Core Faculty

Tom Balles, M.Ac., L.Ac.(UK), Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), is a practicing acupuncturist since 1985 and teaches in all three of Tai Sophia Institute’s master’s degree programs. He also facilitates one-on-one and group business workshops in team building, communication skills, improving work habits, conflict resolution, and leadership development. Mr. Balles is the author of Dancing with the Ten Thousand Things: Ways to Become a Healing Presence and “Cultivating a Healing Presence,” a guide.

Katherine Johnson, Ed.D., M.A.T., PCC, is a life coach, a teacher-facilitator, and a consultant.  She holds doctorate in Professional and Organizational Development in Education from University of Maryland and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from George Washington University.  Dr. Johnson has had a 25-year career in the field of professional development and university teaching.  She coordinated leadership development for Howard County, Maryland public schools, and taught graduate level courses for The Johns Hopkins University and Loyola College in Maryland.  She is an adjunct faculty member at Tai Sophia Institute as well as at Anne Arundel Community College.  Johnson is a Master Certified Life Coach through Coach for Life's accredited coach trainig program, and she is credentialed by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC).

Cheryl Walker M.L., MCC, is Program Manager for Tai Sophia Institute’s Health and Wellness Coaching graduate certificate programs, Program Director of  the Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change program, and an independent leadership development consultant. Ms. Walker has a Master of Leadership from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and holds a Master Certified Coach (MCC) certification from the International Coach Federation.

Distinguished Guest Lecturers

Karl Ardo, M.F.A., is a certified Five Element teacher of Qi Gong and a National Qi Gong Association-certified Qi Gong clinical therapist, a Level III Advanced Qi Gong Instructor as well as a certified Zero Balancer®. He has studied, practiced, and taught several types of Chinese disciplines including Medical Qi Gong, meditation, and Tai Chi since 1974. In addition, Karl teaches advanced Qi Gong healing techniques and offers Zero Balancing services and individual Qi Gong sessions through his private practice.

Janet Baldwin Anderson, Ph.D., ACC, is a certified coach and instructor, specializing in evidence-based coaching theories and the neuroscience of coaching. She is President of JBA Coaching Services, LLC, and adjunct faculty member of Fielding Graduate University. Dr. Anderson has authored or co-authored more than 30 published papers and book chapters, and lectures on leadership, coaching competencies, mindfulness, and the new brain science at national conferences and for special interest groups. Before her career in coaching, she was Managing Analyst and Deputy Director at the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C., and directed research activities for the GED Testing Service and the Center for Adult Learning and Educational Credentials at the American Councils on Education. Dr. Baldwin is an ICF-certified leadership coach, credentialed by Georgetown University's Center for Professional Development. She earned her Ph.D. in education research and evaluation methods at the University of Maryland, and her M.Ed. and B.A. degrees at the University Florida.

Robert Duggan, M.A., M.Ac.(UK), Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), Co-Founder and President Emeritus of Tai Sophia Institute, has practiced traditional acupuncture since 1973. He holds a master’s degree in human relations and community studies from New York University as well as a master’s in moral theology from St. Joseph’s Seminary, and received his master’s certification in acupuncture from the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (UK). A national leader in the development of the acupuncture profession and the emerging healing arts community, he has served as a commissioner of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, on the board of trustees of the Horizon Foundation (a community wellness foundation in Howard County, Maryland, which in 2008 honored him with its annual Leadership Award), and a panelist at meetings sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In February 2009, Duggan testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and in November 2009, he was among 20 leading thinkers, innovators, artists, philosophers, and entertainers selected to present at the first TEDx MidAtlantic Conference. Mr. Duggan lectures throughout the United States and abroad, and is author of Common Sense for the Healing Arts (2003).

Ali Hall, J.D., is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and an independent consultant and trainer. Ms. Hall has designed and facilitated over 300 Motivational Interviewing workshops for behavioral health clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, program administrators, educators, social and child welfare workers, healthcare providers, health coaches, and criminal/juvenile justice professionals, and provides training for trainers in evidence-based practices. She is a training associate for the Michigan-based Center for Strength-Based Strategies as well as the Behavioral Healthcare Institute of the University of North Carolina School of Social Work. She provides MI coding and skill development coaching, and provides consultation to systems for effective MI implementation. Ms. Hall spent her undergraduate years at Occidental College in Los Angeles, completing her graduate studies at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University as well as the Cornell University School of Law.

James Snow, RH(AHG), is the director of the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia Institute and a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild (AHG). He has been working in the field of herbal medicine since 1986, completing the herbal residency program at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in 1991. Mr. Snow has been in private clinical practice since 1994, blending traditional herbal wisdom with modern research perspectives. He has recently served as a reviewer for the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

Rebecca Snow M.S., LDN, RH(AHG), CNS, has been working in the field of herbal medicine since 1998. She is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.  She completed coursework at the Dreamtime Center of Herbal Studies with herbalists Kathleen Maier, Matthew Wood, and Stephen Buhner. After receiving a Master of Science in Herbal Medicine from Tai Sophia Institute in 2004, Ms. Snow practiced as an herbalist and nutritionist at an integrative medical practice for 5 years. Ms. Snow is certified as a nutrition specialist (CNS) through the American College of Nutrition and is a licensed nutritionist in the State of Maryland.

Core Faculty

Bevin Clare, M.S., LDN, CNS, RH(AHG), is the Clinical Division chair of the Herbal Medicine program. She is a clinical herbalist and nutritionist with a deep love of plants. Bevin holds a M.S. in Infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with her thesis research conducted at the NIA (National Institute on Aging) at the National Institutes of Health, and a B.S. in ethnobotany from Lesley University. Bevin has studied herbal medicine around the world and blends her knowledge of traditional uses of plants with modern science and contemporary healthcare strategies. Bevin also serves on the faculty of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, is on the board of directors of United Plant Savers, is codirector of the Herbal Clinic for All, and lectures nationally. Bevin is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild and has served on their governing council since 2002.

Sara Eisenburg, M.S., is a clinical herbalist practicing at Ruscombe Community Health Center in Baltimore, Maryland, where she offers herbal consultations, healing work, and workshops based in the Jewish wisdom tradition. With more than 30 years of experience as a guide, facilitator, and educator in the healing arts, Ms. Eisenberg also holds a Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from Tai Sophia Institute. Prior to her studies at Tai Sophia she served for six years as Director of The Center for Health Enhancement, a full-service complementary care center at St. Joseph Medical Center.

Simon Mills, M.A., FNIMH, MCPP, is is currently a Director of Sustaincare Community Interest Company, a new international social enterprise corporation, registered in England, that is becoming a major educational and information resource for empowering local communities in their self care. He was the founder of Tai Sophia Institute’s Masters of Science in Herbal Medicine program and served as the program’s first Director from 2000 to 2006. Mr. Mills graduated in medical sciences from Cambridge University, completed the 4-year professional training program at the 145-year-old National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and has practiced as a medical herbalist since 1977. In 1987, he co-founded the Centre for Complementary Health Studies at the University of Exeter the first such university centre in the world, and pioneered the establishment of clear professional and academic standards in the practice of complementary health care. He was Special Advisor to the seminal report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the British House of Lords in 2000. Simon's mission has been to mobilize resilience and self care beyond medical practice. He has recently led a major self care project on behalf of the UK government and spearheads a broad new professional orientation to self care in that country. He has published widely in the scientific literature, including controlled clinical trials and other primary research, and lectures around the world. He has written many books, including two standard texts with Kerry Bone: The Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy (2000) and The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety (2005).

Andrew Pengelly, Ph.D., RH (AHG), FNHAA, has completed professional training programs in botanical medicine, naturopathy, and homeopathy in 1983 at the Southern Cross Herbal School in Australia and obtained his doctorate in Food Science from the University of Newcastle in Australia in 2009. During this period, he practiced as a clinical herbalist, lectured widely in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, and was nominated a Fellow of the National Herbalists Association of Australia. Dr. Pengelly is the director of Tai Sophia’s herbal dispensary and is the principal investigator of a current Tai Sophia clinical trial on the medicinal qualities of culinary herbs.

James Snow, RH(AHG), is the director of the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia Institute and a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild (AHG). He has been working in the field of herbal medicine since 1986, completing the herbal residency program at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in 1991. Mr. Snow has been in private clinical practice since 1994, blending traditional herbal wisdom with modern research perspectives. He has recently served as a reviewer for the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

Distinguished Guest Lecturers

Robert Duggan, M.A., M.Ac.(UK), Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), Co-Founder and President Emeritus of Tai Sophia Institute, has practiced traditional acupuncture since 1973. He holds a master’s degree in human relations and community studies from New York University as well as a master’s in moral theology from St. Joseph’s Seminary, and received his master’s certification in acupuncture from the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (UK). A national leader in the development of the acupuncture profession and the emerging healing arts community, he has served as a commissioner of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, on the board of trustees of the Horizon Foundation (a community wellness foundation in Howard County, Maryland, which in 2008 honored him with its annual Leadership Award), and a panelist at meetings sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In February 2009, Duggan testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and in November 2009, he was among 20 leading thinkers, innovators, artists, philosophers, and entertainers selected to present at the first TEDx MidAtlantic Conference. Mr. Duggan lectures throughout the United States and abroad, and is author of Common Sense for the Healing Arts (2003).

James A. “Jim” Duke, Ph.D., had a 32-year career with the United States Department of Agriculture as an economic botanist with a Ph.D. in botany from the University of North Carolina. While at the USDA, Dr. Duke developed the agency's Phytochemical and Ethnobotantical Databases. Today, Duke is a world-renowned ethnobotanist, owns and operates the Green Farmacy Garden, serves as distinguished lecturer in the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia Institute, and continues to compile data on medicinal plants and update several of his 30 published books. Fluent in Spanish, Dr. Duke leads ethnobotanical trips to ecologically rich areas of the world. Duke is a Phi Eta Sigma and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), where he was elected distinguished alumnus some 50 years after his degree was conferred.

James Kinsinger, Ph.D., is a consultant to the food and dietary supplement industry. Dr. Kinsinger received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in Analytical Chemistry.  He served as Quality Assurance Director and Corporate Director of Regulatory Affairs for Celestial Seasonings and the Hain Celestial Group.  Prior to that experience, Dr. Kinsinger worked for The Industrial Laboratories Company in a variety of positions, including Sales Manager, Laboratory Director and Vice President, Chief Science Officer, providing trainings in quality product documentation and procedure.  Dr. Kinsinger has served as a member of the American Herbal Products Association’s Board of Directors and chaired the Standards Committee.

Core Faculty

Bevin Clare, M.S., LDN, CNS, RH(AHG), is the Clinical Division chair of the Herbal Medicine program. She is a clinical herbalist and nutritionist with a deep love of plants. Bevin holds a M.S. in Infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with her thesis research conducted at the NIA (National Institute on Aging) at the National Institutes of Health, and a B.S. in ethnobotany from Lesley University. Bevin has studied herbal medicine around the world and blends her knowledge of traditional uses of plants with modern science and contemporary healthcare strategies. Bevin also serves on the faculty of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, is on the board of directors of United Plant Savers, is codirector of the Herbal Clinic for All, and lectures nationally. Bevin is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild and has served on their governing council since 2002.

Sara Eisenburg, M.S., is a clinical herbalist practicing at Ruscombe Community Health Center in Baltimore, Maryland, where she offers herbal consultations, healing work, and workshops based in the Jewish wisdom tradition. With more than 30 years of experience as a guide, facilitator, and educator in the healing arts, Ms. Eisenberg also holds a Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from Tai Sophia Institute. Prior to her studies at Tai Sophia she served for six years as Director of The Center for Health Enhancement, a full-service complementary care center at St. Joseph Medical Center.

Simon Mills, M.A., FNIMH, MCPP, is is currently a Director of Sustaincare Community Interest Company, a new international social enterprise corporation, registered in England, that is becoming a major educational and information resource for empowering local communities in their self care. He was the founder of Tai Sophia Institute’s Masters of Science in Herbal Medicine program and served as the program’s first Director from 2000 to 2006. Mr. Mills graduated in medical sciences from Cambridge University, completed the 4-year professional training program at the 145-year-old National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and has practiced as a medical herbalist since 1977. In 1987, he co-founded the Centre for Complementary Health Studies at the University of Exeter the first such university centre in the world, and pioneered the establishment of clear professional and academic standards in the practice of complementary health care. He was Special Advisor to the seminal report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the British House of Lords in 2000. Simon's mission has been to mobilize resilience and self care beyond medical practice. He has recently led a major self care project on behalf of the UK government and spearheads a broad new professional orientation to self care in that country. He has published widely in the scientific literature, including controlled clinical trials and other primary research, and lectures around the world. He has written many books, including two standard texts with Kerry Bone: The Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy (2000) and The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety (2005).

Andrew Pengelly, Ph.D., RH (AHG), FNHAA, is completed professional training programs in botanical medicine, naturopathy, and homeopathy in 1983 at the Southern Cross Herbal School in Australia and obtained his doctorate in Food Science from the University of Newcastle in Australia in 2009. During this period, he practiced as a clinical herbalist, lectured widely in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, and was nominated a Fellow of the National Herbalists Association of Australia. Dr. Pengelly is the director of Tai Sophia’s herbal dispensary and is the principal investigator of a current Tai Sophia clinical trial on the medicinal qualities of culinary herbs.

James Snow, RH(AHG), is the director of the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia Institute and a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild (AHG). He has been working in the field of herbal medicine since 1986, completing the herbal residency program at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in 1991. Mr. Snow has been in private clinical practice since 1994, blending traditional herbal wisdom with modern research perspectives. He has recently served as a reviewer for the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

Distinguished Guest Lecturers

Jerry Cott, Ph.D., is a researcher, writer, lecturer, and scientific consultant for conventional and complementary health care and academia. He has lectured at major universities and international meetings for more than 25 years. His research interests include psychotherapeutic drug development and the treatment of mental disorders by the rational use of conventional drugs and/or nutritional and botanical supplements. Dr. Cott has more than 80 scientific publications and was most recently Chief of the Psychopharmacology Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Cott has also done research in the pharmaceutical industry and currently reviews new drugs with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Robert Duggan, M.A., M.Ac.(UK), Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), Co-Founder and President Emeritus of Tai Sophia Institute, has practiced traditional acupuncture since 1973. He holds a master’s degree in human relations and community studies from New York University as well as a master’s in moral theology from St. Joseph’s Seminary, and received his master’s certification in acupuncture from the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (UK). A national leader in the development of the acupuncture profession and the emerging healing arts community, he has served as a commissioner of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, on the board of trustees of the Horizon Foundation (a community wellness foundation in Howard County, Maryland, which in 2008 honored him with its annual Leadership Award), and a panelist at meetings sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In February 2009, Duggan testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and in November 2009, he was among 20 leading thinkers, innovators, artists, philosophers, and entertainers selected to present at the first TEDx MidAtlantic Conference. Mr. Duggan lectures throughout the United States and abroad, and is author of Common Sense for the Healing Arts (2003).

James A. “Jim” Duke, Ph.D., had a 32-year career with the United States Department of Agriculture as an economic botanist with a Ph.D. in botany from the University of North Carolina. While at the USDA, Dr. Duke developed the agency's Phytochemical and Ethnobotantical Databases. Today, Duke is a world-renowned ethnobotanist, owns and operates the Green Farmacy Garden, serves as distinguished lecturer in the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia Institute, and continues to compile data on medicinal plants and update several of his 30 published books. Fluent in Spanish, Dr. Duke leads ethnobotanical trips to ecologically rich areas of the world. Duke is a Phi Eta Sigma and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), where he was elected distinguished alumnus some 50 years after his degree was conferred.

James Kinsinger, Ph.D., had a 32-year career with the United States Department of Agriculture as an economic botanist with a Ph.D. in botany from the University of North Carolina. While at the USDA, Dr. Duke developed the agency's Phytochemical and Ethnobotantical Databases. Today, Duke is a world-renowned ethnobotanist, owns and operates the Green Farmacy Garden, serves as distinguished lecturer in the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia Institute, and continues to compile data on medicinal plants and update several of his 30 published books. Fluent in Spanish, Dr. Duke leads ethnobotanical trips to ecologically rich areas of the world. Duke is a Phi Eta Sigma and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), where he was elected distinguished alumnus some 50 years after his degree was conferred.

Gerard Mullin, M.D., M.S., CNSP, is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University, as well as Director of Integrative GI Nutrition Services at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. An internist, gastroenterologist, and nutritionist, Dr. Mullin is internationally renowned for his work in integrative gastroenterology and nutrition, having accumulated over 15 years of clinical experience in the field. Dr. Mullin is the only physician in the United States who is board- certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine for Gastroenterology, the American Society of Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition, the American College of Nutrition, and the American Board of Nutrition Physician Specialists. He is an associate editor of Integrative Medicine: a Clinicians Journal and has recently been selected by Dr. Andrew Weil to serve as a senior editor for the first book for physicians on integrative gastroenterology by Oxford Press.

Core Faculty

Anne Huyler Baker, a graduate of the first Applied Healing Arts (now Transformative Leadership and Social Change) master's degree class, came to Tai Sophia Institute from a lifelong career in education where she taught mathematics and science and served as a school administrator. In these roles, she also implemented community service and outdoor education programs, and directed creative arts camps. At Tai Sophia, Anne is a teacher, advisor, and Transformative Practice Group leader. Beyond her work for Tai Sophia, she is a practitioner of Aquatic Integration Therapy, Reiki, Zero Balancing, Craniosacral Therapy, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and other energy modalities. In addition, she holds retreats at her farm/retreat center in Maryland and has taught numerous workshops on topics including: stillness, meditation, the sacred Labyrinth, EFT, and psychokinesis. Anne is a lifelong educator whose passion is empowering people of all ages to find their own personal stillness. She brings a promise to life of “joyful grounded nurturing of infinite possibilities.”

Tom Balles, M.Ac., L.Ac.(UK), Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), teaches in all of Tai Sophia Institute’s master’s degree programs as well as in the Institute’s Transformative Leadership, Health Coaching, and Wellness Coaching graduate certificate programs and has been a practicing acupuncturist since 1985. Mr. Balles facilitates one-on-one and group business workshops in team building, communication skills, improving work habits, conflict resolution, and leadership development. He is the author of Dancing with the Ten Thousand Things: Ways to Become a Powerful Healing Presence and “Cultivating Healing Presence ,” a guide.

Co-founder and Chancellor Emeritus of Tai Sophia Institute, and a practitioner of traditional acupuncture since 1973, Dr. Connelly received her master's qualification from the College of Traditional Acupuncture (UK) in 1979. She earned a doctorate in crosscultural medicine from Union Graduate School in 1975, a master's degree from New York University School of Education in 1970, and her bachelor's degree from Le Moyne College in 1967. An international lecturer (she lectures regularly in Italy and Germany), Connelly is the author of Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements (1975), All Sickness is Homesickness (1986), Medicine Words: Language of Love for the Treatment Room of Life (2009), and with Katherine Hancock Porter, Alive and Awake: Wisdom for Kids (2003). She is the mother of Blaize, Jade, and Caeli, as well as grandmother to Tamar, Lennox, Rianna, Roman, and Maxim.

Bob Devlin, M.A., is president of Transformation Strategies, Inc., a Washington DC Leadership Consultancy with a global reach. He serves as executive consultant, strategic thinking partner, and coach to leaders and senior teams as they learn to lead more boldly and implement change. Bob's clients say he builds extraordinary relationships that lead to breakthrough conversations and create new ways of interacting and doing business. He is the creator of Leadership in Action and the Alignment and Action Process, which are leadership development and change methodologies used in business and government. As director and senior faculty member of the Georgetown University Organization Development Program for seven years, he trained and coached hundreds of leaders and consultants in the complex dynamics of systems change. He currently works nationally and internationally with clients such as global publisher Pearson PLC, global financial services firm SWIFT, Gettysburg College, national associations, the US Army, and government agencies including the Department of Agriculture, Federal Drug and Food Administration, and Department of Homeland Security. He holds a B.A. in International Studies and an M.A. in Human Resource Development from George Washington University, with advanced study in Organization Development.

Robert Duggan, M.A., M.Ac.(UK), Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), Co-Founder and President Emeritus of Tai Sophia Institute, has practiced traditional acupuncture since 1973. He holds a master’s degree in human relations and community studies from New York University as well as a master’s in moral theology from St. Joseph’s Seminary, and received his master’s certification in acupuncture from the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (UK). A national leader in the development of the acupuncture profession and the emerging healing arts community, he has served as a commissioner of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, on the board of trustees of the Horizon Foundation (a community wellness foundation in Howard County, Maryland, which in 2008 honored him with its annual Leadership Award), and a panelist at meetings sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In February 2009, Duggan testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and in November 2009, he was among 20 leading thinkers, innovators, artists, philosophers, and entertainers selected to present at the first TEDx MidAtlantic Conference. Mr. Duggan lectures throughout the United States and abroad, and is author of Common Sense for the Healing Arts (2003).

Susan Duggan, M.Ac., a graduate of Skidmore College with a specialization in Health and Human Services, has practiced bodywork since 1986 and taught at the Potomac Massage Therapy Institute in Washington, DC. She holds a Master of Acupuncture degree from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute (now Tai Sophia Institute) and teaches classes on the arts of living and dying. Prior to her studies of acupuncture and bodywork she coordinated educational programs at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Susan is an alumna of the Academy for the Love of Learning.

John G. Sullivan, Ph.D., J.C.D., is the principal designer of Tai Sophia's Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change program (formerly Master of Arts in Applied Healing Arts) and a long-time participant in the work of Tai Sophia. Dr. Sullivan is Maude Sharpe Powell Professor of Philosophy Emeritus and Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Elon University in North Carolina. He holds two earned doctorates: a J.C.D. (canon law) from Lateran University in Rome (1966) and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1985). Dr. Sullivan is the author of four books: To Come to Life More Fully, Living Large: Transformative Work at the Intersection of Ethics and Spirituality, The Spiral of Seasons: Welcoming the Gifts of Later Life and The Fourfold Path to Wholeness: A Compass for the Heart. His abiding interest is the place where philosophy, psychology, and spirituality - East, West, and beyond - intersect and mutually enhance one another. He is currently working on issues of spirituality and later life. See his essays.

Transformative Practice Group Leaders

Robert Gordon, M.S.O.D., M.A., M.S. (candidate), is an organizational consultant specializing in professional education, organization development, and leadership development. Bob also provides counseling and life, career, and leadership coaching at the Imago Center of Washington DC and the Pastoral Counseling and Consultation Centers of Greater Washington. Bob has over 25 years of experience in the field of professional education, training, and organization development. He led the leadership development programs for three federal agencies and designed the first corporate university for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. During his time in the federal government, Bob was honored with five Secretary of Labor Exceptional Achievement Awards for designing and delivering professional instruction and consulting initiatives that achieved measurable improvements in organizational effectiveness and quality. His “Breaking Barriers to Achievement” program, which he launched at the U.S. Department of Commerce, was a featured presentation at the American Society of Training and Development. Bob holds a Master of Science degree in Organization Development (M.S.O.D.) from American University in partnership with the NTL Institute of Applied Behavioral Science. He is also a graduate of Tai Sophia’s Master of Arts program in Applied Healing Arts, where he was given the Herbert C. Brown Community Service Award. Bob completes his Master of Science degree in counseling from Loyola University Maryland in December 2011. Bob has been a student, practitioner, and teacher of world wisdom traditions for over 30 years, several as a monastic. He is a member of the National Career Development Association, the Mid-Atlantic Association for Imago Relationship Therapists, Spiritual Directors International, and the International Association for Spirit at Work.

Nancy Takahashi, M.Ac., ., has served in the human services and community health fields and counseled in outpatient and college settings for over 16 years. She received a master’s degree in Acupuncture from the Tai Sophia Institute; practices in Ashton, MD; and teaches in the Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and Transformative Leadership and Social Change Programs.

Jill Weinknecht Wardell, M.A.., is a coach, facilitator, and founder of Partnership Works Coaching and Consulting. Specializing in relationship coaching, her life’s work is creating transformative and sustainable partnerships in personal and professional life. Ms. Wardell is a graduate of The Newfield Network, an ICF accredited coach training school and has created and facilitated numerous educational and coaching workshops and public events. She is a graduate of Tai Sophia Institute's Transformative Leadership and Social Change program and is a Transformative Practice Group leader. For her day job, she is part of a two-person team at UMBC that facilitates Training and Organization Development and runs the campus Wellness Initiative for faculty, staff, and students. Her latest work project is an 8-week Meditation Boot Camp, a mindfulness and change-management class aimed at teaching the embodiment of mindfulness to increase one's capacity to respond peacefully and skillfully to curve balls in life. A devoted wife to Tom and mother to Alexander, she is expanding her brood in January 2012 and looks forward to welcoming baby Scarlett.

Core Faculty

Tom Balles, M.Ac., L.Ac.(UK), Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), is a practicing acupuncturist since 1985 and teaches in all three of Tai Sophia Institute’s master’s degree programs. He also facilitates one-on-one and group business workshops in team building, communication skills, improving work habits, conflict resolution, and leadership development. Mr. Balles is the author of Dancing with the Ten Thousand Things: Ways to Become a Healing Presence and “Cultivating a Healing Presence,” a guide.

Katherine Johnson, Ed.D., M.A.T., PCC, is a life coach, a teacher-facilitator, and a consultant.  She holds doctorate in Professional and Organizational Development in Education from University of Maryland and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from George Washington University.  Dr. Johnson has had a 25-year career in the field of professional development and university teaching.  She coordinated leadership development for Howard County, Maryland public schools, and taught graduate level courses for The Johns Hopkins University and Loyola College in Maryland.  She is an adjunct faculty member at Tai Sophia Institute as well as at Anne Arundel Community College.  Johnson is a Master Certified Life Coach through Coach for Life's accredited coach trainig program, and she is credentialed by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC).

Cheryl Walker M.L., MCC, is Program Manager for Tai Sophia Institute’s Health and Wellness Coaching graduate certificate programs, Program Director of  the Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change program, and an independent leadership development consultant. Ms. Walker has a Master of Leadership from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and holds a Master Certified Coach (MCC) certification from the International Coach Federation.

Distinguished Guest Lecturers

Karl Ardo, M.F.A., is a certified Five Element teacher of Qi Gong and a National Qi Gong Association-certified Qi Gong clinical therapist, a Level III Advanced Qi Gong Instructor as well as a certified Zero Balancer®. He has studied, practiced, and taught several types of Chinese disciplines including Medical Qi Gong, meditation, and Tai Chi since 1974. In addition, Karl teaches advanced Qi Gong healing techniques and offers Zero Balancing services and individual Qi Gong sessions through his private practice.

Janet Baldwin Anderson, Ph.D., ACC, is a certified coach and instructor, specializing in evidence-based coaching theories and the neuroscience of coaching. She is President of JBA Coaching Services, LLC, and adjunct faculty member of Fielding Graduate University. Dr. Anderson has authored or co-authored more than 30 published papers and book chapters, and lectures on leadership, coaching competencies, mindfulness, and the new brain science at national conferences and for special interest groups. Before her career in coaching, she was Managing Analyst and Deputy Director at the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C., and directed research activities for the GED Testing Service and the Center for Adult Learning and Educational Credentials at the American Councils on Education. Dr. Baldwin is an ICF-certified leadership coach, credentialed by Georgetown University's Center for Professional Development. She earned her Ph.D. in education research and evaluation methods at the University of Maryland, and her M.Ed. and B.A. degrees at the University Florida.

Robert Duggan, M.A., M.Ac.(UK), Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), Co-Founder and President Emeritus of Tai Sophia Institute, has practiced traditional acupuncture since 1973. He holds a master’s degree in human relations and community studies from New York University as well as a master’s in moral theology from St. Joseph’s Seminary, and received his master’s certification in acupuncture from the College of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (UK). A national leader in the development of the acupuncture profession and the emerging healing arts community, he has served as a commissioner of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, on the board of trustees of the Horizon Foundation (a community wellness foundation in Howard County, Maryland, which in 2008 honored him with its annual Leadership Award), and a panelist at meetings sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In February 2009, Duggan testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and in November 2009, he was among 20 leading thinkers, innovators, artists, philosophers, and entertainers selected to present at the first TEDx MidAtlantic Conference. Mr. Duggan lectures throughout the United States and abroad, and is author of Common Sense for the Healing Arts (2003).

Ali Hall, J.D., is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and an independent consultant and trainer. Ms. Hall has designed and facilitated over 300 Motivational Interviewing workshops for behavioral health clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, program administrators, educators, social and child welfare workers, healthcare providers, health coaches, and criminal/juvenile justice professionals, and provides training for trainers in evidence-based practices. She is a training associate for the Michigan-based Center for Strength-Based Strategies as well as the Behavioral Healthcare Institute of the University of North Carolina School of Social Work. She provides MI coding and skill development coaching, and provides consultation to systems for effective MI implementation. Ms. Hall spent her undergraduate years at Occidental College in Los Angeles, completing her graduate studies at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University as well as the Cornell University School of Law.

James Snow, RH(AHG), is the director of the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia Institute and a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild (AHG). He has been working in the field of herbal medicine since 1986, completing the herbal residency program at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in 1991. Mr. Snow has been in private clinical practice since 1994, blending traditional herbal wisdom with modern research perspectives. He has recently served as a reviewer for the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

Rebecca Snow M.S., LDN, RH(AHG), CNS, has been working in the field of herbal medicine since 1998. She is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.  She completed coursework at the Dreamtime Center of Herbal Studies with herbalists Kathleen Maier, Matthew Wood, and Stephen Buhner. After receiving a Master of Science in Herbal Medicine from Tai Sophia Institute in 2004, Ms. Snow practiced as an herbalist and nutritionist at an integrative medical practice for 5 years. Ms. Snow is certified as a nutrition specialist (CNS) through the American College of Nutrition and is a licensed nutritionist in the State of Maryland.

Program Manager

Evan Rabinowitz, M.Ac., Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), is the Program Manager of the Chinese Herbs Graduate Certificate program at Tai Sophia Institute. He is a former faculty member in the Chinese Herbal Medicine Department at the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture. Evan is a graduate of Tai Sophia Institute’s Master of Acupuncture and Graduate Certificate in Chinese Herbs programs. After completing his initial herbal training, he apprenticed with Thea Elijah and has continued to teach with and work closely with her for many years. Evan has studied with Jeffrey Yuen for the last seven years, most recently completing a graduate certificate in Chinese Herbal Medicine and Advanced Acupuncture. Evan received his bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University, where he studied comparative religion and traditional Eastern philosophies and has spent 15 years studying Perennial Philosophy with Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr.