UIU faculty to teach in Hong Kong term
FAYETTE, Iowa (October 3, 2007) – Upper Iowa University (UIU) is enhancing the faculty at its Hong Kong center by welcoming six American instructors who will relocate overseas to teach for a fall term. Joining UIU-Hong Kong are James J. Casey, Jr., J.D.; Nivea Castro, J.D.; Chris Kragnes, Sr., J.D.; Judy Loonan, M.B.A., C.P.M.; Frances Methvin, M.B.A.; and Richard Schuttler, Ph.D.
“This Hong Kong faculty team has many years of collective teaching experience with Upper Iowa University and brings a wealth of knowledge to our program,” said DeWayne Frazier, senior vice president for international programs. “During their teaching tenure in Hong Kong, they will provide faculty orientation for local adjuncts, prospective student seminars, as well as teach a core of classes in their respective areas of specialization.” Frazier added, “UIU is one of the few institutions in the United States that provides a full four-year, on-site undergraduate program in foreign venues. With the increase in American faculty teaching oversees, we have only strengthened our current programs for further success.”
James J. Casey, Jr. will serve as the visiting professor in leadership, tea
ching classes in critical thinking and economics of international business. Casey earned a B.A. in political science, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; an M.A. in international affairs from Marquette University; an M.P.A. in urban planning from the University of Dayton; and a J.D. from the University of Dayton School of Law. While attending law school, he was a staff member on the Dayton Law Review and spent a summer in London studying Soviet, European Community, and international business law. He is an attorney in Wisconsin; has worked for the cities of Milwaukee and Huber Heights, Ohio; worked at Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and has 15 years of experience in university research administration and local government.
Nivea Castro will be the visiting professor in law, teaching business law, ethics, and labor relations and negotiations. Castro has a B.A. from CUNY-Queens College, N.Y. and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston. She has over 30 years of experience as an attorney, including work for Legal Aid, a national law firm, as well as running her own private practice. For the past 16 years, Castro has done consulting work for child advocacy litigation strategies and the prevention of violence against women and young people, in addition to teaching business courses for Upper Iowa University. She is also bilingual.
Chris Kragnes, Sr. will be the visiting professor in leadership, teaching 
courses in leadership theory, organizational behavior, and money and banking. He earned a B.A. in business administration from Baker University in Overland Park, Kans. and both an M.B.A. and a J.D. from Drake University in Des Moines. During his time as a law student, he was selected as a member of the National Order of Barristers for his excellence in courtroom advocacy, and he successfully argued a case before the Iowa Supreme Court that resulted in a defendant being granted a new trial. Kragnes is currently the managing partner for Kragnes & Associates, P.C., where he practices primarily in criminal law and business law with an emphasis on trial advocacy and trial litigation. In addition, he serves on the board of the Iowa Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and the C. Edwin Moore Inns of Court.
Judy Loonan will serve as the visiting professor in marketing and will teach service marketing, marketing research, and contemporary topics in marketing. Loonan has a B.A. in Marketing from Upper Iowa University; an M.B.A. in communication and training technology from the University of Northern Iowa; an M.B.A. in leadership from Upper Iowa University; and classes toward her Ph.D. in adult education and leadership from Drake University, as well as being a Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM). After retiring from Deere & Company with 30 years of service, Loonan started her own company, JL Training and Consulting, that specializes in marketing, management and human resource processes for Fortune 500 and smaller companies. Loonan is involved in community activities and has traveled extensively throughout the United States and overseas.
Frances Methvin will be the visiting professor in financial managem
ent, teaching macroeconomics, corporate financial management and elementary statistics. Methvin has a B.A. in journalism from Louisiana Tech University; an M.B.A. from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., as well as being a Certified Community Developer (CCD). Methvin comes to UIU-Hong Kong from Northwestern State University, where she was a consultant and most recently the assistant director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center. Her other experience includes newspaper reporting, counseling, and teaching for FastTrac®, NXLevel™, Northwestern State University, and Upper Iowa University.
Dr. Richard Schuttler will serve as the visiting professor in 
management at UIU-Hong Kong and teach courses in quantitative decisions in business, management cases, and personal selling in the market place. Schuttler received a B.A. from Troy State University; an M.S. in human resource management from Chapman University; and earned his Ph.D. in applied management and decision sciences from Walden University. He is a retired Naval officer with 23 years of service, he currently owns Organizational Troubleshooter, LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in organizational analysis and strategy in order to increase productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness. Schuttler has also authored several books; held the position of dean at the University of Phoenix; and has been with UIU’s online program since its inception.