Josh is part of the senior leadership team in the Division of Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, where he advises strategic initiatives and ensures efforts are effectively coordinated across the Division for the long-term vitality of its academic programs. Since joining the Dean’s office in 2014, Josh has led the strategic reorganization of the Division’s administrative departments, overseen space-planning, and implemented complex University initiatives. Prior to his current role, Josh served as founding Executive Director of the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society (2012-14) and in multiple roles in the interdisciplinary Center for Latin American Studies (2000-12).
Patrick Lafontaine’s roots are in Northern Ontario, being raised in a French-Canadian community. He began his Laurentian University career in 1998 where he has since been a student, student employee, and Recruitment Officer. He then fulfilled leadership roles for Recruitment Services, Admissions, Service Innovation, and now Transitions and Engagement. Recently, he has spearheaded student experience initiatives including the creation of the myLaurentian Hub (a comprehensive student service and contact centre), the launch of a campus-wide service delivery program, the introduction of CRM platforms, and the development of self-service online tools. Through all his roles at Laurentian University, he has sharpened his skills in delivering service excellence and implementing customer experience (CX) strategies. At home, with his beagle, he cheers on Chelsea FC (go Blues go!) when he’s not hiking, kayaking, or enjoying a pint of craft beer with friends.
Joseph’s career includes 24 years of experience in assessment, institutional effectiveness, accreditation, and planning. In his current role, his portfolio of work includes regional and specialized accreditation and policy related to accreditation. During his many years at North Carolina Community College System, Joseph established a university-wide assessment at NC State University, served as the founding director of the Office of Assessment at Georgia Tech, and established the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Savannah College of Arts and Design.
Haley has served as an Academic Success Coordinator & Academic Advisor for Undeclared / Exploratory students at Colorado State University since 2005. In her position, she teaches classes for both first- and second-year students focused on academic decision-making and major exploration, advises a student organization to support and represent Undeclared / Exploratory students, coordinates campus-wide Major Exploration events, advocates for Undeclared/Exploratory students through many campus-wide initiatives, and maintains an advising caseload of approximately 200 students. Haley is also an active member of NACADA, the Global Community for Academic Advising–attending conferences, presenting sessions related to advising best practices, and authoring literature reviews. A recipient of Colorado State University’s Jack E. Cermak Advising Award, Haley loves advising Undeclared /Exploratory students and enjoys helping them find an academic program that caters to their individual strengths, interests, and values. Haley earned a M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University.
Director of the Center for Academic Success, Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Donald Pearl oversees extensive programs in tutoring, supplemental instruction, and academic coaching that serve more than 4,000 students each semester. He has been an academic administrator for 18 years, during which time he has held the positions of science chair, academic dean, and vice-president of academic affairs at several two year colleges. Prior to coming to Georgia Tech, he served as the Assistant Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta Georgia, where he was responsible for Complete College Georgia initiatives, tutoring, supplemental instruction, advising, Dekalb Early College Academy, and dual enrollment. Dr. Pearl earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in physics from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and M.S. in mathematics from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He has presented at a number of conferences about student retention, progression, and graduation including “Student Success Seminar for Students Returning from Academic Dismissal” at the 2017 American Association of College and Universities conference on Diversity, Learning, and Student Success and “Empowering Students to Conquer Academic Dismissal” at the 2018 National Conference of Academic Deans annual conference.
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Kentucky Before joining the University of Kentucky in July 2022, Ana served as Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences at Auburn University. She is the recipient of the Woman of Distinction Administrative Award, as well as the President’s Outstanding Collaborative Units Award. Ana was also a Lloyd and Sandra Nix Endowed Professor at Auburn from 2017 to 2019. She participated in the SEC Academic Leadership Development Program, is a 2021 HERS Leadership Institute alum, and chaired the steering committee for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) at Auburn University. Ana’s research focuses on decision making and behavioral economics, with applications to organizations and industry. She has taught courses on the psychology of choice and decision, behavioral game theory, and decision making in organizations and industry, in addition to helming workshops in negotiation and decision making. Ana was a first-generation student and holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, an M.A. in Psychology from the College of William and Mary, and a B.A in Psychology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
John Nash champions the creation of learner-centric schools via design thinking as a professor and the director of the Laboratory on Design Thinking at the University of Kentucky. He also serves as a reliable source for educators and policy-makers, providing forward-looking advice on AI and ChatGPT. John’s passion lies in helping educators in schools, colleges, and universities use human-centered design to create programs and services that delight their students, teachers, and community. He is the author of the book Design Thinking in Schools: A Leader’s Guide to Collaborating for Improvement (Harvard Education Press, 2019). In addition, in his role as a passionate online teacher, John co-hosts, with Jason Johnston, the podcast “Online Learning in the Second Half.”
Sara became Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs on July 1, 2021. She earned her undergraduate degree from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and her graduate degrees (MA, PhD) from the University of California, Los Angeles, all in Political Science. Sara has a distinguished career as an administrator and has served as a Program Director, Chair, and Dean before her selection as Provost. In addition to her extensive administrative experience, Sara has a strong reputation as a teacher and scholar. She has received the International Alumni Association Award for Teaching Excellence, as well as multiple awards from the Student Government Association. She has been a leader in developing the EKU Mock Trial Program and served as President of the American Mock Trial Association from 2008-2010. She served as EKU’s Title IX Coordinator from 2013-2015 and holds multiple certifications related to that work. In collaboration with Dr. Russell Carpenter, Sara has published and presented on leadership topics ranging from leadership styles, building effective teams, and supporting emerging academic leaders. Their presentation at the 2020 Leadership in Higher Education Conference was one of its most-accessed sessions and was selected for publication in Academic Leader. Learn More About Coaching
