Speakers
Meet Our Speakers and Conversation Guides
Lori Patton Davis, PhD
Chair, Department of Educational Studies, The Ohio State University
Lori Patton Davis, Ph.D.is one of the most highly respected, accomplished, and influential scholars in the field of higher education. She is a tenured full professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs at The Ohio State University and Chair of the Department of Educational Studies. Patton Davis is also past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education. Patton Davis is best known for her important cross-cutting scholarship on African Americans in higher education, critical race theory, campus diversity initiatives on college campuses, girls and women of color in educational and social contexts, and college student development and graduate preparation. She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and other academic publications appearing in highly-regarded venues such as The Journal of Higher Education, Teachers College Record, Journal of College Student Development, Urban Education, and International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE).
Her research has been cited in multiple publications and funded by grants from the Spencer Foundation, Lumina Foundation, American Psychological Foundation and an array of other entities. She has served on seven editorial boards for journals in the field of education and was previously associate editor of QSE. She was the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division J Equity and Inclusion Officer for six years. The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) members elected her to a two-year term as the inaugural Director of Equity and Inclusion on the Association’s national governing board. She has received many national awards for her scholarly contributions and was recently recognized in the Edu-Scholar Rankings among the top 200 educators in the US. She is a frequently sought-after expert on a wide range of education topics. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, Huffington Post, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, and dozens of other media outlets have quoted her and featured her research. She has also advised university presidents and other senior administrators, philanthropic foundation executives, culture center directors, and educators in urban K-12 schools.
Mariangela Maguire, PhD
Certified Life Coach and Trained Mediator
Teacher, mentor, and coach are the roles Mariangela Maguire, Ph. D. has most often played in her professional life. Listening, clarifying, and encouraging best describe her methods. She provides one-on-one coaching where she listens deeply, offers clear observations, and suggests new perspectives. After earning a Ph.D. in communication studies she taught courses in interpersonal communication, group decision-making, and communication and gender for over 20 years at the college level. As a higher education administrator, she worked with both individuals and groups to support them in identifying and fulfilling their goals. Mariangela is a certified life coach and trained mediator. She is devoted to helping individuals and groups release themselves from fearful and negative thinking and make decisions with clarity and confidence.
Rebecca Gilbert, PhD
Health and Wellness Educator, Indiana University
Rebecca Gilbert has worked at Indiana University’s Student Health Center since 2012 as a health educator, specializing in resiliency and stress management. Prior to that, she worked as a mental health counselor in inpatient and partial outpatient facilities. Her approach emphasizes positive psychology, which values the development of strengths instead of focusing on weaknesses. Participants are more likely to feel empowered and motivated when focusing on building positive outcomes. Rebecca has a doctorate in therapeutic recreation, a masters in counseling, and is certified with Wellcoaches. She lives in Bloomington.
David Vuletich
Senior Director, Education Advisory Board
David Vuletich is a Senior Director in EAB’s Research Advisory Services and serves as the Academic Strategy Team lead. The Academic Strategy Team houses EAB’s experts in academic affairs, student success, and university budget models, and is responsible for driving value for our partner institutions through consensus building, decision support, and guidance on best practices implementation.
David’s expertise in education comes from a background that has included numerous touchpoints with the industry. David worked for the American Institutes for Research as a content leader in standardized testing and was a summer Associate at Huron Consulting. Prior to this he was an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at the College at Brockport in the SUNY system, where he helped design a new biochemistry major and started an externally funded research program. From these experiences, David has gained an insightful perspective on the challenges facing a variety of stakeholders at education institutions.