Mark is well known for encouraging projects that celebrate and promote the unique strengths of the programs housed and creating warm and inviting spaces with the recent renovation of the Penrose Library (originally built in 1972) into the Anderson Academic Commons that re-opened in March of this year a notable example. As university architect, Mark’s responsibilities range from the initial programming and design to adapting projects years after construction – allowing him to garner a rare understanding of how buildings serve an academic institution for many years beyond completion. Following upon initial design direction, Mark has continued the challenging work of unifying the University Park Campus in a manner that embraces its distinguished history, accounts for the necessity of enduring design, and celebrates an enthusiasm for DU’s future. Mark has enjoyed the roles in architecture from “picking up redlines” and “producing shop drawings” to being deeply involved in the design of every project at the University of Denver over the last two decades.
Jane has over thirty years of experience in Design and Architecture, about half at The University of Denver. Before joining the Office of The University Architect she worked at several award winning Denver architectural firms on projects such as the renovation and addition of Spruce Hall at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics and the UniversityTheater and Dance addition at The University of Colorado’s Boulder campus. Her involvement in the Anderson Academic Commons was to lead the team in the interior architectural design; planning layout, millwork, lighting, finishes, fabrics and furnishings.
An expert on faculty development and online teaching, Dr. Susan Ko has been supporting faculty in their transition to online and blended teaching since 1997. She co-authored a leading book on the subject of online teaching, widely adopted over the past decade by faculty development programs nationwide, entitled Teaching Online: A Practical Guide, now in its third edition and is also the editor of Routledge’s Best Practices in Online Teaching and Learning book series. Before heading up the Office of Faculty Development and Instructional Technology at City University of New York’s School of Professional Studies, she served as Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at University of Maryland University College and held a variety of positions related to faculty training and online course design in the non-profit and for-profit education sectors. Underpinning her work in faculty development, she has many years of experience teaching in both on-campus and online classrooms.
Jim serves as SHW’s National Practice Director given his broad range of experience serving education clients over nearly 30 years including school districts that seek innovative and inspiring learning environments and colleges and universities, both public and private, that seek expertise to bring their unique vision to life. His experience as an award-winning designer and project leader spans the nation bringing our clients a wealth of information on current trends as well as research on best practices and future innovations. Jim’s passion for education, his energy and enthusiasm and his desire to make a difference through design are palpable.
Ms. Ernst, a registered architect in New York and Washington, DC, LEED AP Building Design +Construction, and has more than 20 years of experience in program/project management, architecture, interiors, construction management, facilities planning and design. Recent Georgetown projects include an innovative 91,000 SF downtown campus and a 150,000 SF state-of-the-art integrated science building. Prior to joining Georgetown, Ms. Ernst was the Senior Program Manager for the Smithsonian Institution and principal advisor on facilities program improvement, policies for new construction, strategic planning, facilities planning, repair and renovation, general operations, and management. She has provided comprehensive design and consulting services, project management, and technical assistance to public and private sector clients in eleven states and the District of Columbia, including the planning, design, and delivery of over three million square feet of space.
Aric has been working in the development field for the last decade, serving in roles ranging from development operations to frontline fundraising in the public sector, as a consultant, and in higher education. In his current role, Aric is responsible for fundraising efforts with eleven alumni classes, including the 20th and 25th reunion campaigns. He is also responsible for various internal projects, including the recurring gifts program, the Sundial Circle, and Bowdoin’s annual giving social media and web presence.
Carol Dollard is an Energy Engineer and Sustainability Facilitator at Colorado State University. In her nearly 15 years there, she has helped make University operations more sustainable. These efforts include: seven photovoltaic installations totaling over 5,500 kW, a biomass plant that burns wood chips, 11 LEED Gold buildings with more pending, and a wide variety of energy and water efficiency projects. She has implemented projects through a broad spectrum of funding models ranging from direct allocations to third party partnerships with power purchase agreements. In addition to working on implementing projects on campus, she leads a team that conducts the University’s annual greenhouse gas inventory and produces biannual updates to the CSU Climate Action Plan. Carol received her MSME from Colorado State in 1990. She is a licensed Professional Engineer and a LEED AP.
Dr. Deb Gearhart has worked in the field of distance education for over twenty-eight years. Previously, Dr. Gearhart served as director of eTROY at Troy University for five years as well as the founding director of e-education services at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota for eleven years. Before joining Dakota State, she spent ten years with the Department of Distance Education at Penn State, now Penn State World Campus. Deb was an associate professor for educational technology at Dakota State University teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Deb has co-authored a textbook entitled Designing and Developing Web-Based Instruction and edited another publication titled Cases on Distance Delivery and Learning Outcomes: Emerging Trends and Programs, which was released in December 2009. She is a master reviewer for Quality Matters and has done consulting, training, and program review for distance education programs. Deb has been involved with WCET (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies) for seventeen years. She is part of the Academic Integrity CIG, the Student Success CIG and the leadership group. Deb is currently serving on the WCET steering committee. Dr. Gearhart earned a M.Ed. in Adult Education with a distance education emphasis and an M.P.A. in […]
In her current role at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Jordan manages all programs geared toward expanding student philanthropy on campus and engaging undergraduate students as donors to the university. She helps to advise two student organizations, which include over eighty students who serve as ambassadors to the development office. As a UNC student, Jordan was a member of the Heelraisers Student Giving Council, one of the groups that she now advises, which carries out four major campus-wide campaign events throughout the year. The Heelraisers have been honored with the CASE ASAP District III award for outstanding organization two times since their inception. Jordan also oversees the annual senior campaign, which grew from participation of twelve percent in 2006 to the record of forty-seven percent in 2011.
Kitty McNeill is the Associate Dean and College Librarian at Oxford College of Emory University. She served as co-director of the Oxford College Strategic Planning Committee that resulted in a comprehensive ten-year plan for the College, a key component of an overall University strategic plan. Oxford College completed construction of a new Library and Academic Commons in May 2013. The project was a complete renovation and expansion of the existing library structure. Kitty led the planning for the transformative project. As a part of her PhD program she completed an ethnographic study of a proof-of-concept library space that informed the design of the new library facility. McNeill received her Master of Librarianship degree from Emory University. She is in the dissertation phase of her PhD work at Simmons College in Managerial Leadership in the Information Profession. Kitty completed the ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute in August 2000. She is a 2006 Peabody College Library Leadership Fellow and a 2007 Frye Institute Fellow.
