Middle States Self-Study Steering Committee and Working Groups

Self-Study Leads

  • Malvika Talwar – Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation Liaison Officer
  • Kelly Wessell – Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies
  • Victoria Zeppelin – Director of CollegeNow

Evidence Repository Support

  • Michael Haupt – Institutional Effectiveness Research Analyst
  • Li Jiang – Institutional Research Analyst II
  • Michelle Nightingale – Interim Director of Educational Opportunity Programs

Steering Committee

  • Self-Study Leads
  • Working Group Co-Chairs
  • Representative from Evidence Repository Support team

Working Groups by Standard

Working group members represent a broad range of constituencies within the institution and serve as a comprehensive fact-finding body throughout the Self-Study process. Groups will meet regularly in 2025 to collect and review evidence and evaluate how institutional priorities are addressed within the context of the Standard. 

Working Group Co-Chairs keep each committee on task and on schedule. They report progress regularly to the Self-Study Co-Chairs and Steering Committee, as well as to affiliated campus groups. They prepare written chapters on their Standard for the Self-Study Report.

Standard I: Mission and Goals

  • Virginia Shank – ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Professor of English (Co-Chair)
  • Carrie Whitmore – Director of Continuing Education & Workforce Development (Co-Chair)
  • Kevin Caveney – Purchasing Agent
  • Merryn Clay – Coordinator of Global Partnerships

Standard II: Ethics and Integrity

  • Carolyn Boone – Chief Policy & Compliance Officer (Co-Chair)
  • Virginia Shank – ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Professor of English (Co-Chair)
  • Sarah Dockstater – Interim Director of Financial Aid
  • Zachery Snyder – Director of Strategic Marketing
  • Barbara Thayer – ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ to the Vice President for Student Affairs

Standard III: Design & Delivery of the Student Learning Experience

  • Fares Jnaid – Associate Professor of Engineering and Construction Technology (Co-Chair)
  • Anndrea Mathers – Associate Provost (Co-Chair)
  • Breton Bienvenue – Instructional Designer
  • Amber Gilewski – Professor of Psychology
  • Karen Rachetta – Coordinator of Access & Equity Services

Standard IV: Support of the Student Experience

  • Darese Doskal – Associate Vice President of Student Affairs (Co-Chair)
  • Angela Palumbo – Associate Professor of Global ESL and English (Co-Chair)
  • Glenda Gross – Interim Director of Student Success Services
  • James Janke – ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Director of Financial Aid and Veterans Benefits Certifying Officer
  • April Myles – ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Registrar
  • Dara Riegel – ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Director for Employer Relations & Experiential Learning

Standard V: Educational Effectiveness Assessment

  • Kerry Curran – Professor of English (Co-Chair)
  • Aaron Tolbert – Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs (Co-Chair)
  • Christopher Farrell – Instructor of English
  • Kelly Murray – Instructor of Biology
  • Eric Sambolec – Professor of Psychology

Standard VI: Planning, Resources, & Institutional Improvement

  • Susan Mueller – Associate Professor of Nursing (Co-Chair)
  • Kori Post – Comptroller (Co-Chair)
  • Sierra Brock – Administrative ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ in Academic Affairs
  • Nicholas Dovi - Director of Facilities 
  • Michelle Nightingale – Dean of Organizational Development & Institutional Effectiveness

Standard VII: Governance, Leadership, & Administration

  • Travis Vande Berg – Professor of Sociology (Co-Chair)
  • Jonathan Walz-Koeppel – Lead Data Architect (Co-Chair)
  • Aaron Decker – Associate Professor of English
  • Amy Faben-Wade – ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ Professor of Chemical Dependency Counseling
  • Nancy Murphy – ¿ì²¥ÊÓƵ to the President