Ridgewater College Announces Dean of Technical and Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences Appointments
December 23, 2025
WILLMAR and HUTCHINSON, MN – Mike Kutzke, Vice President of Academic Affairs, is pleased to announce the appointment of Katy Lundell-Stuhr, DC as Ridgewater’s Dean of Technical Programs. Katy has been an integral part of Ridgewater College since 2014, serving as a Massage Therapy Instructor and Program Director. She has also chaired the Learning Effectiveness Action Plan (LEAP) committee since 2022. LEAP is a comprehensive process to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction.
Katy brings a wealth of experience and expertise in teaching, assessment, and program development to her new role. She previously operated Lundell Chiropractic Health Center, Granite Falls, MN (2010-2017), she earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Northwestern Health Sciences University and she was also honored with the Minnesota State Outstanding Educator Award in 2020.
“I am confident that Katy’s leadership and vision will greatly benefit our technical programs and Ridgewater College” stated Mike Kutzke.
Ridgewater is also excited to announce that Bethany Sweeney has accepted the position of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean at Ridgewater College. She will officially begin her role on January 13, 2026.
Bethany holds a PhD in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master of Arts in History from the University of California, Irvine. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Cornell University. Bethany previously worked 11 years at a community college in Iowa, where she served as Professor of English and History, Pathway Academic Chair of several humanities and social science disciplines, and Acting Associate Academic Dean of Education, Communication, and the Humanities.
To learn more about Ridgewater College visit ridgewater.edu.