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Dr. David J Hornsby – is a Professor in the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and the Vice-Provost (Academic and Global Learning) Carleton University, Ottawa. Prior, David was the Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) and held faculty positions at University College London and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg South Africa. David’s research interests pertain to the politics of science and risk in international governance, Canadian foreign policy in Sub-Saharan Africa, South African foreign policy, middle power cooperation, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. David has published in both the biological and social sciences, and is a recognized academic leader having recently been awarded a Principal Fellowship in the Higher Education Academy.

Manuel João Costa is an Associate Professor at the School of Medicine. He is Vice‑President of the National Council for Pedagogical Innovations in Higher Education of Portugal and coordinator of the interinstitutional EPIC consortium (Excellence in Pedagogy and Innovation in Co‑creation), focused on developing pedagogical excellence across six institutions. He served as Vice‑Rector for Educational Innovation and Student Affairs at the University of Minho and as coordinator of the University of Minho’s Centre for Innovation and Development in Teaching and Learning (IDEA‑UMinho) (September 2018–December 2025). He was the Institutional Lead at the University of Minho for the Arqus European University Alliance (January 2022–December 2025). Member of AMEE committee on Faculty Development and former member of the Learning and Teaching Steering Committee of the European University Association, FEBS Education Committee (2020–2024), AMEE research in medical education Committee and of the IUBMB education committee. Main interests relate to institutional enhancement of teaching and learning in higher education. His research focuses on student development in higher education, with an emphasis on medical and biomolecular sciences. Manuel’s teaching areas include biochemistry and molecular biology, as well as health sciences education.

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Dr. Phil Cavalier was named the 13th president of Kutztown in Pennsylvania on April 30, 2025 and will begin his tenure on July 7th. For the previous seven years, he served as the provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee at Martin. He also served as Interim Chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Martin from March to August 2023.

Some of Dr. Cavalier’s accomplishments during his tenure at UT Martin include leading the university in creating a strategic plan for 2025-30, developing a two five-year strategic enrollment plan, guiding the university to a record-high 77% retention rate for first-year students, adding several new academic programs, and building a UTM in Siena, Italy study abroad program.

Prior to his appointment at UT Martin, Dr. Cavalier served as the provost at two residential liberal arts colleges, Lyon College in Arkansas and Eureka College in Illinois. During the 2005-6 academic year, he was a Fulbright Scholar in Kyiv, Ukraine, where he taught American literature at two Ukrainian universities and delivered lectures throughout Ukraine as well as in Estonia and Egypt. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the University at Buffalo, an M.A. in English from Northeastern University, and a B.A. in Economics from Swarthmore College.

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Dr. Claudia Petrescu is the Associate Vice President for Graduate Education and Internationalization Initiatives, Illinois State University, USA. She is an experienced higher education leader who served in leadership roles such as Vice Provost for Graduate Education & Dean of the Graduate School at Kansas State University, Chief Strategy Officer, and Dean of Graduate School at Oakland University in Michigan. Dr. Petrescu is a tenured professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University.

Petrescu has over 20 years of academic leadership, including 10 years of leading graduate schools at R2 and R1 institutions. She is a strategic thinker that builds partnerships with academic, non-academic and community partners to design and implement a data-informed graduate education culture. Petrescu’s work and research interests are in the areas of organizational change, strategic planning, student success, evaluation, nonprofit management, and capacity building.

Claudia has been published in journals such as the Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, International Leadership Journal, Nonprofit Management and Leadership among others. She is also a recent graduate of the American Council of Education (ACE) fellowship program. Claudia holds a doctorate in Public Policy and Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, and obtained graduate degrees from Duquesne University, the National School of Public Administration and International Relations, Bucharest, Romania, and Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

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Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D., is the 30th President of La Salle University. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in Catholic higher education, Dr. Allen is leading La Salle’s strategy focused on enrollment growth, student retention and enhancing the student experience.

Prior to joining La Salle, Dr. Allen served as senior vice president for advancement and external relations at DePaul University and held leadership roles at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, Lewis University and Loras College. He earned his Ph.D. in education from Loyola University Chicago and continues to pursue his interest in postsecondary educational access for low-income students. He also serves on the board of the International Association of Lasallian Universities, a global network of 64 universities.

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Deirdre H. McMahon, PhD, is a Teaching Professor of English, Department of English and Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Assistant Dean of Online Program Assessment in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, College of Medicine at Drexel University. Her literary research focuses on nineteenth-century British literature and culture. A former Provost Fellow, Chair of the Online Learning Council Faculty Fellows, and Assistant Dean of Online Education at the Graduate College, she is leader in online education. Her portfolio also includes the design, support, and assessment of graduate programs across modalities.

Anne Converse Willkomm serves as the Assistant Vice Provost for Curricular Support Services and an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel University. In her current role, she leads university-wide efforts to support curriculum development, academic policy, and program innovation across undergraduate and graduate education. Previously, as Associate Dean of the Graduate College, she advanced interdisciplinary initiatives, oversaw academic administration and student affairs, and supported the growth and quality of graduate programs. With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, Anne’s work spans curriculum design, assessment, and strategic planning across professional and liberal arts contexts. She has played a key role in launching new programs, guiding institutional policy, and leading cross-university initiatives, including assessment and AI integration. An award-winning educator, she continues to teach, grounding her work in a deep commitment to the student experience.

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Jennifer Wies has spent more than two decades working across teaching, research, and academic leadership. She holds a PhD in Anthropology and a Graduate Certificate in Medical Behavioral Sciences from the University of Kentucky. Her work focuses on applying anthropology to pressing social issues, including gender-based violence, incarceration, HIV/AIDS, and the experiences of college students and higher education more broadly. In her administrative role, Dr. Wies leads initiatives in assessment and accreditation, curriculum and faculty development, and student success, while supporting institution-wide program evaluation processes. She is also an active leader within the anthropology community, having served as President of the Association of Feminist Anthropology and as both Treasurer and President of the Society for Applied Anthropology.

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