Dr. Laura Treanor is a passionate and dedicated leader with a demonstrated record of achievement in higher education. As Provost at Vincennes University, she provides the primary leadership and direction for all academic programs, personnel and activities. A staunch advocate for professional development, mentoring, instructional quality and student success, her professional history includes rich experiences across many higher education settings and roles. Over the course of her 34-year career, Dr. Treanor has served as an exemplary innovator and transformative leader who has developed high-impact teams, heralded new programs and championed academic quality. She has a proven record of collaborative change management and transparent communication and is a respected leader, mentor and teacher. Dr. Treanor has been named Outstanding College/University Educator, Outstanding Grantsperson and Distinguished Woman Leader. She is the co-founder of the University DEI Council, founder of the Leadership Lunch and Learn Series and serves on several boards, including as State Co-Director for the ACE Women’s Network of Indiana. Dr. Treanor earned a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Virginia Tech University and holds a Masters of Education from the Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech.
Kenneth T. Christensen is the Provost, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at the Illinois Institute of Technology after serving in an interim capacity for one year. He joined Illinois Tech in November 2020 as the Carol and Ed Kaplan Dean of the Armour College of Engineering. As Provost, Christensen is focusing on expanding the academic offerings of Illinois Tech to maximize access by meeting an expanded base of learners (both traditional and life-long) where they are and when they are available to learn, growing the research enterprise by emphasizing translational activities and spearheading strategic industry and government partnerships, and is leading a comprehensive digital transformation of the entire university. As Dean, Christensen focused on enhancing student experience and success as well as improving the industry relevance of Illinois Tech’s engineering curricula via strategic partnerships to ensure they better meet workforce needs. Before this, he was the Viola D. Hank Professor at the University of Notre Dame and served as Chair of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering (2017-2020), Assistant Dean for Faculty Development (2015-2017) and a Provost Fellow (2017-2019). Prior to August 2014, he was a Professor and Kritzer Faculty Scholar in the Department of Mechanical Science […]
Phillippa has over 20 years of higher education experience and is currently the Assistant Vice President of Student Access and Success and a Lecturer at Rochester Institute of Technology’s Saunders College of Business in the Service Leadership and Innovation program. Her administrative portfolio includes supervision of the McNair Scholars Program, the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP); the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), TriO Upward Bound, and the Multicultural Center for Academic Success (MCAS). She regularly teaches RIT students in Dubai and Croatia and has expanded her knowledge and expertise in service design, human-centered design, and managing and leveraging cultural diversity in teams. Phillippa’s commitment and appreciation of cross-cultural awareness continues as she maintains language fluency in Swahili, conversational French and Arabic additionally conducting workshops in the areas of multicultural competence.
Dr. Will Roberts has worked in higher education student affairs, academic affairs, and institutional effectiveness roles since 2001. He spent ten years at Arizona State University (ASU), primarily in academic advising roles, including six years as Director of Academic Services at ASU’s Barrett Honors College. From 2016-2019, Will served as Dean of Students at Nebraska Methodist College (NMC). In his current role as Director of Outcomes Assessment at NMC, he works with academic and student affairs leadership to improve student outcomes. Will’s academic background includes studying psychology and history at Vassar College, followed by counseling at the University of Maryland. In 2017 he completed an EdD in interdisciplinary leadership at Creighton University. His dissertation focused on leading higher education transformation efforts through service blueprinting. Will has given multiple presentations to national conferences on topics related to improving the student experience with service design, leading cross-division collaborations, using data to drive student success, maximizing academic advising, and navigating change in higher education. He has published manuscripts related to using service design in student affairs. Will also serves as an HLC peer reviewer, participates in local civic engagement groups, and has previously served as a school board member. He lives in Omaha with […]
Ashley Stokes serves as the Senior Philanthropic Advisor at UC Santa Cruz. She is responsible for advising campus leadership on strategic planning, coordination, execution, and monitoring of principal gift prospects. She also plays a key role in managing select senior volunteer boards for the university. Prior to joining UC Santa Cruz, Ashley served as the Director of Development, Principal Gifts and Strategic Initiatives at UC Davis, where she led the strategic direction for the university’s One Climate Big Idea initiative focused on environmental sustainability and justice. She also served on the Development and Alumni Relations (DEVAR) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, working to promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization by fostering collaboration and cultural understanding. Ashley, a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE), brings more than 17 years of experience in major gift fundraising, campaign planning, board development, and organizing specialized donor events. She has held roles at Old Dominion University and the University of Connecticut, showcasing her expertise in these areas. Ashley holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Albany and a master’s degree from the University of Connecticut. Continuing her dedication to assisting individuals in obtaining the essential resources to support remarkable initiatives worldwide, Ashley serves as a non-profit consultant, executive […]
Previous to her work at MDC, she served as Chief Diversity Officer, Vice Provost, and Professor of Counseling at the University of La Verne (ULV) in California. As Vice Provost, she led initiatives supporting teaching and learning, with responsibility for sponsored research & IRB, community-based learning, faculty development, student affairs, advisement & registration, interfaith dialogue, career services, and tutoring services. As Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. González led advocacy, education, and policy development for an inclusive, equitable and enriched campus experience. At ULV, Dr. González also taught in the University’s graduate education and business programs, undergraduate leadership courses in a select international program, and was selected as inaugural faculty of the Terrence E. Deal Leadership Institute. Prior to La Verne, Dr. González served as the Vice President for Planning and Enrollment at St. Thomas University (STU) in Miami Gardens, FL. While at STU, she also served as an academic dean, a presidential chief of staff, and faculty member for graduate counseling programs. As Vice President, Dr. González was responsible for institutional research and strategic planning, enrollment, marketing and communications, student affairs, and athletics. Dr. González is an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow, an E. Kika De La Garza Fellow (USDA), […]
Dana Veron is a professor and an associate provost for faculty development at the University of Delaware (UD). Veron is an equity-minded faculty success leader who cultivates a supportive environment for faculty to develop and advance in higher education. She is responsible for facilitating the ongoing development of programs, processes, resources, and policies to improve institutional climate, enhance faculty success, and develop leaders as they navigate their careers. During her time at UD, Veron has served in several leadership positions, including the associate chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences, and director of several undergraduate and graduate programs. She is currently the director of First State Marine Wind, and co-director of the Gerald J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub. A former co-director of UD’s Faculty Achievement Program, Veron has significant experience supporting peer-mentoring in small group settings, creating and implementing faculty professional development workshops focused on work-life dynamics, time management, and preparation of dossier materials for evaluation, promotion, and tenure. She has served as chair of the Faculty Senate’s Student and Faculty Honors Committee and as a member of the Provost’s Task Force on Equity in Promotion. Veron’s academic area is climate science, investigating local to […]
Debbie M. Thorne, Ph.D. is the Senior Vice Provost and a tenured Professor of Marketing at Texas State University, a designated Hispanic Serving Institution with 38,000 students located in the Austin to San Antonio innovation corridor. She is a primary advisor to the Provost and is responsible for leadership on strategic resource allocation and daily oversight of a $215M centralized budget; the recruitment, development, and enduring success of 2,000 faculty members; and an inclusive and engaged shared governance climate, including transparent management of more than 50 policies. Previously, she was the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (AVPAA), Chair of the Department of Marketing, and Presidential Fellow at Texas State. As AVPAA, Dr. Thorne chaired the university’s successful NCAA recertification, developed 40 new academic programs at all levels, grew online enrollments, enhanced engagement with co-curricular experiences, and advanced national recognition in distance learning, curriculum, and education abroad. Before joining Texas State, she was a tenured Associate Professor at Mississippi State University where she taught at the undergraduate and doctoral level. She began her academic career at The University of Tampa as an Assistant Professor and served as Director of the Center for Ethics. In four years, she led the center […]
Dr. Tracey Sheetz serves as the Vice President of Enrollment at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania where she oversees the admissions and financial aid offices. Prior to joining Washington & Jefferson College, Tracey served as the Dean of Admissions at California University of Pennsylvania, Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions at West Virginia University, Manager of Enrollment and Outreach at Duquesne University, and Director of Graduate and Adult Studies at Seton Hill University. Tracey earned a Ph.D. in Instructional Management and leadership from Robert Morris University, a Master of Business Administration from Seton Hill University, and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Edinboro University. Former to higher education, Tracey had an eclectic career path: she was an elementary teacher; founded, owned, and operated a private school/education center; owned a yoga studio and trained yoga instructors; and was an adjunct instructor for Penn State University and Seton Hill University. Her research, publications, and presentations have covered topics such as: the adult learner, data analysis, workplace relations, admissions, enrollment management, graduate admissions, career path planning, customer service, instructional technology, student onboarding, leadership, and andragogy.
Cameron is an accomplished executive with progressive experience defining and driving strategies to inform donor acquisition and retention. He excels in building better programs from the ground up by using data analytics to improve strategies, processes, and procedures. He is adept at cultivating partnerships and building lasting relationships across departments, ensuring the optimal conditions in which to empower staff, enhance outcomes, and support ongoing growth. Cameron currently serves at the University of South Carolina, overseeing Annual Giving Programs and Services, Digital Annual Giving Programs and Strategies, and Donor Experience. He provides senior-level leadership and strategy to the annual giving department and is defining and building the lead generation program in preparation for a system-wide capital campaign. He also serves as a senior leadership team member for the Division of Development. He previously served as Senior Director of Annual Giving at the Texas Tech University System, where he increased revenue from annual gifts by more than $1 million (USD), developed a digital marketing program, and developed an email marketing strategy that surpassed direct mail marketing in revenue by more than $120 thousand. He also led the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve annual giving, prospect research, and planned giving. Before […]
