Heather L. Rist is a licensed professional counselor, educator, and consultant in Arizona with a specialty in trauma and trauma-informed care. Heather’s professional career has included community mental health, domestic violence and sexual assault services, private practice, and she is currently the trauma expert on the Employee Assistance and Wellness team for Northern Arizona University. Heather maintains ongoing certification as a Clinical Trauma Professional and is clinically trained in evidence-based trauma treatment. As a consultant, Heather’s mission is to share trauma-informed philosophy and practice in health care and higher education settings, fueled by the understanding that if we can create trauma-informed environments, our systems will become healthier, more effective, and more efficient. Heather lives in Flagstaff, AZ with her family and two dogs.
I partner with leaders to connect deeply with their own values and strengths so they can empower others to move their organizations to the next level of excellence. Sherilyn is Professor Emerita at the University of Washington, a retired academic pediatrician and an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with over 30 years of experience in academic medicine in the U.S. Her deep knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of academic faculty informs her coaching focus and approach. Sherilyn’s areas of coaching expertise include developing leadership skills, optimizing scholarly productivity (including grant writing and manuscript preparation), program development, navigating the promotion process, transitioning to retirement, increasing satisfaction with clinical responsibilities, enhancing teaching abilities and developing long-term career goals. Sherilyn’s coaching approach is person-centered and leverages appreciative inquiry, foundations of contemporary neuroscience and design thinking. She works with clients to identify their core values and individual strengths to co-create a safe space for productive experimentation toward achieving their goals. She is continuously exploring and leveraging concepts and techniques from a wide variety of leadership and coaching fields to meet her client’s needs. Sherilyn has successfully coached mid- and late-career faculty transitioning into new leadership roles, participating in institutional strategic planning, negotiating workplace […]
I help clients achieve success on their own terms within the challenging realities of the higher ed landscape. Heather draws upon her supervisory experiences as a department chair and executive editor of an international interdisciplinary journal to help her clients find positive, constructive approaches to their unique challenges in bringing out the best in individuals, teams, and academic units. Heather helps mid-career faculty revitalize their careers by restoring their connection to the passion and purpose that first sparked their dedication to their academic fields. Academia is rough terrain that many faculty navigate alone. It’s natural to adopt habits like overworking and people (or institution)-pleasing to cope with early career stresses without realizing the cost of shifting focus from their true aspirations. These habits take root over time, giving life to self-undermining behaviors like perfectionism, impostor syndrome, chronic dissatisfaction, and disengagement. Drawing from the evidence-based methods in positive psychology, insights from cognitive behavioral theory, the proven effectiveness of coactive coaching, and her knowledge of best practices in academia, Heather guides her clients in reorienting their career trajectories toward their true aspirations, aligning their goals with professional benchmarks, charting a path to productivity and fulfillment, and taking continuous steps toward this new […]
I empower clients to manage and lead with conviction, achieve success, and change reality within their existing cultures. Ron is a university administrator and executive coach with over 4 decades of experience in higher education that includes two decades of administrative experience at major universities. A core component of his approach to coaching is assisting his clients in understanding the systems in which they are employed and negotiating such systems to accomplish their career goals. In his coaching approach, Ron frequently uses evidenced-based approaches from clinical psychology and behavior management. He frequently employs humor in his work with clients while managing to teach clients within a strategic framework to build productive and supportive relationships in the work setting. Ron has a great deal of experience in working with faculty, Program Directors, Chairs, Deans and Vice-Presidents within the University setting. Over the years, he has mentored countless administrators so that they have been able to ascend the academic career ladder. Ron’s careful blend of evidenced-based clinical approaches coupled with an emphasis on life balance with family and the work setting have made him a successful mentor of many individuals who have gone on to have impressive, productive and prestigious careers. Ron […]
Supporting faculty into leadership positions and fostering their own professional development over the life course of their careers (from faculty member to deanship) Jane has over 30 years of experience in higher education serving most of that time in leadership positions. Her experiences include her role as a department chairperson, as a dean at two different institutions and her combined role as Dean and Associate Provost. However, her passion was her 20 years of service in her role as a dean. Her experience includes her time spent as a dean at a teaching institution within a unionized environment. She carries another valuable perspective from her role as a dean at large research intensive (R1) institution that was not unionized. Her career encompassed multiple leadership roles at the state and national levels. This included her role as chair of the board for a large national educationally focused organization, her multiple experiences moderating panel discussions for congressional reviews at the federal level, and her appointments to state commissions by the Governor. Jane appreciates the opportunities and challenges deans encounter in higher education as they navigate leading large complex academic units. She has become an expert in assisting new deans and veteran deans […]
Helping academics align their professional and personal lives with their values, strengths, and passions so they thrive, rather than just strive and survive. Suzanne coaches faculty at all career stages, including new faculty, those finding their way after tenure, and faculty serving in academic leadership roles for their institutions. Suzanne is currently the Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and a Full Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz. She also an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach and trained facilitator, who enjoys helping academics thrive personally and professionally. As Associate Vice Provost, she is responsible for providing support and professional development for new faculty, department chairs, and other academic leaders in inclusive and effective leadership. She has served in variety of other leadership roles including vice-chair of her department, graduate program chair, and the president of the largest scientific society in her field. Suzanne first encountered coaching at a time of major transition in her life. Being coached helped her design a life she loves that is aligned with her values and passions. Having seen the power of coaching, she decided to train and certify as a coach because […]
Josh is Northern Arizona University’s Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. He oversees the university’s comprehensive HR functions including: Benefits, Hiring & Recruitment, Employee Relations, Employee Learning and Development, Payroll, Employee Assistance and Wellness, and the Equity and Access Office. In addition to serving as NAU’s VP for Human Resources since 2018, Josh was appointed and served as the university’s Interim Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff from March 2020–July 2021. Josh has over 20 years of higher education human resources experience. Prior to joining NAU in 2018, he was the CHRO at Metropolitan State University Denver, where he transformed their HR function and became a key member of the President’s Cabinet. His public higher education HR career began with the Maricopa Community College District, where he held progressively responsible HR roles for over 18 years. His Ed.D. and M.Ed. are in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, where he also earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources. Josh has served on numerous state and national higher education HR boards and committees. His higher education HR service includes board positions at the state, regional, and national levels. He currently serves on the […]
Kristen McCauliff is the Dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media at Ball State University. She is also a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies where she has taught classes in the areas of rhetorical theory, criticism, feminism and media analysis. Prior to becoming Dean, she served as Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Development where she supports faculty support initiatives across campus including, Communities of Practice, High Impact Teaching Practices, New Faculty Academy, and Open Educational Resource adoption. An active researcher, Kristen’s articles have appeared in a number of journals including Communication Studies, Women & Language, Rhetoric Society Quarterly, and Journal of Faculty Development. And her co-authored book entitled Listening to Women on the Right: Communication Strategies of Today’s Female Republican Politicians was published in 2017 with McFarland Press. Dr. McCauliff completed her PhD at the University of Georgia and her MA at Wake Forest University. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and watching college sports.
Empowering leaders and executives to successfully navigate change by turning challenges into opportunities, and to ascend the leadership ladder by providing unique perspectives to problem solving and personal branding. Christie Chung, PhD, is an Executive Director (aka CEO or Dean) of a multidisciplinary institute at an R1 University. Apart from this executive role, she has also served as Associate Provost, Associate Dean, and many other key Chair and leadership positions at both R1 and liberals arts college settings. Christie has over 1.5 decades of experience as a cognitive psychology faculty and researcher, is a TEDx speaker, and an accomplished author in cognitive aging and cross-cultural cognition. Christie also has extensive experience in navigating complex institutional changes, especially ones involving institutional restructuring and mergers. In her coaching practice, Christie empowers leaders and executives to turn challenges into opportunities for growth and advancement. Christie is skilled in personal branding principles, which are critical as leaders position themselves for job opportunities and promotions. Christie inspires academics to impact the world through their leadership while championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion/Antiracism/Belonging (DEIAB) principles. Christie has experience in supervising programs and grant-funded initiatives, fundraising, mediating conflict, and has been a key leader in supporting the campus community […]
Dr. Kim Eby joined the Mason community in 1996. A faculty member in the School of Integrative Studies, she is also affiliated with Women and Gender Studies. In 2002, she was awarded the George Mason University Teaching Excellence Award. Her professional and scholarly interests include issues surrounding violence and gender, leadership, organizational development and change, and collaboration and community building across a variety of contexts. She was a consultant for the National Learning Communities Project and has presented at national meetings and consulted with individual institutions on topics such as leading institutional change; learning space design; interdisciplinary collaboration; working with student and faculty diversity, equity, and inclusion; and other issues related to faculty, teaching and learning, and leadership development. Kim served for nine years as the Director of the Center for Teaching and Faculty Excellence (CTFE, now Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning) and Associate Provost for Faculty Development, providing programming, consultations, and professional development support to Mason faculty and graduate students, with an emphasis on teaching and learning. Currently Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development, Kim is responsible for all matters pertaining to Mason faculty’s professional well-being, development, and success, including providing support for faculty career development, recognizing […]
