Dr. Russell Ivy | Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Russell Ivy serves as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. In this capacity, he is responsible for providing leadership in formulating and administering university policies for student learning outcomes assessment, academic program reviews and articulations, institutional and program-based accreditation, review of new degree program proposals, and other projects and initiatives related to academic programs and curriculum. He also supervises the leadership of the Center for Global Engagement, Center for Online and Continuing Education, Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid and the Registrar’s Office. Dr. Ivy is the liaison for FAU with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Ivy received both the B.A. and M.A. degrees in Geography from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Florida. He joined FAU in 1992, and in addition to professorial duties, served 5 years as Associate Chair and 9 years as Chair of Geosciences. He also served 2 years as Interim Dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science prior to joining the Provost’s Office in 2015. He holds the rank of Professor in Geosciences.
Jason Ball | Associate Provost and Chief Information Officer
As Associate Provost and Chief Information Officer, Jason Ball provides vision, leadership, strategic planning, and coordination of information technology, media, networking and telecommunications throughout the University's multi-campus environment. He supports these operations within the Office of Information Technology (OIT), develops strong managers and staff to meet strategic goals and improve customer service, participates fully with other campus leaders in advancing the University's mission, and develops and manages long-term relationships with technology vendors and partners. Mr. Ball also works with the University's chief financial officer to ensure seamless integration of administrative and emergency information systems.
Mr. Ball joined FAU after serving as the assistant vice president and director of information technology at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, where he also earned his bachelor's and master's degrees. He has more than 15 years of technology management experience in higher education.
Dr. Stephen Engle | Associate Provost of Academic Personnel
Dr. Stephen D. Engle serves as Associate Provost for Academic Personnel. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing important academic personnel processes, including oversight of faculty searches, faculty hiring, annual assignments, activity reporting, evaluations, promotion and tenure, collective bargaining, post-tenure review, sabbaticals, professional development efforts, among other responsibilities.
Dr. Engle comes to the Provost’s Office after more than three decades on the faculty in the History Department, where he directed the Alan B. and Charna Larkin Symposium Series on the American Presidency. A former department chair and graduate director, he is also a nationally and internationally renowned scholar having been a part of C-span’s “Lectures in American History,” series as well as spending a year as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany where he taught at both Martin Luther University in Halle and the American History Institute in Wittenberg. He is a prize-winning author of numerous books, articles, and has received many research grants. He is currently a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians, and a Smithsonian Associates Lecturer for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. In 2016, FAU recognized him as the Distinguished Teacher of the Year.
In addition to his role as Associate Provost, Dr. Engle serves as the Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA and to the American Athletic Conference.
Dr. Julie Golden Botti | Assistant Provost for Online and Continuing Education
Dr. Julie Golden Botti serves as Executive Director of the award-winning Center for Online and Continuing Education in the Office of the Provost at Florida Atlantic University. Recipient of the 2020 Online Learning Consortium’s Gomory-Mayadas Leadership Award in Online Education, Dr. Golden Botti oversees the university’s efforts to create and enhance online courses and programs, lifelong learning offerings, and continuing education programs. Additionally, she supports faculty professional development to promote the integration of Quality Matters standards and State of Florida standards for high-quality online course design and delivery.
Dr. Golden Botti is responsible for growing FAU’s online and continuing education enrollments by increasing for-credit and not-for-credit offerings that cater to a variety of stakeholders including traditional students in online programs, professional development CEUs, certifications and certificates for career changers and career enhancement, personal enrichment courses, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes in Jupiter, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale.
Dr. Golden Botti serves on the Florida Board of Governor’s Innovation and Online Committee and the Florida Online Quality Committee, and co-chairs the Florida Chancellor’s Quality Award Committee for online faculty. She holds a Doctor of Education, Organizational Leadership from Northeastern University in Boston, and a Master of Arts in Career and Technical Education from the University of Central Florida.
Dr. Ying Liu | Assistant Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis
Ying joined FAU-IEA in March, 2018. Prior to joining FAU, he was the Director of Institutional Research at University of Toledo. He has also worked at University of Pittsburgh, University of Toronto, and McMaster University. Dr. Liu earned his PhD in Psychology from Beijing Normal University and his Master degree in Statistics from University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Liu’s research has been focusing on measuring student outcomes with advanced statistical models, as well as the cognitive processes involved in learning.
Dr. Mihaela Metianu | Assistant Provost for Global Engagement
Mihaela Metianu serves as the Assistant Provost for Global Engagement. She leads the Center for Global Engagement and provides oversight to the following areas: Education Abroad, International Student Services, International Enrollment Services, Global Academic Services, and the Intensive English Institute. Key functions include international agreements, global travel safety and security, academic study abroad, international student support services, immigration services, and compliance, international recruitment, foreign credential evaluations, and global student engagement initiatives.
Mihaela joined FAU in 2006 as the Director of Student Affairs for the Wilkes Honors College, and in 2008 she became Director of International Services. She assumed the Executive Director role in 2016 upon the establishment of the Center for Global Engagement. and was promoted to Assistant Provost for Global Engagement in 2022. She holds a Bachelor’s degree (International Studies & Economics) from the University of Miami, a master’s degree (Multicultural/Multilingual Education), and, a Doctor of Education degree (Higher Education Administration) from Florida State University.
Dr. Robert Stackman | Associate Vice President for the Jupiter Campus
Robert Stackman Jr. serves as the Dean of the Graduate College, having been appointed in June 2019. He previously served as Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the College of Science (2018-2019), and as Interim Chair of the Department of Psychology (2016-2018). Bob earned his Ph.D. (1995) and M.S. degrees in Psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Bob was awarded an individual NIH NRSA fellowship during his postdoctoral training at Dartmouth College. He was Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health & Sciences University for seven years prior to moving to Florida Atlantic University in 2005. Bob was promoted to Professor in 2016, and has served as Co-Director of the Bachelor’s degree program in Neuroscience & Behavior. He was honored to be awarded Researcher of the Year at the Associate Professor level in 2010, and the College of Science’s Teacher of the Year in 2011. Dr. Stackman has a spectacular team of people in the Graduate College and looks forward to working with them and the other colleges on efforts to grow and improve graduate programs and the support of graduate students at FAU.
Dr. Stackman’s research focused on the cellular and brain circuit mechanisms of long-term memory, has been funded in part by grants from the NIH and NSF. Bob is passionate about the collaborative training environment he maintains in his research lab in Jupiter. The vibrant interactive community of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates in the lab has produced over 65 peer-reviewed publications, and permitted the completion of several Ph.D., Master’s degrees, and numerous undergraduate honors theses.
Colin Polsky | Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Broward Campuses
Professor Polsky is a geographer specializing in the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change. He has completed four degrees with majors in four disciplines, plus a two-year postdoctoral training in a fifth field. This background in mathematics, humanities, French, geography, and Science & International Affairs (from U. Texas, Penn State, and Harvard, respectively) has led to a sustained interest in advancing knowledge of U.S. climate vulnerabilities, in both methodological and applied terms.
As part of several inter-disciplinary teams, Polsky has received NSF grants totaling close to $18M of which $1.7M has been directed to Clark University. His publications include 26 peer-reviewed articles, 2 co-authored books, 17 book chapters, and 11 other reports; he has delivered close to 100 public presentations in 8 countries. Polsky has served as co-Convening Lead Author for a chapter in the 2013 National Climate Assessment, served on NRC & USGCRP committees, and prepared reviews for several IPCC reports. In May 2009, Polsky was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, and for the period January 2011 – August 2012 served as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Research.
Dr. James Capp | Associate Vice President of Strategic Planning and Student Success
Dr. James Capp is the Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning & Student Success at Florida Atlantic University. In addition to overseeing enrollment management and undergraduate studies at the university, he also leads the student success analytics team that has helped to more than double the university's graduation rates, resulting in Florida Atlantic becoming a nationally ranked institution according to U.S. News & World Report and Washington Monthly. Additionally, he teaches policy, budgeting, strategic planning, and US government classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He previously worked in communications and student affairs. Dr. Capp earned his bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences (concentrating in English Literature) from FAU's Wilkes Honors College, and his MPA and Ph.D. are both from FAU's School of Public Administration.
Iselgis Garcia | Associate Vice President, Academic Finance and Administration
As Assistant Vice President, Academic Finance and Administration in the Office of the Provost, Iselgis Garcia directs the planning, preparation, oversight, monitoring, and implementation of the budget for Academic Affairs. Additionally, she coordinates and manages budgets across all units within Academic Affairs, compiles and analyzes financial and faculty HR information, develops multi-year financial projections, and provides leadership and direction in budgetary policy development and interpretation.
Tori Winfield | Senior University Counsel
Tori L. Winfield joined the University in 2016 as Associate General Counsel and serves as primary legal counsel to the Office of the Provost and Division of Academic Affairs. In that capacity, Ms. Winfield advises the Provost, Deans, and other academic administrators on matters including compliance with laws, regulations, and policies governing employment and contractual relationships. She is also the primary legal advisor to the University Police Department, Human Resources, and other institutional clients.
Ms. Winfield graduated with honors from the University of Miami and obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida where she also received the Book Award in Legal Research & Writing. Prior to joining the University, Ms. Winfield was employed as Senior Litigation Counsel for a national multi-line insurer where she directly handled and supervised litigation in the Southeast, an associate at regional defense firms where she specialized in employment law, and a law clerk to United States District Court Judge Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Ms. Winfield is an avid public speaker who routinely advised clients on federal and state employment laws and was selected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to speak at its training seminars on varying topics in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. She is the author of various training materials and an article published in the Florida Bar Journal. Ms. Winfield is licensed to practice in Florida and Mississippi, enjoys an AV Preeminent rating, and is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys.
Geoffrey Johnson | Assistant Vice President for Academic Operations
Geoffrey Johnson serves as the Assistant Vice President for Academic Operations. As a member of Florida Atlantic’s academic leadership team, he collaborates with executives on issues of space utilization, emergency management, and the development of legislatively mandated and administratively requested academic reports and plans. Geoffrey also oversees the administration of the Provost's Office daily operations.
Prior to assuming his current position, Geoffrey has served in various capacities in the provost’s office coordinating and directing processes related to accreditation, academic program review, assessment, textbook affordability, enrollment management, and student success. Geoffrey received his master’s degree in public administration from Florida Atlantic University's College for Design and Social Inquiry. He received his bachelor’s in health care management from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University’s (FAMU) School of Allied Health Sciences.
Dr. Terry Eggenberger | Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice
Terry Eggenberger, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, CNL, FNAP is a Professor in the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing with a Clinical Associate Affiliate in the College of Medicine; and Executive Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice, Office of the Provost. She has been passionate about interprofessional (IP) education and practice since 2008 when she began introducing other team roles into simulated scenarios, and identified a need for more emphasis on teams and communication with IP health care colleagues. She completed the Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) Primary Care TeamSTEPPS training, and the TeamSTEPPS Advanced Master Training Course as a foundation for designing Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) programs. A Macy’s Presidential Grant (2015) supported Dr. Eggenberger and associates as they endeavored to strengthen IP relationships and communication in an acute care setting with frontline providers, addressing the IP education practice gap. Her IP team worked with frontline providers, including a new physician residency program in Internal Medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work to hardwire TeamSTEPPS at the point of care. She was Director of Interprofessional Student Engagement (2014), and PI (2017), for a NEPQR IPCP HRSA grant that advanced IP teambuilding in the delivery of diabetes mellitus and mental health care to an underserved population. Recent IP efforts have resulted in recommendations for IP advance care planning. She has published on IP initiatives, and presented nationally and internationally on team science and communication
Debra Szabo | Assistant Provost, Accreditation and Assessment
Debra Szabo is the Assistant Provost for Accreditation and Assessment. In this role, she serves as the university’s accreditation liaison responsible for all communication with FAU’s national accreditor. In addition, she is responsible for the development and management of reports related to assessment, professional program accreditation, academic program reviews, and state-mandated program compliance reports to support the University's mission and strategic initiatives. In addition, she facilitates the creation of articulation agreements for academic programs and directs the policies and procedures related to Dual Enrollment. Before assuming her current position, Debra was the Director of Assessment, Accreditation, and Articulations in the provost’s office, and before that role, she was the Director of Degree Completion and Graduate Student Success at FAU’s Graduate College.
Debra received her Master of Arts degree in TESOL/Bilingual Education and her Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University's College of Education. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from the university's Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in FAU’s Higher Education Leadership program.
Kera Kollman (Robinson) | Director, Academic Finance & Administration
With over a decade of experience in financial leadership roles, Kera Kollman (Robinson) currently serves as the Director of Finance and Administration for Academic Affairs at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).
Prior to joining FAU, Kera held significant positions, including Chief Financial Officer at VR TRAINING, where she leveraged expertise in financial management and business analysis to create stringent financial controls and drive enterprise expansion. At Penn State University, she served as a Financial Officer for nearly seven years, providing strategic leadership in financial oversight, collaborating with executive leadership and stakeholders, and managing audits and reconciliations to mitigate risks. Her commitment to financial integrity and compliance was evident in her role as a Business Analyst at Accountemps, where she developed executive dashboards and financial models, ensuring transparency and accuracy in reporting.
Kera holds a Master's degree in Finance and a Bachelor of Science in Business with a focus on Financial Services from Penn State University. She has consistently demonstrated proficiency in financial planning, budgeting, and analysis, complemented by her skills in GASB/GAAP/CRF-200 regulations and financial reporting standards. With a track record of excellence in financial stewardship and strategic decision-making, she continues to drive impactful change in academic administration at FAU and beyond.
Rochelle Campbell | Associate Director of Academic Personnel
Coming Soon.
Aloha Balza | Assistant Director, Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice
Aloha Balza is the Assistant Director for the Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice at Florida Atlantic University. She works collaboratively to create and implement interprofessional programming for medical, nursing, and social work students. She manages external partnerships to ensure addition of healthcare professions students as well as local providers to our programming. Her responsibilities include collecting and reporting IPE&P assessment data and use it to develop strategies focus on improving programming quality and reach.
Aloha received her Bachelor of Science degree from New York University and her Master of Public Administration degree from Florida Atlantic University. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the School for Public Administration at FAU.
Jessica Meith | Assistant Director for Academic Affairs
Jessica Meith is the Assistant Director for Academic Affairs. In her role, Jessica is responsible for a broad range of administrative functions to foster and support student success. She is committed to enhancing student experiences and outcomes by implementing effective strategies and leveraging data analytics to improve academic and operational efficiencies. Prior to this role, Jessica served as Assistant Director of Academic Advising & Student Services in Florida Atlantic’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, where she was recognized for her efforts with multiple awards, including Florida Atlantic’s Excellence & Innovation in Undergraduate Advising Award (2018, 2023).
From Florida Atlantic, Jessica has earned a Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership, a Master of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Social Work. Additionally, she has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Flagler College.
Taina Teran-Campbell | Assistant Director, Academic Operations
Taina Teran-Campbell serves as the Assistant Director for Academic Operations, where she acts as a key liaison between the Office of the Provost’s leadership team and various divisions, colleges, departments, and committees. In her current position, Taina provides comprehensive support to the Assistant Vice President of Academic Operations, including managing faculty senate, coordinating senior academic meetings, and overseeing special projects and events. She handles event logistics, fiscal reinstatements, and compliance efforts.
Prior to her role in the Office of the Provost, Taina was the Executive Assistant and Coordinator for Administrative Services to the Dean at the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. She holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.
Felipe Vargas | Coordinator, Academic Operations and Planning
Felipe Vargas serves as the Academic Budgetary Assistant for the Academic Planning & Budget in the Office of the Provost/Academic Affairs. In this capacity, Felipe assists in maintaining, implementing and administering budget allocations for the colleges within the university.
Felipe is a proud graduate of Florida Atlantic University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a minor in Business Law. Most recently, he worked for Maximus Inc. performing audits on behalf of the State of Florida. He coordinated the Florida Kid Care initiative that offers health insurance to children from birth.
Robert Wicks | Executive Assistant
Robert Wicks graduated magna cum laude from the Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University with a concentration in American Studies in 2009. He currently serves as the Executive Assistant in the Office of the Provost, providing support for the team in their continuing mission to help both the university and its students reach their maximum potential.
With over a decade of experience in public relations and publishing, Robert brings exceptional organizational skills, a commitment to effective communication, and a passion for education. He has lived and worked abroad in Argentina, Spain, Mexico, and Turkey, gaining a global perspective and fluency in Spanish. It is his goal to pursue a master’s degree in linguistics.