Ashford University

Get to know just a few of Ashford University's knowledgeable online faculty. You will find your online instructors some of the most engaged, dynamic, and committed educators in the industry.

• Tara La Costa-Revelle, PhD
• Tim Serey, PhD, MBA
• Larry Flegle, DBA
• Frank Morelli, PhD
• Gary Witt, PhD
• Kathy Sole
• Len Balducci, ABD
• Lee Moser, MFA
• Kathleen Kelley, MA

Tara La Costa-Revelle, PhD

Dr. Tara La Costa-Revelle holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and is currently working to complete both her MBA and her state licensure as a substance abuse counselor. As a lead faculty member at Ashford University, she supports and mentors new online instructors. "Anyone can learn with guidance and hard work," she says. "There is nothing more amazing than to see students succeed after they had expressed concern during the first week of class." Her published research and presentations focus mostly on the role of humor and laughter as diagnostic tools in child development, research studies for which she has earned several plaudits, including the Health Psychology Research Award in 1999. La Costa-Revelle lives in sunny Arizona, where she enjoys practicing yoga and running desert trails.

Tim Serey, PhD, MBA

Dr. Tim Serey, of Scottsdale, AZ came to teach at Ashford University because of its high reputation for academic excellence and its ethical treatment of students. "Ashford's students have an intense desire to succeed," he reports, "plus a true-grit work ethic to find renewal in their lives by earning an Ashford degree." As an Adjunct Faculty member who teaches both MBA and undergraduate courses, Serey has facilitated several new faculty training sessions, and is currently writing the content for what will become Ashford's virtual Career Center. He earned his PhD and a BBA in Management from University of Cincinnati, and he also holds an MBA from Xavier University. He has published nearly 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and served on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Management Education for nine years. Prior to joining Ashford, Serey served as a meteorologist for the US Air Force, and worked as a Marketing Manager for Standard Oil. Besides teaching, he finds satisfaction flying as a commercial pilot and volunteering at the Arizona State Veteran's Home.

Larry Flegle, DBA

Dr. Larry V. Flegle, CSE, MFA, MPM, began in business by selling at age 8. He rooted plant cuttings and sold them door-to-door in his neighborhood. Dr. Flegle worked as a rock 'n' roll DJ in the 1960s at six different radio stations in Florida. He served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. In 1981, Flegle began his career in telecommunication sales with ITT. Within 30 days he was ITT's number one sales representative. After a year with ITT he joined a new company called MCI, where in 12 years he won 58 sales awards. After MCI came a stint at LDDS WorldCom and then Allstar Telecom.

Dr. Flegle sits on the Business Discipline Editorial Board of MERLOT and the Internet and Higher Education Journal. He holds a DBA in Management from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Arts in Planning and Public Administration from Pepperdine, and his Bachelor of Arts from University of South Florida.

Today, Dr. Flegle is known as "the Fishing Professor." He got this nickname because he has successfully combined his two greatest passions in life - online teaching and fly fishing. His usual work habit has him grading papers and taking students' phone calls, fishing rod in hand, from the deck of his Bayliner cabin cruiser, which he berths on Lake Chatuge in northern Georgia.

Frank Morelli, PhD

Frank Morelli, PhD, of Scottsdale, AZ earned his MA and PhD in Philosophy from Boston University. He went directly from high school to college to graduate school, and then to his first career job as assistant professor and chair of the philosophy department at U of Northern Colorado. At 24 years of age he got to build the department, write some 40 courses, introduce several degree and minor programs, hire faculty, and after 6 years, philosophy became the third largest of 21 departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. He was tenured in 4 years, instead of the normal 7, and became professor after just 5 years.

In the 1980s Morelli started his own business offering strategic planning services to hospitals, especially behavioral health hospitals, and then by late eighties, he got involved in some fascinating international business, cross-cultural, and strategic management projects. While the larger share of his teaching has been in graduate business programs, he still keeps active in undergraduate arts and sciences, including philosophy, ethics, comparative religions, and social sciences. His work focuses on business ethics, legal environment, leadership, global business and cultural planning issues, and strategic management.

Of his work as an online instructor for Ashford University, Morelli says, "I have come to respect and admire the working adult learner since I began teaching online in July of 1991. One of the most rewarding things is having students stay in touch, some for more than a decade."

Gary Witt, PhD

Dr. Gary Witt, PhD, teaches the introductory course PSY 202, Adult Development and Life Assessment. He has also developed a number of other courses for Ashford University. Coming to teaching late in life after spending two decades professionally in marketing and government, Witt previously served as the Communications & Research Director for the Texas Attorney General's Office for several years, and later ran his own marketing firm in Scottsdale, AZ, where he lives now. Also, he has written dozens of articles on marketing and communications for several different local and national publications. He was recognized with awards for two PBS television series he produced, including Best Educational Series in 1983. Dr. Witt likes to tell the adult learners he teaches "that they should believe in themselves, and that they can make it through school and achieve their dream."

Kathy Sole

For the past 22 years, Kathy Sole has had dual careers as a college adjunct faculty member and as a technical writer and editor. With her Master's degree in speech and communication studies from San Francisco State University, she loves to teach introductory courses, especially in English and Communications. She lives in Kingston, WA on the shores of Puget Sound. For the past two years, she has enjoyed serving as Ashford's Lead Online Faculty for Communications. In this capacity, she serves as a mentor to new faculty members, oversees Best Practices forums, and assists with curriculum development. Also, she is the author of the reference book "What's the Rule?," and a corporate training program called "Brush up on the Basics," and has contributed to two college textbooks. Of her Ashford teaching experience, Dr. Sole says, "The most enjoyable aspect has been the opportunity to work with such a dedicated group of administrators, faculty, and students."

Len Balducci, ABD

A Jersey boy who migrated to sunny Florida in 1967 to pursue a degree, Len Balducci recently returned to his home state to teach while pursuing his PhD in Education. He had previously earned his Master of Science in Educational Administration from Nova Southeastern University. He plays the piano, is a huge fan of Humphrey Bogart and the New York Yankees, and an aficionado of a ballgame called "Jai-Alai." Currently he works as Online Lead Faculty for the College of Education, where he shares responsibility for contributing to the Best Practices for Faculty web site. He teaches several different psychology and education courses online. A former City Councilman for Micanopy, FL, Balducci is a past President of the Marion County Physical education Association and the recipient of the 1980 Professional Recognition Award by the Florida Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance. Of his teaching style, Balducci likes to speak of his "presence" in the virtual classroom, making sure that his students feel comfortable in the online environment. He says "I have never before felt the camaraderie, the collegiality, the sense of family that I feel here at Ashford."

Lee Moser, MFA

"My passion in life has always been for learning and helping others to learn." That's how Lee Moser, of Baker Valley, OR describes himself, and what brought him to teach at Ashford University after a long career. His unique curriculum vitae includes jobs as a logger, a ranch hand, a writer, a charter sailboat captain, a personal coach, and a motivational speaker (not to mention serving in the Air Force). After completing his MFA from the University of Montana, he got his first teaching job with the University of Missouri (Kirksville) where he also served as Writer in Residence and Chair of the Creative Writing Department. Today, he is an adjunct faculty member for Ashford University, teaching and facilitating online courses in Liberal Arts, Humanities, and Communications. "Ashford offers a quality educational experience for students and faculty," says Moser. "I am always impressed by the AU support system personnel in Academic Affairs, especially the Instructional Specialists. Because of these dedicated people, I always feel I am an appreciated member of the AU team."

Kathleen Kelley, MA

Originally from San Diego, CA, Kathleen Kelley has taught, in some capacity, all grades from kindergarten through the university level. She completed her Bachelor's degree from San Diego State University and a teaching credential from Cal State San Marcos before moving on to earn her Master of Arts in Education. As an adjunct instructor for Ashford University, Kelley teaches online courses in English, History of Education, and Philosophy of Education. She also participates in auditing Ashford's Writing Consultants, and is currently assisting with writing education curricula. And as a mother of two boys, she appreciates the flexibility of her online teaching schedule. Kelley prides herself in being an instructor who responds to all of her students' messages: "I want the students to know someone is out there," she says. "The online world can be very daunting and lonely, and I want them to know someone is validating their work."