Commissioners

Session Title: Leading Assessment that Matters

Jillian Kinzie, Ph.D. is Interim Co-Director of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) at the Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University. She conducts research and leads project activities on the use of student engagement data to improve educational quality and issues of teaching and learning, and serves as senior scholar with the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA). She is co-author of Delivering on the Promise of High-Impact Practices: Research and Models for Achieving Equity, Fidelity, Impact, and Scale (2022), Assessment in Student Affairs (2016), Using Evidence of Student Learning to Improve Higher Education (2015) and Student Success in College (2010), and is a peer reviewer for accreditors and consults with colleges and universities about assessment, effective educational practice, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and support for student success.

Presentation Title: Transformational Impact of Higher Education in Prisons
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 3, 10:45 – 11:45 am PST
Institutional Speakers:

Denise Kammers

Denise Kammers is currently the Dean of Corrections Education for Walla Walla Community College and is responsible for leading the Corrections Education program at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center and Washington State Penitentiary. The Corrections Education program provides basic skills, workforce, and academic education in a variety of custodial settings. Current programming at the two facilities includes: GED prep, ELA, HS+, Open Doors, Automotive Repair, Business (AAS and BAS Degree levels), Carpentry, Collision Repair, CNC Machining, Construction Trades Apprenticeship, Diesel Technology, Digital Design, Human and Social Services, HVACR, and Welding.  Denise has over 18 years’ experience working in corrections education in numerous roles: teacher, academic advisor, Chief GED Examiner, Academic Coordinator, Director of Academic Affairs and student advocate.  She has a Master’s in Education Leadership and Administration from Gonzaga University. 

Michael Cagle

Michael began working for the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid in 1994.  During that time, he has served as an Institutional Review Specialist, Institutional Improvement Specialist (IIS), Quality Assurance Program Management Analyst, Experimental Sites Management Analyst, Program Specialist, and is currently the Acting Director of the Policy Innovation and Dissemination (PID) Group which is responsible for annual publication of the Federal Student Aid Handbook, and oversight of the Experimental Sites Initiative. Michael has been located in the Seattle Office for his entire government career.

He is currently working with other colleagues on the implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act, specifically the Pell for incarcerated student provisions that will allow incarcerated individuals in federal or state correctional facilities to receive Pell while enrolled in eligible Prison Education Programs.  

Prior to joining FSA, Michael worked in the Financial Aid Office at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA for over 10 years including his time as a work-study student in that office.  Michael grew up in Spokane and has lived in Seattle for the past 28 years.

Noel Vest

Bio and headshot coming soon!

Session Title: Strategic Planning for Prison Education Programs – Getting Ready for Pell Reinstatement

Samantha Boccia is a program analyst on Vera’s Unlocking Potential team. Samantha graduated from Georgetown University in 2020, where she studied government, African American studies, and women and gender studies. The focal points of her academic pursuits were constitutionalism and the pervasive inequities Black Americans face, namely in the criminal legal system. While studying alongside students in the Georgetown Prison Scholars Program in the D.C. Jail through the university’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, she witnessed the transformative power of education in prisons. The experience inspired her to become an outspoken prison reform advocate committed to ending mass incarceration and promoting access to high-quality postsecondary prison education. This advocacy drives her work on accreditation and technical assistance projects for postsecondary education in prison programs at Vera.

Kayla James is a program associate in Vera’s Center on Sentencing and Corrections. Kayla has provided technical assistance to corrections agencies to implement strategies to reduce the use of restrictive housing and solitary confinement in their prison facilities. Her current work assists colleges, nonprofits, and corrections agencies in improving educational, vocational, and employment services for people returning to their communities from prisons and jails. Before joining Vera, Kayla worked with the New York City Department of Correction and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Bureau of Mental Health, assisting with training corrections officers and assessing suicide prevention policy. Kayla also worked at Global Citizen on its New York State bail reform campaign and other global policy and advocacy efforts. Kayla earned a BA in psychology and criminal justice and an MA in criminal justice from the University at Albany, State University of New York.

Belinda Wheeler is a senior program associate on the Unlocking Potential initiative. Prior to joining Vera, Belinda served as the founding director of Claflin University’s Pathways from Prison Program and director of their Center for Social Justice. Claflin University, a U.S. Department of Education Second Chance Pell Experimental Site, is one of a handful of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the higher education in prison space. In addition to helping Claflin University build its program with the state department of corrections, Belinda provided guidance to other HBCUs interested in higher education in prison. Originally from Queensland, Australia, Belinda earned her BA from Purdue University, her MA from Indiana University—Purdue University, Indianapolis, and her PhD from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Session Title: Building and Sustaining an Integrated Planning Culture

Nicholas R. Santilli, Ph.D. serves as Senior Director for Learning Strategy for the Society for College and University Planning. In this role, he drives the development of learning content for individual practitioners and institutions looking to build the professional competencies of their faculty and staff. He is also the lead for the SCUP Planning Institute, the premier professional development program to create institutional capacity for integrated planning in higher education.

Dr. Santilli is professor emeritus of psychology at John Carroll University. In addition, he held several positions in academic administration at John Carroll University, including Interim Provost and Academic Vice President and Associate Provost for Accreditation, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness. He was also Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Notre Dame College of Ohio.

In 2003, Dr. Santilli completed the prestigious American Council on Education Fellowship.  The ACE Fellowship is the signature higher education leadership program and spent a year working with college and university presidents, provosts, and vice presidents on topics including; strategic planning and assessment, budgets and finance, government relations, admissions and financial aid, and leadership in higher education.

Dr. Santilli has been a member and officer on several community and professional boards.  He was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the ACE Fellows program of the American Council on Education. Prior to joining the SCUP staff, he co-chaired two SCUP annual conferences; served on the SCUP Board of Directors for three years, two years as chair, and served as a Planning Institute facilitator.

Presentation Title: Paving Transfer Pathways from Community Colleges to Private Liberal Arts Institutions
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 4, 1:30-2:30 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Dr. Linda Samek

Linda Samek, EdD, currently serves as President of the Southern Oregon Medical Workforce Center and participates in several grant funded projects in Oregon and beyond, currently focused on serving as the Project Director for the Oregon Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts grant. She served 22 years at Corban University (formerly Western Baptist College) and 17 years at George Fox University in faculty, department chair, dean, and chief academic officer roles. Most recently Dr. Samek filled an interim academic leadership position at Umpqua Community College. Over the last 15 years, she has served on and chaired many site teams for NWCCU visits.

Brent Wilder

Brent Wilder provides project oversight and ensures alignment with state-level policy discussions and initiatives. Wilder has served in a leadership capacity with The Alliance since its inception—serving as the Vice President since 2012 and as the Interim President from October 2019 until June 2020, when he was named as President. Prior to his career at The Alliance, Wilder served as Interim President and Vice President at the Oregon Independent College Foundation, as well as in a variety of leadership roles in intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA Division I level.

Presentation Title: Working Together to Create a Change Resilient Campus
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 4, 1:30-2:30 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Dr. Sathyanarayanan Rajendran

Sathy Rajendran joined CWU faculty in 2011 after a career in industry. He is currently Dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies having previously served as Department Chair and Professor of Engineering Technologies, Safety and Construction (ETSC). He has also coordinated the Safety and Health Management Program and the Risk, Insurance, and Safety Management Program. He also served as Faculty Senate chair.

Dr. Pamela McMullin-Messier

Pam McMullin-Messier is a Professor of Sociology and has been actively involved with identity-based and environmental interdisciplinary programs at CWU. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology and a graduate certificate in Gender Studies from the University of Southern California; her dissertation focused on the intersection of population-environmentalism with nationalism and human rights.

Amber Hoefer

Amber Hoefer is the Director of Student Leadership, Engagement and Community Involvement at CWU. Amber has been instrumental in working with student government, with orientation leaders and with CWU’s student development team.

Amber Darting

Amber Darting Directs the College of Business’ student engagement team. She supervises advises, connects students to engagement opportunities and works closely with faculty to ensure that College of Business students remain connected and engaged throughout their time at CWU.

Dr. Michelle DenBeste

Michelle DenBeste is Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Life at Central Washington University. She trained as a Russian Historian and served as Department Chair and Dean at CSU Fresno before accepting her position at CWU in the spring of 2020.

Presentation Title: Designing for Student Success: An FLC to Help Faculty Design More Equitable and Inclusive Courses
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 4, 1:30-2:30 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Dr. Sarah Dalrymple

Sarah Dalrymple is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Faculty Associate in the Center for Teaching and Learning at Boise State University. She has provided leadership in the design and facilitation of the Designing for Student Success FLC for the last four years. In addition, she has made contributions to the national POGIL Project (www.pogil.org), the POD Network (Professional and Organizational Development Network), and the BioTAP Network (Biology Teaching Assistant Project).

Presentation Title: Critical Perspectives and Strategies for Building Resilience on College Campuses
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 4, 10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Megan Kennedy

Megan Kennedy is the Director of the UW Resilience Lab. As a leader and facilitator, Kennedy aims to build healthy and compassionate learning communities. From engaging stakeholders in vision-setting to partnering with students, staff, and instructors, her approach to leadership centers on collaborative relationships. Currently, Kennedy is developing and evaluating systems-based approaches to well-being that combines applied research, education, and collaborative programming across three University of Washington campuses. Kennedy earned her master’s degree in Applied Behavioral Science from Bastyr University and is a licensed therapist with over a decade of experience in public and private practice.

Dr. Sislena Grocer Ledbetter

Sislena Grocer Ledbetter, PhD, is a social psychologist, researcher, lecturer, author, and life coach. She received a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from North Carolina Central University, Magna Cum Laude. She has held many higher education leadership roles, including Assistant Professor of Psychology, Executive Director of Counseling, Health and Wellness, Director of Counseling and Student Development, and Associate Vice President of Student Development. She’s written and attracted millions of dollars in grants funds for behavioral health issues addressing HIV-AIDS, substance abuse, suicide prevention, and domestic violence. As the Associate Vice President of Counseling, Health, and Wellbeing at Western Washington, she serves on the leadership of the United States Health Promotion Campuses Network, where she chairs the Diversity and Social Justice work. For more than ten years, she hosted a DC Cable Television program, “A Healthy Mind,” where she interviewed guests on wellbeing and mental health topics.

Dr. Brandon Joseph

Brandon Joseph, PhD, serves as the Director of Student Resilience at Western Washington University. He is responsible for developing and coordinating programs and services for students that promote holistic wellbeing and proactive mental and emotional health as part of the University’s commitment to the Okanagan Charter. At WWU he served as the Men’s Resiliency Program Coordinator. He founded WWU’s first ever Black & Brown Male Success Collective, works in close support to the Native American Student Union, the Black Student Coalition, the Latinx Student Union, and other ethnic student clubs in the Multicultural Center. Dr. Joseph spent six years at the University of Louisville in academic advising, the learning center, human resources, and athletics support. Dr. Joseph earned his bachelor’s degree from Metro State University-Denver and a master’s degree from the University of Louisville, both in sports administration. His Ph.D. is in Counseling and Personnel Services with a concentration in College Student Personnel from the University of Louisville was completed in December 2021. As a proud Athabascan and Muscogee Creek, Brandon’s broad research interests explore the intersections of athletics, academics, and holistic wellness in Native communities.

Presentation Title: Building a Data-Driven Culture on a Community College Budget
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 4, 10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Dr. Amy Brumfield

Amy Brumfield, PhD, is inspired by seeing the world change in positive ways. She has worked in multiple teaching and administrative roles to bring those changes into reality. She loves working in a community college because it transforms lives and generations. Its challenges require more intellectual flexibility than anywhere else, and that makes the work fun and highly rewarding.

Lori Barber

Lori Barber is Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs at College of Eastern Idaho. Prior to this role, she served in various leadership roles at the College. She holds a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in History and Anthropology and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University. Lori has been an assistant lecturer at Idaho State University and designed her own courses, creating content, lectures, outcomes, and assessments. She profoundly believes in the community college mission and recognizes the power of education to create hope and transform generations of lives.

Presentation Title: Transforming Student Access: Developing and Sustaining Hyflex Teaching
Session Date/Time: Friday, November 4, 10:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Dr. Sue Balter-Reitz

Susan Balter-Reitz is a Professor of Communication and Interim Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at MSU Billings.

Dr. Heather Thompson-Bahm

Heather Thompson-Bahm is an Assistant Professor of Management and was one of the inaugural faculty co-director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at MSU Billings.

Dr. Joy Crissey Honea

Joy Crissey Honea is a Professor of Sociology and is the inaugural faculty co-director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at MSU Billings.

Presentation Title: Cultural Humility and the Great American Experiment of E Pluribus Unum
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 3, 3:00-4:30 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Dr. Scott Finnie

Dr. Scott Finnie is a Senior Professor of Africana Studies at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington. As a faculty member since 1992, Dr. Finnie has presented on issues of servant leadership, civil rights history, U. S. race relations and key themes of multiculturalism across the nation as well as Oxford University, Glasgow University, University of São Paulo, Brisbane University of Australia, Accra University and many others. Dr. Finnie also owns a diversity training company, “Engaging Team Concepts,” where he provides workshops, conferences, presentations and courses for businesses, school districts, police departments, educational institutions, organizations and companies in general.

Presentation Title: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Data Collection, Use and Reporting
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 3, 3:00-4:30 p.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Dr. Shannon Wagner

Shannon Wagner joined TRU as Associate Vice President Academic, coming to TRU from the University of Northern British Columbia where she previously served as Dean Faculty of Human and Health Sciences, and Interim Dean College of Arts, Social and Health Sciences.

Dr. Evelyn Asiedu

As the inaugural EDI Data analyst at TRU, Evelyn Asiedu (Principal Investigator) contributes to the development of strategies which will identify and dismantle barriers to participation of all people on campus. Specifically, her aim is to set goals and establish methods which systematically measure progress towards their achievement.

Dr. Alana Hoare

Alana Hoare has been working, studying, and researching in the field of education for over 16 years. Her research interests include educational leadership, quality assurance, culturally responsive evaluation, qualitative evaluation methodologies for student success, and student learning outcomes and assessment. As TRU’s Quality Assurance and Accreditation Liaison Officer, Hoare is responsible for ensuring that the university is in compliance with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities’ (NWWCU) Standards of Accreditation.

Presentation Title: Using Student Course Surveys to Improve Inclusive and Accessible Pedagogy
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 3, 10:45-11:45 a.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Mr. Austin Hocker 

Austin Hocker is the Director for Research and Assessment in the Teaching Engagement Program and Academic Data Analytics at the University of Oregon. He leads assessment projects and campus efforts in connecting data analytics to teaching and curriculum improvement, supporting efforts to create and support a culture of inquiry into student learning.

Presentation Title: Tracking Transfer: A Novel Framework of Measurement and Collaboration
Session Date/Time: Thursday, November 3, 10:45-11:45 a.m. PST
Institutional Speakers:

Dr. Jeff Aird 

Jeff Aird currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). With over a decade of experience building and developing institutional effectiveness, Jeff has led efforts at both institutional and system levels. Jeff joined SLCC in 2013 as the director of inquiry and analysis and later was asked to serve as the assistant vice president for strategy and analysis, a new role to support the creation of college strategy. Prior to joining SLCC, Jeff worked at the Utah System of Higher Education where he assisted in strategic planning and economic development.

Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, is the Secretary of Health for the great State of Washington, appointed by Governor Jay Inslee in December 2020. He is the first Asian-American physician of South Asian descent to serve in this leadership role in the history of Washington, home to nearly 8 million people. Dr. Shah earned his BA (philosophy) from Vanderbilt University; his MD from the University of Toledo Health Science Center; and completed an Internal Medicine Residency, Primary Care/General Medicine Fellowship, & MPH (management), at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He also completed a global health policy internship at World Health Organization headquarters in Switzerland. Over his career, Dr. Shah has been a clinician, innovator, educator, and leader in health. He has been a champion for underserved communities, at the intersection of health and healthcare, while charting a fresh course in health by centering on the cornerstone values of equity, innovation, and engagement.

Session Title: The False Narratives of CRT and DEI Being Deployed Across America: Impacts to Our Nation and Higher Education

In 2020, Dr. Chris Mathias became the first Black man ever elected to the Idaho legislature.

Rep. Mathias served in the U.S. Coast Guard before landing at Boise State University. Thanks to the G.I. Bill, a federal TRiO program, engaged mentors, and the self-discipline he acquired through military service, he earned a degree in Criminal Justice and went on to earn a JD and PhD in Law and Public Policy.

A former U.S. Senate law clerk, undergraduate lecturer, and Chief Academic Officer for the Idaho State Board of Education, Rep Mathias is a fierce advocate for public higher education in Idaho, and around the nation.

Rep. Mathias lives in Boise with his wife and two young children. Both his family and life’s journey encourage him to build bridges and push everyday for communities where more people can thrive.

Session Title: Federal Higher Education and Accreditation Policies and Regulations

James Kvaal formerly served as the president of the Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), a research and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to affordability and equity in higher education. TICAS is nationally recognized for its research and policy recommendations on student debt. Kvaal served in the Obama Administration as the deputy domestic policy adviser at the White House and deputy undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education. He led efforts to cut student loan monthly payments, hold career colleges accountable for excessive debts, and make community colleges tuition-free. He helped organize the White House Summit on College Opportunity, which featured more than 100 college presidents and other leaders committing to actions to help more students graduate from college. He also has served in senior roles in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Kvaal taught at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy, and graduated with honors from Stanford University and Harvard Law School.

Session Title: Cybersecurity, Ransomware, Hackers: Why Should University and College Leadership Care

Sean Hoar is a Partner in the Portland office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP and Chair of the national Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Team. Sean has extensive experience managing responses to data breaches, and the Lewis Brisbois Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Team manages responses to over 2,000 data breaches annually. Before joining Lewis Brisbois, Sean served as a cyber attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, and he worked closely with the FBI, the Secret Service, and the Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section in Washington D.C. on network intrusion matters. He also trained other federal prosecutors and federal agents on complex white collar and high tech investigations, and he trained foreign investigators on tracing digital evidence to terrorist activity. He has received numerous accolades from federal law enforcement authorities and industry associations, and he holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), the Global Information Security Professional (GISP), and the Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US) credentials.

Session Title: Transforming Science Education in An Age of Misinformation

Carl Bergstrom is a Professor of Biology at the University of Washington. Though trained in mathematical evolutionary biology, Carl addresses a broad range of problems across natural and social sciences with a unifying theme of how information flows. Within biology, Carl studies problems such as how communication evolves and how natural selection puts information into the genome. In the philosophy and sociology of science, he studies how the incentives created by scientific institutions shape scholars’ research strategies and, in turn, our scientific understanding of the world. In network science, he explores how to extract the relevant information from massive networks comprising tens of millions of nodes, and how information flows through networks of this scale. Most recently he has started to focus on how social media facilitates the spread of disinformation, with a particular focus on what we as educators can do as educators to stem this accursed tide.