Ohio Strong Start in Science is a partnership between the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Community College Research Center, Columbia University, and twenty community colleges and universities in Ohio to transform placement practices, curriculum, and instruction in introductory biology and chemistry courses while generating knowledge and evidence necessary for additional states or systems to make similar multi-institutional change.

With over 20 years of higher education experience, the team at Beech Dickson Consulting can help address your organization's needs through campus presentations, consulting services, keynotes, and interactive workshops including facilitated sessions based on the methods of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®.

As Director, I serve in a leadership role working on higher education initiatives for a regional, non-profit, intermediary organization supporting the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties). I oversee multiple grant projects and institutional transformation efforts including Guided Pathways (College Futures Foundation and Foundation for California Community Colleges), College Corps (CA Volunteers - CA Governors Office), College Promise (Kresge Foundation), and Intermediaries for Scale (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) all focused on bringing resources to campuses, connecting institutions, and conducting research beneficial to the region's educational attainment and equity goals. Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) is focused on increasing educational attainment, improving career opportunities and equity, increasing social mobility, scaling successful efforts, reducing and removing barriers to transfer, and addressing student basic needs. I collaborate with research and assessment as well as partner institutions on assessing project outcomes and oversee provisioning of incentives to partner institutions.

Oversight of an amazing team of student affairs professionals responsible for institutional level, high impact, student engagement programs including: academic support and tutoring, early start (summer bridge), supplemental instruction, undergraduate research (symposium, journal, grants), national and prestigious scholarships, capital internship programs (UCDC/UC Sacramento), community engaged learning and service learning, first-generation programs, student-initiated courses (R'Courses), and the Health Professions Advising Center. I served as a UCR representative on several University Innovation Alliance (UIA) projects (chatbot, completion grants, Black Student Success Initiatives - mentoring, Umoja, and HBCU partnerships), Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) regional partnerships, UC Education Abroad Planning Committee, and the American Talent Initiative (Kessler). I also oversaw various Undergraduate Education initiatives including grant writing and donor proposals to fund student success initiatives as well as provided oversight on advisor support, degree mapping, and degree planning technologies. Our programs in Student Engagement (Health Professions Advising, Academic Resource Center, Engaged Learning, and First-Gen Initiatives) engage over 13,000 students each year, impact all four key areas in the strategic plan, represent 9 of the 11 high impact practices, generates over 1,700 units of enrollment, and supports students via more than 220 annual events.As of July 2022, I had worked on text-message mentoring programs that engaged over 50% of incoming students, integrated a campus-wide chatbot, developed a career-readiness and leadership program (excel.ucr.edu), and various other student success and engagement initiatives. Pandemic projects included the AskUCR resource website (ask.ucr.edu) that acted as a one-stop for finding campus resources and the development of the KeepLearning.ucr.edu website which provided remote learning assistance and resources.

I teach courses for the Graduate School of Education. I teach EDUC 093: First Year Seminar: Introduction to the Major and University, a first-year success course tailored to education majors designed to assist students with major and university knowledge acquisition and navigation. I also teach EDUC 102 Democractic Pedagogy, a course designed to review the fundamentals of instruction, course design, democratic education, and educational assessment methodologies for students in the UCR R'Course program. The R'Course program is a dynamic educational experience where undergraduates design and teach their own courses to their peers (other undergraduates). Students have taught everything across the idea spectrum including: Gender and Marvel movies, Python Computer Programming, Urban Gardening, Birdwatching, Chemistry of Skin care, and Indian Classical music. As of Fall 2021, I have taught over 62 course sections (6 graduate-level, 50 lower division, and 6 upper division courses) and supervised 48 sections (222 units) of academic internships, independent research/study, and peer-instructed courses.

College-level student services for undergraduate and graduate programs, academic advising management, scholarships, crisis student support and intervention, leadership development, admissions, student progression, recruitment, learning support services, faculty support, and instructional support. Manages selection and disbursement of $3.8 Million in scholarships, grants, loans, and other student awards each year. Assists with grant writing, project planning, evaluation criteria, data management, and reporting. Manages Office of Student Affairs budget of just under $1 Million for staff and operations.Increased enrollment in masters programs by 354%, doctoral 218%, and baccalaureate 267% over five years, growing student populations to over 1,900 as of spring 2016. Supervised 11 staff members at both Phoenix and Tucson campuses. Manages relationships with a private partner in the administration of marketing, recruitment, student services, and admissions.Serves on and supports various curricular, progression, and admission committees for the College of Nursing. Represents the College on the President's 100% Engagement Task Force, Arizona Health Sciences Working Group, University Academic Advising Council, and College Academic Administrators Council.

College-level advising and program management for an interdisciplinary studies and liberal arts college across three campuses and online programs.Served over 2,900 students enrolled in 8 degree programs, across 6 departments, and three physical campuses as well as the online campus. Generated reports and analyzed data for Chairs, Faculty Heads and the Dean on recruitment, retention, enrollment, program changes, student credit hour course revenue, and curricular revision impacts.Chaired the college Standards Committee. Represented the College on the University Enrollment Management Team, Medical & Compassionate Withdrawal Policy Committee, University Recruitment Board, Student Assistance Coordination Committee, the Advising Administrators Board, and the Council of Academic Advisors.

Masters-level instruction in higher education including counseling and career counseling theory, academic advising, and technology in higher education. Mary Lou Fulton College of Education.Taught four sections of HED 591: Academic Advising and three sections of HED 591: Innovative Technology in Higher Education. Student evaluations rated the overall for the courses between a 4.8 and 4.85 out of 5.

School-level advising administrator for the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies undergraduate programs (7 programs). Served as the Assistant Director of the History department for one year and administered the transition process to a unified school model consolidating student support services and advisement of multiple departments. Honors and athlete advisor, enrollment manager, advising supervisor, and retention coordinator.Developed student engagement programming, undergraduate research initiatives, co-curricular programming, and peer mentor programs.Taught LIA 194, LIA 294: First Year Success in Liberal Arts and seven sections of ASU 101: The ASU Experience. Developed curriculum and taught HST 394: Careers for History Majors, later renamed HST 394: Careers for Humanities Majors - a course on career exploration, graduate school search skills, resume writing, interviewing, and job search skills.

Advised undergraduate students for the Mary Lou Fulton College of Education. Coordinated customized services for special populations including Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies students with Education concentrations, Honors College students, students with disabilities, students with academic difficulties, and Indigenous (Native American) Teacher Program students.Taught DCI394: Peer Leadership and DCI 194: Education Academic Success courses.

Career counseling and exploratory student advising for the Gateway Student Success Center. Coordinated career fairs for over 150 employers, presented on career exploration and job search skills, and conducted first-year student orientations and major exploration sessions.

Memorial Union and Student Activities