Colette Hart serves as the senior director of the Centers for Outreach and Engagement in the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. She leads the design and development of innovative interdisciplinary programs that serve students, faculty, alumni and regional business partners. Colette played a central role in establishing the Global Business Center, Sustainable Business Center and Professional Development Center.

Her recent work has focused on building CSU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by securing funding and launching the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Export Assistance Network, Startup Vikes and the Weston Ideation Lab. She has secured more than six million dollars in support of these initiatives.

Colette brings extensive international experience in economic development, trade and education. She serves on the U.S. Commercial Service District Export Council, the NASBITE International Board of Governors and the JumpStart Higher Education Collaboration Council. She completed the Lean LaunchPad Educator Program at Stanford University and holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin and an Executive MBA from CSU.

Meghan Salkin serves as assistant director for the Centers for Outreach & Engagement in the Monte Ahuja College of Business at Cleveland State University. She provides operational and financial leadership across several centers that link students, faculty, industry and community partners.

Meghan manages daily operations, long-term planning and fiscal strategy for revenue-generating and grant-funded initiatives. She coordinates logistics, communications and stakeholder engagement for high-impact programs including TEDxClevelandStateUniversity, Startup Vikes, the Community Innovation Challenge, GlobalTarget, the Weston Summer Accelerator Internship Program, Show Her the Money and Women Accessing Capital.

Her expertise spans operations, financial management and program development, enabling her to support innovation, workforce development and community impact at CSU.

Nate Ward is a recognized leader in global business education with experience in more than 40 international markets. His expertise includes market analysis, trade risk mitigation, export compliance, manufacturing processes, global logistics and financial management.

Nate has developed and delivered nationally recognized educational programs serving companies, consultants, students and institutions worldwide. He is known for building strong partnerships, leading internship and student development programs and delivering actionable insights to diverse audiences across global education platforms.

Anne-Marie Connors serves as associate vice president of Alumni Relations and Corporate Engagement as well as the executive director of the Alumni Association at Cleveland State University. She joined CSU in 2021, bringing more than 30 years of experience in institutional advancement, including development, alumni relations, admissions, board management, marketing and communications. Anne-Marie leads strategic engagement initiatives that strengthen CSU’s connection to alumni, corporate partners and the broader community.

Professor Brian Davis is associate dean in the Washkewicz College of Engineering.  He has over 35 years’ experience with medical devices, biomechanics and biomedical engineering.  He has represented the field at the international level, including serving as president of the International Society of Biomechanics. 

At the Cleveland Clinic he held the position of vice-chair of Biomedical Engineering, with particular research interests in diabetic foot ulceration. After 18 years, he then became vice president and director of the Medical Device Development Center within the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron. This was followed by becoming chair of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Akron where he continued his research into gait abnormalities. 

Dr. Davis is currently principal investigator of two grants from the National Science Foundation, one focusing on recruiting top-tier doctoral students to CSU and the other focused on undergraduate students who wish to develop technologies for assisting individuals with mobility disorders. Previously, his research has resulted in over $30,000,000 in funding from organizations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, NIH, the State of Ohio, the American Diabetes Association and the Veterans Administration.  He is actively involved with K-12 outreach and annually hosts the “BEST Medicine” Engineering fair in Cleveland.

David (Dave) Fornari is an executive with over 35 years of experience in management consulting and corporate leadership. He spent 31 years at Deloitte—22 of them as an Energy Consulting partner—where he served as both Global and U.S. Energy & Resources Consulting Leader and became known for innovative strategy insights as a Deloitte Eminence Fellow.

A dedicated CSU alumnus (BBA ’76, MBA ’80), Dave serves as an executive in residence in the Monte Ahuja College of Business and chairs the Advisory Board for the Weston Ideation Lab. His contributions include establishing the Fornari Family Scholarship Fund, mentoring at Startup Vikes, supporting TEDxClevelandStateUniversity and volunteering across numerous outreach and engagement centers.

Dave’s honors include the Rotary Club of Cleveland’s Business and Technology Leadership Award (2020), the College of Business Distinguished Alumni Award (2016) and induction into the Monte Ahuja College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame (2023).

Valerie Garrett serves as videographer in the Cleveland State University Marketing Department. She joined CSU in 2023, bringing more than five years of experience in video marketing, photography and post-production editing. In her role, Valerie creates compelling visual content that supports faculty, staff and university-wide initiatives, with a strong focus on student recruitment and engagement. As a proud Cleveland State University alumna, she brings a unique perspective and personal connection to CSU’s mission and community.

Caitlin Hawkins specializes in designing, facilitating and evaluating evidence-based interventions that improve organizational learning and performance. Her career is grounded in instructional design, data-driven decision-making and human-centered consulting practices.

Caitlin is pursuing a Doctorate in Urban Education with a focus on Adult Learning, building on dual master’s degrees in community social work and nonprofit management. She also holds certifications in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and in Executive Coaching.

Her leadership experience includes supervising consulting teams, facilitating strategic planning engagements and delivering keynote presentations. She is known for her ability to navigate complex organizational dynamics and align diverse stakeholders toward shared goals

Dr. John Holcomb has been a part of the Cleveland State University community for over 25 years. He received tenure and promotion to full professor as an applied statistician in the Department of Mathematics. His administrative career began with his appointment as chair in 2010. Since 2017, he has served as associate dean for two years and vice provost for Academic Programs for the last five years. He has published over forty articles on topics that include stroke rehabilitation (with researchers at Cleveland’s Veteran’s Hospital), nutrition, bank expansion and food security. He has also been an innovator in statistics education with international invited presentations to make statistics more meaningful for students. 

As an administrator, he has been committed to student success and been intimately involved with many strategic initiatives at the university that include Operation STEM, Cleveland State Global and Integrated Degrees, to name a few.  In the greater Cleveland community, he serves as an officer for the Cleveland Chapter of the American Statistical Association and serves on the Board of Directors for Global Cleveland.

Dr. Thomas J. Humphrey is a professor of History and the interim director of the School of Music and interim chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance. He received his B.A. from John Carroll University, M.A. from John Carroll (1990) and Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University (1996). A self-proclaimed "accidental academic," he was introduced to the McNeil Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a fellowship. He started at Cleveland State University in 1998. His writing and research focuses on the inter-related topics of land disputes, tenancy, race and crowd violence in North America in the eighteenth century. His teaching specialties are Colonial and Revolutionary American history.

His publications include the 2004 book Land and Liberty: Hudson Valley Riots in the Age of Revolution and 2005 edited volume New World Orders: Violence, Sanction, and Authority in the Early Americas, 1500-1825 as well as his 2015 article in The Journal of Early American History, “The Anatomy of a Crowd: Making Mobs in Early America.”
 
 

Kara Copeland is the assistant dean of Communication and Engagement at Cleveland State University’s Levin College of Public Affairs and Education, where she leads strategic communications, marketing, community engagement and major initiatives that elevate the College’s visibility and impact. She brings extensive experience in higher education, philanthropy and nonprofit leadership, with previous roles at Cuyahoga Community College, the Cleveland Foundation, Slavic Village Development Corporation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland. Kara holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from Case Western Reserve University and John Carroll University.

Matt Knickman serves as director of Alumni Relations and Corporate Engagement in Alumni Affairs at Cleveland State University. He joined CSU in 2018 and previously directed the Center for Student Activities and Involvement. Prior to CSU, Matt worked with Case Western Reserve University, the Greater Cleveland YMCA and the Cleveland Browns Foundation.

Originally from Missouri, Matt holds both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from institutions in his home state. Since moving to Cleveland in 2013, he has built a career rooted in student engagement, community-building and service. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his spouse, two children and family dog.

Kristine is the assistant director of marketing for the Hospitality Division at Cleveland State University. Kristine is highly skilled in event planning, coordination and marketing. Prior to CSU she held a number of roles with Gervasi Vineyard, College Fashionista and the Cleveland Guardians. She holds a BBA from Kent State University and an MBA from Cleveland State University. Prior to her 

Erica Norlund is the direcgtor of the CSU Alumni Association. She is a passionate leader who is invested in enriching, educating and celebrating college students as they navigate their college experience. Prior to CSU, Erica served as an administrative professional for the past 5 years in higher education working with many student organizations, departments and individuals in the area of student activities. She has been focused on programming and in finding unique opportunities for students to engage with their peers and institution. She is dedicated to implementing both large and small-scale programming with a focus on building, fostering and creating connection on campus for alumni, students, faculty and staff.

Tim O’Callahan serves as associate vice president for Advancement at Cleveland State University, a role he has held since January 2023. He previously served as senior director of Advancement in the Washkewicz College of Engineering.

Tim brings extensive fundraising and advancement leadership experience, including key roles with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, where he oversaw major fundraising initiatives. Earlier in his career, he served as Senior Director of the Regional Advancement Program at The Ohio State University.

He holds a BA in Communications from John Carroll University.

Luke Robson is a driven, detail-oriented professional with more than ten years of experience across higher education, marketing and branding, operations, team leadership, and public administration. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s in Public Affairs Journalism.

Luke’s strengths include process improvement, event and operations management, customer experience strategy, budgeting, and team development. His background features progressive leadership roles emphasizing communication, organizational management, and exemplary client service.

Heather Schlosser is an experienced marketing communications professional who has worked in higher education, automotive and healthcare industries. Her expertise includes digital strategy, creative direction, market research, copywriting and account/project management. Heather brings both creative and strategic insight to advancing brand identity and audience engagement. She currently serves as the director of marketing and communications for the University.

Cigdem Slankard serves as director and associate professor in the School of Film & Media Arts at Cleveland State University, where she oversees academic development, strategy and operations.

Born and raised in Turkey, she earned a BA in Translation and Interpreting from Bogazici University before completing an MFA in film making at Ohio University. Slankard has written and directed multiple films and media projects, with screenings and exhibitions internationally, garnering numerous awards and recognition.

Her creative portfolio includes Lead in the Land (2023), Dreamhood (2020), Pretty Vacant (2020), and  Fresh Start (2017) as well as multiple virtual reality and interactive media projects.

Puneet Sai Sudarshanam serves as an assessments analyst with the City of Cleveland’s Division of Assessments & Licenses, where he drives data analysis, compliance reviews and strategic process improvements within municipal operations. Puneet previously served as a graduate assistant in Operations at Cleveland State University where he partnered with departmental leadership to streamline efficiencies and advance cross-functional initiatives. 

Leveraging his background in Information Systems, Puneet utilizes data and technology to improve decision-making, service quality and public sector outcomes. Furthermore, as a founding member of TEDxVITS, he played a pivotal role in event operations and coordination, successfully delivering large-scale academic and community programs.