About Us
Our Story
In 2002, Dr. Jenny Bloom co-authored with Nancy Archer Martin “Incorporating Appreciative Inquiry into Academic Advising,” the seminal article that launched the Appreciative Education Movement. In 2008, Dr. Jenny Bloom, Dr. Bryant Hutson, and Dr. Ye He published The Appreciative Advising Revolution book that outlined the principles and tenets of the Appreciative Advising theory-to-practice framework and is a hallmark of this movement. In the 2008 book, the authors expanded Dr. David Cooperrider’s four phases of Appreciative Inquiry to the six phases of Appreciative Advising.
This six-phase theory-to-practice framework has evolved and is now being applied to all aspects of educational institutions at both the post-secondary and K-12 levels. Some institutions are choosing to become Appreciative Campuses.
Meet Our Team
Jenny Bloom, Ed.D.
Jennifer L. Bloom, Ed.D. joined the Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology at Florida Atlantic University in August 2015. She serves as a Professor and Founder of the FAU Office of Appreciative Education. Dr. Bloom is a co-founder of the Appreciative Advising and Appreciative Education movements. She established the Appreciative Advising Institute, the Appreciative Education Conference, the Appreciative Advising Online Course, the process for Certifying Appreciative Advisers, and other exciting initiatives related to Appreciative Advising and Appreciative Education.
Mykel Beorchia
Mykel Beorchia uses Appreciative Education as a framework for cultivating spaces centered on possibilities for students and educators. Mykel started as the Director of the Office of Appreciative Education at Florida Atlantic University in 2024. As Executive Director of University and Exploratory Advising at Utah State University (2016-2024), Mykel infused Appreciative Education practices throughout the advising system. She is dedicated to building connections and empowering others to amplify their strengths to create advising relationships with students and achieve personal, unit, and institutional goals. She served as chair of the NACADA Appreciative Advising Community from 2021-2023.
Ashley Weinkoff
Ashley Weinkoff serves as the Coordinator for the Office of Appreciative Education at Florida Atlantic University. She is dedicated to supporting educational and professional development initiatives that utilize a positive, strengths-based, and student-centered approach to helping students realize their full potential. Ashley graduated cum laude from University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and continued her education at Towson University where she earned a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and Florida Atlantic University where she earned a Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership.
Steve Sanderson
Steve Sanderson is a Staff Associate with the Office of Appreciative Education and a proud veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard. Originally from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Steve earned a degree in Accounting from Eastern Illinois University. He retired from a career in Administration at the University of Illinois and later served as a Corporate Pilot for Vesuvius USA, headquartered in Champaign.
Steve’s aviation career also included work as a Flight Instructor and charter pilot in both Illinois and South Carolina. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating, the highest level of aircraft pilot certification.
After relocating to Florida, Steve spent five years with the FAU Office of New Student Orientation and Family Engagement. He has contributed to all Summer Institutes in various roles and continues to support multiple programs within the Office of Appreciative Education. Steve is a Certified Appreciative Adviser, dedicated to fostering meaningful student engagement and success.
Ed Morrison
Ed Morrison is a Staff Associate with the Office of Appreciative Education and is a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves. Ed grew up in West Virginia and received a degree in Mathematics from The University of Toledo. He had a career in Information Technology as a software developer for Owens Illinois, Inc. a glass company and then with Holcim, Inc. a cement manufacturing company. After moving to Florida, Ed spent two years with the Office of New Student Orientation and Family Engagement and has served in various capacities with the Office of Appreciative Education. Ed has joined the team in the Zoom Broadcast Engineer control room helping with the Summer Institutes and many other OAE programs.