Story by Laurie Merrill
GCU Today Magazine
As Grand Canyon University expands its degree program for online and traditional students, the College of Science, Engineering and Technology has welcomed a new face to help manage the growth.
Dr. Heather Gollnow joined CSET in October as assistant dean and associate professor of information technology, computer science and computer programming. Gollnow, who has 20 years of experience in IT and IT education, most recently was vice president of academics and compliance at Education Affiliates, a career college in Baltimore.
For several years, she has designed and implemented graduate-level, online professional-development courses, created K-12 STEM curricula and conducted workshops in teaching technology.
Gollnow said she is thrilled to be at GCU not only because it poses a challenging career opportunity, but also because the University’s Christian worldview strengthens student character and urges them to contribute to society.
“I love the energy,” Gollnow said. “I love seeing how everyone is working well together to accomplish some really amazing things.”
Math, programming and computer science come easily to Gollnow, a former education director at Kaplan Higher Education and chair of the School of Information Technology at ITT Technical Institute in Green Bay, Wis.
“I’m a really analytical person,” she said. “I like solving puzzles and I like creating things. It is a natural fit for me.” She has a bachelor’s in computer science from Lakeland College in Plymouth, Wis., a master’s in teaching from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, and a doctorate in IT from Capella University, based in Minneapolis.
Having survived many Wisconsin winters, Gollnow is ecstatic about Arizona’s climate. She’s an avid hiker who recently ascended Piestewa Peak in Phoenix for the first time, and an enthusiastic pilot who did some flight instructing in Wisconsin.
In addition to embracing her new GCU job, she also has a huge personal change on the horizon. She and fiancé Joe Monthie, who is stationed at Luke Air Force Base and is a deputy Maricopa County sheriff, are getting married Dec. 26, and she will change her name to Heather Monthie.
Gollnow said of her CSET role, “I’m excited to see how much we can accomplish in the next six months or a year. There is a need for IT across all industries. It is an industry in itself.”
Contact Laurie Merrill at (602) 639-6511 or [email protected].
