Bidiak Amana, Director of Technology Support at Berklee College of Music
TBA

Sherri N. Braxton, Senior Director of Instructional Technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Dr. Sherri Braxton currently serves as the Senior Director of Instructional Technology at UMBC where she is responsible for leading the Division of Information Technology’s (DoIT) strategy for end-user support of instructional technologies including online, hybrid, and traditional “face-to-face” technologies. With over 20 years of experience in traditional classroom instruction and adult education strategies grounded in instructional design models, she also possesses over 18 years of experience using learning technologies in higher education settings, including the design and facilitation of online and hybrid courses. As a result, she has extensive working knowledge of numerous learning management systems including Blackboard, Sakai, and Desire2Learn (D2L). She collaborates with her staff to devise learning opportunities delivered in multiple modes that meet the varied and shifting needs of both UMBC faculty and students.

Dr. Braxton is a dynamic presenter known for her ability to engage audiences and capture their attention, even for highly complex topics.  She has crafted a national presence through her participation in educational technology associations like EDUCAUSE, the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), and the IMS Global Learning Consortium; in addition to presenting at national, regional, and local conferences, she serves as a proposal reviewer, constituent group leader, leadership institute faculty, and both task force leader and working group participant.

Dr. Braxton earned a Doctor of Science in Computer Science with Minors in Educational Leadership and Management Science from the George Washington University. She also holds a Master of Science in Computer Science with a Math Minor from North Carolina State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from Wake Forest University.

Michael Cato (Moderator), Senior Vice President and CIO at Bowdoin College
Michael leads Bowdoin College's Information Technology strategy and operations through the Information and Technology department. Michael came to Bowdoin in March of 2018 with 17 years of experience in Higher Education IT having served in roles at Vassar College, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Michael is a faculty member of the Council of Australasian University Directors of Information Technology (CAUDIT) and EDUCAUSE Leadership Institutes, a member of the Society for Information Management (SIM) and the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF), an Educause Leading Change/Frye Fellow, an alum of Leadership North Carolina, and serves on the board for the American Institute for the Biological Sciences (AIBS) and the Northeast Computing Association (NERCOMP). He holds a B.S. in Zoology from Andrews University and an M.B.A. from Wake Forest University.
Michael loves to learn, read, eat, occasionally cook, and starts most days being humbled by CrossFit. He is raising an awesome toddler son with his partner and wife Heather.

Rochelle R. Newton   
Dr. Rochelle Newton is a Senior Information Technology (IT) Manager for Duke University School of Law. She holds a doctorate in Higher Education with a concentration in Leadership.  Dr. Newton has worked in IT since 1977 in both the private and public sectors. As technology has evolved, she had developed an analytical perspective of technology at the intersection of education and race.  This perspective and her work in higher education led to her dissertation thesis, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): Does Academic Readiness and Its Factors Influence Completion Rates in MOOCs? Dr. Newton suggests that fully online courses highlight the underlying presumption of a one-size-fits-all model in education. This philosophy and work with students of levels have become a focus of her career. For many non-traditional students, academic success is unique to the learner, and formulizing success requires more than admission and a classroom.  For traditional students, access is equally challenging as many are unprepared for the rigor and the social hierarchy of education at every level. The concept of a one-size-fits-all model of pedagogy for any student who enters a space to learn is an assurance many will be unable to participate in the American dream. She is also an advocate and mentor for women and racialized people. In addition to her work with education, race, and technology, Dr. Newton is a strong proponent for mentorship, pay inequity and promotion, food insecurity on college campuses, and women and racialized people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field.  She is married and has two adult children. 

Dr. Newton is an avid John Grisham and American History reader. She has been the keynote speaker for many events where women and racialized people are the subject matter.  Dr. Newton has formed a collaborative group within her organization that brings STEM staff from all across the university together to discuss technology, gender, and race. She also created a small group of women to join in a monthly common purpose – STEM and gender.  She serves on the board of several entities where STEM, race, and education are central. Dr. Newton co-chaired Duke’s TechExpo in 2014 and has completed numerous training on diversity, professional development, and emerging technologies. She is developing a course on ‘race in technology’ and writing a book on gender, poverty, and race through the lens of technology.’ 

Stan Waddell, Associate Vice President, and CIO at Carnegie Mellon University
Stan Waddell serves as the associate vice president and chief information officer at Carnegie Mellon University. In his role, Stan provides vision, leadership, and management for Carnegie Mellon’s computing enterprise, including the development and implementation of a university-wide IT strategy. 

Before joining Carnegie Mellon, Stan served as the associate vice president for Information Technology and CIO at the University of New Hampshire. He was the assistant vice chancellor and chief technology officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and spent nine years at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Stan also served in the U.S. Navy as an aviation electronics technician for nine years.

Stan holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Old Dominion University, a master's degree in management and administration sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a doctorate in information systems from Nova Southeastern University. He has Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credentials and a graduate certificate in information assurance from Nova Southeastern University.