Nimisha is a Visiting Researcher at UC Irvine and an Equity and Inclusion Consultant in higher education. Drawing on a decade of experience as a college educator, university administrator, and DEI practitioner, she works closely with organizational leaders to develop anti-bias programs, trainings, and curricula for adult audiences. Nimisha is also the author of several award-winning books, edited volumes, and articles. Her most recent book is entitled A Just Future: Getting from Diversity and Inclusion to Equity and Justice in Higher Education and is forthcoming from Cornell University Press in fall 2023. In 2022, she received the prestigious Tyler Stovall Mission Prize in recognition of her contributions to DEI in the historical profession, as well as, more broadly, in the field of higher education.
Colleen Ryan is Associate Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs at Indiana University, where she collaboratively oversees tenure and promotion procedures, faculty leadership development, and programming for faculty success. She is Director of the Initiative for the Advancement of Women and Liaison to the Institute for Advanced Study’s mid-career mentorship program. Her current interests include meditation and restorative practices. Colleen Ryan has published on various facets of gender and sexuality in Italian cinema, on Italian diaspora and ethnicity studies in the US, on the teaching a foreign languages through the arts, particularly theater, and professional and curriculum development. Over the years, she has taught an array of courses on Italian literature and film, gender and sexuality studies, on Italian-American identities, and on foreign language career development. She has served as Director of Language Instruction and Director of Undergraduate Studies and has been elected to leadership positions in national and international associations for Italian Studies for Foreign Language Program Direction.
Associate Vice President for Faculty Advancement and Student Success at San Diego State University Joanna Brooks is an award-winning writer and author/editor of ten books on race, religion, gender, social movements, and American culture. In her role as Associate Vice President for Faculty Advancement and Student Success at San Diego State University, she leads faculty development and student academic support efforts at a large, public, and research-intensive Hispanic-Serving Institution of higher education. She is a graduate of the CSU Executive Leadership program and a founder of SDSU’s Digital Humanities Center, the National Humanities Center Podcasting Workshop series, and the Shared Governance Leadership Institute. In her public-facing work, she has appeared in global media outlets including the BBC, NPR, the Daily Show, CNN, MSNBC, and The Washington Post and worked as an essayist and columnist for Religion Dispatches. She holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a proud fourth-generation Southern Californian.
As UNLV’s first Vice President for Digital Transformation and Chief Information Officer, Kivanc Oner is redefining IT to support the university’s progressive vision, driving innovation to build customer-centric experiences that give students a competitive advantage. A leader who has transformed the IT landscape in higher education for 20 years, Kivanc understands how new technologies can impact the industry. He is a strategic risk-taker and explores ways to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) to advance learning, teaching, and research at one of the most diverse R1 institutions. Collaborating with campus and community partners, Kivanc is growing the number of digital services that provide customized experiences. He led the creation of the Digital President Whitfield (DPW) to reach the student population. The first of its kind, the AI and online avatar personally connects with students anytime, anywhere, to find the information they need. Like the real-life president, DPW is empathetic about students’ well-being, having deeper conversations about mental health, and knowing when to direct them to wellness resources. Under Kivanc’s leadership, UNLV also introduced an AI-based chatbot to support a student’s life cycle. When a student starts a chat in the Rebel Success Hub, the chatbot is able to identify the individual and […]
Ann Cavallo, Ph.D., is Assistant Vice Provost and Director of the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence (CRTLE), Co-Director of UTeach Arlington, and Distinguished University Professor of Science Education at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). She earned her B.S. from Niagara University, and her M.S. in Science Education/Biology, M.S. in General Science, and Ph.D. in Science Education from Syracuse University. She holds secondary school teacher certification in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and General Science, and taught middle and high school science prior to earning her graduate degrees. As a faculty member at UTA, she designed, directed, and taught in undergraduate and graduate programs including courses on STEM teaching methods, educational psychology, education research methodology, biology, physical science, and earth science. She also previously served as Associate Dean for Research in the College of Education, and in 2018 was appointed Assistant Vice Provost under the Office of the Provost, launching and directing the new research-based Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence (CRTLE). In this position, Dr. Cavallo designs and leads numerous professional development programs for faculty and GTAs in all disciplines and in various modalities, including on-campus, online, and hybrid. Dr. Cavallo’s research investigates high […]
Sierra Dawson’s work focuses on faculty and leadership development, with a specific emphasis on support during career transition moments. As a member of the academic affairs team in the office of the provost, Sierra coordinates and facilitates numerous programs for faculty new to the UO or new to the academy, peer mentorship programs for mid-career faculty, new unit head onboarding & training, the Provost Fellows program, and the UO Leadership Academy. Originally from the faculty in the Department of Human Physiology, Sierra continues to value and design inclusive and interactive learning experiences that build community and help others to learn and grow from where they are.
Dr. James Mandigo is currently the Acting President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) located in British Columbia, Canada. Prior to arriving at UFV in 2019, James spent close to 20 years at Brock University, where he assumed several roles including Vice-Provost for Enrolment Management and International, and Interim Dean, Associate Dean, and Co-Director for the Centre for Healthy Development. He was a contributing writer for Ontario’s 2010 and 2015 Health and Physical Education Curriculum and has conducted workshops with educators and practitioners locally and around the world pertaining to such topics as physical literacy, sport for development and peace, life skills education, and student-centred pedagogy. James’s most recent research and scholarly activity has focused on the role of sport and physical education to foster the development of life skills and the prevention of youth violence in the Central American countries of El Salvador and Guatemala. He has also been a visiting scholar at the University of Tsukuba’s International Academy for Sports Studies in Japan and provided a leadership role with the Scotiabank Champions for Health Promoting Schools in the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent, Antigua, and the British Virgin Islands. His research and development activities […]
Chris Panza attended Purchase College for his BA, double majoring in philosophy and literature. After finishing his PhD in philosophy at the University of Connecticut in 2002, he came to Drury University, where he is now the Director of Strategic Enrollment Planning, the Director of Asian Studies, and a professor of philosophy.
In her role, Allison oversees Advancement central programs: Advancement and Campaign Communications, Prospect Development and Donor Experience and Engagement. Since 2012, Allison has held positions of increasing responsibility and impact in Advancement at UC San Diego and has served as the campaign operations and strategic communications lead since 2016. Allison has worked for nearly two decades in nonprofit and higher education with a focus on communications, marketing, strategic planning and project management, including roles at UCLA and the Kaiser Family Foundation. Allison holds an MA in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego and a BA from Stanford University.
Lori is the ninth President of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and the first female president in the Texas Tech University System. She joined TTUHSC in 1987, and has held multiple leadership positions during her tenure with the university, including Dean of the School of Health Professions and Provost and Chief Academic Officer. Lori led TTUHSC through an unprecedented global health pandemic. This required the transition of all on-campus academic instruction to online and a workforce of more than 5,000 on six campuses to remote operations. During this time, the university’s team members led collaborative efforts to produce personal protective equipment for its front-line health care team and providers across the region. They also played vital roles statewide in supplying viral transport medium for COVID-19 testing and conducting a national study on convalescent serum as a treatment option for the disease. As President of TTUHSC, Lori oversees a complex, multi-campus institution with Lubbock as the administrative center, and with regional campuses at Abilene, Amarillo, Dallas, Midland, and Odessa. TTUHSC is committed to regionalized, educational experiences provided across six schools that deliver quality education, research, patient care, and community service programs to meet the health care needs of West Texas, […]
