BIOGRAPHY
Colleen Reaney, Director of Executive & Professional Education Center, at Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business. Colleen is a higher education professional, born and raised in the Chicagoland area and has a wealth of knowledge on corporate, student and alumni engagement. Colleen has over 15 years of higher education experience and comes to Loyola most recently from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program from City Colleges of Chicago. Colleen was the Director of Alumni Affairs and Business Support Services in Chicago for the national program based out of Babson College.
While at DePaul University where she created the alumni career services and volunteer opportunities programming for the Office of Alumni Relations. During her tenure at DePaul, she was a part of the Many Dream. One Mission Capital Campaign where she coordinated giving efforts for the alumni corporate giving programs and university-wide faculty/staff giving campaign. Colleen was a liaison to many initiatives at the University including the inaugural Career Week which is a week-long of professional development programming geared towards alumni and adult students looking to enhance their career outlook.
Colleen has also worked as an adjunct faculty member for 12 years where she has taught public speaking, employment interviewing and most recently, business and professional communications. In her spare time she is blogger for TwoMinutemom.com and was previously a Chicago White Sox Blogger for SDI. Colleen received her M.A. in Communications, Training and Development from Governors State University, her B.A. in Speech Communications from Eastern Illinois University and is currently perusing her PhD in Higher Education at Loyola University Chicago focusing her dissertation research on alternative revenue streams for higher education institutions.

Algorithms are now routinely used in all aspects of the career path from job search to promotion to retirement. Most individuals, including most people in the field of HR, are unaware of the ubiquity and influence of these often invisible black boxes. The promise of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, comes with both tremendous opportunity and considerable concern when it comes to bias. 100% of positions posted on-line are affected, as are candidate searches and job searches using LinkedIn, Facebook, Indeed, Google Jobs, and more. The evaluation of candidates and employees once identified or during reviews respectively are also opportunities for risk of algorithmic bias as well as leveraging current tools to improve diversity outcomes and fairness. Currently, in the US, individuals have no rights to ensure that they are treated fairly by these algorithms, and, while there are algorithms that help mitigate bias and improve diversity, they remain an uncommon exception to the rule and come with risks of their own. Growing evidence suggests that African Americans are the most severely impacted, but all races, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and lifestyles are at significant risk of bias. We will discuss the current state of algorithm use in the employment and career life-cycle, some current research in the fields of algorithmic fairness and bias mitigation, and things that can be done to improve outcomes, ethics, and fairness.

This interactive session will explore essential strategies for women in leadership as they navigate the most effective paths for managing change and challenge in their organizations. A focal point of the discussion will be the core strategy of emotional intelligence (EI) as the underpinning for virtually all decisions and interactions.
The session will operationalize this concept, illustrating the importance of not only being aware of one’s emotions, but also controlling and suitably expressing emotions in order to handle personal and professional relationships and situations judiciously and empathetically—and in the process circumvent any actions that could derail healthy progress.
Emotional intelligence and emotional leadership are key attributes for leaders to both understand and practice in their daily communications. By recognizing their own emotions and the emotions of others, engaged leaders can manage and adjust emotional tones and approaches to create dynamic environments conducive to achieving organizational goals.
A multiplicity of studies and research have demonstrated that individuals with high emotional intelligence have greater job performance and leadership skills, as well as better overall mental health. Participants in this session will have an opportunity to actively gauge their own EI levels and attain practical strategies that can be immediately applied to their leadership roles.
BIOGRAPHY
Alicia B. Harvey-Smith, Ph.D. is a senior-level professional in higher education with thirty years of successful experience. A scholar-practitioner, Dr. Harvey-Smith originated the Seventh Learning College Principle, urging institutions to "create and nurture organizational cultures that are open and responsive to change and learning."
Committed to leadership excellence, institutional performance and student-success, her experience is diverse, expansive and comprehensive. A thought-leader in the learning-college and student-success movements, Dr. Harvey-Smith has significant expertise in training, development, consulting, planning and partnership development.
This learner-centered educator, views leadership as a calling to serve, having held instructional and senior leadership roles, including executive vice chancellor, college president/ CEO, vice-president, dean and executive director. Believing in the transformational power of education, Dr. Harvey-Smith and is committed to intentional leadership, building strong and meaningful collaborations and partnerships as foundational principles of organizational success.
A noted speaker and author, Dr. Harvey-Smith earned a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland-College Park, M.S, from The Johns Hopkins University, B.S. from Morgan State University and a certificate from Harvard University School of Education's Competitively Selected Presidents Institute.

Irene Harper, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Counselor Educator. Dr. Harper is a Nebraska Independent Mental Health Practitioner and Licensed Professional Counselor. She provides counseling services to individuals, couples, and families, facilitates groups in private practice and provides counseling for veterans at the Military Veteran Services Center at Bellevue University. Dr. Harper is a leader of the Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Academic Professional Honor Society, and faculty representative of the Behavior Health Education Center of Nebraska.
Current research targets of Dr. Harper include Leadership Training with use of Relational Cultural Theory in Group Work, Assessment of Fidelity and Implementation of Leadership with Moral Reconation Therapy, Assessment of Adolescent Attachment Networks, Instructional Program Development and Women Leadership in Higher Education.
Dr. Harper offers collaborative interventions with couples and families, mentors graduate students and teaches in the areas of research, human development, practicum and internship. Dr. Harper works with the continuation of accreditation for clinical counseling and serves on the Enterprise Strategy and Investment Group at Bellevue University.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
Presentation slides are available on SlideShare.

Why do women get stuck in the middle? What career decisions differentiate women who advance in fulfilling roles from other talented women who seem stuck in their career paths? Various professional development programs have attempted to impact women’s potential to advance, yet the percentage of women in senior-level administrator positions in higher ed continues to lag behind that of men. In this presentation, we will share findings from a research study in which we talked with women in academic leadership positions to uncover their trajectory and better understand the types of decision-making that led to their successful paths.
Researchers continue to examine the gender gap in senior and executive leadership including the American Council on Education (ACE), which launched Moving the Needle: Advancing Women in Higher Education in 2019. CEO of Leading Women, Susan Colantuono suggests that achieving and sustaining extraordinary outcomes is what is needed to create a career that moves from middle management to senior/executive leadership positions. In her research, two-thirds of women’s leadership training and advice focuses on developing personal skills such as resilience, self-promotion, and branding; and teamwork skills such as communication, empowering others, and conflict resolution. While they are essential skills, the competencies rated twice as heavily by executives when determining high-potential employees are competencies associated with business, strategic and financial acumen. These latter skills are commonly missing in early and mid-level leadership programming for women and contribute to the current gender gap in executive leadership, according to Colantuono.
This presentation will share research from senior-level female administrators in higher education about their career path to top levels of their colleges. We will share both data and stories about the decisions they made along the way that propelled their career forward and upward. Finally, we will share data from one professional development and leadership initiative at a college in the northeast designed for women seeking to grow personally and professionally in their field. This campus-wide initiative provides additional insights into key challenges and areas for growth central to women looking to advance professionally.
BIOGRAPHY
Julie Fitzmaurice, Ph.D. serves as vice provost working on strategy, hiring, and budget planning. Prior to joining the Provost’s Office, she served as the Associate Dean of the Girard School of Business from 2010-2017, and served as Interim Dean during part of 2017-2018. In these roles she was instrumental in collaborating with faculty to design and launch the Master of Science in Management, the business school’s first graduate program, along with other programs.

An associate professor in marketing, Julie’s research has focused on consumer behavior change and understanding factors influencing consumers in various stages of change.

Kathryn Nielsen, Ph.D. serves as associate provost and director of strategic initiatives and is the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Merrimack College. Her research has appeared in New Directions in Transformative Learning, The Journal of the Academy of Business Education, and the Journal of Faculty Development.
A dynamic higher education professional with over 15 years as a researcher, college administrator, speaker, and teacher, Kathryn received post-doctoral certificates from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education Management Development Program (MDP) and HERS Wellesley, serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Haverhill, and founded 100 Women Who Care Boston North, a philanthropic giving circle designed to amplify awareness and to increase support to deserving non-profits.

Women have proven to be powerful forces, knocking down barriers and breaking cycles of patriarchy in higher education. Further, we have done so often while navigating demands of family life. Each of us is connected through our shared experience of being female. Yet, intersections of race and gender that influence the experiences of women of color cannot be collapsed into a singular identity. The identities of minority women are made up of interconnected intersections of race and gender, factors beyond our control, which have created overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination and disadvantage (Crenshaw, 1989). Our trajectories and experiences have been that of underrepresentation and marginalization in our professions, communities, and country.
Women of color are acquainted with challenges of inequity and disparate impact. The experiences of minority women in higher education include but are not limited to challenges with racism and discrimination, micro-aggressions, micro-insults, micro- invalidation, a lack of respect for our opinions and a lack of validation for our work.
In lieu of this reality, there is value in fostering more diverse and equitable practices, structures and societal institutions. Intersectional Theory is useful in assisting to better understand the complexity of prejudices women of color face in our various roles in higher education. Further, a social-ecological model of support for women of color is important to improving work and leadership experiences in this context. This model will be essential to promoting attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that support representation and success of women of color in higher education leadership.
As a result of this talk, attendees will have an increased understanding of how to approach and navigate challenges of racial and gender-based stressors largely impacting the experiences of women of color in higher education leadership. This is essential to fully understanding the diverse realities of women in these roles and tackling the detrimental, systemic effects of racism and sexism (Croom & Patton, 2011) in the academe.
References
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: a black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum: Vol. 1989: Iss.1, Article 8. Available online.
Croom, N., & Patton, L. (2011). The Miner's Canary: A Critical Race Perspective on the Representation of Black Women Full Professors. Negro Educational Review.
ADDED RESOURCES
Intersections of Race and Gender: A Social-Ecological Model (SEM) of Support for Women of Color in Higher Education.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Lolita Kincade is an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Montevallo. She is the Director of the Certified Family Life Education (CFLE) Program, a member of faculty senate, and a faculty mentor for the Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) student group and TRIO McNair Scholars program. Dr. Kincade attended Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, where she earned a Ph.D. in Family Studies with a concentration in Health Promotion and Planning.
She holds a M.S. in Educational Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential, a B.A. in Psychology and is certified as a Family Life Educator through the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), the premier professional association for understanding families through interdisciplinary research, theory, and practice. Dr. Kincade serves as the national CFLE representative for the University of Montevallo, and is a program reviewer for the NCFR Honors Student Recognition Program.
Her professional interests include improving quality and standards of individual and family life. She has published research on diverse topics, and has worked with diverse populations in academic, hospital and community settings. She is experienced in research consultation, program development and planning, non-profit administration and policy advocacy. Dr. Kincade is civically engaged, demonstrated by her volunteer efforts with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She is committed to excellence and continues to make valuable contributions to her community and the field of Family Science.

Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore
Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore: Dean, Michigan State University (MSU) Honors College, and Professor with affiliations in Social Work and the Global Urban Studies Program. She is a Michigan American Council on Education (MI-ACE) Women’s Network Institutional Representative, peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (a regional institutional accreditor), and Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Urban Affairs. Dr. Jackson-Elmoore is on the University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College External Advisory Board, and MSU Community Economic Development Program Faculty Board of Advisors. She has served as Acting Assistant Dean of the Urban Affairs Programs, Director of the Urban Studies Graduate Program, and Co-Director of the Program in Urban Politics and Policy at MSU. She was a Lilly Endowed Teaching Fellow, Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program Fellow and Executive Leadership Academy Program Fellow. She received a Ph.D. and Masters in Public Administration (University of Southern California) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering (University of Delaware).
Laura McCullough
Laura McCullough, PhD, has been studying issues of gender and science for over 20 years. She is a full professor of physics at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where she is also a past physics department chair. Her book “Women and Physics” was published in 2016, and she has numerous articles on diverse gender and science topics. Dr. McCullough is currently researching women in STEM leadership and the barriers and assistance these women encounter in their career paths.
Angela Logan
Angela R. Logan, Ph.D. is an Associate Teaching Professor and the St. Andre Bessette Director of Nonprofit Professional Development (NPD) in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. A member of the College’s Department of Management and Organization, she teaches the Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) Field Project course, which serves as the capstone course for the degree program. In her role as Academic Director, she leads the team that manages both the Master of Nonprofit Administration degree program and the Nonprofit Certificate programs. Angela joined the College in the summer of 2013 as the Associate Director for Planning and Development for Nonprofit Professional Development. In 2015, she became the Associate Director for Operations for NPD. Angela has over 20 years of experience in higher education and philanthropy, with a particular focus in the areas of education and diversity. Over the course of her career, she has served as the Program Officer for Education at The Harvest Foundation (Martinsville, VA), the Director of the Bonner Scholars Program at Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH), and the Director of Multicultural Affairs and the Admissions Counselor/Coordinator of Multicultural Admissions at Defiance College (Defiance, OH).
Dr. Logan’s research focuses on the intersection of gender, race, and philanthropic leadership. A trained facilitator of Anti-Racism Study Circles, she also provides trainings on leadership, conflict resolution, stress and time management, and cultural sensitivity, both nationally and internationally, including to the IBM Research Global Internship Program in Beijing, China, and at the Young African Leadership Initiative Regional Leadership Centers in Nairobi, Kenya and Accra, Ghana. She has a movie credit to her name, appearing in the documentary The Business of Good: Young Africa Rising. She currently serves as Vice President for Membership for the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership. In her civic life, she serves on the National Advisory Board Member for Play Like a Champion Today Educational Services, and is a Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, President of the South Bend Area (IN) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and a sustaining member of the Charity League, an affiliate of the Association of Junior Leagues International. She is also an active member of South Bend City Church, serving as a liturgist. She has taken courses through the Duke University Nonprofit Management Program, The Grantmaking School at Grand Valley State University, and The Fund Raising School at Indiana University. Angela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Toledo, a Master of Business and Organizational Leadership degree from Defiance College, and is the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Jessica Nicklin
Jessica Nicklin earned a BA in psychology (2004) and a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (2009) from the University at Albany, SUNY. Her consulting roles include a Test Developer Associate for American College Testing (ACT), a Personnel Research Psychologist for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and a Market Research Analyst for IBM. Dr. Nicklin joined the University of Hartford Department of Psychology faculty in 2009 and has served as the Undergraduate Director (2012-2015), Director of the Online Masters Program in Organizational Psychology (2014-2018), and Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences (2015-2018).
Currently, Dr. Nicklin is the Associate Vice President for Student Success and holds the prestigious Belle K. Ribicoff Endowed Professorship. Dr. Nicklin maintains an active research program, focusing on organizational justice, workplace motivation, and work-life balance. She has published 25 journal articles and book chapters, an edited book on Work-Life Balance in the 21st Century, and has given over 50 presentations. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2014 Morton Deutsch Award for the best paper published in Social Justice Research. Most recently she spoke at the "Women who Build" conference for women in the construction industry, addressing issues on work-family balance.

For many years, Pfeiffer University underpaid female faculty regardless of education, rank or position. This situation became untenable with the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Act by the Obama Administration. This workshop will review Pfeiffer’s case study on how rank, position and pay equity was achieved through intentional planning and commitment to diversity by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Research has shown that women of color and other underrepresented minorities are at considerable disadvantage for achieving rank and salary equity regardless of education and experience, especially in predominantly white institutions. The current workshop will focus on challenges and disparities faced by all women in the academy, and how they can be overcome, or at least addressed, with intentional planning, professional development, and effective coaching and mentoring. It is possible to climb the academic leadership ladder of success if you begin your career with a clear end-goal in mind and are encouraged by a supportive environment. This workshop will inspire, motivate, energize and empower participants to create intentional pathways to success.
Overview - The presenter will discuss how a small liberal arts university reversed gender discrimination and achieved rank, position, and pay equity within the Academy. We will review the role of effective internal and external mentoring; a new commitment to diversity, strategic networking; creating positive relationships with department chairs and deans; teaching with excellence; servant leadership; university committee service, consistent scholarship and creative portfolio development. Participants will have the opportunity to share challenges, receive counsel and advice, and “shop” for coach/mentors at the Conference.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Receive practical support and advice on how to achieve their academic career goals.
2. Connect with other participants to create lasting coaching and mentoring relationships. And,
3. Be empowered with specific strategies for intentional career development and personal growth.
Delivery Methods – The presenter will use a PowerPoint presentation with embedded videos on creative job applications and best practice portfolio examples to guide the discussion. Participants will brainstorm on how these examples can be applied to their specific situation.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Vernease Herron Miller is Dean for the Division of Applied Health Sciences at Pfeiffer University (NC). Dr. Miller began her career with Pfeiffer as an adjunct professor, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Health Administration. Through creative planning, dynamic community engagement, and the help of both a committed internal faculty mentor and external personal coach, she has been employed by Pfeiffer University for 20+ years and holds the esteemed rank of Full Professor Health Law and Administration. She oversees the largest division within the University, employing 40 full-time faculty and numerous adjuncts.
Dr. Miller is known for her transformative leadership and engaging inspirational teaching style. She is a motivational speaker who engages her audience with storied examples that become life-long lessons. Dr. Miller has received awards for her seasoned mentorship of students and faculty. As she nears retirement, Dr. Miller is passionate about her desire to help women to become strategically placed in leadership roles within institutions of higher education. Her 20- year climb from adjunct to dean is a story worth sharing and replicating across the Academy.

Over the course of time, we’ve understood the term the 12th man to mean a fan or fan-base which plays a potentially helpful role in the game. This is a concept which also applies to the University Counsel of an institution of higher education. While the role differs in the public section slightly from those in the private sector, a University Counsel often represents a person, who is not in a leadership role, with quasi-leadership status. With more than 36% of the nation’s legal professionals being women, it is only natural to consider how the role of University Counsel can have more challenges for women than men.
Females, serving as University Counsel, are caught between two male-dominated worlds-academia and the courts. They face a multitude of obstaclesin pursuing and being successful in these environments. These obstacles include traditional sexual stereotypes, insufficient access to mentoring, inflexible workplace structures, and misogynistic trends in academia. Additionally, the tradition concerns for fair treatment, but also the impact of defending pay equity, sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation cases instances of facing similar treatment. And, disparity in these issues may change depending on the nature and history of institutions and the race of the Counsel.
This is a one hour session on the unique leadership role of University attorneys, with special focus on gender and race. The presentationwill include the unique issues faced by female practitioners in the academic setting as compared to the private and public sector work.
BIOGRAPHY
Ramona L. Taylor, currently, serves as LegalCounsel for Virginia State University. She was educated atDuke University where she earned her Bachelors in Arts and obtained her legal education from the University of Richmond’s T. C. Williams School of Law. Prior to serving as University Counsel, Taylor was an Assistant City Attorney and was the principal in her own law firm, where she represented disabled and indigent populations.
In addition to her professional work, Taylor serves as the President of the Oliver White Hill Foundation, a foundation that fosters educational opportunities for young people interested in social justice. Taylor is an award winning filmmaker and writer. She has earned a Drum Majorfor Justice Award, the Nina Kestin Service Award, serves as a Rule of Law volunteer, several honors for her films, and mentors undergraduate students interested in the practice of law.

Mikiba W. Morehead
Mikiba W. Morehead is Director of Student Disability Services and Title IX Coordinator at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Mikiba currently serves as State Coordinator for Texas for the Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) and was the recipient of the 2019 ASCA State Coordinator of the Year Award.
Prior to her role at Baylor College of Medicine, Mikiba served as Director of Community Standards at The University of Texas at Arlington and Program Coordinator for Student Conduct at Texas A&M University. She earned a bachelor's degree in communication and a master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY. Mikiba is currently pursuing a doctorate of education in ethical leadership from the University of St. Thomas, where her research focuses on sexual exploitation in the educational environment and the impact of revenge porn on victims in higher education environments.
Elise Awwad
Elise Awwad is the vice president of strategic enrollment at DeVry University, with oversight for creating a student centric experience from inquiry to graduation. for the university's admissions and student care functions. With direct leadership for the admissions and student care teams, Awwad sets both the overall student enrollment strategies and pathways on how to support the student in their academic journey.
Previously, Awwad was a quality assurance analyst at Howerton, Dorris, Stone and Lambert law firm. She also served as chief operating officer and district manager for a family-owned franchise, overseeing daily operations and launching new franchised locations in the greater Chicagoland area. Awwad holds an Executive MBA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She earned a certificate in public policy from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, and a bachelor's degree in small business management from Southern Illinois University.
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
Dr. Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar is Chief of Staff to President Brian W. Casey at Colgate University. Working with faculty, administrators, and the Board of Trustees, she supports the president in the planning and development of strategic initiatives across university. Prior to Colgate, she had numerous senior administrative roles at Dominican University of California. She joined Dominican January 2013 as Senior Assistant to the President, a role similar to being Chief of Staff. She then served as Senior Advisor for Strategy and Planning making her the senior officer responsible for coordinating Dominican’s planning process and directing its strategic initiatives. In this role, she also oversaw Student Life, Athletics, Information Technology Services, and Institutional Research. Finally, she served as Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations overseeing Marketing, Communications, Government Relations, and External Relations.
Ramona L. Taylor
Ramona L. Taylor, currently, serves as LegalCounsel for Virginia State University. She was educated atDuke University where she earned her Bachelors in Arts and obtained her legal education from the University of Richmond’s T. C. Williams School of Law. Prior to serving as University Counsel, Taylor was an Assistant City Attorney and was the principal in her own law firm, where she represented disabled and indigent populations.
In addition to her professional work, Taylor serves as the President of the Oliver White Hill Foundation, a foundation that fosters educational opportunities for young people interested in social justice. Taylor is an award winning filmmaker and writer. She has earned a Drum Majorfor Justice Award, the Nina Kestin Service Award, serves as a Rule of Law volunteer, several honors for her films, and mentors undergraduate students interested in the practice of law.

Last fall, we attended the NATDC conference and as we sat on the plane heading back to Colorado, we decided we HAD to do something to bring that elevated experience to our collegiate community. From Boston to Colorado, we hatched our plan for empowering women on our own campus, by developing sponsorship opportunities and mentor partnerships.
We would like to share this experience of how to develop a similar or different experience that been empowering for us as well as transformative on the campus. Notification of our first event / presentation was sent through a traditional campus invite, and the initial participation of 40 women, illustrated both enthusiasm and need.
Since that time we have held a monthly lunch time presentation, where attendance has doubled, and the campus is responding with “more please.” The platform we are bringing is straightforward and easy, and manageable. All that is needed is a room to gather and 36 minutes.
This presentation will be interactive with audience and provide opportunities for discussion.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
Presentation slides are available on SlideShare.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Donna Souder Hodge is the Executive Director of Organizational Development at CSU-Pueblo. She is a tenured professor of Rhetoric in the Department of English and World Languages, and she is the current Project Director for more than $7 million in federal Hispanic Serving Institution grants from the Department of Education.
Donna has managed multiple high profile projects, and competing stakeholders, across varied communities tasked with recruitment, retention, graduation, and placement initiatives; served on statewide CDHE boards and committees, including guaranteed transfer program assessment, articulation agreements, and P-20 Task Forces. Donna has recruited, managed, and sustained interdisciplinary, campus-wide leadership focused on best practices in teaching and learning. She is skilled in strategic planning, community outreach, and student placement in traditional, continuing education, and dual credit/concurrent enrollment programs. She is a creative problem-solver with expertise in multi-media marketing, communications, and public relations in higher education. In 2018, as the lead for a cross-functional team of university stakeholders, she became the architect of CSU-Pueblo’s #VISION2028 strategic plan.
Donna has a Ph.D. in Rhetoric (2008) and Master Degrees in English and Women's Studies. In 2017, she completed MIT Sloan School of Management's Executive Program in Business Process Design Strategic Management. In 2019, she was accepted into the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Executive Leadership Program as a AALI Fellow. Donna is a member of the CSU-Pueblo President's Cabinet, the President’s Budget Advisory Board, and the University Leadership Team.

Dr. Kristyn White Davis is a higher education administrator who works with academic departments and community stakeholders to provide accessible and affordable opportunities to receive a bachelor degree or participate in professional development and certificate programs. Her focus is on building entrepreneurial academic programs that meet student need and the needs of Southern Colorado region. She has a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership Research and Policy from the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs (2016). She has over 10 years of experience as an educator since beginning her career in the secondary education setting, and has continued to teach even though administration has become her primary job. Prior to her current role, she was the MBA Director at CSU-Pueblo's Malik and Seeme Hasan School of Business, and has made it a priority to develop new opportunities for students to engage with the university and attain a degree or additional credentials. Currently, she is the Dean of Extended Studies and serves on the Vision 2028 Task Force.

The American Council on Education has proposed that a critical skill for academic executives is the ability to use data effectively for strategic decision-making and operational problem-solving (Soares, 2016.) Unfortunately, women continue to be characterized as poorly suited for roles that require quantitative analysis. Women often become attuned to situational cues that signal a discredited social identity, contributing to lower achievement in analytical fields. Pennington (2016) notes that being the lone female in a traditionally male role leads other women to believe their ability is fixed by nature (fixed mindset) versus a skill that can be developed and lead to greater accomplishment (growth mindset). In this study, the overarching environment that led to a growth mindset, even in the presence of a previously fixed mindset, was to learn and use analytical skills with groups of women, rather than alone. While women who work solo often persist, they also face considerable stress, anxiety, and discomfort when there is a conflict between institutional expectations and their personal capabilities (Parson, 2018). Overcoming this stereotype requires more than changing perceptions; women must take responsibility for learning fundamental analytic skills that support success in executive roles, and groups of women must support one another in this pursuit.
Mentoring women to gain quantitative skills requires capitalizing on the actual skill set that is needed by the female executive — namely, analytic skills — rather than reinforcing the notion that all analysis is mathematical. Women are often in the unique position of being able to aggregate analytical data with human perception to bring a fuller, more holistic picture to a specific problem. This skill can be distilled to a relatively concise set of analytical processes, covered in this session. Rather than requiring a broad base of mathematical understanding, applied analytics focuses on drawing conclusions from data by aggregating findings, illuminating patterns and trends, and pulling together the pieces to form a jigsaw puzzle that often reveals answers to problems. Asking good questions is part of the responsibility of an analytic executive, and the key markers that should be clarified are elucidated in this discussion. This session will propose strategies that women can use to both find and provide resources for enhancing analytical capabilities, and subsequent success in executive roles.
Soares, L, Steele, P, & Wayt, L. (2016) Evolving Higher Education Business Models: Leading with Data to Deliver Results. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.
Parson, L. (2018) An institutional ethnography of higher education: the experiences of undergraduate women majoring in math and physics. Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research. 13:1; 18-33.
Pennington, C & Heim, D. (2016) Creating a critical mass eliminates the effects of stereotype threat on women’s mathematical performance. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 86:3; 353-368.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Janet Houser is Provost at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Since joining Regis in 2000, Dr. Houser has been faculty in Health Services Administration, Associate Dean for Research, Dean of the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, and Vice Provost for Resource Planning. Regis University is the only Jesuit, Catholic University in the Rocky Mountain West, serving more than 10,000 students in classrooms and online.
Dr. Houser is currently serving as Chairman of the Board for the Colorado Health Foundation, a $2.6 billion foundation and the largest in Colorado. She has published six books and has more than 30 publications in journals and books. Dr. Houser continues to be active in research and has been a presenter at regional, national and international research conferences.
Dr. Houser has degrees in healthcare and a PhD in applied statistics and research methods. She has taught healthcare students from undergraduate through doctoral level, primarily in the subjects of biostatistics and quantitative methods.

The American Psychological Association reports that women are more likely than men to be transformational leaders. Compared to men, women more often embrace collaborative relationships and motivate employees to develop themselves. They are less ego-driven and tend to be more transparent than their male peers. According to the American Council of Education (2017), only 30% of college and university presidents are female, and 78% of these women are first-time presidents. Yet the very qualities that define women as leaders are the very qualities needed to navigate through the challenges facing small, private, tuition-dependent institutions of higher education in the 21st century.
In this talk, I use Utica College as a case study to show how the characteristics defined by The American Psychological Association and the American Council on Education were instrumental in helping to guide the College through several major challenges, most notably those associated with rising tuition costs, declining enrollments, and “free tuition” at state public institutions. The case study will chronicle the nearly two year research, financial modeling, and planning that led to a dramatic reduction in undergraduate tuition, while generating net tuition surpluses, increases in first-to-second year retention rates, and a meaningful reduction in the average student debt. This case will demonstrate how confronting these critical challenges did not compromise the College’s ability to create a financially-sustainable institution through growth and innovation.
I will explore some of the challenges women might expect to face when making tough decisions about an institution’s health, describe the importance of collaboration and transparency, and consider the kind of support women leaders might benefit from having as they navigate their institution’s through these critical challenges.
Women are needed in leadership now more than ever. Moody’s Investor Services predicts that up to 15 private colleges will close each year. If we want to halt this trend, institutions must be more gender-inclusive, and women need to be better mentored and supported in these roles. With all the external threats facing the private, higher education landscape, women are needed in leadership now more than ever. As Greg Young argues in a White Paper published by LeadershipGlobal, women are by their very natures the ideal leaders for the 21st century.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Laura Casamento became the ninth president and fourteenth chief executive officer of Utica College on August 1, 2016. She is the first woman to serve as president in the 70-year history of the College.
Since arriving at UC in 2004, she has played a major role in increasing external funding to the institution, strengthening the institution’s financial position and thereby making it possible to improve the teaching and learning environment. She has overseen several major institutional initiatives including the Achieve: A New Dream, A New Era comprehensive campaign, which raised $34 million against a goal of $25 million.
Laura has more than twenty years of senior executive experience in the private sector and higher education. Prior to joining Utica College, she was president and chief operating officer of Herkimer County Trust, an independently owned, state chartered bank located in central New York. She served as president from April 1998 until December 2002, when the bank was sold to The Savings Bank of Utica (now part of M&T). The bank had assets of $350 million and 12 retail locations. She oversaw a 65 percent increase in net income during her tenure as president, resulting in the bank being sold at nearly 2.5 times book value.

Beverly Lucas
Beverly Lucas' career has been a balanced combination of working in higher education administration with traditional and non-traditional college students as well as connecting universities with community-based organizations. She is the recipient of numerous awards for innovative program planning, development and implementation. As a past program director, career counselor and grant writing consultant, she brings a wealth of knowledge of career planning and workforce development trends to assist and coach students to succeed in their pursuit of higher education. For over 25 years, she has taught in the disciplines of English, Human Relations, Communications, College Success Skills and Experiential Learning. Her career includes teaching and administrative positions at Bryant and Stratton College, university of Maryland University College, Prince George's Community College and Trinity Washington University. Beverly was recently appointed as Director of Continuing Education at the University of the District of Columbia Community College.
Beverly received an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Mohawk Valley Community College; a Bachelor of Arts in English and Human Services, and a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State University. Her area of research for her doctoral studies is, "The Importance and Impact of Mentoring for Women Executive Leaders in Higher Education."
Caula Beyl
Caula Beyl, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, began her academic career as a researcher and teacher at Alabama A&M University where she remained for nearly 27 years. She has been major advisor to 9 doctoral candidates and 28 master’s students, half of whom were minority students. Her research has resulted in 41 refereed research publications, 10 book chapters, one video, one monograph, and 123 abstracts, presentations, or proceedings, 23 of which were on institutional research and assessment topics. In 1995, she received the School of Agriculture Outstanding Researcher award and in 1998, the Abbott award for outstanding research paper from the Plant Growth Regulation Society.
As an undergraduate and graduate educator, Caula Beyl has taught 14 different courses including Agricultural Leadership and a graduate level Scientific Writing course and was honored for outstanding teaching with the Alabama A&M University Outstanding Teacher Award in 1998 and School of Agriculture Outstanding Teacher Awards in 1998 and 1991. In 2003, she was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award from the Horticulture program at Purdue University. In 1998, she served as the Director of the Plant Science Center and in 2002, she assumed the role of Director of the Office of Institutional Planning, Research, and Evaluation.
She has served as a consultant to Bethune Cookman College, Bennett College for Women and Southern University at Baton Rouge for SACS, QEP, and learning outcome development. She also served as the Quality Enhancement Plan evaluator for SACS during its on-site visit to University of Central Florida. She has presented on a variety of retention, institutional planning, learning outcomes, and QEP development topics to NACDRAO, SAIR, SEF, and SACS, among others. In 2008, she was honored as an Outstanding Alumna of the College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, and the College of Agriculture, Purdue University. She was selected as a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science in 2008 and received the Graduate Educator Award from ASHS in 2009.
In 2017, she received Purdue’s Distinguished Women Scholars Award and in 2016, the Notable UT Woman Award. She has been an invited speaker for the symposium: Grand Challenges in Keeping and Fostering Women in Entomology at the 2014 Entomology Society and an invited panel member representing women in academia at the Summit on Women in Agriculture in 2016atthe University of Georgia campus. Caula Beyl brings a wealth of experience not only in the teaching and research arenas, but as an administrator with a passion for fostering the role of women in leadership.
Jennifer DeBurro
An engaged and thoughtful member of the student affairs community, Jennifer has served college and university students for two decades. She is currently employed by the University of New England (UNE) as their senior student affairs officer (SSAO) in the role of Dean of Students and Assistant Provost for Student Affairs. She has served in a number of different capacities in her fourteen years at UNE, in addition to her time at Merrimack and Assumption Colleges.
Presently, Jennifer serves as the Region I Director of NASPA, the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. She has also been the organizations' National and Regional Volunteer Coordinator, Maine State Director, and among other roles, the Regional Silent Auction Chair. Jennifer has been called to be a panelist on various topics, and has presented a number of workshops both regionally and nationally on generational differences in the workplace and organizational change, and has been honored as NASPA's Region I Mid-Level Professional. Still growing into her role as an SSAO, Jennifer is a humble student of the many talented professionals with whom she works daily.
Jeannie Liakaris
Jeannie Liakaris serves as the assistant dean of career development at NYU School of Professional Studies. She joined NYU in January 2012, and hired a dynamic team to launch the new Center—a partnership between the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development and the NYU School of Professional Studies to expand opportunities for a global and diverse student population. She works closely with students, employers, faculty and alumni to build global talent pipelines with a focus on career wellness. She and her team have hosted hundreds of workshops on career management topics in partnership with employers and faculty to ensure students are empowered to manage their careers beyond first destination outcomes.
She has been featured, as an expert in career management, across a variety of media outlets and in publications, and has presented at various conferences/panels such as MBACSEA Conference on the longitudinal study of career progression post graduation, non-traditional student career support by The Chronicle of Higher Education, appeared on the cable show The Job Hunt, and quoted through various media outlets such as NBCNews.com, WCBS 880, among others. She has worked in the field of career development and higher education for the last 15 years including undergraduate, MBA and specialized masters with students across the globe, ranging from new professionals to senior executives. She has an in-depth understanding of the needs of non-traditional and first gen students, as she was one herself. She earned her MBA from the Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University and undergraduate alumna from New York Institute of Technology. Prior to working in higher education she worked in marketing, waste management, brand management as well as running a family business.

The University of Gondar (in Ethiopia) and the University of Montana partnered in 2018 to create a mentoring program for Women Faculty – the Gondar-Montana-Mentoring Program or GMM. At the University of Gondar (UoG) there is a need for professional development opportunities for female faculty. Only 1% of the female faculty members at UoG hold a Ph.D. and only 5% have traveled to conferences or abroad for professional development. One of the goals of creating a networking and mentorship platform was to use the expertise of the faculty at the University of Montana (UM) to offer additional professional support for female faculty at the UoG. An equally important goal was to provide a platform for cultural exchanges between UoG and UM. This is the first faculty mentoring program in Ethiopia and the first international mentoring program at the University of Montana.
The GMM program was designed to create both a mentoring community as well as to develop relationships between mentor/mentee pairs. GMM was created and organized by Professor Tsega Hagos (UoG) and Professor Jenny McNulty (UM). Professor McNulty visited UoG and gave a workshop on mentoring to over 200 female faculty. She discussed what is mentoring, what are successful models for mentoring programs, and what are the goals for the GMM program. The faculty at UoG were very interested in both starting the program as well as to expand it in future years to involve students. Applications were accepted for mentee positions; over 70 women applied for the 30 positions. Once the UoG mentees were selected, mentors at UM were recruited. These mentors were selected in related academic areas whenever possible. The commitment of all participants was one year.
Aspects of many different mentoring programs were incorporated into the GMM program to create a simple, on-line model that could be easily implemented. Each month all participants received an e-mail from one of the organizers on a topic of interest to all. These e-mails not only educate us on a topic, but also give us the opportunity to learn about other cultures and ways of doing things. Topics have included goal setting, leadership and applying to graduate school. Additionally, the mentor/mentee pairs communicate with each other via e-mail on a weekly basis. Education in Ethiopia is conducted in English, but faculty members are not native English speakers. Having the opportunity to communicate in a professional setting in English is very beneficial to the mentees. Mentors have assisted mentees in creating a professional biography, setting career goals, obtaining access to journal articles and advancing their careers. Mentees have provided opportunities for mentors to learn about their culture, to participate in social justice programs, and to help guide and shape an early career faculty member.
The GMM program is just completing its first year; there have been many successes as well as lessons learned. The mentors have been instrumental in supporting mentees in professional growth. The value of having a mentor and role model for motivation and inspiration can’t be over estimated. For example, with encouragement, help with personal statements and CV writings, tips on test taking, many mentees have applied or will apply to graduate programs. The mentees, in turn, showed the mentors the value of service to the community. The University of Gondar faculty have as part of their job description, service to their community; community engagement projects are required for faculty advancement. The mentees shared several projects they are working on in their communities that inspired mentors to become involved. The experiences of the GMM program were presented to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Ethiopia, who requested that the program be scaled up to other higher education institution in the country. The immediate plan is to continue the GMM program with a new group of mentors and mentees and to incorporate what has been learned into the next phase. As the GMM program expands, it is anticipated then mentees at UoG will serve as mentors to other faculty in Ethiopia as well as to students at their own institution. Another opportunity for growth is to expand the program with other universities in the US. The GMM program has had a major impact in its first year and the organizers are excited to expand this program to other women faculty.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Jenny McNulty is the Interim Dean in the College of Humanities and Sciences and a Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Montana (UM). Supporting faculty and better engaging students are very important to her. She traveled to Ethiopia as a Fulbright Specialist and collaborate with colleagues at partner institution, University of Gondar, and established a mentoring network for women between the two institutions. She has been very active in the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), serving on its board for three years and receiving the MAA Award for Meritorious Service. As a member of the MAA Early Career Mathematicians Committee, she assisted in the establishment of a mentoring network for junior faculty. She also served as the Director of a faculty development program for new mathematics faculty in her region for 19 years; having participated in a similar program as a junior faculty member herself.

Dr. McNulty recently established the College’s student ambassador program and the “take a student to lunch” program to help first year students better integrate into the UM community. She developed a bridge program Success in Science for incoming first year science students at UM to help them be successful and has for many years co-organized Math Day, which brings over 200 high school student to the UM campus. She serves as a Co-PI on the NSF S-STEM grant Montana Supports the Mathematicians of Tomorrow. Her role is the student mentor coordinator for the program. She has been an invited participant in the NSF supported PNW-COSMOS Indigenous Mentoring Program, the Institute for Advanced Study PCMI Workshop on Increasing Minority Participation in Undergraduate Mathematics and the NSF-ANSEP Dissemination Conference.

Tsega Hagos Mirach is an assistant professor of economic policy analysis at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. As faculty member of the University, she has more than ten years experience in teaching, research and student advising- both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and in community service activities. Moreover, Ms. Tsega has been a director for the University of Gondar Plan and Budget Directorate for the past seven years (2008-2016). She is highly involved in the University affairs and has adequate experience in strategic plan development; Certified in Performance Management and Balanced Score Card Approach; and share experience and Provide Trainings on strategic plan development for many Higher Education Institutions in the country. Ms. Tsega also served as administrative coordinator for Study Abroad program of the Ohio State University to Ethiopia in Collaboration with the University of Gondar from 2013 to 2016.
Ms. Tsega is well known by her motivation and action on women empowerment. She is a founder, former president, and current board member of the University Female Academicians’ Association which aims to build the female faculty and students’ capacity. She also contribute for the establishment of higher education institution female faculties network of the country which established in Jan/2019. Recently, Ms. Tsega and Professor Jenny McNulty from University of Montana created a mentoring program joining women at the two institutions and providing faculty development opportunities for female faculty in Ethiopia. Thus, Ms. Tsega is coordinating the program implementation from Gondar side.
Ms. Tsega conducted research as PI on women empowerment. "Women`S Position in Household Decision Making and Violence in Marriage: The Case of North Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia" and "Women Engagement in Business: Evidence from Community Based Cross-Sectional Study in North Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia” are among her published works.

We know women are under-represented in STEM leadership positions in academe, but we don’t have a good sense of just how rare they are. I will share preliminary data on the numbers of women in STEM department chair and dean positions. (This study is currently in the “revise and resubmit” stage of publication.)
Along with determining numbers of women in STEM leadership positions, I have conducted a survey of female STEM leaders. I will share what these women said about the barriers they have encountered as women in STEM and as women leaders. They also shared what assistance they have received as their careers have progressed. While there are many resources for female STEM leaders in terms of career assistance, etc., there is almost no research on this intersection between women, STEM, and leadership. This survey provides the first available data focusing on how women have dealt with the dual barriers of being women in STEM and women in leadership.
Goals of the talk are to share this exciting research and provide attendees with: a sense of the main barriers and incentives for female STEM leaders, an understanding of the level of under-representation of female leaders, recognition that they aren’t alone and that their experiences are not unique or isolated, and ideas for what can help with the difficulties of being a woman in power.
BIOGRAPHY
Laura McCullough, PhD, has been studying issues of gender and science for over 20 years. She is a full professor of physics at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where she is also a past physics department chair. Her book “Women and Physics” was published in 2016, and she has numerous articles on diverse gender and science topics. Dr. McCullough is currently researching women in STEM leadership and the barriers and assistance these women encounter in their career paths.