Taking leadership to the next level

Lena Booth

Deputy Dean, Thunderbird Academic Enterprise and Finance Professor, Thunderbird School of Global Management

Dr. Lena Booth is currently the deputy dean, Thunderbird Academic Enterprise and finance professor. Born in Malaysia, educated in Singapore and the U.S., she speaks and writes English, Chinese, and Malay, and speaks a few Chinese dialects. Lena’s teaching and research interests have taken her all over the world. She has presented research and taught executives in many cities in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Her excellence and dedication in teaching have earned her “Outstanding Faculty Member” award 15 times in the past 9 years, voted by Thunderbird graduating students.

As Deputy Dean, Lena oversees all the Thunderbird degree programs. She works with Thunderbird’s passionate faculty and ASU colleges to design and operationalize innovative, differentiated, and cutting-edge Thunderbird curriculum. She also helps optimize course offerings, ensuring smooth and high-quality program delivery in the full-time, executive and online programs. Lena also works with academic institutions around the world to design and operationalize accelerated pathway programs for foreign students to enroll in Thunderbird programs. Additionally, Lena works with global organizations on custom degree programs that fit their needs.

Lena's primary research focus is on capital raising through initial public offerings and through commercial banks. Her research has appeared in several distinguished peer-reviewed journals. She has also authored and published case studies, some of which earned the best-selling case studies award. Lena holds a Ph.D. in finance, an MBA, and a Bachelor of Business Administration. She has been a professor at Thunderbird since 1995.

Quintin Boyce

Associate VP of Outreach, Educational Outreach and Student Services

Dr. Quintin Boyce is the Associate Vice President of Outreach with Educational Outreach and Student Services at Arizona State University (ASU), where he leads K-12 school partnerships aimed at improving educational outcomes for students. Originally from Chicago, IL, Quintin has been deeply involved in the field of education since 2002. He earned multiple degrees from ASU, which laid the foundation for his career as an educator. In 2005, Dr. Boyce began teaching at Phoenix Union High School District, where he taught biology, AP biology, chemistry, biotechnology, and forensics. His dedication to education extends to higher education as well, with over a decade of experience teaching science and educational leadership courses at various universities.

In 2012, Dr. Boyce transitioned from the classroom to school administration, first serving as Principal at Bioscience High School and then at Camelback High School. He later took on the role of Executive Director of Teaching and Learning at Phoenix Union High School District, where he worked to enhance teaching practices across the district. In 2019, he joined the Roosevelt School District, first as interim Chief Administrative Officer and later as Superintendent.

At ASU, Dr. Boyce continues to champion K-12 partnerships while actively participating in state and national leadership fellowships and serving on several boards. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys quality time with his spouse and four children, staying connected to his community, and participating in recreational sports. His passion for education and community engagement drives his continued efforts to make a meaningful impact.

Christin Burek

Assistant Vice President Supply Chain, Deputy Chief Procurement Officer, ASU Business and Finance

I joined ASU in February 2024 as AVP Supply Chain, Deputy CPO. Prior to ASU, I was Director, Operations at Amazon for 9+ years responsible for Procurement and indirect supply chain operations across U.S, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Singapore supporting Global Customer Fulfillment, Global Specialty Fulfillment, Amazon Air, Transportation and Amazon Pharmacy. My team provided strategic sourcing/supplier management for $40B spend: Packaging, Equipment, Scientific/Pharmacy, Services, IT, Construction and Facilities. My warehouse teams managed supply chain materials and packaging. My data engineering team supported procurement/indirect supply chain systems. After 6.5 years in Operations, I transitioned to Finance with responsibility for Amazon’s Global Consumer Businesses Risk and Internal Audit.

I have 30 years of supply chain experience across manufacturing and service industries. I was SVP, Chief Procurement Officer, Northern Trust. At Honeywell, I was Director IT hardware and software responsible for sourcing and supplier management. I joined IBM’s Supply Chain Leadership Program with roles across supply chain and operations. At Legris, Inc., my roles were customer service, logistics, production planning, operations, procurement and marketing.

I have a BA in Spanish and a BA in Business from Michigan State University. My MBA in Supply Chain Management is from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

I am in Arizona but my husband, youngest son and Bernese Mountain Dog, Lulu, are in Washington until Nolan finishes senior year of high school. I volunteer for a Bernese Mountain Dog rescue organization. When I’m not rescuing dogs, I am outdoors, reading, baking or watching documentaries.

Leah Doane

Associate Dean of Graduate Initiatives, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Professor, Department of Psychology

Leah Doane is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Associate Dean of Graduate Initiatives in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Cornell University, her M.A. and Ph.D. in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University, and completed a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Chicago in Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. Using culturally- and genetically-informed designs, her program of research centers on links between health behaviors, physiological stress processes, and everyday stressful experiences in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood from a developmental psychopathology framework. Further, much of her work focuses on these processes in Latine youth and families, and during times of transition, such as the transition to college. Doane was a William T. Grant Foundation Scholar and has been funded by the National Institutes for Health (NICHD), the Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She has served in several leadership positions in the Department of Psychology including Developmental Graduate Training Area Head, Director of Faculty Success, and Associate/Deputy Chair.

Kate Eaton

Associate Dean and Clinical Professor, W.P. Carey School of Business 

Kate Eaton is the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and a Clinical Professor of Marketing at the W. P. Carey School of Business, where she has been a faculty member since 2014. In her role, Kate collaborates with faculty, staff, and students to shape graduate curriculum, enhance teaching methodologies, and drive educational innovations.

From 2018 to 2023, Kate served as Teaching Lead, where she pioneered online courses, introduced a flipped classroom model, and implemented new assessment techniques to maximize student learning. Her efforts in teaching excellence have earned her multiple awards, including the Huizingh Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Award (2017, 2021), the 'Rethinking Business Education' Award for Excellence in Online Teaching (2020), and the 'Business Is Personal' Inclusive Teaching Award (2022). She was also named to the 2023 Poets & Quants list of '40 Best MBA Professors Under 40.'

Kate holds a PhD in Business Administration (Marketing) and undergraduate degrees in Finance and Management, with an International Business Certificate, all from W. P. Carey. Her research focuses on product and service design and transformative services. Before returning to academia, she was Principal Strategist for Obesity Solutions, a joint venture between Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic, where she studied health messaging, education, and patient experience design.

In her free time, Kate enjoys rockhounding, DIY projects, storytelling, and building with Legos.

Dawn Gilpin

Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Dawn Gilpin came to ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2008 after a career of nearly 20 years in international strategic communication in Italy, and earning her PhD in Mass Media & Communication from Temple University in Philadelphia. Her research explores complex communication systems and the implications of today’s changing media environment for the construction of collective identities and power relations, primarily in organizations, institutions, and policy networks. Specific areas of focus include contemporary mediated gun culture, mis- and disinformation, gender-based violence, and media trust. She is affiliated with the Center for the Study of Guns in Society, the Disinformation Working Group, and the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics.

Her current responsibilities include directing the school's doctoral degree program in Mass Communication, handling general faculty affairs, managing international partnerships, and overseeing research activity at all levels.

Meredyth Hendricks

Associate Vice President of Career and Professional Learning, Learning Enterprise

Meredyth Hendricks serves as an Associate Vice President in the Learning Enterprise, overseeing ASU's non-degree professional and career learning portfolio. Since 2021, Meredyth and her team have worked with ASU faculty to grow the portfolio to over 400 skills education courses reaching 200,000 learners annually. She also leads workforce education partnerships for Learning Enterprise with employers directly and in collaboration with Instride.

Prior to joining ASU, Meredyth served as the founding Chief Operating Officer of Foundry College, a venture-backed education technology startup. While there, Meredyth helped expand access to college-level education to the 36M Americans with some college but no degree via live, synchronous online classes based on the science of learning. At Foundry College, Meredyth led business functions including finance, strategy and planning, HR, and talent acquisition.

Meredyth’s experience also includes roles at LinkedIn, where she focused on LinkedIn Learning and Talent Solutions; the University of California Office of the President, where she served as President Napolitano’s Deputy Chief of Staff; and in management consulting with Bain & Company and the Bridgespan Group.

Meredyth holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics and Politics from Pomona College.

Amalia Pallares

Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence, Office of University Provost; Professor, School of Transborder Studies

Amalia Pallares serves as the Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence and is a professor in the School of Transborder Studies. She comes to ASU from the University of Illinois Chicago, where she served as Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Engagement and professor of political science and Latin American and Latino studies. A scholar of social movements and political identities in Latin America and the U.S., Pallares is the author and editor of several books and other publications. She continues this line of research in the School of Transborder Studies at ASU.

In her role as vice provost, Pallares provides leadership to advance the university’s charter and demonstrate that inclusion and excellence are mutually reinforcing, and necessary, so that individuals from all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives can thrive. Pallares’ works to ensure all students, educators and practitioners have broad access to the opportunities, assets, and benefits of ASU, and that all members of the campus community feel they belong and are supported in their success at the university.

Her focus upon joining ASU includes ASU’s role as a Hispanic Serving Institution and larger identity as a Minority Serving Institution.

Shannon Portillo

Director and Lattie and Elva Coor Presidential Chair, School of Public Affairs

Shannon Portillo serves as director and Lattie and Elva Coor Presidential Chair in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. Dr. Portillo’s scholarship explores how formal policies and rules and informal social norms shape the work of public organizations. She is specifically interested in how racism and sexism impact organizations and workers’ experiences historically and currently. Her work helps scholars and practitioners understand how inequities have been institutionalized in public organizations. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Women’s Foundation, Army Research Institute, and other entities. Her work has appeared in a broad array of academic and popular outlets. She has been recognized for her scholarship and service, recently being inducted into the National Academy of Public Administration, winning the Hobby Prize for Ethics, Leadership and Public Policy, and receiving the Steeples Service to Kansas Award. Her third book, The Myth of Bureaucratic Neutrality: An Examination of Merit and Representation (with co-authors Nicole Humphrey and Domonic Bearfield), was published with Routledge Press. Community service is a core value. Dr. Portillo served as Co-Chair of Governor Laura Kelly’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice and was elected Chair of the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners

Eusebio Scornavacca

Director and Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society (SFIS), College of Global Futures

Eusebio Scornavacca serves as the Director of the School for the Future of Innovation in Society (SFIS) at Arizona State University's (ASU) College of Global Futures. He also leads ASU’s Science and Technology Center for Sustainability Innovation under the New Economy Initiative and holds a professorship in Global Digital Innovation at the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Scornavacca is a recognized expert in disruptive digital innovation, high-impact business strategies, and sustainability-driven technologies. His leadership in both academia and industry is defined by his ability to turn cutting-edge research into actionable solutions that accelerate business growth and tackle global issues. He has spearheaded numerous high-level, multinational projects, partnering with industries and governments worldwide to advance innovation policies and digital entrepreneurship initiatives. Eusebio is committed to fostering the next generation of innovators, integrating his learnings and experiences into the classroom to support and provide students with the knowledge, skills and tools to address current and future global challenges. His international engagements span six continents, forging partnerships with leaders and institutions in Japan, China, Egypt, Italy, France, Finland, Spain, New Zealand, Morocco, Brazil, and beyond—showcasing the global integration essential for true innovation.

Widely published, Eusebio’s research is action-oriented, driving high-impact innovation and policy that not only meets today’s needs but anticipates tomorrow’s challenges. He leads with a clear vision for integrating digital transformation with socioenvironmental outcomes, ensuring that we build systems that work for both people and the planet.

Heather Smith-Cannoy

Director, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Professor of Political Science

Heather Smith-Cannoy is a professor of political science and social justice and human rights. She is the Director of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. At ASU she previously served as Director of ASU’s Global Human Rights Hub. She has published four books on human rights, international law, and sex trafficking. Her most recent book is a co-edited volume, Human Rights on the Edge: The Future of International Human Rights Law and Practice. Her current projects explore the rights of sex trafficking survivors and the human rights of neurodivergent children. She has published 15 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on sex trafficking, human rights treaties, and the International Criminal Court. She is an Associate Editor with Political Research Quarterly. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the American Philosophical Society.

Forrest Solis

Director and Associate Professor, School of Art, Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts

Forrest Solis received her MFA in Painting from Indiana University in Tempe, IN, and her BFA from Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, MO. In 2006, Solis joined the School of Art as a member of the painting and drawing faculty and has held a leadership position within the school since 2014. In 2022, Solis was appointed Director, and through her leadership recruited Cristóbal Martinez, artist in the internationally acclaimed collective, Postcommodity. In 2024, Solis proposed a co-directorship with Martinez to model collaboration for the School of Art in support of organizing the school into a generative learning community. Her approach to the co-directorship with Martinez is grounded by joint- curiosity, inquiry, meaning-making, consensus, and problem solving. Together, they are committed to supporting the development of curriculum that creates new knowledge, insights, and strategies for addressing today’s pressing challenges across expansive perspectives, backgrounds and histories. In addition to administration, Solís is an artist who uses psychology as a lens by which to consider women’s experiences. In 2015, she founded Creative Push, an ongoing multimedia visual art and oral history project that collects, transforms, displays, and circulates birth stories and artworks. Her teaching builds formal painting and drawing skills, engages students in a critical dialog on representation and identity, and develops knowledge of historical and contemporary art. Solis aspires to connect her administration, research and teaching in service to advancing narratives that are legible, meaningful, and useful to students and the public alike.

Binil Starly

Director and Professor, School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, Fulton Schools of Engineering

Binil Starly serves as the School Director and Professor in the School of Manufacturing Systems & Networks at Arizona State University, one of 8 schools within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. As part of his leadership roles, he is the Workforce Development Lead for SWAP-HUB, an ASU led Microelectronics Commons Hub, and also leads the development of the Stackable Microcredentials at ASU engaging with both industry and institutional faculty in its development. He has over 20 years of experience in Digital manufacturing. His laboratory is working on technologies that merge the digital and the physical world towards advancing both discrete and continuous manufacturing. His work is supported by the US National Science Foundation, Department of Energy (NNSA) and the Department of Defense. He has received the NSF CAREER award, SME ‘20 Most Influential Professors in Smart Manufacturing’, SME Young Manufacturing Engineering Award (2011) and numerous teaching awards.

Nicole Thompson

Vice Dean & Professor, Teacher Preparation, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College

Nicole L. Thompson (Menominee/Stockbridge Munsee) is a professor and vice dean of the division of teacher preparation in Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Her work focuses on how best to prepare teachers to educate P-12 students. With a commitment to equitable and inclusive practices, her work creates, pilots, and brings to scale new roles for educators and new organizational structures for schools and systems that can better serve both learners and educators. Thompson works to create a sustainable workforce of educators prepared to work as members of collaborative teams of qualified professionals with distributed expertise who can support deeper and personalized learning for all students. Thompson came to ASU from the University of Memphis, where she was a dean's fellow in the College of Education. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. Thompson is a member of the American Educational Research Association, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center and Native Children’s Research Exchange Network.

Nate Wade

Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief Operating Officer

Nate Wade serves as the Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Arizona State University (ASU). He is also a Research Assistant Professor for the College of Health Solutions (CHS). With progressive leadership roles spanning more than twenty years in higher education at three R1 institutions including eleven years at ASU, Nate has committed himself to the advancement of social outcomes as well as academic disciplines in STEM, health, and health care. He is responsible for advancing complex strategic priorities and initiatives of the Office of the COO. Prior to joining the Office of the COO, Nate served as Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for ASU Health.

In his faculty role, he conducts use-inspired research in a variety of topics including diagnostics, Indigenous health equity, and representative health workforce development. As a PI, Co-PI, or key personnel, his research and initiatives have received funding from The Rockefeller Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Tohono O’odham Nation, the Genentech Innovation Fund, and The Burton Family Foundation.

Kristen Will

Associate Dean and Clinical Professor, College of Health Solutions; Associate Dean, ASU School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering

Dr. Will serves as the Associate Dean of Clinical Initiatives and Accreditation within the College of Health Solutions and is a Clinical Professor in Health Systems Science. She also is the newly appointed Associate Dean, Interprofessional Education and Community Engagement for the ASU School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering. She also holds a joint faculty appointment as Clinical Professor in the School of Medicine. Additionally, she serves on the ASU Health leadership team working on various initiatives. In her leadership roles, she provides oversight of interprofessional clinical initiatives and programs, which include meeting accreditation and regulatory standards. She also spearheads inter-institutional and regional community partnerships to build an interprofessional community of training for health professions students. In addition to her administrative duties, she serves as an active faculty member with expertise in health systems science, interprofessional education and collaborative practice, and team-based care models of care for optimizing health outcomes.

Nicole Woodrick

Chief of Staff, Office of the Executive Vice President, Knowledge Enterprise

Nicole Woodrick is Chief of Staff for the Office of the Executive Vice President, Knowledge Enterprise at Arizona State University. Her work supports strategic initiatives that advance the research impact of the university. Prior to this role, she served as the Director of Corporate Engagement & Strategic Partnerships where she led initiatives to foster collaborations between ASU and external organizations, focusing on building and maintaining strategic partnerships that drive innovation and economic development.

Erin Yunt

Associate Vice President, Executive Administration

Erin Yunt serves as the Associate Vice President of Executive Administration at Arizona State University, where she has been dedicated to roles of increasing responsibility since 2007. As Associate Vice President, Erin leads a business operations team focused on finance and human resources, supporting several of ASU's senior leadership offices, including the Office of the President, University Affairs, the EVP & COO, Government & Community Engagement, Media Relations & Strategic Communications, Enterprise Planning, the Office of General Counsel, as well as various other strategic initiatives that drive the New American University model forward.

In addition to her business operations role, Erin oversees teams that advance programmatic success across ASU’s diverse locations, including the California Center in Los Angeles (two locations), the DC Center in Washington, D.C., and the ASU Chandler Innovation Center in the East Valley. She also oversees technology teams that support these locations as well as all campuses in Arizona.

Erin earned both a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University. Since 2019 she has been an active volunteer with the Western Association of College & University Business Officers (WACUBO). Through her involvement with WACUBO, Erin has contributed her expertise in higher education administration, fostering professional development and collaboration within the field.