Dr. David Reed is the Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives at the University of Florida. He has been a driving force in the university’s AI Initiative, which began when the University was gifted academia’s fastest AI supercomputer worth over $65M. Reed has led the university’s effort to expand AI throughout the university, including creating and overseeing a dozen AI working groups. UF’s goal is to provide AI education to any student, regardless of their major or previous exposure to computer programming. UF also created a university-wide undergraduate certificate in AI so that students across the university can layer AI education on top of their current major. This dramatically increases the number of students getting AI experience, as well as the breadth of disciplines in which they are being trained. Reed established and currently leads the Artificial Intelligence Academic Initiative Center (AI2 Center), which supports the training of AI faculty, new AI course development, and student engagement in AI. The AI2 Center also oversees a five-year, multi-million-dollar project to expand AI offerings at the University of Florida. UF’s model of teaching AI to everyone is called “AI Across the Curriculum.” Reed and the AI2 Center are taking this innovative model of AI education to […]
Kirstie is Debiase is an experienced senior-level professional in education and business administration with a passion for inclusion, educational opportunity, and the powers of technology and quality content to advance both. As part of her leadership role, she oversees the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning which trains faculty in immersive learning experiences for students using AI, metaverse, gamification, interactive design, augmented reality, virtual reality, digital media, audio/video, and animation. She has a BA in Intercultural Studies with an emphasis in Latin American Studies and a minor in TESOL, a Multiple Subjects K-12 credential with a BCLAD in Spanish, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction, and her Ed-D in Educational Leadership. She has used her skills and education to teach and manage all levels of instructors and students, from the elementary to the university level with hybrid, blended, online, and brick-and-mortar delivery modalities.
Dr. Carter has worked in the areas of Academic Affairs, Student Services, Institutional Effectiveness, Human Resources and Workforce Development. He has a track record of success and a wealth of experience in helping organizations go to the next level. He is accomplished professionally, socially in the community, and in the world of academia, and he has worked at both private and public institutions of higher education. Dr. Carter has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and he has taught in the disciplines of both Psychology and Business. He has served as a faculty member at the following institutions: Palo Verde College, Azusa Pacific University, United States University, ITT Technical Institute, San Bernardino, and Barstow Community College. Dr. Carter is currently serving with Los Angeles Southwest College as its Dean of Liberal Arts for the only community college within the state of California to hold both the Predominantly Black Institution (P.B.I.) and Hispanic Serving Institution (H.S.I.) designations from the United States Department of Education. In addition, Dr. Carter also currently serves as the President and CEO of the Kayannus Consulting Group, Inc. a full-service management and educational consulting firm specializing in aligning human capital with organizational strategy.
Samantha’s career includes nine years of experience in higher education. Specializing in planning, implementation, review and assessment of strategic initiatives, data visualization, and digital transformation, Samantha leads high-impact projects across the university in support of its mission, vision, and values. Prior to her role at Northeast Ohio Medical University, Samantha served as the Alumni Relations Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering. Samantha holds a bachelor’s degree in English and is certified in Lean Six Sigma and project management.
Lacey serves as the chief strategy officer for Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), a public health sciences graduate university comprised of a college of medicine, college of pharmacy, college of graduate studies with allied health professions masters and doctoral programs, college of dentistry (projected to enroll its first class in 2024), and a robust basic science and translational research program. Through the implementation of portfolio and project management methodologies, the strategy team at NEOMED focuses its efforts on delivering groundbreaking graduate medical educational models, fostering strategic partnerships, promoting high-impact research and innovation, supporting new program development addressing high-demand workforce needs, advancing DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), promoting social justice and community service, and improving health for Ohio. Lacey previously served as the Director of Operations for Family and Community Medicine at NEOMED, worked as a strategy consultant exploring market opportunity assessments across multiple industries, and taught undergraduate human development core courses. Lacey holds an MBA from Youngstown State University, a masters in agency and community counseling from Xavier University, and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
John serves as the interim President of Dalton State College and previously served as the interim President for Columbus State University. He also has served in various executive administrative capacities for the University System of Georgia over the last 15 years. John holds a BS in Political Science from Kennesaw State University, an MBA from Georgia State University, a Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University, a Master of Science in Strategic Studies (Distinguished Graduate) from the U.S. Army War College, and a Doctorate in Education from The University of Georgia. He has taught higher education policy at the doctoral level. He is a Colonel in the Georgia Army National Guard (GA ARNG) and commands the 122nd Regiment (Regional Training Institute). He previously served in roles such as Commander of the 122nd TSD, GA ARNG G2, XO for the 78th Troop Command, and, Battalion Commander for the 221st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Battalion. He has deployed twice to the Middle East, commanded five times, and served as the Co-Exercise Director for Operation Noble Partner ’22. John has been recognized as both a Georgia Trend and Atlanta Business Chronicle “40 Under 40.” His military awards include the […]
Bashar serves as the inaugural President of Commonwealth University. On July 1, 2022, Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield universities officially came together to form Commonwealth University, uniting three historic institutions and promising expanded opportunities for students across the region. Bashar began his career as an Assistant Director of the Ronald McNair Faculty-in-Training Program at Temple University in 1991. He later worked for the university in several capacities: as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Teaching Fellow, as an Instructor in the Department of Mathematics and Department of Biology, as a Founding Director of the Math & Science Resource Center, as Assistant Vice Provost for Research and Sponsored Programs, and as Associate Dean of the College of Science and Technology. After serving at Temple University for more than 10 years, Bashar went on to become the Chief Academic Officer and Dean of Academic Affairs at DeVry University, where he spent three years. He subsequently served four years as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Thereafter, he joined Ithaca College as an Associate Provost and Lecturer. He later joined Delaware Valley University as Vice President for Academic Affairs and as a Professor of Biology, where […]
Neva J. Specht [Spake] has served as the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Policies and Development and Professor of History at Appalachian State University, and was appointed interim provost in April 2024, assuming the full position in May 2025. In her position, she works on leadership development with department chairs, aspiring leaders, and deans; works as the liaison with the faculty senate; and serves as a point person for faculty personnel issues. Prior to her roles in the provost’s office, she served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as Senior Associate Dean, Associate Dean, and Assistant Chair in the Department of History. Specht received her Ph.D. in United States history and material culture studies from the University of Delaware, where she also earned her Master of Arts in History with a certificate in Museum Studies. She received her bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College. For six years, she served as the University Liaison to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and during that time, she directed two National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Landmark workshops on the Blue Ridge Parkway and conducted a number of oral histories and research projects for the National Park Service.
Dr. Parekh is the Associate Vice Provost of Faculty Initiatives and leads the Early Career Faculty Institute, a multilevel mentoring program for early-career tenure-track and contract faculty across NYU, in order to mentor them towards tenure and promotion—a program with approximately 90 faculty currently enrolled. She has introduced the Writing Salon that takes place in New York and at global sites, and she is currently developing the Mid-Career Faculty Initiative, a career advancement program for mid-career faculty to be launched in Fall 2023. Dr. Parekh also works with the Office of Global Programs to enhance faculty engagement across the twelve portal sites of NYU, which also supports other faculty initiatives. Dr. Parekh is the Professor of Public Health at the School of Global Public Health, and she has developed a robust scholarship portfolio examining the intersection of biological and behavioral factors of non-communicable diseases in U.S. populations, with a particular focus on obesity, metabolic dysregulation, and cancer. Her research program investigates diet and non-communicable diseases in populations using epidemiologic methods, and her work has been supported by awards from the American Cancer Society and NIH. She is an affiliated faculty member at NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine and the Rory Meyers […]
Pamela Eddy is the Associate Provost of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development and a professor of higher education in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership at William & Mary. Her research interests include community college leadership and development, organizational change and educational partnerships, gender roles in higher education, and faculty development. Professor Eddy serves as a consultant for campuses and system offices, and on funded grants regarding strategies to support community college student success and to promote leadership development. Eddy has authored six books and edited six others, and her most recent book, with Betty Kirby, is entitled Leading for Tomorrow: A Primer for Succeeding in Higher Education Leadership (2020). Eddy is the editor-in-chief for New Directions for Community Colleges, and she serves on the editorial boards for Community College Journal of Research and Practice, Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education, and Innovative Higher Education. She received the 2006 Emerging Scholar Award and the 2013 Senior Scholar Award from the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, and she was also recognized with a 2021 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the 2011 Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence at William & Mary. She was […]
