Our Faculty
Chuck Hannema
Associate Professor and Department Chair
charles-hannema@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 2002
Education: B.A. in Economics; Wheaton College; MBA in Finance, Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota
Areas of expertise: Commercial and investment banking and capital markets, with 20 years in corporate roles. His research area is in the potential of micro-loans in developing countries.
Teaching specialty: Finance
Tim Essenburg
Professor
esstim@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 1989
Education: B.A. in Economics & Finance, Covenant College; Ph.D. in Economics, University of Tennessee
Areas of expertise: The redevelopment of central city neighborhoods; publications include "Investing the Church's Social Capital in the Economy of Welfare.”
Teaching specialty: Economics
Leo Gabriel
Professor
gableo@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel 1991
Education: B.S. in Mathematics, Grand Valley State University; M.S. in Business Administration and Accounting, Temple University; Doctor of Business Administration in Accounting, Anderson University
Areas of expertise: Tax policy, asset accumulation, and financial education for low and moderate-income families. Dissertation research examined savings by Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) recipients in Minnesota. Other research includes studies of minority and women owned businesses, individual development accounts for low-income families, and homeownership programs for low and moderate-income families.
Teaching specialty: Accounting
Mary Ann Harris
Associate Professor
m-harris@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 2005
Education: B.A. in Journalism/Advertising, University of Wisconsin, Madison; MBA, Washington University; Ph.D. in Strategic Marketing Communications, University of Minnesota
Areas of expertise: Creativity and cognitive processing of marketing messages. Dissertation focus was the impact of storytelling advertisements on memory and emotion.
Teaching specialty: Marketing
Brian Holland
Associate Professor
holbri@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 1984
Education: B.S. in Management and Administration, Indiana University, MBA in Managerial Finance, Indiana University
Areas of expertise: Healthcare finance, working capital issues, and consulting with small businesses.
Teaching specialty: Finance
Jeff Jacob
Assistant Professor
j-jacob@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 2007
Education: B.A. in Economics, St. Stephens College (Delhi, India); M.A. in Economics, Delhi (India) School of Economics and Southern Methodist University; Ph.D. in Economics, Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas)
Areas of expertise: Economic development and trade, applied econometrics, social networks, and economics of religion. Current working papers include “Institutions, Trade and Geography: A Panel Data Study” and “Religious Values and Beliefs and Economic Development in the Nation State.”
Teaching specialty: Economics
Tom Johnson
Associate Professor
tj-johnson@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 1987
Education: B.A., Wheaton College; M.A., University of Minnesota; MBA, University of Wyoming
Areas of expertise: Organizes and teaches Europe Term for business students, a study abroad experience focused on international business.
Teaching specialty: Marketing
Joyce LeMay
Associate Professor
j-lemay@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 2003
Education: B.S. in Food Service Administration, University of Wisconsin-Stout; MBA in Human Resource Management, Metropolitan State University. Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the Human Resource Certification Institute.
Areas of expertise: Member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Twin Cities Human Resource Association (TCHRA). Professional activities include consulting top-level management on improvements to work environments based on effective human resource and business strategies.
Teaching specialty: Human resource management and entrepreneurship
Dmitri Medvedovski
Associate Professor
dmedved@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 2002
Education: B.S. in Aerospace Operations, Moscow (Russia) State Technical College; M.S. in Economics, Russian State Academy of Management; Ph.D. in Applied Economics, Clemson University
Areas of expertise: Family economics and personal finance. Current working paper is "Determinants of Father-Child Time Allocation.”
Teaching specialty: Economics
Bruce Olsen
Associate Professor
bruce-olsen@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 1998
Education: B. A. in Business, Bethel University; MBA in Accounting, University of Minnesota. Licensed as a Certified Public Accountant.
Areas of expertise: Business combinations, personal financial planning, and financial accounting. Memberships in American Institute of CPAs, Minnesota Society of CPAs, and Minnesota Council of Accounting Educators.
Teaching specialty: Accounting
Bethany Opsata
Associate Professor
b-opsata@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 2001
Education: B.A. in Business, Bethel University; M.A. in Human Resources and Industrial Relations, University of Minnesota. Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the Human Resource Certification Institute
Areas of expertise: Staffing, compensation, and employment law. Pursuing a Ph.D. with a specialization in Human Resource Development, University of Minnesota.
Teaching specialty: Human resource management
Karen Tangen
Associate Professor
ktangen@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 2002
Education: B.S., University of Minnesota; M.S., Tufts University; Ph.D. in Administrative, Institutional, and Policy Studies, University of Chicago
Areas of expertise: International studies, with a focus on Asia; organizational reward systems and consumer behavior.
Teaching specialty: Marketing
Steve Whiting
Associate Professor
whiste@bethel.edu
Started at Bethel in 2006
Education: B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, North Dakota State University; M.S. in Engineering Management, University of Dayton in Ohio; M.A. in Pastoral Counseling, Minnesota Graduate School of Theology; M.A. in Theological Studies, Bethel Seminary
Areas of expertise: More than 20 years of management, consulting, and information technology experience. Interested in a biblical framework for technology/engineering and business.
Teaching specialty: Entrepreneurship and information systems
