Higher Education Episodes

Our guest, Dr. Costonzo Bryant-Martin is Assistant Professor of Education and Director of the Call Me MiSTER Program at South Carolina State University (SCSU). For this Inspirational Short recorded during the fall 2024 CAEPCon convening in Arlington, VA, Costonzo describes the unique SCSU student experience, explaining that students are transformed through a family-oriented approach. He is also a third-generation graduate and employee of SCSU. As a first-time attendee of CAEPCon, Costonzo expl...

Our guest, Dr. Mark LaCelle-Peterson, is a founding team member and President of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Mark addresses the founding of AAQEP, responding to a demand for greater flexibility and innovation in education accreditation and an examination of quality in context. A cornerstone of AAQEP’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is anchored in a standard requiring education preparation programs to work with P-12 schools most in nee...

Our guest, Dr. Christopher (Chris) A. Koch, is President of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The council is comprised of more than 550 member institutions. This episode is part one in a two-part series on Leading Equity and Effectiveness in Education Preparation through Accreditation. Dr. Koch discusses how CAEP and its standards for accreditation are resources for educational equity, addressing the unique needs of individual Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs)...

Guest, Dr. Lynn M. Gangone, is President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Dr. Gangone recounts her legacy at AACTE and the association’s leadership in and impact on educator preparation. She shares insights into her association leadership and the inner workings of principled, yet apolitical leadership. She discusses the significance of AACTE’s motto to #Educate, #Advocate, and #Innovate, reflecting on engagement with members, policy makers, and p...

Our guests Drs. Kimberly A. White-Smith and Sean Green are Professor and Dean and Assistant Dean for Innovation and Community Engagement, respectively for the University of San Diego’s (USD) School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES). This on-location episode takes place on campus where Dr. White-Smith shares a brief history of the university’s founding and recognizes its 75th Anniversary. Drs. White-Smith and Green share their personal equity experiences, those occurring at the USD an...

Dr. Margaret Terry Orr is Professor at Fordham University and EdD program director and Chair of the Division of Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy within the Graduate School of Education. She explains that improvement science applies an inquiry approach focusing on both the problem and the solution. A key component requires the engagement and perspectives of stakeholders involved in the problem and its solutions. Dr. Orr outlines how the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework is used to s...

Our Guests are Drs. Miriam Feldblum, Co-founder and Executive Director, and Felecia Russell, Director of the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, both of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Their episode is scheduled in recognition of Immigrant Heritage Month. They clarify the different designations and pathways among immigrant populations and share that immigrants account for nearly 32% of US higher education enrollment, excluding international students. Undocumented studen...

Our guest, Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig, is Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Western Michigan University (WMU). He is an internationally known scholar and a nationally recognized advocate for educational effectiveness and equity. Provost Vasquez Heilig explains the “Western Way” of WMU as undergirded by innovation. Innovation has been proven necessary to meet the strategic goals so that “all may learn.” Outcomes include improved retention and closing equity gaps such as graduation...

Our Guest, ⁠Dr. Ramon Goings⁠, is the founder of ⁠Done Dissertation⁠, a consulting firm aimed at helping more than 1000 students successfully complete their dissertations in one year or less. Dr. Goings shares how his experiences as a doctoral student and the disruption of the COVID pandemic influenced the development and direction of the resources provided by Done Dissertation. Working with doctoral students and universities across discipline areas, Done Dissertation offers collaborative and ...

Our guest, Dr. Lisa Vollendorf, is the 6th President of SUNY Empire State University. Did you know that Empire State is New York’s only public, online institution of higher education? Dr. Vollendorf shares the origin of Empire State University, for which equity and access were key drivers. The university offers two-year, four-year, and limited graduate programs. Graduates of the 2024 class range from age 17 to 77. Empire is designated as an Autism Support College, recognized by the Anderson Ce...

Our guest ⁠⁠Andrés Acebo⁠⁠, Interim President of ⁠⁠New Jersey City University⁠⁠ shares how he and the NJCU community have forged a new mission and vision for what he calls a “Student Ready” college. President Acebo stresses the importance of shared governance, while insisting on ways to meet the needs of students and communities served. NJCU is federally recognized as a minority serving institution (MSI). Andy explains how his professional and personal missions are reflected back in the experie...

Our guest Steven Simmons, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Nilent, NIL Enterprise Solutions, shares experiences supporting college athletes for financial literacy, wellbeing, and social media branding. Partnering with colleges and corporate bands, Steve shares how the Nilent service model reflects a mix of alturism and mercenary capitalism. The model is driving solutions in the wake of the recent federal ruling allowing college athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL)...

Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, Interim Dean for the School of Education, Hofstra University, addresses the non-neutral role of schools in social equity. He explains that teaching should be seen as a collective effort, imagined differently. Unlearning and new learning about what effective teaching is and can be is central to the liberatory function of education. Dr. Kumashiro is a scholar and advocate of anti-oppressive education and share frameworks to guide educator preparation and educational equity. H...

Dr. Elsa Núñez is the President of Eastern Connecticut State University, Connecticut’s only public liberal arts institution of higher education. Dr. Núñez shares her lived experiences, and those as a university president looking toward retirement who is a lifelong learner. She discusses the importance of a liberal arts education and educational attainment. She champions excellence and access and shares with the EDUP Xcelerated Excellence community the evolutionary process defining the unique ex...

Guest ⁠Casanova Green⁠, director of First-Year experience at ⁠Hocking College⁠, shares his professional knowledge and passion for ensuring community college student success beginning day one. The first-year experience is vital in supporting students for academic success, retention, and persistence. Participating students range from high school age to 60+ years of age. Mr. Green expresses the need for faculty and staff to pour into and nurture the development of students with intentionality. Re...

Meet Dr. Ruth Best, Assist Dean at the California School of Education (SOE) of Alliant International University. Dr. Best participated in our Inspirational Shorts recorded during the Education 2.0 Conference, 2024 in Las Vegas Nevada. She shares insights into the growing enrollment for the SOE and online education. She inspires motivated individuals of color and from historically underrepresented communities to pursue career in education. #onlineeducation #higheredenrollment #highered #equity