Masha Alexander is a senior consultant specializing in organizational change, culture and employee engagement at the University of Chicago Medicine. In this role, she is responsible for improving how the healthcare system approaches large change initiatives and the employee experience.

Prior to joining UChicago Medicine, Masha founded and led Social Good, a four-person consultancy focused on transformational projects for visionary nonprofits. Clients included the Millennium Reserve, the Illinois Library Association, the Chicago Dance Festival, and Northwestern University Center for Public Safety among others. She began her consulting career as a project manager and strategist at Lipman Hearne, a full-service marketing agency focused on the nonprofit and government sector.

Masha received an MS in Learning and Organizational Change and a BA American History from Northwestern University. She was a member of the inaugural cohort of Northwestern’s Designing for Organizational Effectiveness Certificate Program.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2010 and working in P-12 learning since 1997. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m teaching Spanish at Glenbrook South High School.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2020 and working in P-12 learning since 1999. I train teacher leaders because I believe teachers deserve leaders who care about helping them grow and learn. We are stronger as educators when we learn from each other. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning in Pleasantdale School District 107.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2010 and working in P-12 learning since 1997. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m teaching Spanish at Glenbrook South High School.

I’ve been working in P-12 learning since 1996 and teaching for the MSED program since 2016. I train teacher leaders because they are a critical voice in education. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction at Evanston Township High School.

Kim Bayma is a senior Customer Success leader at LinkedIn. She's spent over six years helping LinkedIn Talent Solutions build and evolve their methodology to ensure customers achieve their desired outcomes while using LinkedIn's products and services. Kim leverages design thinking, learning, and strategic change to help LinkedIn's customers drive global change and adoption of new technologies and processes. She currently leads a global team of Customer Success Managers and Analysts who consult the world's largest companies on their talent strategy. Kim also leads multiple go-to-market cross-functional projects and helped develop LinkedIn's Customer Maturity Index.

Prior to working at LinkedIn, Kim spent seven years at Towers Watson and Aon Hewitt consulting organizations on their employee engagement, culture, total rewards, and performance management strategies. Early in her career, Kim worked in Talent Acquisition at Accenture.

Kim earned her BS in Business Administration and Marketing at the Louisiana Scholars' College at Northwestern University and her MS in Learning and Organizational Change from School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern.

Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimbayma/

Dorie’s independent consulting practice draws from her multi-faceted career journey and her academic expertise to support change-makers committed to creating equitable, inclusive, and generative workplace communities.  She has served as an Instructor for MSLOC since its inception in 2002, and she has taught in the SESP Learning and Organizational Change undergraduate major since it was created in 1997. 

Dorie most recently served as Chief People Officer for Relativity, a global legal technology company based in Chicago, during a decade of rapid growth from start-up to mid-size. As part of the  executive team she led the work to integrate the Core Values into every talent process, build toward a culture of inclusion, diversity, and belonging through engagement and development, and emphasize the “human” in Human Resources. Before she began that lap in her career track, Dorie ran her first independent consulting practice for 11 years that focused on developing leaders and designing and implementing sustainable strategic and culture change. In that capacity, she worked primarily with mission-driven non-profits, healthcare organizations, and family-owned businesses. Prior to that her work as an internal HR/OD professional in healthcare, manufacturing and professional services enabled her to hone in on her areas of most passion: learning and change!

Dorie works at the individual level with HR leaders, DEI practitioners, and change-oriented leaders, and at the organizational level with leadership teams of private, public, and non-profit organizations. Dorie utilizes engaging and human-centered approaches to help people imagine and create desired change in their lives and their organizations, with an emphasis on examining traditional management approaches that have reinforced dominant cultural norms at the expense of equity, empowerment, and individual well-being. She co-creates and facilitates a variety of team-building, strategic planning, and culture change efforts that embody her watchword phrase, “People are more committed to what they help to create.” Examples of her favorite approaches include: appreciative inquiry, managing transitions (per William Bridges), scenario planning, world café dialogues, and design thinking (which she has learned from her MSLOC colleagues).

Dorie’s academic background includes a Masters in Organization Development from Loyola University, Chicago, and an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Religion from American University.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2002 and working in P-12 learning since 1981. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m teaching high school English full time. I am a National Board Certified teacher, seeking the maintenance of certification credential as of 2021. 

Katerina Bohle Carbonell earned her Master degree (Cum Laude) in Management of Learning from Maastricht University, Netherlands (2009), where she also completed her interdisciplinary PhD in a Organizational Behavior and Education (2016). She teaches online and face-to-face for numerous years at Maastricht University and conducts research on innovative learning environments, and knowledge sharing networks. Her main research interests are team, innovation,and social network analysis. She was a 2016 Experimental Teaching and Learning Analytics Fellow at Northwestern, and finalist for the Universidad Madrid- Accenture Award (2011) and the Wharton People Analytics Conference Case Competition (2016). She has provided workshops on "Networks for Personal and Organizational Learning" for organizations and professionals. She maintains the website of the Network for Learning group (networkforlearning.wordpress.com) in addition to her personal blog (www.katerinabc.com)

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2020 and working in P-12 learning since 2003. I train teacher leaders because I believe conscious, antiracist educators are critical partners with their students and the community to disrupt systemic barriers in education. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m serving as the Associate Principal for Instruction & Literacy at Evanston Township High School.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2004 and working in P-12 learning since 1981. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m working with children in my clinic Banner Literacy Center. I also might be found in classrooms in the south side of Chicago working with teachers.

Ahmmad Brown is a diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) scholar and practitioner with more than a decade of experience developing and implementing structures and processes that support equity and inclusion in organizational settings.

Ahmmad’s academic work includes two streams of research. In the first, he draws on the social capital, inclusion, and identity literatures to examine Black students' social experiences and feelings of belonging in historically white colleges. In the second, he uses survey and interview methods to understand the antecedents of race-based allyship in organizational settings.

As a practitioner, Ahmmad is president and co-founder of Equity Based Dialogue for Inclusion, LLC (EBDI). Through EBDI, Ahmmad works with organizations across industries to conduct equity assessments, provide strategic support for the development and implementation of equity and inclusion initiatives, and promote intergroup dialogue. As a senior advisor at Working IDEAL, Ahmmad conducts qualitative and qualitative research for organizations to support their strategic DEIJ efforts. He also serves on Merit America's board of directors. Prior to his current work, Ahmmad worked in social sector consulting and college admission.

Cecelia Burokas is an independent consultant whose company, Working with Groups at Work, specializes in strategic planning, change management, coaching, and nonprofit board development. Prior work includes Consulting Practice Leader for the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, consultant with Hewitt Associates' Organizational Effectiveness global practice, and Vice President, Learning and Development with Talman Home Federal Savings. She is currently a certified career coach with The Five O’Clock Club, a national outplacement and coaching firm.

In addition to teaching and coaching in the MSLOC program, she currently leads undergraduate classes in Organizational Change. She holds an AB degree from Vassar College and an MAT from Reed College. She also completed the one-year program and practicum in Client-Centered Counseling at the Chicago Counseling and Psychotherapy Center. More recently she has studied at the University of Minnesota Split Rock Arts Program and Lill Street Art Center in Chicago.

She has served on a number of not-for-profit boards including Community TV Network, serving Chicago’s most at-risk youth by teaching video production and workplace skills through hand-on experiences, and Gang of Toes, a dance ensemble (of which she is a member) that performs interactive programs for nursing home residents. She loves/hates the Cubs, learns every day about group dynamics and conflict resolution from her adopted parrots, and designs and makes one-of-a-kind jewelry that she exhibits locally and online.

This is my first year teaching for the MSED program, but I’ve been working in P-12 learning since 2000. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m parenting a nine year old and six year old twins.

Kourtney Cockrell is the Founding Director of Student Enrichment Services at Northwestern University, an office that works with students coming from first-generation, lower-income, and/or undocumented backgrounds. Kourtney has spent 20 years working with organizations to increase access and opportunity for marginalized students and young professionals across higher education and the nonprofit and private sectors. Kourtney recently co-founded the FGLI Consortium, a national organization, providing leadership, expertise, and resources around the experience of first-generation and/or lower-income college students at highly selective universities and colleges. Kourtney has also provided consulting services with Johns Hopkins University and Washington University in St. Louis.

Prior to working with Student Enrichment Services, Kourtney worked with The Posse Foundation as the National Director of Career and Alumni Programs, served as an Admissions Officer with the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, and acted as National Diversity Recruiting Manager with McMaster-Carr. Kourtney has expertise in college access, social justice education, organizational change, nonprofit management, and talent management.

Kourtney earned her BA in African-American Studies and Sociology at the University of Michigan and her MS in Learning and Organizational Change from the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2019 and working in P-12 learning since 2007. I train teacher leaders because they are the best hope for supporting great teachers and great learning in our school system. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m working at my job during the school year.

Bob is an executive coach and member of EY's Americas Coaching Practice (ACP). He has 20+ years of executive coaching, consulting and HR experience across multiple industries and in 10+ countries. Previously he was a vice president with Ernst & Young Application Services prior to its acquisition by Cap Gemini. Bob has a BA in Psychology, an MS in Industrial Relations and an MS in Organization Development from Loyola University Chicago. He received his coaching training from the Hudson Institute of Coaching, a certified professional coaching school. Bob is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation, the global organization that certifies the training and capabilities of professional coaches.

Bob has coached leaders and teams in large organizations in the consumer goods, health care and financial services industries, including the C-Suite level and those reporting to the C-Suite. The range of coaching assignments has included individual development, team alignment and performance, and onboarding/transition coaching. Additionally, Bob has conducted individual development coaching for people of color who are leaders in large organizations.

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

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2019. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m teaching middle school humanities in a CPS school. 

Samir Desai is vice president of talent management and organization development for NorthShore University Health System. In this role, he is responsible for developing the skills and capabilities of NorthShore team members - physicians, nurses, other clinical and administrative staff. His goal is to create health care teams who can better lead and care for themselves, so that they can better care for patients.

His team, as part of human resources, drives this through leadership development, engagement, wellbeing, high impact learning programs, and performance management.

Prior to this, Samir led learning and organization development for Northwestern University. In this role, he led the architecture of a leadership development curricula at all levels, the first ever staff engagement survey, reinvented performance management to be simpler and stronger, implemented digital learning through a new LMS and online learning capabilities, and led diversity and inclusion efforts including a comprehensive curricula to drive more inclusive teams.

Before joining Northwestern, he was the managing director for talent development at Accenture, responsible for the onboarding, learning, performance management, and career development of over 300,000 employees worldwide. This capped a career journey that spanned systems consulting, project management, learning design and development, technology-enabled learning, learning and leadership development, and talent management. He is the co-author of "Return on Learning," Accenture's re-invention of learning aligned with their business strategy.

Samir has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has a master's degree in computer science from Northwestern University, which was a cross-discipline program with cognitive science and education, working at the forefront of using artificial intelligence for adult learning.

Nicole Dessain is a talent management and HR "nerd". She loves to blow up long-held beliefs that stop us from preparing our organizations for the future of work. She feels lucky to have had an amazing corporate HR and consulting career that she recently turned into her own start-up, talent.imperative inc, a talent experience design consultancy. Her second, not-for-profit business, DisruptHR Chicago, was launched in 2016 and has inspired more than 1,000 HR and business leaders in the Chicago area. Nicole is honored to serve as an IDEO U coach and as talent and culture blogger for HuffPost.  View Adobe Acrobat PDF file

Eric Doctors is the SVP of Learning and Organizational Development at Leo Burnett and Publicis Communications, North America. His career includes 22 years at Towers Perrin as a consulting pension actuary and head of the Retirement Practice's learning and development function where he provided consulting services to organizations in a wide range of industries (healthcare, manufacturing, consumer goods, financial services, and pharmaceuticals) and pioneered a talent system to develop consulting actuaries. He also has had stints at Wyatt, Abbott, Abbvie and as an independent consultant in a number of people and organizational development roles with both US and global reach.

In his current role at Leo Burnett, he is architecting and driving efforts to implement an employee-centric talent system that empowers employees to be designers of their careers, equip them with the tools and resources they need and invite them to co-create their learning activities and experiences. The broad portfolio of programs and a highly experimental approach is ever evolving and spans everything from Leo Leaps, a 60-day passion learning project experience

In addition to Eric’s professional pursuits, he is a ceramic artist, who has exhibited nationally, founded and owned Chi Healing Center, a multi-disciplinary healing arts, learning center and art gallery, and has served on the boards of local not-for-profits, Architreasures and Literature For All Of Us.

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.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2017 and working in P-12 learning since 1995. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m the World Language Programs Director for Chicago Public Schools

Marina is a seasoned professional and has experience in a wide variety of areas including: leadership development, change management, performance management strategy, and talent management. She has enhanced the effectiveness of organizations and their people by driving the execution and delivery of leadership assessments, designing and facilitating strategic planning meetings, crafting competency models to improve employee development, and developing change management strategies for organizations in transition. Marina has held a series of corporate management and consulting positions at several professional service firms and Fortune 500 companies including Talent Management Manager at the Port Authority of NY & NJ, Director of Learning & Organizational Development at IFF and People & Change Consultant at PwC. She currently serves as a lecturer at Teachers College, Columbia University and as an advisor at Northwestern University. She holds a Ph.D. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and is a DDI Certified Facilitator.

Eric Fridman, principal of Fridman Associates LLC, has spent the better part of his 30-year professional career as a marketing, communications, and strategy executive helping high-technology companies and universities tell their stories of who they are, what they do, how they’re different, and why that matters. He now teaches, consults, and maintains an executive coaching practice, supporting individuals and organizations who want to develop skills and behaviors that will make them more successful and their work more fulfilling and meaningful.

For 15 years Fridman held senior leadership positions at Northwestern University, including assistant dean of marketing and communications for the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, managing director of marketing and communications for the Kellogg School of Management, and assistant dean of marketing for the Kellogg School’s executive education and executive MBA programs. Prior to his years at Northwestern, Fridman spent 20 years working for telecommunications and computer networking companies in a variety of sales, marketing, and strategic planning roles. He graduated from Denison University with a major in European history, earned a master’s degree in humanities from the University of Chicago, and received his MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management. He has taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses at Northwestern and DePaul universities in leadership development, leading high-impact teams, organizational change. Currently, Fridman co-teaches two courses in the MSLOC program: “Accelerating Learning and Performance” and “Building Transformative Client Relationships.” He also serves as an MSLOC ILP coach and supports the Kellogg School’s Executive MBA program as a leadership coach and team facilitator.

A graduate of the inaugural cohort of MSLOC’s Organizational and Leadership Coaching Certification program, Fridman is a passionate student of how adults learn, grow, and build expertise, as well as how models of organization and leadership development evolve in response to shifting organizational priorities and market realities. He has extensive experience in marketing strategy and implementation, executive communications, institutional branding, electronic and social media, business development, team building, strategic planning, and executive coaching.

Fridman serves as president of The Chasing Hope Foundation, an advocate for supportive housing that provides safe and structured living space for children who are suffering from mental illness and are enrolled in therapeutic day schools. He is also on the advisory board of id8TE, a startup that provides research and education mapping wisdom practices to the real-world transformation of business leadership, innovation, communication, engagement, and productivity. Fridman volunteers as a coach with One Million Degrees, an organization that empowers low-income, highly-motivated community college students to succeed in school, in work, and in life. He is married with two adult children and lives in Glenview, Illinois.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2013 and working in P-12 learning since 1977. I train teacher leaders because strong and skilled leadership in schools influences positive culture, adult learning, and student growth and achievement. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m facilitating the Educational Coaching Network and providing Collaborative Leadership Coaching training, through IPA.

Goren has been teaching in the MSED program since 2021 and working in P-12 learning since 1986. Before coming to Northwestern, he served as superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65.

Jennifer Green is artistic director at the nationally acclaimed Piven Theatre Workshop, where she was previously director of educational programming and a senior faculty member for the past 20 years. Jennifer has been actively engaged in the Chicago community as a director and teacher working in arts consulting and curriculum development. She was selected as a participant in the Theatre Communication Group’s Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship and has regularly contributed to Piven Theatre’s professional production season and Performance Lab series.

Dr. Briellen Griffin (she/her) is a critical educator, researcher, and scholar of education. Her work is dedicated to Black humanity and the uprooting of antiblackness in all of its forms and manifestations.Dr. Griffin's identity as a multiracial Black woman informs her approach to collaborative teaching and learning. She is committed to nurturing conversations and projects that encourage anti-racist action. Her research interrogates mechanisms of antiblackness in the classroom, with a focus on teacher-student interactions. Her most recent project examines how teachers' ideas and beliefs about race manifest in their behavior toward and interactions with students. She is most interested in understanding how teachers can confront racism in their practice and learn to create humanizing educational experiences for every student. Research Interests Race & racism in education Black & African American studies Education policy & practice Urban education Resistance/Social change History of American education (US) Qualitative research methods

Nancy is the Founder and CEO of Restart Consulting.

Restart helps organizations develop inclusive cultures and leaders. We are passionate about disrupting systems in the workplace that have held back women and people of color.

Our approach to change focuses on creating structures that embed diversity into every fiber of an organization and coaching leaders to serve as catalysts for change.

Restart is privileged to work with clients like Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago School for Performing Arts, The Catherine Cook School, ADA Advancing Leadership 2025, Heartland Alliance, and 3M, and John Deere.

Nancy considers herself a “people geek” and is fascinated by how people respond (or not) to change. She is the host of The Intersection podcast and a facilitator at Northwestern's Kellogg Executive Education. When she’s not coaching and consulting clients you can find her dining with family and friends, walking along the lakefront with Tito (her Havanese puppy), or practicing yoga…Namaste.

Irene Hayes is an organizational change professional focused on helping companies meet the challenge of complex operational and organizational change with a focus on significant technology implementations, policy and process transformations, and restructuring. Her clients include financial institutions, energy utilities, and consulting firms.

In addition to her consulting practice, Irene teaches in the MSLOC program. She is a member of the Advisory Council for the College of Education at DePaul University, president of the Lincoln Park Boat Club, and a member of the marketing committee of Open Books, a not-for-profit to supporting literacy in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Irene earned her BA in History at the Loyola University and her MS in Learning and Organizational Change from the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2017 and working in P-12 learning since 1995. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m…an English teacher, Student Activities Coordinator, and Equity Liaison for New Trier Township High School.

Erica Kalata is an independent consultant in the Human Resource Development field with more than 15 years of experience. She was previously a manager with Deloitte Consulting in its Human Capital group specializing in organizational effectiveness and change management. She has extensive experience in evaluation, strategic planning, performance improvement, team building, organization design and leadership development. Erica has worked with several Fortune 500 companies including Hewlett Packard, the Walgreen Company, Supervalu, Humana Healthcare, and Quaker Oats. She has also worked across many industries including manufacturing, high tech, retail, utilities, insurance and public sector. Recently, she redesigned and taught an online Organization Development course for the University of Illinois and has been a mentor for students in their online master's capstone course for many years. She also led the design, implementation and evaluation of a Deloitte training program that resulted in significant return on investment.

Erica received a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in Human Resource Development with a concentration in Evaluation and Training. She also earned her BS in Industrial Organizational Psychology and her MEd in Human Resource Development from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Erica’s in-depth research on the relationship between business strategy and human resource development in high performance companies earned her several awards and international recognition from the American Society for Training and Development and the Academy of Human Resource Development.

Sonya Kaleel (she/her/hers) is a deeply grounded consultant, transformational leader and changemaker. Her 30 years in leadership development, organizational learning and social justice advocacy provides the foundation to approach inclusion and equity aspirations as a change strategy. She is the founder and principal consultant at The Inclusion Practice, a firm she started to equip leaders and organizations with tools and guidance to practice everyday inclusion, disrupt the status quo and commit to doing better. She brings a global lens to this work by leveraging her experiences living across regions of North America and countries in Europe and Southwest Asia & North Africa (SWANA). She is on the faculty team for Northwestern’s Leading Equity & Inclusion in Organizations certificate (LEIOC) program and she holds an MS in Learning & Organizational Change (MSLOC) from Northwestern. Sonya commits to centering liberation work by examining her intersecting roles in relationship to opportunity and institutional power. She strives to act in allyship as an able-bodied / cis-gendered / white-presenting person of the global majority and strives to lift up her identities that get othered within systems of oppression as an Arab American, later-in-life mom and spouse nourishing a multiracial family.

Sujata brings over twenty years of nonprofit experience to enhance the impact of philanthropy – foundations, donors and social change organizations. She has managed nonprofit organizations, led a community foundation and advised others in strategic planning, grantmaking, evaluation and research.

She has expertise is organizational development, fundraising, and team building, bringing extensive experience in turning around organizations with deficits to building reserves; improving employee retention; and establishing organizations as thought leaders in their fields.

She currently serves as a senior fellow with pfc social impact advisors, a global social investment consultancy where she is working on research and strategy impacting people living in poverty, community resilience in the face of climate change among other issues. She is gaining experience in impact investing, particularly on understanding social impact, addressing wicked problems with deliberate leadership.

Most recently, Sujata served as president and CEO of Chicago Foundation for Women from 2011-2019, a grantmaking organization focused on basic rights and equal opportunities for women and girls in the greater Chicago area. She worked closely with the board to advance racial and gender equity both internally and externally. Sujata led the foundation through double digit growth, managing a strategic alliance with the former Eleanor Foundation in 2012. She was instrumental in realigning a majority of the foundation’s assets with its mission.

Sujata has worked at several notable nonprofit agencies in Chicago: director of programs for the Eleanor Foundation, executive director of Apna Ghar, director of Chicago Continuum of Care (now Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness), and director of planning and development at Interfaith Housing Development Corporation.

Before joining the nonprofit sector, Sujata received her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, received an MBA from IIT, and studied engineering in her native India.

She has previously served at the Chair of the Women’s Funding Network and the Asset Funders Network as well as on the boards of several nonprofits and public foundations.

You can find details of her experience at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ksujata/.

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.

Roma Khanna specializes in the design and implementation of large-scale transformations across multiple organizational contexts. In her current role, Roma serves as a director in Northwestern’s Office of Change Management, whose mission includes a focus on advancing a culture of organizational change and improvement across the University and on facilitating transformative changes that have broad institutional impact.

Prior to joining Northwestern in 2016, Roma worked at Deloitte Consulting where she specialized in advising executives on organizational strategies designed to enable business strategies across numerous industries, including extensive experience with large-scale transformations for healthcare providers. Before becoming a management consultant, Roma worked as a journalist at a number of newspapers and magazines including the Houston Chronicle, Chicago magazine, and Mother Jones. Roma served primarily as an investigative journalist focused on criminal justice and government affairs, and her reported effected change in local and state government.

Roma is a dual graduate of Northwestern, with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a Master of Science degree in Learning and Organizational Change.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2020 and working in P-12 learning since 2005. I train teacher leaders because teachers are our greatest chance at changing the world for the better through the impact teachers have on their students. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I am the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at GEMS World Academy Chicago.

Building on two decades as a consultant and chief of staff focused on transforming organizations, Diane now partners with change leaders as an Associate Director in Northwestern's MS in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) graduate program. As an advisor, instructor, team leader, and coach, Diane drives people-centered outcomes by using her skills and experience in talent and workforce development, enterprise strategy, program design, partnership creation, and impact measurement. Diane currently co-teaches two courses in MSLOC’s Leading Equity and Inclusion in Organizations Certificate: Leading Global Change and Developing for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice.   

Prior to joining MSLOC, Diane worked both inside organizations and as an external advisor, counseling more than 100 organizations and corporations on organizational strategy, performance measurement, and fundraising partnership creation. Her past roles include consulting with private, public, and social sector organizations, as well as executive leadership experiences ranging from directing a nonprofit’s regional expansion to merging multi-country, multidisciplinary consulting teams.  

Diane earned both her graduate (MSLOC) and undergraduate degrees at Northwestern. Diane is an active volunteer and supporter of Springboard to Success, Chicago Women in Philanthropy, and the Chicago Foundation for Women South Side Giving Circle. Diane is also a member of Northwestern University’s Council of One Hundred. 

Judah Kurtz is a trusted advisor, coach, facilitator, strategist, and consultant, who is passionate about driving transformative growth and sustainable change. With a career spanning over 25 years, he has partnered with a broad array of individuals, senior leadership teams, and organizations around the globe seeking clarity of focus, forward momentum, increased effectiveness, and exceptional results. 

He brings deep expertise in coaching, leadership development, team effectiveness, learning strategy, training and facilitation, organization effectiveness, and strategic change. Leveraging expert assessment and evaluation, he designs and delivers transformative learning and growth experiences that drive effectiveness, engagement, and high-impact outcomes. 

With energy and humor, Judah empowers his clients to uncover their hidden potential and barriers to success, and to consciously design their lives, careers, and businesses with greater alignment to their core purpose and values. They discover who they are, what they stand for, what they want, and how to be/do/have it. 

In his private practice, multiple “CEO’s right hand” positions, and various executive coach/consultant roles at Accenture and boutique firms, Judah has worked with clients of all levels, with a special emphasis on mid- to senior-level leaders, teams, and high potential talent. His experience reaches across multiple industries within the corporate, education, and not-for-profit sectors. Select clients include: McDonald’s, GE Healthcare, British Petroleum, Federal Reserve Bank, SAP, Beam Suntory, Abbott Nutrition, Gensler, IRI, Spencer Stuart, Medline, BMO Harris Bank, STMicroelectronics, Astellas, L’Oréal, State of WI Investment Board (SWIB), NW Natural, Chicago Public Schools, AMITA Health, and Huron Consulting. 

Committed to supporting others in their growth and development, Judah is adjunct faculty as instructor, coach, and coach educator in the graduate school and executive education programs of Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, and provides coaching supervision to students pursuing the Organizational Leadership Coaching Certification. He also volunteers at various education-focused charitable organizations, including his current role at One Million Degrees, an organization where he serves as a scholar coach to support low-income college students in school, work, and life. 

Judah holds both a master’s degree in Learning and Organizational Change (MSLOC) and bachelor’s degree with honors in Psychology and Organization Behavior from Northwestern University. Additionally, Judah holds a certificate in Training and Development from Northwestern, has graduate level training in counseling and organizational psychology from Adler School of Professional Psychology, received advanced-level coaching training, and is certified to administer a variety of personality/psychometric and 360 assessment instruments. 

Originally from San Francisco, Judah has lived in Chicago since 1997. He is a classically-trained violinist and amateur photographer, and has a passion for travel, culture, art, music, and wit. He also enjoys personal development, meditation, running, and downward dogs in his yoga practice. 

 LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/judahkurtz 

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2019 and working in P-12 learning for 10 years. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m working on my dissertation proposal.

Maggie Lewis is a member of the leadership team at Palantir.net , a digital consultancy, and a graduate of the MS Learning & Organizational Program at Northwestern University. Combining theory and practice, Maggie employs principles of design thinking, learning and strategic change to increase organizational effectiveness.

Esther Liu is a senior researcher at Gartner, where she leads survey design and quantitative data analyses. Prior to this role, she served as a researcher at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now Shirley Ryan AbilityLab) and a professor of communication at Wheaton College and taught courses in negotiation, intercultural communication, conflict management, and research methods. >Esther holds a PhD in Communication Studies from Northwestern University, a MA in Communication Studies from Northwestern University, and a BA in Psychology and Communication Studies from Northwestern University.

Pi Wen plays in the intersection of strategy, research, and design. She is passionate about design thinking and human-centered service design. As an experienced consultant, she has helped clients turned employee insight into action, facilitated action-planning workshops, and provided guidance to leaders for successful organizational changes.

Currently, Pi Wen is a manager at Ernst & Young’s People Advisory Practice in New York. She uses a lean six-sigma and design thinking methodology to help clients find innovative solutions, improve efficiency, and business results.

Prior to EY, Pi Wen was the founder and president of Novacrea Research Consulting, a boutique consulting firm specialized in employee engagement surveys and action planning. She was named one of the most important voices in employee engagement by TechnologyAdvice and the head judge of the first-ever employee experience Hackathon in San Francisco.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2010 and working in P-12 learning since 1993. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m working at UIC in my roles as the director of high school development, the interim director of undergraduate research, and as a senior program associate in UIC’s Learning Sciences Research Institute.

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

As the first woman elected mayor in Highland Park, Illinois, Nancy Rotering reformed city government and built a culture of transparency, collaboration, and ethics. An attorney for over 30 years, Nancy is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, has an MBA from Northwestern University and a BA from Stanford University in economics. She practiced law with McDermott Will & Emery in Chicago, focusing on health care fraud and abuse before being elected Mayor of Highland Park three times.

In 2015, Nancy founded the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic, providing free legal services and equal access to justice for northeastern Illinois residents navigating housing, immigration, and domestic violence matters. In 2014, Today’s Chicago Woman named Nancy to their “100 Women of Inspiration,” and Forbes included her in their “Forty Over 40” list. In 2022, she received the Lake County, Illinois Harriet Tubman Award, the Lake County Democratic Women Resist Award, the Blue Crescent Outreach Foundation Social Action Sapphire Award, and the New Trier Democrats Defender of Democracy Award. She was proud to be recognized as the 2022 Outstanding Instructor by Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy.

Nancy is an Executive Committee member of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, is a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, is a Board of Directors member of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and is the immediate Past President of the Northwest Municipal Conference.

Nancy and her husband Rob have four sons and live in Highland Park, Illinois.

• Women and American political leadership
• Social media treatment of women in politics
• Effective advocacy methods
• Political campaign strategy

Jen Manfredo is a senior solutions consultant specializing in global organizational change management and employee engagement at TiER1 Performance. In this role, she is responsible for designing, developing, and delivering various change needs including large system implementations, role and process training, executive and team building workshop facilitation, capability building and change enablement. She has served primarily within the professional services, automotive and pharmaceuticals industries.

Prior to joining TiER1 Performance, Jen worked for Ernst & Young as an external and internal consultant focused on people performance and organizational effectiveness. With almost a decade of people and organizational performance experience, Jen has supported the strategy development and execution of complex, and often global, change.

Jen received an MS in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University and a BA in Communication from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Bruce McBratney is the founder and President of McBratney Consulting, Ltd., a firm that develops executives into the leaders they want to become, and that their organizations need them to be.

Bruce is an active member of the Duke Corporate Education’s Global Learning Resource Network, and consistently receives high marks as an educator, orchestrator, and coach. He has worked with more than 17 client companies, in more than 35 distinct programs, and delivered in North and South America, Asia, and Europe. Client companies include Fidelity Investments, Sun Life Financial, The Nature Conservancy, Altera, PwC, Norwegian Shipowners Association, and Microsoft. His areas of expertise include strategic thinking, organization design, leadership communication and collaboration. Bruce is the co-author of “How Leaders of Multi-business Groups Can Add Value,” published in Strategy & Leadership.

In his coaching practice he works with leaders from the Director level on up through the C-suite. He helps clients develop critical leadership behaviors. He also helps recently promoted clients understand the expectations of their new roles, and reduce the time it takes for them to be fully effective. His clients include executives at several global pharmaceutical companies, a global player in industrial distribution, a leading global executive search firm, a leading global advertising agency, a global packaged foods company, and one of the largest retailers in the US.

Before starting his own firm in 2000, Bruce was the Vice President for Management & Organization Development at RR Donnelley & Sons, one of the world’s largest printing and media services companies. Bruce was responsible for succession planning, executive search, management development, sales training, performance management, and executive team effectiveness. He worked closely with three executive teams – the CEO’s, the COO’s, and the SVP of Manufacturing’s – facilitating their work in developing strategy, rationalizing corporate initiatives, and building the change plan for introducing six sigma.

Prior to that, with Amoco Corporation, he developed and taught case discussions, simulations, and lectures on strategic thinking and building organizational capabilities, for the top 3,300 executives and managers of the corporation, as a member of a ground-breaking executive education faculty team that built Amoco’s executive development center from the ground up.

Also at Amoco, as a director of Amoco’s internal consulting firm, he lead a team of consultants and developed and delivered high impact organization effectiveness consulting projects ranging from business process redesign to leadership team alignment and coaching, for the Marketing, Refining, and Logistics sectors of the company.

Earlier in his career, as a consultant with The Boston Consulting Group, he provided research, analysis, and facilitated decision-making for clients setting marketing strategy, assessing acquisition targets, and integrating acquired operations. With The Forum Corporation, a leading provider of management and sales training, Bruce developed new products, built new client relationships as an account executive, and managed large custom projects.

Renetta McCann is one of the leading innovators and most influential executives in the advertising industry, with a global reputation for not only building brands, but also the organizations and leadership to sustain them.

As Chief Talent Officer at Leo Burnett, she heads up the agency’s People & Culture department. She plays a key role in ensuring that the company retains, attracts and arms the best and brightest minds in business today, with oversight of the agency's U.S. recruitment, training, benefits and talent management.

Renetta is no stranger to the Publicis family. She began her career at Burnett, and, after a long tenure, became the CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group Worldwide. After two years as CEO, she assumed the role of Chief Talent Officer of VivaKi. Renetta then took a break from agency life and worked as an executive coach and organizational change consultant before rejoining Leo Burnett in 2012.

Since her return, Renetta has worked tirelessly on organizational transformations, including shifting the agency’s talent focus to leadership development. She builds innovative partnerships for the future, constantly on the hunt for opportunities that promote learning and development for employees. Renetta isn’t afraid to try out new models for employee engagement or test new programs to enhance success. She believes that these efforts broaden perspectives and promote creativity.

Renetta also works to elevate the impact and reach of the agency’s employee resource groups, including Women’s Leadership Network, MERG (our multicultural ERG) and ParentKind (a group for mothers and fathers). She believes that building community into the company and fostering employees’ diverse interests brings people together in new ways and helps them solve problems.

A champion for women and for the development of minorities in the advertising industry, Renetta dedicates her time outside the office to organizations like Viva Women, the Publicis Groupe internal women’s network, and No.2six6, an organization launched in 2013 to advance the hiring rate of minorities in advertising.

Over the course of her career, Renetta has been a frequent name in the press. She was named one of the “100 Most Powerful Women” by Forbes and a woman to watch by both Fortune and The Wall Street Journal. She was awarded the title “Corporate Executive of the Year” by Black Enterprise magazine and was selected by Ebony as one of the “57 Most Intriguing Blacks.” Essence named her one of “50 Women Who are Changing the World,” and she has appeared on the pages of Advertising Age, BusinessWeek and Chicago magazine. The American Advertising Federation honored her with a Diversity Achievement Award for her contributions as an Industry Influential, and she’s the recipient of the 4A’s Pantheon award.

Renetta holds an M.S. in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University, where she will begin as an adjunct faculty member in 2016.

She lives in Chicago with her husband Kevin and is the proud mother of Ella and Alexander. She serves as an Honorary Trustee for The Ancona School and in her spare time enjoys golf, knitting, bridge, Legos, reading in all genres and yoga.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2017 and working in P-12 learning since 2008. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m doing grant-funded middle and high school curriculum-design work with Brian Reiser’s research team at NU. 

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

Jeff Merrell is Instructor, MS in Learning and Organizational Change Program, after having served as Associate Director and Instructor from 2008 – 2021. As Associate Director, Jeff led the program’s educational technology strategy and designed courses and programs to support a hybrid (remote/in-person) learning environment. Jeff was both a consultant and corporate leader prior to joining MSLOC, focusing on the impact of new technologies and practices on organizational learning, knowledge management and collaboration.

He teaches MSLOC 430 Creating and Sharing Knowledge and co-leads instruction for the Designing for Organizational Effectiveness Certificate. He also teaches in the Design and Change curriculum of the Executive Learning and Organizational Change Program.

Personal website: https://jeffdmerrell.com/

Marina Micari is Director of Academic Support & Learning Advancement at Northwestern, and a Capstone advisor in MSLOC. She is also an associate director at the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching. Marina oversees academic-support and enrichment programming for undergraduates and works with faculty who seek to improve teaching and learning. Her recent research projects address the experiences of less-prepared students in small-group learning environments and the impact of faculty engagement with students. Outside of academia, she spent nearly 10 years as a writer and editor, working in adult education as well as employee communications and workforce diversity. She has taught courses on learning in the organization, facilitating small-group learning, cross-cultural communication, multicultural education, educational research methods, and program evaluation.

Cassandra Mitchell uses her executive coaching and organizational consulting skills to develop great leaders and teams. She has more than 20 years of experience in helping clients achieve their business goals by delivering a range of services from one-to-one leadership coaching to large-scale organizational design.

Cassandra has provided executive coaching, needs assessment, leadership development, program design and development for educational institutions, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing and CPG. Her coaching and development work has helped leaders and teams at Astellas, Aurora Health Care, Baxter International, Kraft Foods, Classic Residence by Hyatt, Charter Manufacturing, ITW, Scot Forge, Scholle IPN, University of Chicago. US Foods and Zurich Financial.

Cassandra is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University. She teaches Coaching for Learning and Performance and Coaching Fieldwork for the Master’s program in Learning and Organizational Change. In addition, she is adjunct coaching faculty for the Kellogg School of Management.

Prior to consulting, Cassandra worked for Bank One, the sixth largest bank-holding company in the U.S. with over 75,000 employees. During her 14-year tenure at Bank One, she held a variety of positions including assignments in the Commercial Banking and Credit Card Divisions. As first vice president and national learning design manager, she oversaw a team of instructional and web-based designers responsible for management, leadership, and professional development curricula based on leadership competencies and organizational business goals. Prior to Bank One, Cassandra worked in training and organizational development at Loyola University and Medical Center, impacting employee and student development.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2016 and working in P-12 learning since 1986. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I am the Clinical Director at Cove School, a private school for students with significant learning disabilities.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2013 and working in 9-12 learning since 1996. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m…teaching high school math in Chicago Public Schools.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2018. I also supervise NU Interns in Social Studies, English, and Elementary Education. I’ve been working since 2017 in P-12 learning. Most of my career has been in Teacher Education at the University level: National-Louis University, George Washington University, University of Maryland, and Northwestern University.

When I’m not teaching an MSED course, in the Fall and Winter I really learn a lot from mentoring NU Interns (usually English or SS and occasionally elementary education).  Other teaching related gigs include a weekly family and friends Sunday morning yoga class, tutoring for the Evanston District #65 Reading Fluency Program, creating and teaching enrichment sessions for AFS international high school exchange students, and creating/giving tours for K-12 students through the Chicago Architecture Center.  I am looking forward to the reopening of the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian (MMAI), where I also give K-12 and adult tours.

I’ve been teaching in P-12 since 1996 and for the MSED program since 2017. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m teaching 7th grade English at the Latin School of Chicago

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2019 and working in P-12 learning since 2013. Prior to beginning graduate school, I worked as a fifth grade public school teacher within the San Antonio Independent School District. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m teaching American Politics at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and am a Postdoctoral Scholar affiliated with the Department of Political Science and the GenForward Survey at The University of Chicago.

Ngoc Nguyen is a Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager at Wintrust Financial Corporation, a $30 billion enterprise of chartered community banks and other specialty financial services. In this role, she focuses on executing the One Wintrust Diversity & Inclusion Roadmap by developing and managing programs in partnership with internal stakeholders from across the organization. Ngoc is committed and passionate about creating an inclusive environment where employees can feel happy, engaged and empowered in the workplace.

Prior to this role, she spent 11 years in commercial insurance property and casualty sales, underwriting and operations at Travelers and CNA Insurance . Ngoc holds a Masters in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University and Bachelor of Science in Finance and minor in Asian American Studies from the University of Minnesota. She has also completed the Organizational and Leadership Coaching Certificate at Northwestern.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2011 and working in P-12 learning in public, private, and independent schools since 1991. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I teach full time and I write. I’ve written two books on teaching: Wordplaygrounds; and This Time It’s Personal. My education essays have appeared in places like English Journal; Schools; and WBEZ. As Kent Brockman might say, you may know my poetry from such journals as Bennington Review; Cortland Review; and Poetry East. I’ve also written memoir essays for journals such as Sport Literate and Under the Sun. I am the creator and host of Schooled: the Podcast www.schooledthepodcast.com.

Kathleen O’Connor is an independent consultant specializing in the identification and development of leadership talent. She has more than 20 years' experience in corporate education and organizational change as an external consultant and previously as an internal consultant at Hewitt and Motorola.

O'Connor has personally coached hundreds of leaders from a variety of functions, nationalities and roles. Her leadership coaching experience has been at both the individual level, especially related to 360 assessment data, and at the group level, as part of action learning team coaching. She guides leaders in identifying strengths and development opportunities, while continuously acknowledging organizational realities facing each leader. She believes in the value of continuously improving self-awareness while harnessing individual strengths and interests.

In addition to coaching individual leaders, O'Connor advises organizations on broader strategies for identifying and developing high potentials, as well as designs and facilitates programs and resources for developing targeted leadership skills.

She earned a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and holds a master’s degree in education (Organization Development and Workplace Learning) from Northwestern University. She is also certified in assessment instruments from Personnel Decisions International, the Center for Creative Leadership, Hogan Assessments and Korn Ferry Voices 360.

Janet Olivo is the Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Her career includes over 20 years of professional experience in the corporate sector and in higher education. She leverages her MSLOC degree and consulting experience to lead her team and implement her organization’s diversity and inclusion strategy. In the fall of 2020, she will launch the inaugural Sustained Dialogue program for Staff, which aims to create a brave learning space for Feinberg staff to discuss challenging topics, including race and racism.

She is certified in the Intercultural Development Inventory assessment, which she uses to coach and support individuals, teams, and organizations in building intercultural competence.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justjanet/

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2016 and working in P-12 learning since 1989. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I am researching how K-8 mathematics teachers learn and implement instructional practices that promote student agency and doing some consulting on mathematics curriculum development.

Debbie Plager is the Vice President of Talent & Organizational Development for HUB International - an International Insurance Brokerage Firm. As the head of Talent, Debbie and her team are accountable for designing and supporting the overall employee experience and providing strategic organizational consulting. Debbie leads the coaching service at HUB and provides internal coaching for executives and executive teams. Prior to HUB, Debbie was the Global head of Talent at Relativity (a rapid growth technology company) and an Assistant Vice President and Sr. HR Business Partner with Unum Group. Debbie is an ICF Accredited Coach and is certified in several assessments including the Hogan Leadership Suite and Change Style Indicator. Her expertise and interests include organization and leadership development, executive and team coaching, culture transformation, and creating and driving people-related strategies. In addition to several years as an internal executive coach, Debbie has her own external coaching practice, The Plager Group | Elevating Performance through Purpose.

Regina Seo is an applied microeconomist who evaluates labor and health policies with an emphasis on equity. She received her PhD in Economics from American University. Her dissertation consists of essays on the care economy, female labor force participation, and structural determinants of health inequities. She has led research projects at Brookings Institution focusing on minority communities' economic development. She has also worked for the World Bank and Results for Development Institute. She holds an MA in Economics from Georgetown University and a BA in Economics and Mathematics from Emory University

Dr. Regina Seo is one of the new Lead Economists joining the School of Education and Social Policy this June. She will teach a Topics in Health Policy course this Fall and will also support a $4.29 million grant led by MSSEP Director and Economist Michelle Yin. The grant evaluates an intervention intended to transition or divert youth with disabilities from subminimum wage employment to competitive employment in Virginia.

Dr. Ritu Tripathi is an applied social and cross-cultural psychologist. In her last appointment, she worked as an Assistant Professor (tenured/permanent) at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India. Ritu received her PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) with Dr. Daniel Cervone as her Ph.D Advisor. Her dissertation focus was on cultural variations in the motivational impact of autonomy and obligations among Indian and American corporate professionals. At UIC, she was the recipient of the the prestigious Dean’s Scholar Award. which is the most distinguished award that UIC offers to graduate students, in recognition of a student’s scholarly achievement. Prior to UIC, Ritu received her B.A. and M.A. degrees (merit rank holder) in Psychology from the University of Allahabad, India. Ritu has published in high-impact scholarly journals such as Human Resource Management, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Journal of Research in Personality, Cross-cultural and Strategic Management --among others. Her viewpoints and opinion pieces have appeared in mainstream media outlets such as Forbes (India), Live Mint, Times of India. She has taught the core course of the MBA-curriculum Managing People and Performance in Organizations and a popular MBA-elective called Cross-cultural Management. Besides her MBA teaching, she has successfully designed and taught short modules of her courses for working executives and business leaders to keep the teaching relevant to industry and to make working professionals appreciate the importance of scholarly insights and knowledge. Such modules have got very positive feedback from the industry.

Personal Website

Throughout his career, Beau River has focused on accelerating the development of individuals, teams and organizations. Insights into people, systems and group dynamics gained through years of assessment experience allow him to match leadership behaviors with the strategic imperatives that drive operational success. Particular areas of focus include executive selection, executive development and senior team performance.

With a background as a professional squash player and member of the United States Squash Team, Beau helped NCAA Division One athletes overcome psychological barriers, enabling them to augment their natural abilities with positive psychological behaviors that lifted their performance to new levels. He develops executive talent in a similar fashion, combining existing business capabilities with programs that promote new leadership competencies, confidence and grace under pressure to facilitate exceptional execution. Consulting with a Fortune 500 energy giant has provided Beau with a unique opportunity to work with executives from all functional disciplines across different organizational levels of a highly decentralized environment. He has also worked in the following industries: government, law enforcement, medical device, home building, metals, processed and packaged goods, executive education, and nonprofit.

Beau completed his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College, and went on to receive his MA and PsyD from the Adler School of Professional Psychology. In his spare time, Beau enjoys yoga, biking, and building Legos with his sons, Theo and Wynn.

Terrence serves as Vice President of Professional Services at The Ounce of Prevention Fund, a national nonprofit whose mission is to advance quality early learning for families with children before birth through their earliest years to help close the opportunity gap. At The Ounce, Terrence leads efforts to develop and scale a portfolio of early-childhood workforce professional development offerings across the United States.

Previously, Terrence was Senior Vice President for Strategy & Operations at Kellen, a global professional services organization that specializes in working with nonprofit associations. In this role, he led an organizational change and operational excellence program while managing company operations that helped staff support the success of clients, including Strategy, Technology, Education, Internal Communications, Customer Service, and Office Services. Prior to Kellen Company, Terrence held a variety of roles over 12 years at YMCA of the USA, the national office for the largest nonprofit in the U.S. leading functions related to strategy, product development, quality improvement, change management, project management, program evaluation, and grantsmanship.

Terrence is a decorated veteran who served as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps with an overseas deployment supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. He also was an Advanced General Manager at Cintas Corporation. Terrence earned a Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy and holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. Terrence is a volunteer for Race Conscious Dialogues, and in addition to teaching in SESP, he also teaches two courses at Northwestern's Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organization's Certificate Program.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2017 and working in P-12 learning since 1985. I train teacher leaders because I feel that they are the cornerstone of future leaders in education, and are under utilized in our current educational environment.

Kelly Ross is a MSLOC Coach and Coaching Fieldwork Supervising Coach, and teaches Coaching Fieldwork (MSLOC 454). In her independent practice, Kelly is a coach, learning strategist and facilitator with global experience. Kelly’s work is in leadership development and talent management. She works with individuals in one-on-one leadership coaching engagements, with teams to clarify goals and increase effectiveness, and with organizations to build and implement learning strategies. Kelly brings experience working in more than 20 countries, with individuals and organizations across industries and sectors, and nearly a decade of experience at McKinsey & Company.

Kelly’s work as a coach is to help individuals make a change of some sort. Are you a leader in a new position or trying to decide how you want to lead others? Are you in a new role or leading a different part of your business? Perhaps you are considering or are in the midst of a career or personal change and struggling to make new behavior stick? Career changers or professionals in search of the right next step may work with Kelly as they navigate the path of deciding what is next. Expatriates often value a thought partner like Kelly, who “gets” the complexity of living and working abroad.

Kelly’s work as a facilitator seeks to hear all the voices in the room. Typically, the participants of a training, workshop or strategic planning session come to the conversation with experience and questions; Kelly believes in tapping into the curiosity and authenticity of participants and accomplishes this through dialogue, purposeful examples, and interactive exercises.

Kelly’s work as a learning strategist helps organizations and teams to articulate the skills and behaviors needed to be successful, and then to determine the best way to build those skills or manage through the change while retaining their star talent.

However you engage with Kelly, you will find her to be invested in your journey. You can expect a keen listener who is non-judgmental while challenging you to be the best version of yourself. Kelly wants the best for her clients and herself, and shows up honoring her values of authenticity, curiosity, integrity and self-development.

Kelly’s broad understanding of business needs, cultural differences, and the global marketplace aid her in developing great leaders and teams. Her MS (Learning and Organizational Change, Northwestern University), coaching and Master Coach certifications (Hudson Institute) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) accreditation (International Coach Federation), certification in several assessments (Myers-Briggs (MBTI), Hogan, Creatrix, Conflict Dynamics Profile, and, VOICES 360 and PDI Profilor 360) and global work experience bring an array of resources and ideas to support you on your journey.

Kelly loves being outside hiking, cycling, and skiing. Traveling and photography are passions of Kelly’s.

 Ross Associates

Vanessa Ruda Seiden is a Partner at RHR International specialists in management and leadership development. Her client base covers a variety of industries; both small firms and fortune 500 companies. Her area of expertise includes executive selection and promotion, executive coaching and development, and team-building. Dr. Ruda Seiden has taught courses on negotiation skills at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. She is currently an instructor in Northwestern's MSLOC program. Her research and publication focuses on effective negotiation strategies and can be found in several psychology journals.

Dr. Sahebi is a trained scholar practitioner and has a vast interest in translational sciences related to intimate partner relationship health outcomes, cross-cultural psychological and family studies, and culturally-informed parenting practices. More recently, Dr. Sahebi has been involved in publications related to clinical practice and training efforts during the COVID-19 global pandemic. A number of Dr. Sahebi’s scholarships have also focused on  program development and expansion efforts within mental health agencies as well as in corporate settings.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2019 and working in P-12 learning since 1994. I train teacher leaders because teachers and leaders working at their best improve learning and outcomes for all students. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m an instructional coach and mathematics teacher at Glenbrook South High School.

I’ve been teaching since 2001 and for the MSED program since 2019. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m teaching English at ETHS.

B. Keith Simerson has provided consultation to professional services firms and to corporate clients spanning 18 industries (including the financial, consulting, health care, architecture, and engineering professions and automotive, industrial supplies, paper, rubber, heavy machinery, petrochemical, hospitality, food processing, business-to-business merchandising and electronics industries), as well as to branches of the U.S. military and foreign governments. He has consulted throughout the U.S. and in Iraq, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Singapore, England, Bermuda, France and the Netherlands.

Simerson helped develop and implement a five-year strategic plan for a leading professional services firm; led integration teams for the merger of two petrochemical industry giants; helped develop the consulting framework and electronic consulting “toolkit” for a leading professional services firm; established consulting organizations in two regional health care systems; and has served as an HR leader in a top-tier professional services firm.

Simerson earned his EdD from UNC-Greensboro and MA from Appalachian State University.

Simerson and Aaron Olson's book, Leading with Strategic Thinking, was released by John Wiley & Sons in April, 2015. Simerson is also the author of Strategic Planning: A Practical Guide to Strategy Formulation and Execution (ABC-CLIO, 2011) and the co-author of The Manager as Leader (Praeger Publishers, 2006), Fired, Laid Off, Out of a Job: A Manual for Understanding, Coping, Surviving (Greenwood, 2003) and Evaluating Police Management Development Programs (Praeger Publishing, 1990).

Brad partners with clients who strive to "lead what's next" by establishing sustainable organizational conditions for the business and its people to thrive today and shape a successful tomorrow.

In his 25+ years as an HR leader and organization design and effectiveness consultant, Brad has successfully managed large-scale organization effectiveness and change initiatives across a spectrum of industries, geographies and business scenarios. Brad also designs and delivers customized leadership development programs focused on equipping current and emerging leaders with the capabilities needed to lead what's next in a rapidly changing world.

Brad's recent clients include: Beam Suntory, Inc., Heath Care Services Corporation, McDonald's Corporation, Omaha Public Power District, SP Plus Corporation, Union Pacific Railroad, and W.L. Gore and Associates.

In his non-consulting roles, Brad has served as the leader of Global Talent Planning from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and leader of Global Talent Management at Fiserv, Inc.

Brad received an MBA degree in Organizational Behavior and Marketing from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Marquette University.

Keeley Sorokti is a knowledge management professional who guides organizations and teams through transforming the way they design and sustain social learning, online community, and knowledge sharing practices and systems. Through co-design of solutions and technology that have people at the center, she has helped multiple technology, non-profit, and higher education organizations improve how their staff, students, customers, partners, and prospects create and share knowledge, connect across boundaries, collaborate, and learn.

Keeley is currently the Director of Knowledge and Collaboration at Sift, a Digital Trust & Safety late-stage technology startup. Prior to Sift, she was the Director of Knowledge Sharing at Start Early, a non-profit in Chicago. She was on the MSLOC staff from 2009 - 2015, focused on faculty coaching, instructional design, community management, and educational technology strategy. She started teaching the MSLOC 430 class, Creating and Sharing Knowledge, in 2020. She is a co-founder of the Chicago Online Community Professionals community of practice (https://chicago-online-community-professionals.mn.co/).
Keeley received an MS in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University and a BA in International Relations and Spanish from Tufts University.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ksorokti/

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2014 working in P-12 learning since 2001. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m working in the MSEd program as an advisor and curriculum and assessment coordinator.

Lisa Tallman is a knowledge management and enterprise social networking strategist dedicated to social good. As Sr. Director of Knowledge Management at the YMCA of the USA, the national resource office for YMCA across the nation, she ensures Ys have access to knowledge, tools, and resources to collaborate to strengthen their local communities. Prior to joining the Y, Lisa worked for Grant Thornton, an accounting and advisory firm, where she was part of a team that instituted KM from scratch- developing processes, training team members to manage knowledge, and building a new technology platform. She has spent almost 15 years defining and shaping knowledge management for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Lisa earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Master's Degree in English focused on Technical Communication from Eastern Michigan University. At Chicago Booth, she was chair of a nonprofit student group that provided consulting services for nonprofits. This experience coupled with her work at the Y has allowed her to see how knowledge management adds value to large and small nonprofits alike.

Karen came to Northwestern and MSLOC after an initial career in marketing and communications where she was an award-winning scriptwriter and video producer. Since 2008 she has been a life and human effectiveness coach, working with individuals to become better leaders, partners, team members, and employees. A lifelong learner herself, Karen is dedicated to fostering the systems, services, and conversations that support adults to stay meaningfully engaged in the world; she is president of the Board of Directors at The Village Chicago, a non-profit committed to helping Chicagoans successfully navigate the new longevity. She is also a human emergence coach with the Wright Foundation and adjunct faculty at Wright Graduate University. Karen completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan; she has advanced degrees from Northwestern (MA) and Wright Graduate University (MA, Ed.D.)

Teresa Torres is a product discovery coach who helps teams gain valuable insights from their customer interviews, run effective product experiments, and drive product outcomes that create value for their customers and their businesses. She teaches teams how to connect the dots between their research activities and their product decisions, inspiring confidence that they are on the right track. Recent clients include Allstate, Capital One, The Guardian, and Snagajob.

Before becoming a coach, Teresa spent the majority of her career leading product and design teams at early-stage internet companies. Most recently, Teresa was VP of Products at AfterCollege, an Internet startup that helps college students find their first job. She was CEO of Affinity Circles, an online community provider for university alumni associations and a social recruiting service used by Fortune 500 companies. She also held product and design roles at Become.com and HighWire Press.

Teresa has a BS in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University and an MS in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2019. I have worked since 1988 at the high school level teaching Biology, Chemistry and Physics while coaching and sponsoring a variety of activities. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m serving on the Board of ICIC (Illinois Council of Instructional Coaches), Mentoring Golden Apple Scholar Teachers, and working for the Chicago Coaching Center leading & developing instructional coach trainings. 

I’ve taught for the MSED program since 2009, though my role is primarily administrative. I’ve been working since 2003 in P-12 learning. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m doing a wide range of administrative tasks for the program.

I’ve been working since 1993 in P-12 learning! When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m collaborating with my co-founders of the Illinois Coalition of Educational Equity Leaders or consulting on a range of projects from SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) to MSAN’s Intersectional Social Justice Collaborative for Middle and High School Students. I also lead professional learning and development for libraries, businesses and educational entities across the globe and am committed to cultivating opportunities for respectful reflection on identity through education.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2017 and working in P-12 learning since 1994! When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m serving as Assistant Superintendent at a EC-8 school district in Lake County. 

Curt is an independent executive and career coach who is passionate about working with smart, successful, creative, ambitious and positive leaders to live bold careers, lead bold initiatives, be strategic and collaborative and take on greater and new responsibilities. Curt helps executives and other leaders to understand their leadership style, capitalize on their strengths, strengthen their development areas, increase their influence, and determine their future career direction. Clients become more effective leaders and managers, resulting in more successful and faster attainment of their and their organizations’ goals.

He works with a wide variety of leaders, including high potential directors to C-Suite executives at Fortune 500 companies, CEOs of several prominent not for profits, and high-level university administrators.

Curt has been an executive coach for more than 10 years. He has over 20 years of experience as a marketing executive, innovation consultant and higher education professional. Prior to teaching in the MSLOC program, Curt was an adjunct instructor teaching innovation at Northwestern University’s MBA program. He has a Masters in Positive Organization Development & Change from Case Western Reserve University, an MBA from Northwestern University, and a BS in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2016 but I took a break for a couple of years. I’m happy to return in 2022. I missed NU!

I’ve been working in P-12 learning since 1988 with a focus on high quality instruction, school leadership, equitable access to education and specialized education. I prepare teacher leaders because they hold the key to the future of students who will then impact schools and classrooms and ultimately change the world.

When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m in seminary with hopes of becoming a hospital chaplain. And, when not taking classes, I  conduct professional learning sessions on emotional intelligence, leadership and issues of race and equity in education for school districts in Illinois.

Kelly C. Weiley founded CoAct Consulting 12 years to continue the work of cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion outside the traditional classroom setting. Kelly holds a Master of Science degree in Social Responsibility from St. Cloud State University where she also taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in Human Relations and Multicultural Education. Kelly currently serves as a lecturer for Northwestern University in the School of Education and Social Policy and has previously taught at the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas. Kelly draws upon her classroom experiences to root her trainings in research and theory, but always circles back to how principles apply to individuals, urging them to practice skills that improve connection, foster growth, and nurture effective leaders.

Kelly currently serves on the National Advisory Board for Equity in the Center, an initiative that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems within the social sector to increase racial equity. Previously, Kelly facilitated award-winning residential service-learning experiences for high school students and staff at the Civic Education Project (CEP), and partnered with six Boston public schools and a career center to connect struggling young people to employment opportunities through the Year 13 program. In her 18+ years of working with individuals of all ages and from diverse backgrounds, she has trained over 25,000 people on topics ranging from creating social change, diversity, and intercultural competency, to navigating difficult conversations, creating inclusive spaces, and facilitating controversial issues.

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.

I’ve been teaching for the MSED program since 2020 and working in P-12 learning since 2009. When I’m not teaching an MSED course, I’m a History/Social Science Teacher at Evanston Township HS and a PhD Student in Learning Sciences in SESP.