Opening Speaker
Vessey Ballroom, 4:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., Thursday March 12th, 2026
Dr. Stanley Andrisse
Endocrinologist Scientist,
Howard University College of Medicine
and
Georgetown University Medical Center - Washington, D.C.
Dr. Stanley Andrisse, MBA, PhD, is an endocrinologist scientist and Assistant Professor at Howard University College of Medicine, specializing in type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance research. He also serves as a visiting faculty member at Georgetown University Medical Center and has held academic positions at Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Beyond his scientific expertise, Dr. Andrisse is a nationally recognized advocate for criminal justice reform and educational access. He is the Executive Director and Founder of From Prison Cells to PhD (P2P), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering formerly incarcerated individuals through education and mentorship.
His personal journey—from being sentenced to a maximum-security prison to earning a PhD and MBA— has inspired thousands, making him a sought-after keynote speaker at universities, government institutions, and corporate events.
Scholars' Reception and Entertainment
Chesapeake Ballroom, 5:45 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Thursday, March 12th, 2026
The CAFÉ
The Cultural Academy for Excellence, Inc.
Chillum, MD
The Cultural Academy for Excellence, Inc. (CAFÉ) is a Prince George’s County, Maryland–based arts-in-education nonprofit that uses visual and performing arts to foster academic achievement, leadership, and personal growth among at-risk youth ages 6–18. For over 30 years, it has served more than 1,800 students in underserved communities, helping them overcome challenges related to poverty, trauma, and underperforming schools through an arts-rich curriculum that includes music, poetry, visual arts, and dance.
CAFÉ’s flagship program centers on steelpan music through the Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra (PVYSO), where students learn music theory, performance skills, and diverse genres ranging from classical to reggae. The award-winning ensemble has performed with renowned artists, toured internationally and across the eastern United States, and appeared at major venues including the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. PVYSO has won multiple Gold Medals at the Virginia Beach Pan Festival and Grand Championships in 2006, 2007, and 2018..
Keynote Speaker
Chesapeake Ballroom, 7:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m., Friday March 13th, 2026
Dr. Josanne Francis
Award-winning steelpan musician and educator, Director,
Steelband, and
Lead Community Engagement Program Coordinator,
Center for
Community Engagement,
University of Maryland - College Park, MD
Award-winning steelpan musician and educator Josanne Francis engages a cross-section of styles, including traditional calypso, jazz, Indian, and European classical. She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Etienne Charles, Jon Batiste, David Rudder, and Andy Narell, and has appeared with the Michigan Philharmonic and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She has also graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center, Strathmore, and Lincoln Center. Josanne recently received her Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Maryland, with research interests in culturally positioned community music. During her time as a UMD student, she placed second in the 2023 Concerto Competition and won the 2024 Mabel S Spencer fellowship for excellence in Graduate Achievement. She also co-directed the 2023 groundbreaking Caribbean halftime show that featured a steelband and marching band collaboration on the field. Josanne is a Maryland Center for Creative Classrooms teaching artist and offers annual summer training for Maryland music teachers. The Trinidad & Tobago native has garnered multiple grants, served on numerous panels, and headlined several festivals nationally and internationally, including the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival in Haiti, the Smithsonian National Art Gallery's Jazz in the Garden Series, and the National Folk Festival. She has delivered a TEDx presentation, co-created the thriving performance outfit Elite Pan Consortium, and launched Steel on Wheels LLC. This educational program provides accessible instruction in steelband and percussion. She has also served as an Artist-in-Residence and Artist-in-Residence mentor at Strathmore Music Center. In Prince George’s County and beyond, Josanne has been a community leader through her roles as Artistic Director and Executive Director at the Cultural Academy for Excellence, an arts-in-education program. Additionally, she served as a music teacher at the International High School at Langley Park, where she built a music program from scratch, coached track and field, and led the steelband. At UMD, Josanne serves as the Lead Community Engagement Program Coordinator with the Office of the Provost's Center for Community Engagement, and is the founding steelbands director with the School of Music.
BREAKFAST: Dean's Panel
Chesapeake Ballroom, 7:45 a.m. - 9:20 a.m., Friday March 13th, 2026
Dr. Samuel Graham, Jr.
( Moderator )
Dean, A. James Clark School of Engineering
University of Maryland - College Park, MD
During Samuel Graham’s tenure as dean, the Clark School had advanced its trendsetting research in engineering and medicine, robotics and autonomous systems, semiconductors, transportation, artificial intelligence (AI), energy storage and systems, and quantum technology. The school has also launched new academic programs, including a degree program in engineering AI, a minor in quantum science and engineering, and a Capstone Design Expo. For the seventh consecutive year, the Clark School ranks #10 among the country’s top public universities in graduate engineering programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report. In undergraduate programs, the school ranks ninth among public institutions. Graham also led the development of the school’s new strategic plan, We Innovate for the Public Good, focusing on reimagining how we teach to advance learning; accelerating research, discovery, innovation, and impact; empowering the Clark School community; and building partnerships to enhance our impact. Graham’s research centers on the development of electronics based on wide-bandgap semiconductors for a range of applications in communications, power electronics, and neuromorphic computing. His work has earned several awards, including the 2022 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Allan Kraus Thermal Management Medal for “expertise in the thermal engineering of wide bandgap semiconductor devices and interfaces, including heterogeneous integration methods for thermal management.” In January 2023, Graham was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 2014, was elected a fellow of the ASME. Graham is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and previously received the Society of Manufacturing Engineers International M. Eugene Merchant Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award. Graham became dean of the Clark School in October 2021. Before joining UMD, he was Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. Chair of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Senior Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratory. He has served on the Defense Science Study Group and Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, and was the recipient of a 2005 National Science Foundation CAREER Award. Graham earned his B.S. from Florida State University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech.
Dr. Rodney T. Cohen
Assistant Dean, The Graduate School
University of Utah - Salt Lake City, UT
Rodney T. Cohen has served as a career professional in higher education. In 2022 he joined the University of Utah as their inaugural point to lead strategic University Partnerships with HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities). In 2024, he later joined the Graduate School’s leadership team as an Assistant Dean in the Office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs, with a focus on strategic partnerships, advancement, recruitment, and international engagement. Cohen has also served on the faculty and held appointments at Morehouse College, Yale, Notre Dame, Northern Illinois University and Presbyterian College. He has published (2) books and a number of journal articles on the history, culture, alumni giving and participation at select HBCUs. Dr. Cohen holds a bachelors degree from Clark Atlanta University and advance degrees from Western Kentucky University and Vanderbilt University Peabody.
Ms. Miriam Okine-Davies
Assistant Dean, Office of Graduate School Student
Affairs, Graduate School
Howard University -
Washington, D.C.
Miriam Okine Davies is Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Affairs with the Graduate School at Howard University. She has over 14 years of experience leading data-informed graduate student success and strategic enrollment initiatives, with expertise in lifecycle analytics and risk assessment, CRM/ERP implementation, and student-centered service design. She has cross-sector experience spanning graduate education, public policy research, and public relations with a background in strategic brand management and market positioning.
Dr. Stephen Roth
Associate Provost and Dean, The Graduate School,
University of
Maryland - College Park, MD
Stephen Roth is Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School. He has been on the faculty at Maryland since 2003 and a professor in the School of Public Health since 2014.
Prior to joining the Graduate School in 2023, Dr. Roth held a variety of leadership roles on the campus, including as associate chair and graduate director for the Department of Kinesiology; Interim Director of the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health; Director of the Public Health Science B.S. program; and most recently as Associate Dean for academic and faculty affairs. Dr. Roth also served as director of outreach and instructional innovation for the university’s Teaching and Learning Transformation Center.
Dr. Roth is a professor of kinesiology and affiliate faculty for the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS) graduate program, and his scholarly research focuses on human genetic variation and its implications for health and exercise-related traits, including the ethics of genetic testing for talent identification in sport. Dr. Roth is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Kinesiology. He also serves as an editorial board member for Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
Dr. Roth earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in kinesiology from the University of Maryland, and B.S. in health and human performance from the University of Montana.
Dr. Karen Panetta
Dean of the Graduate School
Tufts University -
Medford, MA
Karen Panetta is the Dean of Graduate Education for the Tufts School of Engineering and a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. She earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Boston University and both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University. In addition to her primary appointment, she holds secondary appointments in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering and serves as Visiting Faculty in the Tufts School of Dental Medicine. She is also the Director of the Panetta Vision and Sensing Systems Laboratory. Dr. Panetta’s research focuses on efficient algorithms for artificial intelligence, simulation and modeling, and signal and image processing, with applications spanning biomedicine, security, and environmental conservation. Her work bridges technical innovation with societal impact.
She has received numerous honors, including the 2023 IEEE-HKN Asad M. Madni Award for Outstanding Technical Leadership and Excellence, the IEEE Ethical Practices Award, the Harriet B. Rigas Award for Outstanding Educator, and the U.S. Presidential Award for Engineering and Science Education and Mentoring for her Nerd Girls program, which empowers young women in STEM. Dr. Panetta has held extensive leadership roles within IEEE, including President of IEEE-HKN, Chair of the IEEE Awards Board, IEEE-USA Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs, and Worldwide Director of IEEE Women in Engineering. She is Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine and co-author of Count Girls In. She is CEO and Co-founder of Tessera Intelligence Inc., a co-inventor of the first Digital Twin, a Fellow of NAI, IEEE, AAIA, NASA JOVE, and AAAS, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Her career is driven by a commitment to applying engineering to benefit humanity globally.
Ms. Marie F. Snyder
Associate Vice President and Associate Dean of
Graduate Academic Affairs
Georgetown University - Washington, D.C.
Maria F. Snyder is the Associate Vice President and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Joint Office of Graduate Studies, Maria oversees academic policies and procedures governing graduate education at Georgetown. In her nearly 28 years at the university, she has held positions in faculty research development and sponsored research administration, department and financial administration, and public relations and event coordination. Immediately prior to her current role, Maria served as director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships & Awards, which supports graduate student research development and related services.
Dr. Kenneth Wong
Vice Provost and Dean of the School of Graduate StudiesUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore - Baltimore, MD
Kenneth Wong became vice provost for graduate education and dean of the University of Maryland Graduate School in August 2023. In this role, Wong reports to the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) provost and serves as the principal academic and administrative officer of the Graduate School, leading faculty and staff who are committed to providing UMB graduate students with an exceptional educational experience. Wong also serves on the provost’s Leadership Council, works cooperatively with partners across UMB and the geographic region to strengthen graduate and professional education, and is a catalyst for the development and launch of self-sustaining programs that are in alignment with the University’s strategic goals.
Wong joined UMB after serving 11 years—nine as associate dean and two as senior associate dean—of the Virginia Tech Graduate School for the National Capital Region and director of the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church, Va., which was founded as a shared facility with the University of Virginia. In 2016, he was instrumental in creating the Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab, which combines career exploration and instruction in electronics, coding, engineering, and artistic design. As a research professor in the Department of Physics at Virginia Tech, Wong studied medical imaging, radiation therapy, image-guided interventions, and applications of machine learning in these fields. He also worked extensively in the field of combat casualty care, developing smartphone and communications systems for delivering medical aid to the point of injury and along the evacuation chain. Wong holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Brandeis University and a PhD in bioengineering from the University of California, San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley. His postdoctoral training was in the radiology department at Georgetown University.
Luncheon: COLLEGE PRESIDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS
Chesapeake Ballroom, 12:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Friday March 13th, 2026
Dr. Raymond Herrera
( Moderator )
Provost for Graduate Enrollment ManagementPI/Director of the McNair Scholars Program
Washington State University - Pullman, WA
Dr. Raymond Herrera serves as an Associate Dean and Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Enrollment Management and Principal Investigator/Director of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Washington State University. His primary responsibilities include Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) and graduate education outreach and preparation. Born and raised in San José, California, Dr. Herrera served in the United States Marine Corps before coming to WSU in the fall of 1992 to begin his college education with the assistance of the Montgomery G.I. Bill. Dr. Herrera earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from WSU and completed his APA predoctoral internship in Professional Psychology at the Counseling Center at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Herrera has served in many leadership roles on campus and at the state and national levels for entities dedicated to access, opportunity, and success for first-generation and low-income undergraduates and graduate students.
Dr. Andres Acebo
PresidentNew Jersey City University - Jersey City, NJ
Andrés Acebo is the 13th President of New Jersey City University and a first-generation Cuban American who grew up in Union City, New Jersey. Appointed unanimously by the Board of Trustees in July 2025 after serving as interim president since January 2023, he was formally installed in September 2025. He is among the youngest presidents of a public university in New Jersey and only the third Hispanic leader of a four-year public institution in the state.
Taking office during a $22.7 million fiscal deficit, Acebo led NJCU through a dramatic recovery marked by disciplined, mission-driven leadership. Under his direction, the university achieved its first balanced operating budget since 2017 and earned consecutive credit rating upgrades from Moody’s and Fitch, including a Fitch upgrade in November 2025 with a positive outlook. He advanced four major strategic initiatives, refreshed the university’s mission, and introduced NJCU’s first vision statement.
Acebo also signed a historic agreement to integrate NJCU into Kean University, expanding access to high-quality public higher education in Hudson County. During his tenure, NJCU was ranked the No. 1 public university in New Jersey for social mobility for two consecutive years, while Fall 2025 undergraduate enrollment increased by 10 percent, including a 20 percent rise in first-time, full-time freshmen.
He has strengthened partnerships across K–12 education, labor, community organizations, and international institutions, while earning statewide recognition for his leadership. Acebo holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School. A product of public schools, he is a husband and father of three and a committed advocate for community-centered higher education.
Dr. Valerie Sheares Ashby
PresidentUniversity of Maryland Baltimore County - Baltimore MD
Valerie Sheares Ashby began serving as the sixth president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) on August 1, 2022, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She also holds a faculty appointment in UMBC’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Prior to joining UMBC, Sheares Ashby served as dean of the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences at Duke University from 2015 to 2022. In this role, she led major strategic planning initiatives that resulted in substantial investments in faculty recruitment and development, increased philanthropic support, enhanced student engagement, and operational realignments that improved efficiency and services.
From 2012 to 2015, Sheares Ashby was chair of the Department of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she had been a faculty member since 2003. She also played a key role in UNC’s collaboration with UMBC to launch the Chancellor’s Science Scholars Program, an early replication of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program.
Sheares Ashby began her academic career in 1996 as an assistant professor at Iowa State University, where she was promoted to associate professor in 2002 and mentored students through programs supporting women in science and engineering.
As a polymer chemist, she focuses on designing materials for biomedical applications, including drug-delivery systems and X-ray contrast agents. Her honors include the NSF CAREER Award, DuPont and 3M Young Faculty Awards, multiple teaching and service awards, and recognition as Technologist of the Year by Women of Color Magazine in 2022.
Sheares Ashby earned both her B.A. and Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed postdoctoral research at Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz in Germany as an NSF and NATO Postdoctoral Fellow.