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2024 Academy Cohort
2024 Participants
Th4 cohort is comprised of 18 individuals representing 9 states. The positions held by the cohort include associate dean, associate vice provost or higher.
Joseph Bull
Dean, Portland State University
Joseph Bull
Dean, Portland State University
Joseph Bull is the dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University. Before joining Portland State, he served as the associate dean for research, faculty affairs and graduate studies in the school of science and engineering at Tulane University, where he held the John and Elsie Martinez Biomedical Engineering Chair, and was a professor of biomedical engineering, and the interim chair of the department of earth and environmental sciences. He is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and a Sequoyah fellow of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Bull is an enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and he is the first Native American dean of engineering in the country.
Meghan Davis
Dean of Instruction, Colorado Northwestern Community College
Meghan Davis
Dean of Instruction, Colorado Northwestern Community College
Meghan Davis, M.S., has served as dean of instruction at Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC) since August 2017. She strives to ensure programs continue providing the best educational opportunity to students through collaboration with all departments at the college. She has worked with various programs instituting program restructure, salary and adjunct pay adjustments, curriculum development, and has led the college with credentialing policies, and program review strategies. Previously, she was the agriculture program director where she developed and started the agriculture program at CNCC in 2014. Davis received her B.S. and M.S. in animal sciences from Washington State University.
Andrea DeCosmo
Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, Aims Community College
Andrea DeCosmo
Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, Aims Community College
Andrea DeCosmo, Ph.D., serves as the assistant vice president of academic affairs at Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado. She provides leadership and oversight of online learning, CTE/Perkins, curriculum, program review, curricular assessment, policy and procedure, prior learning assessment, articulation agreements, the Learning Commons, and the Faculty Teaching and Learning Center. She also leads the training and professional development for the deans, department chairs, and program directors. Previously, DeCosmo held roles at other community colleges as dean, department chair, and faculty. DeCosmo holds a B.A. in mathematics, an M.Ed. in mathematics education, and a Ph.D. in higher education leadership.
Dustin Eicke
Vice President, Performance & Planning, Laramie County Community College
Dustin Eicke
Vice President, Performance & Planning, Laramie County Community College
Dustin Eicke, Ph.D., has served Laramie County Community College as vice president of performance and planning since 2022. In higher education for twelve years, Eicke spent a decade as criminology faculty including three years as department chair. He also served as statistical consultant to the Graduate School at Texas Tech University (TTU) and director of institutional research at Western Nebraska Community College. He has conducted research on access/equity, rural higher education, and faculty empowerment. Eicke received his B.A. in pre-law from Lubbock Christian University, an M.A. in conflict resolution from Abilene Christian University, and Ph.D. in higher education research from TTU.
Heidi Estrem
Associate Academic Officer, Idaho State Board of Education
Heidi Estrem
Associate Academic Officer, Idaho State Board of Education
Heidi Estrem, Ph.D., serves as the associate academic officer with the Idaho State Board of Education. In this role, she leads initiatives designed to provide college access and success to a broader range of Idaho citizens through facilitating ongoing conversations and projects focused on improving general education, transfer, and first-year college math and writing across Idaho’s eight public postsecondary institutions. Prior to joining the state board, she was a writing program administrator and faculty member at two state universities. Estrem received her B.A. in English from California State University, Chico, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Elizabeth Gunn
Dean, School of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Business, Nevada State Univeristy
Elizabeth Gunn
Dean, School of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Business, Nevada State Univeristy
Since January 2021, Elizabeth Gunn, Ph.D., has served as dean of the school of liberal arts, sciences, and business at Nevada State University (NSU), a public minority serving institution adjacent to Las Vegas. Prior to NSU, she held faculty and administrative positions at Rutgers University and Morgan State University. She received her Ph.D. in romance languages and literatures from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and she holds three Master’s degrees: an M.A. in Spanish from Middlebury College, an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Baltimore, and an M.B.A. in management from the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School.
Jeffrey Kaplan
Dean of Academic Affairs, Red Rocks Community College
Jeffrey Kaplan
Dean of Academic Affairs, Red Rocks Community College
Jeffrey Kaplan, M.A., has worked in the Colorado Community College System since 2014. He has worked as an advisor, adjunct instructor, faculty member, department chair, and is currently serving as the dean of academic affairs. His academic background is in philosophy and ethics. These fields of study allowed him to operate at a high level across varying roles. They also enabled him to excel within the federal judiciary, wherein he served as a United States probation officer. Kaplan received his B. A. in philosophy from the University of South Florida and an M. A. in philosophy from the University of Oregon.
Catherine Kleier
Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Catherine Kleier
Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Catherine Kleier, Ph.D., has served as the associate vice president for faculty affairs at Metropolitan State University of Denver since 2023 where she guides and supports all areas of faculty development. Previously, she served as an associate dean at the California Polytechnic University of San Luis Obispo, CA. Prior to that, she was department chair and professor of biology at Regis University in Denver. Kleier received her B.A. in biology from the University of Colorado Boulder, an M.S. from Oregon State University and her Ph.D. in organismic biology, ecology, and evolution from University of California, Los Angeles.
James McAteer
Senior Associate Provost, New Mexico State University
James McAteer
Senior Associate Provost, New Mexico State University
R.T. James McAteer, Ph.D., is deputy provost and professor of astronomy at New Mexico State University. His service in academic oversight, student success, and faculty excellence, builds relationships among faculty, staff, students, and leadership. As chair of astronomy, McAteer performed financial management over Apache Point Observatory, and as director of Sunspot Solar Observatory, leadership in science and strategic planning, community engagement, and fund raising. As an NSF Career awardee, he was a member of two NASA missions, and a NAS Future Leader. He has a master’s and Ph.D. in astrophysics (Queen’s University Belfast) and served five years in the British Army.
Carrie Mospens
Interim Dean, Hawaiʻi Community College
Carrie Mospens
Interim Dean, Hawaiʻi Community College
Carrie B. Mospens, M.A., has served as interim dean of liberal arts and sciences for Hawaiʻi Community College since 2023. Previously, she was a faculty member in the English department for thirteen years. With a background in applied linguistics, her interests include the intersection between language and identity and the revitalization and perpetuation of languages. Mospens received her B. A. in English as a second language and her M.A. in second language studies from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.
Jennifer Pedersen
Executive Director, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Jennifer Pedersen
Executive Director, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Jennifer Pedersen, Ph.D., serves as the executive director at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ eCampus and Center for Teaching and Learning. She directs the administration of 55+ online programs with strategic initiatives expanding UAF’s global presence in over 210 countries. She established the CTL as a central hub for faculty excellence, promoting culturally responsive teaching and pedagogical innovation. Pedersen has previously served as a professor of psychology and a consultant with the United States Air Force. She earned a B.S in psychology at Troy University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in educational psychology from Walden University.
Angela Sackett
Dean of Health and Human Services Division, College of Eastern Idaho
Angela Sackett
Dean of Health and Human Services Division, College of Eastern Idaho
Angela Sackett, D.C. serves as the vice president of academic and student affairs at the College of Eastern Idaho. Previously she served as the dean of health sciences. She works to provide excellent health science programs and create opportunities with community healthcare partners for students, as they complete programs and work towards employment. Sackett has held various positions at the College of Eastern Idaho to include: adjunct and full-time faculty, inaugural science and math department chair, and dean for general education. She received her Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College, a B.S. from Idaho State University and an A.S. from BYU-I.
Tiffany Seeley-Case
Instructional Dean General and Transfer Education, College of Southern Idaho
Tiffany Seeley-Case
Instructional Dean General and Transfer Education, College of Southern Idaho
Tiffany Seeley-Case is the vice president of instruction at the College of Southern Idaho. Before assuming this position in May of 2024, she served as the dean of general and transfer education at CSI. She has held several positions at CSI over the last 27 years where she started as an instructor teaching and coaching the speech and debate team. Seeley-Case received her B.A. in communication/English from Boise State University and her M.A. from Boise State University in curriculum and instruction and is currently completing her doctoral degree from Idaho State University in educational leadership.
Cheryl Siemers
Director/CEO, Kenai Peninsula College
Cheryl Siemers
Director/CEO, Kenai Peninsula College
Cheryl Siemers, Ph.D., currently serves as the director of Kenai Peninsula College, a community campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage. Siemers oversees operations for two campuses and one extension site in the communities of Soldotna, Homer, and Seward, Alaska. Siemers has served in a variety of roles at KPC, including English faculty, department chair, and assistant director, spanning a 20-year period with the institution. Former positions at other colleges include academic dean and director of advancement. Siemers holds a Ph.D. in rhetoric and linguistics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in English from the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Trent Sutton
Vice Provost & Accreditation Liaison Officer, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Trent Sutton
Vice Provost & Accreditation Liaison Officer, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Trent Sutton, Ph.D., has served as the vice provost, accreditation liaison officer, and dean of the division of exploratory studies and academic success at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) since July 2023. He oversees institutional accreditation, assessment, and student success initiatives. Formerly, he was the associate dean of academic programs in the UAF College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, and held faculty positions at Lake Superior State University, Purdue University, and UAF. Sutton completed his B.S. in fisheries and wildlife at Michigan State, M.S. in biological sciences at Michigan Tech, and Ph.D. in fisheries sciences at Virginia Tech.
Randi Lynn Tanglen
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, University of North Dakota
Randi Lynn Tanglen
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, University of North Dakota
Randi Lynn Tanglen, Ph.D. became vice provost for faculty affairs at the University of North Dakota in January 2023. She has degrees from Rocky Mountain College (B.A., English Education), the University of Montana (M.A., English), and the University of Arizona (Ph.D., English). Previously Tanglen was a full professor of English at Austin College in Sherman, Texas and has served as the executive director of Humanities Montana. In her current role she provides leadership for all aspects of the faculty experience in order to create a culture of faculty excellence and opportunity at the institution.
Justin Vance
Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, College of Western Idaho
Justin Vance
Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, College of Western Idaho
Justin Vance serves as dean, school of arts and humanities at the College of Western Idaho. He earned a B.A. in history from Boise State University, an M.A. in diplomacy and military studies from Hawai‘i Pacific University, and a Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California. Previously, he served as dean of the college of professional studies and associate professor of history at Hawaii Pacific University. Vance has a passion for helping students from all different backgrounds and levels of preparation reach their goals. He has a consistent record of embracing innovation to meet student needs and institutional goals.
Ian Williamson
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, New Mexico Highlands University
Ian Williamson
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, New Mexico Highlands University
Ian Williamson, Ph.D., has served as the associate vice president of academic affairs, for New Mexico Highlands University since 2018 and the graduate dean since 2019. His primary work either involves creating collaborative teams to win grants, managing those grants, or proposing new Highlands graduate programs to the State of New Mexico and the Higher Learning Commission. Before becoming an administrator, he worked for fourteen years as a social psychology faculty whose primary research interests converged around interpersonal forgiveness. Williamson received his B.A. from Macalester College in psychology and Spanish, and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.