Director for Center for the Advancement of Faculty ExcellenceVincennes University
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Graduate Education, Assistant Dean for Student Development and Academic Affairs
Indiana University, Indianapolis
Dr. Debbie Ford
Chancellor
Indiana University Southeast
Dr. Debbie Ford became Chancellor of IU Southeast in July 2023, becoming the sixth chancellor and second woman chancellor to serve the campus. An Indiana University alumna with deep experience in supporting student success and community engagement, Dr. Ford will oversee all aspects of the academic and operational dimensions of the campus, in collaboration with the university administration and the other Indiana University regional campuses.
A strong proponent of community engagement, she has been appointed to a three-year term on the Board of Directors for One Southern Indiana (1si), and she was recently named to the Louisville Business First’s Power 50 list for 2024. Dr. Ford also serves on the Advisory Board of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and will serve as the executive sponsor representing the five regional IU campuses for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Student Success Equity Intensive.
Before joining the learning community at IU Southeast, Dr. Ford served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for 14 years. Prior to UW-Parkside, Dr. Ford served as Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of West Florida, and Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.
Dr. Ford holds her B.S. from the University of Louisville, her Master of Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University, and her Doctor of Education from the University of Louisville.
Paaige K. Turner (Ph.D. Purdue University). Dr. Turner serves as Dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media, Professor in the Department of Communication Studies, president of the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language and Gender (OSCLG), and principal associate in Communication Resource Associates, LLC. She is an experienced higher education administrator, communication teacher/scholar and organizational consultant with an extensive background in strategic planning, assessment, recruitment and mentoring, education technology, budget management, group facilitation, change management, and international education. As an award winning teacher-scholar, she has published over 30 chapters and articles in the area of organizational communication, specifically on topics of internationalization, organizational socialization, customer satisfaction, gender, midwifery and birth, breastfeeding, and the body. Most recently she was an associate editor for the International Handbook of Organizational Communication that received the NCA Organizational Communication Division 2017 Edited Book Award.
Dionne B. Jackson, Ed.D.
Vice President for Institutional Equity (VPIE) and Title IX Coordinator
DePauw University
Dr. Dionne Jackson has 25 years of professional experience in the field of education. She currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator for DePauw University
in Greencastle, Indiana. As a member of the President’s cabinet, she provides strategic, university-wide leadership for compliance, belonging, and engagement.
Her additional experience as an executive leader includes roles in government and the non-profit sector. She served as the inaugural Chief Equity Officer for the Mayor’s Office of the City of Little
Rock, Arkansas and as the Executive Director of AR Kids Read. Additionally, she began her career in higher education at her alma mater, Hendrix College. Her roles there spanned academic success to
serving as the inaugural Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion/Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and as a tenured Associate Professor of Education.
Dionne earned her Ed.D. from Baylor University, in Waco, Texas, a MSE at the University of Central Arkansas and her BA from Hendrix College, both in Conway, Arkansas. She is a co-founder of the Arkansas Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Network, a board member of the Oscar Washington Jr. Educational Fund and Main Street Greencastle, and a trustee at Ottawa University located in Ottawa, Kansas and Surprise, Arizona.
Dr. Sarah Alderfer
Dr. Sarah Alderfer is the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence at Vincennes University. Prior to her position as Director, she was a Professor of English at VU and served as the department chair for nine years.
Sarah earned her Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Illinois, specializing in Restoration and 18th Century British literature. She earned her MA in English literature from Old Dominion University and her BA in English from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Anna Groff
Assistant Professor of Communication and Director of Communication Adult Degree Completion, Goshen College
Anna M. Groff is assistant professor of communication and director of the communication adult degree completion degree at Goshen College. Anna has 10 year of experience in journalism and serving as a magazine editor, as well as six years of experience as executive director of a faith-based nonprofit.
She has a Master of Public Administration with a nonprofit management focus from Arizona State University. At Goshen College, she directs the annual oratorical contest, serves as an advisor on the Sexual Misconduct Response Team, and is a committee member of the Atlee and Winifred Beecy Peace, Justice and Reconciliation Lectureship, among other responsibilities.
Starting fall 2024, she will assume the roles of faculty advisor for the independent student newspaper, The Record, and faculty coordinator of the Prevention Intervention Network. Anna lives in downtown Goshen, Indiana, with her spouse and two school-aged children.
Tabitha Hardy
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Graduate Education, Assistant Dean for Student Development and Academic Affairs, Indiana University, Indianapolis
Dr. Tabitha Hardy is the assistant vice chancellor for graduate education and assistant dean for student development and academic affairs at the IU Graduate School in Indianapolis. Dr. Hardy is the youngest of ten and the first in her family to attain a college degree.
Dr. Hardy has successfully navigated academia as a first-generation minority female in STEM at both minority and majority serving institutions. Hardy received her BS in Biology Education from Alcorn State University, her Master’s in Biology from Jackson State University and earned her Ph.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine in Microbiology and Immunology.
Kristen McCauliff
Interim Dean of the College of Communication, Information and Media at Ball State University
Dr. Kristen McCauliff currently serves as the Interim Dean of the College of Communication, Information and Media at Ball State University. Her articles have appeared in a number of journals, including Communication Studies, Women & Language, Rhetoric Society Quarterly, and Journal of Faculty Development.
Her co-authored book, Listening to Women on the Right: Communication Strategies of Today’s Female Republican Politicians, was published in 2017. A nationally recognized faculty developer, Dr. McCauliff has led many workshops for Academic Impressions. She was named an EAB Rising Higher Education Leaders Fellow in 2022 and a Berkeley University Bridging Differences Community of Practice Campus Fellow in 2020.
Dr. McCauliff formerly served as the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Development, where she supported faculty as they engaged in various initiatives across campus, including Faculty Learning Communities, High Impact Teaching Practices, and Open Educational Resource adoption.
Pamela Malone
Dean of Teaching, Learning & Academic Support, Ivy Tech
Dr. Pamela Malone is a Dean of Teaching, Learning & Academic Support at Ivy Tech Community College, where she previously served as Dean of Arts, Sciences & Education. She has experience in K-12 education, higher education, business, and technology. Pamela has designed and implemented programs/courses focused on education, reading, math, technology, ethics, and innovation. She holds a Ph.D. from the department of Curriculum, Instruction & Media Technology at Indiana State University.
Engagement that positively transforms lives and communities is her passion, and she loves supporting the success of students, faculty, and staff in her role. Pamela believes that intentionally supporting and encouraging the best in people is a free gift we can give that has a priceless impact. She is thankful for the power of education that empowered her to move from poverty and teen parenting to Ph.D. and serving others.
Dr. Jennifer Palilonis
Distinguished Professor of Multi-media Journalism
Ball State University
Dr. Jennifer Palilonis is the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Multimedia Journalism and a full professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication. She also serves as the Director of the Center for Emerging Media Design and Development (EMDD). She is known for her creative and innovative endeavors. In 2017, Dr. Palilonis and her students deployed a global social media campaign to engage young people in the value of water. The work was recognized by the Vatican, and she and EMDD students were invited to lead a three-day workshop on water issues during the Vatican’s World Water Day. She and her students also have worked with the Professor Garfield Foundation, building a digital literacy curriculum for children K-5, and she leads the David Letterman Learning Experience, an ongoing interdisciplinary immersive learning project focused on intersections between technology, art, and storytelling. Garfield Creator Jim Davis and former late-night talk show host David Letterman are Ball State alumni. Other project collaborations have been with The Indiana State Museum, Circle of Blue, USA Volleyball.
Dr. Palilonis’ fields of professional specialization are design thinking, human-computer interaction, cross-platform storytelling, visual journalism, information graphics reporting, art direction, redesign, visual rhetoric, e-learning, digital publishing, research-informed design and development, human-computer interaction and interaction design. She is the former education director for the Society for News Design and former head of the Visual Communications division of the Association for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Patti Pelletier
Executive Director of Academic Administration, Purdue University Global
Patti Pelletier is the Executive Director of Academic Administration for Purdue University Global. She leads Faculty Operations, Student Life, and the Academic Success Center teams. Patti holds a doctorate of educational leadership with a specialization in curriculum and instruction, along with a master of arts in early childhood education and a master of arts in higher education administration. Her bachelor’s degree is in business administration.
She has been in the education field since 1977 and with Purdue University Global since 2009.
Dana Rassas
Development Officer, Indiana University South Bend
Dana is currently the Development Officer at IU South Bend where she works on both major gifts, annual giving and donor stewardship. She has a well-rounded experience in fundraising and camping design, both for charitable and educational institutions.
Dana is experienced in the design, the operations, and the management of multi-faceted economic-development, entrepreneurial and environmental projects. She has solid experience in building consensus, collaboration, bringing people together and working with both grassroots community, national & international NGOs, and government(s). Throughout her work in the Middle East and US, in the past 20 years, she has gained a creative approach to working, team building, and negotiating skills. She has worked on projects covering social entrepreneurship, economic development, and environmental issues, youth and women empowerment.
Dana has earned a degree in Political Science from Brigham Young University, a MSc. In Environmental Studies from Ben Gurion University, and MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is currently working on a degree in Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Assistant Professor, Computer Science & Software Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology,
Visiting Assistant Professor, Online Data Science Program, Indiana University
Google Women TechMakers Ambassador
Chair, Advances in Teaching and Learning Technologies, Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
President and Co-Founder, Scrivner Solutions Inc
Dr. Scrivner has successfully navigated her career following her passion for teaching and learning. She obtained her first Master’s in Philology (State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia), her Ph.D. in Computational and French Linguistics at Indiana University, and her second Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
She speaks fluently 5 languages and she also circumnavigated all 7 continents on board Ocean Explorer where she met her future Hoosier husband.
Susan Thomas
Interim Dean of Library Services
Indiana University South Bend
Ms. Susan Thomas is the Interim Dean of Library Services at Indiana University South Bend. Susan has 30 years of varied leadership experience working in academic libraries. Before her current position at IU South Bend, Susan served as the Facilitator for Reference Services and Archivist (1995-1997) at Valdosta State University (Georgia), the Assistant Head of the Regents Center Library, and Bibliographer for Social Welfare at the University of Kansas/Edwards Campus, and as a Medical Reference Librarian at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Library. In these roles, Susan has participated and led successful change initiatives, strategic plans, facility master plans, and grant applications through a participative leadership mindset. She endeavors to support students and has been part of several successful initiatives focused on student success.
Susan has held elected and appointed leadership roles in professional associations and recently completed a six-year term as the Monographs Acquisition Editor for one of the professional associations. She holds a B.A. in Psychology, a Master’s in Library and Information Science, and a Master’s in Public Affairs from Indiana University.
Jackie Ward
Senior Project Manager of Academic Affairs and Accreditation
Jackie Ward serves as the Senior Project Manager of Academic Affairs and Accreditation at Purdue University Global. She is detail-oriented and oversees a wide range of projects related to university governance, including faculty elections and new program approvals. As the university’s Higher Learning Commission Primary Filing Coordinator, she ensures that substantive change and comprehensive evaluation materials are produced and submitted in a timely manner. She has a hands-on approach to project management and prefers to engage with the content rather than simply creating and enforcing timelines.
Jackie holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Saint Xavier University and a B.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She has over 18 years of experience in the field of education and has been with Purdue University Global since 2012.
