People
Leadership Team
Professional Staff
ADVANCE Faculty Fellows
Student Staff
Leadership Team
Denise Sekaquaptewa, Ph.D.
Director of ADVANCE
[email protected]Denise began her role as Director of the U-M ADVANCE Program in Fall 2023, after having previously served on the STRIDE Committee and as the Associate Director for Research in ADVANCE. She is University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Psychology. Her research program in experimental social psychology focuses on intergroup stereotyping, implicit bias, and the experiences of women and underrepresented minorities in science and engineering. She received the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award (2015), and the Sarah Goddard Power Award (2012) from the University of Michigan for her work on diversity-related issues.
Amy E. Hughes, Ph.D.
Associate Director
[email protected]Amy E. Hughes (she/any) is an Associate Director at ADVANCE, a member of the STRIDE Committee, and a Professor of Theatre & Drama (SMTD) and Faculty Associate in American Culture (LSA). She incorporates anti-oppressive principles and practices in her scholarship, pedagogy, and leadership work, especially disability justice (h/t Sins Invalid) and culturally responsive teaching (h/t Dr. Geneva Gay). Since joining the U-M faculty in 2019, she has been nominated twice for the MLK Spirit Award (North Campus) and once for the Golden Apple Award.
Mike Liemohn, Ph.D.
Associate Director
[email protected]Mike Liemohn is an Associate Director at ADVANCE and a member of the RISE Committee. Mike has a strong understanding of the research and values underlying the ADVANCE mission. He even co-authored a paper applying the STRIDE model to his field (March 2023, Frontiers in Astronomy & Space Sciences). He has also worked on programming focused on coaching and mentoring of faculty within his discipline of climate and space sciences and engineering.
Shelly Conner, Ph.D.
Director of Research and Evaluation
[email protected]The research & evaluation team supports ADVANCE and campus leaders by collecting and analyzing institutional data, climate surveys, salary equity, and various research projects focused on faculty. Shelly works with our staff and students to listen to and advocate for our faculty. Previously, she was an Assistant Dean in the Rackham Graduate School who focused on program evaluation, graduate student funding and policy analyses. She received her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Michigan.
Cynthia Hudgins, Ph.D.
Director of Administration and Programming and Special Advisor to the Director
[email protected]Cynthia is responsible for unit administration, including finance, human resources, facilities and operations. She works closely with the Director to develop and implement strategic plans to meet ADVANCE’s mission. She has been at the University since 1991 and with the ADVANCE Program since 2004. She received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from Indiana University and her Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan.
Professional Staff
Kelsey Arras, M.A.
Communication and Project Specialist
[email protected]Kelsey is responsible for program and research communication. She manages material development, dissemination of information, and other ongoing projects. Additionally, she is the program manager for the RISE committee. The RISE Committee is a group of faculty and staff working to support climates of respect and inclusion within academic units. Kelsey received her M.A. in Arts Management from Eastern Michigan University and a B.F.A. in Illustration from Northern Michigan University. She has been with the University of Michigan since 2018.
Mary Bautista, Ph.D.
Research Area Specialist
[email protected]Mary works with the Research & Evaluation team on department and campus-wide climate assessments, exit interviews of tenure-track faculty, program evaluations, and other research projects. She studied chemistry at St. Olaf College (B.A.), Eastern Michigan University (M.S.), and South Dakota State University (Ph.D.). Her graduate research in chemical education involved pre- and in-service K-12 science teachers and she is eager to support educators in higher education through research done by the ADVANCE program.
Shawn Beard
Administrative/Project Coordinator
[email protected]Shawn is ADVANCE’s staff lead for the U-M President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. He also assists with administrative matters, programming, and STRIDE. He works closely with the Associate Director of Administration on day-to-day operations. He has been with the ADVANCE Program since 2009, and is currently working towards a degree in Elementary Education.
Stephanie Benson
Technical Writer
[email protected]Steph B is a technical writer assisting with department climate assessments. She is excited to work with the R&E team, meet new staff, and reconnect with colleagues from her previous time with ADVANCE. She received her MSW from the University of Michigan and Ph.D. at the Luskin School of Public Affairs from UCLA.
Anne Cope
Administrative Assistant Senior
[email protected]Anne is responsible for providing executive level support to the ADVANCE Program Director and works closely with unit leadership in managing the budget and financial accounts for the program. She closely monitors financial transactions, distributes funds awarded for the Elizabeth Caroline Crosby and the SUCCEED Faculty Grants, and coordinates funding transfers as needed. Anne is an administrative partner in providing support with complex scheduling, travel coordination, facilities & operations, and process documentation. She is also an avid hockey fan and is a superb parallel parker!
Jennifer Henry, M.M.
Project Manager
[email protected]Jen provides strategic project management for various campus-wide initiatives including the Elizabeth Caroline Crosby and SUCCEED faculty funding programs. She also leads the development and expansion of the Launch Committee program, supporting new tenure-track assistant professors as they begin their careers at U-M. Partnering with ADVANCE’s operations team, Jen helps develop processes that support ADVANCE’s growing portfolio and impact. Jen received her B.A. in Communication Studies and Spanish Language & Literature and M.M. in Business Management from the University of Michigan
Jordan Hudgins
Statistician Intermediate
[email protected]Jordan works on dashboards, department climate assessments, program evaluations, and other ongoing research projects. Jordan received her B.S. in Statistics from the University of Michigan in 2021. Before starting as a Research & Evaluation specialist, she worked at ADVANCE as a student for 2 years. Her research interests include the experiences of women in STEM fields, survey design and methodology, and data visualization.
Valerie N. Johnson, Ph.D.
Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships
[email protected]Valerie supports ADVANCE leadership in interactions across campus, building upon historical partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration. She also facilitates in-house strategic discussions to maximize the coordination and impact of ADVANCE’s portfolio. At U-M for over twenty years, Valerie received her B.S. in English Education from Taylor University and M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Kentucky.
Allyson Moralez
Events & Projects Specialist
[email protected]Allyson oversees organizing various events, meetings and programming projects for ADVANCE. She works closely with the Associate Director of Administration to ensure all ADVANCE events run smoothly. Allyson received her B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan in 2021.
Anli Peng
Research Area Specialist Intermediate
[email protected]Anli is part of the Research and Evaluation team, focusing on campus and departmental climate assessments, faculty exit interviews, and various research projects related to faculty experiences. Prior to joining ADVANCE, she earned her Master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Maryland (UMD), where she collaborated with the UMD ADVANCE team on research concerning faculty hiring and promotion. Anli’s research employs big data and survey methodologies to analyze the academic workforce and workplace climate.
Jamie Saville, MPA
Project Intermediate Manager
[email protected]Jamie works with our collaborators to organize our STRIDE Committee, NextProf initiatives, Faculty Development Workshops and additional events and program initiatives. After spending 14 years helping to direct the University of Michigan’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Program, Jamie is now applying her program management and development experience, as well as her passion for diversity initiatives, to U-M faculty.
Stephanie Shaulskiy, Ph.D.
Research Area Specialist Senior
[email protected]As a member of the Research and Evaluation team, Stephanie works on program evaluations, research studies, and departmental climate assessments. Before joining the ADVANCE team, Stephanie worked as the Program Evaluation Coordinator for the Transforming Learning Program at the University of Michigan Biological Station, where she evaluated the effectiveness of new courses and field-based programs. She attended the University of Arizona, graduating with honors in Psychology and earned her doctorate in educational psychology in 2016 from The Ohio State University. Her research interests focus on the importance and development of belonging in educational settings.
Kolbe Sussman
Research Area Specialist
[email protected]Kolbe supports the Research & Evaluation team by working on department climate assessments, campus-wide climate assessments, PACE and Leadership coaching evaluations, and research on the experiences of faculty. Kolbe received her B.S. (2019) and M.S. (2021) in Experimental Psychology from Eastern Michigan University and is currently pursuing a M.S. in Applied Data Science at the University of Michigan.
Jessica Terlikowski
Project Manager
[email protected]Jessica manages ADVANCE’s coaching programs that support U-M Ann Arbor tenure track faculty at pivotal points in their careers. In partnership with the Office of the Provost, Jessica works with schools and colleges across campus to connect newly tenured faculty to the Post Promotion Advancement & Career Exploration (PACE) program to access tailored, goal-centered coaching. She also manages ADVANCE’s full professor-focused Leadership Coaching program. Jessica brings more than 15 years of experience developing and managing strategic equity-centered programs that address intersecting social issues. As the partner of a U-M faculty member, she is passionate about ADVANCE’s goals and contributing to the cultivation of an equitable, inclusive, and supportive environment where faculty can thrive.
Jamie Zawistowski, MBA
Business Manager
[email protected]Jamie is responsible for finance and human resources. With over 18 years of experience at U-M in finance and human resources, she works to support ADVANCE in these areas and enjoys the mix of responsibilities that comes with working in a small U-M unit. Jamie received her B.S. degree in Finance from St. Joseph’s University and her MBA from Villanova University.
Brittany Zydorczyk
Finance and Human Resource Specialist
[email protected]Brittany Zydorczyk is the Finance and Human Resource Specialist for both the ADVANCE and CEW+ program. She works closely alongside with the Senior Business Administrator to support both departments. Brittany graduated from the University of Toledo with a BBA in Finance and a minor in Information Systems.
Student Staff
Brittany Ribeiro Brown
Joint Ph.D. Program in Social Work and Psychology
Wilson Chay
Undergraduate Student in Computer Science Engineering
Emma Christopherson
Undergraduate Student in Romance Languages and Literatures & International Studies
Zhangxu Kang
Graduate Student in Higher Education
Mara Serbanesco
Undergraduate Student in Political Science
