Faculty

Mark O. Jarvis received his doctoral degree in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to Salt Lake Community College, he taught courses at a number of colleges/universities around the country, including Penn State, Western Washington University, the University of Texas, Brigham Young University, Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University).

He is a past president of the Utah Council on Family Relations and hosted the Council’s annual conference at SLCC in 2017. He also serves as a consulting member of the governor’s Utah Marriage Commission and ran a series of free marriage/relationship education workshops at SLCC that were funded by the Commission and open to the community.

Mark is also a licensed attorney (though not currently practicing), having received his Juris Doctorate from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. He practiced in the areas of criminal law and family law prior to coming to Salt Lake Community College.

Though not from Utah, Mark is married to a Utah native and is happy to now call Utah home. He and his wife have been married since 1996 and have four grown children and a daughter-in-law. In his free time, Mark enjoys family time, books, movies, art/illustration, computers, anything to do with beaches, and all things chocolate.

Sharlie is an associate professor in the Family and Human Studies department. Sharlie spent many years immersed in the Early Childhood Care and Education workforce. She spent over ten years of her career teaching in classrooms of children ages 18 months to 6 years. She provided leadership to the Early Childhood Center at the Jewish Community Center as an assistant director and then director. She spent eight years as the Director of the Eccles Early Childhood Development Lab School here at SLCC. Having 25 + years’ experience in the field allows her to offer unique, real world, insights while teaching her courses.

Sharlie was born in Arizona and raised primarily in the Salt Lake valley. She is married with four delightful children. She enjoys most activities outdoors and Nana time with her amazing grandchildren.

Education

• Master of Education (MEd) in Curriculum and Instruction – Emphasis of Early Childhood Education, Arizona State University
• Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies, University of Utah
• Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of Utah

Expertise

Sharlie is immersed in the community to support Early Childhood issues in many ways. She is a longtime member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s largest professional organization to promote high-quality learning for all young children. She is the Governing Board President of UAEYC (Utah Association for the Education of Young Children) the local affiliate of NAEYC. This local organization supports the current Early Childhood workforce through state-wide professional development, and scholarships.

Course Coordinator

• FHS 2600 Introduction to Early Childhood Education
• FHS 2610 Child Guidance
• FHS 2500 Child Development Birth to 8
• FHS 2620 Creative Learning
• FHS 2300 Administration of Early Childhood Programs

Amberli Falk is an Adjunct Faculty member in the Family and Human Studies program at Salt Lake Community College, where she teaches Lifespan Human Development. She earned her master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood Education from Arizona State University and brings more than 16 years of experience in education. Her professional interests include human development, early childhood education, social-emotional learning, and infant mental health. In her free time, Amberli enjoys exploring Utah's trails, practicing yoga, and spending time with her two young sons.

Sarah Jackson holds a Bachelor of Science in Marriage, Family, and Human Development from Brigham Young University and a Master of Social Work from Temple University. She has taught Social Work and Family & Human Services courses at the college for several years, including previous work in the prison education program.

In addition to her teaching, Sarah has professional experience as an outpatient counselor specializing in addiction treatment and has worked with refugee communities in Asia and Africa. She is also a certified yoga instructor with a focus on mental health and wellness.

Sarah is married with four children and enjoys traveling; she has lived in or visited 48 U.S. states and 36 countries.

Denise has a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Utah, with certification in marriage and family counseling and licensure in school social work. Her Bachelor's degree, from Brigham Young University, was in Child Development and Family Relations, with a minor in Sociology.

She worked as a school social worker and counselor for nine years in both Davis and Granite School Districts here in Utah. She took a few years off for some "real time" experience raising her own four children, then worked for a few years as a substitute teacher. She started teaching here at SLCC in 2005 as adjunct faculty, and has taught FHS 2400, FHS 2570, and FHS 1500 at different times.

Denise grew up back east in New Jersey and Vermont, then also lived in Utah, Oregon, and Wisconsin before settling here in Utah after graduate school. She met her husband on a blind date and they married the following year. They have four children, all married now, and ten adorable grandchildren. She loves to go walking in the morning, be out in nature on a hike, or read a good book (especially on the beach). Most of all, family is her priority - both being with her own family and teaching her students about family.

Carolyn has been teaching at SLCC, on and off, since 2007. Her first class was Developmental Writing, and she now teaches Family and Human Studies courses, where she especially enjoys working with Early Childhood Education students.

Carolyn earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in Professional Communication from Westminster College. After graduating from the University of Utah, she worked with Head Start and Early Head Start programs. She has also worked as a teacher and director in private childcare settings. Currently, she is the Program Director for Child Care Resource Agency–Metro and was previously a Center Director for private childcare and Head Start programs before joining the Child Care Resource Agency (formerly Care About Childcare) in May 2017.

Carolyn loves sewing (especially making quilts), gardening, and road trip adventures.

Robin McConkie-Ward has been teaching for 44 years from elementary school to college. Robin received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University, her Master of Science from the University of Utah, and math and Secondary Education certifications from Utah State University.

Robin grew up in many places, as her father was in the Air Force. Staying in Utah after college, she is happy here. She has seven children, eleven grandchildren, and the very kindest husband ever.

Shareesa McMurdie has been in education for 12 years at the elementary and college level. She received her B.S. in Nutrition and Family, Consumer, and Human Development from Utah State University. She continued on to receive her M.S. in FCHD with an emphasis on infancy and early childhood. Her master’s thesis was about the effect father-child interactions in toddlerhood have on PreK readiness. Shareesa started at SLCC in 2021 and teaches FHS 1500 and FHS 2400.

Shareesa loves to hike, camp, and travel with her husband and three children. She has a goal to visit all of the National Parks in the U.S. She is a curious person who loves to learn and is willing to try nearly anything once. She also loves to read, watch movies, and play musical instruments.

Adrienne Pahnke has been in education since 2009, teaching both elementary school and college level courses. Adrienne received her BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Utah, her M.Ed. in Reading and Literacy from the University of Utah, and her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology: Reading and Literacy from the University of Utah in 2023. Her research interests include teacher preparation programs and student literacy and engagement in the early grades.

Adrienne was born and raised in Salt Lake City and currently lives in Bountiful with her husband and their 3 children. She enjoys reading, biking, skiing, baking, and spending time with family and friends.

Holly Sanders is passionate about learning and education. She has taught at Utah Valley University (UVU), Brigham Young University (BYU), BYU-Idaho (BYU-I), Salt Lake Community College (SLCC), and the University of Phoenix (UOPX). Her teaching experience includes courses in Parenting, Child Development, Adolescent Development, Lifespan Human Development, College Success, Anger Management, psychosocial education, and marriage enrichment workshops.

In addition to teaching, Holly spent 10 years at Utah Valley University as a Program Coordinator, where she had the privilege of supporting single parents and survivors of domestic abuse. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Family Science and a Master's degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development.

A native Utahn, Holly lives in Lehi, Utah. She was married for 15 years and is the mother of four amazing children. Following the challenges created by her first husband's addictions, she made the difficult decision to end the marriage. As a single mother, she returned to school to earn her master's degree and launch a rewarding career in education and family studies. After 13 years as a single parent, she remarried and is grateful to share life with a wonderful partner.

Today, all of their children are grown, and together Holly and her husband have a blended family of seven children, four in-law kids and six grandchildren. She loves being part of such a large, fun, and energetic family.

Stefenie Stocks graduated from Brigham Young University in 2011 with a dual Bachelor's degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education. She then went on to receive her Master's degree in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University in 2016. Currently she is working on obtaining a second Master's degree from the University of Utah in School Counseling.

Over the years she has taught in a variety of capacities including as an elementary teacher in both public and private education, as an educational trainer, and as an educational specialist with students in the charter/homeschool population. She enjoys working with students of all ages who come from a variety of backgrounds and has enjoyed teaching students pursuing higher education at Salt Lake Community College for the last several years.

Outside of her career, Stefenie is a wife and mother to four children. She and her family reside in Southern Utah and enjoy spending time together outdoors. Their favorite pastimes include hiking, traveling, and visiting the lake or beach.

Stefenie is passionate about creating genuine relationships with others. She believes that we can all learn something from those that we come into contact with. She looks forward to getting to know each student in her course and learning from them just as much as they learn from her.

Kaylene Thornock White received her bachelor's and master's degrees in Home Economics Education and Restaurant Management from Brigham Young University. She began her teaching career at Jordan, Alta, and Murray High Schools, where she taught Family Living (friendship, dating, courtship, marriage, and child development), numerous Foods and Nutrition courses, Occupational Interior Design, and Food Service, including catering and student-operated restaurants.

When her family moved to Mississippi, she taught Introduction to Nutrition at The University of Southern Mississippi, advised students participating in the French's Taste of America Contest, and worked for the National Food Service Management Institute. In 2002, Kaylene became an adjunct instructor in the Family and Human Studies Department at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). She also taught SLCC Concurrent Enrollment courses at the Jordan Applied Technology Center for the Jordan School District, including Introduction to Education and Human Development. In addition, she has taught part-time for more than twenty years at the Brigham Young University Salt Lake Center.

Courses Taught

• Family and Human Studies 1500: Lifespan Human Development
• Family and Human Studies 2400: Marriage and Family Relationships
• Family and Human Studies 2450: Introduction to Human Sexuality
• Family and Human Studies 2640: Home, School, and Community Relations
• Education 1010: Introduction to Education (Concurrent Enrollment)
• Family and Human Studies 1500: Lifespan Human Development (Concurrent Enrollment)
• Introduction to Foods and Nutrition, The University of Southern Mississippi
• Marriage and Family Research, Gender Studies, and Psychology 111, Brigham Young University

Throughout her career, she has advised numerous student organizations, including Future Homemakers of America (FHA), Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). During 2013-2014, she was awarded Master Teacher and Advisor of the Year for her work with the Jordan Applied Technology Center FCCLA Chapter and the French's Taste of America Contest.

For more than twenty years, she supervised student participation in the Festival of Trees, benefiting Primary Children's Medical Center. As a parent, she continued to advocate for children through her volunteer work with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). She has held school-, district-, and regional-level positions, including serving as president at each level. In 1995, she was named 5th Congressional District Parent of the Year in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for developing a Parent Involvement Program at Thames Elementary School. In 1994, she represented the state of Mississippi as the Mother of Young Children in New York City at the American Mother's Diamond Jubilee.

Her goals have included promoting connection and education at every age. Kaylene is passionate about teaching Family and Human Studies courses because she believes that everything we do should include others. Relationships, intimacy, and communication are key to maintaining healthy connections in the world. After a lengthy educational journey, she loves teaching today as much as she did when she began her career at Jordan High School. She is proud to have maintained friendships with colleagues and students throughout the years. She is a social person who enjoys staying connected and interacting with others in both her professional and personal life. In her spare time, she loves to travel, spend time with family and friends, garden, sew and create with fabric, and complete DIY projects.

Kaylene is married to retired university professor George L. White Jr. They have three children and six grandchildren, whom she adores.