EDUP Xcelerated Excellence

Our Guest, Devin Rankin, is Marketing and Community Relations Coordinator for Profound Gentlemen and Founder of Rankin Legacy Ventures.

Devin is a versatile community specialist with a strong background in education, non-profit management, and youth development. His Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Winston-Salem State University laid the foundation for a career dedicated to empowering communities and fostering positive change.

Devin’s experience spans various roles, including teaching mathematics at Charlotte Lab School and serving as Director of Family Relations. His long-standing involvement with Freedom School Partners, progressing from Teen Board Volunteer to Floating Site Coordinator, demonstrates his commitment to youth empowerment and program management.

Devin’s diverse professional journey has equipped him with a unique skill set combining educational expertise, program management, and community engagement. This background has prepared him to tackle complex challenges, develop innovative programs, and foster positive relationships within the community, making him an asset in roles that require a multifaceted approach to youth and community development.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: Elation Communications

Resources:

Profound Gentlemen  

⁠EDUP The Experience⁠

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: ⁠Adil Bentahar⁠

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

Our guest, Dr. Fred A. Bonner, II, is Professor and Endowed Chair in Educational Leadership and Counseling and Founding Executive Director and Chief Scientist of the Minority Achievement, Creativity and High-Ability (MACH-III) Center at PrairieView A&M University. 

He is formerly the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University and an esteemed expert in the field of diversity ineducation.

Prior to joining Rutgers, he was Professor of Higher Education Administration and Dean of Faculties at Texas A&M University-College Station. He earned a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of North Texas, an M.S. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Baylor University, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration & College Teaching from the University of Arkansas. 

Bonner has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Association for Higher Education Black Caucus Dissertation Award and the Educational Leadership, Counseling and Foundation’s Dissertation of the Year Award from the University of Arkansas College of Education.  His work has been featured nationally and internationally. He is the author of the recently released book, Building on Resilience: Models and Frameworks of Black Male Success Across the P-20 Pipeline.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: Elation Communications

Resources:

Belonging in Higher Education: Perspectives and Lessons from Diverse Faculty

⁠EDUP The Experience⁠

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: ⁠Adil Bentahar⁠

Our guest, JAKE Small, is a justice-driven researcher, education equity consultant, and public speaker. He believes that high-quality public education is always a worthwhile pursuit andis passionate about advancing high-quality education for all children.

JAKE is a TEDx speaker and the author of FOR EVERY BLACK BOY, a poetry book amplifying his research on the mattering of Black boys as a tool for academic persistenc eand long term professional success.

JAKE supports the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education as a Strategic Initiatives Specialist to bolster equity-driven teaching practices across the Commonwealth.

Your Host: ⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠

Resources:

For Every Black Boy

The Mircale of Mattering

EDUP The Experience

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

Greeting: Adil Bentahar

Our guest, Aashna Khurana, is a PhD student at The Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College.  Aashna is a contributor to the 2025 ICSEI Dialogic. She shares her insights on “Systems Change Efforts for Inclusive Education: Lessons from Effective Districts (AUDIO).”

This Inspirational Short was recorded during the 2025 International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement in Melbourne Australia. The 2025 ICSEI  Dialogic centers the work of the Culture, Race, and Intersectionality (CRI) Network and is entitled “Culture, Race, and Intersectionality: Assets and Challenges for Leading Educational Effectiveness and Improvement.”

Your Host: ⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠

Resources:

 2025 ICSEI Dialogic

EDUP The Experience

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

Greeting: Adil Bentahar

Our guest, Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen, is an educator with over 20 years of experience working in NYC public schools and higher education settings. A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Rivera-McCutchen’s research, teaching, and activism areinformed by her experiences and center on achieving racial equity through what she calls Radical Care. Her book, Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Urban Schools, was published by Teachers College Press in 2021. Her research has appeared in highly respected academic journals, and she is a highly sought-after speaker, facilitator, and professional developer across education sectors.

Dr. Rivera-McCutchen began her career as a high schoolteacher in the Bronx, before earning her doctorate in Teaching and Learning at New York University. She is currently a professor of leadership at CUNY Hunter College, and is also affiliated with the Urban Education PhD Program at CUNY Graduate Center, and the NYU Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools.

Your Host:⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠

Sponsor: ⁠The 2.0 Conferences⁠. Register for the 2025 conference in Las Vegas, NV with the code EDUPXE10OFF and receive a reduced rate, courtesy of ⁠EDUP Xcelerated Excellence⁠.

Resources:

Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Urban Schools (published by Teachers College Press)

EDUP The Experience

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

Greeting:Evalyn Gleason

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

Our guest, Brent Miller, is a highly respected Senior Architect and Managing Principal at HED, one of the oldest and largest integrated architecture-engineering design firms in the United

Brent's notable projects in higher education, particularly at

Your Host: ⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠

Sponsor: ⁠The 2.0 Conferences⁠. Register for the 2025 conference in Las Vegas, NV with the code EDUPXE10OFF and receive a reduced rate, courtesy of ⁠EDUP Xcelerated Excellence⁠.

Resources:

University of Southern California Village (HED)

California State University Student Housing (HED)

EDUP The Experience

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

Greeting: Evalyn Gleason

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

Our guests, Dr. Micia Mosely, Founder and Director of the Black Teacher Project, advances the mission of creating opportunities for Black teachers to see schools as places of liberated learning.

In developing leaders, she explains that leadership is not about a title nor more work. Leadership development is one condition that positively impact teacher effectiveness and retention.

Dr. Mosley professes the importance of community among Black educators and explains that mentorship is an invaluable resource. Yet, she clarifies that mentorship is about establishing sound relationships.

Rejuvenation is explored for a practice of liberation!

Your Host: ⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠

Sponsor: ⁠The 2.0 Conferences⁠. Register for the 2025 conference in Las Vegas, NV with the code EDUPXE10OFF and receive a reduced rate, courtesy of ⁠EDUP Xcelerated Excellence⁠.

Resources:

EDUP The Experience

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

Greeting: Evalyn Gleason

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

Our guests, Cheryl Delk-Le Good, Executive Director of EnglishUSA, and Dr. Adil Bentahar, Associate Professor at the University of Delaware (UD), explore the world of English language learning for international students.

They focus on English learning nationally and on university campuses. Cheryl shares her experiences in various leadership positions, highlighting the importance of the big picture in their field. She also emphasizes the value of external leadership and getting involved in events for a broader understanding of the profession. Adil shares information on the various programs offered at UD, including an Intensive English Program, Academic Transitions, Special Teacher Education Programs, and a Master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language.

Our guests explore issues of technology in instruction, language learning and cultural acceptance, as well as

Your Host: ⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠

Sponsor: ⁠The 2.0 Conferences⁠. Register for the 2025 conference in Las Vegas, NV with the code EDUPXE10OFF and receive a reduced rate, courtesy of ⁠EDUP Xcelerated Excellence⁠.

Resources:

TESOL International Association

EDUP The Experience

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

Greeting: Dr. Micia Mosely

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

Our guest, Evalyn Gleason, is senior program manager for TEACHNY.  TEACHNYis a state-level subsidiary of TEACH.org. The organization has extended its annual impact goal by registering more than55,000 prospective teachers on its platform.

Evalyn shares the how TEACHNY is collaborating with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and educator preparation programs (EPPs) across the state of New York to recruit teachers into the profession. She explains that TEACHNY is learning and responding to the different contexts influencing teacher shortages district-by-district.

Examples of partnerships include grow-your-own, apprenticeships, and scholarships as strategies employed to address the teacher shortage.

Evalyn outlines the major factors attributing to the teacher shortage among clients of TEACHNY.

Your Host: ⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠

Sponsor: ⁠The 2.0 Conferences⁠. Register for the 2025 conference in Las Vegas, NV with the code EDUPXE10OFF and receive a reduced rate, courtesy of ⁠EDUP Xcelerated Excellence⁠.

Resources:

• ​New York State Education Department (NYSED)
• ​NYC Men Teach
• ​EDUP The Experience
• ​EDUP Xcelerated Excellence
• ​Xcelerated Excellence Consulting

Greeting: Dr. Micia Mosley

Research Assistant: Emily Bloom

Our guest, Dr. Monika Williams Shealey, is Dean of Temple University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). Dr. Shealey has the distinction of being the first female dean in history of the College of Education and Human Development.

Monika shares how the CEHD and Temple are committed to impact and working in partnership with the City of Philadelphia and its communities.

Monika shares how the CEHD and Temple are committed to

She expresses her concern over the persistence of issues in the field of special education, particularly the overrepresentation of certain groups. She noted that these issues have

Dean Shealey encourages current and future educators to nurture the diamonds in their backyard, i.e., students and those committed to their success.

Your Host: ⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠

Sponsor:

Resources:

⁠The EDUP Experience⁠

Our guest, Dr. Monika Williams

Monika shares how the CEHD and Temple are committed to

She expresses her concern over the persistence of issues in the field of special education, particularly the overrepresentation of certain groups. She noted that these issues have remained largely unchanged for decades, despite efforts to address them.

Dr. Shealey encourages current and future educators to nurture the diamonds in their backyard, i.e., students and those committed to their success.

Your Host: ⁠Jacob EasleyII, PhD, PMP⁠

Sponsor:

Resources:

⁠The EDUP Experience⁠