REGISTER

PANELISTS

Brad L. Mortensen
President of Weber State University

Brad L. Mortensen became the 13th president of Weber State University (WSU) in January 2019, after serving in several leadership positions at WSU since 2004. He began his tenure as president with a call to action for the Weber State family to become louder and prouder about the university. Since then, Brad has celebrated numerous accomplishments with campus partners, including establishing a new strategic plan, expanding community partnerships and economic engagement initiatives, and helping WSU maintain and achieve top rankings in multiple areas, including student affordability and return on investment. Brad guides Weber State’s efforts to be a leader in transforming lives by meeting all students where they are, challenging and guiding them to meet their goals both academically and in life. This includes expanding access as an open enrollment university, increasing retention and completion rates, providing personalized and innovative learning experiences and striving to become an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. He believes it is his primary role to unlock the creative potential within everyone in the Weber State community, and to guide the university in being an institution that is continually learning and improving. A first-generation college graduate, Brad holds several degrees, including a doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy from the University of Utah.

Colleen Flaherty
Senior Editor of Special Content at Inside Higher Ed

Colleen Flaherty, senior editor of special content, previously served as Student Voice editor for Inside Higher Ed. Prior to joining the publication in 2012, Colleen was military editor at the Killeen Daily Herald, outside Fort Hood, Texas. Before that, she covered government and land use issues for the Greenwich Time and Hersam Acorn Newspapers in her home state of Connecticut. After graduating from McGill University in Montreal with a degree in English literature, Colleen taught English and English as a second language in public schools in the Bronx, New York. She earned her M.S.Ed. from City University of New York Lehman College as part of the New York City Teaching Fellows program.

Brian K. Bridges
Secretary of Higher Education, New Jersey

Brian K. Bridges, Ph.D., previously served in various leadership roles both on- and off-campus, including as vice president of research and member engagement at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF); vice provost for diversity, access and equity at Ohio University; associate director of the Center for Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity at the American Council on Education; and associate director at the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). He has been named an American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Emerging Scholar and an Aspen Ideas Fellow for the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation.

Dione D. Somerville
President of Owens Community College

Currently serving as the eighth president of Owens Community College, Dione D. Somerville, Ed.D., has made an indelible impact since taking the helm in 2021. Her leadership has propelled Owens toward its goal of becoming a vital economic driver in the region. By connecting people to industry through targeted education and training, Dr. Somerville has championed initiatives such as the creation of the college’s 2023-2028 strategic plan and the founding of the Center to Advance Manufacturing—a groundbreaking collaboration between Owens, Bowling Green State University and the University of Findlay. Dr. Somerville hosts the award-winning Conversations podcast, highlighting key leaders in education, public service, business and civic life. Thanks to Dr. Somerville’s vision, Owens was named one of Ohio’s first Collegiate Purple Star Campuses, recognizing its exceptional support for military-affiliated students. A recognized leader in higher education, she’s received awards from the Ohio House of Representatives, Lucas County Commissioners and other community organizations. Prior to Owens, Dr. Somerville held several leadership positions, including executive vice president at Hawkeye Community College in Iowa, vice president for student affairs at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, dean of students at Iowa State University and director of enrollment services/registrar at Lorain County Community College in Ohio. Dr. Somerville holds a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor’s degree in English/writing from Ohio Northern University. She has furthered her expertise through fellowships and programs such as the EAB New Presidents Intensive, AGB Institute for Leadership and Governance and Harvard University’s Institute for Education Management. Additionally, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program honored Dr. Somerville as one of the 26 leaders selected for the 2022-2023 New Presidents Fellowship.

Eleanor Eckerson Peters
Senior Director of Research at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)

Eleanor Eckerson Peters is the senior director of research at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP). In this role, she leads research, policy and advocacy projects for the research team, centering on college access and affordability, student outcomes and federal higher education policy. Before joining IHEP, Ellie was a research fellow at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). Her work on IWPR’s Student Parent Success Initiative focused on supporting students with dependent children who are pursuing postsecondary credentials, such as by improving access to quality on-campus childcare. Before shifting to higher education policy, Ellie worked to elevate teachers’ voices in state and national K-12 policy conversations and to improve access to educational opportunities that lead to college success for underserved students in Boston. Ellie earned an M.A. in public policy with a concentration in women’s studies from George Washington University. She holds a B.A. in women’s studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Christine Wyatt
Chief Operating Officer at ReUp Education

Christine has twenty-seven years’ experience working with higher education institutions. Her background includes working on campus for several colleges and universities in IT leadership and teaching roles prior to joining a series of ed-tech companies focused on serving higher education. In these roles Christine’s focus included: growth strategy, marketing, go-to-market strategy, student enrollment, learning management systems and student information systems, and leadership team coaching. Christine has traditional and online teaching experience, and holds a master’s degree from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor of arts from Murray State University. Christine is currently serving as the chief operating officer at ReUp Education.