Mari Beth Linder, PhD, MSN, RN-BC, CNE

Mari Beth Linder is the Practical Nursing Coordinator at Carthage Technical Center. She attended Pittsburg State University and completed the BSN degree.  After working as a registered nurse for several years, she completed the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree at the University of Mississippi with emphasis in maternal-child health and nursing education.  She later completed the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at University of Missouri - Kansas City.

Dr. Linder has taught nursing students at various levels of entry into nursing practice, including practical nurse education, associate degree, baccalaureate degree and master's degree education.  She has contributed numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters in nursing texts and journals.  She served on the editorial board of the Journal of Radiology Nursing.  She also served on various committees for the Missouri Board of Nursing, and on site visit teams for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Jo Ellen Branstetter, RN, MS, MS(N), PhD

Jo Ellen Branstetter earned a BSN from Pittsburg State University (PSU) in 1984 and an MS in Special Services and Administrative Studies (Community College/Psychology) from PSU in 1992. She also earned an MSN (Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist track) and a PhD (research methods) from the University of Kansas School of Nursing in 1997 and 2007, respectively. During her career, Dr. Branstetter has worked in medical-surgical, pediatric, intensive care, obstetric/newborn, and psychiatric/mental health nursing. In addition, she has worked as a community health nurse (including immunization, well-baby, and family planning clinics; school nursing, and as a corrections facility nurse) and as an executive director for the American Cancer Society. For the last 29 years, Dr. Branstetter has been a nurse educator teaching in entry-level (AND/ASN, BSN, accelerated BSN), MSN, and DNP programs. Dr. Branstetter has authored/co-authored several publications and served as a textbook reviewer and co-chair of numerous programmatic and institutional accreditation teams. Dr. Branstetter has presented (invited) at regional and national conferences related to regional accreditation and research efforts. Dr. Branstetter has three fur babies.

Jessica Barrett, RN, BSN

Jessica Barrett is a former Carthage graduate from CHS in 2000.  She then went to MSSU and graduated Nursing School in 2005 with her RN BSN.  Jessica has worked as a Pediatric nurse, NICU nurse, and in Newborn Nursery at Freeman Hospital.  She also has worked as the school nurse at the Carthage Jr. High School.  Jessica taught at Crowder College as a clinical instructor, where she found her love for teaching nursing students.  Jessica is married, has 3 kids that love all things sports (baseball, softball, and basketball) and they also have 3 dogs.