Dr. Bockmier-Sommers has accrued over 25 years of rehabilitation counseling and evaluation, management, and supervisory experience in the human services arena. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Human Growth and Development from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, her master's degree in Rehabilitation at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and her doctorate of education degree in Counseling from the University of Missouri in St. Louis. Her research focuses on the use of service learning in online classes, the development of multicultural competencies in Human Services training, and the use of empathy, genuineness and high regard to enhance engagement and success in online teaching and learning.