Over the past several months, mid-career scholars and practitioners from Campus Compact member institutions across the country have been meeting monthly as the inaugural cohort of the Mid-Career Learning Community, a professional development program designed to provide networking and leadership development opportunities for faculty and staff with over eight years in the field of higher education civic and community engagement but who have yet to begin senior leadership roles.
Read more about the Mid-Career Learning Community at compact.org/current-programs/mid-career-learning-community.
2023-2024 Mid-Career Learning Community Cohort
Amber Cameron | University of Minnesota
Amber Cameron facilitates the design and implementation of key strategic public engagement initiatives, working with public engagement staff across the University of Minnesota’s five campuses. Activities include supporting the University’s Carnegie Foundation Elective Classification for Community Engagement, convening and staffing public engagement councils and committees, and incorporating public engagement goals and activities into other key University initiatives. Amber has been with the Office for Public Engagement for over a decade. Previously, she served as the Associate Director in Carleton College’s community engagement office. Amber holds a B.A. in African/African-American Studies from Carleton College and a M.S. in Non-Profit/NGO Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.
Sarah Farbo | Bucknell University
Sarah E. Farbo is the Associate Director of Community Based & Engaged Learning in the Office of Civic Engagement at Bucknell University. She supports faculty who teach community-based learning and community-engaged learning courses that connect to community-identified priorities. Sarah teaches Community Engaged Leadership and Community Engaged Practice and is looking forward to supporting Bucknell’s new Community Engagement Leadership minor when it rolls out in the Fall of 2024. Sarah worked in the non-profit field for many years before transitioning to the higher education sector. She credits the many amazing communities she worked with from Boston to Philadelphia to Lancaster for helping shape her understanding of how the collective community is a powerful force in creating change. Fostering collaboration between Bucknell and the wider community, contemplating how to create spaces that value the dignity and respect of all and creating a pedagogy of discomfort (with fun and humor!) are some of the forces that drive Sarah in her life. She is always eager to both learn and unlearn, will never say no to an iced-coffee, and hasn’t visited an independent bookstore she doesn’t love. Her middle initial is an homage to her amazing grandma, who taught her how to sew, the joys of travel, and how strong women can be. Sarah also enjoys adventures with her spouse, and being an Auntie to two nieces and two nephews.
Ashley Greene | Brown University
Ashley Greene leads the Swearer Center's Community Partnership Team. She previously served as the Program Director for the College Advising Corps (CAC), a college access program that works to increase the number of low-income, first-generation college and underrepresented high school and community college students who enter and complete higher education. Prior to directing the CAC program, Ashley served as a CAC College Adviser at Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School in Providence. She has also worked with Year Up - Providence, a one-year, intensive career training program for low-income young adults. At Year Up Ashley served in a variety of positions driving the admission and recruitment strategy for the organization, and managing their dual-enrollment program with the Community College of Rhode Island.
Courtney Kramer | Simmons University
Courtney Kramer is the Assistant Director of Community Engagement & Social Justice at Simmons University. She currently runs the new Bonner Community Leaders Program, Alternative Spring Break, Strong Women Strong girls mentorship program and America Learns academic support program. Prior to her time at Simmons, Courtney worked in several social services non profit organizations and received her Master’s Degree in Global Development Policy from Boston University.
Lisanetta McDade | Cuyahoga Community College District
Lisanetta McDade is a dedicated professional with a robust background in higher education and community engagement. Holding a Bachelors degree in Business Science and a Master of Public Administration, both from Indiana Wesleyan University, Lisanetta has honed her expertise through 15 years of diverse roles within academia.
Currently serving as the Campus Community Liaison at Cuyahoga Community College, Lisanetta thrives on building bridges between the college and its surrounding communities. With a passion for cultivating meaningful connections, she spearheads the planning, organization, and execution of events that not only enrich the college experience but also benefit the broader community.
Beyond her professional commitments, Lisanetta is deeply committed to volunteerism, particularly in mentorship programs aimed at empowering underserved individuals. Her dedication to uplifting lives extends beyond the workplace, reflecting her genuine desire to make a tangible difference in the lives of those in need. Her passion for reading and life-long learning fuels her curiosity and broadens her perspectives, enriching both her personal and professional endeavors. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Foluke Culture Arts and an Executive member of the Minority Health Alliance.
Lisanetta resides in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband, three children, and two beloved fur companions, Cookie and Cocoa, Lisanetta finds joy in creating lasting memories through her entrepreneurial pursuits as the owner of Legacy Events and Planning LLC. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for excellence, she creates unforgettable experiences that leave lasting memories to her clients and their guests
Leann Moore | University of Delaware
Leann Moore is the Associate Director of the UD Community Engagement Initiative. She has a combined background in higher education student life and local government contracting and community organizing. She previously worked as the Executive Director of The Newark Partnership and in the Institute of Public Administration at UD. Additionally, she served as a Legislative Aide in Delaware's House of Representatives. In 2019, she was named one of 40 Innovators and Leaders Under 40 by the Delaware Business Times. Outside of her bill-paying career, she is an animal lover with four rescue dogs (Jynx, Rosy, Shadow, and Macaroni) and serves on the Advisory Board for the Brandywine Valley SPCA. I love reading and average about 60 books yearly (let me know if you want a recommendation!). Finally, she has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care for the last 8 years. In 2023 she was named Delaware CASA of the Year.
Natalie Nunnikhoven | Central College
Natalie Nunnikhoven serves as the assistant director of civic engagement at Central College, in Pella, IA. Natalie has worked in higher education for the past six years but transitioned in January into her new role. Natalie earned her A.A. with honors in business management from Indian Hills Community College, her B.A. with honors from William Penn University, and her M.A. with honors in human resources from Colorado State University-Global Campus. Natalie’s experience in community projects and outreach is significant. She has been a key connector with the school partners for teacher education at Central, the project manager for the Blue Zones Project in Iowa, the Marketing/Program Coordinator for Iowa State Extension in Oskaloosa, among others. Her leadership on campus and excitement to develop, facilitate and maintain relationships is truly what drives her passions to see others thrive and succeed.
Mesias Pedroza | University of Houston Downtown
Although I was born in Chicago, IL., I was raised and completed my primary education in Guanajuato, Mexico. Later, I returned to America to complete my bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Houston-Downtown and a doctorate in Biochemistry from the University of Texas-Health Science Center. I completed several Post-Doctoral Associates at University of Texas and Baylor College of Medicine. My main research focus was performing biomedical research utilizing several mouse models and different cell lines to study key pathways involved in the development of fibrotic diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hepatic fibrosis, and scleroderma, skin fibrosis. Since 2015, I began to teach as a Lecturer at the University of Houston-Downtown. I mainly teach biology and biochemistry courses, in which I apply high-impact practices, team-based learning, service-learning, community engagement opportunities, practices to support notetaking, active learning groups and techniques, and the active learning cycle (exploration, introduction, and application). For the Biology/Chemistry Undergraduate Research, students learn different skills on how to apply key techniques and tools used in biomedical research, such as cell culture techniques, cell viability assays, ELISAs, Western blotting, DNA isolation, DNA methylation assays, and RNA expression analysis. The focus of our undergraduate studies is to identify the role of different plant extracts on breast cancer cells and normal epithelial cells. Also, for the past 20 years I continue volunteering at my local church where I am responsible to coordinate social services to the community, such as providing food supply and clothes every week to disadvantaged families, serving the homeless community, visiting local nursing homes, shelters for immigrants, border mission trips to help migrant shelters, and helping at the charity house for children undergoing chemotherapy. In these services, I invite high school and college students to participate and develop a servant leadership approach to improve our community.
Natacha Poggio | University of Houston Downtown
Natacha Poggio is a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, TEDx speaker, designer, and associate professor of Design at the University of Houston-Downtown. Her work focuses on designing planet-centered solutions to address health, environmental, and social justice issues. With over two decades of professional practice, her contributions have reached hundreds of communities in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
In 2008, she founded Design Global Change, a collaborative think tank of students and professionals who design communication solutions to effect positive change. Examples of projects she has led include creating campaigns on sanitation and gender equality in rural India, wellness for HIV+ farming communities in Kenya, developing rehabilitation materials to help amputees regain mobility, and environmental initiatives that encourage Ecuadorian children to protect their rainforest.
Recognized for her collaborative work, Natacha has been honored as a three-time recipient of Sappi's "Ideas that Matter" award, which supports designers using their expertise to create communications solutions for nonprofit organizations. In 2022, Natacha was awarded the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholarship for a community-engaged marine ecosystem conservation project in coastal towns of Ecuador.
Natacha lectures worldwide on the topic of social impact design, and judges competitions such as the AIGA Worldstudio to support design education for diverse students. Since 2011, she has volunteered her expertise on the Advisory Board of the Winterhouse Institute, a community of practice committed to developing new methodologies and tools to promote excellence in design education for social impact. Natacha holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and an M.F.A. in Experience Design from the University of Texas at Austin, USA. A native of Argentina, she considers herself a citizen of the world.
Katie Price | Swarthmore College
Dr. Price has been with the Lang Center since 2016 and currently oversees the Engaged Humanities Studio for campus; Social Impact Summer Scholarship for students; Engaged Scholarship Teaching Grant for faculty; and works on special projects, including Swarthmore's partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Price also serves as the liaison for the Lang Center's Faculty-Led Programs, and has taught courses in English, Environmental Studies, and Peace and Conflict Studies.
Price specializes in engaged scholarship, particularly in the arts and humanities; contemporary literature and creative writing; and socially engaged practices. From 2017-2019, she co-directed Friends, Peace, and Sanctuary—a project that connected book artists with resettled individuals from Iraq and Syria to co-create new works of art and literature. From 2021-2023, she directed Rosine 2.0, an interdisciplinary collective of artists, harm reductionists, archivists, and community members involved in today’s street economies.
Before coming to Swarthmore, Price earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and held an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Jackman Humanities Institute at the University of Toronto. Throughout her career, she has been committed to opening up conversations between disparate disciplines and communities, and enjoys working with students and faculty to think creatively and collaboratively about how to connect their academic interests and expertise with concrete action and activism.
Doug Strahler | Slippery Rock University
Douglas Strahler is an Associate Professor in the Department of Strategic Communication & Media at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (SRU) where he has been a faculty member since 2010. His academic and professional training is in the areas of visual communication, graphic design, web design/development, user experience design, and social media. He served as SRU's Community-Engaged Learning Faculty Fellow (2019-2020 academic year) and currently serves as a Community-Engaged Learning Associate with the Office for Community-Engaged Learning. He is also the recipient of Slippery Rock University’s 2017 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Doug completed his Ed.D. in Instructional Technology and Leadership at Duquesne University, M.S. in New Media at Syracuse University, and B.S. in Communication: Emerging Technology and Multimedia at Slippery Rock University. His research interests lie in the areas of digital media/technology and service-learning/community-engaged learning. He has also earned three Campus Compact Community Engagement Professional credentials in core areas of community engagement practice.
Outside of SRU, he serves on the Executive Board for the New York State Communication Association (NYSCA), where he previously served as the President and conference planner for the 75th Anniversary Conference in 2017. He also is a member of and has presented at conferences for the National Communication Association (NCA), Pennsylvania Communication Association (PCA), and International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE).