Karen advises public and private institutions of higher education on a range of matters, including faculty, student, and employment matters, investigations, governance questions, and litigation.

Her experience in higher education includes issues arising under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Clery Act, and other federal and state laws and regulations.

Karen has several years of experience as a litigator at leading national law firms. She has represented clients in all stages of federal and state litigation involving commercial, trade secret, employment, consumer finance and property disputes, including appeals and class actions. Earlier in her career, she served as the Legal Fellow in the Office of Legal Counsel at the University of Chicago, where she assisted in drafting and implementing university policies and investigated and responded to charges of discrimination. She also assisted in creating training and compliance programs related to Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act, and the Clery Act.

During law school, Karen received the Llewellyn Cup for second-place finish in the University of Chicago Hinton Moot Court competition and the Thomas R. Mulroy Prize for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy. She also served as a judicial extern for the Hon. James B. Zagel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Research Interests

Faculty Employment, Tenure, and Misconduct; Post-Secondary Students - Admissions; Sponsored Research (Research Misconduct, General Compliance, Data Privacy, and Policy Development); University Governance; Safety on Campus; Organizational and Programmatic Change in Higher Education Institutions

Dr. Engberg received his Baccalaureate degree in Economics from the University of Michigan, Masters of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University, and his Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. He currently serves as the Chief of Staff to the President of La Salle University, where he oversees the strategic priorities and daily operations of the university. Additionally, he serves as Secretary of the University, Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management, and manages the Office of the General Counsel. Previous work experience in higher education includes serving as the Vice President of Research at Human Capital Research Corporation (HCRC) from 2004-2007, working as a Professor of Higher Education and Department Chair at Loyola University Chicago from 2007-2017, and serving as an Associate Dean and Professor of Higher Education at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver from 2017-2021.

Dr. Engberg’s research agenda is rooted in his strong belief in social justice and an ongoing desire to investigate and dismantle the structural and systemic forces that continue to reproduce inequality in the American system of postsecondary education. His research has specifically addressed individual and organizational factors that facilitate postsecondary enrollment, including examining the roles of high school counselors, parents, teachers, and peers in the college choice process. His research has also investigated the educational benefits of diversity in response to affirmative action cases at the University of Michigan, University of Texas, Harvard University, and the University of North Carolina, and his research has been cited in numerous amicus curiae briefs presented to the Supreme Court on behalf of the defendants. Dr. Engberg also co-developed the Global Perspective Inventory (GPI), a survey instrument used by over 150 schools to examine curricular, co-curricular, and community-based factors that influence global learning and development.

In addition to regularly presenting at national and international conferences, his work has been published in numerous high-impact journals, including the Journal of Higher Education, Review of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, Equity & Excellence in Education, Journal of College Student Development, TC Record, and Review of Educational Research. Dr. Engberg received the Outstanding Review of Research Award from AERA in 2005 and the Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Research in 2014 from Loyola University Chicago.

Kim Everett, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) is a native of Chicago’s Southside, a daughter of the Great Migration, Mary’s baby girl, and the mother of two amazing daughters. Her passion for lifelong learning is only surpassed by her genuine calling to help individuals and communities tap their inner wisdom and reach their goals. Guided by contemplative practices, community building, anti-racism, and the need for anti-oppressive policies, Kim has extensive experience working as an identity-conscious educator, value-driven leader, consultant, and healing practitioner in higher education, non-profit management, and community-based organizations.

Motivated by her own experience as a BIPOC first-generation college student, Kim spent more than two decades in student affairs working to foster spaces centering, affirming, and advancing the needs and experiences of historically marginalized students. Kim has taken those skill and that passion and followed her former students into the workplace and beyond as a coach and consultant in private practice. Whether teaching, training or coaching, Kim helps people and organizations tune into their inner guidance as they define and refine their goals and take aligned action in realizing those goals. In either setting, Kim is skilled at asking the right questions and co-creates ambitious, proactive, and actionable paths forward.

Colleges, universities, and other clients rely on Dan because of his deep knowledge of higher education law and employment law; exceptional judgment; strategic advice; and litigation success. Dan’s work is regularly honored by regional and national ranking organizations.  He is recognized by Chambers USA as a Leading Labor & Employment Lawyer, holds an AV® (preeminent/highest) rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2012- Present), Midwest’s Best Lawyers (2021- Present), Illinois Super Lawyers (2006 – Present) and Chicago’s Top-Rated Lawyers (Chicago Tribune and Wall Street Journal). Dan has represented large and small public and private institutions across the country in a wide variety of matters, including:

• Discrimination, harassment, retaliation, disability and other litigation;
• Hiring, disciplining, and terminating employees;
• Medical leaves, accommodations, and disability matters;
• Student matters;
• Litigation avoidance and strategy; and
• Addressing financial challenges.

Dan is passionate about service, including serving on the Board of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Dan’s commitment to public service includes serving as a Highland Park, IL City Councilperson (2011-21).

Dan has held various leadership roles at Michael Best, including helping to lead the firm’s Higher Education Group, previously serving on the firm’s Management Committee, as the Managing Partner of the Chicago Office, and as the Chair of the Labor & Employment Relations Group.

After graduating law school, Dan clerked for Justice Charles L. Levin on the Michigan Supreme Court (1986-1987).

After graduating law school, Dan clerked for Justice Charles L. Levin on the Michigan Supreme Court (1986-1987).

Research Interests

Litigation avoidance and strategy; retaliation claims; mental disabilities, accommodations and leaves

Charles C.M. Kellom is an expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion organizational change, originally from Cincinnati, OH. For almost 20 years, he has developed and led diversity and social justice initiatives to transform cultures, and further equity for people on the margins of our society.

Charles led diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education for over 15 years. Most notably, he served as the Assistant Dean for the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) at Ohio Wesleyan University. In this role, he led the department in strategic goals, program assessment, and advocacy for students of color, LGBTQIA students, low-income students, and/or first-generation college students. Before that, he was the Director for Multicultural Student Affairs at Northwestern University, ranked the 9th best national university by US News & World Report. There he oversaw a staff of 12 and helped develop institution-wide initiatives removing barriers for students to thrive and succeed. He’s also lead diversity initiatives at George Mason University in the DC area, and at the University of Dayton.

Currently, Charles is the Senior Director for IREM, leading the institute’s global diversity strategy. Before that, Charles was an Inclusion Strategist at Tangible Development, a boutique consulting firm based in Albany, NY. Charles worked with clients from all sectors of the professional world, including financial institutions, healthcare organizations, a biosciences firm, non-profit arts organizations, and governmental institutions, to engage employees in organizational change through a DEI lens, and measure the climate of inclusion within their organizational culture.

Kellom earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and his Master of Arts degree in English, both from the University of Dayton. He is expected to complete a Master of Fine Arts degree from Hamline University in July 2023. A member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Charles is a lover of anything creative or artistic, and enjoys time at home with his two sons.

For over 20 years Mark has been working in higher education in progressively responsible, cross-functional, administrative leadership roles across institutional types. His experience has primarily focused in the areas of student life and engagement, co-curricular assessment, and facilitating unit, division, and university level change processes and strategic initiatives. Most recently, Mark served as a Director in the Office of Organizational Strategy and Change at Northwestern University. In that role he partnered with and engaged senior academic and operational leaders to facilitate and support change initiatives that aimed to enhance organizational structures, processes, strategies, and overall effectiveness at the University. Prior to that, Mark served as Director of Planning and Assessment for Student Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago, including a one-year appointment as Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement. He has additionally held administrative roles at DePaul University, Northwestern University, and Cal Poly.

Research Interests

Higher education assessment and data use, student engagement, institutional effectiveness and change

Ellen Meents-DeCaigny currently serves as the Chief of Staff for Union Insurance Group, supporting the President and leadership team while overseeing Human Resources and organizatioal development. Prior to this role Ellen served at DePaul University as the Student Affairs Assistant Vice President and Chief of Staff, responsible for divisional initiatives related to assessment and research, budget and human resources, strategic planning and information management. Ellen worked at DePaul University for over 23 years in a variety of roles, including student affairs director of assessment, research and communication; director of the Office of Academic Enhancement and program director of New Student Programs. She also has served as a consultant helping Student Affairs divisions with their assessment efforts. Ellen teaches in the Master’s Research Project sequence.

Research Interests

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Leadership, Student Development

Joan Trimuel is the Director of Compliance at Feinberg School of Medicine’s Office for Regulatory Affairs.
Joan has been at Northwestern (NU) since June 1999 where she has also worked in NU’s Office of Audit and Advisory Services in Financial Operations.
In 2021, Joan sits as the president of the Northwestern University Staff Advisory Council (NUSAC) and as a past president of Association of Northwestern University Women’s(ANUW), she currently serves as a mentor in their mentor ship program.
Joan is licensed to practice law in Illinois and is a certified public accountant.
Outside of work, Joan serves on the board for Girls on the Run – Chicago, an after-school character development program for girls 3rd – 8th grade. Joan is also a mentor to an amazing high school student in the Link Unlimited program.
Joan’s loving family consists of her supportive husband, Jabari, and inquisitive son, Jordan.