In the Office of University Development at U-M, Megan is responsible for strategic planning and resource management, finance and administration, leading the development of new digital fundraising strategies and overseeing annual giving and pipeline development programs including student philanthropy. Since beginning her tenure at Michigan nearly 12 years ago as an Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Megan has helped to build and develop programs in Annual Giving, Leadership Annual Giving, Student Philanthropy, and Digital Fundraising for both the university and Michigan Medicine. Last year, U-M had more than 116,000 annual donors who collectively contributed more than $66 million. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Megan worked on the Annual Giving team at Northwestern University and served as the Director of Development for Peninsula Players Theatre in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. Megan holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Prior to coming to the University of Houston, Claudia served as Associate Vice President for Research and Director of Research Computing at the University of Minnesota. In her capacity as Director of Research Computing, she directed the University of Minnesota Informatics Institute (UMII), the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute (MSI), and U Spatial. She was the founding Director of Graduate Studies of the Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology graduate program from 2008 to 2017. Between 2008 and 2013, she served as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the newly established University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR). Prior to moving to UMR, she was Professor and Head and Director of Graduate Studies in the department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She held faculty positions at the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin Madison, and the University of California Davis.
In his current role, Ryan oversees digital fundraising efforts within university development and alumni relations. Ryan manages the Berkeley Crowdfunding program and is a project manager for Big Give, Cal’s annual fundraising 24-hour event. He also evaluates and tests new technologies to engage and solicit the Berkeley community. In early 2018, he implemented a texting program at Berkeley’s call center and beyond. Ryan has been working for UC Berkeley since February 2016. Previously, he served as the Assistant Director of Web Fundraising at the University of Delaware, where he also received his bachelor’s degree in English.
Rachel Cleary is Senior Sales Manager at GetThru, where she provides strategic support to GetThru’s education clients. Rachel’s background is in higher education and nonprofit fundraising, and she’s led annual giving programs at The New School and the Cal Alumni Association, UC Berkeley.
Dr. Margaret Oakar has spent her career in the field of education and held a variety of roles working with students, staff, and faculty in both the K-12 and higher education sectors. Since 2007, she has served mainly online and adult learners at both a small, private college and a large, public, research university. She completed her Ph.D. at Penn State with her dissertation focused on the transitional experiences of student service members/veterans who pursue their post-secondary education online. Margaret earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Tierney J. Bates has established himself as a higher education leader, speaker, fundraiser, networker, and career coach. With 20 years in higher education, he has progressed from entry level student affairs to senior level administration. He has worked in higher education providing leadership, vision, and responsibility for strategic initiatives/solutions in student affairs/services, diversity and inclusion, career services, enrollment, and fundraising. He has worked previously in his career at Virginia Union University, North Carolina Central University, University of Louisville, University of Tennessee, and Bowling Green State University. Dr. Bates is from Cleveland, Ohio and received his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media Communications with a minor in African-American History from the University of Akron, his Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from the University of Akron, his MBA from Bryan College, and his Doctorate degree from Spalding University. Dr. Bates is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), the National Black MBA Association (NMMBAA), Southern Association of College Student Affairs (SACSA), National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 100 Black Men of Triangle East, and a Prince Hall Mason. Some of his honors and […]
Lindsay Lewis is the Executive Director of Strategic Research Communications for the University of Houston Division of Research. She is responsible for increasing the external visibility of the university’s research and innovation enterprise and engaging the UH research community. Previously, Lindsay spent three years working at MD Anderson, where she developed the institution’s first patient communications program to standardize communications across more than 40 cancer centers, clinics and support services. Prior to that, she directed communications for the UH Cullen College of Engineering. Lindsay holds a BA degree in Communications Studies from Texas Lutheran University, an MA in Communications (digital production) from Baylor University, and an MS in Health Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Jennifer is a faculty and leadership coach with over 25 years of experience in higher education as a teacher, researcher, director of a research center, and school dean. She pursues coaching from a holistic, strengths-based, and mindful perspective, partnering with clients to support them in achieving their professional and personal goals. Clinically trained as an occupational therapist, with an expertise in mental health, Jennifer has worked to improve the quality of work-life for both working women and vulnerable working populations and to promote employee well-being and performance through research and policy interventions. Equity and social justice are core principles that inform Jennifer’s teaching, leadership, and management endeavors. She is dedicated to translating research findings into tools and resources that can be used by employers and policymakers to improve the quality of work-life and well-being for workers and their families. Her extensive knowledge in these areas provides a unique context for her coaching clients, as Jennifer incorporates the most current science on said topics to facilitate optimal outcomes for her clients. Jennifer is currently Dean of the School of Professional Studies and professor of health policy and management at Providence College (PC). Prior to Providence College, she was a professor at […]
Melissa Vito is a recognized higher education leader with over 35 years of experience in public higher education and most recently selected consulting. She served as both Senior Vice President for Enrollment and Student Affairs and Senior Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives and Student Success at the University of Arizona, retiring in July of 2018. She is currently Interim Vice Provost for Academic Innovation at University of Texas San Antonio and leads Melissa Vito and Associates Strategy Group. She has earned a reputation as a transformational leader, forward-thinking and team focused. Under her leadership, she initiated and developed University of Arizona’s Online programs, launching in Spring of 2015. Her decision to build all aspects of the online program internally (not outsource the management) was considered risky at the time, though today Arizona Online serves about 5,000 students and was recognized by UPCEA for the Innovation in Transformation Award. At Arizona, she also co-founded the Gender Based Violence Center; co-coordinated efforts resulting in Arizona’s designation as an Hispanic Serving Institution; envisioned and developed the Think Tank learning center, Arizona’s first comprehensive academic support area for students; she reimagined Career Services, linking a commitment of student engagement for all undergraduates and student […]
Kathryn Klose holds an PhD in Higher Education Policy from the University of Maryland College Park. She has over 18 years of experience in higher education as a faculty and administrator responsible for designing, implementing, and teaching hands-on real-world curriculum in varied and diverse learning environments. She augments her experience in the field of education with extensive management experience in the public and private sectors. Alive Learning works with colleges, universities, and professional development organizations to help envision and implement experiential and active learning programs in a variety of formats, including face-to-face, online, and hybrid. Founded by Kathryn Klose, PhD., Alive Learning employs expert knowledge, public and higher education experience, and a commitment to immersive learning experiences to enhance program relevance, student learning, and faculty-student engagement. Our expertise ranges from designing individual learning activities to developing complete program portfolios to better position organizations within the competitive landscape. With a commitment to relevant, relatable learning, let Alive Learning help bring lived learning experiences to your organization today!
