In his current role at Gray Associates, Andy provides financial management to the company and contributes to projects in program economics for its clients. Prior to working at Gray, Andy was Director, Strategic Financial Planning and Analysis, with Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. He oversaw Concordia’s budget process and developed an integrated approach to academic program portfolio optimization, with a focus on institutional mission, markets, and margins. He has over 20 years of experience in the financial services, health care, and higher-education industries.
Dr. Botham’s passion for writing proposals was ignited as a graduate student while writing an AHA fellowship. She now directs the Stanford Biosciences Grant Writing Academy, which was based on her successful Tackling Your K course (70% success rate for career development awards!). In 2016, the Grant Writing Academy was honored with an Innovations in Research Education Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Dr. Botham also leads the Stanford Office of Pediatric Research Development and provides strategic advice to faculty and others to enable competitive funding applications and productive research programs. She is a 2021 Department of Pediatrics Collaboration Awardee.
Ava is a faculty and leadership coach with more than 25 years of experience in higher education. Drawing upon nearly a decade of experience as an on-air television news reporter, she brings a keen awareness of communication and presentation skills. She helps clients work through major transitions in their professional and personal lives by focusing on the little things that lead to big successes. Ava believes it’s important to minimize distractions to maximize YOUR agenda. She earned her coaching certification through Coach Training EDU. Ava leads a faculty mentorship program at Northwestern University. She is particularly adept at addressing the unique challenges and opportunities facing women and faculty of color. Ava is author of Ladies Leading: The Black Women Who Control Television News; and director of “Mandela in Chicago,” a documentary film about the city’s anti-apartheid movement. She is also the executive producer of “Hearing Silences (2025),” a film about the history and experiences of Black women faculty at Northwestern University. In addition to teaching, she has held several administrative posts including associate dean for curriculum, department chair, co-curator for the nationally recognized Ida B. Wells award and co-director of the South Africa Journalism Residency Program. Ava holds both a […]
Rabia (she/hers) is a Senior Learning & Development Manager who partners with higher education leaders to design and facilitate both open-enrollment and custom programs for individuals and teams, with a particular focus on academic affairs and department chairs/heads. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Elmhurst College (now University) and is a proud double alumna of Loyola University Chicago, holding master’s degrees in Higher Education and Human Resources. Before joining Academic Impressions in May 2018, Rabia spent 17 years in Student Affairs, primarily in leadership roles within residence life and Title IX. She served as the Director of Equity Issues and Title IX Coordinator at Columbia College Chicago, as well as the Assistant Dean of Students/Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Loyola University Chicago. In addition, she has taught undergraduate courses and served as a guest speaker in Loyola’s Higher Education graduate program. Rabia has been a subject matter expert and presenter for Academic Impressions since 2013 and is also a Five Paths to Leadership certified instructor. In 2022, she earned her Leadership Principles Certificate from Harvard’s Online Business School, and in 2016, she was honored with Loyola University Chicago’s Higher Education Distinguished Alumna Award. A full-time remote employee, Rabia […]
Amit co-founded Academic Impressions in 2002 to build the capacity of leaders at all levels in higher education. Under his direction, AI has grown to be the largest provider of leadership development for the higher education community and has served over 200,000 people at 3,500 institutions ranging from community colleges to R1 institutions. In addition to his responsibilities leading the organization, Amit actively facilitates leadership workshops, coaches leaders, consults with boards and cabinets, and authors various thought pieces on strategic issues facing higher-ed leaders. He is a certified strengths coach and has been published in numerous outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, International Educator and The Chronicle for Higher Education. He also co-hosts a new podcast focused on higher education leadership and strategy. Articles
Mr. Dexter A. Bailey, Jr. is a fundraising executive with more than 30 years of experience in higher education. Prior to joining Caltech in July 2019, he served as senior vice president for advancement at Stony Brook University and executive director of the Stony Brook Foundation (501c3), where he led the most successful fundraising campaign in the history of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Over the course of his career, Mr. Bailey has successfully built and managed development and alumni relations programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the University of California, Berkeley Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, the University of Washington School of Law, and the Ohio University College of Education. His expertise includes reengineering comprehensive fundraising programs, securing complex principal gifts, advancing grateful patient initiatives, strengthening alumni relations, developing high-performing teams, optimizing organizational structures, and executing modern, comprehensive campaigns. Mr. Bailey serves on the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) 50 Steering Committee and as a Board member of the Turkana Basin Institute, International Advisory Board (IAB) and the One Arroyo Foundation. He earned a BS in journalism from the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and an MBA from the University of Toledo. He […]
Jeanne Hey is founder and principal at Hey University, a leadership development consultancy focusing exclusively on higher-ed settings. With over thirty years’ experience in academia, she specializes in developing materials and programs for emerging and experienced academic leaders. At the University of New England in southern Maine, she served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for eight years before finishing her university service as Associate Provost for Student Success. Before that, Jeanne served Miami University (Oxford, OH) for 19 years. There she served in roles including Interim Dean and Executive Director of Miami’s Middletown Campus, Director of International Studies, and Professor of Political Science and International Studies. Jeanne is the author of Managing Difficult Faculty and Staff: A Four-Step Process (Bloomsbury, 2026) and The Balancing Acts of Academic Leadership: A Guide for Deans and Department Heads (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021). She is an active participant in the Council on Colleges of Arts and Sciences, the Higher Education Research Service (HERS), and Academic Impressions. She leads professional development seminars, workshops, and one-on-one coaching sessions in the areas of leadership development, the unique challenges of academic leadership, administrative-faculty relations, strategic planning, and other topics facing academic leaders today. A […]
