The New Leadership Academy Advisory Board is made up of leaders in higher education and related fields who have demonstrated a commitment to leading for equity in their roles. The mission of the NLA Advisory Board is to aid NLA in providing outstanding and up-to-date leadership development as part of the NLA Fellows Program. NLA Advisory Board members contribute to the direction, curriculum, partnerships, and scholarship endeavors of NLA. The Advisory Board has a collective goal that through ongoing engagement, NLA will continue to grow as a respected national leadership development program, ensuring that contemporary scholarship and research, as well as practitioner needs, are updated and integrated into the program. These Advisory Board members are committed to the work of changing leaders, leadership, and leadership development in higher education and serve as a resource for NLA as a part of this Board.
Dilip A. Das
he/his
Vice President for DEI
University of Toledo
Dilip became the Vice President for DEI at the University of Toledo in May of 2022. He previously worked in the provost’s office at the University of Michigan for 15 years, where leadership on diversity, equity, and inclusion has been modeled and facilitated. For the last five years at the University of Michigan, he was part of the central team leading the Five-Year DEI Strategic Plan, involving 51 units across the campus and leading toward the goal of changing our working cultures. This journey continues for all of us, beyond the five years. At home, he is the happy co-parent of two daughters.
Dr. Brighid Dwyer
she/her
Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
University of Pennsylvania
Brighid Dwyer, Ph.D. became the Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Pennsylvania in December of 2021. She previously served as Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at Princeton University. In this role, she was responsible for developing curricula and implementing training programs to enhance student, staff, and faculty learning on issues of diversity, inclusion, and identity. Before working at Princeton, Brighid spent seven years at Villanova University where she served as Assistant Professor in the Departments of Education and Counseling and the Department of Communication. She also held positions as the Director of the Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR), Assistant Director of Research and Training, and Ombudsperson. Read on…
During her time at Villanova, Dr. Dwyer played a critical role in assessing Villanova’s Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan and in shaping the University’s new Strategic Plan. In 2016 she was the recipient of Villanova’s Pohlhaus-Stracciolini Award for Teaching Excellence. Additionally, Brighid has been Adjunct Sociology Professor at Delaware County Community College and serves as a curriculum developer and instructor for the Race and Equity Center at the University of Southern California.
Before entering higher education, Brighid had a career in athletics. She served as an academic advisor, coach, and staff administrator at UCLA, University of Michigan, the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Presently, she is working with USA Swimming on their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Dwyer is considered a national expert on Intergroup Dialogue and facilitation. She consults with higher education institutions, K-12 schools, corporations, and non-profit organizations on strategic diversity planning and utilizing dialogic approaches to solve organizational challenges. Brighid has published numerous articles and book chapters on the topics of organizational culture, equity and inclusion, intergroup dialogue, identity, leadership, and minority-serving institutions.
Dwyer has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Jorge F. Figueroa
he/him
Vice Provost for Curriculum and Strategic Initiatives
Professor of Bilingual and ESL Education
Department of Teacher Education
Texas Woman’s University
Jorge F. Figueroa, Ph.D., is the Vice Provost for Curriculum and Strategic Initiatives at Texas Woman’s University. He has over 20 years of experience working in higher education. As part of his role, he provides leadership for curriculum development undergraduate education, core curriculum, transfer agreements, and scheduling. He oversees first-year seminar instruction, college readiness testing, the university curriculum committee, the university course inventory, compliance with state and university policies for undergraduate education, and facilitates academic partnerships that support the strategic mission of the university. Read on…
Before his appointment as Vice Provost, he was the Associate Dean for Research, Inclusion, and Innovation for the College of Professional Education (COPE) where he oversaw COPE’s international education partnerships, the COPE’s Emerging Leaders Program, and all research, inclusion and innovation activity in the college. He is a Professor of Bilingual and ESL Education in the Department of Teacher Education and Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Literacy and Learning. Prior to coming to TWU, he was an Associate Professor for the School of Social and Human Sciences at Universidad del Este, in his native Puerto Rico. He had trained pre-service and in-service teachers in North America, Latin America, and Europe.
His research focuses on the intersection between emergent technologies and emergent bilinguals with emphasis on extended realities (XR) and critical pedagogies. His research has appeared in Contemporary Educational Technology, Educación XX1, International Journal of Technology and Educational Innovation, Expert Systems, among others. He is an inaugural Fellow of the New Leadership Academy (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor), a Fellow at the Executive Leadership Academy at UC-Berkeley, a Fellow in the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership at Arizona State University/Georgetown University, and a member of Cátedra ESCALAE at Universidad de Málaga in Spain.
Dr. Stacy A. Hammons
she/her
Executive Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Community Health Network
Dr. Stacy Hammons is the Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Community Health Network. She was previously the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Indiana Wesleyan University. She received her MSW from the University of Denver and her Ph.D. in sociology from Washington State University, where she studied gender and family issues. Dr. Hammons’ research interests include life course issues across different domains, changes occurring in the family, and the impact of gender dynamics upon work, religion, and family life.
Dr. Lori A. Hendricks
she/her
Director of Athletics and Recreation
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
In January of 2022, Dr. Lori A. Hendricks became the Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She previously worked at Mount Holyoke as the Special Assistant to the Vice President for Student Life after an eight-year term as the Chair of Physical Education and Director of Athletics. As the Chair of Physical Education and Director of Athletics, she was responsible for external reviews of the Physical Education program and the nationally distinguished equestrian center. Read on…
During her tenure as MHC Director of Athletics, Hendricks oversaw major facility renovation projects totaling over $4.5 million. In summer 2015, the natural grass soccer field was resurfaced, and additional drainage, landscaping, and seating enhancements were completed. Renovations to the existing field house included the replacement of the original curtains, floor, and roof. A solar cell farm was added to the roof of the field house. Under her leadership, a $2.1 million renovation of the turf and track complex was initiated with completion expected for July 2021.
The athletic and academic performances of MHC student-athletes under Hendricks are great points of pride. In 2016, the College saw its first NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 candidate. During her watch, individual and team performances have included eight All-Americans, two Academic All-Americans, field hockey and golf conference titles, individual event conference championship titles in swimming and diving and track and field, and three individual, national champions in equestrian.
Hendricks served on the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference executive committee (2013-2016). In 2015-16, she served as the chair of the Seven Sisters athletics conference. Hendricks is an active member of Women Leaders in College Sports, serving on their Board of Directors from 2016-2020 and as a faculty member to their leadership institutes.
Prior to her work at Mount Holyoke, Hendricks was a research associate for the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good at the University of Michigan, addressing issues of access to higher education. While at Michigan, she served as the president’s liaison to the university’s NCAA certification team and as special consultant to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. In 2007, Hendricks was one of the lead investigators on the Knight Commission-sponsored national study on faculty attitudes on intercollegiate athletics.
From 1996 to 2001, Hendricks served as the education outreach program coordinator for the NCAA, overseeing the national CHAMPS/Life Skills Program and NCAA Foundation Leadership Conferences. Hendricks also was one of the lead organizers of the NCAA’s Title IX seminars to educate general counsel, college and university presidents, athletics administrators, coaches, and the media on the law of TitleIX. Hendricks worked with the National Youth Sports Program and Youth Education through Sports clinics.
Before returning to Ohio State to complete her master’s degree, Hendricks was a certified track and field coach, coaching athletics and teaching physical education in South Africa. Hendricks earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in politics, minoring in economics, from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s degree in sport management from the Ohio State University. She holds a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Wendy L. Hobson-Rohrer
she/her
Professor of Pediatrics / Associate Vice President for Health Sciences Education
The University of Utah
Medicine / Pediatrics
Wendy Hobson-Rohrer MD, MSPH is a tenured Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and the Associate Vice President for Health Sciences Education at University of Utah Health. Majoring in Spanish and Latin American Studies in college led her to focus on Latinx populations. For the past 25 years, she has focused on teaching medical providers about and on caring for children with special health care needs, especially for those are marginalized. As a pediatrician, she strives to meet the needs of families where they are, most recently opening a food pantry in the clinic. As one of the senior-most woman faculty members at University of Utah Health, she regularly mentors and advocates for women and under-represented people in health careers.
Dr. Mark Kamimura-Jiménez
he/his
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Dean of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion
Washington University in St. Louis
Dr. Mark Kamimura-Jiménez (He/Him/His) is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis where he is a student-centered strategic leader focused on developing an inclusive experience that embraces the intersectionality of student identities on campus. Dr. Kamimura-Jiménez most recently served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at Texas Christian University, where he led the practice and research on identity, diversity and inclusion initiatives for strengthening the connection culture of undergraduate and graduate students as an integrated part of their college experience. Read on…
During his time at the University of Michigan he served as the Assistant Dean for Programs, Policy and Diversity Initiatives, Director of Graduate Student Success in the Rackham Graduate School, the Vice Chair of the University Diversity Council, and Co-Founder of the Professional Latina/o/x at the University of Michigan Alliance (PLUMA). Dr. Kamimura-Jiménez has held leadership positions Cal State Fullerton, UCLA, UCI and Columbia Universityand been awarded nearly $17M in federal and private partnership grants as a principal investigator to strengthen the P-20 educational pipeline.
Dr. Kamimura-Jiménez has held academic appointments in Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies and Women and Gender Studies in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Texas Christian University, in the Education Policy and Leadership at the Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University, and in Educational Leadership, Evaluation and Organizational Development at the University of Louisville. Dr. Kamimura-Jiménez is a contributor to multiple books on the topics of diversity, mentorship, leadership, access within the educational pipeline, and co-editor and author of the Latina/o Pathway to the PhD: Abriendo Caminos. He received his B.A. from the University of California, Irvine; M.A. from Columbia University; and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Deborah Keyek-Franssen
she/her
Associate Vice President and Dean
Online and Continuing Education
The University of Utah
Deborah Keyek-Franssen, Ph.D. and Associate Vice President and Dean of Online and Continuing Education at the University of Utah, is evolving a strategy for learning opportunities across modalities and credentials. She began her career at the University of Colorado, where she served as director of academic technology. As the AVP for Digital Education and Engagement at the CU System, she furthered CU’s involvement with NASH’s TS3 initiative. She served on Colorado OER Council and sits on the TS3 steering committee. In 2020, she was EDUCAUSE’s DEI Leadership Award Recipient. Deborah graduated from Dartmouth College, completed her Ph.D. in German Literature, a master’s in Higher Education Administration, and a certificate in Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Sharlene A. Kiuhara
she/her
Currently on Sabbatical
Associate Professor
The University of Utah
Special Education
Dr. Sharlene A. Kiuhara has over 20 years of experience working with children and adolescents with high incidence disabilities, English language learners, elementary and secondary teachers, program specialists, and teacher candidates in higher education. After receiving her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Utah in 2009, she accepted a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship in Special Education at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. Her research examines how argumentative writing can facilitate content learning for students with mild to moderate learning disabilities, particularly in mathematics literacy and mathematical reasoning.
Dr. Magdalena Martinez
she/her
Assistant Professor
College of Urban Affairs, School of Public Policy and Leadership
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Dr. Magdalena Martinez is an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy and Leadership, College of Urban Affairs, and Director of Education Programs with The Lincy Institute. Her areas of expertise include education policy, leadership, access, and equity for underrepresented student populations and the role of higher education in a diverse society. She regularly provides expert testimony (K-12 and postsecondary) on education policy issues and is involved in numerous efforts to build capacity through education research and policy.
Dr. Christopher J. Nellum
he/his
Executive Director
The Education Trust—West
Dr. Christopher J. Nellum is the Executive Director of The Education Trust–West, a California-based research and advocacy nonprofit focused on educational justice and closing opportunity gaps for students of color and students from lower-income communities. He has been an education researcher and advocate for over a decade. Before joining The Education Trust–West, Nellum was at the National Center for Institutional Diversity, Young Invincibles, and the American Council on Education. He cut his teeth in education equity on college campuses working directly with students. Nellum completed his undergraduate degree at UC Santa Barbara, master’s degree at CSU Long Beach, and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan.
Nubia Peña
Senior Advisor on Equity and Opportunity, Office of Governor Spencer J. Cox
Director for the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs
Director Peña has dedicated much of her career to bringing awareness to issues of anti-oppression through her professional endeavors and personal faith-based initiatives as a community organizer, advocate, and ally for marginalized populations. Nubia is currently the Senior Advisor on Equity and Opportunity to Governor Cox and the Director for the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs where their mission is to promote an inclusive climate for Utah’s growing diverse community through training, outreach, and youth leadership development. She is a proud former member of the zealous team at the Utah Juvenile Defender Attorneys where she advocated for youth rights during detention and delinquency proceedings. She is certified by the National Juvenile Defender Center as a Juvenile Training Immersion Program facilitator. Read on…
Prior to law school, for close to a decade, she assisted survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking as a Law Enforcement Victim Advocate. Since 2007, Director Peña has served as the Training Specialist at the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA) where she developed workshops on Youth Advocacy for Survivors and Social Justice in Youth Prevention Efforts. She is also a national consultant dedicated to bringing awareness to intersections of trauma and the School-to-Prison Pipeline, an epidemic that targets our most vulnerable youth by streamlining them into the juvenile justice system. In addition, she is also the founder and director of Royalty Rising Youth Ministry, a culturally relevant and gender-specific outreach initiative for at-risk and marginalized young adults. Director Peña received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. There, she was selected as one of 25 law students in the nation to be recognized and was highlighted for her social justice activism in the National Jurist, a leading news source in legal education. She was also selected as the recipient of the National Juvenile Justice Network 2019 Emerging Leader Award for her outstanding dedication to youth empowerment in the justice system.
Dr. Charles M. Roessel
President
Diné College
Dr. Charles M. Roessel is an educator, catalyst for academic innovation and higher education leader. He became the 18th president of Diné College in 2017 and has spearheaded DC’s transformation from a two-year institution into a four-year institution. As the first established tribal college, DC has served a predominantly Navajo student population across the 27,000 square miles of the Navajo Nation that spans across the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah for over 51 years. Read on…
Lauded as the first tribally-controlled collegiate institution in the United States, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, DC is a student-centric tribal college focused on complex challenges related to tribal sovereignty, language revitalization, multicultural education, and nation building. Under Dr, Roessel’s leadership, DC has established four new transdisciplinary schools, including the School of Diné Studies and Education, the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the School of Arts, Humanities and English, and the School of Business and Social Science, and launched trailblazing initiatives including the Navajo Sovereignty Institute, the Navajo Cultural Arts Program, and important initiatives toward the establishment of the first Navajo law school.
Dr. Alvaro Rojas-Peña
he/his
Assistant Research Scientist Of Surgery
Department of Surgery, Section of Transplantation
University of Michigan
Dr. Alvaro Rojas-Peña’s is a physician and Assistant Research Scientist of Surgery in the Section of Transplantation at the University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor. Dr. Rojas received his MD degree from La Escuela Colombiana de Medicina -El Bosque University in Bogota, D.C. Colombia in 2002. Dr. Rojas joined the faculty of the Section of Transplantation Surgery, in 2010. Dr. Rojas has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including research fellowship awards and best project abstracts from the American Society of Artificial Organs (ASAIO) and The Transplantation. In 2009, Dr. Rojas was honored by the Republic of Colombia Chamber of Representatives Resolution Honor “Order of The Democracy -Simon Bolivar -in the rank of Cross of Great Chavalier”. Read on…
Dr. Rojas-Pena is an alumni of the NLA (2018-19), interested in access, acceptance and termination of college and higher education for students of underrepresented groups. He has mentored over 150 college students under the U of Michigan undergraduate research providing research projects for freshman and sophomores. He is the instructor of Surgery 499, a course for college students with emphasis in applied physiology. He has mentored medical students and surgical residents from Colombia and Peru in the last 10n years. He is a board member of the Professional LatinX at UM Alliance, a community of faculty and staff members at the University of Michigan that collaborate and support a diverse range of activities on LatinX culture.
His research interests include cardiopulmonary pathophysiology, specifically cardiopulmonary mechanical support systems and extracorporeal life support systems that can be applied to cardiac arrest, single and multiple organ acute and chronic failure (end-stage lung, heart, and liver diseases). His research expertise is in the development of large surgical models and biomedical engineering research projects to test novel extracorporeal support devices (pumps, catheters, and oxygenators), bio-artificial organs (artificial lungs, artificial kidneys, artificial pancreas and the artificial placenta). Dr. Rojas-Pena has worked to improve the techniques of extracorporeal support during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and organ preservation prior transplantation. In addition, he has assisted in the transfer and use of large animal research models to numerous laboratories, U-M principal investigators, and private corporations that needed training in this area of research primarily to test devices prior to FDA studies or clinical use.
Dr. Victor B. Sáenz
he/his
Chair & Professor
University of Texas at Austin
Victor B. Sáenz, Ph.D. is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at University of Texas at Austin. He is a Fellow in the Sid W. Richardson Regents Chair in Community College Leadership, and he holds courtesy appointments with the Center for Mexican American Studies, Mexican American and Latino Studies, and various other research centers across the University. Since 2007 he’s been a faculty member with the UT-Austin College of Education, and prior to that he was a visiting professor and postdoctoral scholar at UCLA. His current work advances research-informed best practices and policy solutions that improve educational outcomes for underserved students in postsecondary education, with a special emphasis on young men of color. In 2010 Sáenz co-founded an award-winning initiative at UT-Austin called Project MALES, a multi-pronged effort focused on advancing educational outcomes for boys and young men of color. Read on…
Over the years, Sáenz has received various research and service recognitions from both scholarly and practitioner communities. His work has been featured in two co-authored books and cited in numerous policy reports, scholarly publications, and by local and national media. He has presented his research at countless conferences and meetings across the country, including at the White House, the National Press Club, and on Capitol Hill. Sáenz is also on the Board of Directors for various local, state and national organizations, including the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education and the Texas Lyceum, among others.
Sáenz earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA in 2005. He also earned a Master’s degree in Public Affairs (‘99) and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (‘96) from UT-Austin.
Dr. Hideko Sera
she/her
Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Morehouse College
Dr. Hideko Sera, Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Morehouse College, is a seasoned higher education female leader of color with a proven commitment to educational and social justice. She has worked in clinical psychology, PK12 to life-long learning, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and has served in numerous national-level positions such as the Board of Educational Affairs for the American Psychological Association. Matters related to the first-generation students, internationalization of the US education, women’s education and leadership, BIPOC leadership development and retention of BIPOC faculty and students, and mentorship relationships have been part of Dr. Sera’s portfolio as she examines power, privilege, and intersectionality within these domains.
Dr. Mary E. Sias
she/her
Director, Millennium Leadership Initiative
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
Dr. Mary Evans Sias currently serves as the director of the Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI) and assistant to the president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. A nationally known leader an advocate for students and higher education, and an involved community leader, Sias served as senior vice president for student affairs and external relations at the University of Texas at Dallas for ten years. She went on to serve as president of Kentucky State University from 2004-2014. As a university president, Sias brought a broad range of administrative experiences and valuable state and national perspectives on higher education issues and policies. She chaired the boards of two of the big six national organizations in higher education: The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). Read on…
Sias currently serves a regent for Texas Southern University. Her consulting work with colleges and universities focuses on strategic planning, fundraising, leadership assessment and development, organization and board support and developments, equity and diversity training and related issues, financial assessment and evaluation, administrative and organizational evaluation, and other areas. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Sias received her Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Tougaloo College (Miss.) and her Master of Science degree and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She also holds an M.B.A. from Abilene Christian University (Texas) and an honorary doctorate in public service from Central Michigan University. She is married to Shadrach S. Sias III and they have one daughter, Adrienne Sias.
Dr. Nelson E. Soto
he/his
President
Albizu University
Dr. Nelson Soto became the sixth president of Albizu University in August of 2022. He previously was the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Union Institute & University headquartered in Walnut Hills. He holds a Ph.D. in educational policy studies from Indiana University, Bloomington, a master’s in education and a Bachelor of Arts in business from the University of Cincinnati. As provost at Union, he is in the unique position to advance the university’s mission as a vehicle for change in the community through diversity and education. He provides leadership in engaging and empowering adult learners in the larger society in which they live and work, building a mutually beneficial, expansive and collaborative community that lives beyond the classroom. Read on…
Dr. Soto has focused his career on enabling and encouraging change and access. Dr. Soto is deeply committed to ensuring that all individuals, no matter their background or circumstances, have access to higher education and opportunities to improve their own lives and those of their families. In his leadership role at Union Institute & University, he brings the mission and vision to life: to engage, enlighten and empower each adult in a lifetime of learning and service.
Dr. Maurice C. Taylor
he/his
Vice President for Academic Outreach & Engagement
Morgan State University (retired)
Maurice C. Taylor worked at Morgan State University for twenty-seven years in a variety of positions including Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Vice President for University Operations. He served as Chair of the University’s Steering Committee coordinating Morgan’s successful 2018 Middle States Commission on Higher Education Self-Study, MSCHE Peer Review, and reaffirmation of accreditation. Dr. Taylor retired January 1, 2021, as Morgan’s Vice President for Academic Outreach and Engagement. Dr. Taylor also served as a member of a number of Maryland’s Higher Education Commission (MHEC) task forces including Maryland State Plan for Post-Secondary Education committees, MHEC’s Subcommittee charged with the final review of the 2005 Partnership Agreement between Maryland and the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, and as a member of MHEC’s COVID-19 Advisory Committee. He is the former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at St. Augustine’s University. Read on…
Dr. Taylor is the former Chair of the Graduate Record Examination Board, former President of the Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools, and former Secretary of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools. He is a former member of Campus Compact Mid Atlantic’s Senior Advisory Group for Engagement and former Chair of the Baltimore County Human Relations Commission. Dr. Taylor is a member of the Executive Committee of the State of Maryland’s African American Museum Corporation Board of Directors and he chairs the Prince George’s County Financial Advisory Committee of the County’s Economic Development Incentive Fund.
Dr. Taylor received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Juniata College, master’s and doctorate degrees in Sociology from Bowling Green State University, and a juris doctorate from Duke University. He received additional instruction in higher education leadership through the Kellogg Foundation Minority Serving Institutions Leadership Program, and through the Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Educational Management.
Frances D. Teves
she/her
Assistant Vice President, Government and External Affairs
Office of Government and External Affairs
California Polytechnic University, Pomona
Frances Teves has more than 20 years of experience in both non-profit and university settings. She has advocated on a variety of policy issues spanning higher education to women’s rights and health access in legislative and community arenas. Teves currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Government and External Affairs at Cal Poly Pomona, the most diverse polytechnic university in the nation. In this role, she leads the coordination of government and external activities for the university and serves as the primary legislative liaison to local, county, state, and federal officials. Read on…
Prior to joining Cal Poly Pomona in 2017, she held multiple roles at Cal State Fullerton, including Chief of Operations for University Advancement, Secretary of the CalState Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation Board of Governors, and Director of State Relations and Advocacy.
She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Public Policy from the Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. She is the recipient of the 2012 Edwin Crawford Award for Innovation, one of two such awards presented annually by CASE, AACC, APLU, and AASCU.
Dr. Ruth V. Watkins
she/her
President, Strada Impact
Strada Education Network
Ruth Watkins became President of Strada Impact in April 2021 to apply her innovative approach to increasing postsecondary education’s effectiveness by better connecting completion and employment. In leading Strada’s strategic integration of research, philanthropy, thought leadership, and policy, Watkins drives Strada’s systems change efforts so that more individuals –particularly those who have faced systemic barriers -can successfully access and complete postsecondary education and training to improve their careers and lives. Read on…
Before joining Strada, Watkins built a strong reputation for supporting social change and community workforce needs as the president of the University of Utah, where she increased degree completion rates and research funding, established innovative student funding models, and built strong partnerships with community stakeholders. Uniting the campus as “One U,” Watkins’ leadership drove innovation in research, education, and operational efficiency, and addressed grand societal challenges such as mental health and interpersonal violence. Under Watkins’’ leadership, the University of Utah cultivated broad and deep connections to communities and was responsive to the state’s workforce needs. During her tenure, the university produced more graduates in high-demand fields than any other state institution, and those graduates secured employment and/or continued on to graduate or professional school at noteworthy rates.
Watkins previously served as the University of Utah’s senior vice president for academic affairs for five years before being appointed president. She came to Utah in 2013 from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where she served in many leadership and faculty roles. She is a visible and influential leader in a wide range of national contexts.