Advertise on podcast: Academic Dean

Michele Poulos has been in education for the past twenty-two years, working in elementary, secondary and post-secondary settings. She has a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, a Master's Degree in Psychology and is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Psychology.   She has learned and taught in traditional and online environments. She currently serves as Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences with ECPI University. She was recently initiated into Marquis’s Who’s Who in America for 2022 and 2023. She resides in Naples, Florida with her husband, nine-year-old son, Trenton, and seven-year-old daughter, Eliana. One fun fact about her is that she was a contestant on the Price is Right. While she never made it out of “contestant’s row,” she did win a year’s supply of Ivory soap and a vacuum.  

Dennis is in his third year as Chancellor of Missouri State University-West Plains and in his 30th year as a Missouri State-West Plains staff and faculty member. Over the past three decades, he has served in several capacities including Dean of Academic Affairs, Assistant to the Chancellor, Director of the William and Virginia Darr Honors Program, Assistant Coordinator of Public Relations, Special Projects Coordinator, and throughout his career, as a teacher. Teaching is important to Dennis, and he maintains his assistant professor of letters status and continues to teach when he can and connect with students throughout the year. Dennis obtained his bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Philosophy from Drury University in 1984, a master’s degree in Journalism with an emphasis in political communication and media ethics from the University of Missouri in 1996, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Lindenwood University, St. Louis, Mo., in 2014. Prior to coming to Missouri State-West Plains, Dennis worked as a reporter/photographer for a small town daily newspaper, owned a bookstore, and worked as a waiter during college, all three formative experiences in his life and career. For the past 40 years, Dennis has been married to Rita, and they have four children, Seth (and daughter-in-law Beth), Leslie, Kori (and son-in-law Jarred), and Nicholas (and daughter-in-law Sarah), and seven grandchildren who he loves dearly and is amused by constantly. In his spare time, Dennis enjoys traveling, hiking, writing and working to restore his family’s 100-year-old farmhouse and grounds.  

Dr. Laurie Borowicz has served as the 5th President of Kishwaukee College since January 2016.  She has led the College through some of its most challenging times, including the state of Illinois two-year budget impasse and the COVID-19 pandemic. Fiscal constraints, declining enrollments, and the changing landscape of higher education has allowed Dr. Borowicz to demonstrate transformational leadership. As an advocate of student success and with a focus on continuous quality improvement, Dr. Borowicz championed expanded student and academic support services, increased the use of technology for both internal and external stakeholders, and joined the Partnership for College Completion to eliminate the achievement gap for students of color.  Under her leadership, partnerships were forged with the business community to serve local workforce needs.  Partnering with other educational institutions, dual credit and transfer options were expanded for students. Before coming to Kishwaukee College, Dr. Borowicz served as Vice President of Student Services at Northcentral Technical College (NTC), in Wausau, WI.  With a 16 year career at NTC, she held two earlier positions at the college, focusing on student success and partnerships with local K-12, higher education, and employers.  Prior to entering higher education, she worked as a high school guidance counselor and county social services specialist.  Dr. Borowicz has demonstrated a commitment to helping others achieve their personal and educational goals throughout her professional career. Dr. Borowicz holds a Bachelor of Science in Retailing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; a Master of Science in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Wisconsin- Stout; and a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Edgewood College, Madison, WI. Her doctoral dissertation was an examination of Leading Organizational Change.   

Flashback to 1991. As a graduate of Bloom-Carrol High School, 18-year-old Brown, a student-athlete, packed up his car to head to Capital University, where he would play football while setting his sights on pre-med and athletic training degrees. Following a devastating knee injury during his sophomore year while playing football, he became increasingly interested in athletic training and helping others with their sports careers. Brown moved north to continue his education at the University of Michigan (for OSU fans, don’t hold that against him!) to pursue a Master’s in kinesiology. “I’ll never forget my first game at Michigan,” he explained, “running out of the tunnel, jumping to touch the famous ‘Go Blue’ banner. Graduate school was crazy busy, working full time as an athletic trainer with football and wrestling, carrying a full-time graduate course load in kinesiology, and even teaching classes.”  Flash forward another eight years. Dr. Brown earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Ohio University. He was ready to take on a leadership role, only switching up the playbook a bit. Instead of staying on the field, he expanded his career goals inside the walls of a community college where he could make a difference in the lives of students and the community. Arriving at Zane State in 2005 as Dean of Health, Public Service, and Service-Related programs, he earned promotion after promotion over the years. And in 2015, he was appointed the sixth president of Zane State College. This role is rewarding as well as increasingly challenging. “My outlook on my community college president profession can be summed up by one of my all-time favorite heroes, President Teddy Roosevelt. He said, ‘Far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.’ And even on the hardest and longest days, I enjoy my work and the people I work with. I love the work we do.” Dr. Brown is a servant leader who is passionate about empowering his employees in a creative and compassionate workplace culture. His leadership style shows a commitment to building trust, igniting passion, and caring deeply about the success of others. Keeping the local community at the forefront, he is involved in various boards and organizations that collectively benefit those most in need. While Dr. Brown’s academic accomplishments are honorable and respected, they do not truly explain who Dr. Brown is.  Family First. With his wife, Dr. Susan Farus-Brown, Dr. Brown raised a son, Joey, who has taken on his parents’ passion for football. A student-athlete himself, Joey is earning a bachelor’s degree in business at Muskingum University. Must Love Dogs. As a dog dad to three lovable pups, Dr. Brown enjoys watching football and taking naps with English Bulldog named Lincoln and French Bulldogs named Ike and Churchill. Being Present. Having a chronic neurological condition called dystonia means Dr. Brown is thoughtful with every step he takes, every conversation he has, and every interaction he makes. Even on the toughest of days, he always sees our students as a source of inspiration. As he says, they are the purpose behind our vision of creating A Promising Future for Every One. Work Hard. Play Hard. This bio wouldn’t be complete without a plug for Dr. Brown’s woodworking talent and appreciation for bourbon. In his free time, he likes woodworking projects that range from cabinetry to wine racks to raised beds for his garden.  

Dr. Christine Webster-Hansen is Dean of the Humanities Institute at Brookdale Community College in NJ. After earning her B.A. in Communication at Rowan University, she earned an M.A. in English from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in English from Temple University. After teaching as an adjunct instructor for four years, she became a tenured, full professor and department chair at Camden County College. Eventually, she served as Assistant Dean of e-Learning at Ocean County College, and now she proudly serves the students, faculty, and staff at Brookdale.

Beth Brunk Ph.D. is Dean of Extended University at the University of Texas at El Paso. Extended University supports Professional and Public Programs; the Center for Instructional Design; The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute; UTEP Connect, UTEP’s suite of fully online degree programs; and the Office of Youth Program Development and Support. Dr. Brunk is professor of Rhetoric and Writing Studies and has served in several other administrative roles at UTEP including Director of First-Year Composition and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. A member of the inaugural class of University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers, Dr. Brunk is also a recipient of the University of Texas Academy Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award. Dr. Brunk has served on several national boards, task forces, and committees and has published in the areas of online teaching and learning, online collaboration, student retention and persistence, serving diverse student populations, and academic administration. She has served on nearly 40 dissertation committees and chaired 24 of them. She is PI, co-PI, or supporting staff on several awarded grants and gifts from the Department of Education, American Public and Land-Grant Universities, the University of Texas System, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and HCA. Dr. Brunk holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington, A Master of Arts in English from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications/Advertising from New Mexico State University. She previously taught at James Madison University.

Leigh B. Goodson has served as president and chief executive officer of Tulsa Community College since July 2014. Under her leadership, the college launched and met the College’s $20 million campaign, developed Oklahoma’s first “early college high school program,” and gained TCC acceptance into the Aspen Institute Unlocking Opportunity: The Post-Graduation Success and Equity Network. Dr. Goodson is a key contributing member of the Tulsa Higher Education Consortium, a collaborative partnership with local universities. Dr. Goodson earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Research and Evaluation from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Science in Organizational Communication from Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from OSU. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma class XXIII and Leadership Tulsa Class 35 and completed an Aspen Presidential Fellowship in 2016. In 2020, The Journal Record recognized Goodson as Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEO in the public category and inducted her into the Circle of Excellence for being honored three times as a 50 Making a Difference honoree at its annual Woman of the Year event. In addition, Dr. Goodson received the Leadership Oklahoma 2023 Distinguished Graduate Award. She is an active member of her community, and currently serves on the boards of AACC, Tulsa Area United Way, Oklahoma Business Roundtable, Jobs for the Future Policy Trust, CCCSE National Advisory Board and Tulsa Regional Chamber. She is a sought after local and national guest speaker on various topics including leadership development and community college student success. Goodson has invested herself and her career in education, having served previously as a university faculty member, university administrator and school board member for Tulsa Public Schools. Her priority and passion is student success.  

Dr. Marc Seigar earned a B.Sc. in Physics from Imperial College London in the U.K. in 1993 and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the Liverpool Astrophysics Research Institute in 1998. Marc joined The University of Toledo as Dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in August of 2021. After obtaining his Ph.D., Marc went onto various research positions at Ghent University (in Belgium) and the Joint Astronomy Center (in Hilo, Hawaii). He was hired into his first faculty position at the University of Arkansas, where he worked his way through the academic ranks. In 2014, he was hired as Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he also spent three years as Associate Dean of the Swenson College of Science and Engineering. Just before joining UToledo, from 2020 to 2021, Marc served as a Program Director (rotator) in the Division of Astronomical Sciences in the National Science Foundation. Marc’s area of scholarship is astronomy and astrophysics. He studies nearby galaxies and is particularly interested in galaxy dynamics, structure and morphology. Throughout his career, Marc has used data from various astronomical observatories, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer, Gemini, and facilities at Kitt Peak and Lick observatories.

Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson is the 14th President of the University of Southern Maine. She is an accomplished educator, scholar, and first-generation college student. For nearly twenty-five years, President Edmondson has fostered a student-focused model of higher education that prioritizes lasting community collaborations and inclusive excellence. Before coming to USM, President Edmondson was a full professor in the College of Education at Penn State University, where she has served in a number of administrative leadership roles, including, most recently, as chancellor and chief academic officer of the Greater Allegheny campus. As a scholar, President Edmondson focuses her research on education policy, rural education, teacher education, and popular culture. In addition to publication in numerous academic journals, she has authored eight books on subjects ranging from critical policy analysis to Jesse Owens to Jerry Garcia. She holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Penn State.

Dr. Robert Exley is the seventh president of Alvin Community College. Prior to ACC he served as the 17th President of Snead State Community College in Boaz, Ala., from January 2008 to August 2020. During his nearly 13-year tenure in Alabama, Dr. Exley focused on providing a compassionate campus experience for students and staff with an emphasis on academic excellence and civic engagement. His own higher education experience began at the community college level and has provided a foundation for his passion to encourage well-rounded citizens through comprehensive higher education opportunities. He also served as President of Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., and as the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He has held a number of administrative positions with Miami-Dade College (MDC) over a nearly 10-year period. Dr. Exley received his Associate of Arts degree from San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas, his BA and MS from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, and his Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin. In May 2007, Dr. Exley was named a Distinguished Graduate of the University of Texas at Austin's Community College Leadership Program in recognition of his national contribution to American Community Colleges. While a student at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, TX., he served as the 1979-1980 National President of Phi Theta Kappa. In January 2014, Phi Theta Kappa honored Dr. Exley with the prestigious Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction.

Colleen Perry Keith, Ph.D. is the14th president (and first female president) in the 136-year history of Goldey-Beacom College, assuming this role July 1, 2019. With more than 36 years of higher education experience, Dr. Keith served as president at Pfeiffer University, who moved from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division III during her tenure from 2015-2019 and at Spartanburg Methodist College, a member of the NJCAA, from 2009–2015. She currently serves on the The Partnership Board of Directors, the education affiliate of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce; the Board of Governors for the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce; the Board of Directors of Transform Mid-Atlantic, serving as the Vice Chair of the Executive Committee; and as the Vice Chair for the Division II Executive Board of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Locally, Dr. Keith serves on the board of the Wilmington Rotary Club. Dr. Keith is also active with the Forum of Executive Women – Delaware, the Fund for Women, the Steering Committee for the Delaware Million Women Mentors and on the advisory committee for the Fresh Start Scholarship program. In 2010, she was named the South Carolina Career woman of the Year by the South Carolina Business and Professionals Woman’s Foundation and was selected as a 2022 Women in Business Honoree by Delaware Today Magazine. As a doctoral student, she was awarded the Earl W. Anderson Award for Outstanding Graduate Students by The Ohio State University, College of Education  and as a master’s student, she was inducted into Kappa Delta Pi (Education Honor Society) at the University of Pittsburgh. She is an invited speaker at many events each year, speaking to groups on the topic of leadership, women in leadership, and (of course) Goldey-Beacom College. Dr. Keith’s career in higher education started following her work at a temporary help company in Pittsburgh in the mid-1980s. She saw the steel industry shutting down in the area, leaving many workers without jobs and without training for other work. Working with those displaced workers led to a strong commitment to help people to acquire some form of post-secondary training so that they could have economic security throughout their adult lives. That commitment led her to graduate degrees and eventually to Goldey-Beacom College, a place committed to providing post-secondary education that helps people to achieve economic security in an ever-changing world of work. Dr. Keith holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Binghamton University; Master of Education Degree in Education Counseling from University of Pittsburgh; and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University. She lives in Pike Creek with her husband, Barry and their two English bulldogs, Daisy and Charlie. She has one son and daughter-in-law, Tim and Anna Hogan, residents of Silver Spring, MD.  

Dr. Suzy Ames is the 7th President of Peninsula College in Port Angeles, WA. Since joining the college, she was selected as Secretary of the Board for the Clallam County Economic Development Council and as a member of the Executive Board for West Sound STEM and the North Olympic Health Network. Prior to joining Peninsula College, she worked at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland, WA as Vice President of Instruction, Associate Vice President of Instruction and Dean of Instruction. She served as the Director of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness at Skagit Valley College where she also taught marketing and social media management. Much of her background is in marketing and communications including: Vice President of Advancement/Executive Director of the Foundation at Pierce College, Director of Marketing at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and Director of Marketing and Communications at Cascadia College. In her first year as President of Peninsula College, she supported the college in the development of nine associates and applied bachelor’s degrees that will start in Fall 2024. She formed relationships with community-based service providers to bring comprehensive wraparound support services to at-risk students on campus. As an instructional administrator, Suzy served as co-Principal Investigator on three National Science Foundation grants, including one that supported equity-focused IT education at eight community and technical colleges and led to the development of a bachelor’s in computer science degree offered at these colleges. She led significant diversity, equity and inclusion efforts including the design and implementation of a diversity and social justice degree requirement for all students across transfer and professional-technical degree programs; the implementation of a cultural humility student learning outcome; and infusing DEI into the faculty tenure evaluation process. Suzy served as Vice President and Secretary of NCIA of the National Council of Instructional Administrators. Suzy is an evaluator for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership for Change from Fielding Graduate University, an MBA from City University, and two bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Political Science from the University of Washington. She lives in Port Angeles, WA with her husband and two chocolate labs.