UPCEA Announces Diversity in Leadership Scholars
UPCEA is pleased to announce the inaugural and 2020 cohort of Bethaida “Bea” González Diversity in Leadership Scholars. These 13 individuals are leading this new initiative on behalf of our profession.
Representative and diverse leadership is a cornerstone of UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. The goal of the Diversity Scholars program is to equip diverse professionals at any stage of their career with the skills and knowledge needed to move into leadership positions on campus, in the field of professional, continuing, and online (PCO) education, and in UPCEA.
“We are heartened by the overwhelming response to this program, and our members’ dual commitment to their individual professional development and enhancing diversity and inclusive excellence at their institutions and within the PCO profession,” said Dr. Christina Sax, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Maryland University of Integrative Health and chair of UPCEA’s Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee.
The Diversity in Leadership Scholars program is named for Bethaida “Bea” González, 2014-15 UPCEA President and longtime leader at Syracuse University’s University College.
UPCEA Online Professional Development Faculty Director and Professor of the Practice Emeritus at Boston University Dr. Jay Halfond added, “All of us teaching and learning in these programs will benefit by how the Diversity in Leadership Scholars program enhances our courses and enriches the student experience.”
The 2020 Diversity in Leadership Scholars are:
- Rebecca Chung, Program Manager, Online Campus, Columbia University School of Social Work
- Saira Cooper, Director of Digital Learning, IT, & Operations, Rice University
- Billie Gastic Rosado, Associate Dean, New York University
- Nichole Henry, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Syracuse University
- Kristen Hodge-Clark, Senior Assistant Dean, Program Planning, Georgetown University, School of Continuing Studies
- Mark Jimerson, Coordinator, Mississippi State University
- Christine Jones, Associate Director of Finance Planning & Assessment, Temple University, University College
- Fiyyaz Karim, Lecturer, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- Heather McCullough, Associate Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Emad Rahim, Kotouc Endowed Chair, Program Director/ Associate Professor, Bellevue University
- Rondha Remy, Program Director, Georgetown University, School of Continuing Studies
- Karen Nelson Villanueva, Program Lead, San Francisco State University – College of Extended Learning
- Janelle Williams, Associate Dean, Widener University
Each Diversity in Leadership Scholar is receiving a full scholarship for one UPCEA Online Professional Development certificate program consisting of five courses.
Learn more about UPCEA’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusive Excellence.
Learn more about UPCEA’s online professional development program.
Dr. Robert J. Hansen has served as Chief Executive Officer of UPCEA, the online and professional education association, since 2010. UPCEA has more than tripled in size during Hansen’s tenure by focusing on new initiatives that elevate the field, including industry-leading events for online leadership and credential innovation in higher education, online leadership development programs, and a popular research and consulting service for members. He previously served in senior leadership roles in both public and private universities, and as an education policy aide in the administration of former Illinois governor, Jim Edgar. Hansen earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Notre Dame, an M.A. in Literature from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Illinois.