Meet the thought leaders helping us shape the future of community engagement data

Established in 2024, Collaboratory’s Product Advisory Council brings together leading scholars and practitioners from across higher education to guide the evolution of our platform.

As a trusted partner to institutions documenting and advancing their community engagement and public service, we are committed to staying grounded in the needs, values, and best practices of the field. The PAC ensures that Collaboratory continues to reflect and support higher education’s most pressing priorities — from equity and impact to strategic alignment, accountability, and storytelling.

Meet the Council

Collaboratory is more than a data tool — it’s a field-informed, values-driven platform advancing the future of community engagement in higher education.

Our inaugural Product Advisory Council members are leaders who:

  • Design and steward community-engaged initiatives across diverse institutional types
  • Navigate complex institutional change and culture-building
  • Rely on high‑quality data to drive strategy, equity, and impact

Their insight into the field’s evolving needs directly shapes our product decisions, feature development, and long‑term vision. We are deeply grateful for their partnership.

Ali Modarres, PhD
Assistant Chancellor for Community Partnerships
University of Washington Tacoma

Amber Cameron, PhD
Director for Public Engagement Initiatives
University of Minnesota System Office of Public Engagement

Becca Berkey, PhD
Senior Director of Integrative Engagement & Global Impact
Community-Engaged Teaching & Research
Northeastern University

Cammie Jones-Friedrichs
Director of the Carnegie Elective for Community Engagement
American Council on Education

Chris Burke
Executive Director of Community Relations
Georgia Tech University

Christin Seher, PhD
Director of Community Impact
University of Akron

Emily Janke, PhD
Director, Institute for Community and Economic Engagement
University of North Carolina Greensboro

Gretchen Swimmer
Director of Business Operations
University of Maryland Baltimore

Holly Rowsey
Director, Center for Instructional Innovation and Distance Learning
Freed-Hardeman University

Howard Rosing, PhD
Executive Director, Steans Center
DePaul University

Jeremy Price, PhD
Associate Professor of Technology, Innovation, and Pedagogy
Indiana University Indianapolis

Lee Miller, PhD
Co-Director, Center for Community Engagement
Sam Houston State University

Julian Rogers, PhD
Associate Vice President, Local Government and Community Relations
Case Western Reserve University

Kelli Huth, PhD
Associate Vice President for Community Engagement
Ball State University

Kristin Norris, PhD
Associate Director, Office of School Partnerships
Indiana University System

Kwesi Brookins, PhD
Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement
Michigan State University

Laura Weaver, EdD
Senior Manager, Strategic Initiatives
Campus Compact

Maghboeba Mosavel, PhD
Associate Vice President of Community Partnerships
Virginia Commonwealth University

Mike Nutt
Project Manager, Office of Outreach and Extension
North Carolina State University

Monica Smith, EdD
Assistant to the President for Community Engagement and Inclusion
Middle Tennessee State University

Patti Clayton, PhD
Higher Education Scholar and Consultant
PHC Ventures

Renae Barber
Community Engagement Outreach & Assessment Specialist, Center for Civic Engagement
Binghamton University

Richard Kiely, PhD
Associate Vice Provost for Engagement and Land-Grant Affairs
Cornell University

Shalom Staub, PhD
Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director, Center for Community Engagement
UCLA

Tania Boster, PhD
Director, Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship
Princeton University

Former Members

We are grateful to the past members of the Product Advisory Council whose leadership and expertise helped lay the foundation for Collaboratory’s product strategy and growth.

Barbara Holland, PhD
Higher Education Scholar and Consultant
Term: 2024–2025

Chris Yakimov
Former Scholar of Digital Communication and Community Engagement
Simon Fraser University
Term: 2024–2025

Elaine Ikeda, PhD
Former Executive Director
LEAD California
Term: 2024–2025

Elaine Ward, PhD
Professor of Higher Education
Merrimack College
Term: 2024–2025

Michael Rios, PhD
Former Vice President of Public Scholarship
University of California Davis
Term: 2024–2025