Instructor Bios

Dr. Choe taught as professor of art education, Department of Art & Design at WKU​ for 24 years. Prior to the WKU appointment, Dr. Choe taught art in Washington, IN for a decade and completed her Ph. D. in Curriculum & Instruction with the emphasis on Art Education and Counseling Psychology.
Dr. Choe and her Art2Dream TEAM are one of the four Kentucky 4-H Volunteer Hall of Fame Awardees in 2024 for her contributions and the positive impact upon the lives of Kentucky Youth 4H members. Dr. Choe also spent significant amount time in Cuba over the past two decades since 2004 for multiple continuous cross-cultural community art exchange projects that resulted in the culminating art exhibits in 2019-2020, Cuba Amor: Los Rostros y Los Cuentos del Camino (The Island of My Love: The Stories and Faces of Cuba) at Western Kentucky University and Kennesaw State University. 

In her 15 years of yoga teaching, Angie Jones has been fortunate to share yoga in many settings, from gyms and community centers to university classrooms and yoga studios.  She looks forward to bringing that experience to the 2026 Urban Wellness Retreat & Expo by offering a chair yoga class for folks who prefer not to navigate up and down from the mat. Angie is an experienced yoga teacher (E-RYT 500) and a continuing education provider (YACEP) with Yoga Alliance.  She has also taken two specialized, evidence-informed trainings at Duke Integrative Medicine, Mindful Yoga for Cancer and Integrative Yoga for Seniors.

Dr. Molly Kerby, Professor Emeritus at Western Kentucky University, is a passionate educator, strategic leader, and wellness advocate dedicated to helping others thrive. She is a Transformation Life Coach with supplemental certificates in Health & Wellness Coaching (Harvard University), Jikiden Reiki (Shoden), Level 1 Sound Healing, RYT200 Yoga, and Natural Foresight (TFSX)—a cutting-edge methodology in futures thinking that enables individuals and organizations to navigate uncertainty and design meaningful, intentional change.

Heather is a E-RYT 200 who has been teaching yoga in the Bowling Green community for approximately ten years. She began her own practice as a way to seek relief from lower back pain and later began teaching in a therapeutic yoga setting.

    In addition to enjoying a slower-paced practice, Heather also appreciates a strong, rigorous, upbeat class and offers a variety of options for yoga parties in her downtown shop studio.  As a career educator, she strives to differentiate her classes based on student preferences. 

     Heather spends her time working with Kentucky teachers through her role at GRREC, running Down Dog BG with her daughter Sarah, and enjoying family time in Bowling Green with frequent visits to Asheville.

Dr. Mallinger is a trauma-informed transformational coach with a PhD in Social Work and a clinical background rooted in empathy, evidence-based practice, and the power of authentic connection. Her journey began in therapeutic spaces, where she supported individuals through trauma, life transitions, and personal growth. Over time, she realized that real transformation extends beyond symptom relief—it’s about rewriting your narrative with clarity, courage, and purpose.

Dr. Christian Ryan is the Executive Director of Green Light New Orleans, a nonprofit that empowers New Orleans residents with resources for climate resilience. A WKU Almuna, she earned an MS focused on ecology and sustainability and a doctorate in Educational Leadership, focused on community-based participatory action research.  Dr. Christian is a 200 hr certified yoga instructor, and her experience is in practicing healing-based yoga with youth impacted by the incarceration system.  She has fostered 15 shelter pups (so far), with only two foster fails: Winter and Leo. Christian is dedicated to healing, creativity, and care for all living things.