2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS John Abbott, English Instructor, Kalamazoo Valley Community College John Abbott is a full-­‐time English instructor for Kalamazoo Valley Community College. His M.F.A. is in Creative Writing, but his teaching focus is on Developmental Writing and Composition. His passion is helping all students succeed in college writing courses and utilize those skills in their lives and careers. Peter Adams, Emeritus Professor Community College of Baltimore County Peter Adams, Emeritus Professor at the Community College of Baltimore County, was the founder and first director of the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) at CCBC. During his 35 years at CCBC, he served as the coordinator of the writing program and as Chair of the English Department. His publications include the 1994 HarperCollins Concise Handbook for Writers and Connections: A Guide to the Basics of Writing. His article, "Basic Writing Revisited," appeared in the Journal of Basic Writing in 1993 and has had a major influence on the movement toward mainstreaming basic writers. Lisa Alexander, Professional Academic Advisor/Adjunct Instructor, Lansing Community College Lisa earned her Master’s in Social Work from Michigan State University, in 1998. Her bachelor’s of Social work was earned at Ferris State University. In addition to advising students from the Center for Transitional Learning, she also works with HOPE Scholars, Lansing and Mason Promise Students, and students who attend The Early College on Lansing Community College campus. Lisa has been teaching and advising students at Lansing Community College for the last 5 years. She has worked for the Lansing School District, Community Mental Health of E-­‐I-­‐C, and Beecher Community Schools. She focuses on working with the whole student to meet career and educational goals. Cheryl H. Almeda, English Department Chair, Kalamazoo Valley Community College Cheryl H. Almeda, PhD is English Department Chair for Kalamazoo Valley Community College and a Reading, Rhetoric, and Writing Instructor. She has over 23 years teaching experience. Before KVCC, Cheryl taught high school ELA in Springfield Oh, and college composition and English Education courses at Western Michigan University where she served as co-­‐director and interim director for the Basic English Program. She currently works with the "AMP" program at KVCC which is modeled after the nationally-­‐recognized ALP. She has published articles in TETYC, The English Journal, and the LAJM, but her heart is found in her classrooms teaching under-­‐prepared students. Marilyn Amey, Professor, Department of Educational Administration, Michigan State University Marilyn J. Amey is Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University. She studies educational partnerships, particularly those of community colleges, and her research and teaching focus on administrative and leadership issues. Amey has worked extensively with community colleges throughout her career, is past president of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges and a current member of the editorial board of Community College Journal of Research and Practice. Jerry Baird, Academic Advisor, Macomb Community College Jerry Baird, Academic Advisor at Macomb Community College, has worked in the field of student services for 19 years. Jerry holds an associate of arts degree from Macomb and a bachelor of arts in business from Michigan State University. As an alumnus of Macomb, Jerry grew up in the metro Detroit area which helps him to identify and relate to the diverse student population at Macomb Community College. He approaches his work as a student advocate with the philosophy, “what is best for the student?” His professional interests include using and implementing technology in student services and new student orientation. Chris Baldwin, Executive Director, Michigan Center for Student Success Chris Baldwin has been the Executive Director of the Michigan Center for Student Success (MCSS) since 2011. MCSS provides state-­‐level support to Michigan’s 28 community colleges by serving as a hub connecting leaders, administrators, faculty, and staff in their emerging and ongoing efforts to improve student outcomes by emphasizing linkages between practice, 1 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS research, and policy. Prior to accepting this new role in Michigan, Chris was a program director at Jobs for the Future (JFF) in Boston, MA where he co-­‐directed the state policy component of Achieving the Dream and the Developmental Education Initiative. Through these initiatives, Chris worked with departments of higher education, community college system offices, and associations of community colleges in 16 states providing strategic advice and technical assistance concerning the adoption of state policies that support and encourage improved outcomes for community college students. Before joining JFF, Chris was vice president for government and community outreach at Owens Community College in Northwest Ohio where he worked on state and national policy affecting community colleges. Chris has also served in a variety of governmental and advocacy positions over the past two decades, including a stint in the office of the Ohio governor. Chris has a Ph.D. in the higher education program from the University of Michigan. His research focuses on the tensions at community colleges between maintaining open-­‐door access while also promoting student completion. He also holds a B.A. in political science and history from Baldwin-­‐Wallace College and a M.A. in international studies from Ohio University. Dwayne Barnes, Outreach Coordinator, Center for Michigan Dwayne Barnes serves as outreach coordinator for the Center. Prior to joining the team Dwayne worked as the communications director of Project: Better Man a prostate cancer awareness, education and prevention organization. Dwayne began his career in public relations, working with non-­‐profit organizations and political campaigns. Dwayne graduated from Eastern Michigan University and is currently pursuing an Master's in Public Administration from Oakland University. Dwayne is married and has one child. Thomas Baumann, MAT2 Program Director Dr. Thomas Baumann studied physics. After working in the power plant industry he joined the German automaker, Volkswagen AG (principal VW consulting, manager of the center of competence of PM). Since 2005 he is CEO and president of Orbitak International LLC in Detroit USA. Since more than 20 years he is leading consulting projects & programs in the automotive & supplier, public, education and banking industry. He is specialized in developing and managing complex projects with the educational sector where politics, industry and colleges engage in partnerships. Deborah Bayer, Dean of Engineering, Manufacturing, & Industrial Technology, Oakland Community College Deborah Bayer is the Dean of Engineering, Manufacturing and Industrial Technology at Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Deborah holds a Master of Science Degree in Career and Technical Education with a concentration in curriculum design and evaluation and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Ferris State University. She has more than 25 years of experience in occupational/vocational training and education. Steven Bennett, Senior Policy Associate & Director, Michigan Center for Career Pathways, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce Steve is the founding director of the Michigan Center for Career Pathways at CSW. The Center provides an organized mechanism to support grassroots efforts that develop comprehensive and sophisticated career pathways for Michigan’s workforce. The Center partners with multi-­‐discipline/constituent groups, including K-­‐12, community colleges, workforce development boards, economic developers, state agencies, and more. Steve also conducts research on disconnected youth in order to develop tools and strategies that will enable youth to re-­‐enter the workforce through education-­‐ and employment-­‐based pathways. Steve comes to CSW after spending 7 years at the Prima Civitas Foundation and 5 years at Lansing Community College. Brianne N. Bouska, English Faculty & Academic Literacy Coordinator, Oakland Community College Brianne N. Bouska, M.A. is an English faculty member at Oakland Community College (OCC) where she serves as a coordinator of their Academic Literacy Program. While serving her previous full-­‐time appointment, in addition to teaching, Brianne worked in the writing center tutoring and designing workshops. Her favorite project she created and offered to students through the Writing Center was a workshop called "Job Hour." This one hour session provided students with guidance crafting and 2 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS perfecting various employment documents. For her last Service Learning Project, her students provided service in line with their own majors or future careers to a local business. Sue Boyd, Dean of Student Success, Macomb Community College Sue Boyd, Ed.D, Dean of Student Success at Macomb Community College, has almost 30 years of experience in higher education. In addition to working at Macomb Community College for the past nine years, she has worked at Central Michigan University, Mid-­‐Michigan Community College, and St. Clair County Community College. Sue holds a bachelor of arts in sociology from Saginaw Valley State University, a master of arts in counseling from Central Michigan University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Central Michigan University. Peter Brown, Mathematics Instructor, Lake Michigan College Peter Brown – Math Instructor at Lake Michigan College. His primary interest is in understanding and improving the success of developmental math students. He has a strong interest in both non cognitive factors and basic numeracy and how these factors influence success. He also has a strong research and practical background in making math both relevant and respectful to all students. His latest efforts are in curriculum redesign, and accelerated models for moving students more quickly through developmental math. Andrea Burks, Secondary Literacy Consultant Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District Andrea Burks was a K-­‐12 migrant tutor and taught 6-­‐
12th grade English and Spanish in the Grand Traverse region since 1999. She received her BA in Comparative Literature from University of Michigan Ann Arbor in 1994 and a Masters in Problem Based Education from Antioch University New England in 2013. She joined Traverse Bay Intermediate School District as Secondary Literacy Consultant in 2012, where she provides instructional resources and literacy coaching to 6-­‐12 ELA and content area teachers throughout Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Benzie, Kalkaska and Antrim counties. Scott Campbell, Vice President for Higher Education, The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning Scott Campbell joined CAEL as the Vice President for Higher Education, bringing 20 years of experience in higher education including specialized program management, development, and student support services. Throughout his professional and academic life, Scott has developed an understanding of the issues facing adult students and the institutions that serve them while working as the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Edgewood School and serving as the Executive Director for Partnership Development at Regis University, New Ventures, and as the Director of Student Activities at Regis University. Scott received a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership from the University of Northern Colorado. He holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Oklahoma. In 1991, Campbell was drafted by the Montreal Expos and played in their minor league system for two years. He currently ranks fifth all-­‐time at the University of Oklahoma in career batting average (.384). More recently, Campbell was honored by the State of Wisconsin for his work supporting veterans at Edgewood College and served as a board member of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation until he moved to Chicago to take his position at CAEL. Amy Cell, Senior Vice President, Talent Enhancement, Michigan Economic Development Corporation Amy Cell is the SVP of Talent Enhancement for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Her passion is to attract, retain and develop talent for the state of Michigan. Prior to joining the MEDC in 2011, Amy was VP, Talent Enhancement & Entrepreneurial Education at Ann Arbor SPARK. Former employers include Plante & Moran, the University of Michigan, Ford, SRI and Applied BioSystems. Amy received her BBA and MBA from the University of Michigan. Cathryn Claerhout, Director of Admissions, Northwestern Michigan College Cathryn Claerhout, Director of Admissions at Northwestern Michigan College, has been in Higher Ed for over 20+ years. She has held several positions at Public 4-­‐year, Private 4-­‐year, Community College and 3 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS Proprietary Schools. She has worked as a personal counselor, admissions recruiter, VP of Admissions, Associate Director of Admissions and Records, Dean of Enrollment, Regional Manager, Director of Recruitment and Director of Admissions. She now oversees the daily operations of the admissions office at Northwestern Michigan College. Ms. Claerhout holds a bachelor of science in Social Work and a master’s degree in Career and Technical Education from Ferris State University. Dawn Coleman, Director, Center for Applied Research, Central Piedmont Community College Dawn Coleman is the Director of the Center for Applied Research (CFAR) at Central Piedmont Community College. She is a program evaluator and educational researcher whose work focuses primarily on community college initiatives, along with other community-­‐based programs. She has worked extensively with colleges around the country assisting with developing and evaluating grants from the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Labor. Her recent work has included evaluations of Title III grants designed to build advising systems and research studies of developmental education initiatives, including the Accelerated Learning Program. Laura Coleman, President, Bay College Laura Coleman is President of Bay de Noc Community College, a position she assumed in July of 2006. Prior to joining Bay College, Dr. Coleman was Executive Dean at Bertrand Crossing Campus, Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor, MI. She also served as Interim Dean of Institute for Diversity and Leadership at Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor, MI. She served as the Director at the Jefferson City Campus of State Fair Community College. Dr. Coleman received her Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree from the University of Missouri-­‐ Columbia, her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, Lake Forest, IL, and her Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from the University of Illinois. Dr. Coleman serves on the Michigan College Access Network Board of Directors, the Michigan Early Middle College Board, and as President to the Continuous Quality Improvement Network (CQIN). She serves on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Presidents Academy Executive Committee and was appointed by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) to the Advisory Committee of Presidents. She served on the AACC Commission on Academic, Student, and Community Development from 2011-­‐2013 and the Commission on Research, Technology, and Emerging Trends from 2013-­‐
2014. John Cowles, Dean for Student Success and Retention, Grand Rapids Community College John Cowles serves as Dean for Student Success and Retention at Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Student Success and Retention encompasses counseling and advising services, disability support services, developmental education, first-­‐year experience, tutoring, adult education and Achieving the Dream and Title III initiatives. Cowles earned his Associate’s degree at Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, Illinois and his Bachelor’s in Restaurant and Hotel Management, Master’s in Educational Psychology/Higher Education and Doctorate in Workforce Education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Kim M. Davis, English Faculty & Academic Literacy Coordinator, Oakland Community College Kim M. Davis, Ph.D., is an English faculty member at Oakland Community College (OCC) where she serves as a coordinator of their Academic Literacy Program. Prior to joining OCC, Kim was part of the English faculty at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), where she participated on a number of college-­‐ and state-­‐wide initiatives aimed at transforming developmental education. She is the co-­‐
author of the article, “Affective Matters: Effective Measures for Transforming Basic Writing Programs and Instruction,” which explores GGC’s implementation of an ALP-­‐based instructional model; the article is in the Spring 2014 issue of Open Words. Naomi DeWinter, Dean of Student Services, North Central Michigan College Naomi is the Vice President of Student Affairs at North Central, in rural northern Michigan, where she has served for the last 12 years. Prior to that, she worked as an admissions recruiter for Oakland Community College. She’s been involved with the AtD initiative since the college was first selected in 2007. She facilitated 4 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS improvements in new student orientation, advising, early alert, and the implementation of a First-­‐Year Experience course. She currently serves as the co-­‐chair for the core team, a cross-­‐section of the college responsible for strategic planning, student success and accreditation. Lindsey Dickinson, International Recruiter/Advisor & Early College Coordinator, Northwestern Michigan College Lindsey Dickinson is an alumna of Northwestern Michigan College and University of Virginia, and received her Master's degree from Arizona State University. She taught as a Corps Member in Teach for America in South Phoenix before working in London for the non-­‐profit Childnet International. Since 2011 Lindsey has taken on numerous responsibilities at Northwestern Michigan College, including domestic and international recruitment, admissions, and academic advising for NMC’s international students. Lindsey is the advisor for the NMC International Club, coordinates the Early College Program for Traverse City Area Public Schools and helps with international partnership development at NMC. Amber DeLind, Outreach Director, Center for Michigan Amber DeLind serves as outreach director for the Center. Previously, Amber worked as a grant programs consultant for the Michigan Nonprofit Association, and completed two years of national service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA and VISTA Leader for Michigan Campus Compact. She received a B.A. in psychology from Michigan State University and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Grand Valley State University. She lives in Detroit with her husband. Gregg Dionne, Supervisor, Curriculum and Instruction Unit, Michigan Department of Education Gregg is the Supervisor of the Curriculum and Instruction Unit at the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). He has also worked at the MDE as the Alternative Education Consultant in the Office of Education Improvement and Innovation. Prior to coming to the MDE, Gregg has worked with adult, alternative, and traditional education programs as a teacher and administrator at the local level. Paige Eagan, Natural Sciences Department Chair, Lake Michigan College Dr. Paige Eagan has been with Lake Michigan College since 2004 as a Chemistry Faculty member and is currently the Natural Sciences Department Chair. She served as the College’s most recent Title III Grant Coordinator and Physical Sciences Activity Director (“Improving Student Success, Retention and Graduation through Transformation of the Science Program”). Dr. Eagan has also chaired LMC’s Student Success Council. Rachel Edmondson, Adult Learner Data Analyst, Center for Educational Performance and Information Rachel joined the Adult Learner team at CEPI in February 2012 and is the business lead for the STARR Collection and subject matter expert for MI School Data postsecondary reports. Prior to her current position for the Adult Learner Team, she was a member of the CEPI customer support team for 2 1Ž2 years. Rachel responded to user questions about CEPI applications, reporting, data requests and more. Rachel’s prior work experience includes working for the Office of Child Support as a policy analyst and Jackson County Friend of the Court in the financials unit. Ronda Edwards, Executive Director, MCCVLC/MCO Project As the Executive Director for the Michigan Community College Virtual Learning Collaborative, Ronda provides leadership for the project, works with all 28 community colleges in support of their distance learning programs, and manages the MCCVLC services to students. Prior to this she was the Director of Academic Programs for MCCVLC and focused specifically on assisting colleges with the development of online curriculum and facilitating professional development for faculty and staff across the state. Before her role at MCCA, Ronda was the Director of Distance Learning and Media Technologies at Northwestern Michigan College where she started their online program. She also managed the design and construction of a 250 mile fiber optic network that connected 15 school districts to the college for ITV classes from the college as well as between the school districts, and provide access to the Internet for all sites. Her earned degrees are from Lansing Community College in Business/ Accounting (AS), Aquinas College in Human Resource Development 5 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS (BS) and Michigan State University in Instructional Design/Education Technology (MA). Ronda has presented at national, regional and statewide conferences on issues regarding distance learning, technology and the MCCVLC. She is on the Board (and past Chair) of the Instructional Technology Council – an affiliated council of the American Association of Community Colleges. Chris Engle, Dean of Enrollment, Retention & Registrar, Mott Community College Dr. Engle is the Dean of Enrollment, Retention and Registrar at Mott Community College (MCC) in Flint Michigan. In this new role, he oversees operations that include, Counseling & Advising, Career Services, Placement, Records, Registration and Veteran Services. Dr. Engle has is Bachelor’s degree from Northwood University in Business Management, a Masters’ degree in Higher Education Leadership, and his Educational Doctorate from Ferris State University. Dr. Engle is passionate about community college students, student retention and student completion. He focuses professionally on long-­‐term strategic planning, institutional effectiveness and staff development. William Everin, Research Associate & Survey Manager, Washtenaw Community College William Everin is Research Associate and Survey Manager in the Institutional Research Department, Washtenaw Community College, where he develops research databases and conducts research. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and Purdue University. Patricia Farrell-­‐Cole, Director of University Outreach and Policy Research, Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan Dr. Patricia Farrell-­‐Cole is the Director of University Outreach and Policy Research since January 2009. In her role, she works with the 14 committees of the Council on state and federal affairs including transferability and completion, veterans, K-­‐12 initiatives, community-­‐
university partnerships, and scholarship programs. Before joining PCSUM, she was the Executive Director for the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Sara Fitzgerald, Graduate Student, Department of Educational Administration, Michigan State University Sarah Fitzgerald works as a graduate research assistant in Educational Administration at MSU’s College of Education. Prior to enrolling in the PhD program, Sarah worked as a Reference and Instruction Librarian for five years. She earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Wayne State University. Cindy Franck, Director of Student Outreach & Engagement, Gogebic Community College Cindy is the Director of Student Outreach and Engagement at Gogebic Community College. Her role includes advising/mentoring and facilitating the College Experience classes. In addition she has developed a volunteer program on campus and in the community. She believes a holistic approach and listening at a heart centered level is the key to helping people help themselves. Her goal is to empower students to create a healthy, balanced life where they can grow and thrive. A Certified Life Coach she created the “Dandelion Project” (seminars, workshops and retreats for women) and works as a professional facilitator/consultant with emphasis on communication and leadership. Clinton Gabbard, Vice President of Student Services, Lake Michigan College Dr. Clinton Gabbard currently serves as the Vice President of Student Services at Lake Michigan College. In this role, he has administrative leadership responsibilities for several departments including admissions, financial aid, academic advising, records and registration, athletics, early college, two federal TRiO grants, career services, marketing, and student life. As a first-­‐generation college student, Clinton strongly believes in the principle that education belongs to all that seek it. Within in his first year at LMC he secured a grant to establish the Start to Finish program to assist underprepared college students increase student success. 6 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS Susan Gabriel, Co-­‐Director, Accelerated Learning Program & Director, Kresge Foundation ALP Grant Community College of Baltimore County Susan Gabriel is the co-­‐director of the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) as well as the director of the ALP Kresge Foundation Grant. As an Associate Professor of English, she has taught all levels of composition in her fourteen years at CCBC. She has a B.A. in English and a B.S. in education from Bowling Green State University as well as an M.A. in English (with a composition pedagogy emphasis) from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE). Cheryl Garayta, Director, Center for Transitional Learning, Lansing Community College As Director of Lansing Community College's Center for Transitional Learning, Cheryl Garayta has led a team of faculty who has completely redesigned a developmental reading and writing department to focus on a pathway to credential model. Cheryl holds a Master's in Liberal Studies and brings 14 years of experience in adult education focused on incorporating a career pathway approach to credential completion for low-­‐skilled learners. Larry Good, Chairman, Co-­‐Founder & Senior Fellow, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce As co-­‐founder and Chair of CSW, Larry Good provides strategic leadership across the organization’s practice. Larry focuses on identifying and implementing transformative workforce strategies, in collaboration with policymakers, researchers and practitioners throughout the country. Larry’s work focuses on reinvention of public policy and practice regarding adult learning, including expansion of the use of competency-­‐
based, market-­‐relevant post-­‐secondary credentials; integrating basic skills development with career pathways; and expanding and deepening the use of industry sector partnership strategies. Prior to becoming CSW’s chair in 2006, Larry was President and CEO from CSW’s inception in 1991 through 2005. Tina Gridiron, Senior Strategy Officer, Lumina Foundation Tina Gridiron serves as a Senior Strategy Officer for Lumina Foundation. In this position she actively seeks to increase the postsecondary preparation, access and success of all students. As a California native, Tina has worked for various colleges and universities, including UC Berkeley, Calif. State University Chico, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Stanford University. She currently leads Lumina’s Latino Student Success effort and actively supports multiple projects designed to advance Lumina’s Goal 2025 agenda. She serves as Secretary for the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance board of directors, and Secretary for the national Grantmakers for Education board of directors. Tina received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and two Masters Degrees from Stanford University. Christine Hammond, President, Mid-­‐Michigan Community College Dr. Christine M. Hammond was appointed to serve as the President of Mid Michigan Community College on June 24, 2014. Prior to assuming these responsibilities, Dr. Hammond was the Chief Academic Officer for North Central Michigan College, a community college in Petoskey, Michigan. In that role, she provided leadership for North Central’s academic program, including accreditation; curricular development; faculty recruitment, selection, and development; the College’s Corporate and Community Education division, its off-­‐
campus centers, library and instructional technology. She collaborated with faculty and staff across the College to lead student success strategies in conjunction with the College’s Achieving the Dream initiative. Dr. Hammond’s career has encompassed numerous leadership experiences in student and academic affairs across a variety of institutional settings with significant expertise in institutional research, curriculum alignment and development, and strategic planning. Prior to assuming her at position at North Central, Dr. Hammond served for three years as Senior Project Coordinator for Michigan State University’s initiative in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Through numerous trips between East Lansing, Michigan and Dubai she coordinated the curricular offerings and academic services for the Dubai site, built a strong international team of faculty and staff members, and helped students from the Middle East start on a pathway to higher education that had not previously been available. President Hammond holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in 7 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS English from Thiel College (1977), a Master of Arts degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University (1978), and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Michigan State University (1994). Michael Hansen, President, Michigan Community College Association Mike Hansen is the president of the Michigan Community College Association (MCCA) where he works with the State’s 28 community colleges to advance MCCA’s public policy agenda. Prior to coming to the MCCA, Mike worked for the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency where he was a chief analyst for Capital Outlay and Community Colleges. His professional background also includes teaching in the public schools. Mike has a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.A. from Michigan State University in Labor Relations. Sarah Harfst, MAT2 Program Manager Sarah Harfst is consultant and General Manager of Orbitak International LLC, a management consulting company in Detroit, MI. She graduated from Michigan State University having focused on research and evaluation, and has worked on state-­‐wide systems change initiatives like the National Youth Leadership Initiative. Currently, Sarah consults in the development and project management of the Michigan Advanced Technician Training Program (MAT2) Mechatronics Program and is portfolio manager for the different programs. She is also project manager at the Multi-­‐
State Advanced Manufacturing Consortium Grant (10 state and 13 colleges). Kelsey Heckert, Data Reporting Analyst, Center for Educational Performance and Information Kelsey joined CEPI’s Longitudinal Data Unit in August 2012 and works on the development and validation of educational data reports to external stakeholders, including the Michigan and U.S. Departments of Education. She specializes in the creation of postsecondary reports and the calculation of the state’s graduation and dropout rates. Before joining CEPI, Kelsey created longitudinal datasets to support higher education research for the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan and the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) in Washington, D.C. Nika Hogan, Associate Professor of English, Pasadena City College and the Community College National Coordinator, Strategic Literacy Initiative at WestEd Nika Hogan is Associate Professor of English at Pasadena City College and the Community College National Coordinator for the Strategic Literacy Initiative at WestEd. In addition, she coordinates a statewide Community of Practice in Reading Apprenticeship, the Reading Apprenticeship Project, and co-­‐directs the Threshold Project in collaboration with the CSU Chancellor’s Office for the California Community College Success Initiative (3CSN). She has a B.A. in English and Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Multiethnic U.S. Literatures from the University of Massachusetts. For more information about the Reading Apprenticeship Project, please visit http://ra.3csn.org. Gail B. Ives, Project Coordinator/Consultant, Michigan Center for Student Success Gail is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of various initiatives and strategies for fostering student success in Michigan community colleges through the creation and use of informational data. After 32 years in higher education at Mott Community College where she was the Director of Career Services and Director of Institutional Research, her current work is with the expansion of Project Win-­‐
Win which focuses on increasing degree completion for returning students with prior college/no credential, as well as liaison work with the state Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) P-­‐20 system and the MI Workforce Development Community College Services office. She also serves on the MCCCARE and MCCDEC state committees. She holds an MA in Counseling from the Univ. of Detroit-­‐Mercy, a BS degree from Northern MI Univ., and is a state-­‐licensed (LPC) and nationally certified (NBCC) Counselor. Parmis Johnson, Associate Professor of Reading, Mott Community College Parmis Johnson is Associate Professor of Reading at Mott Community College (MCC). She has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Alabama State University, an 8 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS M.A. in Teaching Reading and Language Arts from Oakland University and a Ph.D. in Reading Education from Oakland University. In addition, she has been a co-­‐
presenter with Julie Steffey in several campus-­‐wide Reading Apprenticeship workshops at MCC. These workshops assist instructors across academic disciplines to utilize research based reading strategies in order to support students in the reading process. She currently resides in Grand Blanc, Michigan with her husband Rod, and their dog Najee. She can be reached at [email protected]. Chuck Jordan, English Instructor and Chair of Transitional Studies Reading, Writing and College Life Studies, Lake Michigan College He has taught at Lake Michigan College for over 20 years as an adjunct and full time faculty teaching everything from Basic Writing to Composition, Shakespeare, Literary Interpretation, and Introduction to Cinema. His focus, however, has always been in developmental English which is the most challenging and rewarding of all classes. Since becoming Chair of Transitional Studies Reading and Writing, he has with lots of help from many colleagues, redesigned the Reading Program, implemented Multiple Measures Assessment, and the Accelerated Learning Program. He believes in second chances for all students who like himself didn’t fully appreciate education before beginning college. Debra Lacey, Academic Technologies Director, St. Clair County Community College Debra Lacey is the Academic Technologies Director at St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron. Deb begins her eighth year at SC4 where she is responsible for the Center for eLearning as well as Academic Technologies. Deb is the President-­‐Elect for the ETOM (Educational Technologists of Michigan) group and has presented at several state and national conferences. Ha Le, Institutional Researcher, Washtenaw Community College Ha Le worked in the Institutional Research Department at Washtenaw Community College as a database developer and researcher before returning to her native country of Viet Nam. She has a Master degree from Clemson University. Carol Lincoln, Senior Vice President, Achieving the Dream, Inc. Carol Lincoln is Senior Vice President for Achieving the Dream, Inc. Lincoln brings to this role more than 35 years of experience working on issues of educational access, workforce development, and rural community development. Additionally, Lincoln served as the National Director of Achieving the Dream throughout the demonstration phase. In her current role, Lincoln influences all aspects of the organization and is primarily responsible for fundraising and development to ensure Achieving the Dream, Inc. continues to lead the nation’s most comprehensive non-­‐governmental reform movement for community college student success in higher education history. In this role, Lincoln serves as a member of: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Statistics Pathway Steering Committee; and the American Student Achievement Institute Board of Directors. Immediately before joining Achieving the Dream, Inc., Lincoln was Senior Program Director at MDC, an organization for which she worked for more than 30 years. From 1994 through 2003 Lincoln directed MDC’s Rural Community College Initiative's (RCCI) national demonstration program to increase educational access and economic opportunity in distressed rural communities. From 1998-­‐2004, she co-­‐led MDC's international work in Namibia and South Africa, where lessons from RCCI were used to help four-­‐year institutions become catalysts for development in impoverished rural regions. She coauthored Let's Do It our Way: Working Together for Educational Excellence and America's Shame, America's Hope: Twelve Million Youth at Risk, which led to a national PBS television project to raise public awareness of the large numbers of youth leaving school unprepared for postsecondary education or careers. Previous experience includes the New York State Manpower Resources Commission and New York State Manpower Planning Council and later the National Commission for Employment Policy. Lincoln earned her BA in Mathematics and MA in sociology from State University of New York at Albany. 9 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS Jill M. Little, Vice President of Student Services, Macomb Community College Jill M. Little, Vice President of Student Services at Macomb Community College, has served in several roles at Macomb over the past 15 years. Her diverse background gives her a unique perspective on student services. Jill holds a bachelor of arts in education from the University of Michigan and a master of business in integrative management from Michigan State University. She is responsible for Strategic Enrollment Management, serves as an executive co-­‐lead for Macomb’s Student Success Council, serves on the executive planning committee for the South Macomb LCAN, and is a member of the East Detroit High School Champions Council. Janet Lively, Co-­‐Writing Director Northwestern Michigan College Janet Lively has taught in the Communications Area at Northwestern Michigan College since 2005. She was hired at NMC full-­‐time in 2011 to serve as Co-­‐Writing Director, her current position. In that role, she writes curriculum for first-­‐year writing and works with adjunct instructors teaching those courses. Janet’s previous experience includes work as a newspaper reporter and high school English teacher. She holds a B.S. from Michigan State University and a M.A. from the State University of New York at Brockport. Melissa Ford Lucken, English Professor, Lansing Community College Melissa Ford Lucken, MA, MFA, is a professor at Lansing Community College where she teaches writing in the Center for Transitional Learning and English Departments. She is the Course Coordinator for LCC’s developmental writing course, WRIT 117, and is a member of the Accelerated Learning Committee. Her chapter, “Exclusionary Structure or Cultural Clash, Why Do Immigrants Dropout? A Comparison of One Group in Two Different Countries” appears in The Immigration & Education Nexus: A Focus on the Context & Consequences of Schooling (Sense Publishers, 2012). Lucken is also a fiction author, having published more than thirty-­‐five novels and novellas. Lisa Lund, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Montcalm Community College Ms. Lund is a licensed social worker in the State of Michigan. She earned a B.S. in Family Community Services from Michigan State University and a Masters of Social Work with a Policy Planning and Administration emphasis from Western Michigan University. She has worked at Montcalm Community College since 2011 where her current responsibilities include AQIP coordination, co-­‐chairmanship for the Student Success Team, institutional reporting, institutional research, and assessment. When she joined Montcalm Community College, Lisa brought 17 years of experience serving as a coordinator of the Montcalm Human Services Coalition, a 35 member county-­‐wide community collaborative addressing community needs. Christopher Manning, English Instructor, Lansing Community College Christopher Manning has been teaching developmental writing in community colleges, liberal arts colleges and career colleges across Michigan since 2002. He also taught English at the Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, China. These experiences shaped an interest in creating challenging and progressive course designs for writing students. He is currently involved in a department-­‐wide movement toward improving placement and retaining motivated and quality students. He has presented at the Liberal Arts Network for Development Conference, the Michigan Developmental Educator’s Consortium Conference, the American Popular Culture Association Conference, The National Institute on the Assessment of Adult and several other conferences. Angela Marsh-­‐Peek, Director of Advising and Retention, Lake Michigan College She has worked in an advising capacity for the past 12 years in the community college setting. She has held various advising roles, such as Special Populations Advisor, CTE Advisor, At-­‐Risk Advisor and Lead Advisor. Previous to working in secondary education, Angela was employed as a Juvenile Probation Officer /Foster Care Specialist with Berrien County Court. She earned her master’s degree from Kansas State University in Academic Advising with an Administrative emphasis. 10 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS Robert Matthews, Executive Dean, Workforce, Community & Grant Development, Mott Community College Robert Matthews secures and manages city, federal, state, and foundation funding to promote and advance community, economic, and workforce development, and other strategic initiatives at Mott Community College. Mr. Matthews has 20 years of experience in higher education which includes workforce development, student services, career development, grants development and management, and program/curriculum development. Mr. Matthews has been responsible for developing and managing community based sites and centers which offer a range of college and pre-­‐college career pathways certificates, and employment and training programs. His previous experience includes enrollment management, career services and the development of tutoring and mentoring programs. Randall Melton, Chief Technology Officer, MCCA/MCO Project & Chief Information Technology Officer, Lake Michigan College Randall is responsible for managing and delivering Information Technology Services for Lake Michigan College. He is the current co-­‐chair of the Merit Advisor Council and a representative for community colleges on the council. He co-­‐led the Michigan Community College’s association P-­‐20 taskforce that supported Michigan’s P20 initiative and led the development of an open sourced data transformation solution based on PESC for supporting Michigan’s longitudinal data system. He led the development of LMC’s student attendance system, “the PIG” which is being released as an open sourced project. Randall has over three decades of work experience in Information Technology from various industries that includes: Vice President of IT Strategy for InCharge Institute where he worked on a provisional patent for supporting the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005, CTO for Transtegrity where he led the development of a multi-­‐
million dollar client & treasury management solution, and over a decade in healthcare as a software developer. Randall earned a master’s of business administration from Rollins College and a bachelor’s of Science degree in computer science from the University of Southern Mississippi, and is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and Certified Information Security Manager. Allen Milostan, Grades and Compliance Specialist, Mott Community College Allen Milostan is the Grades and Compliance Specialist at Mott Community College (MCC) in Flint, Michigan. In addition to his role in the Office of the Registrar, Mr. Milostan played an instrumental role in the Project Win-­‐
Win grant for MCC and the Office of the Registrar and successfully operationalized the grant principles into institutional practice for degree completion. Mr. Milostan is committed to serving the MCC faculty and staff in his role in the Office of the Registrar, but also has a passion for student success, completion and graduation. Roger Mourad, Director-­‐ Institutional Research, Washtenaw Community College Roger Mourad is Director of Institutional Research at Washtenaw Community College. He is a graduate of the doctoral program in Higher Education at the University of Michigan. Donna Parkhurst, English Professor, Saint Clair County Community College Donna Parkhurst is a full time Professor of English at Saint Clair Community College. Donna has her B.S Theater and Interpretation from Central Michigan University and her M.A in English from Wayne State University. Donna teaches all levels of English at SC4, but the bulk of her teaching is in Developmental English. Dan Petersen, President, EightCAP, Inc. Mr. Petersen was appointed President of EightCAP, Inc. – a Community Action Agency – in September 2013, and worked as the Vice President for Community Action Services for four years prior to that. He firmly believes that education is the most effective means of achieving EightCAP’s mission of reducing the causes of poverty in its mostly rural service area in Central Michigan. He is a proud alumnus of Montcalm Community College, where he received an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences, which he used as a springboard for Bachelor’s 11 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS and Master’s of Public Administration degrees from Grand Valley State University. Hillary Phillips, Instructor and Adviser, Mid-­‐Michigan College Hillary Phillips holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in counseling from CMU. Upon graduation she started teaching as an adjunct at Mid Michigan Community College. Her desire to see students excel, in addition to her own personal experiences regarding college, made academics a natural choice for a career. Shortly after starting her work as an adjunct, Hillary was hired to serve on the advising staff as well. Advising has been the most rewarding work Hillary has experienced thus far. Through her work in advising she has built relationships with a number of Deans, Program Directors and of course, students. Susan Plachta, Professor of English, St. Clair County Community College Deborah Pratt, Manager, Assessment and Learning Assistance, Lake Michigan College Deborah serves Lake Michigan College students, faculty and staff through testing and learning assistance services and collaborates on student success initiatives, most recently in multiple measures placement activities. Deborah’s professional career began in Transitional Studies more than 25 years ago. In addition to assessment and learning assistance roles, she teaches mathematics. Deborah has earned associate degrees in science and business administration, a bachelor of arts in education for chemistry and mathematics, and a master of science in educational psychology. Alyse Redman, Title III Academic Adviser, Mid-­‐
Michigan College Alyse Redman is a Title III Full-­‐time Academic Advisor for transfer students at Mid Michigan Community College. She comes to MMCC with a BA in Communication from Alma College and an MA in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University. She especially enjoys helping transfer students enter and leave MMCC, easing their transition into college life and bridging pathways to four-­‐year institutions to continue their degree. Apart from advising, Alyse also teaches at Alma College in the Communication Department. Billy Reynolds, Dean of Liberal Arts, Kalamazoo Valley Community College Billy Reynolds is Dean of Liberal Arts at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. He has taught first-­‐year writing for over 15 years at a variety of colleges. Before working at KVCC, he taught English for eight years at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College located in south Georgia. This year he helped launch with English faculty the AMP program at KVCC which facilitates underprepared college students into gateway courses with support from Student Success counselors. David Reinhold, Associate Provost, Assessment & Undergraduate Studies, Western Michigan University Dr. David Reinhold received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Muskingum College and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University. He was hired by Western Michigan University as an associate professor in chemistry in 1993 with a research emphasis in the field of cancer biology. Since 2008, Dr. Reinhold has served the university in several administrative roles and is currently the Associate Provost for Assessment and Undergraduate Studies. Chris Richards, Instructional Designer, Lansing Community College Chris Richards is an Instructional Designer in the eLearning Department at Lansing Community College, providing faculty and student support for the course management system (CMS). The eLearning Department serves over 13,000 students and 2,000 faculty by providing CMS technical and design support, instructional materials development, and through the facilitation of training and workshops for the CMS. Chris earned his B.S. in Electronic Media Production in 2003 and M.Ed. in Instructional Technology in 2010 from Kent State University. His professional areas of interest include creation of personalized instructor-­‐driven media, increasing opportunities for engagement in online learning environments, and mobile learning technologies. 12 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS Kari Richards, ESOL Instructor, Lansing Community College Kari Richards holds a MEd in Secondary Education from Drury University, as well as MA degrees in German and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Michigan State University; she is currently working on her Ph.D. at Michigan State University in Teacher Education. Her main areas of research focus on educational technology, blended and online e-­‐learning pedagogy, curriculum development for online classes, and training online educators. She has been teaching both at the graduate and undergraduate levels since 2000 and is always seeking ways to improve her pedagogy and share this with others. Rob Robinson, Senior Director, Client Success, Civitas Learning, Inc. Dr. Rob Robinson is a Senior Director of Client Success at Civitas Learning where he works with colleges and universities to help them leverage data analytics to further their mission of student success. Prior to coming to Civitas Learning, Rob was a Principal Strategist at Blackboard, a position in which he provided strategic consulting services to higher education clients in the US and abroad. Between 2010 and early 2012, Rob served as Assistant Vice Provost for Educational Technology at the University of Texas at San Antonio where he led online and hybrid course development and supported faculty and staff across the institution. From 1999 until 2010, Rob was a key leader with the University of Texas TeleCampus, a large-­‐scale, System-­‐wide organization supporting fully online degree programs, many of which were inter-­‐institutional collaborative programs. Prior to that, Rob spent many years working in various technology roles within higher education institutions. He has consulted with organizations as diverse as the University of Missouri System, Troy University, and UC Berkeley Extension regarding the organization and management of large-­‐scale online programs. Rob was also the Principal Investigator of the TxLOR, a statewide learning object repository for Texas. Rob holds a BS and a Ph.D. from UT Austin and an MBA from St. Edward’s University. He is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA). From 2008 to 2012, he chaired the Distance Education Advisory Committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for the State of Texas. Clayton Ross, Start to Finish Program Instructor, Lake Michigan College Clayton Ross is in his second year as a member of the Start to Finish Program at Lake Michigan College. Prior to joining LMC Clayton taught Civics and Economics for 5 years and was a curriculum and instructional coach for 2 years at Dream Academy charter high school in Benton Harbor MI. He currently serves as the Learning Lab coordinator teaching Applied Learning Strategies. He has a particular interest in education policy targeting knowledge deficit and closing education gaps. Jim Sawyer, Provost, Macomb Community College Dr. Jim Sawyer is currently serving as Provost and Senior Vice President for the Learning Unit at Macomb Community College. During his twelve years at Macomb, he has also served as the Dean of Engineering and Advanced Technology and Vice Provost for Career Programs. Jim has been the principle investigator on two successful National Science Foundation grants and has led numerous academic program modifications and student success initiatives. Prior to joining Macomb Community College, Jim held leadership positions in engineering, quality, and operations at companies such as Chrysler, Dana, Ancor and New Haven Foundry. Jim is an American Society for Quality Certified Quality Engineer and his education background includes a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Lawrence Technological University, Master of Science in Administration and Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University. Jim currently serves on the boards of Leadership Macomb, St. John Providence Health System -­‐ Eastern Region, and the American Society of Body Engineers Foundation. Jenny Schanker, Director of Research and Institutional Practice, Michigan Center for Student Success Jenny Schanker began working with the MCCA in July, 2011 as a "Faculty on Loan" from Lake Michigan College where she was an instructor in the English department since 2000 and Chair of the Department of Transitional Studies since 2004. At LMC, Jenny also served as Project Director for Achieving the Dream and Breaking Through, chaired the Student success Steering Council 13 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS and co-­‐chaired the Student Learning Assessment Committee. Since joining MCCA, Jenny has focused most closely on issues related to successful transitions to college for both traditional-­‐age and older students, including college readiness, developmental education, dual enrollment and alignment of non-­‐credit and credit career education and training. She also heads the Faculty Leadership Initiative. Jenny is a consultant-­‐
evaluator with the Higher Learning Commission and a Certification Reviewer for the National Association for Developmental Education. She holds an M.A. in English from DePaul University and earned her Ed.D. in Community College Leadership from National-­‐Louis University in 2011. Gretchen Schmidt, Program Director, Jobs for the Future Gretchen Schmidt, Ed.D., is program director for JFF’s Postsecondary State Policy team. In this role, she provides TA to states to implement policies that support student completion agendas to ensure that more students enter into community college programs and complete credentials with labor market value. Dr. Schmidt has more than 15 years’ experience in higher education. Before JFF, she spent five years in the Virginia Community College System—first as educational policy director, then as assistant vice chancellor for academic and student services. One of the projects she oversaw as vice chancellor was VCCS’ developmental education redesign initiative, which included policy management, professional development programming for faculty, enhancing student support services and working with high schools to improve Virginia high school students’ college readiness. Dr. Schmidt oversaw the VCCS system-­‐wide transfer and dual enrollment programs and provided technical support to the state-­‐wide Career Pathways program. She has also served on the staff of state college boards in Arizona, and taught graduate higher education courses in both states. Brian Singleton, Vice Chancellor for Student Services, Wayne County Community College District Caroline Altman Smith, Senior Program Officer, The Kresge Foundation Caroline Altman Smith is a senior program officer at The Kresge Foundation in metropolitan Detroit, a private foundation that seeks to expand opportunities for low-­‐
income people in America’s cities. In this role, she manages a portfolio of more than $35 million in education-­‐related grants, which are focused on improving access to and through postsecondary education for low-­‐income and underrepresented students. Prior to joining Kresge in 2008, Caroline worked for five years as a program officer at Lumina Foundation in Indianapolis. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Caroline holds a master’s degree in philanthropic studies and a certificate in nonprofit management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. She is an instructor for The Grantmaking School at Grand Valley State University and previously chaired the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy National Board of Advisors. Robert Spohr, Vice President for Student and Academic Affairs, Montcalm Community College Mr. Spohr began employment at MCC in 2004 as adjunct business/management/marketing faculty. In 2010, he was selected as Vice President for Academic Affairs. In 2012 when Academic Affairs and Student Services merged, Rob became Vice President for Student & Academic Affairs. Rob has earned an Associate of Applied Science in Business from Montcalm Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Grand Valley State University, a Masters in Career & Technical Education from Ferris State University, and is currently ABD in the Higher Adult & Life-­‐Long Education Ph.D. program at Michigan State University. Ann Stanton, Workforce Assessment Center Coordinator, Macomb Community College Ann Stanton has served as Macomb Community College’s Workforce Assessment Center Coordinator for the past 15 years. She has served on various workforce boards including the MI National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) Advocates, who’s mission is to make the NCRC the common skills credential throughout the state and to make Michigan the leading state in certifying a skilled workforce. Her realization of this 14 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS vision is evidenced by the progress made of building workplace skills, growing the talent supply and by working to provide individuals with the employability skills necessary for competing in today’s workforce. Julie Steffey, Professor of English and Chair of the Developmental Education Steering Committee, Mott Community College Julie Steffey ([email protected]) is Professor of English and Chair of the Developmental Education Steering Committee at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan. She has specialized in teaching developmental writing for the last 20 years and, most recently, has been collaborating with MCC Reading Department colleagues to develop new Academic Literacy courses. Julie has been implementing the RA framework in her own classes since spring of 2013, and with her Reading Department colleague, Parmis Johnson, is beginning the second year of providing RA workshops for MCC faculty. Julie has an M.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. Charlotte Steiner, German Instructor, Lansing Community College Charlotte Steiner holds an MA in German from Michigan State University and has been teaching German at the college level since 1988. She discovered her passion for education during her two-­‐year stint as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant working with young refugees in an elementary school in Vienna. She has been a German instructor at Lansing Community College for 20 years and is always seeking ways to improve her teaching. Having recently ‘flipped’ some of her classroom content, she will be sharing some of her students’ learning experiences in this session today. Lisa Stich, Vice President, Academic and Student Services. West Shore Community College Lisa has been the Vice President, Academic and Student Services at West Shore since 2011. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from Capella University, a Masters in Health Administration from Cardinal Stritch University, a Bachelor's of Science in Health Information Administration from Emory University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ripon College. Lisa has worked in higher education for the last 25 years as faculty, dean and administrator, and is passionate about strategic planning, professional development, assessment, instructional design and student success. She recently completed her tenure on the board of the National Council of Instructional Administrators, serving as president for 2012-­‐2013. Roger A. Thelen Executive Director, United Way of Montcalm-­‐Ionia Counties & Treasurer, Montcalm Community College Board of Trustees Mr. Thelen was appointed Executive Director of United Way Montcalm-­‐Ionia Counties in October 2012. He previously had a career in K-­‐12 education, the last fifteen years of which he served as a school district superintendent. After retiring in 2008, and before joining United Way he worked as an interim school administrator and education consultant. Roger has a Bachelor’s Degree in K-­‐12 Education and a Master’s Degree in Community Leadership/Superintendency from Central Michigan University. He has served on the Montcalm Community College Board of Trustees for eleven years and is currently its Treasurer. Louis Thomas, Director, Start to Finish program, Lake Michigan College Louis Thomas currently serves as the Director of the Start to Finish program at Lake Michigan College as well as a College Life Studies instructor. He is a Benton Harbor High School graduate and actively recruits students from his alma mater, Countryside Academy and Dream Academy, all promise eligible schools. In his role as director he focuses on building strong relationships with his students and providing timely interventions when necessary. The program has boosted attendance, completion and retention rates, G.P.A., and overall student success in two consecutive years. Michelle Watta, English Instructor, Saint Clair County Community College Dr. Michelle Watta is a full-­‐time faculty Instructor at Saint Clair County Community College. Michelle holds her B.S. in Education from Central Michigan University, her M.A in Education from Marygrove College, and her EdD from Walden University. Michelle has taught extensively in public schools, in special education, through ISDs, and at the community college level. She 15 2014 STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT PRESENTER BIOS has recently taught Developmental Reading, and is now teaching Psychology. Megan Ward, Writing and Reading Center Coordinator & Co-­‐Writing Director Northwestern Michigan College Megan Ward was hired as the Writing and Reading Center Coordinator at Northwestern Michigan College in 2008. She has continued to work in that capacity since, in addition to teaching English 111 and 112 composition courses. In 2013, she began serving additionally as Co-­‐Writing Director. In that role, she writes curriculum for first-­‐year writing and works with adjunct instructors teaching those courses. She holds a B.A. from Grand Valley State University and a M.A. from Miami University of Ohio. Denise Warner, ESOL Chair, Lansing Community College Denise Warner is a professor and Program Faculty Chair of English for Speakers of Other Languages at Lansing Community College (LCC) and has over 25 years experience teaching international, immigrant, and refugee students. Her areas of interest include cultural assimilation, integrating grammar with writing, and incorporating 21st century technology tools in her own classrooms and throughout the ESOL program at LCC. She has recently begun to use video technologies to enhance student engagement. This effort has laid the groundwork for collaboration across disciplines and departments at LCC among faculty who share this passion for increasing active learning in the classroom. Mark Wendt, Counselor, Gogebic Community College Mark Wendt is the counselor at Gogebic Community College. He is the author of DINOCARDS, the How You Do That career education series, and his most recent book, Get Graduated. Mark is a licensed counselor and past winner of the Herb Kohl Fellowship. After numerous health scares within his family, Mark subsequently lost 30 pounds and lowered his cholesterol by 200 points. He became a barefoot runner and is currently working to complete a marathon in every state; he has nine more to go. 16