Brady Ring
Brady Ring is the new director of the EMS/Fire Science Education programs. Ring has been in emergency services since 1993. He started as a volunteer firefighter in Crook, Colo., and quickly realized his calling. He then began a career in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Fire Service with several private and municipal entities in the Northeastern Colorado Region.
Ring’s most recent accomplishments include being a former fire officer with Sterling Fire Department, former Director of EMS and Emergency Preparedness with Melissa Memorial Hospital, and Contract Paramedic with Constellis for FEMA and Homeland Security’s disaster and pandemic response.
He enjoys spending much of his time trying to keep up with his six kids (five boys and one girl), ages 21 to 5. Ring’s hobbies are daddy-daycare, hunting, fishing, golf, and watching scary old moves with his younger kids.
Ring is excited to learn the higher education aspects of emergency services and to help Northeastern provide the new generation of EMS and fire responders.
Joy Branlund
Joy Branlund is a new science instructor. She is originally from Loveland, but after many years out of state, she is happy to be coming back to Colorado. Branlund has a master’s of geophysics from the University of Minnesota and a doctorate in earth and planetary science from Washington University in St. Louis. She’s a member of the Geological Society of America and National Geoscience Teachers Association.
Branlund taught earth science for 19 years at Southwestern Illinois College, a community college outside of St. Louis. She’s excited to bring her experience and enthusiasm to the geology, environmental science, and astronomy courses she’ll be teaching at NJC.
Katie Thompson
Katie Thompson is a new chemistry instructor. Thompson grew up farming east of Byers/Deer Trail, and she is still active on her family farm. She has a master’s in biology from the University of Nebraska Kearney and this summer, she finished her master’s in geology from Ohio University.
Thompson has been a concurrent enrollment instructor for Northeastern for the past 13 years at Akron High School. At Akron, Katie taught a variety of science courses, and she is excited to be at the college level full-time. A fun fact about Katie is that she is a beekeeper!
Allison Wernsman
Allison Wernsman teaches accounting and other related business courses at Northeastern. She grew up in northeastern Colorado and attended NJC, where she earned an associate’s degree in business administration before transferring to Colorado State University. At CSU, Wernsman majored in business administration and later obtained a master’s degree in accounting. She is currently a licensed CPA and has practiced at a local accounting firm for the past few years.
Wernsman is excited to begin teaching at NJC, and she loves that Northeastern combines quality education with the feel of a small community. She hopes that future students will have the same great experience she did, and she’s eager to share her love for campus!