Norma has 20 years of experience in a diverse range of student affairs positions. In her current role, she oversees a diverse portfolio of administrative and student services functions, recently having led the development of the strategic plan. Her career began with the University of Alberta student association Students’ Union where she oversaw the orientation program and the SU suite of student services. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Alberta and a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University. Norma has always had a passion and commitment to developing emerging leaders and effective teams.
Melissa has 20 years of experience working in higher education and currently serves as Deputy Provost (Students and Enrollment) at the University of Alberta. She has held various roles within student affairs and academic administration. She has lead a number of institution- wide initiatives including acting as the administrative lead for the Student Service stream of our Service Excellence Transformation and serving as Chair of the Academic Impacts team for our institutional COVID response. She is currently spearheading a new Student Experience Action Plan for her institution using an innovative co-creation approach. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a certificate in Globalization and Governance from the University of Alberta and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Victoria. She also completed a Certificate in University and College Administration from the Centre for Higher Education Research & Development at the University of Manitoba and the Management Development Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is passionate about helping build individual and team leadership capacity within higher education. When not working Melissa loves spending time with her family and friends exploring, either by foot, on x-country skis or traveling.
Shaunna (she/her/hers) is an educator, higher education administrator, ordained minister, and highly sought-after consultant in the equity and inclusion marketplace. Her primary goal is to support the Division of Academic Affairs by attracting, advancing, and retaining diverse staff, faculty, and librarians. Working in tandem with the Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity and the Office of Human Resources, Shaunna is responsible for compliance and analytics, hiring, onboarding, funds development, faculty retention and cultural competency programming for faculty and librarians. Within the role, she serves as a train-the-trainer for difficult dialogues using the University of Michigan’s racial reconciliation model. Shaunna has been integral to the inaugural Steering Committee and a Faculty Affiliate for the Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program, a first-of-its-kind, statewide collaborative leadership program sponsored by the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights and University of Baltimore’s Schaefer Center for Public Policy. Additionally, she has lectured on de-biasing organizations at the Maryland Municipal League where statewide mayors gather each year. Shaunna holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University, a Master of Divinity from Eastern Mennonite University, and a Doctor of Education from The George Washington University.
Leah provides the leadership and vision for creating a more inclusive campus for students, faculty, and staff, who works collaboratively with all members of the campus and surrounding community. She is a recognized leader and popular keynote speaker who has created innovative programs and initiatives, led policy development and strategic planning efforts and has designed and led a variety of different DEI training programs. Her work has directly influenced recruitment and retention endeavors for academic institutions and businesses. With more than 30 years of experience working in higher education, business, healthcare, and community organizations she is recognized for promoting and creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations. Her areas of specialization include personnel development, recruitment, retention, disability awareness, cultural competency, student success, and higher education leadership. Leah is a skilled trainer, mediator, and certified coach who facilitates dialogue surrounding difficult issues and supports conflict resolution efforts. Before joining Towson University, Leah was the Special Assistant to the President and Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, where she oversaw the institution’s diversity and inclusion efforts, Title IX, and student success programs and college access programs for underrepresented students. She also spent many years working at Gallaudet University […]
Mary Spilde is a coach and consultant with over 30 years’ experience in higher education. She has extensive experience delivering leadership and organizational development programs. Mary consults with colleges and non-profits to develop emotionally intelligent and results-oriented organizations. Her consulting work includes engagement with boards of trustees, presidents, and senior leadership teams to clarify roles, align priorities, and to create the conditions where people can do their best work. Mary’s passion is developing the next generation of higher education leaders. She taught Adaptive Leadership in the Oregon State University Higher Education doctoral program for five years and leads leadership development programs at the state and national level including the League for Innovation Executive Leadership Institute and the American Association of Community Colleges New CEO Academy. She teaches workshops on Emotional Intelligence, Adaptive Leadership and Resilience. Mary coaches individuals at all levels in colleges including faculty and executive leadership. Drawing from research on emotional intelligence, positive psychology, appreciative inquiry and resilience she comes to coaching believing that individuals are creative, whole human beings with multiple roles, and capable of arriving at their own answers and best course of action when prompted by questions and deep listening. As a coach she is […]
Sarah brings more than 20 years of experience in industry and academia, and in her current role, she works with the three universities in the University of Illinois system on common academic issues. Her success depends on relationship-building, collaboration, negotiation, and (occasionally) a gift for managing conflict. Sarah also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she teaches the introductory course on higher education for graduate students as well as a graduate course on student affairs administration. Her research interests include experiential learning and its impact on student learning outcomes, with a particular focus on internships, cooperative education, and apprenticeships. Previously, Sarah held several successive leadership roles at the Urbana-Champaign campus, including MBA admissions, student programs, career services, public engagement, and corporate and international relations. Prior to joining academia, Sarah worked in consulting, where she served a rich assortment of diverse clients on various business issues. She also led strategy for an innovative nonprofit organization that aimed to improve leadership in Chicago Public Schools. Sarah earned a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, an MBA focusing on strategy, organizational behavior, management, and marketing from Northwestern University’s […]
Amy is a skilled educational leader who has served in diversified cabinet-level roles in academic institutions and in the for-profit sector. A dynamic executive known for a collaborative approach, an analytical mindset, and a bias for action, she brings more than 25 years of business leadership to her work. As a highly successful product, marketing, and communications leader, and as a teacher, advocate, and professional development consultant, she is passionate about student success and about elevating the stature of educational institutions in the world. In her most recent role as Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Amy was involved at the highest levels in setting strategic priorities for the organization, driving culture change, and elevating the operations of the university overall. The oversight and execution of major university-wide initiatives fell under her purview, including the university’s annual budgeting process; the development and implementation of WPI’s strategic plan, Lead With Purpose; the programming and launch of its newest facility on campus, the Innovation Studio; and the conception and launch of WPI’s Center for Project-Based Learning. She provided direction to multiple divisions on campus, oversaw the Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Enrollment Management, and […]
Karen guides academic faculty in developing leadership skills, advancing their careers, and creating alignment between their work and life. Karen is an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and a practicing physician anesthesiologist with an international medical career spanning over 30 years. Her experience as a national leader in academic medicine and education informs her work as a coach. Karen’s areas of coaching expertise are in leadership, professional development, and career advancement. Karen’s coaching approach is centered on the partnership between coach and coachee; she creates a safe space for her clients to explore and find alignment between their core strengths and values and their goals. Her coaching focuses on deep listening and using powerful questions to inspire curiosity, and to assist her clients in establishing a strong foundation from which to grow as leaders and achieve their professional goals. Karen’s coaching clients are physicians, and academicians at all levels whose goals are to establish themselves as leaders, develop and sustain their careers and make transitions. Examples of her clients’ successes include developing a personal leadership style, leading teams, negotiating, navigating difficult conversations, and using 360-degree evaluations. Karen uses a variety of established tools and techniques tailored to the needs and goals […]
In his current role, Brent oversees the University’s $2.1 billion campaign. With over twenty-three years of fundraising experience on campaigns totaling more than four billion dollars, he previously held the position of Assistant Vice President and Director of Campaign Operations at Cleveland State University. Brent has also led major gifts and campaign leadership positions for Indiana University and Ohio University. Prior to that, he was on the executive team at United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta for four campaigns. His first major responsibility in volunteer management was with the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, where he oversaw a seventy-member team for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Brent earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Indiana University, Bloomington; a master’s of public administration from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University; and a doctorate in educational leadership (Ed.D.) from Indiana University, Bloomington. His research includes women and philanthropy programs in higher education, and he has worked directly with athletes in professional sports football, baseball, and auto racing on fundraising initiatives and sports philanthropy research. In July 2022, he released his first book, A Dean’s Handbook for Philanthropy, in partnership with CASE. Brent also serves on the faculty for the […]
Chandani provides strategic direction for the global diversity education area within the Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Strategic Innovation. She focuses particularly on creating inclusive teaching and learning environments for students, faculty, and staff and is committed to advancing a more equitable higher education landscape. Chandani has presented and facilitated numerous workshops and presentations on inclusive teaching, learner-centered teaching, active learning, metacognition, critical self-awareness, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education contexts. She is also an equity coach with the Every Learner Everywhere Network and serves as the co-chair for the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)’s Academic Council. Chandani holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Chicago as well as a B.A. in Comparative Literature and an M.A. in Humanities and Social Thought from New York University.
