Faculty
Sister Mary Rachel Capets, O.P., Ph.D. (candidate)
Dean, School of Education
Assistant Professor of Education
srmrachel@aquinascollege.edu
Phone: (615) 297-7545 x282
Fax: (615) 279-7546
Ed.D., University of Memphis
M.Ed., The University of Southern Mississippi
M.A., Notre Dame Pontifical Institute for Advanced Studies
M.A., Middle Tennessee State University
B.A., Middle Tennessee State University
Sister Elizabeth Anne Allen is a member of the Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia, Nashville, Tennessee. Her doctoral research concerns student perspectives of Catholic Identity as it is expressed and lived out in their schools. Having served in the roles of teacher and administrator on the elementary, secondary and collegiate levels, Sister is passionate about the importance of teaching and is involved nationally with the professional formation of educators.
Ed.D., Trevecca Nazarene University
M.A.T., University of Memphis
B.B.A., Memphis State University
Ed.D., University of Memphis
M.S., University of Memphis
M.A., Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College
B.A., Belmont College
A. A., Aquinas College
Sister Matthew Marie is a member of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation of Nashville, Tennessee and is professor of education at Aquinas College. She holds a Doctor of Education degree, as well as a Master of Science degree, in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership from the University of Memphis. In addition, she has a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from Notre Dame Institute; a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Belmont University; and an Associate of Arts degree from Aquinas College. A national speaker on the integration of technology in classroom instruction, curriculum, and the development of professional dispositions in the pre-service teacher, Sister also sponsors the Aquinas College Student Chapter of ASCD.
Ed.D., Lipscomb University
M.Ed., Lipscomb University
B.S., Vanderbilt University
Betsy Donlon attended Vanderbilt University (B.S. Elementary Education and Human and Organizational Development) and Lipscomb University (M.Ed. Instructional Leadership and Ed.D. Learning Organizations and Strategic Change). She completed her student teaching in Cambridge, England, and taught 1st, 2nd, and 5th grades, and served as Assistant Principal and Principal at a small Catholic school in north Nashville. Her Masters thesis topic was on brain-based activities in the classroom and their influence on students’ reading comprehension, and her doctoral research centered on the effect of community involvement in schools on school climate and student achievement. At Aquinas, Dr. Donlon teaches Methods in Teaching Language Arts, Social Studies, and Culture, Children’s Literature, Speech, and Drama, Methods of Instruction for Secondary Teachers, and Modes of Instruction. She also supervises student teachers and job-embedded practice candidates. Dr. Donlon is a native Nashvillian, and married to David (junior high Latin and Math teacher at Overbrook School) and has 3 children — Mollie (age 5), Jack (age 3), and Thomas (6 months).
M.A., University of Notre Dame
B.A., St. Ambrose University
Ed.D., University of Memphis
M.Ed., Xavier University
M.A., Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College
B.S., George Peabody College at Vanderbilt University
Ph.D., The University of Memphis
M.S., The University of Memphis
B.A., Samford University
Ph.D., Peabody College at Vanderbilt University
M.A., Austin Peay State University
B.S., University of Tennessee, Martin
Dr. Annette Little taught special education classes in residential treatment centers, public schools, and alternative schools for eight years before moving into higher education. She then spent four years directing research projects in the areas of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, reading and writing strategies for students at risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, and prevention of behavior problems. Dr. Little is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has worked in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis since 2007. She has taught classes in general education, special education, and applied behavior analysis in higher education institutes since 2005. She is currently serving as the director of the Studies in Applied Behavior Analysis certification program at Lipscomb University.
Ph.D., Liverpool Hope University, England
M.Ed., Belmont University
M.A., Providence College
B.A., University of Dallas
Sister Thomas More Stepnowski, O.P., is a member of St. Cecilia Congregation of Nashville, Tennessee and Vice President of Academics at Aquinas College. She received her B.A. from the University of Dallas, M.Ed. from Belmont University, Nashville, M.A. from Providence College, Rhode Island, and Ph.D. from the Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, England. Her primary areas of interest include the Catholic imagination and culture, and she has recently contributed a chapter in Reflections on Pope Francis’s Encyclical, Laudato si’ (Cambridge Scholars Press) and The Downside Review (July 2017).
M.A., Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary
M.S.E.L., Christian Brothers University
M.S.Ed., Indiana University
B.S., Ball State University
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