Jonathan Downs

Jonathan Downs
About This Author

Dr. Jonathan Downs, EdD, MA

Chair, Center for Accelerated & Professional Education (CAPE)

Program Director, Online Associate of Arts in Business (OAAB)

Assistant Professor, School of Business

MidAmerica Nazarene University, 13625 S. Mur-Len Rd., Olathe, KS 66062

S.H.S., T.C.S., R.M.M. I, II, III

BA; History & Pre-Law, 1998, MidAmerica Nazarene University

MA; American & World History, 2006, Emporia State University

EdD; Organizational Leadership, 2016, Northcentral University

 

Dr. Jonathan Downs is the Department Chair of the Center for Accelerated and Professional Education (CAPE), the Program Director for the Online Associate of Arts in Business (OAAB), and Assistant Professor in the School of Business at MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU). Dr. Downs has taught at the college level for 18 years and at MNU for over 16 years. He has created and/or redeveloped 15 different college-level courses. Dr. Downs supervises over 50 adjunct instructors and coordinates two associates’ degrees (OAAB & AA-Liberal Arts), and one minor (Public Administration). He has advised over 500 students and taught over 200 college courses.    
 
Dr. Downs earned a B.A. in History & Pre-Law from MNU (’98), graduating with President’s Honors, earned an M.A. in American History & World History from Emporia State University (ESU, ’06), graduating Magna Cum Laude, and earned an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from Northcentral University (NCU, ’16), graduating Summa Cum Laude. He also earned two specialist designations from the National Center for Housing Management (NCHM), including Senior Housing Specialist (S.H.S.) and Tax Credit Specialist (T.C.S.).  Dr. Downs also completed two internships in the Kansas Senate (’98 & ’99). 
 
Dr. Downs has received numerous awards, scholarships, and recognition including the prestigious Golden Key International Honour Society, the Dissertation Award/Scholarly Poster Presentation (the highest award granted for a dissertation at NCU), the Academic Achievement Award (the highest award granted to a graduate student at ESU), high membership into the National Scholars Honor Society, and several Who’s Who national memberships. He has served as President of Pi Gamma Mu and a member of Phi Alpha Theta national honor societies. Dr. Downs was selected as a SuperProfessor™ by Faculty Row, recognizing America’s top faculty, and he is an honored member of the North American Educators Association (NAEA). Dr. Downs received "The Leadership Moment Award" presented by students at MNU. 
 
Dr. Downs is a member of several committees at MNU, including the Faculty Assembly, SPGS Chairs Committee, School of Business Leadership Team, Academic Policy Committee, Graduate and Professional Studies Council, Educational Technology Committee, Technology Integration Committee, and, previously, the General Education Committee and Instructional Design Committee. Dr. Downs also served as the Program Director for the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program. He has presented dozens of assessment instruments and business models, including Core Communication, DISC, and Strong Interest Inventory.
 
Dr. Downs is the author of Exploring Blended Learning: A Case Study of Adult Learners Using a Learning Management System in Face-to-Face Classes; The Pride of Kansas City: The Kansas City Monarchs; Dr. Sullivan: The First Modern Physician of Johnson County; The Applied Project Handbook; The Applied Project Advisor’s Handbook; CAPE Student Handbook; CAPE Faculty Handbook; and Dr. J’s Writing Guide: Compiled Resources of Basic College Writing. He has presented "Emergency Exit: How the Church is Losing Generations X & Y" and he has served on a diversity panel at two national conferences. His Business expertise includes educational technology, instructional design, experiential learning theory, and adult learning theory. His History expertise includes antebellum, Civil War and Reconstruction, and modern U.S. political science.  
 
Previously, Dr. Downs taught at Emporia State University (ESU) and Johnson County Community College (JCCC) for two years at each college. He is the author of Flop-Eared, of a tribute site to his late father, Dr. Edward G. Downs whom he credits as one of the two most important influences in his life. Dr. Downs cites C.S. Lewis, William Lane Craig, and Peter Senge among his most influential authors. His favorite part of teaching is helping non-traditional students fulfill their lifelong dream of earning a bachelor’s degree.
 

Awards & Honors

  • SuperProfessor™ Member – Faculty Row (America’s Top Faculty)
  • North American Educators Association (NAEA) – Honored Member
  • Cambridge Who's Who – Honored Member
  • Manchester's Who's Who – Honored Member
  • National Register’s Who's Who – Executives & Professionals
  • Worldwide Who’s Who – Executives & Professionals
  • Outstanding Performance - Charter Refinance - ELGSS
  • Chairperson of numerous committees – ELGSS & MNU
  • Received The Leadership Moment Award – MNU (Awarded by MNU students)
  • Dissertation Award/Scholarly Poster Presentation Nominee – Highest award given for a doctoral dissertation at NCU (2016)
  • Academic Achievement Award (AAA) - Highest award given to any graduate student at ESU (1999)
  • Golden Key™ International Honour Society – Top 5% of graduate students internationally
  • Academic Achievement Award (AAA) Scholarship - ESU
  • Graduate Teaching Assistantship Scholarships - ESU
  • Academic Scholarships - NCU
  • National Scholar's Honor Society - Distinguished Member
  • President - Pi Gamma Mu National Honor Society
  • Member - Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society
  • Vice-President - Class of 1999 - MNU
  • Voting Member of Who's Who of America - MNU

Presentations

  • Served as Project Advisor for 450+ students.
  • Served as Academic Advisor for 350+ students.
  • Conducted extensive research on several topics at numerous libraries and archive facilities; including the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
  • Produced numerous reviews of leading historical books, journals, and articles at ESU.
  • Produced numerous reviews of leading business books, journals, and articles at NCU.
  • Former Member of Diversity Panel for the International Church of the Nazarene.
  • Featured speaker for Nazarene Laymen's Conference, M7 Conference, and other seminars.
  • Presenter of Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment, Strong Interest Inventory, Strength Deployment Inventory, Desert Survival Project, Subarctic Survival Project, DISC Instrument, ITO Model, Weisbord Six-Box Model, Awareness Wheel Communication Model, Sentio Rapid Leadership Assessment, Personal Best and The Leadership Moment, among many other nationally-recognized assessments and inventories.

Publications

  • Downs, J. (2016). Exploring blended learning: A case study of adult learners using a learning management system in face-to-face classes. Prescott, AZ: NCU.
  • Downs, J. (2009). Dr. Sullivan: The first modern physician in Johnson County, Kansas. Shawnee, KS: Old Shawnee Town Museum.
  • Downs, J. (2006). The pride of Kansas City: The Kansas City Monarchs;A socio- cultural perspective of how the premier black baseball team helped bridge the racial divide in Kansas City between 1920 and 1955. Emporia, KS: ESU.