EDUP Xcelerated Excellence

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...

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...

Our Guest, Eden Strachan (Straw-n), is Executive Director of Black Girls Will Get Love, Inc . and Founder of Black Girls Don’t Get Love, LLC. She is also an award-winning journalist and filmmaker and author of the book Black Girls Don’t Get Love . Eden’s work focuses on advancing girls’, girls of color, and Black girls in particular, learning and self-image through the use media. Her work centers...

Our guest, Dr. Tyrone Howard , is the Pritzker Family Endowed Chair in the School of Education and Information Studies at University of California, Los Angeles ( UCLA ). He is also the immediate past-president of the American Educational Research Association . Dr. Howard, profiles the significance of parent and caregiver engagement in educational equity and belonging, as outlined in his new book E...

Our Guests are Drs. Miriam Feldblum , Co-founder and Executive Director, and Felecia Russell , Director of the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, both of the P residents’ 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 f...

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...

Our guest, Rodney Toulson , returns to the Xcelerated Excellence podcast. He is the founder of Restorative Consulting Service LLC . And in this episode, he outlines how restorative practice is operationalized through his consultancies and how the practice can aid in school renewal and excellence. Rodney explains how his study and engagement with the International Institute for Restorative Practice...

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 doc...

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...

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 instituti...

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...

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 a...

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...

Guest, Dr. Alisha Pollard , is President of Warriors Helping Achieve Triumph (or “WHAT”). What is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to empowering individuals of all ages through enriching experiences and knowledge-sharing sessions, while encouraging self-confidence and the desire to excel. Dr. Pollard, describes how WHAT supports students and their families achieve financial literacy...

Meet Ty-Quan Payne , Dean of School Culture at Ivy Hill Prep in Brooklyn, NY. Ivy Hill Prep is a small charter school serving grades K-5. Mr. Payne is also an artist and founder of #LovePayne Productions offering independent executive producer services for theatrical productions, as well as photography, dramaturgy, and acting coaching services. He shares how the use of martial arts at Ivy Hill Pre...

Meet Dr. Christopher Bonn , President and CEO of BonFire Leadership Solutions LLC . He is a former school district superintendent, the author of Igniting Change: The BonFire Principles for Transforming Toxic Organizations , and a university faculty member. Chris works with the technology industry and school systems to achieve greater efficiencies for educational outcomes through the use of assisti...

Guest Jeannette Eastin is the founder of Refound Education . Her passion for democratizing education lends itself to supporting families, educators, and communities with innovations and connecting them to vital resources. Jeannette sat down with EDUP Xcelerated Excellence during the Education 2.0 Conference , 2024, Las Vegas, NV. She appreciates the opportunities for networking and growing the rea...

Guest Rodney Toulson , owner of Restorative Consulting Services, shares the importance of systemic restorative practices for schools and school districts. The outcome is a transformed learning community. Recorded at the Education 2.0 Conference , 2024, Las Vegas, NV. Rodney speaks on the multi-generational composition of conference participants as an environment for new learning. He urges communit...

Our guest, Sylvia Badwi of Agora Prep Academy discusses a unique learning environment that disrupts the traditional, factory-model of education. Agrora Prep in Canada professes a learner-centered educational approach that is a compilation of several models to support neurodivergent and gifted learners. Sylvia explains her experience during the Education 2.0 Conference , 2024, as one that buttresse...

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 nee...

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...

Guest Elizabeth Power of The Trauma Informed Academy shares inspirational thoughts on how to support students and school staff who experience trauma. Her brilliant insights demystify trauma, explaining it as a human condition. Recorded during the Education 2.0 Conference, 2024, Elizabeth shares national and international impacts of The Trauma Inform Academy. Did you know that in Japan, there was n...