We are searching for big ideas that inspire hope and action in higher education around institutional transformation and innovation to advance student success outcomes. Joining John Gardner are higher education leaders and other relevant persons of interest who will discuss innovation and strategies that improve higher education.
All opinions and views expressed as part of “Office Hours with John Gardner” belong solely to the individual participants and do not necessarily represent those of the people, institutions, or organizations with which the individuals may be associated in a professional, educational, or other personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Likewise, all opinions and views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Gardner Institute.
Ian F. McNeely is professor of history and senior associate dean for undergraduate education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A specialist in German history and the history of knowledge, he is the author of three books, including The University Unfettered: Public Higher Education in an Age of Disruption (2025).
Dr. Dan Volchok is currently the Assistant Dean of Student Success at Harvard University’s Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. In this role he supports nearly 5,000 Master’s and PhD students studying in 57 graduate programs across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. Dr. Volchok is responsible for most non-academic support services including student conduct, policy development and review, major events such as orientation, convocation and commen...
Teresa R. Rivenes is currently the Senior Vice President for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, also known as the NWCCU, which is a previously regional and now international accreditation agency. Before this role, Dr. Rivenes served as the Vice President at Umpqua Community College and as the Vice President of Academic and Student Services at Tillamook Bay Community College, both located in Oregon. At both institutions, she focused on systemic change, transforming struggling ...
Dr. Nariman Farvardin , Stevens Institute of Technology's seventh president since 2011, has transformed the university into a nationally prominent technological research powerhouse. Under his leadership, undergraduate applications surged 294%, enrollment rose 62% and career outcomes reached an impressive 96.8% of graduates employed or in graduate school within six months. Farvardin's tenure has driven a 199% increase in research funding and $500 million in campus improvements, including the land...
Dr. Koch is a child of immigrants who came to the United States in pursuit of a better life. His first language was not English, and postsecondary education was valued by his family as a means for realizing the American Dream. A recipient of need-based aid while in school, Koch is a staunch advocate for and leader of efforts that increase student access to and, ultimately, completion of postsecondary education. He has worked in and with higher education institutions for over 30 years. He has don...
James Black, Ph.D. is an administrative faculty member currently serving as the Director of Student and Academic Affairs in the Office of Graduate Education at Georgia Tech. He reports to the Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education and is a member of her leadership team. In his role as director, he supports a team of faculty and staff that manages student services and success programs for Tech's more than 8,000 on-campus master's and doctoral students. These services and programs ad...
Dr. April Perry (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the M.Ed. Higher Education Student Affairs program and serves at Department Head/Chair for Human Services at Western Carolina University. Her research is primarily on college student identity development, career development, student transitions, and institutional initiatives for student success. She is the co-editor of the recent book - A Practitioner's Guide to Supporting Graduate and Professional Students (Routledge, 2022). As a practition...
Cate Denial is the Bright Distinguished Professor of American History and Director of the Bright Institute at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. A winner of the American Historical Association’s Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching award , Cate has served as a member of the Educational Advisory Committee of the Digital Public Library of America , as a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians, and as a Learned Scholar for the National Historic Landmarks division of the ...
Isis Artze-Vega , Ed.D. serves as college provost and vice president for academic affairs at Valencia College in Central Florida, a Hispanic-Serving Institution that serves about 70,000 students annually and has long been regarded one of the nation’s best community colleges. Isis Artze-Vega provides strategic leadership for the areas of curriculum, assessment, faculty development, distance learning, career and workforce education, and partnerships for educational equity. Prior to joining Valenci...
Chaouki T. Abdallah became the tenth president of the Lebanese American University (LAU) on October 1, 2024. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President for Research at The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), from September 2018 until September 2024. Under Dr. Abdallah’s leadership, research expenditures at Georgia Tech increased significantly from approximately $850 million at the start of his term in 2018 to $1.45 billion as of December 2023. Dr. Abdallah previously served...
For nearly a decade, Amanda worked in TRiO programs, spending a year with Talent Search and the next nine leading an Upward Bound project. In 2008, she joined the staff at Marietta College directing the Academic Resource Center (ARC). As the Director of the ARC, Amanda has led the center in tremendous growth including such activities as developing the PioPREP Academy bridge program, the Campus Food Pantry, and co-advising the Tri-Alpha first-generation national honor society to name a few. Under...
Gregory (Greg) L. Heileman, Ph.D., currently serves as the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Arizona, where he is responsible for facilitating collaboration across campus to strategically enhance quality and institutional capacity related to undergraduate programs academic administration. He has served in various administrative capacities in higher education since 2004. Greg Heileman’s experience includes work in th...
Dr. Taylor W. Acee is professor in and program coordinator of the Graduate Program in Postsecondary Student Success in Learning, Literacy, and Mathematics at Texas State University. His research is focused on college student learning, motivation, and self-regulation, and assessments and interventions related to these areas. A major area of his research and practice is focused on postsecondary learning-to-learn courses. Faculty profile: https://faculty.txstate.edu/profile/1921174 Dr. Russ Hodges ...
Duane A. Williams , Ph.D, is the Associate Vice Provost of Student Success and Retention at TexasA&M San Antonio. In his role, he oversees Undergraduate Academic Advisement, the StudentAcademic Success Center, First-year Experience, and other student success-related initiativeswithin the Division of Academic Affairs and the Office of the Provost. In his role, Dr. Williamsworks collaboratively with other university divisions, academic leadership, and various campusunits to develop, implement,...
Dr. Andy Person serves as the Chief of Strategy and Advancement at Long Island University, a nationally recognized research institution, where he leads transformative initiatives to drive institutional growth, enhance strategic planning, and advance the university's mission. With over two decades of leadership experience in higher education and maritime institutions, Dr. Person is recognized for serving on executive teams that increase enrollment, retention, accreditation excellence, research de...
APUS President Nuno Fernandes is a visionary leader who has been successful in making online higher education more affordable and accessible, while delivering top-quality education and favorable student outcomes. As the fifth President of APUS, he is focused on a global digital journey that integrates personalized, collaborative, technology-driven learning experiences to prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities. Mr. Fernandes has a wealth of experience driving innovation acro...
Amber Fallucca serves as the inaugural Director of the Carolina Experience, University of South Carolina’s focus on providing access to a comprehensive undergraduate experience through an emphasis on transfer, sophomore, junior, and senior student experiences. Prior to joining Carolina Experience, Amber served as USC’s Quality Enhancement Plan Director on integrative and experiential learning. Amber also serves as affiliate faculty in the College of Education at USC where she earned her PhD in H...
Dr. Colleen McCabe serves as the Provost and Vice President for the Wisconsin Technical College System. In this role, she provides leadership and administrative oversight for the development and delivery of technical college educational programs, student services and assessment, economic development and adult and ELL education. Prior to this position, she served for 14 years as a K-12 educator, and most recently served as a professor and the department chair of Health and Human Performance at UW...
At the time of this podcast recording, Jamia led SCORE’s postsecondary strategy, relying on her deep experience in higher education to build relationships in the field to ensure all Tennessee students have access to postsecondary opportunities that prepare them for a career. Jamia joined SCORE in 2022 as senior director of postsecondary pathways. Prior to that, she served as dean of student success at Rhodes College, worked as an admissions counselor at UT Chattanooga, and held positions at UT K...
I'm newly retired and in the process of sorting through 40 years of books and papers! My professional life has been shaped by a variety of experiences, including my childhood in South Dakota, my experiences at rural and tribal colleges and universities, travels to Latin America and the South Pacific, nonprofit agency and board leadership, teaching undergrad and graduate students, and advocating for social justice. These experiences have taught me how to approach student concerns holistically and...
Ron Cole, Ph.D., is the 23rd president of Allegheny College. As president, he leads the senior leadership team of the College to drive holistic student success and an interdisciplinary, 21st century education. Under his direction, the College has implemented a bold Strategic Pathway that emphasizes five primary goals focused on academic excellence, broadened academic offerings with an emphasis on student engagement, community and economic development, a vibrant and inclusive campus and financial...
Michael Benitez, Ph.D. is a nationally acclaimed educator in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, often called upon by colleges and universities, community organizations and corporations nationwide for his deep knowledge and practice of innovate equity and inclusion-based strategies and approaches to address some of higher education’s most pressing diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and challenges. Over the past two decades, Benitez has served higher education ...
Dr. Kate Lehman serves as Director of the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (NRC) where she provides leadership for all center operations, strategic initiatives, conferences and events, publications, and scholarly and research activities. The NRC is the trusted expert, internationally-recognized leader, and clearinghouse for scholarship, policy, and best practice for all postsecondary student transitions. Kate also serves as an affiliated faculty m...
Tom Ranzweiler is an Edward R. Murrow award-winning and Emmy-nominated senior producer for NBC News. He currently oversees a two hour block of primetime programming for the networks pioneering free 24-hour streaming platform NBC News Now. He previously worked as a producer for NBC Nightly News, MSNBC, and Al Jazeera America. Ranzweiler graduated from Monmouth University in his home state of New Jersey with a bachelor’s degree in communications.
Bryan Dewsbury, Ph.D is a Gardner Institute Fellow and an Associate Professor Biological Sciences Florida International University. He serves as a Teaching and Learning Fellow at the Gardner Institute. Bryan Dewsbury is the principal investigator of the Science Education and Society research program, which focuses on the social context of teaching and learning in a variety of education contexts. He is ultimately interested in helping to re-frame the education discussion to better address questio...
Dr. Nido Qubein serves as the president of High Point University where, even in the middle of the Great Recession, he increased enrollment by 261%, grew net assets from $56M to almost a billion dollars, created 10 new academic schools – most recently adding the Workman School of Dental Medicine, and attracted $500 million in philanthropic investments. His family is among the institution’s most generous donors. Qubein has led HPU’s total enrollment this year to a record-breaking 6,040 students th...
Akilah A. Martin serves as an Assistant Vice President for the Gardner Institute. In this role, Dr. Martin serves as one of the leads for the Institutional Transformation Assessment project. Akilah A. Martin, Ed.D., began her higher education career pathway as a TRiO advisor with Lone Star College, and she continued in higher education, holding positions in admissions, student activities, and advising. Akilah served as the Alvin Community College’s director of dual enrollment and then the direct...
As Special Assistant to the President at Elon University, Mr. Whittington provides strategic leadership for the President on projects and initiatives assigned by the President in all areas of the campus. Formerly, Gerald Whittington was the Senior Vice President for Business, Finance and Technology at Elon University serving from January 1992 to June 1, 2019. He also served as the Corporate Treasurer of the Elon University Board of Trustees and Corporation. He was the Vice President for Business...
Oscar R. Miranda Tapia is a Research Associate at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research and a Policy Intern at North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities. He is also a PhD student and Provost Fellow at NC State University, pursuing a degree in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development, with a focus on higher education opportunity, equity, and justice. Prior to his doctoral studies, Oscar led the first-generation initiative at Elon University. He is...
Sarah Bunnell is the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning at Elon University and Past-President of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), Bunnell is an internationally recognized leader in the scholarship of teaching and learning and faculty development. During her tenure at Amherst College, Bunnell partnered with Dr. Sheila Jaswal, Megan Lyster, and countless students and colleagues to assess, refine, and support colleges ...
