People
Leadership Team
Professional Staff
ADVANCE Faculty Fellows
Student Staff
Leadership Team
Denise Sekaquaptewa, Ph.D.
Director of ADVANCE
dsekaqua@umich.eduDenise 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
aehugh@umich.eduAmy 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
liemohn@umich.eduMike 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
shellyah@umich.eduThe 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
hudgins@umich.eduCynthia 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
kkadams@umich.eduKelsey 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.
Shawn Beard
Administrative/Project Coordinator
spbeard@umich.eduShawn 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.
Anne Cope
Administrative Assistant Senior
acope@umich.eduAnne 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
jkhenry@umich.eduJen 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
hudginsj@umich.eduJordan 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
vnjohnso@umich.eduValerie 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
amoralez@umich.eduAllyson 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.
Jamie Saville, MPA
Project Intermediate Manager
jsaville@umich.eduJamie 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
sshauls@umich.eduAs 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.
Jamie Zawistowski, MBA
Business Manager
jzawisto@umich.eduJamie 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
bzydorc@umich.eduBrittany 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
Emma Christopherson
Undergraduate Student in Romance Languages and Literatures & International Studies
Taylor Lewis
PhD Program: Higher Education
Mara Serbanesco
Undergraduate Student in Political Science
