Dr. Janet Puls serves as Associate Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. For more than 15 years, Dr. Puls has led with dedication, enthusiasm, and integrity. Prior to joining MBU full time in 2003, she owned and operated a small business, worked in non-profit settings, served as executive director of an inner-city psychosocial and educational mentoring program for high-risk children, worked in a private Christian counseling practice as a psychotherapist, and taught courses part-time at the university level. During her tenure at MBU, Dr. Puls also served full time as Director of Institutional Research in which she was responsible for data mining, developing internal reports for numerous departments, and external reporting to various entities such as DESE, NCATE, and HLC.

Dr. Puls holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Psychology from Walden University, a Master of Social Work degree from Saint Louis University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Sociology degree from Maryville University-St. Louis. She is a member of The North American Association of Christians in Social Work and the National Association of Social Workers in which she has served elected terms as President and Treasurer for the State of Missouri Chapter. Dr. Puls is licensed in the State of Missouri as a Clinical Social Worker.