Lisa Wexler, Executive Director, Eduology

Lisa has over 25 years in teaching, coaching, tutoring, training and consulting. She oversees Eduology and collaborates with national experts to design training on academic advising, career advising, academic coaching, peer mentoring and other student success topics.

Previously, she was a faculty member at the University of Denver where she ran academic orientations for new students and a cultural peer mentor program and taught courses that integrated academic success strategies, including an FYE course. She also served on assessment, curriculum and hiring committees. She ran an academic support workshop program at the Community College of Aurora as well as tutored and taught reading and composition courses that integrated academic support strategies. Before that, she taught composition courses at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Additionally, she has taught academic success workshops and provided academic coaching and tutoring privately. Lisa is trained as intercultural communications trainer, certified in emotional intelligence assessment and coaching (EQ-i 2.0) and completed the NCDA Facilitating Career Development (FCD) course.

Dr. Terrance J. McClain, Director of the Student Success Center, McCoy College of Business Texas State University-San Marcos

Dr. McClain currently oversees all aspects of the Student Success Center. Previously, he was Associate Director of University Success Coaching where he oversaw the program from he hired and trained coaches, redesigned the program to ground it in theory and research and built campus connections to support the success of the program; he significantly increased student coaching services on his campus. He was previously a success coach and before that managed the CAFE, a Career and Financial Education program and developed a highly successful money management center on his campus. He also oversaw the campus professional development program, the Career Readiness Institute, for training, support and development of department academic leaders to promote departmental leadership and on-going skill development. Previously, he has held positions as an academic advisor and academic coach. Additionally, as the past president of TEXAAN, he provided leadership and professional development opportunities for academic advisors in Texas.

Dr. Jess E. Tuck, University Advising Services, Florida Atlantic University (FAU)

Dr. Jess E. Tuck serves as the Executive Director of University Advising Services overseeing Academic Coaching, Transfer Advising Services and Advising Systems on all FAU campuses. Jess leads the effort to provide academic skill development and academic coaching to first- and second-year students. Jess uses the Appreciative Advising framework to train coaches and advisors. Jess also served as the Project Director of FAU's U.S. Department of Education Title III Grant from 2010-2016. 

He began his work at FAU in 2003 advising freshmen and sophomores with undeclared majors providing guidance to students through developmental advising strategies. He was also an Adjunct Instructor with University Advising Services and lead instructor with the FAU Global Student Success Program (GSSP) from 2010 – 2020 with a focus on teaching university-learning skills to international students. Jess has presented nationally at college & university campuses, and via online webinars sharing his expertise on pro-active advising, academic coaching and Appreciative Advising. Jess has also been a part of the Appreciative Advising Institute since 2015 and served as faculty from 2016-2019. 

Jess received a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership: Higher Education from FAU, where his dissertation topic was Students' Preference for Online Versus Face-To-Face Academic Advising Based on Individual Learning Styles. He received an M.Ed. in Counselor Education, also from FAU. Jess attended SUNY Plattsburgh and holds a B.A. in Sociology. Jess is a Certified Appreciative Adviser. He is also a National Appreciative Advising and Education Trainer and Consultant.

Mónica Martínez El Sheikh, M.Ed., Associate Director, Academic Coaching and Advising, ACCESS Program, University Advising Services

Monica earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and her Master of Education in Counseling. For nearly a decade she worked as a Defense Contractor in support of the Department of Defense and State Department. Through her extensive volunteer work, she realized that her true passion was to help others achieve their highest potential. She went into the counseling field and ultimately discovered her love of advisement and working with students. Currently, she works as the Associate Director for Academic Coaching & Advising with the ACCESS Program. She received her B.A. from University of Georgia and M.Ed. from George Mason University. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership at Florida Atlantic University.

Gail Mishler, M.S. Ed (She/Her/Hers), Academic Success Coach, Center for Academic Achievement, Florida Gulf Coast University

Gail currently provides academic success coaching for students who are struggling academically and/or underachieving. Utilizing her department’s approach of Appreciative Advising, skill-building and resource referrals, she supports students in improving their academic performance. She also provided instruction for academic success classes, including an academic probation class using many of the trust-building, motivation and study skills strategies she employs in her academic coaching.

Gail brings to her academic coaching role an eclectic background which includes being a radio broadcaster; event & club DJ, professional singer, pre- k-12 teacher, and college instructor. Her super power is empathy and supporting students in reaching their goals for success at FGCU and beyond.

Along with other national experts in the field!