MSCHE Pillars of Change Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:36:16 -0400 http://www.msche.org/pillarsofchange en-us © 2026 Middle States Commission on Higher Education no bb4f75a8-a726-5802-96c0-b974868fae57 MSCHE serial false Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) diversity, equity, inclusion MSCHE https://storage.buzzsprout.com/3yjgiuh6wmzhlryxje600x00oykm?.jpg MSCHE Pillars of Change http://www.msche.org/pillarsofchange Episode 13 - The University of Pittsburgh’s Sustainability and Equity Efforts Episode 13 - The University of Pittsburgh’s Sustainability and Equity Efforts In the 13th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Commissioner Kimberly Davenport, Partner and Director of Corporate Responsibility with ScottMadden, Inc., hosted Aurora Sharrard, inaugural Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability at the University of Pittsburgh (PA). 

The two discussed how the University of Pittsburgh integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into the Pitt Sustainability Plan and Pitt Climate Action Plan, which outline 68 sustainability goals at the intersection of equity, environment, and economics, including a commitment to carbon neutrality by 2037. The Pitt Sustainability Plan advances three areas of impact: stewardship, exploration, and community and culture. In 2024, the Pitt Climate Action Plan earned the institution the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Excellence in Sustainability Award. 

The University serves nearly 35,000 students across four campuses and offers more than 650 degree and certificate programs.

]]> In the 13th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Commissioner Kimberly Davenport, Partner and Director of Corporate Responsibility with ScottMadden, Inc., hosted Aurora Sharrard, inaugural Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability at the University of Pittsburgh (PA). 

The two discussed how the University of Pittsburgh integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into the Pitt Sustainability Plan and Pitt Climate Action Plan, which outline 68 sustainability goals at the intersection of equity, environment, and economics, including a commitment to carbon neutrality by 2037. The Pitt Sustainability Plan advances three areas of impact: stewardship, exploration, and community and culture. In 2024, the Pitt Climate Action Plan earned the institution the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Excellence in Sustainability Award. 

The University serves nearly 35,000 students across four campuses and offers more than 650 degree and certificate programs.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-16492286 Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:00:00 -0500 1920 full false Episode 12 - Monroe Community College President DeAnna Burt-Nanna on Supporting Student Parents Episode 12 - Monroe Community College President DeAnna Burt-Nanna on Supporting Student Parents In the 12th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Commissioner Susan Looney, President of Reading Area Community College, hosted DeAnna Burt-Nanna, President of Monroe Community College (MCC) in New York. 

The two discussed MCC’s initiatives to support student parent learners. MCC is one of four U.S. community colleges collaborating with the national nonprofit Education Design Lab to help raise completion rates for single mother learners, and it is the first college in the U.S. to collect data on their students’ marital and parental status to uncover student parent needs. In spring 2022, MCC launched Single Mom Success Design Challenge to provide critical holistic support and referrals to community resources for single mom learners. 

The college serves more than 23,000 students across four campuses and offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs.

]]> In the 12th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Commissioner Susan Looney, President of Reading Area Community College, hosted DeAnna Burt-Nanna, President of Monroe Community College (MCC) in New York. 

The two discussed MCC’s initiatives to support student parent learners. MCC is one of four U.S. community colleges collaborating with the national nonprofit Education Design Lab to help raise completion rates for single mother learners, and it is the first college in the U.S. to collect data on their students’ marital and parental status to uncover student parent needs. In spring 2022, MCC launched Single Mom Success Design Challenge to provide critical holistic support and referrals to community resources for single mom learners. 

The college serves more than 23,000 students across four campuses and offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-15758548 Wed, 09 Oct 2024 10:00:00 -0400 1547 4 2 full false Episode 11 - John B. King, Jr., SUNY Chancellor Episode 11 - John B. King, Jr., SUNY Chancellor In the 11th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Commissioner Havidán Rodríguez, President of SUNY at Albany, hosted John B. King, Jr., Chancellor of The State University of New York (SUNY) and former U.S. Secretary of Education within President Barack Obama's cabinet.

The two discussed the role of higher education in promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in today’s political climate, how leaders can communicate the value of increasing campus diversity, and SUNY’s greatest DEI challenges and opportunities.

SUNY is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States, serving nearly 1.4 million students across 64 campuses.

]]> In the 11th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Commissioner Havidán Rodríguez, President of SUNY at Albany, hosted John B. King, Jr., Chancellor of The State University of New York (SUNY) and former U.S. Secretary of Education within President Barack Obama's cabinet.

The two discussed the role of higher education in promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in today’s political climate, how leaders can communicate the value of increasing campus diversity, and SUNY’s greatest DEI challenges and opportunities.

SUNY is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States, serving nearly 1.4 million students across 64 campuses.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-15511001 Wed, 28 Aug 2024 14:00:00 -0400 2356 4 1 full false Episode 10 - Student Researchers Episode 10 - Student Researchers In the 10th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Davie Gilmour, Chair of the Commission, hosted three students who presented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) research at the MSCHE 2023 Annual Conference. 

Davie was joined by Sahtrese McQueen, an undergraduate student at Pace University (NY), whose research analyzed controversial topics and threats on freedom of student newspapers; Mackenzie Wise, a graduate student at Baruch College of the City University of New York, whose research focused on the struggle of first-generation students and cultural integration; and Vidya Surti an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, whose research examined classroom disability inclusivity. 

]]> In the 10th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Davie Gilmour, Chair of the Commission, hosted three students who presented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) research at the MSCHE 2023 Annual Conference. 

Davie was joined by Sahtrese McQueen, an undergraduate student at Pace University (NY), whose research analyzed controversial topics and threats on freedom of student newspapers; Mackenzie Wise, a graduate student at Baruch College of the City University of New York, whose research focused on the struggle of first-generation students and cultural integration; and Vidya Surti an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, whose research examined classroom disability inclusivity. 

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-15073154 Thu, 23 May 2024 09:00:00 -0400 1970 3 3 full false Episode 9 - East Stroudsburg University Career and Independent Living and Learning Studies (CILLS) Episode 9 - East Stroudsburg University Career and Independent Living and Learning Studies (CILLS) In this episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Valerie D. Lehr, Commissioner and Professor of Gender Studies/Government, St. Lawrence University (NY), engages with leaders from the East Stroudsburg University (PA) Career and Independent Living and Learning Studies (CILLS) program.

Dean of the College of Education, Dr. Brooke Langan; CILLS Program Director, Dr. Domenico Cavaiuolo; and CILLS Program Coordinator, Dylan Doran; share with our audience how the CILLS program provides a high-quality learning experience and necessary support within a university setting to help young adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities develop life skills. The program prepares individuals to live independently and lead productive lives in their communities.

]]> In this episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Valerie D. Lehr, Commissioner and Professor of Gender Studies/Government, St. Lawrence University (NY), engages with leaders from the East Stroudsburg University (PA) Career and Independent Living and Learning Studies (CILLS) program.

Dean of the College of Education, Dr. Brooke Langan; CILLS Program Director, Dr. Domenico Cavaiuolo; and CILLS Program Coordinator, Dylan Doran; share with our audience how the CILLS program provides a high-quality learning experience and necessary support within a university setting to help young adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities develop life skills. The program prepares individuals to live independently and lead productive lives in their communities.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-13606401 Sun, 17 Sep 2023 15:00:00 -0400 2519 3 2 full false Episode 8 - Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor of The City University of New York Episode 8 - Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor of The City University of New York In this episode of the MSCHE Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor of The City University of New York (CUNY) System, engages with Dr. David Rehm, Commissioner and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania, about the system efforts to eliminate remedial courses in math and English and replace them with corequisite, credit-bearing courses accompanied by the academic support necessary for student success. 
 
Dr. Matos Rodríguez, through his advocacy, focuses on system-wide change and highlights CUNY initiatives designed to help students continue their educational journeys.

]]> In this episode of the MSCHE Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor of The City University of New York (CUNY) System, engages with Dr. David Rehm, Commissioner and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania, about the system efforts to eliminate remedial courses in math and English and replace them with corequisite, credit-bearing courses accompanied by the academic support necessary for student success. 
 
Dr. Matos Rodríguez, through his advocacy, focuses on system-wide change and highlights CUNY initiatives designed to help students continue their educational journeys.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-13245540 Tue, 18 Jul 2023 12:00:00 -0400 2197 3 1 full false Episode 7 - Dr. Havidán Rodriguez, President of the University at Albany Episode 7 - Dr. Havidán Rodriguez, President of the University at Albany Dr. Havidán Rodríguez has a long and distinguished career in higher education and has been guiding SUNY at Albany (UAlbany) since 2017, accelerating UAlbany's success toward reaching its vision to be the nation's leading diverse public research university. However, Dr. Rodríguez's impact extends beyond UAlbany. In this episode of the MSCHE Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Jim Sunser, President of SUNY Genesee Community College and member of the MSCHE Executive committee, speaks with fellow MSCHE Executive Committee member Dr. Rodríguez about his leadership of SUNY's Hispanic Leadership Institute, which was created to support, retain, and foster the success of emerging Hispanic and Latinx leaders across the State University of New York (SUNY), the largest comprehensive university system in the United States.

]]> Dr. Havidán Rodríguez has a long and distinguished career in higher education and has been guiding SUNY at Albany (UAlbany) since 2017, accelerating UAlbany's success toward reaching its vision to be the nation's leading diverse public research university. However, Dr. Rodríguez's impact extends beyond UAlbany. In this episode of the MSCHE Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Jim Sunser, President of SUNY Genesee Community College and member of the MSCHE Executive committee, speaks with fellow MSCHE Executive Committee member Dr. Rodríguez about his leadership of SUNY's Hispanic Leadership Institute, which was created to support, retain, and foster the success of emerging Hispanic and Latinx leaders across the State University of New York (SUNY), the largest comprehensive university system in the United States.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-10921935 Thu, 07 Jul 2022 14:00:00 -0400 1598 2 2 full false Episode 6 - Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President of University of Maryland, Baltimore County Episode 6 - Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President of University of Maryland, Baltimore County For the past three decades, University of Maryland, Baltimore County has become synonymous with Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III. He is nationally celebrated for his results-driven commitment to inclusive excellence, collaborative approach to leadership, and mentorship that pairs high expectations with strong support. In this episode of the MSCHE Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, MSCHE Vice-Chair and President of  Buffalo State College, explores the impact Dr. Hrabowski has had on his students, faculty, and staff in shaping conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion issues as well as striving to meet the challenges of society . UMBC's model of distributed leadership brings a variety of voices to the table to help move campus discussions forward by incorporating self-reflection.

]]> For the past three decades, University of Maryland, Baltimore County has become synonymous with Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III. He is nationally celebrated for his results-driven commitment to inclusive excellence, collaborative approach to leadership, and mentorship that pairs high expectations with strong support. In this episode of the MSCHE Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, MSCHE Vice-Chair and President of  Buffalo State College, explores the impact Dr. Hrabowski has had on his students, faculty, and staff in shaping conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion issues as well as striving to meet the challenges of society . UMBC's model of distributed leadership brings a variety of voices to the table to help move campus discussions forward by incorporating self-reflection.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-9847511 Fri, 07 Jan 2022 13:00:00 -0500 2344 2 1 full false Episode 5 - Dr. Margaret McMenamin, President of Union County College Episode 5 - Dr. Margaret McMenamin, President of Union County College Since being named president of Union County College in 2010, Dr. Margaret McMenamin has aggressively pursued an agenda centering on improving student success outcomes. During her tenure at Union, the College has more than quintupled its IPEDS graduation rate and been recognized by the Aspen Institute for Community College Excellence and Association of Community College Trustees. MSCHE Commissioner Mr. Michael Collins interviews Dr. McMenamin, a former Commission Chair, on the success found at her community college and the role of higher education in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

]]> Since being named president of Union County College in 2010, Dr. Margaret McMenamin has aggressively pursued an agenda centering on improving student success outcomes. During her tenure at Union, the College has more than quintupled its IPEDS graduation rate and been recognized by the Aspen Institute for Community College Excellence and Association of Community College Trustees. MSCHE Commissioner Mr. Michael Collins interviews Dr. McMenamin, a former Commission Chair, on the success found at her community college and the role of higher education in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-9486026 Wed, 03 Nov 2021 17:00:00 -0400 2476 1 5 full false Episode 4 - Dr. Aminta Breaux, President of Bowie State University Episode 4 - Dr. Aminta Breaux, President of Bowie State University In this wide-ranging interview, Lloyd Ricketts, Vice President and Treasurer at the College of New Jersey as well as Treasurer of the Commission and a member of the Executive Committee speaks with Dr. Aminta  Breaux who serves as the 10th president of Bowie State. At Bowie State, the oldest historically Black university in Maryland, Dr. Breaux is committed to ensuring that every student develops an entrepreneurial mindset to achieve success in the workplace and the community, and has added programming to support that call. 

]]> In this wide-ranging interview, Lloyd Ricketts, Vice President and Treasurer at the College of New Jersey as well as Treasurer of the Commission and a member of the Executive Committee speaks with Dr. Aminta  Breaux who serves as the 10th president of Bowie State. At Bowie State, the oldest historically Black university in Maryland, Dr. Breaux is committed to ensuring that every student develops an entrepreneurial mindset to achieve success in the workplace and the community, and has added programming to support that call. 

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-8893478 Tue, 20 Jul 2021 10:00:00 -0400 2522 1 4 full false Episode 3 - Pat McGuire, President of Trinity Washington University Episode 3 - Pat McGuire, President of Trinity Washington University Dr. Katherine S. Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State and a member of the Middles States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Executive Committee, sits in the interview chair for this edition of the MSCHE Pillars of Change podcast. Dr. Conway-Turner, who was interviewed in the inaugural podcast, speaks with  Pat McGuire, president of Trinity Washington University. Their conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in higher education takes on more relevance coming the day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of killing George Floyd.

]]> Dr. Katherine S. Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State and a member of the Middles States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Executive Committee, sits in the interview chair for this edition of the MSCHE Pillars of Change podcast. Dr. Conway-Turner, who was interviewed in the inaugural podcast, speaks with  Pat McGuire, president of Trinity Washington University. Their conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in higher education takes on more relevance coming the day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of killing George Floyd.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-8378607 Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:00:00 -0400 2259 1 3 full false Episode 2 - Dr. Wayne Frederick, President of Howard University Episode 2 - Dr. Wayne Frederick, President of Howard University Middle States Commission on Higher Education Executive Committee member Dr. Carl Person welcomes Dr. Wayne Frederick,  President of Howard University, to the MSCHE's Pillars of Change podcast for an engaging and wide-ranging conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

]]> Middle States Commission on Higher Education Executive Committee member Dr. Carl Person welcomes Dr. Wayne Frederick,  President of Howard University, to the MSCHE's Pillars of Change podcast for an engaging and wide-ranging conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

]]> MSCHE Buzzsprout-7700176 Fri, 05 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0500 1539 1 2 full false Episode 1 - Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State Episode 1 - Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State In the inaugural episode of MSCHE's Pillars of Change,  Dr. Davie Gilmour, President of Pennsylvania College of Technology and Vice-Chair of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education interviews Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State, who also serves as an MSCHE Executive Committee member.

]]> In the inaugural episode of MSCHE's Pillars of Change,  Dr. Davie Gilmour, President of Pennsylvania College of Technology and Vice-Chair of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education interviews Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State, who also serves as an MSCHE Executive Committee member.

]]> https://www.msche.org/pillarsofchange/ MSCHE Buzzsprout-6757489 Tue, 08 Dec 2020 16:00:00 -0500 1779 diversity, equity, inclusion 1 1 full false