Welcome to a special bonus episode of After Further Consideration, where we'll be revisiting our original "Pulse Check" episodes that published on the Higher Ed Pulse podcast in the Summer of 2024. Today we are revisiting Part 5, which is a conversation between Dr. Cody Nielsen and Dr. Tomika Ferguson.

In this episode, key takeaways include:

• To serve as an authentic and talented leader, self-love is essential.
• Involving practitioners in more search can benefit the field of higher education, particularly the impact of the work to prepare future and current educational leaders.
• In higher education, we must integrate both theory and practice, ensuring our work is grounded in real-world applications.
• Achieving our professional goals requires a curiosity about others' journeys, without being consumed by following their exact paths.

Welcome to a special bonus episode of After Further Consideration, where we'll be revisiting our original "Pulse Check" episodes that published on the Higher Ed Pulse podcast in the Summer of 2024. Today we are revisiting Part 4 with Jaunelle White, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and Chief Student Development Officer at Point University.

Key takeaways include:

• Intentional leadership fosters inclusivity in decision-making and strengthens relationships with your team.
• Overcoming others' assumptions about you as a leader requires sustained commitment, trust-building, and humanizing yourself to those you lead.
• During a crisis, prioritizing the humanity of your team is more important than the needs of the institution.
• Being confident about making a significant career move requires evaluating the opportunity, timing, and location.

Guest Name: Jaunelle White, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and Chief Student Development Officer, Point University

Guest Social:
LinkedIn
X (Twitter)

Bio: Jaunelle White is the Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Chief Student Development Officer at Point University in West Point, GA. White is the university's third athletic director and first female director. She has recently been recognized by Southern States Athletic Conference as the Athletic Director of the year. Jaunelle White is a proven leader in Athletics as she was named as one of Sports Illustrated's top 100 Black Women in Sports.

White has led the transition of full membership of Point University from the Appalachian Athletic Conference to the Southern States Athletic Conference.. She also added Women's Flag Football to the Athletic Department, which competes in the Sun Conference and will have its inaugural season in Spring 2024. White oversaw three NAIA National Tournament teams, three NAIA All-Americans l), and one Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship team (Women's Basketball). Point University is a school in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. NAIA announced Point University as a Champions of Character Five-Star Gold Institution.

White has nearly 20 years of athletic administration experience, particularly at the NCAA Division I level. Most recently, White served as the senior associate athletic director for internal operations and senior woman administrator at Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis. She has served in several athletic administrative roles, including compliance, at Texas Southern, Alabama State University, University of South Alabama, Middle Tennessee State University, and Louisiana State University.
White is a native of Lawrence, Kansas, and played collegiate volleyball at Auburn University from 1996 to 2002. She holds a master's degree in education and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Auburn University.

Welcome to a special bonus episode of After Further Consideration, where we'll be revisiting our original "Pulse Check" episodes that published on the Higher Ed Pulse podcast in the Summer of 2024. Today we are revisiting Part 3 with Dr. Peter Cornish, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at UHS.

The discussion focuses on the ways in which holistic mental health services is of the most important DEI imperatives in higher education. As well, the episodes explores with Dr. Cornish what might happen is we were to consider the holistic well-being professionals as leaders in the reforming of the entirety of higher education. Join for this informative episode.

Guest Name: Peter Cornish, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services, UHS; Honorary Research Professor at the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada

Guest LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/peter-cornish-6b381922

Guest Bio:
Dr. Peter Cornish is the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at UHS and an Honorary Research Professor at the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. His clinical and research interests include online mental health, stepped-care treatments, mental health service innovations, and inter-professional team functioning.
Over the past five years, Dr. Cornish has provided consultation and on-site training on his Stepped Care 2.0 model to over 150 organizations across North America. His nonprofit company, Stepped Care Solutions, is the lead partner on Wellness Together Canada (link is external), a federal COVID-19 $70M mental health program for all peoples of Canada. Dr. Cornish is the principal investigator for a $1.14M four-year research grant aimed at digitizing and evaluating Stepped Care 2.0 across two Canadian provinces. Currently, he is collaborating with colleagues in the US and Canada on a three-book series on Stepped Care 2.0.

Welcome to a special bonus episode of After Further Consideration, where we'll be revisiting our original "Pulse Check" episodes that published on the Higher Ed Pulse podcast in the Summer of 2024. Today we are revisiting Part 2 with Kevin McDonald of University of Virginia.

Key Takeaways:

• Your effectiveness as a leader is negatively impacted when you neglect self-care.
• Leaders must be confident in their abilities without being intoxicated by the authority and influence of their position, especially in the face of personal fear, campus conflict, and external pressures.
• Executive leadership carries personal risk and responsibility, necessitating reflection on personal obligations, courage, and lifestyle changes to increase effectiveness.
• Gratefulness and servant leadership can affirm one’s motivations for leadership amid challenging circumstances and professional transitions.

Guest Name: Kevin McDonald, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships, University of Virginia

Guest LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drkevinmcdonald

Guest Bio: Today our Guest is Dr. Kevin McDonald. Kevin McDonald is the University of Virginia’s Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships. He joined UVA after serving as the chief diversity officer and vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity, and equity at the University of Missouri System and the University of Missouri – Columbia. While at At Missouri, McDonald established its first diversity strategic plan that was integrated within the UM system’s overall strategic plan,
Prior to the University of Missouri System and Flagship campus, McDonald held positions at several other universities, including as vice president and associate provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Rochester Institute of Technology, Vice President for equity and inclusion at Virginia Tech, as associate director for compliance and conflict resolution at Johns Hopkins University, and as campus compliance officer at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Prior to his work in higher education, McDonald worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and for Network Solutions, Inc.
McDonald holds a law degree from The Ohio State University and a doctoral degree in higher education leadership from the University of Rochester. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Welcome to a special bonus episode of After Further Consideration, where we'll be revisiting our original "Pulse Check" episodes that published on the Higher Ed Pulse podcast in the Summer of 2024. Today we are revisiting Part 1 with Patricia McGuire, President at Trinity Washington University.

Key Takeaways from Part 1:

1. Over the past three decades, the role of the college president has transformed dramatically, necessitating extended tenures to lead impactful change in higher education.
2. Leaders must decisively affirm their commitments to equity and inclusion to reshape the institutional culture despite opposition.
3. Becoming an equity leader demands a sustained, long-term commitment.
4. Prioritizing self-care is essential for leaders to prevent burnout.
5. While shifting to an inclusive institutional culture requires buy-in from faculty, trustees, administrators, alumni, and students, it demands unwavering leadership from the president.

Guest Name: Pat McGuire

Guest LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patricia-mcguire-4b291510

Guets Bio: Patricia McGuire has been president of Trinity since 1989. Previously, she was the assistant dean for development and external affairs at Georgetown University Law Center where she was also an adjunct professor of law. She began her career after law school as the project director for the Street Law clinical program at Georgetown. President McGuire serves on a number of boards including the Consortium of Universities, Cafritz Foundation, Greater Washington Board of Trade and the Ameritas Holding Company. Her prior board service includes the American Council on Education, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Catholic Charities DC, the Meyer Foundation, the Community Foundation of the National Capital Region, and numerous other organizations. In 2018 she received the Association of Catholic Colleges Distinguished Service Award. In 2016, the TIAA Institute honored President McGuire with the Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence. In 2015 President McGuire received the Carnegie Award for Academic Leadership from the Carnegie Corporation. In 2012 she received the Henry Paley Award from the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. In 2010 she received the Alexander Meiklejohn Award for Academic Freedom from the American Association of University Professors. She holds honorary degrees from several universities including Georgetown, Howard, Chatham, Emmanuel, Saint Michael’s, Liverpool Hope, the College of New Rochelle and others. She has received recognition in the Washington Post, Washingtonian magazine, Washington Business Journal and other media outlets. In 2007 she was named “Leader of the Years” by the Greater Washington Board of Trade. She earned her law degree at Georgetown and her baccalaureate degree cum laude at Trinity.

This episode of After Further Consideration features Dr. OiYan Poon, co-director of the College Admissions Futures CoLab and a scholar whose work examines racial policies, education access, and affirmative action. Dr. Poon shares her inspiring journey from higher education practitioner to scholar and consultant, exploring how her personal and professional experiences have fueled her commitment to equity and systemic change in higher education. Packed with actionable insights and reflections, this conversation sheds light on the intersections of leadership, equity, and impactful work in the academic and practical realms of higher education.

Key Takeaways

• Leading for Change: Leadership is less about titles and more about staying true to values and fostering meaningful change.
• Relationships Drive Impact: Building trust and genuine relationships is essential for research and policy work that creates sustainable change.
• Equity as a Guiding Principle: Remaining grounded in equity requires a constant focus on community impact and collective learning.
• The Power of Reflection: Effective leadership starts with understanding historical and organizational contexts before taking action.
• Self-Care is Essential: Leaders must prioritize their well-being to sustain impactful work over the long term.

Dr. Poon traces her leadership journey back to her childhood experiences as the daughter of immigrants in Massachusetts, navigating both financial and racial traumas. Her passion for creating a more racially just society was sparked during college, where she combined her role as a resident advisor with transformative learning in ethnic studies. These formative moments inspired her to pursue a career in higher education, eventually leading her to research and systemic advocacy.

While working in student affairs, Dr. Poon often encountered challenges in convincing higher-ups to adopt equity-focused strategies. The recurring demand for “evidence and data” motivated her to pursue a PhD to gain the research skills necessary for systemic change. Her motivation wasn’t prestige but equipping herself with the tools to advocate for social justice and equity more effectively.

Dr. Poon highlights that leadership in higher education must extend beyond individual accolades to collective impact. Whether leading state-wide convenings or consulting on policy, her approach centers on relationships, shared learning, and trust—particularly important in litigious fields like college admissions.

Through her work with the College Admissions Futures CoLab, Dr. Poon fosters collaboration between scholars and practitioners, emphasizing the need for a common language and shared goals. These partnerships are crucial for translating research into actionable strategies that address real-world challenges.

Becoming a mother was a pivotal moment that reoriented Dr. Poon’s priorities toward making her work impactful and accessible. This personal experience reinforced her belief in the importance of communicating research findings in ways that resonate beyond academic circles, driving real change in policy and practice.

Dr. Poon integrates equity into her leadership by constantly reflecting on her values, journaling, and relying on trusted relationships to keep her accountable. She stresses the importance of understanding organizational and historical contexts to craft strategic, equity-focused initiatives.

Dr. Poon advises leaders to “live a lit review” by understanding the stories and systems that precede their arrival. This reflective practice allows leaders to build on existing strengths while thoughtfully addressing challenges. Additionally, she emphasizes focusing on small, sustainable actions that collectively lead to transformative change.