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BOTTINEAU - Dakota College at Bottineau has announced the addition of four new faculty members for the fall 2026 semester.
New faculty members are Tanya Gillen, nursing; Joanie House, dental; Kortney Arnold, social studies; and Cyla McMechan, medical laboratory technician.
Gillen joins DCB as a full-time nursing instructor, bringing a diverse background in healthcare, exercise science and rehabilitation. Raised on a North Dakota farm, Gillen earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in special education from the University of North Dakota in 1999. She later completed degrees in athletic training and exercise science at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Gillen has worked as a physical therapy technician, personal trainer and exercise physiologist in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. After her family relocated to Minot in 2016, she continued serving patients through Trinity Health and the YMCA. In 2021, she returned to DCB to pursue nursing and earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Minot State University in 2024. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree as a family nurse practitioner through UND.
Houser joins DCB as a dental instructor with extensive experience in dental hygiene. Raised in Max, Houser earned an associate degree in dental hygiene from Erie Community College in Williamsville, New York. She completed the Restorative Expanded Function Program through the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Houser earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Valley City State University.
Arnold joins DCB as a full-time Instructor of history and humanities. Originally from Portal, Arnold graduated from Burke Central High School in Lignite before earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and German from Minot State University. During his undergraduate studies, he completed a semester abroad at Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg in Germany. Arnold went on to earn a Master of Arts in medieval history from Boston College, where he focused on medieval German political history. Returning to North Dakota, he served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Souris Basin Planning Council and later taught as an adjunct humanities instructor through MSU’s outreach program at Minot Air Force Base.
For the past six years, Arnold taught social studies and health education at Bowbells Public School while pursuing a doctorate in teacher education at UND. His doctoral studies focus on critical thinking development in social studies classrooms.
A native of the area, McMechan joins DCB as instructor and program manager for the Medical Laboratory Technician program. With a professional background in medical laboratory science and phlebotomy, McMechan plans to bring real-world laboratory experience into the classroom.