Independent Reviewers

Fresenai Afeworki is a Research and Assessment Assistant for Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment (IEA) at Syracuse University. He focuses on the Assessment of Academic Program, Co-Curricular and Functional Areas and the Undergraduate Shared Competencies. As a member of the IEA Assessment Working Team, he evaluates the university assessment framework, analyses how faculty and staff are engaged in assessment activities to develop meaningful support and recognition opportunities. In the area of shared competency, he works in mapping program-level student learning outcomes for each undergraduate major and stand-alone minor to the University’s six competencies, facilitates evidence collection for the assessment pilot, and participates in benchmarking activities.

Previously, Fresenai worked as a school counselor at a high school and then served as lead researcher at the Research and Documentation Center (RDC) in Eritrea in developing character and values education curriculum for Eritrean high schools. Fresenai is a recipient of the prestigious Civil Society Leadership Awards (CSLA) from the Open Society Foundation in 2017, and an Excellence Award from Eritrea Institute of Technology for his valuable contribution in impacting positive community change.

Fresenai received his BA in Educational Psychology from Eritrea Institute of Technology and MS in Educational Leadership and CAS in Instructional Design Foundations from Syracuse University.

Alex Berry is the Program Manager for Career and Technical Education (CTE) grant initiatives at San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE). Alex has worked in CTE and Workforce Development during his career, both in Virginia and California. Alex has broad experience working with Community Colleges, both at a system and local level, Workforce Development Boards, and Economic Development Agencies.

The importance of serving the community drives Alex to continuously look for new ways to partner between Economic, Employer, Community, and Workforce partners to support our students achieve their career goals. Data is also key to how Alex approaches work, he is the Co-Chair of the San Diego-Imperial Regional Strong Workforce Program (SWP) Data and Research Committee, seeking to use data to champion improvements to the student journey.

Alex received his Master’s in Public Administration from James Madison University and is a certified Project Management Professional. He is also a member of California Perkins Joint Special Populations Advisory Committee.

Gary Boling is the Associate Director of Career & Professional at Belmont University.  He has 20+ years of experience in career coaching. Utilizing data for strategic decision making and process improvement, Gary oversees the outcomes assessment process, including career, student learning, and engagement, as well as manages the operational budget for his team. He specializes in coaching students who have an interest in clinical health and research. Gary believes empowering students to identify and pursue their passions and meet world needs creates crucial opportunities for social mobility and life fulfillment, leading to a more equitable society. 

Gary is currently Treasurer for the Nashville Area Career Fairs Consortium and served as Director of Finance for the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE) from 2016 to 2018.  He has served in various roles through his involvement with the Tennessee Association of Colleges and Employers, including President, Conference Co-Chair, and Treasurer and was awarded the Lumsden-Sellers Outstanding Member in 2009.  He has been a conference presenter, consultant, and lead scholarship reviewer through his involvement with SoACE. 

Gary holds an M.S. in Guidance and Counseling from Tennessee State University and a B.S. in Rehabilitation Services Education from Murray State University.

Dr. Brad Burch previously served as a Registrar and Adjunct Faculty at DeVry University (5 years); Registrar and Adjunct Faculty at Guilford Technical Community College (8 years); Adjunct Faculty, Transfer Credit Coordinator, Academic Advisor and Transfer Student Admissions Representative at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (10 years); and as a Residence Hall Director at Eastern Kentucky University (3 years). Brad believes that student success can be facilitated and enhanced by professor/teacher engagement and a supportive administrative framework.

Brad has written several articles and contributed to various publications over his 25+ years in higher education. Brad was awarded the 2005 Guilford Technical Community College President’s Award for creating and leading an initiative that increased graduation numbers by 50% in one year.

Brad holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a B.B.A. in Accounting from Eastern Kentucky University.

Dr. Joan Littlefield Cook is Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she has served since 1998. Joan has also held positions of Director of Academic Assessment, Department Chair for the Department of Psychology, Professor of Psychology, and Academic Staff for the Department of Educational Foundations. Joan currently serves as the UW-Whitewater Campus Accreditation Liaison Officer for Higher Learning Commission (HLC). From 2013 to 2019, she served as Director of Academic Assessment at UW-Whitewater. She is also the Director of the UW-Whitewater Assessment Fellows Program.

In 2005, Dr. Cook received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the UW-Whitewater Chapters of Psi Chi/APSSC (psychology student organizations). In 1991, Joan was awarded the Teaching Award from the Wisconsin Student Association at UW-Madison and was a UW-Madison Department of Educational Psychology nominee for the American Psychological Association Early Career Achievement award.

Dr. Cook holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology, an MS in Psychology (both from Vanderbilt University), and a BS in Psychology from Tennessee Technological University

Tracy Collingwood is the Director of Engagement and Career Development at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Tracy is SUNY Fredonia co-chair of self-study for the Middle States Commission of Higher Education accreditation visit. She has over 22 years of progressive leadership experience in career services overseeing a team of highly-regarded career development professionals. Tracy has also served as a Website Coordinator, Instructor, and Career/Advising Counselor.

Tracy received three certificates of distinction in Institutional Effectiveness and Championing Change. Tracy helped SUNY Fredonia receive the Carnegie Classification. Her experience serving as a reviewer includes roles in reviewing proposals for Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers, SUNY Applied Learning Conferences, and the Golden Key Honors Program.

In 2018, Tracy received the College Council Award for her work in Community Engagement; the Heart of Fredonia Award in 2016; the President’s Award for Excellence in 2014; and in 2012, she received the President’s Award for Outstanding Commitment Going Above and Beyond from the State University of New York Career Development Organization.  

Tracy holds a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from the University at Buffalo and a B.A. in Psychology from SUNY Fredonia.

Erin Engels is a Clinical Associate Professor of Political Science in the School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University－Purdue University Indianapolis. Erin services as Director of the Paralegal Studies Program and a Faculty Mentor for Pre-Law students. 

Ms. Engels received the TLC Best Retention Award and the TLC Extended Learning Beyond the Classroom Award for 2011-12. In 2016, she was a Mosaic Faculty Fellow, engaging in active learning practices in teaching and contributing toward the development of learning spaces across Indiana University. 

Ms. Engels holds a JD from the Indiana University School of Law and a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Dr. Teresa Flateby is formerly the Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness at Georgia Southern University, where she was responsible for developing and facilitating centralized assessment and institutional effectiveness processes that were subsequently embedded in all units of the University. Previously, Teresa served as the Director of Academic Assessment at the University of South Florida. She feels strongly about building capacity in institutions to understand and practice assessment and institutional effectiveness processes that include planning, implementing, analyzing, and documenting processes to address units’ and the institution’s strategic plans and the goals associated with this plan. She also advocates for ensuring that graduates are well-prepared to be successful in their chosen careers and in an evolving world.

Teresa’s thirty-year academic background includes community college and university teaching and university administration experiences. While at Georgia Southern University, she also directed an institution-wide program to effectively build and further enhance students’ writing and critical thinking in their majors, which emphasized application of these skills to career-focused responsibilities.   

Teresa holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Measurement, Research, and Evaluation from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Erin Webster Garrett is Assistant Vice Provost for Relevant, Experiential, and Applied Learning at Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to her appointment in July 2018, she served as a tenured Professor of Literature at Radford University, where from 2010 to 2017 she also served as leader of the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), the Scholar-Citizen Initiative.  

Erin’s recent research has focused on institutional change management and bringing high impact practices to scale. As QEP Director, Erin focused on leveraging accreditation efforts to forward civic learning, the liberal and fine arts, and pedagogies of engagement across the institution. During the 2017-2018 academic year Erin was grateful to serve as an ACE Fellow in the Office of the President at Southern Connecticut State University where she shadowed President Joe Bertolino and pursued research related to high impact practices and the impact of an executive leader’s values and style upon an institution’s capacity for innovation and change. 

Erin received her Ph.D. in Literary Studies from the University of Denver. Additionally, she earned an M.A. in English Literature from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.A. (also in English Literature) from University of Richmond.

Rebecca Gibbons is the Director of Assessment & Evaluation at Malcolm X College, where she has been facilitating faculty-led assessment efforts since 2019. Previously, Rebecca served as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Tampa and the STEM Program Education Coordinator for the nonprofit organization Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful. By having worked in the non-profit sector and at both private and public institutions, she brings the perspective of these different spaces to her work in the community college environment. Rebecca is passionate about and dedicated to the power of the scholarship of assessment to generate cultural and institutional shifts toward improving student learning.

Rebecca has secured funding to support employability efforts through the Illinois Community College Board’s adaptation of Integrated Education and Training, which enabled students to progress through high school equivalency training to completion of the institution’s Certified Nursing Assistant program while serving their fellow students as Student Ambassadors hired by the college. She is part of a collaborative team between three Chicagoland institutions facilitating the Assessment Certificate Program, a series of workshops and projects that allow faculty and staff to hone their assessment skills. Around campus, she is a leader in the Race and Culture Committee, working to facilitate the sharing of stories, insights, and work being done to achieve equity. She is trained in equitable pedagogy and assessment through Black Lives Matter. Outside of the institution, Rebecca serves as the Associate Vice Chair for the Publications Committee of the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education, where she works to publish the Association’s peer-reviewed research journal, Intersection: A Journal at the Intersection of Assessment and Learning. She also serves on the Executive Board of the Chicago Area Assessment Group, hosting events to build community and support for assessment practitioners in the area.

Rebecca holds an American Chemical Society-Certified Bachelor’s of Science degree in Chemistry from The University of Tampa and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of South Florida, where her research spanned the distribution of evidence-based instructional practices and the psychometrics of affective measures in postsecondary chemistry classrooms. She continues to publish scholarly work in the areas of assessment and chemistry education.

Dr. Jon Hopwood has over 25 years’ experience in education, training, consultancy, and communications up to a senior level internationally. Jon has training and facilitation experience in the private sector, government, and academia. Clients include the Australian Federal Government, Pitney Bowes, Country Fire Authority, Australian Ballet, Deliveroo, Crown Resorts, Pearson Publishing, University of Melbourne, and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

Jon is an Adjunct Industry Fellow in Executive Leadership Education at Swinburne University, Melbourne and runs Employability Skills Programs for Deakin Ph.D. students seeking an industry-based career. His doctoral work involved exploring social creative processes in groups. He is also writing a book focused on Employability Skills for Business Students (Routledge, 2020).

Jon holds a Ph.D. from Deakin University, Melbourne, and an MA and a BA from the University of Greenwich in London. 

Dr. William J Kakish retired from the position of Chief Academic Officer for Ashworth College. Bill previously served in a variety of roles, from teacher to college president for educational institutions offering programs at the secondary, postsecondary and graduate levels. Bill is a passionate advocate of the transformative power of education and the importance of educational outcomes that prepare students for a lifelong career. Since 1996, he has participated on 90 institutional and program quality reviews, including four international visits.

Bill began his career as an Instructor of English and ESL at Roosevelt University, an inner-city institution in the Chicago Loop.  He has experience with institutions accredited by ABHES, ACCET, ACICS, ACCJC, ACCSC, AdvancED/Cognia, DEAC, HLC, SACS CASI, and WSCUC, in addition to programmatic and state licensing agencies and nursing boards. He currently is a public member on the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education.

Bill has an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, a master’s from Northwestern University and a J.D. from the John Marshall Law School of the University of Illinois-Chicago. He is a retired member of the Illinois Bar and was formerly licensed as an In-House Legal Counsel by the California Bar.

Dr. Jeff King leads the University of Central Oklahoma’s Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR) initiative and also serves as Executive Director of the Center for Excellence in Transformative Teaching and Learning (CETTL). Jeff has worked in faculty professional development for 25 years while concurrently and separately working as a faculty member. His motivating vision is the success for all students, both in their academic careers and in their lives as citizens, employees, family members, and humans. Always with the goal of  seeing themselves as creators, not just consumers. 

Dr. King holds an EdD in Higher Education with a cognate in Adult and Continuing Education from the University of North Texas.

Tanysha Laney is CTE Research Analyst at Pasadena City College. Previously, Tanysha served as Adjunct Professor at Mt. San Antonio College, Westwood College/University of Phoenix, and a a CTE and Basic Skills Research Associate at El Camino College. Prior to her career in education, she held marketing research roles at Warner Bros, Sony, MGM, Disney, E! Entertainment and Discovery.

Tanysha is an Association of College & University Educators (ACUE) certified instructor, was awarded “Faculty of the Term” at Westwood College, and participated as a mentor in the University of Redlands School of Business Mentor program.

Tanysha holds an MBA from National University and a B.S. in Business Administration from San Diego State University. Additionally, she has earned certifications from the New World of Work and the Association of College and University Educators.

Dr. Kathleen Lee is the Chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis. Kathy leads the Indianapolis Campus and sites in Avon, Franklin, Greencastle, Mooresville, Noblesville, and Shelbyville. This campus and sites serve more than 25,000 students in 9 central Indiana counties. She has been with the College for 34 years in numerous capacities. Trained as a respiratory therapist, she joined Ivy Tech Community College as faculty. 

Kathy has held several positions of leadership within the college including vice chancellor for academic affairs, chair of the health sciences and public services division and as professor and program chair for respiratory care. She worked with CoARC doing site visits for Respiratory Care Accreditation for over 15 years.

Kathy earned her doctorate in adult and community education from Ball State University. Kathy has a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology from Muskingum College in Ohio. Kathleen also has a master’s degree in adult education and an associate degree in respiratory care from Indiana University.  

Colonel Chris Mayer, Ph.D., is Associate Dean for Strategy & Policy and associate professor at the United States Military Academy (West Point). He has served at West Point for over 12 years. Chris’ responsibilities at West Point include strategic planning, assessment, and accreditation. He focuses his work on delivering and continually improving a top-ranked undergraduate experience that prepares West Point graduates to be Army officers and develops them into leaders of character.

Chris has served as a Teagle Assessment Scholar at the Center of Inquiry at Wabash College as well as an evaluator and workshop leader for a regional accreditor.

Chris holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Virginia, an M.A. in philosophy from Virginia Tech, an M.P.A. in public administration from Murray State University, and a B.S. in American Politics from West Point. Chris’ work as a reviewer reflect his views and not the views of the United States Military Academy, the United States Army, or the Department of Defense. 

Dr. Karen Miles is the newly appointed Executive Director for the Get Focused, Stay Focused National Resource Center. Previously Karen served as the Regional K14 Career Pathways Technical Assistance provider for the South Central Coast Regional Consortium and served as a Senior Project Manager for WestEd. Karen knows that building employability skills and access to work-based learning opportunities are essential for equity in career development.

Karen published a toolkit on better connecting K12 and community colleges: “Guided Pathways Begin in High School” and a dual enrollment handbook “Building and Scaling Effective Practices for Leadership & Implementation Teams”; she also co-authored a middle school career readiness curriculum: “Building a Bridge to Your Future: Developing the Skills and Motivation Necessary to Succeed in High School, College & the Workforce ” and a research paper: “Equity-Focused Dual Enrollment Mathematics: Lessons for Improving the Outcomes of Historically Underserved Students”. Karen is a trained career counselor with over 20 years of experience.

Karen holds a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Guidance from California Lutheran University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management and Development from the University of West London, England.

Dr. Timothy Mott currently serves as an independent higher education consultant and supports educational institutions and recognized higher education accrediting agencies with achieving high degrees and quality outcomes. Previously, Tim served as Director, Off-Campus Programs and Distance Learning at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (Retired) and as Associate Provost, Distance Learning at Union Institute & University. Throughout his career, Tim focused on establishing innovative high-quality educational opportunities designed to meet the unique needs, interests, and abilities of the adult learners throughout the world.

Throughout Tim’s 30-year higher education career, he has worked collaboratively with external regulatory agencies to articulate quality principles designed to support the needs of adult students as well as those of the nation’s workforce. He has designed and implemented dozens of online bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree program over his career. In 2016, Tim was honored with the DEAC Distinguished Service Award recognizing his exemplary achievement in serving the needs of students and assuring the quality of the student experience in distance education.

Tim holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Supervision from University of Pittsburgh and B.S. and M. Ed. degrees both from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. 

Catherine Parker has over 10 years of experience in California Community College system as an Institutional Researcher and Psychology Instructor at College of the Canyons in Southern California. She is also a published researcher in the area of trauma.

Catherine is a graduate of the California Community College system. After earning her AA, she transferred to California State University, Northridge, where she earned her B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Experimental Psychology. She is committed to student success and helping students overcome barriers in their educational and career pathways.

Dr. Marcela Reyes is a Research and Planning Analyst at Irvine Valley College (IVC). She conducts and evaluates institutional data related to the development of college programs, implementation of policies, and enrollment patterns. Her research supports faculty, staff, and administrator’s decisions making process when implementing programs and policies (e.g., AB 705, Guided Pathways), and her work focuses on closing equity gaps.

She has accumulated sixteen years of research experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research at various Southern California research institutions (e.g., University of California, Irvine (UCI), RAND Corporation, Los Angeles Unified School District). Her research examines the implementation of K-12 and higher education policies including continuous improvement, program evaluation, equity-focused reforms, and instructional student learning outcomes. She believes that institutions can provide disadvantaged students opportunities to learn and ultimately prepare students to be successful in their chosen career.

Dr. Reyes holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Educational Policy and Social Context from UCI, a M.A. in Social Research and Methodology from UCLA, and a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in mathematics from Mount St. Mary’s University.

Dr. Tara Rose is the Director of Assessment at Louisiana State University, serving since 2018. Working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and administrators, she leads academic quality efforts at the course, program, and university levels that reflect current trends and best practices in higher education. Tara has 20 years of experience in assessment and outcomes analyses. She began her career with a nonprofit organization and has also spent time at the state level working for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission and the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. She previously served as the Director of Assessment at the University of Kentucky and has also taught at Eastern Kentucky University in the Department of Homeland Security. 

In 2019, Dr. Rose was appointed as Senior Fellow with the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).  Since 2010, Tara has participated as a Board Member of the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AALHE), previously holding the position of President in AY 2015-16.

Dr. Rose holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy & Administration, a Master in Public Administration (both from Walden University), an MS in Criminal Justice, and a BS in Corrections and Juvenile Services (both from Eastern Kentucky University). 

Dr. Lynn Rothstein is Dean of Instruction at Los Angeles Trade & Technical College. Previously, she held roles as Vice President of Strategy & Research at eLumen, Dean of Behavioral Social Sciences at Moorpark College, and President of the Board for the Research and Planning Group (RP Group) for the California Community Colleges.

Lynn has a strong passion for establishing student equity to ensure all students have the tools and support they need throughout their education.  With over two decades of experience in education, Lynn has been an administrator and researcher in two-year programs as well as an instructor at four-year institutions.

Lynn holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Education from UCLA and a B.A. in English from SUNY Geneseo.

Dr. Carlos Solorio is the Dean of the School of Engineering at CETYS University, Campus Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. Carlos previously worked as a Professor at CETYS University for 9 years. Carlos believes in a quality education, a shared effort among faculty, students, and administrators.

Carlos has served as an ABET Program Evaluator for the last 5 years for industrial engineering programs and successfully interacted with educators and students with different backgrounds. Carlos is a Professional Engineer for the state of California, a senior member for the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), a member of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS) and a member of the American Society of Quality (ASQ).

Carlos holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from CETYS University.

Jennifer Strobel is currently working as a higher education consultant. She most recently worked with an EdTech firm providing insight and background on the United States community college system. 

Jennifer has served in a variety of administrative positions at the dean and director level in the areas of student and registrar services in the private, for-profit and community college sectors. Previous roles include Director of Registrar and Student Services at the United States University and Director of Admissions and Records at Taft College. It is through this work that she developed her passion for the creation of supportive and efficient student services with a special emphasis on transfer articulation and pathways.

Jennifer holds an M.A. in Management and Leadership from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.  She is currently pursuing an M.S. in Higher Education Administration with a focus on Community College Leadership.

Mr. Teklu is a Research Associate at Brandeis University, where he works with the Center for Youth and Communities – a premiere research and practice center that works to improve the quality of education, workforce development, and community systems to prepare young people for college, work, and life. Mr. Teklu is working with the center on the “Institutional Capacity Development Support to Ethiopian higher education institutions” project. Previously, he worked in the nonprofit sector with a specific focus on youth workforce development and social entrepreneurship.

Mr. Teklu received the Civil Society Leadership Award (CSLA) for demonstrating a deep commitment to leading positive social change in his community in 2017. He also received the Spring 2013 Presidential Scholarship from Semester at Sea. Mr. Teklu is an active member of the National Career Development Association (NCDA).

Mr. Teklu holds an MA in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. 

Debra Tervala currently serves as the Director of Academic Accreditation and Compliance at Walden University.  Previously at Walden, she served as Vice President of Academics and Operations of the College of Education and Leadership and of the College of Undergraduate Studies.  She has also served as a university provost, a vice president of academic affairs at a large regional community college, a dean, an assistant dean, a program director, and a tenured faculty member.  She has twenty-five years of teaching experience from grade three through graduate and professional school. As a first-generation student herself, she knows personally the power of education to transform the lives of students, their families, and their communities.

Debra has extensive experience with both regional and programmatic accreditation and has served as an Accreditation Liaison Officer at institutions accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.  She graduated from the Higher Education Resource Services Management Institute for Women in Higher Education and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the Russian Federation as a community college administrator in 2011.

Debra holds a Master of Education in Administration, Supervision, and Curriculum and a Juris Doctorate, both from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Fabrizio Trifiro’ is the Head of Quality Benchmarking Services at UK NARIC, the UK designated agency for the recognition and comparison of international qualifications and skills. Previously to joining UK NARIC in December 2019, he served as International Manager at the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in the UK, leading strategic international engagement and the quality assurance of cross-border education.

Fabrizio has played a key role in advancing international cooperation between regulatory bodies and quality assurance and recognition agencies. He is driven by the commitment to developing internationally shared solutions to the quality challenges posed by cross-border education capable to fully harness its benefits to our global communities.

Fabrizio holds a Ph.D. in Humanities and Cultural Studies (University of London), an MSc in Comparative and Cross-Cultural Research Method (University of Sussex), an MA in Human Rights and Humanitarian Interventions (University of Bologna), and a BA in Philosophy (University of Bologna). 

Jennifer R. Wies is Professor of Anthropology and Director for Assessment and Accreditation at Ball State University. Jennifer is dedicated to facilitating continuous improvement of learning environment activities across the University and is passionate about teaching anthropology along the way. Previously, Jennifer served as an academic chairperson, academic program director, and as a leader in student affairs. She has successfully supported campus communities to develop and maintain student-centered, equity-focused, and transformative practices to assure learning at the course, program, and organizational levels. 

Jennifer has worked at two-year and four-year public institutions and a private, liberal arts-focused University.  She is a trained peer-reviewer for multiple federal agencies and the Higher Learning Commission. She has served as a member and chair of the Committee on Gender Equity in Anthropology (2009-2012, 2013-2015), President for the Association of Feminist Anthropology (2017-2021), and Treasurer of the Society for Applied Anthropology (2012-2021).  She is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious American Anthropological Association Gender Equity Award.

Jennifer earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology and Graduate Certificate in Medical Behavioral Sciences from the University of Kentucky. Jennifer is deeply committed to service and leadership. 

Kimberley Winfield is the Director of Program Development at Empowered Education. In this roll she oversees subject matter experts (SMEs), instructional designers, and media artists in the creation of new programs and the revision of existing content. She is committed to making sure that programs have clearly defined outcomes and aligned assessments. Kimberley is also passionate about ensuring that programs help students develop the employability skills necessary to be successful in the workforce.

Kimberley has worked in post-secondary education for 11 years and has a decade of experience teaching online and developing curriculum. Over the years, her career has included the roles of Department Chair, Director of Degree Programs, and Director of Faculty and Academic Affairs in which she has supported the continuous development of faculty, instructional practices, and curriculum. Prior to starting her career in post-secondary education, Kimberley was a first-grade teacher at Chesnut Charter School where she served as a Grade-Level Chair and Co-Chair of the Curriculum Action Committee.

Kimberley is a doctoral candidate at American College of Education pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership with an Emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. During the 2018-2019 school year, she served as the liaison for Ashworth College in the Quality Assurance Commons EEQ Pilot helping to identify and evaluate the best practices for fostering the development of employability skills in college and career students.

Dr. Niesha Ziehmke is Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Planning at Guttman Community College. Niesha is leading efforts to build guided pathways in the majors by elevating the connections within the academic curriculum facilitating transfer and career preparation, all through an equity lens. 

From 2009-2013, Niesha served as Director for First College Year Programs at Brooklyn College before taking on a position in Academic Affairs at LaGuardia Community College where she took on the challenge of improving student success and assessment across the institution. She also taught NYC public high school Spanish for six years. Throughout her career, she has focused on finding systematic ways of improving equity and inclusion in each educational institution she has served.​

Dr. Ziehmke holds a Masters in Education from the New School. She earned her Ph.D. in linguistics at the CUNY Graduate Center, with a focus on methods for teaching academic English to students who speak non-academic varieties of English. While working on her doctorate, she administered an Educational Psychology research program in Self-Regulated Learning (SRL).