are high paying. For example, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics lists the median wage for
computer network architects at $91,000 and
computer programmers at $74,000.
Advancing education for
the existingworkforce
Many people who have worked in STEM fields
for a while have certificates, but they haven’t
earned their bachelor’s degrees, said Dr.
Michael Sheller, CSET associate dean.
“They tend to be older,” Sheller said. “They tend
to have been out in the world, have a certificate,
and got a job right away and never went to college.
Then, they find they are pigeonholed.”
The computer science and IT courses are set
up to align with the body of knowledge associated
with a certification, he said. For example,
Microsoft offers a certification in C#, a computer
programming language, and GCU has a series
of three courses under a bachelor’s degree that
dovetails with that certificate, Sheller said.
If a student already has taken C# college-level
classes, he can swap them out for classes in Java,
another programming language, or any number
of three-course sequences, he said.
GCU also is offering nearly three dozen
new computer programming and IT classes for
traditional students this school year and plans
to make them available to online students in the
near future, Sheller said.
Producing STEM-educated graduates helps
the Valley and the state because businesses
seeking to relocate greatly value the quality of
a trained workforce, Mueller said.
“We are going to make this a very, very
inviting place for companies to create jobs,”
he said.
GCU TODAY • 2 3
As GCU 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 STEMcurricula 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 gettingmarried Dec. 26.
Gollnow said of her CSET role,
“I’m excited to see howmuch 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.”
NewCSET assistant dean energized by the power of IT
GCU’s engineering building (left), which opened in
August, is the anchor for the University’s growing
STEMdegree programs and is a practical training
ground for students.
photos by darryl webb
Dr. Heather Gollnow
