Instructors
As NMSU’s Provost Carol oversees several initiatives to advance the goals of the NMSU’s LEADS 2025 Strategic Plan. Parker has more than two decades of academic administrative experience gained in service at several other public research universities, and a year spent as a Fellow of the American Council on Education (2021-2013). She is also a Professor of Law Emerita at the University of New Mexico.
Supporting mid-level and senior leaders as they prepare for the future of higher education and the next steps in their careers. Jennifer is an executive coach and trusted advisor who helps higher education leaders and their teams cultivate the mindset and skill set needed to thrive in an ever-changing world. Drawing from nearly 20 years of progressive leadership experience in higher education, she brings deep institutional knowledge to her coaching practice, specializing in cultivating the critical competencies that enable leaders to break down institutional silos, forge powerful collaborations, and create flourishing organizational cultures. Jennifer has held a variety of leadership positions in academic and student affairs throughout her career, including program director, department chair, and assistant dean. She currently serves as a director of strategic initiatives where she works closely with the provost on developing and coordinating high-priority strategic planning initiatives. Her coaching practice focuses primarily on chairs, deans, provosts, and vice presidents who are leading institutional change while advancing their own career trajectories. Jennifer’s approach combines evidence-based frameworks with practical communication strategies, ensuring leaders can effectively navigate complex challenges while building sustainable success. Jennifer has coached hundreds of leaders across institutional types, from R1 universities to community colleges, including […]
Steve has worked with more than 100 higher-education institutions, bridging the perspectives of faculty, administrators, trustees, and other stakeholders. He leads engagements with colleges and universities to assess current academic programs and identify new ones, evaluate potential new geographic markets and campus locations, improve curricular efficiency, and address other strategic, enrollment, and financial challenges. He uses his distinctive skills in creating, interpreting, and helping decision-makers use data about student demand, employment outcomes, competition and trends at other institutions, and instructional economics in order to reach shared understandings of their situations and agreement on important decisions. Before joining Gray Associates, Steve consulted in the motor vehicle and transportation industries, and on supply chain management strategy in other industries. This work included engagements in Europe and Asia as well as North America, and it also included related work in management training and as an interim executive at client companies. Steve has a Masters in Management, with Distinction, from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and a bachelor’s degree from M.I.T.
As vice president, Gerald is responsible for managing and leading Etown’s financial and planning operations. He oversees the university’s finance, human resources, public safety, and risk management. Gerald serves as ETown’s chief financial officer and as a member of the President’s Senior Leadership Team.
Tom has pursued a path of lifelong learning and combines a career as both an executive and a student. As the first Director of Human Resource Planning and Development for the Fortune 500 company, Dennison Manufacturing, Inc. and Founder of NuCedar Mills, Inc., Dr. Loper has had an impressive career in the areas of Human Resource Management, Marketing, General Management and Entrepreneurship. In addition, Dr. Loper has served as a Race Relations Education Specialist in the U.S. Navy and has taught as a visiting executive in graduate programs at Harvard, Babson, and Brandeis, among other schools. His more creative manufacturing ideas have been formally recognized by the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office six times. Dr. Loper is a member of the Bay Path College Innovators Roundtable.
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.
I coach current and aspiring academic leaders to lead change, build thriving teams, and sustain their well-being—so they can lead with confidence and effectiveness. “Amanda helped me move from reacting to every challenge to leading with intention. I left coaching with greater clarity, stronger boundaries, and the confidence to make decisions I could stand behind.” I work with higher education leaders navigating the realities of academic leadership: leading organizational change, balancing competing demands, managing faculty and staff, and preparing for the next chapter of their careers. Whether you’re stepping into leadership for the first time, facing a difficult transition, or seeking greater impact without sacrificing yourself, I help you lead authentically and effectively. What we work on: Leading Change: You’re responsible for moving people through uncertainty. Together, we build the confidence and strategy needed to lead transformation. Managing Faculty & Staff: Difficult conversations, performance concerns, and team dynamics become opportunities for clarity, accountability, and growth. Career Advancement: You want to move into a chair, dean, or a further executive role and position yourself strategically for the next opportunity. Preventing Burnout: Leadership can consume your energy, time, and identity. We create practices that support resilience and sustainable success. Authentic Leadership: You […]
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 […]
As a Senior Leadership Development Manager at Academic Impressions, Jess leads AI’s strategy and content development for our inclusive leadership and women’s leadership programs, creating engaging learning experiences for faculty and staff to expand their self-awareness, work effectively and mindfully with others, build high-performing teams, and collaboratively lead strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Academic Impressions full-time, Jess served as a subject matter expert and educator for Academic Impressions while serving in her role as the Assistant Dean of Students and Title IX Deputy Coordinator at Loyola University Chicago. She has worked in a variety of capacities within higher education, including student success, conflict resolution, student conduct, Title IX, and gender equity. Jess holds a BA from John Carroll University and an MA from the University of Cincinnati. She holds a certificate in Women in Leadership from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead Executive Education Program and has completed Chicago’s Center for Conflict Resolution 40-hour Mediation Skills Training.
