National Advisory Board 2025-2026

Timothy K. Eatman

Timothy K. Eatman, Ph.D., an educational sociologist and publicly engaged scholar, serves as Inaugural Dean of the Honors Living - Learning Community and Professor of Urban Education at Rutgers University-Newark. Before this current appointment, he served as Faculty Co-Director of Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life and Associate Professor of Higher Education at Syracuse University. Tim serves on multiple boards and commissions including as Past Chair American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Chair of the Membership Committee; Co-chair of the Urban Research Based Action Network (URBAN); member of the National Advisory Committee for the Carnegie Engagement Classification for Community Engagement; member of the National Advisory Board for Bringing Theory to Practice (BTtP); and member at large of AASCU’s American Democracy Project Steering Committee. Tim has served as board chair of the International Association for Service Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE).

Pursuing a rigorous scholarly agenda, Tim serves on editorial boards and reviews for academic publishing houses, scholarly journals, and conferences. He has written several book chapters and research reports including the widely cited Scholarship in Public: Knowledge Creation and Tenure Policy in the Engaged University, a seminal report on faculty rewards, and publicly engaged scholarship. Tim is co-editor of The Cambridge Handbook of Service Learning and Community Engagement.

A widely sought-after speaker, workshop facilitator, and collaborator who has earned local, national, and international recognition for his leadership in advancing understandings about the multi-faceted impact of publicly engaged scholarship in the University of the 21st century, Tim was recognized by the University of Illinois College of Education with its 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Ted Hadzi-Antich, Jr.

Ted Hadzi-Antich, Jr. is an Associate Professor of Government, Founder of The Great Questions Project and member of the Honors faculty at Austin Community College, where he has taught for over 17 years. Ted is the Founder and Executive Director of The Great Questions Foundation 501c3, which promotes discussion-based learning focused on transformative texts and ideas in Community College general education courses and programs.

Michael Jacobs

Michael Jacobs is Provost and Vice President, Academic & Student Affairs, at Monroe Community College (MCC) in Rochester, NY. Prior to his appointment as Provost/VP, he served as MCC’s Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences from 2017 to 2024. He also founded the college’s Institute for the Humanities. His research focuses on humanities education and American literary modernism—and his peer-reviewed work has been published in several journals and essay collections, including Literary Journalism Studies; Let Us Now Praise Famous Men at 75; Community College Humanities Review; and James Agee in Context: New Literary, Visual, Cultural, and Historical Essays. He is the former Chair of the Modern Language Association’s Committee for Community Colleges and served as Deputy Director for the Community College Humanities Association from 2019 to2024. Before working in academic administration, Michael taught English and film studies at Berkeley College in New York City and chaired its New York Campus English department from 2009 to 2017. He earned his Doctor of Arts degree from St. John’s University and both an MA (Humanities) and BA (Media Studies, Documentary Film) from the University at Buffalo. He is currently editing a volume of essays on community college humanities education for MLA Publications.

Key Jo Lee

Key Jo Lee is chief of curatorial affairs and public programs at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco. In this role, Lee oversees the strategic direction for the museum’s exhibitions and programs; leads globally on identifying and promoting emerging artists from the African diaspora; and works to expand MoAD’s reach and influence locally, nationally, and internationally. She is responsible for the overall management and execution of the museum’s curatorial vision, including its
exhibitions, publications, and public and educational programs, and plays an important role in the organization’s outreach, communications, and digital strategy.

Lee has a master’s degree from and is PhD candidate in History of Art and African American Studies at Yale University. Her first book, Perceptual Drift: Black Art and an Ethics of Looking, was published by Yale University Press and The Cleveland Museum of Art in January 2023.

Aaron Petersal

Aaron Petersal is a museum professional and nonprofit leader with more than twenty years of experience supporting the development of cultural institutions as community-centered spaces. As Executive Director of the Maltz Museum, Petersal emphasizes the role of museums in both preserving history and fostering environments for public engagement, education, and inspiration.

He has held leadership roles at the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the Clark Art Institute, where his work centered on opening doors to wider audiences and strengthening community connections. At each institution, he has helped shape projects ranging from major renovations to new programs that make museums more welcoming and relevant.

In addition to the museum sector, Aaron served as Chief Development Officer at United Way of Greater Cleveland, where he expanded fundraising strategies, securing increased resources to support the growing needs of the community. This experience strengthened his commitment to mission-driven work and reinforced his belief in the power of partnerships and collaborations to create lasting impact.

His current focus is on ensuring that museums remain relevant, accessible, and inclusive environments for all visitors. Petersal believes deeply that museums must extend beyond simply providing access; they must actively engage with their communities to foster meaningful connections and participation.

Outside of work, Aaron is a long-distance runner. He makes it a practice to lace up his shoes in every town he visits, using running as a way to explore new places and further connect with the local community.

Dr. Anika T. Prather

Dr. Anika T. Prather is an accomplished educator with a B.A. in Elementary Education from Howard University and multiple graduate degrees in education from New York University and Howard University, including a Master’s in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College and a PhD in English, Theatre, and Literacy Education from the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on enhancing literacy among African American students through engagement with classic literature, and she self-published her dissertation Living in the Constellation of the Canon: The Lived Experiences of African American Students Reading Great Books Literature.

Anika is a co-author of The Black Intellectual Tradition and has held various educational positions, including teacher, supervisor, and Head of School. She previously lectured in the classics department at Howard University and was the Director of High-Quality Curriculum and Instruction at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy until February 2024. Currently, she serves as an Assistant Professor and coordinator of Elementary Education at Catholic University. In 2015, Anika founded The Living Water School, a distinctive Christian institution rooted in Classical Education and the Sudbury Model, and co-established The Living Water Center, which hosts educational activities and The Blacks in Classics Museum in Old Town Alexandria. Additionally, she is a sought-after speaker and educational consultant for public, private, and charter schools through her consulting company, Anika Prather Consulting.

Anika, married to chemical and computer engineer Damon M. Prather, shares a passion for high-quality education. Together, they developed the educational program for their school and are parents to three young children. In addition to her educational pursuits, Anika is a performing artist who integrates music, drama, and storytelling into her presentations. She has produced two jazz albums and is also a self-taught fiber artist. You can explore her music on Spotify (Anika-Tene’) and her fiber work at NikaKnits.

Robert C. Smith

Robert C. Smith is a Partner and Practice Leader in the Cleveland office and the firm’s Ohio Market Leader. He is a member of the firm’s National Nominating Committee and Leadership Team. Bob has more than forty-five years of experience in investing, finance, accounting, and business management.

Bob joined Cerity Partners in October 2016 when Cerity Partners merged with Spero-Smith Investment Advisers. Previously, Bob was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Spero-Smith. Bob joined in 1993 as President, Chief Investment Officer, and co-owner with Founder, Karen Spero.

Stephanie Danes Smith

Stephanie Danes Smith is a professional in residence and associate lecturer in the School of Communication Studies at Kent State University. She has taught at Kent State since 2012. Her teaching and research focus on social movements, human rights, and warning, risk, and crisis communication.

Smith retired in 2011 from the United State Federal Government, after 27 years of service, 25 of which were with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). She also had significant executive experience in defense (U.S. Navy) and public diplomacy (Department of State).

Smith achieved the highest rank possible within CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service. As Director for Support, Smith’s pinnacle assignment at CIA, she led the Directorate of Support, the largest of CIA’s four directorates. She reported to the Director of CIA on hiring, security, logistics, facility support, finance, acquisitions and medical services worldwide. In this role, Smith was also accountable to Congress, the media, and the American public. She led thousands of employees who served worldwide, designed and managed programs worth several billion dollars, interacted regularly with Congress, and traveled extensively, including throughout two war zones (Afghanistan and Iraq).

In 2008, Smith became the first civilian and first CIA senior executive to serve as Deputy Director of the United States Navy’s Shore Readiness Division, where she helped represent the Navy’s $9 billion shore investment portfolio. Smith was also the first CIA Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, where she co-founded the State Department’s Counterterrorism Communications Center to strengthen and integrate all United States Government counterterrorism messaging.

Smith’s work has been recognized with several awards, honors, and distinctions, most notably: CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the CIA Director’s Award, the CIA Certificate of Distinction, 20 CIA Exceptional Performance Awards, and a U.S. Navy Special Act Award. In 2011, Smith was honored with the William D. Taylor Distinguished Alumni Award from the Kent State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.