Dr. Robert Belle, Director, SREB Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Doctoral Scholars Program

Robert (Bob) Belle joined the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) in November 2002 as the Director for the SREB Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Doctoral Scholars Program.  Prior to joining SREB Bob served as the Director of The Office of Federal TRiO Programs for the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC for almost 4 years. 

Bob was the TRiO Director when the budget for TRiO was $802.5 million. Under his leadership over 2,400 grants were awarded to grantees from around the country.  This was the largest number of grants ever awarded in TRiO.  During his time with TRIO Bob reached out to the TRiO community to seek their input on a number of policy and program activities. 

Bob took the lead in advocating the necessity for TRiO Programs to take seriously the infusing of technology as an integral part of their instruction and program administration plans. He documented the “digital divide” issue and the need to enhance the technology capacity for all TRiO programs.  As a result over $17 million was awarded for technology enhancement to five of the six TRiO service programs during his tenure in TRiO. In addition, Bob always encouraged and supported TRiO professionals to continue to grow and enhance their professional skills. Bob was always supportive of McNair programs and demonstrated that support by making sure McNair scholars and directors were able to attend and participate in the Compact for Faculty Diversity Annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring. With Bob’s support over the years more than 500 McNair scholars, Directors and Coordinators have had the opportunity to attend the Compact’s Institute.

In his current position as the Director, SREB-AGEP Doctoral Scholars Program he is responsible for implementing a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This grant was awarded to the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta, Georgia to serve 100+ scholars from around the country who participate in NSF’s Alliance for Graduate Education in the Professoriate (AGEP).  There are approximately 20+ AGEP sites around the country.  All AGEP programs seek to increase significantly the number of minority and underrepresented students receiving doctoral degrees in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Under Bob’s leadership over 500 AGEP scholars from around the country have participated in the Compact’s for Faculty Diversity Institutes.

So even in this new role, Bob continues to work on behalf of those students who traditionally have been underserved or denied access to higher educational opportunity. He has advised and counsel hundreds of students throughout his distinguished career.  He remains committed to making a difference.

Bob earned a bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Glassboro State Teachers College, which is now Rowan University. He earned a masters degree in Pupil Personnel Services from Seton Hall University. He earned a doctoral degree from Lehigh University in Counseling Education. He has teaching experience from the elementary level to the collegiate level. He has been an administrator at the collegiate, state, and national levels. Among his numerous awards and recognitions Bob was one of the initial inductees into The Athletic Hall Of Fame at his alma mater Glassboro State College, Glassboro, New Jersey; a recipient of the Walt Disney Community Service Award for Educational Service; and the Compact for Faculty Diversity Frank Abbott “Extra Mile” Award. In 2006 Bob received the Arturo A. Schomberg Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Equality and Excellence in Education. Inc.

Bob’s motto is:
“Always believe that what you do today is preparation
for something better tomorrow.” Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor

Lynn Curry, Associate Director, McNair Scholars Program, Central Michigan University

Lynn Curry has worked in higher education for nearly ten years and is experienced in student support and program coordination.  She currently directs the McNair Scholars Program at Central Michigan University and finds the work hugely rewarding. While at Tufts University, she managed and administered an environmental institute serving the needs of both faculty and students engaging in interdisciplinary research on campus.  In this capacity, Lynn also worked closely with undergraduate students seeking career counseling and internship opportunities.  She received her M.A./M.S. from Ohio University and has an interdisciplinary background in international development and environmental studies.  During her academic career, Lynn traveled extensively in Central America and East Asia and has interacted with individuals of many different cultures.  Her work within the community development field, conducting outreach and technical assistance for the Wisconsin Historical Society, lends greatly to her communication, facilitation and mentoring skills.

During the past 29 years, Cathi L. Eagan has worked for Indiana University. Since 1993, Cathi has served as Assistant Dean for the University Graduate School; PI/Director of the McNair Scholars Program; and until January,2003, served as PI/Director of the MEDIC-B Scholars and Partnership Program, a $1.3 million four-year NIH grant to promote diversity in biomedical research graduate programs and careers. Prior to 1993, Cathi served as Associate Director for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Initiative in the Department of Biology at Indiana University, a $2 million four-year grant in the life sciences; Director of the Science Mobile Project designed to build and strengthen linkage systems between Indiana University and elementary/secondary school science teachers/sixth grade students from underrepresented backgrounds in East Chicago, Gary and Hammond, Indiana; Director of the Indiana College Placement and Assessment Center, an $800,000/year program designed to increase the postsecondary participation of Indiana high school graduates; and Director of Student Affairs and Admissions at Indiana University’s School of Dentistry.

Dr. Kathy Gehr

Dr. Kathy Gehr teaches at an inner-city high school in Charleston, SC, and works as an educational consultant specializing in writing assessment and teacher development.  As a facilitator of workshops for teachers, Kathy has most recently presented in the areas of assessment cycles, backward design, and working in teacher curriculum teams. In collaboration with area police departments, Kathy also leads writing workshops and designs/evaluates promotional exams.  Kathy has over 10 years of experience teaching in higher education and looks forward to visiting Indiana University Bloomington where she earned her Ph.D. in English.

Throughout her career, Kathy has supported educational opportunities for all learners at all academic and professional levels. She first became involved with Indiana University’s McNair Scholars Program in 1996, and has led many workshops over the years in teaching and learning in higher education, teaching internships, mentorship, preparing for the GRE, and creating/revising personal statements.  Kathy lives in Mt. Pleasant, SC, with her husband and son.

Click HERE to read an article about the writing program Dr Gehr created in Charleston , SC.

Dr. Thomas Rochon, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, University of St Thomas

Dr. Thomas Rochon is Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, a position he has held since 2003.

Prior to his position at St. Thomas, he was Executive Director, Graduate Records Examination Program at the Educational Testing Service (ETS).  Under his leadership, the Analytical Writing section was added to the GRE General Test.  Rochon also moved to make GRE test prep materials free and readily available on the Internet. 

Dr. Rochon received a B.A. in Political Science with high distinction from the University of Michigan in 1973, followed by an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1976 and 1980.  He has an extensive record of scholarly research in the areas of contemporary European politics and social movements in Europe and the United States.  Dr. Rochon was also a Fulbright Lecturer at Kobe University in Japan.  His 1998 book, Culture Moves:  Ideas, Activism and Changing Values, received a Distinguished Scholarship Prize from the American Sociological Association and was named one of Choice’s Outstanding Academic Book of 1998. 

Dr. George Sanchez, Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity and History, University of Southern California

Dr. Orlando L. Taylor, Vice Provost, Howard University

Orlando L. Taylor is currently Vice Provost for Research, Dean of the Graduate School, and Professor of Communications at Howard University. He has held many other positions at Howard, including Dean of its School of Communication and Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Prior to joining the Howard faculty in 1973, Vice Provost Taylor was a faculty member at Indiana University. He also has served as a Visiting Professor at Stanford University, Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Dr. Taylor is a national leader in graduate education and within his discipline. He is currently or has served previously as a member of numerous national boards, including the Board of Directors of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), for which he served as Board Chair in 2001. He is also a Past President of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools and the National Communication Association. He is a former member of the Advisory Committee of the Directorate for Education and Human Resources of the National Science Foundation and of the Advisory Council at the National Institutes of Health. He is also the former president of the Consortium of Social Science Associations and a current member of the Board of Trustees of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Board of Directors. He chairs the National Advisory Board for the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, a major NSF-funded center at the University of Wisconsin.

As Graduate Dean at Howard University since 1993, Vice Provost Taylor has played a significant role in assuring Howard's continued national leadership in graduate education. Howard, a richly diverse institution, produces more African American on-campus Ph.D. recipients than any research university in the United States. Vice Provost Taylor is a leader in several national initiatives involving graduate education. He has been a particularly vigorous advocate and spokesperson on topics and issues relating to access and equity in higher education.

Vice Provost Taylor has raised several million dollars in research, training and program development grants from federal and private sources during his career at Howard University. Currently, he serves as PI on major grants from the National Science Foundation to increase the production of minority Ph.D. recipients in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) and in the social, behavioral and economic (SBE) sciences; as well as from the U.S. Department of Education to develop collaborative academic and research programs between universities in Brazil and in four European Union countries with Howard University and several others in the United States. He is the author of numerous articles, chapters, and books.

Vice Provost Taylor has earned honorary doctorates from Purdue University, Indiana University, The Ohio State University, Hope College and DePauw University. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association awarded him its highest award, Honors of the Association, and the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan awarded him its Distinguished Service Alumni Award.

Dr. Taylor received his bachelor's degree from Hampton University, master's degree from Indiana University, and Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan.

Dr. James Wimbush, Dean, University Graduate School, Indiana University

James C. Wimbush is Dean of The University Graduate School and Professor of Business Administration at Indiana University. He joined Indiana University in 1991 after earning his Ph.D. in management from Virginia Tech. A faculty member of the Department of Management of the Kelley School of Business, he has served as Chair of the Department of Management, Chair of the Kelley MBA Program, and Chair of the Kelley Doctoral Programs in Business. In addition to his administrative positions at Kelley, for five years he served as Associate Dean of the Faculties for the Bloomington campus. He also has been active in advisory roles at Indiana University and currently is a member of Indiana University President Michael McRobbie’s Cabinet, and is in his second term as Chair of the University Athletics Committee. 
As dean of the University Graduate School, Dean Wimbush is responsible for overseeing master’s and doctoral programs, excluding professional programs, on all eight IU campuses. More than 13,000 students are enrolled in graduate programs, including 6,600 at Bloomington and 4,800 at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. 
In addition to his administrative and service duties, Dean Wimbush has received numerous awards for his graduate and undergraduate teaching in the areas of human resources management and leadership. His research regarding measurement issues for the collection of sensitive data, integrity testing, and ethical issues in human resources management has been published in numerous journals including Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Journal of Business Ethics, Business Horizons, and Business Ethics Quarterly, among others.

Dr. Steve Yandell, Assistant Professor, Xavier University

Stephen Yandell grew up in Missouri and Texas and studied as an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Steve’s interest in medieval literature and Celtic language politics led him to Indiana University where, as a Jacob K. Javits Fellow, he completed his doctoral work in medieval political prophecy. His current publications include a translation of a Middle Welsh prose narrative in Medieval Literature for Children and a co-edited collection of essays entitled Prophet Margins: The Medieval Vatic Impulse and Social Stability. His current research interests include medieval prophecy, Welsh politics, narrative theory, and the writings of the Inklings (J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Charles Williams).