People
Leadership Team
Professional Staff
ADVANCE Faculty Fellows
Student Staff
Leadership Team
Denise Sekaquaptewa, Ph.D.
Director of ADVANCE
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.
Edwin Bergin
Associate Director
Edwin Bergin is a Professor of Astronomy in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. He received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts in 1995 and held a position as astronomer/astrophysicist at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics from 1995-2003. In 2003 he joined the faculty at the University of Michigan. His scholarship focuses on the chemical composition associated with star and planet formation. He used both observations and theory to explore how chemical content changes as, e.g., planets are born. A central question of his work is how the Earth was formed with the materials needed for life (water, organics) present on its surface and whether these conditions are replicated in other planetary systems. In 2008, he was the recipient of the Henry Russel Award, the highest honor bestowed by the University of Michigan for junior faculty in recognition of an extraordinary record of accomplishment in scholarly research and conspicuous ability as a teacher. In 2019 he received the Dannie Heineman prize from the American Astronomical Society and the American Institute of Physics “for his pioneering work in astrochemistry and innovative contributions to our understanding of the physics and chemistry of star and planet formation, and for his tireless efforts to improve astronomy”.
Amy E. Hughes, Ph.D.
Associate Director
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.
Brittany Dernberger, Ph.D.
Director of Research and Evaluation
Dr. Brittany Dernberger leads the ADVANCE Research and Evaluation Team, which produces insights about faculty recruitment and retention that inform university decision-making. Brittany is a social scientist who has 15 years of experience leading research and organizational learning across sectors. Brittany earned her M.P.A. in Nonprofit Management from Grand Valley State University and obtained her PhD in Sociology from University of Maryland. Her research focuses on gender, jobs, and economic inequality.
Cynthia Hudgins, Ph.D.
Director of Administration and Programming and Special Advisor to the Director
Cynthia Hudgins provides leadership for ADVANCE’s administration and programming and serves as Special Advisor to the Director. Working closely with the Director, she helps guide strategic planning and implementation in support of ADVANCE’s mission. Since joining ADVANCE in 2004, Cynthia has played a central role in shaping its portfolio of programs, developing and refining initiatives that promote faculty success, institutional change, and a more equitable academic environment. A member of the University of Michigan community since 1991, she holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan.
Mike Liemohn, Ph.D.
Taking leave from the role of Associate Director while on sabbatical in 2026.
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.
Professional Staff
Kelsey Arras, M.A.
Communication and Project Specialist
Kelsey is responsible for ADVANCE Program communications. A few key communication pieces she manages include newsletters, digital accessibility, social media channels, and graphic design materials. In addition to communications, Kelsey also serves as the project manager for the RISE committee. The RISE Committee is a group of faculty and senior staff dedicated to improving workplace climate at the university. 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
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
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.
Anne Cope
Administrative Assistant Senior
Anne is responsible for providing executive-level support to the ADVANCE Program Director and works closely with unit leadership on special projects for the program. She co-leads ADVANCE’s coaching programs that support U-M tenure track faculty at pivotal points in their careers. The Post Promotion Advancement & Career Exploration (PACE) program connects newly tenured faculty with tailored, goal-centered coaching to support successful navigation through the transition that follows achieving tenure. She also co-leads ADVANCE’s Leadership Coaching program designed to provide support to newly promoted Full Professors in areas they have identified for career growth. On a more personal note, Anne is also an avid hockey fan and a superb parallel parker!
Jennifer Henry, M.M.
Project Manager
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
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
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.
Anli Peng
Research Area Specialist
Anli is a member of the Research and Evaluation team, where her work focuses on campus-wide and departmental climate assessments and research on faculty experiences. She received her Master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Maryland (UMD), where she collaborated with the UMD ADVANCE Program on research related to faculty hiring and promotion. Anli’s research interests include survey methodology, cloud-based data systems, and data analytics. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Jamie Saville, MPA
Project Manager
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
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, MS
Research Area Specialist
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 her Masters in Applied Data Science (2026) from the University of Michigan.
Jamie Zawistowski, MBA
Senior Business Manager
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
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
Monitha Basa
Undergraduate Student in Economics
Emma Christopherson
Undergraduate Student in Romance Languages and Literatures & International Studies
Xiwen Mark
Undergraduate Student in Information Analysis
Taylor Pluta
Graduate Student in Higher Education
