Dr. Sarah Edwards is a tenured professor in the Teacher Education Department and currently serves as an active participant in the administrative decision-making processes in the Academic Affairs Office at University of Nebraska Omaha. Her position is responsible for assisting the Senior Vice Chancellor in planning, directing, evaluating, and developing undergraduate academic programs; collaborating with other divisions of the University to analyze and develop recommendations in response to evolving issues; and providing leadership for developing and achieving strategic initiatives. Those primary responsibilities include leadership for meeting the goals and objectives of the University’s strategic plan for undergraduate education; implementation and administration of policies and regulations affecting students; and leadership and facilitation for the processes of curriculum development. In addition, this position is responsible for leadership and support for Academic Learning Communities, such as the Susan Thompson Buffett Scholars and the Army and AFROTC detachments, as well as coaching and guidance for the University Honors Program, National Honors, Scholarships and Awards, and oversight and planning of the Student Honors Convocation.
Shawna M. Lusk brings over two decades of distinguished experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership, specializing in advancing diversity, equity, and belonging. As the Senior Associate Director for Student Belonging at Rochester Institute of Technology, she leads initiatives that support intersectional student identities, driving continuous improvement through strategic assessment and program innovation. Shawna is known for her service excellence, building effective multigenerational teams, and fostering valuable partnerships to expand support for marginalized communities. Her dedication extends beyond campus life through her consulting work delivering impactful diversity and inclusion training for organizations across the country. She has also co-founded and led numerous community-driven initiatives, including the Ruby Begonia Foundation, which supports animal rescue through sustainable programs, and Westside Inclusion Initiative, promoting cultural understanding in Rochester’s communities. With advanced degrees in Educational Leadership and Higher Education Administration, Shawna’s career is defined by her exceptional ability to develop, support, and retain diverse teams. Her commitment to service, along with her expertise in public speaking, fiscal stewardship, and navigating organizational change, make her a transformative leader dedicated to fostering inclusive and supportive environments.
Chuck Elias is the CEO and a Co-founder of 42Chat, a leading provider of AI ChatBot Products and Services that improve customer service, lower costs and create amazing customer experiences. Prior to co-founding 42Chat, Chuck was a senior executive with several blue-chip companies, as well as several startups. He has been fortunate to lead amazing teams, tackling the most important strategic, operational and IT challenges to grow and transform businesses in the most difficult operating environments. At Home Depot, he led homedepot.com, successfully turned around and grew a $4 billion retail P&L and later led Home Depot’s retail store entry into China. At SuperValu, he led the transformation of the $25 billion grocery business, deploying new merchandising and operations capabilities to reduce cost and reinvest in the business. At General Electric and Fortune Brands, Chuck developed and implemented global acquisition-based growth strategies and IT to support decentralized business operations. As a technologist, he was one of the earliest adopters of Agile Development Methodologies and was on the forefront of using the mobile apps, tables and dashboards to improve business operations. He is a student, a fan, and a practitioner of the “Theory of Disruption and using “Jobs to be Done” […]
Before her current role at Georgia State, Margie Ferguson was a Professor of Political Science and the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at IU Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI). Margie’s work focuses on policies and practices related to faculty development and success. Relevant examples include promotion and tenure, faculty grievances, career enhancement, faculty leadership development and managing new degree proposals. In addition, Margie serves as the Academic Affairs contact for new program and degree proposals. Margie manages the program and unit review process as well as serving as the campus liaison to the Higher Learning Commission. Given the recent split between IU and PU, Margie led the university’s response to the Higher Learning Commission for the Change of Control, Structure or Organization process. Margie received her baccalaureate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, and M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She began her academic career at IUPUI in 1996. Her research interests revolve around state politics and policy, especially the role of the governor in both the legislative and executive arenas.
Emily provides leadership, design, development, implementation, change management and ongoing improvement efforts for employee and high potential talent development, workforce identification, and succession planning efforts. Prior to joining CMU in 2019, Emily served as a HR Partner and Talent Development Manager at West Virginia University and worked as a Professional Development Manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. She is a GALLUP Certified Strengths Coach, an HCI Certified Strategic Human Resources Business Partner, and a SHRM certified professional. In addition, Emily maintains more than a dozen professional certifications in human resources, leadership, and executive coaching. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education, both from California University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in Instructional Management and Leadership from Robert Morris University. In addition to her work at CMU, Emily also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at West Virginia University and Pennsylvania State University focusing on human resources and organizational development. Emily’s recent awards include “One to Watch” from the Association for Talent Development, “Teaching MVP” and “Dean’s Award for Distinction in Teaching” from West Virginia University, “40 under 40” from California University of Pennsylvania and “Leadership 500: #1 Leadership Development Program in Higher Education” from HR.com. Recently, Emily […]
Leamur Kahanov has over 25 years of higher education experience as a provost, dean, and professor. She has extensive experience in revising general education essential learning outcomes, creating faculty mentorship programs, academic affairs and institutional strategic planning, and developing academic programs. Kahanov previously served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Chief Academic Officer for Stockton University. In this role, she had oversight of the seven academic schools and all academic support services. Prior to Stockton, Kahanov served as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY Oneonta.
Monica Glina is Assistant Dean for Faculty Development, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Executive Director of the Academy of Medical Educators and the Director of the Medical Education concentration at New York Medical College. She has a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Boston University and a doctorate in pedagogy. She was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Educational Research at the University of Oslo in Norway. She has extensive experience conducting educational research and has served as senior research associate, project director and discourse coach on a number of grants sponsored by the Department of Education, Institute of Education (IES), the National Academy of Education, the Spencer Foundation and the Templeton Foundation. She has published on and has specific expertise in classroom discourse, democratic pedagogy and teacher education. She is also an instructor in the Department of Educational Foundations at Montclair State University and has prepared curricula for a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, such as Psychological Foundations of Education, Assessment of Learning, Methods of Research and Testing and Evaluation.
Karen Nercessian is Associate Vice Provost for Strategy and Implementation and oversees strategic initiatives and priorities and their successful implementation for the Office of the Provost. Karen’s portfolio includes faculty well-being and the faculty life span, supporting the needs of faculty as New York University community members and caregivers, through sustainable, accessible, and equitable programs and initiatives. Karen is responsible for promoting academic mission integration within the University’s administrative units, and she is responsible for and oversees the strategic direction and priorities of the Work Life Office as well as the Global Research Initiatives, and is the Provostial liaison for the Provostial Centers and Institutes. In her role, Karen is responsible for coordinating efforts with the Office of the President, and acting as the point of contact with schools and administrative units such as Global Campus Safety, Office of Construction Management and Facilities, Office of General Counsel, University Human Resources, Information Technology, Office of Compliance and Risk Management, and Faculty Housing. Karen also helps guide the many Provostial committees and working groups mostly around Disabilities, Inclusion and Accessibility, Work Life, and Art in Public Spaces. Karen is a Global Inclusion Officer for the Office of the Provost, and is part […]
Shelley Anna became the vice provost for faculty at Carnegie Mellon University on July 1, 2023. In this role, she provides counsel as a senior academic leader overseeing academic policies related to faculty affairs and offering support and resources to faculty and academic administrators across the university. She leads the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty, which oversees a number of important programs, including: faculty appointment, review, retention and promotion; faculty professional development programs; the dual career program; diversity and inclusion programs for faculty; faculty leaves; and Incoming Faculty Orientation. Anna joined CMU as a faculty member in 2003 in the College of Engineering (ENG). Prior to becoming vice provost for faculty, she was ENG’s associate dean for faculty and graduate affairs and strategic initiatives. As associate dean, Anna oversaw graduate and faculty affairs and advanced strategic priorities and new initiatives, including co-chairing ENG’s 2023 strategic plan development. In faculty affairs, Dr. Anna worked to ensure an equitable reappointment, promotion and tenure process and navigated the significant and lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on faculty development. Anna, in collaboration with Dr. Alaine Allen, ENG’s associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, and their counterparts at two other universities, […]
I support faculty and academic leaders on their journeys to transform their careers and the colleges and universities that they serve. Dr. Sheila Smith McKoy is a transformative higher education leader with over 30 years’ experience in leading change and innovation. Dr. Smith McKoy has served at large private and public universities, small private institutions, Research I universities, faith-based institutions, and an HBCU. She coaches in the areas of faculty development, leadership development and equity change management, and well-being. Her coaching practice is informed by her deep experience in change management, equity, inclusion and diversity as well as her deep expertise in faculty development and leadership development. She enjoys working with clients who aspire to lead at the provost and vice provost levels, as department chairs and directors, and clients who wish to deepen their equity and inclusion practice. She has a special interest in working with faculty members seeking insights about their best next steps in the changing environment in higher education. As importantly, as a coach trained in the CoActive process, she works with clients to find their next best steps. Over the course of her career, she has led efforts to build and refine academic programs, curricular innovation, and student success interventions as well […]
