With over a decade of experience in higher education and operations, Autumn brings a rich background in supporting first-generation students and navigating her own career path. Autumn’s expertise extends to community engagement and self-empowerment, where she equips individuals with self-advocacy and boundary setting skills. Autumn is dedicated to empowering individuals to confidently navigate their professional and personal lives, leveraging her experience in fostering growth and resilience. Autumn currently resides in Portland, Oregon.
Alex Juarez is currently serving as an HR Learning and Development Partner at Dallas College in Farmers Branch, Texas. She previously served in other human resources support roles at local school districts and city government. Outside of work, Alex volunteers with her local SHRM chapter, enjoys bird watching, card making, reading, and baking desserts.
Laura Mirochna moved to Texas in 2018 to assist TWU Dallas faculty with the transition from Blackboard to Canvas, followed by a transition from face-to-face to online learning. Since June of 2022 she has been a Learning Experience Designer at Dallas College, working with Administrators, Faculty, and Staff to address Professional and Leadership Development needs. Her Leaders at All Levels program launched in February and includes partnerships with Franklin Covey, Solution Spark, Situational Leadership, Academic Impressions, and Crucial Conversations. She is ABD at the University of Kentucky working towards a PhD in Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation, hoping to graduate by the end of this year. She holds Master’s degrees in Communication Studies and Curriculum & Instruction and has fifteen years of teaching experience from K-16. She has four children: one teaching elementary music in Round Rock, one graduating this summer from UTSA with a Bachelor’s degree in Education, one graduated this May with an Associate’s degree in Mechanical Engineering then will be transferring to the University of Kentucky, and one graduated this May from Townview TAG High School and will attend UH in the Fall. Her husband also graduated in May with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from […]
In her role, Ruth Pionke works with the dean and the school’s leadership team to conduct college assessments, oversee the scholarship program, manage external communications, and lead various initiatives, such as student retention, enrollment, and process improvements. Before this position, Ruth was the senior information officer and director of continuing education for ten years in the UA College of Arts & Sciences, where she administered and evaluated all technology initiatives for the college, oversaw technology policies and procedures, and directed their online course development program. Prior to her academic life, Ruth was a biochemist and worked as a lab analyst and investigations manager in various chemical manufacturing companies, such as Meridian Biosciences and Sigma-Aldrich.
Dr. Jackson’s diverse career in academia has spanned from Title IV-E Coordinator/Instructor of an undergraduate social work program at an HBCU, to Director of Field Education for the first fully online university to receive CSWE accreditation for an MSW program, to her current role as a tenured Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Educational Programs and Student Services of a Research I university. As a first-generation college student, Dr. Jackson is passionate about education. This passion has guided her practice, research, and scholarship. Her two lines of education research include (1) post-secondary education access and success for youth transitioning from foster care, and (2) online social work education. Dr. Jackson’s research on transition-age foster youth is grounded in her extensive practice experience and expertise in this area. In 2008, she founded the National Social Work Enrichment Program (NSEP), a pre-college program which seeks to encourage foster youth to consider social work as a college major, while inspiring youth to graduate high school and enroll in college. Dr. Jackson continues to lead this organization with the vision to improve the educational outcomes of youth, while collecting significant pre-college program data, an unchartered area of post-secondary foster care research. Dr. Jackson was […]
A native of Selma, Alabama, Schnavia Smith Hatcher brings 25 years of experience in clinical social work practice, community-engaged research, and higher education to the University of Alabama School of Social Work, where she assumed the role as its eighth Dean in 2021. Hatcher is the first Black woman to serve as Dean since the school was established by the state Legislature in 1965 and is keen to advance its social justice and community well-being initiatives. Prior to UA, Hatcher was the inaugural director of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s School of Social Work from 2016 to 2021, where she also established and led the School’s Race and Social Equity Academy. Hatcher also founded the Center for African American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington, the first one of its kind in north Texas, in 2012. Hatcher’s first tenured faculty position was at the University of Georgia, along with the administrative role of BSW Program Director. Hatcher’s scholarship has focused on issues of race, class, and social policy implications for the Black community specifically, and for the broader society generally. She has also continued to emphasize developing health promotion strategies for disenfranchised populations in social justice […]
Dr. Michelle Payne serves as Vice Provost for Academic Leadership and Faculty Affairs at Boise State University. As Vice Provost she is responsible for coordinating programs and services in Academic Affairs that support the career development of faculty and the growth of effective academic leaders. She works with partners across Boise State and Idaho to provide leadership development programs for Academic Affairs; support faculty shared governance processes and policies; facilitate healthy department cultures; manage faculty personnel processes; and contribute to Boise State’s strategic goal to foster thriving communities. Dr. Payne facilitates Boise State’s biweekly New Academic Leaders Program, manages programming for regular meetings of the Academic Leadership Council (department chairs, deans, and associate deans), and is a member of the planning team for the inaugural Idaho Academic Leadership Academy, which is funded by the Idaho State Board of Education. Dr. Payne is a Professor of Writing Studies and has a Ph.D. in English, Composition, and Literature from the University of New Hampshire, an M.A. in Composition and Rhetoric from Florida State University, and a B.A. in English Literature, with a minor in Creative Writing, from Miami University in Ohio. Prior to serving as Vice Provost, Dr. Payne served as chair […]
Dr. Roger Bounds serves as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at Northern Arizona University and is a Professor in the Department of Health Sciences. Dr. Bounds provides leadership for the Faculty Affairs division in the office of the Provost and for the Teaching and Learning Center at NAU. He also co-facilitates the NAU University Leadership Program. Dr. Bounds previously served as Dean for a large College of Health and Human Services during and as department chair for a multidisciplinary department offering both traditional programs and clinical education programs. Prior to Joining NAU, he worked in full-time faculty roles at Sam Houston State University (Huntsville, TX) and Texas A&M University (College Station, TX). He holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and has worked in multiple emergency medical service systems. Roger believes equitable access to the value of high quality post-secondary education is fundamental to the success of society and that quality professional development for university faculty and staff is an important first step in realizing this goal.
Lisa, as Senior Vice President of Business Development, spearheads the company’s strategic expansion and partner ecosystem, leveraging her extensive experience to forge valuable relationships and secure vital partnerships. Lisa has 20+ years of experience working with higher education institutions and service providers. At four-year colleges, she worked in enrollment management and operations. For OPMs and education consulting firms, she helped sustain current client relationships and develop new business. She aims to help institutions use Gray DI’s data and software systems to drive growth and improve transformation through comprehensive program evaluation processes. Lisa holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI.
Meagan Decker is the Associate Vice President of Human Resources at Northern Arizona University. In this role, she oversees various HR functions, including recruitment and hiring, benefits administration, payroll management, compensation and classification, employee relations, and learning and development. Meagan has over 20 years of experience in human resources, including 4 years in higher education. She spent the majority of her career in the public sector, working for municipal government in the State of Florida. Her focus has been on optimizing core HR processes, implementing effective performance management strategies, and fostering continuous learning and development within organizations. Meagan holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the University of South Florida. She also boasts certifications from several professional organizations, including SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), HRCI (Human Resources Certification Institute), IPMA (International Public Management Association), PROSCI (Change Management), HCI (Human Capital Institute), and Florida State University’s public manager program. Currently, Meagan is pursuing her doctoral studies in Northern Arizona University’s Higher Education Leadership program, further deepening her understanding of organizational leadership and management. Beyond her academic and professional achievements, Meagan actively contributes to the field of human resources. She has served on multiple state and local HR and public […]
