Prior to joining ACE, Stephanie spent 14 years in multiple roles at other institutes of higher education. Specifically, she worked at Orbis Education, Medtech College, and Harrison College in various roles in leadership, admissions, academics, and operations. As a servant leader, Hinshaw loves working with team members and students to grow their leadership capacities. Stephanie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Indiana University, a Master in Business Administration from Butler University, and is presently earning a Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University. Her dissertation research centers around the impact of toxic leaders on their followers. In 2020, she received the United States Distance Learning Association’s 2020 Outstanding Leader award. As someone who worked for an extremely toxic leader, she is passionate about advancing the understanding of this phenomenon and the impacts of it. She is dedicated to teaching and promoting positive leadership skills and behaviors.
Elizabeth Peterson has been a speech-language pathologist for 24 years specializing in voice, business communication styles and how it influences one’s personal leadership brand, particularly for professional women. She has a full-time practice in Denver, Colorado where she works with executives, teams and business professionals as a speech, voice and presentation coach, foreign accent reduction training and leadership development. Her specialization is to demonstrate how communication skills along with verbal and non-verbal behaviors transform one’s leadership. She specializes with how women can become the “it” girl in the world of business by blending optimal voice, speech habits and body language. You can learn more about her background at www.SpeechAndVoice.com
Dr. Amer F. Ahmed is an organizational strategist who helps institutions and leaders address diversity, inclusion, equity, and intercultural development through consulting, coaching, group facilitation, and keynote speeches. A frequently requested speaker nationwide, Dr. Ahmed’s approach is grounded in a commitment to Inclusive Excellence in organizations and communities. His pivotal understanding of the depth of diversity and inclusion work is rooted in his identity as the son of Indian Muslim immigrants and his extensive years as an intercultural and diversity consultant. Throughout his career, Dr. Ahmed has worked with large organizations, higher education institutions, non-profit agencies, schools, and community groups to create understanding and change among key constituents and institutional leaders. His thought leadership and his keen sense of the latest trends inform his approaches to helping groups address potential areas of opportunity to grow and develop. Dr. Ahmed promotes a profound awareness of issues and next steps by incorporating deep theoretical knowledge of the field with methods such as storytelling, discourse on current events, and connections to art and music. He has published key opinion pieces and has been featured in media such as MSNBC, documentary film, and other national press outlets for his commentary and critical perspective on […]
Dr. Carolyn J. Stefanco joined Saint Rose in 2014 as its 11th president, after serving as vice president for academic affairs at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta and after twenty years in the California State University as a tenured full professor, department chair, and dean. She holds leadership roles in numerous higher education organizations, and her academic research and publications focus on women and leadership. Dr. Stefanco is chair of the board of trustees of the American University in Bulgaria and is a board member of the International Leadership Association, the National Association of Independent Colleges and University, Albany Medical Center, and Hearst’s Women@Work. She also serves on the American Council on Education Women’s Network Executive Council. For her visionary leadership, Dr. Stefanco was awarded a Helen Gurley Brown Genius Grant, and the College was invited to join the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network and given grants of $2.3 million to benefit diverse women student leaders. She also founded the Women’s Leadership Institute at Saint Rose and received a gift of $1.2 million to expand and renovate the building that now serves as its home. Dr. Stefanco earned her Ph.D. in history from Duke University, her M.A. in Women’s History from […]
As an academic leader, teacher, musician, and arts focused institutional effectiveness consultant, Abra Bush is a thought leader in 21st century performing arts education. Her expertise encompasses change management, policy development, faculty and staff leadership, student retention initiatives, and accreditation compliance. Bush earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Master of Music in Opera Theater from Oberlin Conservatory and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Voice from the Ohio State University. She has taught voice and related subjects at Kenyon College and Concordia College and served as the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the Eastman School of Music and the Director of the Music Division at The Boston Conservatory. She is currently the Senior Associate Dean of Institute Studies at the Peabody Institute at the Johns Hopkins University and maintains a private consultancy.
Joy brings over 25 years of administrative experience in business and educational settings, including her current role in higher education administration. Her research interests focus on leadership and professional development of mid-level leaders in higher education. She is an experienced conference presenter on the topics of Leading from the Middle, The Impact and Influence of Mid-Level Leaders, and Building Relationships that Matter through Networking. Joy’s current responsibilities include oversight of 13 full- and part-time academic staff within the largest division of the School of Education at Azusa Pacific University. She also serves as the Chair of the university’s Staff Council and as a member of the President’s Administrative Council. Joy also was a member of the APU 2019-20 Strategic Planning Leadership Team, participating on the Institutional Identity Theme Team.
Julie Marlatt is an educator and national speaker with nearly 20 years of experience in higher education. She has served in enrollment management leadership roles at a state higher education system, as well as at community college and private, 4-year college campuses ranging from small to mid-size to large student populations. Most recently, she was the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management for the Tennessee Board of Regents where she worked alongside admissions, records, and financial aid teams from 13 community colleges and 26 technical colleges. She is a recipient of the 2018 Under 40 award from the American Association for Women in Community College (AAWCC) for making a difference on community college campuses. She has prior board service within higher education organizations including roles as the member relations chair for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and she has also served in multiple leadership roles with the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC). Throughout her higher education career, Julie has continued her education and is a doctoral candidate for a Ph.D. in Community College Leadership from Old Dominion University with research interests in educational equity, policy, and funding. Her dissertation will examine the impact of equity […]
An innovative, passionate educator, Dr. Kelly Chaney holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Higher Education and a M.S. Ed. in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She has spent nearly two decades serving teaching intensive institutions as a member of faculty, department chair, dean, interim provost, and associate vice president of academic affairs, most recently at Marian University of Wisconsin and Blackburn College in Illinois. Dr. Chaney has been appointed as the Dean of the Sharon Walker School of Education at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, effective July 2020. Recognizing the current challenges facing institutions of higher education today, Dr. Chaney is a strong advocate for flexible, instructional delivery models, excellence in university and college teaching, and leadership development for current and prospective academic administrators.
Dr. George Marcus is currently an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the State University of New York at Geneseo, a highly -regarded public liberal arts college, where he has taught for 13 years. Prior to this role he was a post-doctoral scholar and instructor at Stanford university. He is the leader of a Faculty Learning Group on his campus tasked with studying the literature on best practices in the diversification of higher education faculty as well as gathering input from campus stakeholders and a broad range of experts. His group makes recommendations to the Provost to make progress on this issue and assist in implementation and assessment of such efforts. Dr. Marcus has mentored over one hundred research students from a broad range of backgrounds, most of whom have gone on to graduate school or STEM careers. He has been recognized for excellence in teaching and student engagement numerous times, earning five awards for his efforts, including The SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
John D. Shank is the Head Librarian at Penn State Berks. Prior to his appointment in July 2001, he held positions at Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Montgomery County Community College. He was selected by Library Journal in 2005 as a “Mover and Shaker.” Shank’s responsibilities include teaching, administration, research, and service. He teaches CAS 283 Communication and Information Technology. He has directed numerous grants and projects that have been awarded to over 60 faculty, directly impacting more than 85 courses and 2500 students. These initiatives focus on enhancing the student-centered teaching and learning campus environment. His research interests include the role, use, and impact of instructional technologies in higher education and academic libraries. He has given hundreds of presentations at conferences, meetings, and workshops. Additionally, he has authored and coauthored a book, book chapters, and articles that focus on library and CMS/LMS integration, Learning Objects (Digital Learning Materials), and the development of instructional design librarian positions. Currently, he serves on the editorial review board for Internet Reference Services Quarterly and is the co-founder and Advisory Board Co-Chair of the Blended Librarian On-line Community.
