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Society for Experiential Education (SEE)SEE Fellows 2025-2026
Stacy Neier Beran, PhD, Senior Ignatian Lecturer and Faculty Director of Experiential Learning, joined Loyola University Chicago in 2008. Her signature "Day One" enthusiasm for co-designing projects with undergraduates and community client partners is well known and loved. She believes that embedding design thinking practices into experiential education upskills students for today’s workplace needs. Her work has appeared in scholarly publications including the Journal of Marketing Education and Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal. Dr. Beran's book Think By Design: Celebrating Experiential Learning and Design Thinking depicts her career-long devotion to showing students how to use the upside of uncertainty as a problem-solving asset.
Philip D. Heavilin II, EdD, currently serves as the Director of Internships & Applied Learning at William & Mary, leading campus-wide initiatives to increase student access to experiential learning opportunities. He holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in higher education from Michigan State University, and a BS in Elementary Education from Western Michigan University.
Grace Hymel is the Program Manager at the CAS Experiential Learning Connector at Boston University. After spending several years dedicated to community engagement and leadership development in higher education, she is passionate about sharing the transformative power of experiential learning and supporting students in their leadership toward a more just world. Grace earned her M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Miami University (in Ohio) and her B.A. in Sociology from Loyola University Maryland.
Michael Odio is an Associate Professor of Sport Administration at the University of Cincinnati. His scholarly work focuses on internships, career development, and nonstandard labor in the sport industry. Within this scope he is seeking to advance approaches on how careers, work, and learning in sport are done both in academia and in the industry.
Kayla Pineda leads the Bulldog Experience initiative at Mississippi State University, leveraging her expertise in institutional effectiveness to enhance experiential learning opportunities across campus. Collaborating closely with faculty and staff, she works to enrich student engagement and academic growth. Kayla earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from MSU, where her research focused on student engagement. She is committed to helping students reflect on their experiences, equipping them with the skills and insights needed to make a meaningful impact on the future.
Dr. Rachel Plews serves as Director of Suffolk University's Center for Teaching and Scholarly Excellence. With expertise in adult learning, teaching with technology, and SoTL, her work supports faculty in developing meaningful experiential learning opportunities for students. She holds an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Doug Porter serves as Associate Director for the Vol Edge at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, focusing on lifting student career readiness and engagement in experiential learning. Prior to coming to UT, Doug worked on career readiness and experiential learning initiatives at Brigham Young University’s College of Humanities. Doug holds a B.A. in Spanish Translation and an M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics, both from Brigham Young University.
Mitzi J. Ritzman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is the director of a peer-mediated social learning program for young adults who identify on the autism spectrum. Mitzi has presented on the impact of experiential learning and community engagement at local, state, and national conferences, and has engaged hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students in learning and serving side-by-side with their communities. She has served as a Faculty Fellow in the UNO Serving Learning Academy and was the 2023 recipient of the Society for Experiential Education’s Outstanding Leader in Experiential Education: Higher Education Award.
Erin Salius is inaugural director of the Experiential Learning Connector in the College of Arts & Sciences at Boston University. Her office develops programming to help undergraduate students find and access ways to explore the real-world applications of their liberal arts coursework. She also works to support faculty seeking to incorporate experiential learning components into department curricula. Erin holds an AB from Brown University and a PhD in English from Boston University. She has taught American literature, writing, and – most recently – internship courses.
Margaret Sass is a Faculty Associate in Service-Learning and Lecturer in the School for the Digital Future at Boise State University, dedicated to advancing experiential and service-learning online. Her work bridges classroom learning with real-world applications through community-based projects that address local and rural needs. Margaret's research and interest focus on creative ways to implement AI into online CBL and SL courses. Margaret has a BA in Criminal Justice and MA in Communications from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a JD in Law from Western State University School of Law, and an EdS and EdD in Education from Boise State University.
Marianna Savoca leads initiatives at Stony Brook University, NY to scale career readiness and access to high-impact, learning-integrated experiences. Her work crosses divisional lines, connecting careers with academics, enrollment management, advancement, economic development, and student affairs. Dr. Savoca is a faculty member in Higher Education Administration and Co-PI on several research grants supporting underserved students in STEM. She co-authored A Good Job: Campus Employment as a High-Impact Practice (Stylus, 2018); and chapters in Advancing Talent Development: Steps Toward a T-Model Infused Undergraduate Education (Business Expert Press, 2020), and the Handbook for Student Affairs Administration – 5th Ed. (Jossey-Bass, 2023). She earned a PhD from Colorado State University and MS from Indiana University.
Robin Selzer is a (Full) Professor in the College of Cooperative Education & Professional Studies at the University of Cincinnati. She teaches Professional Development/Experiential Learning courses to diverse majors and specializes in Pre-Health and Public Health. Her scholarship focuses on intercultural learning, women’s leadership, social justice, and body image. She holds a PhD in Higher Education Administration from Loyola Chicago, is a Gallup Strengths Coach, IDI Qualified Administrator, and Pilates/Yoga Instructor.
Cynthia P. Stewart, PhD is the Director of Experiential Learning and Instructor for Loyola University Chicago, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health. She works with undergraduate, graduate level students and community partners for semester long placements, as well as engage with alumni for networking and student engagement opportunities. She has taught a variety of courses, but currently teaches a Public Health internship course, which prepares students for the professional workforce after graduation. Cynthia is on the editorial board for Metropolitan Universities Journal/Coalition for Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) and has published many articles in the journal, as well as presentations at various conferences. She has been a member of SEE (formerly NSEE) since 2007 and completed the NSEE Experiential Education Academy. She has been a member of SEE Research and Scholarship committee since 2021. Cynthia holds a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary on the campus of Northwestern University and a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts from North Park Theological Seminary. Majored in Bachelor of Science – Electrical Engineering, Western Illinois University and has a Certificate in Faith Based Community Development from dual program Harvard Divinity and Kennedy School of Government. SEE Fellows 2022-2024SEE Fellows 2020-2022SEE Fellows Home |
