degree in math from Penn State. I've taught for both The Art Institute Online and South University, and joined South University's fulltime online faculty in 2006. I'm currently working on my doctorate in astronomy at James Cook University.”

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why Jim Baer, a full time faculty member for South University online programs, is fascinated by the mysterious world of asteroids and whether they present a threat to Earth.

When Jim isn’t busy teaching mathematics to his students online, he says he enjoys researching and learning about astronomy. “I grew up watching the space program, and I’ve loved astronomy my entire life. The mathematics required for this work also happens to be my area of specialty. This particular application is definitely unique and fascinating. I think it’s remarkable that we can learn so much about the solar system with little more than a desktop PC.”

For the past eight years, Jim has been collaborating with colleagues in Italy and Norway to develop software that will calculate the orbits of near-Earth asteroids. They have even developed an application called CODES, a program that will allow astronomers to calculate the orbits of newly discovered asteroids and determine if they pose a collision threat to Earth.

Additionally, Jim and a colleague have worked on a project to deduce the masses and densities of asteroids by observing how their gravity perturbs the trajectory of other nearby asteroids. The team has successfully determined the masses of 21 asteroids and presented their results at the American Astronomical Society Conference, held in Ann Arbor, Michigan in May 2007.

While Jim enjoys his work in astronomy, he has just as much devotion to his students and appreciates teaching mathematics, “I am fortunate to work with extremely motivated students. South University helps people earn an education that will greatly improve their lives and those of their families. It’s a privilege to have an opportunity to help people so directly.”

While Destini primarily teaches marketing courses, she has also taught Introduction to Business and Principles of Management. But, she says her primary love is teaching marketing courses, including the Principles of Marketing, Service Marketing, Marketing, Sales and Channel Management and Consumer Behavior.

Destini says her career advice for her students is to have them follow their passion. “My career advice is to pursue a field that you love. If you enjoy getting up in the morning and going to work, your life will be fulfilled. When you are passionate about a career and your work life, the money will follow,” says Destini.

Destini thinks the online learning format provides a great opportunity to reach students. “Since the online environment allows students to research and prepare their discussion responses prior to submission, I feel that the quality of our class discussions is at a higher level than what it would be in a face to face environment,” says Destini. She adds, “Even though I do not meet my students face to face, I feel that I get to know each one of them personally through our class interactions. I encourage students to share as much as they like regarding their work and personal life in our classroom.”

And when she isn’t teaching, Destini is an avid recreational tennis player who enjoys both singles and doubles matches.

including, MBA Chair, Associate Dean of Academics at Florida Metropolitan University. Additionally, Lina is a certified addiction counselor, a position she has held for 22 years.

Lina has worked with South University since 2004, an experience she really loves! “There is a clear difference between online and on ground classes. I especially enjoy the online setting as it promotes getting to know one another so much more than on ground. I facilitate Strategies for Success here at South and serve as the Program Director for General Education, Strategies for Success,” says Lina.

As for her personal life, Lina has 3 grown children, and is a proud grandmother of 3 children with whom she enjoys spending time especially since they only live about 45 minutes away from her home.

Recently, Lina married a former college sweetheart. Her husband is a college professor who practices as a biomedical engineer and performs medical gas testing in hospitals and clinics throughout Florida. “We plan to spend many joyful years together and certainly feel blessed to have this opportunity at married life. As a couple we are involved at our church in a ministry with the homeless and I do volunteer counseling for church members,” says Lina.

Professionally, Lina hopes to continue to have the same passion for education as she did when she first entered the field, because she believes that education has been the golden thread that highlights her career throughout the years.

In addition to his teaching position, Orr currently works as a Detective for the Major Crimes Unit with the Spokane Police Department. “This position fits perfectly with my teaching job because of the practical experience I can share with my students. I enjoy teaching online, because this opportunity allows me to be closer to the students. I believe my students are more forthcoming when they are learning online, especially in the chat rooms; they really express themselves on various topics. As an online teacher, I get a chance to share real criminal case scenarios with my students, providing them with a realistic perspective of my day to day work as a Detective.” says, Orr.

Orr’s background in Law Enforcement spans 20 years as a police veteran. During his tenure, he concentrated on interview and forensic lie detection, and became a Certified Polygraph Examiner. His extensive knowledge in the Crime & Criminal Justice Systems also includes providing PCSOT (Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing) polygraph exams for the sex offender population. Additionally, he is experienced in Accident Reconstruction and Forensic Interview and Interrogation.

Orr received a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Washington State University and a M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University.

While Orr doesn’t get much free time, he hopes to carve out more time to utilize his skills as a writer. Currently, he is co-authoring an article that focuses on the issue of Concealed weapon permit holders and their relationship to fear and neighborhood attachments.

And when Orr isn’t working, he likes to spend as much time as possible participating in outdoor activities with his family, enjoying the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

she retired from the media maze to freelance write and continue her education.

In 1997, Lori received her Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Lynn University in Boca Raton and began creating and developing curriculum for online Criminal Justice courses, as well as teaching Criminal Justice courses online at South University.

In 2001, she received her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Lynn University in Boca Raton where her area of specialization was Education Law and School Violence.

Lori served as the Academic Program Director of both the Criminal Justice Bachelor and Master Degree Programs at Florida Metropolitan University. After four years, she stepped down from that position to go back into the distance learning arena and began teaching at South University in 2006.

In January 2007, Lori became the full time Lead Faculty for the Criminal Justice Programs at South University, a position she really enjoys. “I love teaching, writing and researching. I always tell my students you must have a passion for what you do, or you never will feel fulfilled. I believe that we can do anything we set out to accomplish if we are dedicated and motivated. South University offers me the sense of community of a small school and stimulation of a growing and innovative university. I teach many courses, from master’s degree level classes in Ethics to Family Violence classes in the bachelor’s degree program,” says Lori.

On a personal note, Lori is married, has two children, two stepchildren, and a cat. For fun, she paints, sculpts, cooks, and spends most of her leisure time in bookstores, online, or in her garden.