Dr. Michele Hawkins | Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Michele Hawkins, Ph.D., MSW, is the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. In this position, she assists the Provost with oversight of the Division of Academic Affairs and its administration, faculty, and staff members. She also acts as chief academic officer in the absence of the Provost, and she has university-wide responsibilities for personnel issues in Academic Affairs, including, but not limited to, promotion and tenure, professional development, collective bargaining, and the faculty credentialing process.
Dr. Hawkins previously served as the Associate Provost for Planning and Budget. Prior to assuming that role, she served as Associate Provost for Programs and Assessment. From 1998 to 2013, Dr. Hawkins served as Professor and Director of the School of Social Work in the College for Design and Social Inquiry at FAU, with more than fifteen years of experience overseeing accredited programs that require strong assessment and sustained evaluation. Her leadership was essential to the establishment of the Master of Social Work degree program at FAU. She also previously held positions at the National School of Social Service at the Catholic University of America and at the University of Oregon, in addition to practice experience in school social work, legislative policy, and work with adults. Dr. Hawkins received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Missouri and her doctorate from Southern Illinois University.
Dr. Russell Ivy | Senior Associate Provost for Academic Affairs
Russell Ivy serves as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. In this capacity, he is responsible for providing leadership in formulating and administering university policies for student learning outcomes assessment, academic program reviews and articulations, institutional and program-based accreditation, review of new degree program proposals, and other projects and initiatives related to academic programs and curriculum. He also supervises the leadership of the Center for Global Engagement, Center for Online and Continuing Education, Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid and the Registrar’s Office. Dr. Ivy is the liaison for FAU with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Ivy received both the B.A. and M.A. degrees in Geography from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Florida. He joined FAU in 1992, and in addition to professorial duties, served 5 years as Associate Chair and 9 years as Chair of Geosciences. He also served 2 years as Interim Dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science prior to joining the Provost’s Office in 2015. He holds the rank of Professor in Geosciences.
Jason Ball | Associate Provost and Chief Information Officer
As Associate Provost and Chief Information Officer, Jason Ball provides vision, leadership, strategic planning, and coordination of information technology, media, networking and telecommunications throughout the University's multi-campus environment. He supports these operations within the Office of Information Technology (OIT), develops strong managers and staff to meet strategic goals and improve customer service, participates fully with other campus leaders in advancing the University's mission, and develops and manages long-term relationships with technology vendors and partners. Mr. Ball also works with the University's chief financial officer to ensure seamless integration of administrative and emergency information systems.
Mr. Ball joined FAU after serving as the assistant vice president and director of information technology at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, where he also earned his bachelor's and master's degrees. He has more than 15 years of technology management experience in higher education.
Dr. Robert Stackman | Associate Vice President for the Jupiter Campus
Robert Stackman Jr. serves as the Dean of the Graduate College, having been appointed in June 2019. He previously served as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the College of Science (2018-2019), and as Interim Chair of the Department of Psychology (2016-2018). Bob earned his Ph.D. (1995) and M.S. degrees in Psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Bob was awarded an individual NIH NRSA fellowship during his postdoctoral training at Dartmouth College. He was Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health & Sciences University for seven years prior to moving to Florida Atlantic University in 2005. Bob was promoted to Professor in 2016, and has served as Co-Director of the Bachelor’s degree program in Neuroscience & Behavior. He was honored to be awarded Researcher of the Year at the Associate Professor level in 2010, and the College of Science’s Teacher of the Year in 2011. Dr. Stackman has a spectacular team of people in the Graduate College and looks forward to working with them and the other colleges on efforts to grow and improve graduate programs and the support of graduate students at FAU.
Dr. Stackman’s research focused on the cellular and brain circuit mechanisms of long-term memory, has been funded in part by grants from the NIH and NSF. Bob is passionate about the collaborative training environment he maintains in his research lab in Jupiter. The vibrant interactive community of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates in the lab has produced over 65 peer-reviewed publications, and permitted the completion of several Ph.D., Master’s degrees, and numerous undergraduate honors theses.
Dr. Teresa Wilcox | Associate Provost of Academic Personnel
Dr. Teresa Wilcox serves as the Associate Provost of Academic Personnel and Interim Dean of the College of Science. She earned her Ph.D. from University of Arizona, M.S. from University of California at Davis, and B.A. from Bethel University in Minnesota. Following a Postdoctoral Fellow position at University of Illinois, Dr. Wilcox joined the faculty at University of Texas at Arlington for five years and then moved to Texas A&M University where she remained for 17 years. At Texas A&M University she was a faculty in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and also served as Assistant Provost for Graduate and Professional Studies, Graduate Student Ombuds Officer, and Research Fellow in the Division of Research. She is an internationally recognized expert in infant perception and cognition and a pioneer in the use of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to study functional brain development in human infants. Her work has been funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Science Foundation. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a member of number of societies and organizations that focus on the integration of research across the behavioral, brain, and developmental sciences.
Iselgis Garcia | Assistant Vice President, Academic Finance and Administration
As Assistant Vice President, Academic Finance and Administration in the Office of the Provost, Iselgis Garcia directs the planning, preparation, oversight, monitoring, and implementation of the budget for Academic Affairs. Additionally, she coordinates and manages budgets across all units within Academic Affairs, compiles and analyzes financial and faculty HR information, develops multi-year financial projections, and provides leadership and direction in budgetary policy development and interpretation.
Dr. Julie Golden Botti | Assistant Provost for Online and Continuing Education
Dr. Julie Golden Botti serves as Executive Director of the award-winning Center for Online and Continuing Education in the Office of the Provost at Florida Atlantic University. Recipient of the 2020 Online Learning Consortium’s Gomory-Mayadas Leadership Award in Online Education, Dr. Golden Botti oversees the university’s efforts to create and enhance online courses and programs, lifelong learning offerings, and continuing education programs. Additionally, she supports faculty professional development to promote the integration of Quality Matters standards and State of Florida standards for high-quality online course design and delivery.
Dr. Golden Botti is responsible for growing FAU’s online and continuing education enrollments by increasing for-credit and not-for-credit offerings that cater to a variety of stakeholders including traditional students in online programs, professional development CEUs, certifications and certificates for career changers and career enhancement, personal enrichment courses, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes in Jupiter, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale.
Dr. Golden Botti serves on the Florida Board of Governor’s Innovation and Online Committee and the Florida Online Quality Committee, and co-chairs the Florida Chancellor’s Quality Award Committee for online faculty. She holds a Doctor of Education, Organizational Leadership from Northeastern University in Boston, and a Master of Arts in Career and Technical Education from the University of Central Florida.
Dr. Mihaela Metianu | Assistant Provost for Global Engagement
Mihaela Metianu serves as the Assistant Provost for Global Engagement. She leads the Center for Global Engagement and provides oversight to the following areas: Education Abroad, International Student Services, International Enrollment Services, Global Academic Services, and the Intensive English Institute. Key functions include international agreements, global travel safety and security, academic study abroad, international student support services, immigration services, and compliance, international recruitment, foreign credential evaluations, and global student engagement initiatives.
Mihaela joined FAU in 2006 as the Director of Student Affairs for the Wilkes Honors College, and in 2008 she became Director of International Services. She assumed the Executive Director role in 2016 upon the establishment of the Center for Global Engagement. and was promoted to Assistant Provost for Global Engagement in 2022. She holds a Bachelor’s degree (International Studies & Economics) from the University of Miami, a master’s degree (Multicultural/Multilingual Education), and, a Doctor of Education degree (Higher Education Administration) from Florida State University.
Dr. James Capp | Assistant Provost for Academic Operations and Planning
James Capp works at Florida Atlantic University as the Assistant Provost for Academic Operations and Planning. As a member of FAU’s academic leadership team, he collaborates with executives on issues of strategic planning, space utilization, and the development, implementation, and assessment of academic initiatives. He also oversees the administration of the Provost's Office daily operations and serves as the Provost's communications officer.
Prior to assuming his current position, James served as the FAU Provost office's communications manager, in addition to serving in student affairs as a program manager for FAU's Davie Student Union. He earned his bachelor's degree, with a concentration in English literature, from FAU's Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. James received his MPA and Ph.D. from FAU’s School of Public Administration.
Dr. Ying Liu | Assistant Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis
Ying joined FAU-IEA in March, 2018. Prior to joining FAU, he was the Director of Institutional Research at University of Toledo. He has also worked at University of Pittsburgh, University of Toronto, and McMaster University. Dr. Liu earned his PhD in Psychology from Beijing Normal University and his Master degree in Statistics from University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Liu’s research has been focusing on measuring student outcomes with advanced statistical models, as well as the cognitive processes involved in learning.
Tori Winfield | Associate General Counsel
Tori L. Winfield joined the University in 2016 as Associate General Counsel and serves as primary legal counsel to the Office of the Provost and Division of Academic Affairs. In that capacity, Ms. Winfield advises the Provost, Deans, and other academic administrators on matters including compliance with laws, regulations, and policies governing employment and contractual relationships. She is also the primary legal advisor to the University Police Department, Human Resources, and other institutional clients.
Ms. Winfield graduated with honors from the University of Miami and obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida where she also received the Book Award in Legal Research & Writing. Prior to joining the University, Ms. Winfield was employed as Senior Litigation Counsel for a national multi-line insurer where she directly handled and supervised litigation in the Southeast, an associate at regional defense firms where she specialized in employment law, and a law clerk to United States District Court Judge Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Ms. Winfield is an avid public speaker who routinely advised clients on federal and state employment laws and was selected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to speak at its training seminars on varying topics in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. She is the author of various training materials and an article published in the Florida Bar Journal. Ms. Winfield is licensed to practice in Florida and Mississippi, enjoys an AV Preeminent rating, and is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys.
Dr. Terry Eggenberger | Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice
Terry Eggenberger, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, CNL, FNAP is Associate Professor, Florida Atlantic University’s College of Nursing; with a Clinical Associate Affiliate in the College of Medicine; and Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice, Office of the Provost. She has been passionate about interprofessional (IP) education and practice since 2008 when she began introducing other team roles into simulated scenarios, and identified a need for more emphasis on teams and communication with IP health care colleagues. She completed the Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) master trainer course, Primary Care TeamSTEPPS training, and the TeamSTEPPS Advanced Master Training Course as a foundation for designing Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) programs. A Macy’s Presidential Grant (2015) supported Dr. Eggenberger and associates as they endeavored to strengthen IP relationships and communication in an acute care setting with frontline providers, addressing the IP education practice gap. Her IP team worked with frontline providers, including a new physician residency program in Internal Medicine; nursing, pharmacy, and social work to hardwire TeamSTEPPS at the point of care. She was Director of Interprofessional Student Engagement (2014), and PI (2017), for a NEPQR IPCP HRSA grant that advanced IP teambuilding in the delivery of diabetes mellitus and mental health care to an underserved population. IPCP competencies were strengthened across three counties in South Florida. Recent IP efforts have resulted in recommendations for IP advance care planning. She has published on IP initiatives, and presented nationally and internationally on team science and communication.
Arcadia Callahan | Director of Academic Personnel
Arcadia Callahan serves as the Director for Academic Personnel in the Office of the Provost. In this role she supports the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. Arcadia is responsible for faculty relations including position approvals, new hires, sabbaticals, promotion and tenure, leave time, and other duties as assigned.
Arcadia came to the Provost’s Office in January 2015 as the Administrative Staff Assistant where she worked alongside the Division of Academic Affairs and the University Faculty Senate. In this capacity, she served as administrative support for both units, coordinated schedules and meeting times for the Academic Leadership Team, and assisted in coordinating University events such as the annual Honors Convocation ceremony and reception, New Faculty Orientation, and FAU’s High School Expo.
Arcadia received her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from the University of Florida in 2012 and her Masters in Business Administration from FAU in 2018. Her past work experience includes working for a prominent law firm in South Florida as an Administrative Assistant to the partners and firm administrator from 2008 through 2014.
Geoffrey Johnson | Senior Director, Academic Affairs
Geoffrey Johnson is Senior Director, Academic Affairs. In this role Geoffrey initiates, manages, and assesses a broad spectrum of initiatives, including the development of legislatively mandated and administratively requested academic reports and plans. Geoffrey leads the university's efforts for implementing predictive analytics modules and drives usage of these tools to bolster retention and graduation rates. He also leads the university's efforts to ensure compliance with Board of Governors regulation 8.003 and FAU regulation 3.004 Textbook and Instructional Materials Affordability. He works collaboratively on cross-divisional teams and leads committees that support the overall mission of the Office of the Provost.
Geoffrey received his master's degree in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University's College for Design and Social Inquiry. He received his bachelor's in Health Care Management from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University’s School of Allied Health Sciences.
Debra Szabo | Director of Assessment, Accreditation and Articulations
Debra Szabo is the Director of Assessment, Accreditation and Articulations. In this role, she is responsible for the development and management of reports related to assessment, accreditation, academic program reviews, and state mandated program compliance reports to support the University's mission and strategic initiatives. In addition, she facilitates the creation of articulation agreements for academic programs and directs the policies and procedures related to Dual Enrollment. Prior to her current position, Debra was the Director of Degree Completion and Graduate Student Success in FAU’s Graduate College.
Debra received her Master of Arts degree in TESOL/Bilingual Education and her Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University's College of Education. She also earned her Bachelor's degree in Communications from the university's Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. She is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in FAU’s Higher Education Leadership program.
Felipe Vargas | Coordinator, Academic Operations and Planning
Felipe Vargas serves as the Academic Budgetary Assistant for the Academic Planning & Budget in the Office of the Provost/Academic Affairs. In this capacity, Felipe assists in maintaining, implementing and administering budget allocations for the colleges within the university.
Felipe is a proud graduate of Florida Atlantic University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a minor in Business Law. Most recently, he worked for Maximus Inc. performing audits on behalf of the State of Florida. He coordinated the Florida Kid Care initiative that offers health insurance to children from birth.
Linda Johnson | Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Broward Campuses
Professor Linda Johnson is the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Broward Campuses. She joined Florida Atlantic University in 1997 as an Assistant Professor in Graphic, where she developed the MFA in Graphic Design and served as the graduate coordinator for over 10 years. She served as Chair of the Department of Visual Arts and Art History from 2008-2012.
Professor Johnson is an accomplished artist and designer who specializes in limited edition book design. She has received several awards including the National Museum for Women in the Arts: Book Artist Fellowship, the Florida Artists' Book Prize and a New York Art Directors Book Design Award. Her work is exhibited internationally and resides in numerous public and private collections including Tate Britain, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, New York Public Library, Harvard, Yale, UCLA, and the Sackner Archives of Concrete and Visual Poetry.
Aloha Balza | Coordinator, Office of Community Engagement
Aloha Balza serves as the Coordinator for both the Office of Community Engagement and the Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice, under the Office of the Provost purview. In her roles, she develops and manages strategies and policies related to the institution’s community engaged programs. She also works closely with the Director and Associate Directors from OIPE&P to create and implement interprofessional programming for students in the colleges of medicine and nursing, and the school of social work. Additionally, she is responsible for the collection and reporting of CE and IPE&P data and maintenance of respective websites. Prior to assuming the coordinator position, Aloha worked as a research assistant for the Community Engagement Task Force.
Aloha received her Bachelor of Science degree from New York University and her Master of Public Administration degree from Florida Atlantic University. She is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Public Administration at FAU.
Taina Teran-Campbell | Coordinator, Academic Operations and Planning
Taina Teran-Campbell is the Coordinator for Academic Operations and Planning. In this role, she is a liaison between the leadership team in the Office of the Provost and representatives across divisions, colleges, departments, and committees. Her role includes various components of faculty governance and other administrative duties.
Prior to joining the Office of the Provost, Taina was the Executive Assistant and Coordinator for Administrative Services to the Dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Art and Letters.
Taina received her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University's Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.