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
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at University of Colorado, Denver A dedicated educator with 30 years of higher education experience, Constancio joined CU Denver in July 2021 after a successful 19-year tenure at Clemson University, where he served as Associate Provost for Academic Affairs. In addition to his administrative role at Clemson, Constancio was a professor of French and Linguistics and served as a Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Department Chair. Prior to Clemson, he was an associate professor and program director at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He also served as a lecturer at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he obtained an MBA degree. Throughout his career, Constancio has demonstrated success in academic leadership, and in strategic planning at the departmental, collegiate, and provost levels, as well as in financial management and budgeting. He has experience with academic program assessment, development and assessment of student learning outcomes, development and implementation of academic curricula, and faculty recruitment and development. Among other achievements, Constancio has created multidisciplinary degree programs between humanities and STEM, health, and business fields that have been successful in attracting and engaging students along their educational journeys. A multilingual […]
Dr. Eddie Phillips serves as the Provost and Senior Vice President at National Louis University. As Provost, Dr. Phillips is responsible for the academic enterprise of the University. This includes the institution’s academic portfolio, academic policy and operations, faculty leadership and engagement in teaching service and scholarship, faculty development, accreditation and compliance, and a host of several shared governance functions. Before becoming Provost, Dr. Phillips served as the Vice Provost of Academic Programs and Accreditation at NLU. Prior to joining National Louis University, Phillips worked at Kennedy-King College, City Colleges of Chicago, where he held several leadership roles, including Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Dean of Instruction, Associate Dean of Instruction, and Registrar. Dr. Phillips has also served in various roles at Northern Illinois University, Malcolm X College, and Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Phillips currently serves on Nancy B. Jefferson’s school board (a Chicago Public School alternative school and youth detention center) as well as on the Illinois P-20 Council (a group intended to deliberate and make recommendations to the Governor, Illinois General Assembly, and state agencies for developing seamless and sustainable systems of quality education and support across the entire lifespan of student learning). He is […]
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Arizona State University In his role as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Chris works closely with President Crow and the other executive vice presidents to coordinate enterprise-wide initiatives and advancements, oversee ASU Enterprise affiliates, advance new enterprise relationships and opportunities, and integrate ASU Enterprise planning and strategy. He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and earned a doctorate in politics as a Rhodes Scholar from the University of Oxford. He also has an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School, and in 2018 he received the school’s Alumni Achievement Award. Chris’s service to his country began with his role as a helicopter pilot, then as an intelligence officer, where he was assigned to the elite Joint Special Operations Command. He served in Afghanistan in the Air Force Reserve and was awarded the Bronze Star. Chris concluded his career as a Reserve Military Attaché to Liberia, Africa. Previously, he served as the eighth President of Robert Morris University, a nationally ranked doctoral granting university in suburban Pittsburgh, beginning on February 1, 2016. Before serving at RMU, Chris was President of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. He also served as […]
Professor Virginia Commonwealth University Dr. Ed Acevedo is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences and presently serves as the Director of Faculty Development and Research in the You First at VCU First-Generation Student Success and Faculty Research Center. Ed has wide-ranging experience in academic leadership as a department chair for 10 years and as an associate dean for 5 years. He has initiated new degree programs; fostered and supported diversity, equity and inclusion in faculty and students across campus; and he has led efforts to bolster innovative transdisciplinary research. His research contributions are nationally recognized for facilitating our understanding of the effects of mental stress and fitness level on an individual’s health.
Candi is a licensed attorney with an enduring passion for the intersection of sports and the law. Early in her career, this passion took her to USA Track & Field’s Business and Legal Affairs, and later to the National Football League’s Management Council. In 2014, she made a career change and decided to focus her passion and legal acumen on the eradication of sexual harassment and the promotion of inclusion in the college and university environment. Candi has championed Civil Rights compliance for over eight (8) years. She began her career in Civil Rights compliance at the premier Historically Black College & University (HBCU), Howard University, as the Title IX Director. She continued this work at the #1 Public University, the University of California, Los Angeles. She has held positions as the Deputy Title IX Director and as Interim Director of Staff, Diversity: Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance. Candi’s work has focused on students, staff, and faculty. She has conducted Civil Rights investigations and mentored high-level administrators through state and federal agency investigations and inquiries. She has also drafted policies and procedures to comply with state and federal law. Lastly, she has created the curriculum, and facilitated hundreds of training workshops, […]
Colleen has been at UT Dallas since 2012 where she provides strategic leadership and oversight of all Human Resources operations. She has strategically incorporated original concepts, the talent management and strategic planning model TREE (Total Rewards; Recruitment, Retention and Recognition; Excellence in Performance; Employee Engagement; and the Four C’s of a Diamond Employee model (Character, Culture, Commitment and Capability), to support the advancement of UTD. In 2013 she created the ONE UTD campaign – One Network of Employees, United Through Diversity, to support inclusion and belonging for all, and set a tone of dignity and respect for all levels of positions, backgrounds, and identities. Colleen led the HR team that launched the BRIGHT Leaders leadership development program in 2022. The pillars of this open, inclusive, on-line program focus on developing and supporting leaders who are Bold, Responsible, Inclusive, Growing, High-performing, and Transformative (BRIGHT) at all levels to advance UTD. Participants learn leadership principles, engage in discussions, and access tools and resources empowering them to “Lead from Where You Are;” and any staff, faculty, or UTD student may attend any session. BRIGHT Leaders is a 2023 recipient of the College and University Professional Association of Human Resources (CUPA-HR) HR Innovation Award. […]
