HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP

Meet our faculty

Beth John
Beth John has been working in higher education for over 22 years in various leadership roles. Beth is currently the Director of Educational Outreach for the Center for Inclusive Transition, Education, & Employment (CITEE) at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. As the Director of Educational Outreach for CITEE, Beth is directly responsible for the programs related to professional development and transition, and assists with directing a variety of projects across grants. Previously, Beth served as the Director of First Year Experience at UW-Whitewater and Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Student Activities at Edgewood College.

Beth received her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education from Edgewood College, M.S. in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University, and B.A. in Social Science from Mount St. Clare College in Clinton, Iowa.

Beth also serves an adjunct faculty in the Higher Education Leadership Graduate Program, Dissertation Advisor for the Edgewood College doctoral program, and has served on several doctoral dissertation committees for other Universities. Beth has been actively involved with the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) for many years and has held several leadership positions within the Commission for Student Involvement, Standing Committee for Multicultural Affairs: MultiRacial Network (MRN), and the Mid-Level Community of Practice. Beth worked with faculty and students to pioneer the Mixed Race Student Union (est. 2015) and First Warhawks in Flight (first gen college students, est. 2016) student organizations at UW-Whitewater. Beth has co-authored a few publications and presented over 50 conference presentations during her time in higher education. Beth’s primary areas of research interest include multiracial identity development, diversity and inclusion, and students in transition.

Beth believes deeply in the mission and values of UW-Whitewater and believes that this line of work is a calling for her. This is evident in her work with students, her commitment to social justice, and her thoughtful, ethical, and reflective practices.

Jamilia L. Lee-Johnson
Lee-Johnson is the UW System Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Manager. Lee-Johnson is a former UW-Whitewater Inclusive Excellence Lecturer. Lee-Johnson has taught several courses in the HELEAD Program over the past 5 years. Lee-Johnson earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019; she holds a master’s in student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree from Clark Atlanta University. Lee-Johnson’s research interests are centered around the experiences of Black women in higher education, specifically the leadership experiences of undergraduate Black women at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and finding and creating ways to support students of color. Lee-Johnson has worked in several functional areas of higher education including: pre-college programs, residence life, Greek life, and career and academic services. Lee-Johnson loves working with students, and has published several book chapters, and recently served as a co-editor of a book.

JP Villavicencio
JP Villavicencio (he/him) currently serves as the Education Director for IT Programs and Instructional Data Systems at the Wisconsin Technical College System Office. In this role, he provides statewide leadership and coordination in the exploration, development, implementation, and improvement of IT programs across the Wisconsin Technical College System. Additionally, he also serves as the system owner for the Instructional Data Systems that the technical colleges use to gain approval of courses, curriculums, and programs as well as utilize for their data reporting. Prior to his role at the Wisconsin Technical College System Office, JP was at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he served as the coordinator for the Pathway for Success program and was an elected representative to Academic Staff Assembly, one of the shared governance groups. He has a strong passion for working with students and seeks to facilitate growth and development through their educational journey as it relates to their career, academic, and personal development. JP received his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education and Leadership Studies from Edgewood College, his M.S.E. in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, and B.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin.

Michael Lango
Michael Lango has been a Student Affairs practitioner for over 20 years. He received his BA in Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, an MA in Higher Education Leadership from Argosy University, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education from Northern Illinois University. Throughout his career, Lango has held roles in student activities, orientation, residence life, international student services, study abroad, and academic advising. He has worked for small, private, for-profit, and non-profit higher education institutions and large and medium public institutions. Lango’s research has been published in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. His interest areas include leadership, applying theory to practice, and crisis response in higher education. Currently, Lango serves UW-Whitewater as the Director of Academic Advising overseeing institution-wide advising programs, early success programs, new and undeclared student advising, and academic standards.

Matt Lind
Attorney Matt Lind has been working in education for 18 years. Matt Lind is teaching the Legal Issues in Higher Education course. He is currently in the Office of General Counsel at the University of Wisconsin System Administration. In this office, he provides legal advice to UW-Whitewater and the other four-year comprehensive schools, UW System Administration, and the Board of Regents. He has worked in that office for ten years, starting as a law clerk. He has provided guest lectures at UW-Whitewater and has done many legal trainings across the UW System for UW employees. He is an expert in immigration and civil rights law as it applies to higher education. He also has expertise in a wide variety of areas from accommodations for disability to zoning law and its application to state government. He previously worked teaching Latin and Spanish for mostly middle-school students and has taught foreign languages at every K-12 grade level. Matt received his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School and his M.Ed. from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. Matt is dedicated to including and promoting the next generation of leaders from a wider variety of backgrounds.