business. She helped launch the Minneapolis campus operations, managed recruiting and admissions for the Executive UST MBA program, and now oversees marketing, recruiting, and admissions efforts for the Evening UST MBA program.
Kathryn Sauro
Admission Adviser
1-651-962-4384
kksauro@stthomas.edu
Kathy recruits and communicates with prospective graduate students and is a member of the admissions committee. She advises applicants through the admissions process, reviews their materials and makes decisions based on their qualifications. Kathy has 25 years of experience with the University of St. Thomas and Opus College of Business graduate programs.
Student Life/Academic Advising Team
Bonney Bielen
Director of Graduate Student Life
1-651-962-8803
bjbielen@stthomas.edu
Bonney also serves as Director of Student Life in the Full-Time UST MBA program, and directs overall strategy and planning for both offices in areas of co-curricular and extra-curricular student development as well as student services. She has a B.A. in psychology and comparative religion from Hamline University, an M.A. in art history, and is currently completing doctoral work in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Administration. She was previously responsible for developing and directing the undergraduate computer-enhanced Weekend Program through UST's School of Continuing Studies. She served as the Director of Admissions for the College of St Catherine before joining St Thomas.
Diana I. Cohen, Ed.D.
Academic Adviser
1-651-962-4196
dicohen@ssthomas.edu
Diana serves as an academic adviser for students in the Evening UST MBA program. Diana has worked with the Opus College of Business MBA programs for more than 15 years in admissions and advising. She completed her doctorate in educational leadership at the University of St. Thomas in 1999. Her master’s degree is in adult education, University of Minnesota. Diana obtained her B.A. in sociology and B.S. in education from Ohio State University.
Deborah L. Cornell
Assistant Director of Student Life/Academic Adviser
1-651-962-4225
dlcornell@stthomas.edu
Deb advises Evening UST MBA students about course selection, registration, curriculum guidelines, and graduation requirements. She is also qualified to interpret the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Previously, Deb was a business education instructor at the secondary and collegiate level. She received her B.A. in education from the University of Minnesota and M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas.
Janet Ballis Lestock
Academic Adviser
1-800-292-7451
jblestock@stthomas.edu
Janet advises Evening UST MBA students about course selection, registration, curriculum guidelines, and graduation requirements. She also directs UST MBA efforts in southeastern Minnesota. Janet has a B.S. in business from Mankato State University as well as her M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas. Prior to coming to UST, she worked for several nonprofit agencies in various capacities, including chief financial officer.
Margaret McKibbin
Academic Adviser
1-651-962-4319
mlmckibbin@stthomas.edu
Margaret advises Evening UST MBA students about course selection, registration, curriculum guidelines, and graduation requirements. Originally from North Carolina, Margaret has her M.A.Ed. in counseling from Wake Forest University and her B.A. from Davidson College. She is a National Certified Counselor and specializes in career counseling.
M. Kay Wimer
Academic Adviser
1-651-962-4847
mkwimer@stthomas.edu
Kay has her M.A. Ed. in Human Resource Development from the University of St. Thomas and a B.A. in Fine Arts and Psychology from Indiana University. She advises Evening UST MBA students about course selection, registration, curriculum guidelines, and graduation requirements. Kay previously worked for the UST School of Education, coordinating the Custom Degree Program.
