Mackinac Roundtable on Talent
presented by Dynamic Campus
June 22-24, 2025
Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan
About the Event
The Mackinac Roundtable on Talent is a one-of-a-kind gathering dedicated to cross-sector dialog and collaboration to advance student outcomes.
- Brings together college and university presidents with business leaders to spark innovation, problem solving, and partnerships in preparing graduates from small private universities and colleges to succeed in the 21st century workplace.
- Held annually at the iconic Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan.
- More than 120 college and university presidents and a host of senior talent and corporate leaders from more than 35 states will be represented at the 2025 gathering.
- The event will feature nationally-recognized, inspiring speakers and interactive sessions.
- A new management framework and exercises have been added to fuel actionable discussion takeaways.
Important new insights are uncovered each year, fostering innovation and collaboration between private higher education and the business community. Talent development and student outcomes, more than ever, are watchwords of college student success. The Mackinac Roundtable on Talent has become a national, preeminent platform for advancing this common goal.
2025 Featured Speakers
as of December 12, 2024
Peter Boumgarden
At Washington University, Peter teaches courses on leadership, organizational design, and strategic management within Olin’s MBA, BSBA, Executive MBA, Executive Education, and Brookings Institute programs. Previously to his role at Olin, Peter was an Associate Professor of Management at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. In the sprint of 2018, Dr. Boumgarden was also a Visiting Lecturer in Strategy at Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. At Olin, Peter is the faculty director of the Center for Experiential Learning and also co-directs the school’s “Healthcare at Olin” strategic planning group, an initiative whose focus is how to best design business education to creatively disrupt the healthcare space. In his teaching with executives outside of Olin, Peter is an Associated Faculty at the Ross School of Business and a Faculty Affiliate at the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan—a center on business in emerging markets. In 2015, the National Science Foundation selected Dr. Boumgarden as an entrepreneurial mentor in its I-Corp program, a model for bringing high-impact technology from university to market.
Continuing his work in the entrepreneurial space, Peter acts as an advisor to both an early-stage healthcare finance company and a mining/trade finance company based out of Johannesburg, South Africa. Specific to service, Peter has served on the board of several non-profits within the West Michigan and St. Louis markets. Dr. Boumgarden completed his Ph.D. in Strategy and Organizations at Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School in 2010 where he won the Hubert C. Moog Scholarship for excellence in doctoral research. At Olin, Peter researched the link between structural change and long-term organizational performance (USA Today and Hewlett-Packard), the biases of investment in corporate innovation (Bunge Global), and the relationship between team structure and innovation (Intel). He is currently engaged in a project on analyzing early-stage investment strategies in the venture capital industry, and assessing the historical design of the modern business school and its implications for the transfer of social science technologies to market. His academic work appears in Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Personnel Psychology, and Judgement & Decision Making. His practitioner work appears in the online arms of Harvard Business Review and Stanford Social Innovation Review, amongst others.
Areas of Expertise:
Organizational Strategic Design, Venture Capital, Organizational Structure and Change, Talent Analytics, Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital, Creativity & Innovation, Negotiation, and Executive Team Leadership Development
Peter Boumgarden
Washington University, Olin Business School
Program Facilitator
Ruth Watkins
Before joining Strada in 2021, Watkins built a strong reputation for supporting social change and community workforce needs as the 16th president of the University of Utah. In that role, she increased degree completion rates and research funding, established innovative student funding models, and built strong partnerships with community stakeholders. Uniting the campus as “One U,” Watkins and her team drove innovation in research, education, and operational efficiency, and addressed major societal challenges, including in mental health and interpersonal violence.
Under Watkins’ leadership, the University of Utah cultivated broad and deep connections to communities and was responsive to the state’s workforce needs. During her tenure, the university produced more graduates in high-demand fields than any other state institution, and those graduates secured employment or proceeded to graduate or professional school at noteworthy rates.
Ruth Watkins
Strada Education Foundation
Broad-Based Education and Career Readiness: Today’s “Both-And” Imperative
Darrell Williams
Lieutenant General (LTG) Darrell K. Williams, United States Army (retired), is an extraordinary leader and the 13th President of Hampton University. He brings to Hampton University nearly four decades of proven strategic leadership experience and a record of accomplishment of successfully managing large, complex, domestic, international, academic, and executive sector organizations.
Upon his graduation from Hampton Institute (University) and commissioning as a Distinguished Military Graduate into the U.S. Army in 1983, LTG Williams served throughout the Continental U.S., Europe, the Pacific, and the Middle East. Notably, he deployed to Kosovo, Kuwait, and Iraq and led 22,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel in support of the historic sustainment and drawdown of Afghanistan in 2014 and 2015.
His final military assignment was a Director of the Defense Logistics Agency, where he managed a global workforce of 26,000 and directed over $40 billion in logistical support for U.S. military services and international partners.
Since returning to his alma mater as President in 2022, the university has experienced a remarkable 41% increase in enrollment and an 83% retention rate for freshmen. His focus on academic excellence, innovation, and delivering the #1 student experience in America has propelled Hampton into the top 8% of universities worldwide.
Beyond Hampton, President William serves on numerous boards and is a life member of several distinguished organizations, reflecting his unwavering commitment to service. His many accolades include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, and recognition as one of the “50 Most Important African Americans in Technology” by the Journal of Black Innovation.
President Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Hampton Institute (University); a Master of Science degree in business administration from the Pennsylvania State University, State College; a Master of Military Arts and Science degree from the Army Combined and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, District of Columbia as a distinguished graduate.
President Williams is married to First Lady Myra Richardson Williams, a career educator and a 1983 graduate of Hampton Institute (University). Together, they have two adult children, Jocelyn Williams Cooper and Colin E. Williams, Esquire. Jocelyn is married to Mr. Gerron E. Cooper.
Darrell Williams
Hampton University
The University as Hub and Talent Magnet of the Community
Jay Lemons
Dr. L. Jay Lemons became President of Academic Search in 2017 after serving for 25 years as a college president in both public and private higher education. A recognized leader in the academy, Dr. Lemons is devoted to supporting leadership and talent development by working with new college presidents on the faculty of the presidents’ programs of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), and through the professional development programs for aspiring leaders of the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI). His passion for working with new and emerging leaders and the opportunity to help them build teams and their institutions led him to accept the call to the presidency of Academic Search.
Dr. Lemons was President of Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa., from 2001 through June 30, 2017, and prior to that served as Chancellor of the University of Virginia’s (UVA) College at Wise, UVA’s public liberal arts college in southwestern Virginia. Both institutions experienced highly generative periods of growth and development under his leadership. As a result, he understands colleges and universities and the leadership needed to propel institutions into the future. Earlier in his career, Dr. Lemons served in various roles at Texas A&M University, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and the University of Virginia. Each of these experiences deepened his knowledge of the complex array of positions and leadership talent needed for institutions to be successful in a rapidly changing world.
Dr. Lemons is a leader whom others in higher education have recognized for his ability to work across institutions and systems, having served in key leadership positions in many national, state, and local organizations. Most recently, he is the immediate past vice chair and acting chair of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Board of Governors. Dr. Lemons also chaired the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, the NCAA Division III Presidents Council, the Council of Presidents of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Pennsylvania Campus Compact, and the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he served on boards or committees of the Council of Independent Colleges, the American Council on Education, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Dr. Lemons earned his Ph.D. in higher education administration at the University of Virginia, an M.Ed. in educational psychology at the University of Nebraska, and his baccalaureate degree at Nebraska Wesleyan.
Jay Lemons
Academic Search
Traits of Successful College Presidents
Leonard Taylor
Dr. Leonard Taylor is an Associate Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs, and Director of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) at Indiana University. Leonard has taught in college contexts for nearly a decade in various teaching roles, working with undergraduate and graduate students. His scholarship is focused on investigating and improving how student success commitments are enacted at higher education institutions. Through research, teaching, and consulting he works to understand, interrogate, and inform how administrators, faculty and staff members, and other post-secondary stakeholders use research, data, and promising practices to enhance post-secondary outcomes.
His research is deeply informed by his previous experiences facilitating High Impact Practices as a practitioner, and his ongoing research projects related to the implementation of student success practices in various institutional and disciplinary contexts. His work has been funded through the National Science Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, College Student Educators International (ACPA), as well as other national and local entities. Recent examples of his scholarship can be found in the Review of Higher Education, The Journal of Higher Education, and in a recently published volume of New Directions for Higher Education titled, Enacting Student Success: Critical and alternative approaches for practice.
Leonard Taylor
Indiana University and National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
Preparing for the Next
Step: The Student Voice
Andy Chan
Andy coaches and mentors executives, parents, and students of all ages and backgrounds. As a professor of the practice at WFU and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, he has taught entrepreneurship, leadership, strategic career management, and career and life vision. He is also a strategic advisor to many organizations including Handshake, Michigan Colleges Alliance, Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, Telemachus, Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation, Abide, Trellis, and Sports Challenge.
Andy previously led the MBA Career Management Center at Stanford University, has held executive leadership roles in ed-tech startups, The Learning Company, MindSteps, and eProNet, and worked at The Clorox Company and Bain & Company. Andy earned his MBA and undergraduate degrees at Stanford University.
Andy Chan
Wake Forest University
Content Leader
Discussion Session
New Approaches in Experiential Learning
Jen Pollard
Jen Pollard joined Wellesley College in 2016 to support the launch of the new Career Education model, an ambitious approach designed to prepare and inspire Wellesley students and alums to craft a lifetime of opportunity and realize their full potential. As the Director of Operations, Jen led the integration of two new technology platforms to scale the model and connect the Wellesley network, increased outcomes tracking and reporting, and supported the creation of strategic goals and initiatives to prepare students for life after college. In 2020, Jen took on the role of Associate Provost and Executive Director to continue the critical work of building out the Career Education curriculum at Wellesley. Jen’s leadership of the Career Education division includes oversight of fellowships and scholarships, global internships, civic engagement, career exploration and advising, experiential learning, employer relations, alumnae connections and mentorship, and the BEAM Initiative for business, entrepreneurship, and money management. During her tenure, she has increased post-graduate outcomes, spearheaded a campus wide effort to adapt Wellesley’s degree requirements to include experiential learning at the heart of the educational model, and played a lead role in the design and launch of the Hillary Rodham Clinton Center for Citizenship, Leadership, and Democracy.
Jen earned her bachelor’s from Bentley University and a master’s in Higher Education and Educational Technology from George Mason University. She brings both corporate and higher education experience to Wellesley College. Early in her career, Jen managed large-scale marketing research and positioning projects for companies such as eBay, Target, Starbucks, and Whirlpool as a Client Strategist for a digital agency. She specializes and speaks on topics such as experiential education design, visual communication and outcome transparency, constructive dialogue and civic engagement in higher education, and integrating career education and the liberal arts.
Jen Pollard
Wellesley College
Matt vandenBerg
Ohio Wesleyan’s forward momentum continues in the 2024-2025 academic year with a sizeable first-year enrollment, its most diverse incoming class ever, a record-high retention rate, and a healthy endowment. Under his guidance, OWU also embraced a groundbreaking focus on civil discourse, becoming one of the nation’s first colleges to train all students, faculty, and staff in navigating difficult conversations.
Prior to Ohio Wesleyan, vandenBerg served as president of Presbyterian College in South Carolina, where he led initiatives that redefined the college as “America’s Innovative Service College,” launched groundbreaking education partnerships, and spearheaded economic development efforts. Before joining Presbyterian, vandenBerg served as the vice president for advancement and external relations and as the vice president for advancement at Alma College in Michigan, as the associate vice president for development at Albion College in Michigan, and as the assistant dean for development and alumni relations at the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing (Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses).
vandenBerg holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D) in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Public Affairs with concentrations in nonprofit management and public policy analysis from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Arts with a political science major and Spanish minor from Alma College, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He also holds a Certificate in the Principles and Techniques of Fundraising from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). In 2020-2021, he was selected as one of 35 cabinet officers from across the country to participate in the American Academic Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Academy, a yearlong senior leadership development program. vandenBerg also holds certificates for completing both Harvard University’s Seminar for New Presidents and Peking University’s Higher Education in China program.
In 2024, vandenBerg was selected to serve as the president of the Five Colleges of Ohio and as a member of the board of directors of the national Annapolis Group of Liberal Arts Colleges.
vandenBerg and his wife, Melissa, have a son, Jackson, and a daughter, Sylvia.
Matt vandenBerg
Ohio Wesleyan University
Paul Sniegowski
Paul Sniegowski became the 21st president of Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion on August 5, 2024.
Prior to Earlham, Sniegowski served as the Stephen A. Levin Family Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of biology at the University of Pennsylvania.
As dean of the College since 2017, Sniegowski was responsible for the direction of Penn’s liberal arts undergraduate curricula, programs and students in academic departments and interdisciplinary programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Sniegowski worked closely with faculty and students in the College and across the University in adapting the College’s teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing consultative faculty committees to plan for online teaching and steering the College’s return to in-person instruction after the pandemic. Under his leadership, the College launched new minors in Environmental Humanities and Data Science and has initiated a review of its longstanding General Education requirement.
Sniegowski has been an advocate for First-Generation, Low-Income (FGLI) students, participating in the establishment of the Penn First Plus Office and launching the FGLI DAB student advisory board in 2018 to provide a voice for FGLI students in the College and complement the ongoing work of DAB, the longstanding dean’s advisory board. In addition, he has played a key role in Penn’s five-year grant to support inclusive teaching in the sciences through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Inclusive Excellence 3 program, serving as Project Director in the first year of the grant.
Sniegowski’s scientific work focuses on evolutionary and population genetic theory as a framework for understanding genetic mutation rates and mutational phenomena. His research has been supported by the Sloan Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and NASA; he is a co-author on nearly 70 peer-reviewed papers, has mentored dozens of graduate, undergraduate, and high school students, and is an award-winning teacher. Throughout his career, Sniegowski has also maintained an active commitment to outreach and regularly engages with public audiences to promote better understanding of science. He is currently writing a book, Persistence of Error: A Natural History of Mutation, explaining genetic mutation for non-scientists.
An Indiana native, he received his bachelor’s in music from the Indiana University School of Music; an M.A. in biology from Indiana University, Bloomington; and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He joined Penn’s Department of Biology in 1997 after a postdoctoral fellowship at Michigan State University.
Paul and his spouse and partner, Gail Kienitz, are the parents of Ben Kienitz Sniegowski ’23. Their daughter, Emma Kienitz Sniegowski, is a 2018 graduate of Kenyon College. Paul and Gail — along with their Golden Retriever, Willa — live on campus in the President’s House.
Paul Sniegowski
Earlham College
Susan Rundell Singer
Susan Rundell Singer was named St. Olaf College’s 12th president following a unanimous vote by the Board of Regents. She took office on June 1, 2023.
An experienced leader in higher education who has led national efforts to advance undergraduate teaching and learning, Rundell Singer joined St. Olaf after serving as vice president for academic affairs and provost at Rollins College. She previously led the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and was the Laurence McKinley Gould Professor of Biology at Carleton College, where she directed the Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching.
Recruited to NSF, Rundell Singer was charged with implementing holistic, evidence-informed approaches to increase persistence and success of all undergraduates. She led 14 federal agencies in achieving the undergraduate goals of the first Federal STEM Education 5-year Strategic Plan, including producing one million more STEM graduates by 2018.
Rundell Singer’s scholarship focuses on partnerships and networks of organizations collaboratively advancing undergraduate STEM education, emphasizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Equitable, excellent undergraduate education is a top focus in her leadership at St. Olaf and has been a signature element of her successes throughout her career.
Her disciplinary expertise in plant biology fuels her passion for sustainability. As part of an NSF-funded, national network on advancing education through campus and community farms, she is an advocate for experiential learning.
Rundell Singer is an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow, and a recipient of the American Society of Plant Biology teaching award and Botanical Society of America Charles Bessey Award. She is a past chair of AAAS’ Education Section. She is an Association of American Universities Senior Scholar, chairs the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Board on Science Education, and serves on the Board on Life Sciences and the Roundtable on Systematic Change in Undergraduate STEM Education. Additionally, Rundell Singer is a trustee at the Science Museum of Minnesota and a member of the HELIOS Open Executive Council.
She chaired several NASEM studies, including Discipline-Based Education Research. Rundell Singer earned her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. in biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.
Susan Rundell Singer
St. Olaf College
Discussion Session
Curriculum Development for Student Outcomes
Ashley Finley
Dr. Ashley Finley is the Vice President of Research and Senior Advisor to the President for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). She oversees AAC&U’s Office of Research and Public Purpose which develops integrative approaches to linking students’ career preparation, civic engagement, and well-being. Through research, campus-based projects, and partnerships, this work advances higher education’s commitments to supporting economic, community, and individual thriving. Her publications include: The Career-Ready Graduate: What Employers Say About the Difference College Makes; A Comprehensive Approach to Assessment of High-Impact Practices; and The Effects of Community-Based and Civic Engagement in Higher Education. She also currently serves as a commissioner for the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
Dr. Finley was previously the senior director of assessment and research at AAC&U and also national evaluator for Bringing Theory to Practice. She also served as the Associate Vice President for Academic affairs and Dean of the Dominican Experience at Dominican University of California, where she implemented a comprehensive framework for student learning and success centered around high-impact practices. Dr. Finley began her career as a faculty member at Dickinson College. She received a BA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an MA and PhD, both in sociology, from the University of Iowa.
Ashley Finley
American Association of Colleges and Universities
Montserrat Fuentes
Dr. Montserrat ‘Montse’ Fuentes began her role as president of St. Edward’s University in July 2021. Her historic inauguration as the first Hispanic president of St. Edward’s was held in February 2022. Since then President Fuentes has pursued numerous efforts to position St. Edward’s as a destination university for a more just world to accomplish its Strategic Plan 2027.
Dr. Fuentes’ career trajectory demonstrates the hallmarks of a profession in pursuit of excellence and service to others. Beyond her academic achievements, she has championed the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion through work that has helped women, minorities and disadvantaged students reach their full potential.
Career Highlights and Achievements
- PhD in Statistics from the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Executive Vice President and Provost, University of Iowa
- Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department Head of the Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University
- Goodnight Distinguished Professor of Statistics at North Carolina State University
- Visiting Scientist or researcher at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Lucent Technologies and AT&T Bell Labs
- North Carolina State’s Equity of Women award, for major contributions to the equity and wellbeing of women (2013)
- Director of STATMOS (2011–2016), an NSF funded center created to promote multi-institutional and interdisciplinary research and training at the interface of Statistics, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, with 200 members and 21 affiliated institutions
- Research grants from the National Science Foundation, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Editor for the Journal of the American Statistical Association, Applications and Case Studies, (JASA-ACS), among other scientific publications
- Medal of Distinguished Achievement by the American Statistical Association, Environmental Statistics Section for major statistical methodology contributions, leadership and mentoring roles (2017)
- National Academy of Sciences, participant in math, air quality and STEM committees
Montserrat Fuentes
St. Edward’s University
Susan S. Hasseler
A leader, educator, and scholar with a deep commitment to the transformative power of high-impact educational programs, President Susan S. Hasseler is leading the Muskingum campus community in implementing multiple action initiatives that will ensure a thriving future for a broad continuum of learners and for the institution.
Before joining Muskingum in 2016, Dr. Hasseler served as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Augustana University; Dean of the School of Business, Education and Social Sciences, Messiah College; Associate Dean for Teacher Education and Professor of Education at Calvin University; a faculty member at Michigan State University; and a K-12 teacher.
Dr. Hasseler holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University where she worked on innovative technology applications at the Institute for the Learning Sciences, an M.A. in Special Education from the University of South Dakota, and a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education from Calvin University. She is also a graduate of the Harvard Institute for Educational Management, the AALI Executive Leadership Academy, the ACE National Leadership Forum, and the AAC&U Greater Expectations Institute on Leadership.
An active and engaged participant in the community, Dr. Hasseler serves on the NCAA Division III President’s Council, the CIC NetVUE Advisory Council, and the Boards of Directors of the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, Park National Bank (EAS), and Genesis Healthcare Systems.
Susan S. Hasseler
Muskingum University
Marcheta Evans
Dr. Marcheta Evans became the 12th president of St. Catherine University on July 15, 2024. She has the distinction of being the institution’s first African American president.
Prior to her tenure at St. Catherine University, she was Chancellor of Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, following the historic merger of Bloomfield College and Montclair State University, the first between a private and public higher education institution in New Jersey. Immediately prior, Dr. Evans served as Bloomfield’s 17th President, and was both the first African-American and first female to lead the College in its greater than 150-year history.
She has served in transformational leadership roles in higher education for nearly 30 years at both public and private institutions, including provost and vice president for academic affairs at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) — Catholic college in San Antonio, Texas — vice president for academic affairs, dean at OLLU, and associate dean and department chair at University of Texas at San Antonio.
Evans is also a past President and Fellow of the American Counseling Association, past President of the Association for Creativity in Counseling, and is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. A small sampling of these recognitions includes the Outstanding Multicultural Leadership Award, Yellow Rose of Texas Lifetime Educator Award, and Counselors for Social Justice Ohana Award.
Evans has authored numerous articles and book chapters, focusing on issues of diversity, multiculturalism, women’s issues, and leadership. In her international work, Evans has traveled extensively, including a length of time in Malawi where she worked with educators and counselors on literacy initiatives sponsored by USAID.
Evans graduated from the University of Alabama with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Counselor Education and Supervision, specializing in Student Affairs, Administration in Higher Education, and Human Resource Management. Additionally, she has a Master of Arts degree in Education in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, a Master of Arts degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Alabama.
Marcheta Evans
St. Catherine University
Discussion Session
Applications of Technology and AI in Student Career Success
John O'Brien
John O’Brien serves as the president and CEO of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit organization seeking to inspire the transformation of higher education in service to a greater good. EDUCAUSE serves over 2,000 member colleges, universities, and organizations from 41 countries who themselves collectively serve over 14 million students.
He speaks and writes on a variety of topics related to higher education, technology, and the crucial intersection where the two meet. Throughout his career in higher education, John has served as an academic, technology, and institutional leader. He was a faculty leader in instructional technology, a statewide IT project leader, and associate vice chancellor/deputy CIO at the system level. He has been a college provost and president in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, the fourth largest higher education system in the United States. Immediately prior to his appointment at EDUCAUSE, he served as the system’s senior vice chancellor of academic and student affairs.
John is the former president of North Hennepin Community College, a minority serving institution (MSI) in his home state of Minnesota, and he serves as vice chair of the board of regents of Augsburg University, a four-year university MSI in Minneapolis. He was recently appointed to the board of the American Council on Education (ACE) and the board of Achieving the Dream, an organization committed to “social and equitable mobility and equitable, antiracist communities.”
John holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Augustana University, a master’s degree in Anglo-Irish Literature from Trinity College Dublin, and a doctorate in English from the University of Minnesota.
John O’Brien
EDUCAUSE
Peter K. Kilpatrick
Dr. Peter K. Kilpatrick was appointed president of The Catholic University of America in March 2022 and took office on July 1, 2022.
He was provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Illinois Institute of Technology from 2018 to 2022 and previously served as professor and McCloskey Dean of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame from 2008 to 2018.
At Illinois Tech, he developed the university’s five-year strategic plan, put in place new leadership, and drove development of an online master of applied science.
During Dr. Kilpatrick’s tenure as dean at Notre Dame, the number of faculty at the College of Engineering grew by more than 60% and enrollment by nearly 70%. External research funding more than doubled to over $50 million per year. He also launched Notre Dame’s first joint Ph.D. program with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, later expanding to programs with universities in Brazil and Hungary.
Dr. Kilpatrick also served on the faculty of North Carolina State University in chemical engineering for 24 years, from 1983 to 2007, the last eight-plus years as the department head. Dr. Kilpatrick also served as the founding director of the North Carolina Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center, a unique good manufacturing practice (GMP) facility that was designed to train the next generation of biopharmaceutical professionals and biotechnology industry professionals.
He is the author of more than 100 refereed journal articles in the areas of colloid and interfacial science, emulsion science, and molecular self assembly, particularly as they apply to energy and to bioseparations. According to Google Scholar, his work has been cited more than 5,300 times, largely in the areas of emulsions and interfacial and colloidal phenomena. He holds or shares 12 patents and has been actively engaged in two startups.
Dr. Kilpatrick is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards, including the ASEE Regional Teaching Award. He holds an honorary doctorate from the Pázmány Péter Catholic University (Budapest, Hungary), the oldest university in that country. He is past chairperson of the Global Engineering Deans Council and serves as the chairperson of the Clover 2030 International Advisory Board, an initiative focused on reinventing engineering education in Chile.
He received his A.B. in chemistry from Occidental College (summa cum laude) in 1978 and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1983. He and his wife, Nancy, are the parents of four adult children.
Peter K. Kilpatrick
The Catholic University of America
Ann McElaney-Johnson
McElaney-Johnson’s commitment to inclusive excellence supports and advocates for the success of all members of the Mount Saint Mary’s University community. She has led the transformation of diversity and inclusion at the Mount by prioritizing them as core principles of the University’s institutional identity. She has also established Mount Saint Mary’s as a national resource for women’s issues and research with the creation of the Center for the Advancement of Women.
As president, she identified gender equity, wellness, and diversity and inclusion as her top priorities. She serves on several executive boards including: Chair of the Board for the Women’s College Coalition, Advisory Board Member of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media at Mount Saint Mary’s, Member of the Board of the Executive Committee of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), Member of the Board of St. Joseph Center, and Member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).
Under her leadership, the University launched its campus-wide Mount Wellness movement to develop healthy, confident, resilient leaders. In 2011, Dr. McElaney-Johnson led the creation of the Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California™, the first comprehensive report of its kind to examine gender gaps in the state and provide recommendations and resources to legislators, nonprofit leaders and community advocates. This vital report is compiled and researched annually by Mount Saint Mary’s faculty and students. Dr. McElaney-Johnson also grew the University’s international presence and expanded academic offerings at all levels to ensure a rich learning environment, including the University’s growing Graduate Division, which now boasts 11 graduate programs.
Prior to becoming the President of Mount Saint Mary’s, Dr. McElaney-Johnson was the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and Dean of the College at Salem College in North Carolina. Her passion has always been educating the next generation of leaders, which she put into practice as a professor of French before assuming administrative leadership roles at Salem College.
McElaney-Johnson earned her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MA from Middlebury College, Vermont, and a BA from the College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts. She speaks nationally and internationally about the importance of women’s colleges and the advancement of women and girls.
Ann McElaney-Johnson
Mount Saint Mary’s University
John Wesley Taylor V
Dr. John Wesley Taylor V is the seventh president of Andrews University, located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Taylor became president of Andrews University on July 1, 2023.
Prior to joining Andrews University as its president, Taylor served as an associate director of Education at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, as well as an editor of College and University Dialogue and chair of the Board for The Journal of Adventist Education. He also served as the executive secretary of the Adventist Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (AAA).
In this assignment, Taylor was liaison for higher education and advisor to the Inter-American Division, the Inter-European Division, the Middle East and North Africa Union Mission, the Chinese Union Mission, and the Northern Asia Pacific Division, as well as the South Pacific Division and the West Central-Africa Division.
He has also served as a professor and dean of the School of Education & Psychology at Southern Adventist University and a professor, associate dean and director of doctoral programs and administrator of the Division of Online Learning at the School of Graduate Studies at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies in the Philippines. He also served as a professor and founding dean of the Division of Graduate Studies at Montemorelos University in Mexico.
John Wesley Taylor V was born in Puerto Rico and has served as teacher and educational administrator in a dozen different countries. He holds bachelor’s degrees in health science and in religion, master’s degrees in educational administration and instructional technology, and doctorates in curriculum and instruction (Andrews University) and educational psychology and research (University of Virginia).
Over the years, Taylor has made presentations at international conferences, written articles in various professional publications, chaired master’s and doctoral theses and dissertations, and served at a national research center and on evaluation and accreditation teams. He is a frequent speaker at youth events and presenter at educational seminars and workshops. Areas of professional interest include the philosophy of Christian education, data-driven decision-making, quantitative and qualitative research methods, spiritual leadership, and strategies for high-level thinking and for nurturing faith.
John Wesley Taylor V
Andrews University
Discussion Session
Cultivating Career Skills through Athletic Participation
Tomika Ferguson
Dr. Tomika Ferguson is a nationally recognized leader in higher education, known for her expertise in student affairs, inclusive excellence, and leadership development. As Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education, Dr. Ferguson spearheads strategic initiatives that advance equity, belonging, and student success. Her research on the intersectional experiences of Black girls and women athletes has positioned her as a respected voice in both academic and athletic arenas. A former Division I track and field athlete, Dr. Ferguson leverages her firsthand athletic experience to mentor student-athletes and advocate for equitable college experiences. She founded the Black Athlete Sister Circle (BASC), a national program dedicated to supporting Black women student-athletes in navigating collegiate life. Dr. Ferguson’s influence extends beyond academia through her podcast After Further Consideration, where she explores transformative leadership strategies focused on equity and inclusion. She has shared her expertise with institutions and organizations such as the National Basketball Association, the Congressional Collegiate Sports Caucus, the Virginia High School League, and the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association. Her impact spans multiple facets of higher education, including community engagement, program development, and policy advocacy, making her a powerful advocate for athletics, student success, and belonging in academic spaces.
Tomika Ferguson
Virginia Commonwealth University
Erianne Weight
Erianne A. Weight is a Professor of Sport Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who studies the intersection of sport, education, and expertise development in high-performance environments. Her research explores how leadership, policies, and resources shape athlete welfare, institutional success, and the cultivation of expertise in sports and other competitive fields. She is the Director of the Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics and has served as President of the North American Society for Sport Management, Chair of the UNC Faculty Athletics Committee, and consultant for LEAD1 Association and Collegiate Sports Associates. She earned her Ph.D. in Sport Marketing and Management from Indiana University, and her Master of Business Administration and B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Utah where she also competed as a heptathlete and graduate assistant track coach. She is a Research Fellow for the College Sport Research Institute, has published 3 books, over 100 refereed articles and book chapters, has consulted for over 30 organizations, and has given roughly 150 invited and refereed research presentations. Her work has been featured in numerous respected outlets, including the New York Times, ESPN, NPR, the Sport Business Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and legislative hearings where she has been recognized for her insights into the complexities of college athletics, athlete welfare, expertise development, and education.
Erianne Weight
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Suzanne Davis
Suzanne Allison Davis has served Greenville University as its 13th president since May 2020. She holds a bachelor of arts in philosophy and political science from Greenville University, an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and a juris doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Davis began her professional career practicing civil law and teaching business at Eastern Illinois University. She later taught at Greenville University and served in various administrative roles, including chief of staff, founding dean of GU’s Briner School of Business, vice president for university relations, and executive vice president.
Today, as president, Davis focuses on the institution’s financial stability and identity alignment with its Free Methodist heritage. She believes students will benefit most from the institution providing immersive experiential learning with character and service outcomes, interconnected partnerships, and innovative operational tactics. Thanks to her leadership, GU has realized:
- a 14% increase in enrollment at a time when other colleges and universities saw declines and closures,
- record-high donations,
- the launch of new academic programs,
- new construction and upgrades to campus facilities, and
- partnerships that foster growth for GU, its students, and the greater community.
Suzanne Davis
Greenville University
About Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island
The Roundtable is held annually at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.
Nestled in the pristine waters of Lake Huron between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, Mackinac Island is a captivating destination where time slows down and natural beauty abounds. Named the “#1 Summer Travel Destination in the US” by USA Today in 2024, Mackinac Island offers a serene and picturesque retreat. The Island is unique as it is primarily accessible by ferry, allows no motorized vehicles, and island transportation is exclusively horse and carriage.
At its heart stands the iconic Grand Hotel, a National Historic Landmark renowned for its stunning views, world-class hospitality, and the world’s longest porch. Grand Hotel was recently named one of “The 25 Most Iconic Hotels to Visit on Earth” by Elle Decor. With its elegant Victorian architecture and timeless allure, the Grand Hotel provides an inspiring setting for the Mackinac Roundtable on Talent.
Many Roundtable attendees bring guests and family members and enjoy all that Mackinac Island and Grand Hotel have to offer.
Association Partners
2025 Event Sponsors
