Archives: Instructors

As Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Director of Student Financial Services, Brent Shock provides leadership to the offices of Student Financial Assistance and the Bursar. In addition to ensuring compliance with the awarding of federal, state, and University aid programs, he works closely with EMSS senior leadership to ensure that enrollment and student persistence goals for the University are met. Shock began his career in Miami’s financial aid office in 1992 and served as counselor, assistant director for student employment, and associate and senior associate director of systems prior to becoming director in 2011. Shock maintains active participation in the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and has served on two national task force committees.

Laura DiChiara is an experienced professional with more than fifteen years in higher education. Presently, she is the Director of Salem State University’s one stop student service center, known as the Student Navigation Center. After having participated in the discovery, planning and implementation phases of the service center, DiChiara is now responsible for managing the integrated service office where she continuously seeks to identify efficiencies in processes and services amongst the functional areas of the registrar, student accounts, financial aid, and ID card services. Previously, Laura served as the Associate Registrar at Salem State University where she oversaw the delivery of registration, course scheduling and enrollment planning, technology, and customer services. From 2005-2008, she held the position of Associate Director of Student Accounts responsible for collection services. Laura has also worked 20 years in the hospitality industry last serving as an Operations Manager for Marriott International. DiChiara is currently ABD pursuing an Ed.D at Northeastern University and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Salem State University. She specializes in service management, organizational change, process improvement and leadership.

Dr. Peter Smits is Vice President Emeritus at California State University, Fresno, where he was responsible for Fresno State’s programs in development and fundraising, university communications, endowment management, and alumni relations. Under Peter’s leadership, Fresno State surpassed the $200 million campaign goal of its first comprehensive campaign, reaching $214.2 million. Prior to Fresno State, Peter served as Vice President for Advancement at Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Executive Assistant to the Chancellor at Louisiana State University in Shreveport; Vice President for College Relations and Development at the State University of New York at Brockport; and Dean of Students at The College of White Plains in New York. Peter is currently a Senior Fellow of CASE International, where his research interests include the ways in which campuses identify, measure, and grow their culture of philanthropy.

Galloway is responsible for managing the daily operations of UC Santa Cruz (UCSC). She works closely with Chancellor George Blumenthal and is the administration’s primary liaison with the Academic Senate. Galloway joined the UCSC faculty in 1990. She has held several administrative appointments, including most recently that of Vice Provost and Dean of Academic Affairs and University Extension. She served as chair of the Anthropology Department, as well as chair and vice chair of the UCSC Academic Senate. She earned her Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Arizona and her B.A. in anthropology from UC Berkeley. Galloway is also one of the nation’s leading forensic scientists. She is frequently asked by law enforcement officials to analyze and identify human remains. Because many of the cases she works on are homicides, she has referred to her work as “giving voice to victims.” A frequent expert witness in court cases, she intends to continue her research while serving as CP/EVC.

Eric has worked in higher education for the past 11 years. He was a full-time, tenured assistant professor at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming for six years and taught in the areas of business, management, and criminal justice. Eric also spent time as a Director and Workforce Training Coordinator during his time with Central. He has spent the past four years as an academic administrator, with the past two years as the Associate Dean and currently the Interim Dean of the School of Applied Technology and Technical Specialties at Salt Lake Community College. Eric has overseen and is currently leading the School of Applied technology to a transition from a clock hour format into Competency Based Education modality. Eric has spent the past five years working in the area of Competency Based Education and Curriculum Development and has been involved in helping to change over 15 academic programs during that time. Prior to moving to Salt Lake City, Eric also served 2.5 terms as an elected member of the Riverton City Council in Riverton, Wyoming, including two terms as the Council President. Eric Holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University.

Marcel J. Dumestre, Ed.D. is a retired academic administrator who writes about higher education strategy and philosophy of education. He held positions for nearly 30 years as a tenured professor, academic dean, and academic vice president at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Regis University, and Loyola University New Orleans. Marcel is recognized as an innovator in distance education, administrative strategy, and academic leadership development. His doctor of education degree is from Vanderbilt University. Marcel’s latest book is Financial Sustainability in US Higher Education: Transformational Strategy in Troubled Times (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016).

Mark Greenfield is a highly regarded, influential member of the higher education web community. He is an experienced consultant and an award-winning speaker who is known for his thoughtful vision of the future of the web and technology on college campuses. He is very active in the web community serving on numerous boards and committees. Mark has worked at the University at Buffalo (UB) for twenty-eight years. He has served in his current position since 2001. From 1997 – 2001, he was the web development manager for Computing and Information Technology and the CIO’s Office. He began his career at UB as a supervisor for Instructional Technology Services where he played a significant role in integrating technology into the classroom. Mark has also served as a visiting instructor in UB’s former School of Informatics. His research interests include emerging technologies, social media, the mobile web, the millennial generation and their use of technology, and the impact of globalization and technology on the academy.

As an undergraduate student, Sara Hazel Harrison worked as a resident assistant for three years. Sara was named “RA of the Year” in May 2010. She was actively involved within residence life from the moment she arrived on campus until after she graduated, leading up to her departure for graduate school. Upon graduating from Texas Tech University in 2013, Sara joined Texas A&M University, where she served the Department of Residence Life as a community director (CD) until the summer of 2015. During her time as a CD, Sara had the opportunity to work with the in-hall component of the leadership living learning community (L3C), work with president’s council, and chair the RA training and development committee. She was awarded the John J. Koldus Faculty and Staff Achievement Award in April 2014 and was named the community director of the year in April 2015. Recently promoted to the program coordinator for academic support initiatives in July 2015, some of Sara’s responsibilities include overseeing the Community Learning Center, coordinating residential tutoring and the academic peer mentors program, facilitating the “Dinner with a Prof” monthly programs, and working with facilities and operations and hall staff to ensure students have space in their […]

LaCoya is a dynamic human resources and transformational talent manager. She is a leader with sixteen years of multifaceted experience in all functional areas within human resources. LaCoya has a passion for the field of human resources and is a self-proclaimed lifelong learner with a personal commitment to the successful delivery of educational opportunities and public services to the citizens of Arizona. Prior to joining Maricopa, LaCoya served as chief HR officer with the Arizona Department of Administration where she provided leadership for the delivery of a full range of HR/OD services to approximately seventy state agencies, boards, and commissions employing approximately 11,000 employees. LaCoya is certified as both a senior professional in human resources (SPHR) and human capital strategist (HCS). She is in the dissertation phase of her PhD in Organization and Human Capital Management.