Gwen Cash-James serves as Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at Eastern Washington University. She oversees professional and leadership development for faculty, weaving evidence-based practice with tools chairs and other faculty can use tomorrow. Her through-line is simple: clear structures, humane leadership, and practical habits that help faculty thrive in the workplace. Outside of her work at EWU, Gwen has served for more than 10 years as a peer evaluator for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Prior to her arrival at EWU, she served as Dean of Arts and Sciences at Spokane Community Colleges and as a tenured English faculty member within Washington’s community colleges. She is a very proud EWU alum.
Dr. Judi Wilson was appointed Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Augusta University (AU) in July 2019. She has served Augusta University in multiple leadership roles, including Interim Dean, Associate Dean for Initial Certification, Accreditation, and Partnerships, Department Chair of Teacher Education, and Assistant Chair. A dedicated faculty member at AU since 2003, Dr. Wilson brings 35 years of experience as an educator. She is certified to teach grades P–8 and began her career as an elementary school teacher in Athens, Perry, and Cochran, Georgia. She went on to serve as a primary, middle school, and district-level administrator, building a strong foundation in both teaching and leadership. Dr. Wilson is deeply committed to partnerships and collaboration with higher education institutions, public school districts, private schools, government agencies, nonprofits, and local businesses. She earned her Ed.D. in Educational Administration from Georgia Southern University, her Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia, and her B.A. in Education from Furman University. Under her leadership as Dean, the College has experienced remarkable growth, with enrollment increasing from 830 students to more than 2,300 students, and research funding expanding to over $7.5 million […]
Ryan Freytag serves as the Director of Alumni and Constituent Engagement at Carnegie Mellon University, where he leads alumni engagement initiatives across central University Advancement and the university’s schools and colleges. He also oversees the development and execution of both virtual and in-person academic programming for alumni. As a neurodivergent individual with profound unilateral hearing loss, Ryan is deeply committed to accessibility and ensures that inclusivity and disability awareness are integral to the programs he designs and delivers.
Elyssa Faison is beginning her second term as academic chair of the OU Department of History. She is a specialist in modern Japanese history. Last year she served as Faculty Fellow for Faculty Affairs for DFCAS. In that role, she oversaw the college tenure and promotion process and launched a new monthly Lunch and Learn program for DFCAS chairs and directors. That continuing series features guest speakers from within the college and around campus who share their expertise about policies, procedures, faculty and student recruitment, leadership, and more. Prior to serving as History Department chair, she served as interim chair of Women’s and Gender studies for a year and a half and oversaw a search for an external WGS Department Chair. She believes that leadership comes from deep engagement with all levels of administration, and with faculty and students.
As Vice Provost, Dr. Ellis is responsible for the aspects of Academic Affairs that impact faculty including overseeing the annual evaluation and tenure and promotion processes, managing chair and director development initiatives, and contributing to faculty hiring policy and practice. In addition, she is the Provost’s office Liaison to Chairs, Directors, and Associate Deans as well as the Faculty Senate. As a researcher, her interests have centered on the creation of meaning within musical works. Much of her work has focused on understanding the hermeneutics of Dmitri Shostakovich’s repertoire through his manipulation of post-Beethovenian semiotic space. Her book, Composing the Modern Subject: Four String Quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich, focuses on his Sixth through Ninth Quartets. In addition, she has published articles on the hermeneutic ramifications of the use of pre-existing music in Classic Hollywood films.
Elizabeth joined Gray DI in June 2018 after spending two years teaching high school math at a New Orleans charter school. Elizabeth is the Product Owner of Gray DI’s Program Economics and Outcomes platform. She has worked with over two dozen clients on projects including Program Portfolio Strategy Workshops, Program Economics, Curricular Efficiency, pricing and location modeling, and custom competitor and program analyses. Internally, she contributes to RFP submissions, leads analyst recruiting, hiring, and onboarding, and designs and develops data dashboards. She graduated with Honors from Georgetown University with bachelor’s degrees in French and Economics.
Helping current and aspiring leaders clarify their goals, navigate complex challenges, and experience increased fulfillment in their professional and personal lives. Tracey’s coaching philosophy centers on empowering clients to take the driver’s seat in their own leadership journey. She structures each session as a “road trip” on which she helps clients identify their desired destination or goal. She uses a roadmap of tools and perspectives to help them see blind spots, navigate potential roadblocks, make informed decisions at critical crossroads, and celebrate experimentation and success along the way. Having personally experienced the transformative power of coaching, Tracey is passionate about sharing this powerful gift with individuals who actively seek growth and transformation. She takes pride in creating coaching spaces in which her clients feel seen, heard, valued, and inspired toward progress. As Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives in Human Resources at New York University, Tracey leads initiatives focused on leadership development and career advancement. She recently co-created and co-facilitated an innovative program designed to equip leaders with foundational coaching skills that help them become more confident, empathetic, and effective managers. In her prior role as Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, she gained a profound understanding of the […]
Dr. Zoher Kapasi is the Dean of the College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, South Carolina. Before becoming the dean, Dr. Kapasi served as the Director and Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and Vice-Chair of Education of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Physical Therapy from the University of Bombay, India, a Ph.D. in Anatomy/Immunobiology from Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, and an Executive MBA from the Goizueta Business School, Emory University, Atlanta. He did post-doctoral work in Immunology at the Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland, and the Medical College of Virginia. After graduation, his research focused on age-related changes in immune function and the effects of exercise and nutrition on the immune system. Dr. Kapasi serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation. Dr. Kapasi has taught human anatomy, advanced human anatomy, and business management in the physical therapy program. In 2014, Emory University School of Medicine conferred the Dean’s Teaching Award to Dr. Kapasi. In 2017, Emory University conferred the Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching […]
