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Faculty Spotlight


Mary Bemker

Mary Bemker, DSN

Director, Nursing Department

Psychotherapist and health care educator

“ I’m excited to help develop health care professionals who will not only provide the highest standards of care, but will become leaders within their organizations.”

Dr. Mary Bemker joined Capella in 1999 as an instructor in psychology and nursing. In 2009, she became nursing program chair. In 2011, Dr. Bemker was named director of the Nursing Department. Her health care experience has spanned decades and included multiple health care settings and roles: she has worked as a charge nurse in psychiatric intensive care; originated and directed a counseling and development program for a Fortune 500 Company; managed nurses in the emergency room; and led a nonprofit agency serving high-risk youth and adolescents.

Educational Background
  • Doctor of Science in Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Master of Science in Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Post-masters specialist degree, Spalding University
  • Master of Science in Education, Indiana University
Career Highlights
  • Originated and directed a counseling program for a Fortune 500 Company
  • Honorary doctorates from the London Institute of Applied Science in Humanities and from Victoria (Australia) University in Psychology
  • Planned, implemented, and evaluated programs for high-risk youths and adolescents
  • Serves as a reviewer for the National institute of Health and professional journals
  • More than 20 years providing substance abuse counseling
Teaching Philosophy

“I believe in drawing on the wide base of knowledge among both faculty and learners. I’m excited to help develop health care professionals who will not only provide the highest standards of care but will become leaders within their organizations.”


Areas of Expertise
  • Community mental health nursing
  • Counseling
  • Pediatric/youth counseling
  • Couples and family therapy
  • School psychology
  • Grant writing
Research Interests
  • Public health
  • Substance use disorders
  • Psychotherapy
  • Eating disorders
  • Women’s issues
  • Developmental dynamics
  • Family systems

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Harold Abel School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

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