Office Hours with John Gardner

As an academic leader and author, J. David Arnold has focused on learning communities, first-year programs, strategic planning with faculty and promoting the “teacher-scholar” model of faculty professional development at liberal arts institutions. Dr. Arnold's dedication earned him recognition as a National Learning Community Project Fellow. He attributes much of his success to the influence...

Dr. Lisa Lambert was appointed Interim President at Chatham University in 2025. After joining Chatham in 1985 as a faculty member in biology, she was promoted to Professor of Biology in 2012. While at Chatham, Dr. Lambert has served as Chair of the Science Department, founding Program Director for MS Biology, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Assistant Vice President of Undergraduate Learning,...

Paul Mabrey is Director of Student Success Analytics and Associate Professor in Communication Studies at James Madison University. His work bridges holistic student success, data analytics, communication education, and civic engagement to improve the transformative impacts of higher education. At JMU, he leads the Early Student Success Quality Enhancement Plan and campus-wide student success &...

Dr. G. Duncan Harris has had an illustrious 30-year career in higher education, most recently serving as the CEO of the Capital Campus of Connecticut State Community College (formerly Capital Community College) in Hartford, CT, from 2018 to 2025 where he was responsible for the strategic direction and daily operations of the campus. The Capital campus hosts CT State’s largest nursing program, a nu...

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. Cavali...

Maria Dykema Erb , M.Ed. is the Inaugural Executive Director of the Boston University Newbury Center which was established to foster the holistic development and success of first-generation undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Maria has over three decades of higher education experience having worked at the University of Vermont, Elon University, Duke University, the University of No...

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). Thank you for listening! Subscribe to our email list for early episo...

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 st...

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, bo...

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 ten...

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 postsecond...

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 program...

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 Prac...

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 o...

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 learni...

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 a...

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 Foo...

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 adm...

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 lear...

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...

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...

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 tomor...

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. Amb...

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, an...

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 succes...