Staff Open Forums for Finalists
Minneapolis College has three finalists for the Dean of the School of Nursing, Health Sciences and Wellness and will be hosting a 45-minute Open Forum for each candidate. All faculty and staff are invited to attend these sessions to get to know the candidates.
The Open Forums will be held in-person and on Zoom and each will be recorded for later viewing for those who are unable to attend the live sessions. Attendees will have the opportunity to complete a survey to provide feedback about each candidate.
Forum Dates/Times and Candidates
Monday, June 1, 2–2:45 p.m. in T.2400 and Zoom: John Harper
John Harper Bio
John has nearly ten years of experience at the community and technical college level. He earned both his Bachelor’s in political science and Master’s in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Beginning at South Central College in 2016, John advanced through several student affairs roles, notably serving as primary liaison advisor for Health Science & Nursing. By late 2019, he established a new metro pipeline for health sciences careers and supported health sciences and nursing programs through site visits and accreditation processes. He has led, written and contributed to sections 1A, 1C, 2A, 3F, 3G, and 4A in 2024 and 2025 for the institutions HLC reaffirmation visit in 2021 and the mid-cycle review in 2025.
John led and contributed to HLC reaffirmation and mid-cycle review sections for institutional accreditation in 2021 and 2025. Since May 2020, he has held multiple executive leadership roles in the Office of the President, including Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Interim Director of Admissions & Financial Aid, Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Interim Dean of Career & Technical Education, and Vice President of Retention & Outreach. In July 2023, he became a permanent member of the academic dean’s council for his impact on course success metrics and equity strategies. Due to his relationship with nursing and health science, the largest student success gaps in these departments were eliminated. John now oversees the Faribault campus and is pursuing his doctorate from Morgan State University.
Tuesday, June 2, 2–2:45 p.m. in T.2400 and Zoom: Pangyen (Ben) Weng
Pangyen Weng Bio
Pangyen (Ben) Weng, Ph.D. serves as Interim Dean of the School of Nursing, Health Sciences and Wellness at Minneapolis College, where he provides academic, operational, and accreditation leadership across nursing, dental assisting, allied health, and wellness programs.
In his current position, Dr. Weng guided the Nursing program through its 2026 ACEN accreditation site visit and standardized many of the program's core administrative operations. He increased Nursing Assistant enrollment by 50%. He is also leading the space and capacity expansion for the Dental Assistant program and oversaw the successful launch of the new Sterile Processing program.
Dr. Weng joined Minneapolis College in 2018 as Dean of STEM, where he and his faculty created curriculum innovations that closed equity gaps, increased enrollment, and improved student success, especially for students of color. He launched new STEM programs, promoted inclusive teaching, managed NSF grants supporting underrepresented students, and co-hosted a national conference on accessibility in STEM education.
In 2024–2025, Dr. Weng served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Shoreline College in the Seattle area, overseeing 200+ faculty and staff and a $30 million instructional budget across transfer and career-technical programs, with industry partnerships including Pfizer, Boeing, and Amazon.
Dr. Weng holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Minnesota. He was a tenured mathematics faculty member and department chair at Metropolitan State University.
Monday, June 8, 2–2:45 p.m. in T.2400 and Zoom: Connie Corrigan
Connie Corrigan Bio
Dr. Connie Corrigan is a licensed registered nurse in Pennsylvania. She is an experienced healthcare educator and administrator committed to advancing healthcare education and global healthcare access. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Villa Maria College of Gannon University and a Master of Science in Nursing Education from York College of Pennsylvania. In June 2017, she completed her doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Management at Drexel University. Her dissertation examined the role identity of faculty members who implement student-centered learning strategies in higher education classrooms.
Specializing in perioperative patient care, Dr. Corrigan has dedicated much of her nursing career to clinical excellence, professional development, and service. Since 2000, she has contributed to international healthcare initiatives to expand access to surgical care, serving as a member of surgical teams in the Philippines, India, and Honduras. Her global health experiences have deepened her commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care and interdisciplinary collaboration.
As an educator, Dr. Corrigan has trained perioperative nurses and surgical technologists and holds professional certifications in both fields. She currently serves as Dean of Health Sciences, Kinesiology, and Sport Studies at Bucks County Community College, where she supports academic excellence, workforce development, and student success across healthcare and allied health programs.
In her spare time, Dr. Corrigan enjoys visiting National Park Units throughout the United States. She has currently visited 192 of the 433 existing parks and has created numerous scrapbooks of her journeys.
We hope you are able to attend these Forums to get to know our candidates!