MBA with a concentration in Leadership & Change

Danielle Foster, Ed.D.

Danielle earned her Doctorate at Bowling Green State University. Her dissertation was titled K-12 Private School Leaders Perceptions of Enrollment Management and Marketing Planning. She also holds an MBA and a Bachelor Degree from Bluffton University. Her areas of expertise include marketing, leadership and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Prior to entering academia, Danielle had numerous years of sales and marketing management experience in the pharmaceutical and health care industry. She served as an accomplished sales professional known for delivering strong profit gains in highly competitive markets. She has a proven ability to recognize and capitalize on market trends and assume bottom-line responsibility for strategic planning, pricing, and market research. In addition to her industry experience she has several years of combined adjunct teaching experience in both seated and online platforms within the Degree Completion Program at Tiffin University, The University of Findlay and Brown Mackie College. In 2006 she was the recipient of the Iota Phi Theta “I have a Dream” Award and received the Certificate of Excellence for outstanding leadership and valued contributions from the Lima Affiliate of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice. Danielle was one of the Founding members of the Lima Points of Pride Coalition, a non-profit, non-partisan group of community leaders that raised money to tear down abandoned homes in the Lima/Allen county area. She was subsequently awarded the Pioneer award presented by Iota Phi Theta fraternity to recognize her leadership contributions in the Lima community. She is currently on the board of education at Lima Central Catholic High School. In addition to her work in academia she owns and operates a marketing consulting firm.

Lisa Kahle-Piasecki, Ph.D.

Dr. Lisa Kahle-Piasecki is an Associate Professor of Management and Information Systems and has served as Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Chair of the Management and Marketing areas. She joined the business faculty at Tiffin University in 2012.

Dr. Kahle-Piasecki comes to Tiffin after completing her Ph.D. with an area of concentration in human performance improvement, which is the study of and ethical practice of improving productivity and competence in organizations. Performance improvement uses scientific research principles to assess performance gaps, implement solutions, and measure the impact of solutions when implemented. A performance improvement and talent development specialist, Kahle-Piasecki is a follower of systems theory and uses a systematic approach in solving performance problems.

She is actively engaged in research and is a frequent presenter at both international and national conferences. Her current research interests and areas of expertise are in the use of technology to improve performance in the workplace and classroom, and performance interventions such as mentoring for performance improvement. She is a certified facilitator for the Global Mindset Inventory, spent a summer living and teaching in Costa Rica, and has additional international teaching experience.

In addition to teaching and research, she is a peer reviewer for the Journal of International Students, Journal of Excellence in College Teaching, on the Board of Directors of the Greater Toledo Chapter of the Association for Talent Development (GTAC ATD), the Polish American Community of Toledo (PACT), and a member of the Academy of Management, International Society for Performance Improvement, and Association for Talent Development.

She is the proud recipient of the 2016 Urban All-American Achievement Award, presented by the Central City Ministry of Toledo (CCMT). The award recognizes a graduate of a Catholic inner-city elementary school, who exhibited extraordinary achievement as an inspiration for today’s inner-city school students.

Research Interest

Dr. Kahle-Piasecki obtained her PhD with an area of concentration in human performance improvement, which is the study of and ethical practice of improving productivity and competence in organizations. Performance improvement uses scientific research principles to assess performance gaps, implement solutions, and measure the impact of solutions when implemented. A performance improvement and talent development specialist, Dr. Kahle-Piasecki is a follower of systems theory and uses a systematic approach in solving performance problems.

Below is a sample of recent publications:

Ritzman, M., & Kahle-Piasecki, L. (September, 2016). What works: A systems approach to employee performance in strengthening information security. Performance Improvement Journal, 55(8), 17-22.

Kahle-Piasecki, L. & Doles, S. (2015). A comparison of mentoring in higher education and Fortune 1000 companies: Practices to apply in a global context. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 15(5), 74-79.

Kahle-Piasecki, L. (2013). Business in Costa Rica: Trends and Issues. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 15(2).

Kahle-Piasecki, L., Miao, C., & Ariss, S. (2012). Managers and the Mobile Device: M-Learning and M-Business-Implications for the United States and China. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 6(1), 56-68.

Kahle-Piasecki, L. (2011). Mentoring: What organizations need to know to improve performance in the 21st Century workplace. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2011). UMI No. 3474769.

Nykodym, N., Kahle-Piasecki, L., & Marsillac, E. (2010, May). The Managers Guide to Understanding, Detecting and Thwarting Computer Crime: An International Performance Issue. Performance Improvement Journal, 49(5), 42-47. doi: 10.1002/pfi.20151

Teresa Shafer, Ph.D.

Dr. Shafer began her academic career at The Ohio State University’s Marion campus. Upon completion of her graduate degree, she completed a ten-year career in the insurance industry. She joined TU in 1993 as an adjunct professor while completing her doctorate degree at Bowling Green State University. She has held numerous positions during her tenure at TU, including the founding Director for the degree completion program, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Dean of Assessment, and most recently as the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Shafer currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Planning and Effectiveness where she provides leadership and oversight for institutional research, strategic planning, global education, career services, and accreditation activities of the University. Dr. Shafer continues to oversee operations in Bucharest, Romanian where we have offered the EMBA for 20 years and will start a BBA in Management in fall 2019. Dr. Shafer is considered an accreditation specialist and serves the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) as a Peer Reviewer. She has successfully led TU’s compliance efforts to obtain maximum reaffirmations with the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE), HLC, Accreditation Council for Business School and Programs (ACBSP) and the European Council for Business Education (ECBE). She also serves as a Board Member for ECBE. Dr. Shafer holds the rank of Professor of Management within the TU School of Business.

Wendy Ziems-Mueller, D.M.

Dr. Wendy Ziems-Mueller is a fulltime Associate Professor of Management/Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs for the School of Business. Previously, Wendy served as the Program Chair for the BA in Professional Studies for Degree Completion, the BBA Program Chair for Degree Completion and the Dean of Associate’s Degree Programs for Tiffin University. Wendy has extensive higher education administration experience overseeing associate level and bachelor level programs. Before Tiffin, Wendy was the Dean of Academics for an occupational college in Toledo for 8 years and was responsible for programs in Business, Criminal Justice, Medical Programs, Legal Studies, Veterinary Technician Programs and General Studies. Wendy served at the Dean level for more than 10 years where she was responsible for more than 150 fulltime staff and adjunct faculty, managed curriculum, course development, and operations for colleges and universities.

Wendy teaches Leadership, Organizational Theory and Behavior, Business, Management, Marketing, and Ethics. Additionally, she has taught previously both online and in a traditional seated capacity for various colleges and universities. Wendy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration focusing in finance and accounting and a Masters of Business Administration from Heidelberg University. She completed her Doctorate of Management in Organizational Leadership Degree in October of 2011 with an approved dissertation in strategic planning and higher education administration.

Outside of academia, Wendy participates heavily in philanthropy and non-profit administration. She has served on several Nonprofit Boards.  Most recently, she served as the 2015-2017 President of the Junior League of Toledo and has participated extensively in the Latino community in Toledo, Ohio. Wendy believes paying it forward and community service is necessary by everyone in the community and believes success comes from hard work and giving. Support and volunteering from “womb to death” is a motto she lives by. Her experience in business management, human resources and leadership has led to her sharing that knowledge with her teaching and non-profit management.

Wendy is married to Axel and they have 4 children, Meagan, Lauren, Zachary and Elizabeth and reside in Perrysburg, Ohio. Wendy loves to read and write fiction; she loves to travel and spend time with her family; but most of all she loves the education industry and teaching. Wendy believes that education is a lifelong journey that builds on intellectual discovery and stimulates growth of the integrated student.