Speaker Bios

David joined Bringing Theory to Practice as Director in July 2018, following the retirement of Don Harward. For 20 years, he has worked to advance the democratic purposes of higher education, especially through the integration of public engagement with liberal education and the inclusion of underserved students.

From 1989 to 2005, he taught American Studies, U.S. cultural history and architecture at the University of Michigan; in 1998, he founded UM Arts of Citizenship program, which fostered public work and community projects in the arts, humanities and design. He has served as director of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates College (2005-10), the inaugural executive dean of the School for Public Engagement at The New School in New York City (2010-14) and senior scholar for The Graduate! Network, which supports college access and success for adult learners (2014-18).

He has a Ph.D. in American Studies from Yale University and is the author of “Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape” (Temple University Press, 2002), as well as other studies of U.S. cultural and urban history. He also writes extensively on the recent history of and current issues in higher education.

With a career spanning over two decades, Rebecca Kohn is an accomplished scholar and researcher and a catalyst for positive change in higher education. In early 2023 Kohn began serving as provost and vice president of academic affairs at Elon University, where she supports the university’s focus on the student experience, including substantial participation in study abroad. Her professional trajectory was shaped as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College, where she majored in biochemistry and studied Russian language, spending a semester abroad in the Soviet Union. Additionally, she works in tandem with the Division of Student Life to ensure a holistic approach to students’ experiences both inside and outside of the classroom.

After earning a Ph.D. in biology at the Johns Hopkins University and completing a postdoctoral fellowship, she became a biology professor at Ursinus College. As a faculty member, Kohn actively engaged students in her research lab, fostering an inclusive and experiential education. Her global perspective was further enriched through a Fulbright Fellowship in Chile. Transitioning into administrative roles, she championed institution-wide programs enhancing student learning and success.

Kohn transitioned to administrative roles to contribute to innovative programming on an institution-wide scale. She served as senior associate dean of the college at Ursinus College and senior vice provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Arcadia University. She was drawn to Elon University by its outstanding national reputation for prioritizing the student experience and fostering innovation. Thrilled to be part of a forward-moving community, she eagerly supports the talented students who enroll at Elon as they embark on their transformative journeys into the broader world.

Leo M. Lambert is a professor and president emeritus of Elon University, where he served as president from 1999-2018. During his tenure as president, Lambert led two, 10-year strategic plans for the campus that propelled Elon from a regional college to a nationally-recognized university. A chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the U.S., was established at Elon in 2010 following major investments in arts and sciences programs, world languages, honors and support for faculty scholarship. Elon’s professional schools of business, law, health sciences, communications and education also achieved top accreditations and distinctions during his presidency. Today Elon is recognized widely for excellence in experiential learning, including its programs in study abroad, undergraduate research, civic engagement and interfaith cooperation. More than 100 buildings were added to Elon’s campus during Lambert’s presidency.

Among other writings, Lambert is the co-author of the books “The Undergraduate Experience: Focusing Institutions on What Matters Most” (Jossey-Bass, 2016), “Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020) and “Connections Are Everything: A College Student’s Guide to Relationship-Rich Education” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2023). A recognized leader in higher education, Lambert currently serves on the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education and has previously served on the boards of the Association of Governing Boards, The Washington Center, the American Council on Education, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. He is also a senior fellow for religious pluralism for the Aspen Institute’s Inclusive America Project and the Interfaith Youth Core. In 2009, he received the inaugural William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education from the National Society for Experiential Education. Lambert holds honorary doctoral degrees in humane letters from his alma mater, SUNY Geneseo, and Jacksonville University.

Peter Felten is professor of history, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, and assistant provost for teaching and learning at Elon University. During the 2022-23 academic year, he was named Fulbright Canada Distinguished Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at Carleton University in Ottawa. Felten has published six books about undergraduate education, including (with Leo Lambert) “Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020). His next book, a student guide to relationship-rich education, is co-authored with Isis Artze-Vega, Leo Lambert and Oscar Miranda Tapia, was published by Johns Hopkins in 2023 (with an open access online version free to all readers). He has served as president of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning  and also of the POD Network, the U.S. professional society for educational developers. He is on the advisory board of the National Survey of Student Engagement and is a fellow of the Gardner Institute, a foundation that works to advance equity, justice and upward social mobility through higher education.

Carla Fullwood is a dynamic scholar-practitioner with about 20 years of professional experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion education and training. Her areas of expertise include designing and facilitating curricular and co-curricular dialogue initiatives, and professional development opportunities focused on social justice education, racial equity, and intercultural competence. Fulwood is currently the director of inclusive excellence education and development at Elon University, responsible for coordinating personal and professional inclusive excellence development opportunities primarily for faculty and staff. She also oversees the university’s bias education and response process. She holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and cultural foundations from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Arts in student affairs administration in higher education from Ball State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in communication and media from the State University of New York at New Paltz.

Sylvia Muñoz serves as the assistant dean of students and director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education. In this capacity, she is integral to a team dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for underrepresented racial and ethnic students. Muñoz spearheads race and ethnicity education initiatives and collaborates with campus offices and faculty experts on student diversity education, focusing on social identities, justice and equity.

As a student-centered administrator, Muñoz is passionate about mentoring students, encouraging reflective thinking as a pathway to meaningful learning. She is committed to the holistic education of students, guiding them to become self-advocates.

Elena Dowin Kennedy is the Doherty Emerging Scholar of Entrepreneurship and associate professor at Elon University. She joined the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship in the Love School of Business in 2016 and teaches entrepreneurship and strategic management at both the undergraduate and graduate level. She earned her Ph.D. in organizations and social change from the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Since 2018, her Entrepreneurship for the Greater Good class has partnered with nearly three dozen for-profit and nonprofit partners to complete projects that enhance their mission.

Her research examines strategic decision making in social enterprises, entrepreneurial community formation and entrepreneurship education. Her work has been published in a range of journals including Journal of Business Venturing, Public Management Review, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development and Entrepreneurship Education & Pedagogy. Outside of Elon, she helped design and facilitates a certificate program for social entrepreneurship educators from USASBE (the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship), a leading organization in entrepreneurship education. She also led a multi-institutional research team from 2019-2024 examining the early career outcomes of entrepreneurship alumni. A manuscript from this work was awarded both Best Empirical Paper and Best Paper at the USASBE 2024 conference.

Destiny Payne serves as the assistant director of new student programs at Elon University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, and a Master of Education from Iowa State University. Originally from the Chicagoland area, Payne relocated to the East Coast in 2022 to begin her role at Elon University.

In her position, Payne oversees the training and development of student leaders, as well as the recruitment and selection of student staff. Her responsibilities naturally extend to guiding and mentoring students through various situations, providing a supportive presence as they navigate college life. Passionate about student development and the transformative power of mentorship, Payne is dedicated to fostering growth and success among her students.

Outside of work, Payne enjoys basketball, movies, traveling to new places, exploring photography and spending quality time with her family.

The Queen Bees are three North Carolina-based multimedia artists: musician and journalist Molly McGinn on guitar and vocals; creative producer and musician Kate M. on violin, vocals and drum; and electronic music producer and anthropologist Quilla on keys, beats and vocals.

The Queen Bees see their music as a way to serve and create community. They weave together traditional acoustic instruments with modern electronic components, creating an original blend of music that uplifts audiences and dances to the rhythm of social change. Their music emphasizes a strong beat, meticulous stringed arrangements, delightful vocal harmonies and bright rhythm guitar. They use the folk tradition of storytelling to bring people together, and shed light on current issues. While pop, Americana and disco are influences in their music, each of their carefully crafted songs is unique and explores topics that are off the beaten path. From navigating climate change to exploring the history of North Carolina to supporting drag queens, songs by The Queen Bees are memorable and distinctive. Their collaboration goes beyond the traditional construct of a band because they also create visual stories and cultural experiences for diverse audiences.

While their work together dates back to collaborative projects as early as 2016, their first official performance as The Queen Bees was at The North Carolina Folk Festival in 2023. The trio has since gone on to perform at numerous festivals and benefit shows across the state, opened for The Piedmont Wind Symphony and appeared on “The Martha Bassett Show.”

All three Bees are songwriters, arrangers and co-producers of their musical releases. Their first EP, “Live at the Flat Iron,” was recorded at Triad City Beat’s 10th Anniversary Celebration at The Flat Iron in Greensboro, and was released by Ritual Fire Records in early May 2024. It is now available on all streaming platforms. Their forthcoming studio album “All Ye Outs” will be out in fall 2024. You can follow The Queen Bees on Instagram at @thequeenbees.music.