About Us:
Meet StraighterLine
StraighterLine News
StraighterLine provides students with a new option for required college courses built on the expertise of seasoned, respected and proven educators and partners.
StraighterLine is a division of SMARTHINKING, the leading provider of online tutoring and academic support, and is led by Ryan Busch, an online education veteran.
StraighterLine achieves a high standard in course quality by maintaining an ongoing relationship with SMARTHINKING's education team, headed by Christa Ehmann Powers, Ph.D. Coursework supplied by McGraw Hill is critically analyzed and adapted for StraighterLine students by Kirk Benningfield, Ph.D. (College Algebra and Mathematics courses), Julie Radachy, M.Ed. (English), Brenda Christian, M.B.A. (Accounting), and Randy Russell, Ph.D. (Economics).
Jenifer DeHart, M.Ed. ensures that StraighterLine students have the tools, support, and direction needed to successfully complete their courses and receive their credit from our various partner schools.
Additionally, StraighterLine's courses undergo rigorous scrutiny by respected academics and administrators at our Partner Colleges.
Our Partners
We needed superior course content, we went to the best.
We needed a comprehensive, yet easy to use Learning Management System, we went to the pioneer.
We wanted a trustworthy and reliable online bookstore; we went directly to ED MAP.
We needed experienced online educators and advisors, and as a division of SMARTHINKING, we didn't have to go far.
The StraighterLine Team
Ryan Busch
is Director of StraighterLine, a Washington, D.C.-based company that focuses on the required courses needed for an undergraduate degree, such as English Composition or College Algebra, and the maintains relationships with regionally accredited institutions. Ryan has daily oversight of all of the mission critical elements of StraighterLine.
Ryan began his career in education as an Academic Counselor for Axia College of the University of Phoenix, working directly to guide the course of more than 300 new, sometimes first-time college students. Moving on from counseling, Ryan accepted a role as Marketing Analyst, responsible for the media development and placement decisions for the university's 190+ local campuses, both nationally and internationally.
He continued his work with University of Phoenix as Learning Products Marketing Manager, responsible for both the B2B marketing of internally created learning content and the business development relationships that uncovered externally created new learning technologies. Ryan played a pivotal role in the extending of University of Phoenix resources to over 50,000 virtual high school students, as well as to researchers in China working to support educational opportunities to migrant labors under the auspices of a Ford Foundation grant.
In the role of Learning Content Project Director, Ryan directed new content acquisition and development projects, with a focus on stakeholder interaction and adding value to the University of Phoenix business ventures. Among his notable projects was the content digitization of Insight Schools, an online high school. Ryan developed an open source course project and managed the conversion of Insight Schools into an ebook distribution model.
Ryan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arizona State University in 2000, graduating Cum Laude, followed by a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from University of Phoenix in 2007. Professional organizations in which Ryan has maintained membership include the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).
Additionally, Ryan is Adjunct Faculty for the College of Arts and Sciences at University of Phoenix. The time he spends teaching on evenings and weekends is one way in which he gives back to the community at large. Working in education allows Ryan to have a truly positive impact on a person's life.
Course Development Team
Christa Ehmann Powers, Ph.D.
Christa received her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies from Oxford University, England in 2003. She received her Masters of Science in Teaching, Learning and Teacher Development, also from Oxford University, in 1995. A published academic with fifteen years of teaching and educational research experience, Christa serves as Smarthinking's Vice President of Education. She has developed online instructional programs for students at secondary, post-secondary, and graduate levels, as well as training programs for hundreds of online instructors across disciplines.
Kirk Benningfield, Ph.D.
Kirk holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics from the University of Houston in 1996 and a Masters of Science in Mathematics from the University of Houston in 1993. A published academic with sixteen years of college-level teaching and tutoring experience in mathematics, Kirk is Smarthinking's Director of Mathematics, Sciences, and Operations Analysis. He has also served as a faculty consultant for the Educational Testing Service, serving as a reader and table leader for AP™ Calculus scoring.
Julie Radachy, M.Ed.
Julie holds a M.Ed. in 2004 from American InterContinental University Online, where she focused on Instructional Technology. Julie serves as a lead online trainer and tutor for Smarthinking's online writing program and coordinates Smarthinking's social studies program. Julie is a certified and licensed middle school teacher in Social Studies and Language Arts and is a member of the National Council for the Social Studies. An active composition practitioner, Julie teaches online composition courses to middle and high school homeschooled students.
Brenda Christian, M.B.A.
Brenda holds an M.B.A. from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Her professional experience includes seven years of teaching college students, seven years as a payroll accountant, and three years corporate settings as a financial accountant. Brenda coordinates Smarthinking's accounting and finance programs and currently teaches for Central Arizona College.
Randy Russell, Ph.D.
Randy received his Ph.D. in Economics from Oklahoma State University. The coordinator of Smarthinking's economics program and a current teacher at Yavapai College in Arizona, Randy's extensive faculty experience spans nearly 35 years. Randy's research interests include monetary theory and the logic of capitalism.
Course Advisement
Jenifer DeHart
received her M.Ed. in 2008 from the University of South Carolina where she focused on Higher Education and Student Affairs. At USC she worked in the Office of Student Judicial Programs enforcing the Student Code of Conduct and utilizing educational sanctioning to foster student development. Her work involved monitoring and reporting on student progress in addition to serving as a resource for students, parents, and administrators. Jenifer continued educating students on college policies through a course she facilitated: the Carolina Awareness on Alcohol Policies and Safety class. She has presented on the design, implementation, assessment, and outcomes of this course at state and national conferences. She remains involved with professional organizations including the Association of Student Judicial Affairs and the American College Personnel Association.
After earning a B.A. in Elementary Education from Clemson University in 2005, Jenifer taught seventh grade mathematics and science. She continues her work in the classroom as an adjunct faculty member at Montgomery College teaching first-year experience courses.
