Steering Committee | The Coalition for Life Transforming Education

Keith Buffinton

Professor of Mechanical Engineering and former Dean of Engineering at Bucknell University

Prof. Buffinton has been a professor at Bucknell from 1987 to present becoming full professor and Associate Dean along the way. In 2003 he received Bucknell’s Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Ashley Finley

Vice President of Research for the AAC&U

Dr. Ashley Finley is the Vice President of Research and Senior Advisor to the President for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). She was previously the senior director of assessment and research at AAC&U and also national evaluator for the Bringing Theory to Practice Project. Most recently she served as the associate vice president for academic affairs & founding dean of the Dominican Experience at Dominican University of California, where she implemented a comprehensive framework for student learning and success centered around high-impact practices, including holistic advising and ePortfolios.

Nancy Gonzales

Executive vice president and university provost of Arizona State University.

Nancy Gonzales is the executive vice president and university provost of Arizona State University. In this role, she serves as ASU’s chief academic officer for the Academic Enterprise, advancing all educational programs and degrees for ASU’s diverse student population and the world class faculty needed to train the next generation workforce and leaders of our state, nation, and globe. The Academic Enterprise encompasses undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs offered by 16 interdisciplinary colleges that together serve over 150,000 students in multiple realms of immersive, remote, and digital learning.

Archie Holmes, Jr.

Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of The University of Texas System

Archie Holmes, Jr. is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Holmes also serves as the Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs for The University of Texas System.

Thomas Katsouleas

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and former President of the University of Connecticut

A leading plasma scientist and engineer with deep academic roots in teaching and research, became UConn president in 2019. He has a special interest in ensuring the quality of the student experience through diversity, respect and responsibility, and recruiting highly talented and representative faculty.

Marjorie Malpiede

Executive Director of the Mary Christie Institute

Marjorie Malpiede is Executive Director of the Mary Christie Institute, Editor of the Mary Christie Quarterly and host of the Quadcast. As a journalist and strategist, Ms. Malpiede has over thirty years of leadership experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. She has advised public agencies, campaigns, private companies and non-profit organizations on policy, communications, and government relations.

Richard K. Miller

President Emeritus of Olin College of Engineering

Richard K. Miller was appointed President and first employee of Olin College of Engineering in 1999 where he served as the college’s founding president until June 2020. In September 2020, he joined MIT as the Jerome C. Hunsaker Visiting Professor of Aerospace Systems.

Clayton Spencer

President of Bates College

One of Bates’ signature initiatives is Purposeful Work, launched in 2014. Built on the premise that preparing students for lives of meaningful work has always been a central purpose of the liberal arts. Spencer is a former Chief Education Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

John Volin

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at University of Maine

Prior to joining the UMaine community in August 2020, he served as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Volin was a Professor of Natural Resources and the environment at UConn. He served a decade as department head and conducted research in ecosystems around the world, focusing on invasive species and restoration ecology. He had been awarded more than $27 million in extramural funding for both research and foundational activities.