Leadership
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson
Provost
Prior to joining APUS, Dr. Johnson was the Provost at Post University in Waterbury, CT, applying her passion for the design and delivery of high-quality, career-focused education offered to Post’s 1,000 main campus students and 20,000 online students. Elizabeth led the Academic Affairs strategy in Post’s five schools and within the student support services. In her 6 years as Provost, she implemented 8 new academic programs, earned two programmatic accreditations, and added two new Schools (American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences and School for Continuing Education). Elizabeth prioritizes academic integrity, workforce readiness, and DEI values in every Academic Affairs initiative. Prior to being named Post’s Provost in 2016, Elizabeth was an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Director of Science Programs, Dean for the School of Art & Sciences, and Assistant Provost.
Before joining Post University, Elizabeth worked as an Environmental Scientist with a small environmental consulting firm in MA and as a Soil Conservationist for the Natural Resource Conservation Service. During this time, she also taught as an adjunct faculty member at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Elizabeth has editorial experience as an Associate Editor for the Communication in Soil Science and Plant Analysis Journal and a Textbook Editor for Wiley & Sons Publishing.
Outside of work, Elizabeth serves as a Site Team Evaluator for the New England Commission on Higher Education, a Founding Independent Board Trustee for the Knowles Johnson Institute, a Council Member for the State of Connecticut Open Education Resources Coordinating Council, and a Trustee for the Connecticut Community Foundation. She was awarded the Hartford Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Award (2015) and Women In Business Award (2021), an International Stevie Award for Female Executive of the Year (2021), and the New Haven Biz’s Women In Business Award (2022). The two latter of these awards were given to Elizabeth for her work in creating a sense of belonging and connection in Academic Affairs and across Post University during the pandemic.
Elizabeth graduated from Lehigh University with a BS in Earth and Environmental Science. She earned her MS and PhD in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her dissertation work focused on the sorption behavior of phenanthrene in decomposing plant cuticular material. She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and the Sigma Xi Science Research Honor Society.
Dr. Brian Freeland
Dean, School of Health Sciences
Dr. Brian Freeland was recently named dean for the School of Health Sciences after 7 years as the university's program director of the Sports and Health Sciences and Sports Management programs. With more than 16 years in coaching, athletic training, exercise science and wellness, and sports management, Dr. Freeland was well suited to develop the university's new B.S. in Sports Management along with 4 new concentrations for the B.S. and M.S. degrees in Sports and Health Sciences. Dr. Freeland also cultivated educational partnerships with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), American Sport Education Program (ASEP), and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
Dr. Freeland has presented at a variety of academic conferences on the topics of: The Development of an Online Tool Think Tank; Harnessing the Power of Alumni in Leading a Sport Management Program; Innovative Sport Marketing Strategies for Globalized Communication; International Aspects of Positions in Sport Management; and, Creative Ways to Attract and Engage Online Learners. In 2006, he was voted the Valley District Coach of the Year for leading Rockbridge High School to their first winning season in the history of the school. Dr. Freeland completed his Ed.D. in Sports Leadership and Management from Northcentral University, M.S. in Sports Management at the United States Sports Academy, and B.S. in Health and Physical Education at Radford University.
Anthony Garibay
Dean, School of Arts, Humanities & Education
Dr. Anthony R. Garibay is an accomplished Pre-K-12 and Higher Education professional with over 23 years of experience as an instructor and leader in student and academic affairs. Anthony started his career in Pre-K-12 education and leadership where he held positions as an instructional and school leader in underserved schools on the South and West sides of Chicago. In higher education, he has held positions as Financial Aid Director, Dean of Enrollment Management and Student Services and Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, where he also served as the Chief Accrediting Officer.
Dr. Garibay is a student-centered leader, capable of implementing initiatives to encourage student development and success. As an academic leader, he is dedicated to providing high-quality educational opportunities to students, support to and collaboration with faculty, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. As a strategic planner, he has managed divisional budgets, personnel, and initiatives to consistently meet key performance indicators in support of institutional missions. Anthony is a forward-looking, data-driven, visionary leader with great entrepreneurial, strategic and analytic skills committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Dr. Garibay has a certificate in Higher Education Teaching from Harvard University, a doctorate in Educational Leadership in Higher Education from DePaul University, a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from DePaul University and a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Loyola University Chicago. He is currently pursuing a certificate in Instructional Design at Arizona State University.
Most recently, Dr. Garibay served as the Dean of Students at Academy of Math and Science – Camelback in Phoenix, Arizona. He worked collaboratively with the school community to promote and implement Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) as well as reimagine disciplinary processes and procedures that promote equity, inclusion, reconciliation and restorative justice practices. Anthony also currently serves as an online instructor at DePaul University where he teaches Administration and Supervision courses at the Master and Doctoral levels as well as guides students in their internships in Pre-K – 12 and Higher Education leadership.
Dr. Stacey Little
Associate Dean, Dr. Wallace E. Boston School of Business
Dr. Stacey Little joined APUS in 2011 as part-time faculty in the School of Business. In 2012, she was promoted to full-time faculty and in 2014 to Program Director. She most recently served as a Department Chair over the Management and Human Resource Management Programs.
Stacey graduated from Indiana Institute of Technology earning a PhD in Global Leadership with a specialty in Organizational Management. She is also a graduate of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) with a Master’s in Business Administration and St. Mary of the Woods College with a B.S. in Human Resource Management.
Stacey has taught in higher education since 2000. Before teaching, she worked in industry gaining experience in areas such as Management, Sales & Marketing, Human Resource Management, and Logistics Management.
Dr. Juliette Rouge
Dean, School of Security & Global Studies
Dr. Juliette Rouge (Shedd) is the Dean of the School of Security and Global Studies. Before joining APUS, Dr. Rouge worked at George Mason University for 17 years where she held the positions of Associate Dean and Associate Professor at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Her responsibilities included leading the Carter School’s administrative staff, budget, and administrative processes, along with new program and partnership development, where she spearheaded efforts to roll out effective distance education offerings.
Dr. Rouge also taught research and practice methods courses, along with courses on terrorism, peacebuilding, media and conflict, extremism, global conflicts, and ideologies. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University and a BA in Political Science and Psychology from George Washington University. Dr. Rouge's research includes work on the relationship of media to conflict, specifically focused on media coverage of terrorism and the role of women in political violence.
An active community practitioner, Dr. Rouge works internationally on peacebuilding in divided communities and developing local leadership capacity with communities in Ukraine, Serbia, Myanmar, and Central Asia. Locally, Dr. Rouge works with communities to collaboratively address contentious local issues. These projects include media literacy and dialogue training, conflict resolution in schools, police-community engagement, and supporting community engagement processes for local government on issues like confederate legacy street names and monuments. Her projects are funded by local governments, the Virginia Department of Education, USAID, the Department of State, and nonprofit organizations.
Dr. Daniel (Danny) Welsch
Dean, School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
Dr. Danny Welsch has been serving the students of American Public University System since 2007 as a part-time faculty member, full-time faculty member, program director, associate dean, and interim dean for the School of STEM. Dr. Welsch is an environmental scientist with an emphasis in hydrology and biogeochemistry. Previously, Dr. Welsch served as the Director of Research for the Cannan Valley Institute, and as Assistant Professor at Frostburg State University. Dr. Welsch studies the flux of water, carbon, and energy between terrestrial and atmospheric systems, and more recently, has worked to develop and enhance the laboratory experience for online higher education.
Dr. Welsch received his B.S. degree from Frostburg State University, a M.S. from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.