CCPI STEM - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• President of Northern Virginia Community College

Dr. Anne M. Kress is the sixth president of Northern Virginia Community College, a role she began in January 2020, after a career of almost three decades in higher education that includes serving as a tenured faculty member in English and in numerous academic administrative roles at community colleges in Florida and New York. At NOVA, Kress focuses on fulfilling the college's commitment to equity in opportunity and its promise that every student succeeds, every program achieves, and every community prospers. Kress serves on the boards of higher education groups including the American Council on Education, the American Association of Community Colleges, and the Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity. She is a member of the University of Maryland Global Campus Community College Policy and Administration program advisory board and serves on the board of Generation Hope, which supports the success of student-parents. Kress co-chaired the most recent Virginia Community College System strategic plan, Opportunity 2027, for which she received the Dana B. Hamel Award, the highest honor the system bestows. She is active in the region, serving on the boards of the Consortium of the Universities of the Washington Metro Area, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and the Northern Virginia Technology Council. She sits on the steering committee of Connected DMV's Regional Economic Development Strategy and is a member of the Economic Club of DC and the Greater Washington Board of Trade. Kress is a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington; was named by the Washington Business Journal as a 2021 "Women Who Means Business"; and has been named to the Virginia Business 500 and the Washington Business Journal Power 100 each year since joining NOVA. Kress earned two bachelor's degrees, in Finance and English; a master's degree in English; and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration, all from the University of Florida. She has been honored by her alma mater, Phi Theta Kappa, the New York State Senate, YWCA, and the American Association of University Women, among others. She is married to Ned Davis, and they have two college-age children.

Job Titles:

• President, South Central College, MN

After a decade with General Motors in Michigan, Dr. Annette Parker attended Lansing Community College (LCC) where she later served as lab assistant, faculty and administrator. After 17 years at LCC, she accepted a leadership position with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) to develop and lead a National Science Foundation (NSF), Advanced Technical Education (ATE) National Center of Excellence. Dr. Parker served as the Principal Investigator of the successful Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC) project, which included partners from six of the world's largest automobile companies, 34 automotive manufacturers and 34 community colleges in 14 states. In 2011, the National Governors Association selected AMTEC as a model and national best practice in their case study A Sharper Focus on Technical Workers: How to Educate and Train for the Global Economy. AMTEC's work was also highlighted in McKinsey and Company's 2013 article "Breaking the U.S. Growth Impasse," as well as publications from the U.S. Department of Education, Department of Labor, and others. In 2013 she became President of South Central College (SCC), where she built the capacity to receive additional ATE and other grants in the amount $30.4 million. For example, the college received a $15 million statewide Department of Labor (DOL) and Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant in 2014-2018. In 2013 Dr. Parker was appointed to President Obama's Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Steering Committee 2.0. Dr. Parker currently serves on a number of national boards, including the NASEM Roundtable on Systemic Change in Undergraduate STEM Education, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Work of the Future Task Force Advisory Board, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Advisory Council, Center for Occupational Research & Development (CORD) Board of Directors, Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Advisory Committee on Differential Accreditation, the Coalition for Career Development (CCD) Center Board of Directors, theIowa & Minnesota Campus Compact Strategic Alliance, as well as the National Campus Compact. Throughout her career, she has served as an inspiration particularly for minority and non-traditional students, demonstrating in her words and actions the impact education, combined with resiliency, can make in one's life and the lives of others.

Job Titles:

• Retired from Managing Director

Ashok Agrawal recently retired from managing director for professional services and director of external affairs and outreach at the American Society for Engineering Education. Dr. Agrawal holds a Doctorate in Management degree from the University of Maryland University College, an MS degree in Materials Science, an MS degree in Mining Engineering from the University of Kentucky. Before the position at ASEE, he was the vice president for Academic Affairs at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley. Agrawal has led and participated in several critical NSF-funded studies to improve engineering and technician education programs and to expand the engagement of diverse populations in the engineering enterprise, including projects such as Transforming Undergraduate Education in Engineering (TUEE), Transitioning Veterans to Engineering Related Careers, and Innovation Corps for Learning (I-Corps-L). While at ASEE, Agrawal also supervised NSF-funded Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship (SBPRDF), and Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship (I-PERF) programs. In addition to grants from NSF, Agrawal has received several grants from other public and private agencies, including a College Career Transition Initiative (CCTI) grant from the League of Innovation. He has served as a Program Officer at the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation and continues to assist NSF on special projects. Agrawal has also served on the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Committee to Advance Engineering Studies at Tribal Colleges, the NAE Committee on Community Colleges Role in Engineering and Education, and the National Research Council (NRC) Board on Engineering Education. Dr. Agrawal has also served on NSF's Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE).

Job Titles:

• Principal Consultant of Preferred Program Evaluations

Dr. Blake Urbach is the Principal Consultant of Preferred Program Evaluations, a consulting firm specializing in the evaluation of federal grants. She has 18 years of experience planning and performing program evaluations for the purpose of informing educational and social policy. Ms. Urbach has evaluated dozens of initiatives designed to increase academic scholarship and persistence in STEM, as well as enrichment and behavioral intervention programs that employ a cooperative approach to personal development. Through meaningful data and dynamic visuals, she makes targeted recommendations that have the power to engage stakeholders, increase understanding, and contribute to positive social outcomes.

Job Titles:

• Principal Investigator

Calvin is the Dean of Sciences, Technology, and Engineering at Prince George's Community College, Largo, MD and is a leader in STEM education. He serves as the current Principal Investigator for the CCPI-STEM initiative.

Job Titles:

• Co - Principal Investigator
• Founder and Principal of the Dukes Group LLC
• Interim President at Montgomery College

Dr. Charlene Mickens Dukes began her service as interim president at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland on August 7, 2021. Upon her recent retirement from Prince George's Community College, she received the title of "President Emerita" for her thirteen years of service from July 2007 to August 2020. During her presidency at PGCC, enrollment surged to 44,000 students, served by 6 locations. Her career spanned 42 years, beginning as an admission and financial aid officer at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, continuing at the Community College of Allegheny County in a variety of administrative positions, including dean of Students, and concluding at Prince George's Community College where she held the position of vice president of Student Services immediately prior to accepting the presidency. Her associations included chair of the Board of the American Association of Community Colleges, founding faculty of the Leadership Institute of the National Council on Student Development, board member of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, committee service for the American Council on Education, convener of the Presidents Round Table for African-American CEOs in Community Colleges, member of the Maryland Community College Council of Presidents, and board service for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the Institute of Higher Education Policy. Additionally, she served on the Prince George's County Board of Education and the Maryland State Board of Education, where she was president for the last three years of her appointed term. She currently serves as chair of the Board of the Meyer Foundation, vice chair of the CareFirst, Inc. Board of Directors, secretary of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, , and member of the Board of Venture Philanthropy Partners. Dr. Dukes is a mentor for the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship Program and a member of the Board of Visitors for the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. She was appointed, in July 2020, by County Executive Angela Alsobrooks to serve as co-chair of Prince George's Forward, a taskforce charged with the post-COVID transformation of Prince George's County, Maryland. More than 90 recommendations across the areas of health equity, education, human and social services, economic recovery, and continuity of government services were presented, accepted, and funded at a cost exceeding $50M. A lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Dr. Dukes serves on the National Board of Directors and maintains her local membership in the Prince George's County Alumnae Chapter. She is also a member of the Prince George's County (MD) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. Dr. Dukes is the founder and principal of The Dukes Group LLC, specializing in executive coaching, board development, strategy, equity and inclusion, and advocacy. She is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and received her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Pittsburgh.

Job Titles:

• President of Columbus State Community College
• President, Columbus State Community College, OH

David Harrison was appointed president of Columbus State Community College in 2010. With more than 40,000 students, Columbus State is one of the largest, most comprehensive, and most diverse colleges in Ohio. Dr. Harrison and the Columbus State team have had a strong, consistent focus on equitable student success through partnerships. In 2019 Columbus State received the Leah Meyer Austin Award from the national organization Achieving the Dream, recognizing the college demonstrating significant advancements in student success with an emphasis on equity. Since 2010 Columbus State has more than tripled its graduation rate and has significantly improved opportunities for low-income students and students of color. Under Dr. Harrison's leadership, Columbus State has developed deep partnerships with universities to open access to affordable bachelor's degrees through innovative 2+2 and 3+1 pathways; has expanded access to postsecondary opportunities to high school students, serving over 8,000 high school students annually; and has developed creative partnerships with employers to address regional workforce needs. Columbus State has become a proving ground for public-private partnerships, bringing together employers, social service groups, philanthropic organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies to develop innovative programs to help students, families, and communities. Prior to joining Columbus State, Dr. Harrison served in leadership roles at the University of Central Florida, Seminole State College, and Sinclair Community College. He also served as a consulting manager with Accenture. He earned a PhD from the Ohio State University, an MBA from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, and a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Dayton. He and his wife, Tracy, have three grown children: Julie, Mark, and Sam.

Job Titles:

• Co - Principal Investigator

After nearly 26 years, Dr. Hawthorne (Beth) retired as Senior Professor Emerita of Computer Science and Cybersecurity from Union County College in Cranford, NJ. She currently teaches online cybersecurity courses for Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. She earned her Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL and holds industry certifications in cybersecurity (CISSP) and digital forensics (CCFE). Furthermore, she completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigations at the University of Maryland and a faculty sabbatical at Purdue University with the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS). She also participated in an NSF-sponsored Cybersecurity Summer Research Experience for College Faculty at New York University- Polytechnic (NYU-Poly). Beth serves as a cyber education mentor for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and a co-mentor with the NSF ATE project Mentor-Connect. She is also a Co-PI with the National CyberWatch ATE Resource Center at Prince George's Community College, and through the years has been either a PI or Co-PI with eight different NSF ATE awards. In addition, Beth is co-chair of the ACM Education Board and a cybersecurity Program Evaluator (PEV) for ABET. Since its inception, Beth has been an active member of the Women in Cybersecurity organization. Dr. Hawthorne has written over 100 publications currently lodged in the ACM Digital Library.

Job Titles:

• Senior Advisor

Elizabeth Teles was co-Lead of the ATE/NSF program from inception in 1992 until she retired in 2009. She continued her ATE work part time as an Expert until 2019. Now retired for the 2nd time, she works via Teles Consulting on several ATE projects including as a co-PI on Mentor Up and a Senior Consultant on CCPI. Before joining NSF in 1991, she was a mathematics professor and department chair at Montgomery College Takoma Park. She holds a Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Maryland.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• President
• Chairman of the Phi Theta Kappa International Student Honor Society Board
• Co - Principal Investigator

George R. Boggs is President and CEO Emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Superintendent/President Emeritus of Palomar College in San Marcos, California. He continues to be an active consultant, teacher, author, and speaker. He is the author of more than 100 articles, books, and chapters on various aspects of higher education. He currently teaches classes in emerging higher education issues in the doctoral programs at San Diego State University and Kansas State University and is a guest lecturer in programs at several other universities. Dr. Boggs holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from The Ohio State University, a master's degree in chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Boggs serves as Chair of the Phi Theta Kappa International Student Honor Society Board. He chaired the Organizing Committee for the December 2011 STEM Summit sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences. He is a past Chair of the Board of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics and consults internationally. Over his career, Dr. Boggs has served on many boards, commissions, and committees, including the National Academy of Sciences Board on Science Education, the American Council on Education, the Education Testing Service (ETS), the National Center for Postsecondary Research, the National Center for Community College Student Engagement, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Science Board's Commission on 21st Century STEM Education, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the Community College League of California, the Washington Higher Education Secretariat, the Campaign for College Opportunity, and the American Association of Community Colleges, serving as Board Chair in 1993/94.

Job Titles:

• Community Member
• Advisory Board Member for the Center for Community College Student Engagement
• Chancellor Emeritus of the Maricopa Community Colleges
• President and CEO at League for Innovation in the Community College
• President and CEO of the League for Innovation

Dr. Rufus Glasper is President and CEO of the League for Innovation in the Community College, an international nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment in a continuing effort to advance the community college field and make a positive difference for students and communities. Dr. Glasper, Chancellor Emeritus of the Maricopa Community Colleges, served as Chancellor from 2003 through February 2016, and held district leadership positions for three decades. Nationally, Dr. Glasper serves as an advisory board member for the Center for Community College Student Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin; Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University; Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) - The WNET Group: American Graduate Path to the Future; and The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research, North Carolina State University. Dr. Glasper serves on the board of directors for the Education Design Lab; and COMAP, the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications. He also served as trustee for the Higher Learning Commission and the American Council on Education. Dr. Glasper is an active community member, serving on the boards of the Arizona Community Foundation and the Arizona State University Center for the Study of Race and Democracy. He is also an emeritus member of Greater Phoenix Leadership. Dr. Glasper earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Luther College, as well as a master's and advanced degrees in school business administration from Northern Illinois University. He received his doctorate of philosophy degree in higher education finance from the University of Arizona.

Job Titles:

• President Emerita, Moraine Valley Community College, IL CCPI - STEM Business Liaison
• President of Moraine Valley Community College

Dr. Sylvia M. Jenkins became the fifth president of Moraine Valley Community College in 2012. She holds a Ph.D. in Education and Human Resource Studies with a specialization in Community College Leadership from Colorado State University, an MLS/Master of Library Science from State University of New York at Albany, and a B.S. in English Education from Grambling State University. She serves on various boards, including the League for Innovation in the Community College, Community Colleges for International Development, Moraine Area Career Systems CEO Council, Chicago Regional College Program and the South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium Presidents' Council. She serves as a National Advisory Board member for the Ferris State University Doctorate in Community College Leadership. She is a member of the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents and the Cook County Workforce Innovation Board. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Moraine Valley and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The National Council for Marketing and Public Relations selected Dr. Jenkins as its 2021 Pacesetter of the Year Award. In June 2021, she received the Advocacy Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association. In December 2018, the Council for Advancement in Support of Education (CASE) presented Dr. Jenkins the CASE V Chief Executive Leadership Award, and she received the Craig Stettner Award for Environmental Education from the Chicago Audubon Society in 2019. Dr. Jenkins was a co-presenter for a League for Innovation webinar (2020), invited keynote speaker for North Park University's virtual Assessment Conference (2020), and a panelist for Governors State University's Summer Institute (2019). Also in 2019, she was a panelist for the Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) Executive Leadership Forum and the League for Innovation's Innovations Conference. She has been an invited faculty member of the League for Innovation's Executive Leadership Institute/ELI (2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019) She and husband Craig have four daughters: Carmen, Courtney, Christine and Carol, and 10 grandchildren.

Job Titles:

• Co - Principal Investigator
• Reviewer for NSF

Dr. Zdravkovich retired from Prince George's Community College as Academic Vice President Emeritus. She has extensive teaching experience at the collegiate level and administrative experience as the Department Chair of Physical Sciences and then as the Dean of STEM and Health at Prince George's Community College. She earned a baccalaureate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Belgrade in Yugoslavia and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. For several years, Dr. Zdravkovich has served as a proposal reviewer for NSF and NIH. She was also the Principal Investiagor for several NSF projects, including the Institutional Reform project, the CyberWatch Center, and Catalyzing Computing and Cybersecurity at Community Colleges (C5). In 2020, she was part of the Leadership Team for the highly successful Faculty Grant Development and Mentoring program. Dr. Zdravkovich currently serves as a Co-PI on the Community College Presidential Initiative in STEM (CCPI-STEM) and on the FOR tifying Cybersecurity and Computing Education through ATE Grants (FORCCE-ATE). When not working, Dr. Zdravkovich enjoys travelling and spending time with her grandchildren.

Job Titles:

• Project Manager
• Prince George 's Community College Workforce Development Department As a Contract Specialist
• Program Manager for the CCPI - STEM

Fran Melvin is the Program Manager for the CCPI-STEM grant. Prior to joining this grant she was the Center Manager for the National CyberWatch Center team, an Advanced Technology Education grant awarded to Prince George's Community College. She has spent the last 12 years managing grant budgets and responsible for the financial aspects of the grant. Fran joined Prince George's Community College Workforce Development Department as a Contract Specialist in 2007. Her knowledge in contracts has led her to manage sub-awards and other agreements/grant funding. Fran has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Masters in Science (M.Sc) Mathematics, with courses in Physics, from Kerala, India. Fran is from Maryland, but now lives in Alaska.

Job Titles:

• CCPI - STEM Coordinator
• Reviewer and Program Officer for the NSF ATE

June Fordham retired from Prince George's Community College as Administrator Emerita after working with the Vice President for Academic Affairs for seven years. Prior to that, she was a faculty member for twenty-one years in Computer Information Systems where she also served as Department Chair. Additionally, she has taught computer courses at University of Maryland University College and the United States Naval Academy. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics education from Syracuse University and completed additional graduate work in higher education at the University of Maryland. June has served as a proposal reviewer and program officer for the NSF ATE program. She was also chair of the National Visiting Committee for an ATE-funded Center. In her role as CCPI-STEM Coordinator, June works closely with the Regional Network Chairs and Coordinators, assisting them in planning their regional meetings and the dissemination of CCPI-STEM and ATE information to administrators and community colleges in their regions. When not working, she enjoys travelling, spending time with family, doing volunteer work, and playing cribbage.

Job Titles:

• President and CEO of the Association of Community College Trustees
• President and CEO of the Association of Community College Trustees ( ACCT )

Jee Hang Lee became president and CEO of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) in 2021. Jee Hang provides national leadership to the over 500 governing boards who oversee the majority of community colleges throughout the United States and internationally. His deep personal passion for education equity and access led him to ACCT in 2006. Prior to becoming president and CEO, Jee Hang served ACCT for over 15 years in the capacities of senior vice president, vice president for public policy and director of public policy. He has led the association's public policy and advocacy efforts, including the Community College National Legislative Summit and legislative and regulatory issues such as appropriations, student financial aid, tax policy, and higher education policy, since he first joined the association. He also oversaw ACCT's membership, events and communications divisions for many years. Jee Hang serves on the board of the National Asian Pacific Islander Council (NAPIC), National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), the advisory board of the University of Maryland Global Campus Community College Leadership Program, and the advisory board of the Community College Presidents Initiative-STEM (CCPI-STEM). Previously, Jee Hang served on the board of trustees of the American Student Association of Community Colleges, the Rural Community College Alliance and the executive committee of the Committee for Education Funding. Jee Hang holds a bachelor's degree from Boston University and a master's degree in political management from George Washington University.

Job Titles:

• Executive Director
• Curriculum Developer
• Director, Advancement Partnerships

Shane Kirby MBA, Director, Advancement Partnerships, has extensive experience at the college working to develop and manage externally funded projects. He has expertise in proposal development, project management, labor market data analysis, experiential learning, curriculum development and academic infrastructure. Since taking over the Grants Office nearly a decade ago, he has increased the external funding portfolio from $12m to over $60m with over 50 new grant awards each year. He has led the development on 16 funded NSF ATE grant awards, 7 funded USDOE TRIO Programs, 3 funded USDOL grants, and 2 USDOE Title III grants. . In addition, he has worked with multiple community college presidents and leadership groups to organize their grant efforts, often resulting in assistance to prepare their first NSF ATE proposals. Shane serves as a mentor for the Pathways to Innovation Grant Seeker Academy and on the HI-TEC Conference Planning Committee. Along with his role in the Grants Office, Shane is the Executive Director on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program for Columbus, Ohio. Shane previously designed and managed the internship program in Career & Technical programs He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida as a double major in Finance and Marketing and earned his MBA with distinction. He holds certifications in marketing analytics, Quality Matters curriculum development, NCURA Research Administration, tutoring and supplemental instruction (SI) and licensed in life, health, and annuity insurance. His ability to integrate both creative and analytical skills provides a unique skillset primed for grants development. In total, Kirby has secured over $118m in funding in the last eight years for the college.