Sarah Brown joined The Chronicle of Higher Education in 2015 and covers campus culture, including Title IX, race and diversity, and mental health. She has written about how colleges handle — and mishandle — cases of sexual assault and harassment, whether higher education is really committed to racial equity, and how mental-health struggles are derailing students, academically and otherwise.

Sarah’s bylines have appeared in The New York Times and other newspapers, and she makes regular broadcast-media appearances for The Chronicle, including on C-SPAN, St. Louis Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Radio, WBUR (Boston), and KUOW (Seattle).

Sarah studied journalism and political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but she likes to say that she really graduated from The Daily Tar Heel, where she was a reporter and editor all four years.

Jim Dickinson is an Associate Editor at Wonkhe where he takes a particular interest in students, governance and higher education regulation and leads on our work with students’ unions.

Jim is a former long standing director at the National Union of Students, where he led on students’ union development, campaigns and political strategy, student engagement and governance.

He was also CEO at the students’ union at UEA in Norwich, acting as the lead staff member on behalf of the elected student officers of the union providing strategic management for the union’s charitable and commercial vehicles and policy support for the officers.

Jim has served as a Governor in both further and higher education and the voluntary sector, and is a regular contributor to AdvanceHE’s leadership skills for governance programme. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, and an obsessive fan of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Suzanne Fortier has served as principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University since September 2013. Prior to her appointment as principal, Professor Fortier was president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. She also has held the positions of vice-principal (academic) and vice-principal (research) at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where she was a professor in the department of chemistry and in the school of computing.

A native of St-Timothée, Québec, Professor Fortier graduated from McGill with a BSc and a Ph.D. in crystallography. Her research has focused on the development of mathematical and artificial intelligence methodologies for protein structure determination. She has also made contributions to the development of novel techniques in crystallographic data mining to gain insights from the large structural databases.

Professor Fortier is an officer of the Order of Canada, an officer of France’s National Order of Merit, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was named a Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and holds honorary doctorates from Thompson Rivers University, Carleton University, and the University of Glasgow.

Professor Fortier serves as chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global University Leaders Forum, as a member of the HEC Paris International Advisory Board, on the boards of the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill and the McGill University Health Centre, and is an academic member of the board of governors of the Technion Israel Institute of Technology. She also serves on the Canadian Business-Higher Education Roundtable, the Catalyst Canada Advisory Board, as well as the boards of directors of Montreal International, and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

She has previously served as a member of several boards and councils, including the federal government's Council of Science and Technology Advisors, the board of directors of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the steering committee of the Networks of Centres of Excellence, the Ontario Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress, Universities Canada, the board of trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the Canadian federal minister of Finance’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth, the Conference Board of Canada, and served as a member and vice-chair of the Science, Technology and Innovation Council.
 

Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts is a professor of practice at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Laura’s research and consulting focus on the science of maximizing human potential in diverse organizations and communities. She has published over fifty research articles, teaching cases, and practitioner-oriented tools for strategically activating best selves through strength-based development. She has also edited three books: Race, Work and Leadership; Positive Organizing in a Global Society; and Exploring Positive Identities and Organizations. Her influential publications on diversity, authenticity and leadership development have been featured in Harvard Business Review and several other global media outlets.  

Laura earned a BA in psychology (highest distinction & Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Virginia, and an MA and Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan. She has served on the faculties of Harvard Business School, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, and Antioch University’s Graduate School of Leadership and Change. She has also taught courses in organizational behavior, psychology, negotiations, group dynamics, diversity, leadership and career development as a faculty affiliate of the University of Michigan, the Wharton School of Finance, Tuck, Georgia State University, UCLA Anderson, Simmons School of Management, and AVT (Copenhagen). 
 

Daniele C. Struppa, Ph.D., is the 13th president of Chapman University in Orange, California. Before assuming this title in 2016, he had served as Chapman University’s chancellor (chief academic officer) for ten years, and as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at George Mason University for nine years.

Dr. Struppa is a mathematician, whose expertise is in the field of Fourier Analysis; Dr. Struppa is the author of ten volumes, more than 200 peer reviewed publications, and holds several patents in the field of signal processing. Dr. Struppa has received numerous awards, including the 2016 Cozzarelli Prize from the National Academy of Sciences, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and is a member of the National Academy of Inventors.

Dr. Struppa was born in Milano, Italy, in 1955, and came to the United States in 1978, to pursue his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland; after a few years in Italy, he came back to the United States as a professor of mathematics at George Mason University in 1988. 

Dr. Struppa is married to Mary Elizabeth (Lisa) Sparks, who is the dean of the School of Communication at Chapman University, and is the father of four children, Alessandro, Elena, Arianna, and Athena.
 

Mr. David P. Bennett serves as the Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at Howard University.  In this role, Mr. Bennett provides strategic vision, and leads the critical work of developing campaigns and activities that will enhance philanthropic support and alumni engagement for the University. 

Mr. Bennett is an energetic leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing development strategies for organizations with national and international focus.  Most recently he led all philanthropic programs globally for one of the world’s largest nonprofit organizations, the National Geographic Society.  Serving as Chief Development Officer, his responsibilities included managing a portfolio of trustees and high net-worth donors and prospects, overseeing all international fundraising efforts and providing direction for several keys areas including principal and major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, and stewardship.  In addition, he helped to build a network of fundraising and programmatic offices for National Geographic around the world.  Mr. Bennett has a proven track record of building close, collaborative, and transparent relationships across teams, creating strategies that increase engagement, and driving campaigns that exceed their target goal.

Prior to joining National Geographic, Mr. Bennett was Chief Advancement Officer of Safe Kids Worldwide, an international injury prevention organization.  In this role, he was responsible for the fundraising, communications, and public policy functions of an organization with over 350 affiliates in the United States and operations in 17 other countries.  His previous experience also includes serving as vice president of United Cerebral Palsy of America and as director of the Fundraising and Sponsorship Group of Odell, Simms, & Lynch, a consulting firm that provide services to nonprofit organizations.  Early in his career, Bennett worked in federal politics as a finance director for two United States Senate campaigns and as a fundraiser for a national political party.

Mr. Bennett earned a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. 

Teresa (Terry) Flannery is a strategic, innovative, and collaborative higher education leader with more than 35 years of experience in a wide range of functions including advancement, admissions and enrollment management, and student affairs.  She has worked at large, medium, and small institutions, both public and private.

One of the leading university marketing professionals in the world and recognized in 2018 as “International Brand Master,” Flannery has led some of the most successful brand campaigns in all of higher education. She is also a consultant, speaker and author of How to Market a University: Building Value in a Competitive Environment, a new book published by the Johns Hopkins University Press in their higher education leader series.

Flannery most recently served as Interim Vice President for Marketing and Communication at Stony Brook University in New York and was a member of the University’s executive team. Before Stony Brook, Flannery spent more than a decade at American University as Vice President for Communication. A member of the President’s Cabinet, she was deeply involved in development of two strategic plans, co-led the design phase of an initiative to Reimagine the Student Experience (RiSE), and co-led the development of the institution’s comprehensive Plan for Inclusive Excellence. She led the development of AU’s first brand strategy and, with a cross-unit team, produced a groundbreaking, searchable, interactive website to demonstrate the value of an AU degree. Flannery also serves as a Policy Fellow in the Center for University Excellence.

Prior to her roles at American, she served at the University of Maryland in a number of roles, including 11 years as its first chief marketing and communications officer.

Flannery has been a fellow in the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership and is Chair of the Board of Trustees of CASE, one of the largest global education associations in the world.

Flannery holds a B.A. in English (American Literature) and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Education (College Student Personnel), all from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Garcia is the chief of staff and director of institutional relations at CETYS University, an internationally accredited university system in northwestern Mexico. Dr. Garcia has been involved in external relations for more than 20 years, having served as system director for advancement, campus president at CETYS Ensenada (2004-2009) and CETYS International Campus (2011-2016), and currently as a system head of institutional relations, where he oversees alumni relations, communications, and supports board development efforts. 

Dr. García has served as secretary to the board of CETYS for more than 10 years and staffed the trusteeship committee during that period. Dr. García has repeatedly served as a liaison with external consultants in matters about governance and was the primary point of contact for a multi-year restructuring process of IENAC Board, for which the institution was recognized with the prestigious John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership, thus becoming the first institution outside of the US to receive said award.

Dr. García has served as a resource and consultant for other universities seeking to enhance governance. In addition to formal preparation in institutional advancement that includes The Fundraising School at Indiana-Purdue and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, years of experience in business promoting organizational development inform Dr. García’s understanding of the mindset of trustees and volunteers from the private sector.

Dr. García earned his EdD from City University in Seattle, WA, and an MBA from CETYS University. He is active in several higher education organizations including the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, and the American Council on Education. He has been a board member of COPARMEX (Mexico’s leading business organization), the Economic Development Corporation, the Red Cross, Caracol Science Museum, Rotary International (D-4100), among others.
 

Erin Hall-Westfall brings over 20 years’ experience in higher education development and alumni relations.  She is currently the Director of Talent Management and Human Resources for the Development and Alumni Relations Office at the University of Cambridge.  In this role, Erin built the first talent management programme, which supports all of Collegiate Cambridge, and leads a seven-person team responsible for talent acquisition, onboarding, employee engagement and retention, performance management, learning, and human resources.

Prior to joining Cambridge in October 2016, Erin worked at the University of Michigan’s Office of University Development from 2004—2016, most recently as the Executive Director of Talent Management.  She was responsible for the overall strategy of talent management programmes, and led a team focused on recruitment, retention, and learning for the university’s development community.  

Erin previously worked at Northwestern University’s Office of Alumni Relations and Development as the Assistant Director of Personnel and Business Resources, and as Assistant Director for Alumni Education. Erin holds a bachelor’s of arts degree in sociology and journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Bennie L. Harris serves as chancellor of University of South Carolina Upstate, assuming leadership on July 1, 2021. 

Harris joined USC Upstate after serving since 2014 as senior vice president for Institutional Advancement at the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), where he was responsible for institutional advancement, partnership expansion and external affairs. 

Harris holds the bachelor of sciences degree in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University, the MBA in strategic marketing from Washington State University and a doctorate of philosophy in educational leadership and marketing from the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  He has held leadership positions in institutional advancement at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN, DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Washington State University. Over the course of his advancement career, he has raised more than $346 million. Also, while at Washington State University, he served as the director for the Center for Human Rights.  Harris has worked with a number of organizations facilitating conversations and strategic plans around leadership development, diversity, healthcare and health equity.

Dr. Harris is involved in several local and national organizations such as Leadership Atlanta, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Executive Director of Phi Beta Sigma International Leadership Academy, Atlanta Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Board of Directors, Lipscomb University Board of Trustees, America Association of Medical Colleges Development Council, CASE Faculty, among a few.  Harris is frequently sought to speak on fundraising, strategic planning, diversity and leadership development at various nonprofits, higher education and other institution seeking to improve and build capacity.

Dr. Harris is married to Frankie Andrea Harris and together they have three adult children, Bria, Bennie II, and Branden.

Binti Harvey is a seasoned relationship builder, strategist, and change manager with a significant record of accomplishment empowering leaders, teams, and institutions to successfully advance reputational and financial goals. Ms. Harvey is the vice president for external relations and institutional advancement for Scripps College, a prestigious women’s and liberal arts institution and a member of the Claremont Colleges. In her role as chief fundraising and marketing and communications officer, she is responsible for developing and executing programs to amplify Scripps’ brand, increase philanthropic support, and deepen constituent engagement to advance the College’s mission.  

Ms. Harvey’s career encompasses more than a decade of legislative affairs, public relations, and community engagement experience in educational, governmental, and non-profit organizations. Prior to Scripps, she led the design and implementation of institutional branding and fundraising marketing strategies for the California Institute of Technology. As a political aide, Ms. Harvey led advocacy and strategic communications initiatives for the Mayor of Los Angeles and the Superintendents of the Los Angeles and Pasadena Unified School Districts. She began her career in journalism as a business reporter for CBS MarketWatch.  

Ms. Harvey earned her B.A. in sociology from University of California, Los Angeles, and an M.S. in public policy from the University of Southern California, and she has served as a volunteer and presenter for numerous organizations including the American Marketing Association, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, and Academic Impressions. 

Lisa Lewis joined the University of Minnesota Alumni Association as president and chief executive officer on May 31, 2013. During her tenure, she has expanded the association's focus to serve 500,000+ Twin Cities and Rochester campus alumni, created a customer-centric culture to deliver meaningful programs, strengthened campus partnerships, and initiated system-wide alumni engagement metrics to evaluate and improve alumni connections worldwide.

A 32-year association professional with experience managing higher education organizations, Lewis focuses on enriching the lives of alumni, supporting student success and advancing the University of Minnesota. She led the CASE Commission for Alumni Relations and served on the CASE Alumni Engagement Metrics Task Force and the CASE Curriculum Task Force. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Council for Alumni Association Executives (CAAE) and chairs its Awards and Fellowships Committee.

Lewis graduated with honors from the University of South Florida with degrees in marketing and public relations.

As an internationally recognized public speaker and advocate of strategic online communications, Nikki is responsible for developing innovative solutions to advance the University of Michigan’s over 200-year-old legacy of impact. Nikki leads U-M’s social communication team, the strategic oversight of the President’s Public Engagement and Impact Initiative, and U-M’s Social Integrity project. These efforts each aim to ensure that all online communications provide additional value to university stakeholders while mitigating institutional risk, elevating brand perception, and educating users of all ages, around the globe, of the lasting impact of these critical tools.

Alison joined the University of Cambridge in 2013 as executive director, development and alumni relations. She is responsible for carrying forward the University’s philanthropic agenda, which includes leading the £2billion fundraising Campaign for the University and Colleges of Cambridge as well as expanding and enhancing alumni relations. In 2019, Alison led the team and secured the largest single gift to a UK organisation by a UK national, a £100m gift from the Claudia and David Harding Foundation.

Alison has worked in higher education advancement for 30 years, previously holding senior roles in the USA.  Alison led a $3bn campaign for the University of Virginia where she was associate vice-president for development.  Prior to this she completed a $25m six-year campaign two years ahead of schedule as director of development for the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins University, where she oversaw an increase in giving from $1m to $11m annually. 

Alison began her relationship with CASE as a CASE Student Scholar at the 1987 District I Conference, has subsequently spoken at a number of CASE conferences, and served on the CASE 50 Steering Committee.  In addition she has been serving on the faculty of the Big Ten Fundraiser Institute since 2018.