Harold Williams Jr. is a dedicated and accomplished fundraiser with a strong educational background and extensive professional experience in higher education advancement. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Education Management at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Harold is committed to continuous learning and academic excellence. He also holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Old Dominion University. He also has a Master of Science degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University and a Graduate Certificate in Internet Marketing from the same institution. Harold has held key roles at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, throughout his professional career. As the Director of Annual Giving in the University Advancement Department, he has spearheaded and managed all aspects of Annual Giving efforts, overseeing marketing and communication strategies, departmental campaigning, board solicitation, leadership giving efforts, and more. He is known for his exceptional leadership and innovative thinking, as evidenced by his establishment of an Annual Giving coding system for improved reporting and the implementation of updated digital giving platforms and programs. Harold has also excelled in alumni outreach and admissions counseling roles, demonstrating a diverse skill set and a deep commitment to higher education advancement.
Dr. Jon Anderson serves as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Southern Utah University. He also serves as a professor of strategic management in the Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business. He came to SUU in 2020 after serving as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Middle Georgia State University. in Macon GA. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration: Management from the University of Kentucky, a Master’s in Business Education from what is now the University of West Georgia, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Utah State University. His areas of leadership and teaching focus on building purposeful strategy, efficient operations, and an engaging culture.
Sonny Ramaswamy is president of Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Sonny served for six years as President Barack Obama’s appointee as the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in Washington, DC. NIFA catalyzes transformative discoveries, education, and engagement to solve societal and agricultural challenges. Previously, Sonny served as dean of Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, director of Purdue’s Agricultural Research Programs, university distinguished professor and head of the entomology department at Kansas State University, and professor of entomology at Mississippi State University. As a faculty member, Sonny’s research was funded with grants from federal agencies, including NIFA, NSF, NIH, EPA, and USAID, and from state agencies, commodity groups, and industry. He has published over 150 journal articles, book chapters, and a book, and has a patent. Sonny is the recipient of several awards and honors, including Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow of the Entomological Society of America, Food Systems Leadership Award for Extraordinary Impacts on Food Systems, the Ellen Swallow Richards Public Service Award for Visionary Leadership and Exceptional Contributions to Advance the Human Sciences, and Hutchinson Medal from the Chicago Botanic Garden. Sonny’s BSc (Ag) in agriculture and MSc (Ag) […]
Charlie Anastasi leads the Partnerships team for Rize, which is responsible for developing and maintaining partnerships that help colleges and universities to launch affordable, market-responsive academic programs that actively grow enrollment. After joining Rize in its earliest days, Charlie has worked alongside his colleagues to grow the Rize partner base tenfold to nearly 100 institutions. Prior to Rize, Charlie worked in Real Estate Finance and Technology as a Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Cadre and as an Investment Analyst at the Blackstone Group.
Janet S. Dufek, Ph.D., has held numerous leadership roles during her professional career. Dr. Dufek is presently the vice provost for Faculty Affairs at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), where she supports over 4000 faculty and staff. Prior to moving into this position, Dr. Dufek served as associate dean in the School of Integrated Health Sciences. In this role, she filled the positions of both associate dean of academics and associate dean of research—roles that are typically filled (at UNLV) by two different individuals. Concurrent to serving in this leadership position in the dean’s office, she continued as the director of the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Ph.D. program, a position that she held since the inception of the degree in 2012. Janet also served as the Ph.D. graduate coordinator for the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences until that program was shelved in 2013. Dr. Dufek also held leadership roles in UNLV’s Graduate College. She served as an executive committee member for multiple years as well as Chair of UNLV’s Top Tier Committee, which was established to further the institutional mission. Janet holds Graduate Faculty Status in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, […]
Katie Lampley, Ph.D., is an organizational development and diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner with 25+ years of experience in various industries—most notably, in Higher Education and Financial Services. As VP and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Bentley University, Katie leads institution-wide strategic efforts to advance the University’s commitment to inclusive excellence. Her portfolio includes the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and the Office of Equal Opportunity & Institutional Equity. On an ongoing basis, Katie collaborates with campus leaders to identify and implement strategic initiatives, to build capacity through professional development, and to ensure accountability and compliance efforts for professional and administrative staff, faculty, and students. Katie completed her PhD in Leadership and Change at Antioch University and holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BS in Economics and Finance from Bentley University.
Dr. Altheia Richardson’s career in higher education has spanned over 30 years, primarily focused on making the institutions at which she has worked to be more diverse, equitable and inclusive. While at Clemson University, Dr. Richardson was afforded the unique opportunity to develop and lead the first Multicultural Affairs Department in 1996. She led this organization (currently known as the Harvey and Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center) in its many forms for 22 years. Dr. Richardson co-chaired the task force that created Clemson University’s first diversity plan. As part of this initiative, she co-authored the proposal to create the first Chief Diversity Officer position, which was accepted by the university administration. Before leaving Clemson University in April of 2023, Dr. Richardson served as the Associate Vice President for Strategic Diversity Leadership. In this role, she provided leadership for the university’s Strategic Planning for Inclusive Excellence initiative. This initiative involved guiding the university through a process whereby each unit (colleges, divisions, commissions, as well as faculty and staff senates) developed and implemented strategic plans focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also led other strategic initiatives for the university. Dr. Richardson currently serves as the inaugural Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion […]
Carmen Twillie Ambar is the 15th president of Oberlin College and the first African American leader in the institution’s 190-year history. Ambar came to Oberlin in 2017, after serving nine years as president of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. At Oberlin, President Ambar has successfully implemented a number of transformative initiatives that promote a culture of academic innovation, environmental sustainability, a renewed commitment to social engagement, and fiscal responsibility, and safe and clear guidance for the campus community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to her nine years as president of Cedar Crest College, Ambar served as vice president and dean at Douglass College at Rutgers University. Before Rutgers, Ambar served as assistant dean of graduate education at The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. As an attorney, she worked in the New York City Law Department as an assistant corporation counsel. Ambar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service from the Edmund A. Walsh School at Georgetown University, a master’s degree in Public Affairs from The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and a law degree from Columbia School of Law. President Ambar is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, and is […]
Dr. Anjam Chaudhary plays a pivotal role in global DEI initiatives at Michigan State University’s Office of International Studies and Programs, leading transformative programs. Specializing in global DEI, inclusive leadership, intercultural competence, and communication, she brings a wealth of experience in fostering inclusive practices across a diverse community of students, staff, and faculty on a global scale. Dr. Chaudhary actively engages in discussions on global DEI at local, national, and international platforms. Her shares her expertise through research contributions, conference presentations, and consulting projects focused on global DEI and intercultural communication. Notably, she leads the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program and serves as the Associate Director for the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program. In addition to her role at MSU, Dr. Chaudhary holds the position of Network Leader, curriculum internationalization, and intercultural training at NAFSA. Committed to expanding her impact, she recently co-founded 3KIND Perspective LLC, a consulting agency providing guidance in practice and policy-making, along with delivering professional development in DEI and intercultural communication.
Roman Yavich fell in love with travel and sustainability in college. After studying abroad in Chile and researching economic inequality in Argentina, he saw the potential for sustainable tourism to be a model for economic development. He received a Fulbright Grant in 2006 to research sustainable tourism in Nicaragua. In 2007 he co-founded Comunidad Connect, a nonprofit organization that funds its community development work by hosting student groups. Roman guided over a dozen groups, developed a large number of itineraries, and oversaw the execution of 20-30 student programs each year. Having seen the positive impact that sustainable tourism and study abroad can have on rural communities in Nicaragua, Roman was inspired to bring this model of travel to other parts of the world. He founded Learn from Travel in 2017 to support community-based, faculty-led Study Abroad and Study Away programs. Roman holds a Master’s of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, a Master of Science in Environmental Science from SUNY ESF, and bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Economics from the University of Colorado, where he wrote an honors thesis on income inequality in Argentina.
