Faculty Fellows

Sara received her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina and her M.A. in Political Science from San Francisco State University. After a short stint working for Procter & Gamble, Sara found her passion, working with students! Sara initially taught elementary school in South Los Angeles before earning her master’s degree and has taught introductory college courses at the community college and state university level since. In addition to serving as the Pre-Law Advisor, Sara teaches several courses for the Department of Political Science. A native of Great Falls, Sara is thrilled to be working with students at MSU and helping them navigate the exciting world of political science, law degrees and law school applications. When not at MSU, Sara enjoys spending time outside with her spouse, her own college-age children, dogs, cats, and chickens.

Candace is one of our Morrill Scholar Faculty Fellows teaching chemistry! She came to MSU because of SCIENCE. To Candace part of what makes it a great science school is the beauty of the Gallatin Valley, drawing some of the best scientists in the world to our campus. 

She loves anything outdoors. Especially winter skiing and any water activity in the summer. 

When asked how a student can get involved on campus, she replied: BE FEARLESS.  If you see something that interests you, jump in.  Life's too short to not try.

Ben Leubner received his PhD in literature at Northeastern University in 2009 and has been teaching at MSU-Bozeman ever since. He specializes in 20th century poetry but has a wide range of interests, ranging from classical mythology to Shakespearean drama and from modernist fiction to African American literature.

A proud first-generation college student, Mariana started her adventures in higher education at Vermilion Community College in Ely, Minnesota. She soon transferred to Miracosta Community College in Oceanside, California and then to California State University, San Marcos. The inspiration she received from her instructors – and a life-altering friendship with a certain black dog – stoked her passion for psychology, leading her to pursue her M.S. and Ph.D. studying canid cognition. During a "gap" year following her Ph.D., she fell in love with teaching and helping students find their own "spark" to become lifelong learners. She currently teaches several courses in the Department of Psychology, including Introduction to Psychology, Comparative Psychology, Judgment and Decision Making, and Psychology of Death and Dying. 

Mariana enjoys distance running, taekwondo, dog agility, spending time with her family outside, expanding her cooking horizons, and attending productions at the Shane Center in Livingston. 

Sara Rasch is an instructor in Sociology. Over the past ten years at MSU, Sara has taught a variety of different courses in her discipline, including Introduction to Sociology, Criminal Justice System, Juvenile Justice and Crime Prevention. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, running and skiing with her spouse and three young children.

Dr. Carina Beck serves as the course director for US 210D, Education the World of Work and You.   She designed this course to help MSU students understand the important interplay between education, learning, global economic shifts, and career opportunities.  Meeting MSU’s D-Core requirement, this class will help you develop your awareness of being a global citizen and effective communicator.

Dr. Beck and her family are active travelers.   They enjoy venturing to both well-traveled and off-the-beaten path locations.  Where ever they go, they seek opportunities to make authentic connections with locals to learn more about their culture, community, foods, and economy. 

Photo: Carina Beck with her son’s in Valencia, Spain during the Fallas Festival

Missy Grinnell has been an active leader in the Bozeman community for 30 years. She is an MSU alum receiving her BA in Communications and her M.Ed in Adult and Higher Education (Student Affairs) with an emphasis in leadership. She is a business owner, has been actively involved in a number of non-profit organizations, has been a pastor for 15 years, is a leadership coach for Polished Stones Coaching, and is a nationally certified sign language interpreter for the Deaf. You’ll see Missy on the trails with her husband, friends or solo (armed with bear spray), the ski hills and running in our community races. Her son defected to UM (and is now married) and her daughter found her way to MN after a stint in Norway. Traveling and adventuring with family are of high value and Missy will always try to find common ground to connect with you in a conversation. 

Photo:  Spartan Race, June 2024 : Missy after two of three races (Trifecta Weekend)

Courtney begins her first teaching opportunity at MSU in the fall of 2024.  Courtney is a high school teacher at Gallatin High School- along with teaching, she works in partnership with the Multilingual program to ensure a positive transition for our growing Latin American population.  

Katie Adams is a faculty lecturer in the department of mathematical sciences at MSU. She is passionate about working with the Hilleman Scholars as a member of the teaching faculty in the Summer Success Academy. Katie also enjoys teaching small sections of Morrill Scholars in the academic year through her work with the math department.

Katie is married with two teenage children and a small Shih Tzu named Bob. She spent over a decade as a long-distance trail runner and ridge skier. Now, she enjoys gravel bike rides and long hikes into the wilds of Montana. Katie enjoys learning about the world through travel including trips to Nepal, Thailand, Peru, Costa Rica, and Iceland. 

Justin Gomez is an instructor for the Mathematical Sciences Department and the Assistant Director of the Mathematics and Statistics Center at MSU. While attending graduate school at MSU, Justin discovered his love for teaching and has since taught a wide range of math and stats courses for the department. Outside of the university, Justin enjoys watching and playing hockey, playing board games, and hiking. 

Shannon DeRosa is an instructor for US 210D. She is an MSU grad with a BA and MA in English Literature. She teaches English at Belgrade High School and is always up for a book recommendation. She and her husband have two cats and love living in the Gallatin Valley.

Kristen serves as a Career Education Coach at the Allen Yarnell Center for Student Success at MSU. She loves helping students build skills and confidence for their future careers. This is her second semester teaching US 210 learning labs. Meeting with her learning lab is a highlight of each week for her!

Kristen and her family enjoy being outdoors hiking, fishing, camping, and skiing. They also love spending time on the family ranch in Eastern Oregon, where Kristen grew up.

Micheal Reidy is Professor of History and Philosophy at Montana State University. He is the author and editor to multiple books. His current research focus on how the sport of mountaineering advanced the practice of science in the nineteenth century. He is interested in all things vertical, the Minnesota Vikings, and Notre Dame Football.