Profile

Ms. Jennifer Ellis

Program Director,
Northwood Technical College
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Contact Details

Northwood Technical College
Superior, WI

Ms. Jennifer Ellis


Program Director,
Northwood Technical College

Bio

Jennifer is the Program Director and northern tier instructor of the Gerontology-Aging Services Professional Program at Northwood Technical College.  She brings extensive experience as a human services and gerontology educator and practitioner.  She spent 20 years working in the long-term care industry, most recently in numerous roles with Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc., a not-for-profit owner/operator of continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) on the East Coast.  She has specialized training and experience in therapeutic recreation programming for individuals with dementia.  Jennifer served on many committees throughout her tenure with the organization including multiple CARF reaccreditation teams.   Most recently Jennifer was the volunteer coordinator and office manager for ACTS’ start-up hospice program focusing on end-of-life care in the CCRC environment.  In addition to working in the field, she has taught at three institutions of higher education in the greater Philadelphia area at the community college, Bachelors, and Masters levels.

Jennifer has a Master's of Science degree in the Administration of Human Services from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, with a concentration in adult and aging services.  Her master’s thesis was on culture change in long-term care communities, focusing on the movement from institution to home.  She holds a certificate in Gerontology from Montgomery County Community College (Blue Bell, PA), a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology from the College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, MN), and an Associate of Arts degree in Pre-Physical Therapy from Waldorf University (formerly Waldorf College) in Forest City, IA.   Currently, Jennifer is pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership in Gerontology at Concordia University – Chicago.

In 2010, she received her Board Certification as a Human Services Practitioner (HS-BCP).  She was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and lived on the East Coast for 16 years prior to joining Northwood Technical College in May, 2015.  She is a volunteer self-study reader for the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE), an organization that accredits human services programs throughout the United States.  She is a member of the National Organization for Human Services, and serves on multiple caregiver coalitions and workforce development committees throughout the region.  She is also on the advisory board for the Wisconsin Dementia Resource Network.
*Note:  Northwood Technical College was formerly known as Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC).

Education

Concordia University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Ph.D. - Leadership and Gerontology (in progress), 2024
2019 To
Dissertation: Gerontology education and career pathways from K12 to post-secondary education

Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Master's of Science degree, 2007
Administration of Human Services w/ a Concentration in Adult and Aging Services
2005 To 2007
Dissertation: "The Changing Face of Long-Term Care" (culture change)
Advisor: Elaine Green, Ed.D., HS-BCP

Montgomery County Community College
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States
Certificate, 2003
Gerontology
2001 To 2003
Advisor: Maureen B. Rose, MSW

The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, Minnesota, United States
Bachelor of Arts, 1999
Biology, Minor in Psychology
1996 To 1999

Waldorf University
Forest City, Iowa, United States
Associate of Arts, 1996
Pre-Physical Therapy
1994 To 1996

Job History

Montgomery County Community College
Senior Adjunct Instructor
Blue Bell, PA, United States
August 2008 - present

Wilmington University
Adjunct Instructor
New Castle, DE, United States
August 2014 - June 2019

Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.
Several positions held
Ambler, PA, United States
April 1999 - May 2015

Areas Of Expertise

  • Alzheimer's Disease
  • Dementia
  • Education: Elders
  • Education: Other
  • Education: Service Providers
  • Education: Undergraduate/Graduate Students
  • Long-Term Care
  • Long-Term Care: Care Issues for Elders with Dementia
  • Long-Term Care: Case Management
  • Long-Term Care: Placement/Transfer/Discharge
  • Long-Term Care: Quality of Care/Evaluation of Services
  • Long-Term Care: Recreational/Educational Activities for Institutionalized Elders
  • Long-Term Care: Service Delivery/Utilization
  • Long-Term Care: Staff Roles/Turnover/Staffing Patterns
  • Recreational Therapy
  • Volunteerism: Elder as Volunteer
  • Volunteerism: Working with Elders

Discipline

  • Gerontology