Directors
Cristina Baciu
Cristina Baciu is the assistant director of research at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Baciu has previously served as an administrative director and research program manager at Arizona State University, where she co-founded several mentoring programs, including the ACE Scholars Program. Baciu holds two bachelor's degrees—one in economics from Romanian University of Sciences and Arts and another in psychology from Illinois Institute of Technology—and received a doctorate in educational leadership in higher education from Northern Illinois University. She was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2021 as a doctoral student at NAU. She received a Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award in 2021. Baciu’s research and practice interests focus on using mentoring as a tool for building community, student persistence, and success. She is currently working on her first book, Beyond the Campus: The Power of E-Mentoring in Modern Higher Education.
Click here for a video statement from Cristina Baciu.
Claudette Baltazar
Claudette Baltazar has held leadership positions at government, private sector, and philanthropic institutions. Her journey began in the Philippines, where she was the youngest cabinet chief-of-staff to the late Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos before venturing to Europe, where she worked in motorsport marketing. Ms. Baltazar currently holds the role of vice president of development and fundraising for the AARP Foundation. Previously, she served as vice president of development for the Girl Scouts of the USA. Ms. Baltazar received her B.S. in commerce and marketing management from St. Scholastica’s College and executive MBA from Fordham University as well as a professional certificate in digital media marketing from New York University. She was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2020 at Fordham University.
Click here for a video statement from Claudette Baltazar.
Dimitria Cook
Dimitria Cook is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach, author, certified senior trainer, and writing coach. Cook currently works as an executive and leadership development coach at Emerging Human and is a mentor and senior certified trainer at California School-Age Consortium. Previously, she served in organizations such as Valence Community, Los Angeles Unified School District, Sandy Hook Promise, SAG-AFTRA, and Step Up Women’s Network. She holds a MFA in Theatre from the University of Southern California and a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in English from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Cook has served on the Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad and Love of Learning Selection Committees. She was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 1996 at the University of Southern California.
Click here for a video statement from Dimitria Cook.
Christine Kohls
Christine Kohls is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and Association of Fundraising Professionals Master Trainer. Kohls has held leadership positions in healthcare, higher education, social service, and arts and culture organizations. Since 2018 she has served as the principal at Raising Results, LLC, a full-service nonprofit consulting firm. She has deep experience in campaign strategy, grant writing, budgeting and return on investment analysis, program development, and project management. Additionally, she has authored comprehensive development plans, annual campaigns, messaging, and branding for Cleveland-area nonprofits and managed several capital improvements for a local university. Kohls holds a B.A. in social science from Notre Dame College and an MBA from Bowling Green State University where she was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2022.
Click here for a video statement from Christine Kohls.
Lee Kozokas
Lee Kozokas is the Executive Officer for the Intelligence Directorate of Space Operations Command, the United States Space Force's space, cyber, and intelligence operations component. Beyond his military role, Kozokas is engaged in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture as the Founder/President of NEPA Agrivoltaics and as Owner/Operator of Pikes Peak Poultry. His interests span community involvement, real estate investing, and Rugby, alongside time spent with his spouse and three children. Since 2020, Kozokas has been a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Investment Committee, where he currently serves as the 2022-2024 committee chair. During his tenure, the committee has successfully restructured the Society's Investment Policy Statement. Kozokas also co-led a nationwide search for a new Outsourced Chief Investment Officer and strategically realigned the Society’s investment portfolio for long-term growth. Kozokas earned his B.S. in business from Pennsylvania State University and holds an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus. He was recently credentialed as a Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute. Kozokas was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi at Penn State University in 2015.
Click here for a video statement from Lee Kozokas.
Kenneth "Kenny" McDonald, Ph.D.
Kenneth McDonald is a professor of engineering management, Department of Systems Engineering, West Point. He authored and co-authored 100+ technical publications including book chapters and refereed publications on infrastructure, capacity development, geotechnical engineering, engineering management, value modeling, and engineering ethics. He co-authored the book “Pursuing the Honorable – Reawakening Honor in the Modern Military.” He graduated from West Point in 1985 with a B.S. in civil engineering and was initiated into the West Point ΦKΦ chapter in 2003. He earned master’s degrees in geography; city and regional planning; environmental engineering; information systems management; ethics; and character education. He has a Ph.D. in geological engineering. He is a Fellow, American Society for Engineering Management, and was inducted into the Academy of Civil Engineers and the Mines and Metallurgy Academy, Missouri University of Science and Technology. He is a Fulbright Scholar and has served with the Ministry of Education, Republic of the Marshall Islands (2016) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kosovo (2020). Most importantly he is a full-time educator committed to providing a top-tier educational experience.
Click here for a video statement from Kenneth McDonald.
Mattia Migliore, Ph.D.
Dr. Mattia Migliore is a pharmacologist and educator with nearly 16 years of classroom experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She currently serves as a director on the 2022-2024 national Phi Kappa Phi board, president of the MCPHS University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, and secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Board of Registration in Naturopathy. A Massachusetts licensed registered pharmacist, Migliore has more than 26 years of experience working at a Harvard Medical School-affiliated teaching hospital, where she specializes in outpatient anticoagulation management. Her research interests and efforts have included the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, drug delivery to the brain via the intranasal route of administration, autism spectrum disorders, and the role of the PAR receptors and the coagulation system in cancer. Web of Science Researcher ID: AAF-4263-2021. She was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi at Northeastern University in 2008.
Click here for a video statement from Mattia Migliore.
Mason Russell
Mason Russell is a managing partner at Inizio, one of the world’s largest life sciences consulting companies. He was previously the director and global head for Guidehouse, overseeing a global portfolio of services focused on health economics and market access. In addition, Russell owns and manages a full-service travel agency based in Vero Beach, Florida. He is a diplomate of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Verifed Travel Advisor, and an active Freemason, currently serving as the grand treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Russell holds a B.A. in economics from Salem State University and a Master of Arts in Political Economy from Boston University. He was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi at Salem State University in 1977.
Click here for a video statement from Mason Russell.
Nicholas Sexton
Nicholas Sexton has worked in various roles at Liberty Mutual Insurance for 11 years and is currently a Regional Manager, overseeing a multi-state virtual consulting team that provides services across the United States and internationally. Sexton holds a B.A. in Chemistry, a B.S. in psychology, and a Master of Public Health from Eastern Kentucky University. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Safety Sciences at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He has received numerous awards including Safety Professional of the Year (2024) and the Mike Cook Volunteer of the Year (2022) from the Arizona Chapter of American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the Emerging Leader Award (2022) from Eastern Kentucky University. He has served on the Beta Theta Pi International Fraternity Board of Trustees since 2021, the ASSP Society Advisory Council Chair since 2023, and the Central Appalachian Regional Education and Research Center’s Advisory Council since 2023. He was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2012 at Eastern Kentucky University.
Click here for a video statement from Nicholas Sexton.
Ronald Shaklee, Ph.D.
Ronald V. Shaklee is professor emeritus of geography at Youngstown University, where he headed the geography program. Since 2022 Shaklee has served as a coordinator for national and international scholarships at YSU. He is the current chair of the Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship Committee and served as a member of the committee for three previous terms. He also previously served as a Phi Kappa Phi regional vice president and as a member of the Love of Learning and Pioneer Award committees. Shaklee served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. After his discharge, he attended the University of Kansas, where he earned B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in geography. His geographic specialties have included remote sensing, urban geography, and Latin American geography. He has been recognized as a Distinguished Professor for University Service on three occasions. He also earned a Distinguished Professor Award for Teaching as well as a Distinguished Chair Award for Teaching.
Click here for a video statement from Ronald Shaklee.
Ron Tully
Ron Tulley is dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, professor of English, and development officer at the University of Findlay. He currently serves as a director on the 2022-2024 national Phi Kappa Phi board. His previous service to Phi Kappa Phi includes two terms as divisional vice president (Division IV), chair of the Fellowship Committee, and member of the Love of Learning Committee. At Findlay, he was a founding member of the Phi Kappa Phi chapter and is the current president-elect. In addition, he has served as a member of the executive council and as treasurer since 2009. Tulley holds a Ph.D. in English from Case Western Reserve University, master’s degrees in English, curriculum and instruction, health informatics, and business administration, and bachelor’s degrees in both English and history. He was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi as a student at Southern Illinois University in 1994. Outside the university, Tulley has served as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission and for Quality Matters and is a member of the Northwest Ohio American Heart Association executive leadership team.
Click here for a video statement from Ron Tully.
Debora Wenger, Ph.D.
Debora Wenger is an associate dean and professor in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi. Prior to her academic appointments, Wenger worked as a reporter, producer, and in newsroom leadership roles for multiple TV stations. She was named a top journalism educator by NewsPro magazine in 2017 and has testified as an expert witness in cases involving standard journalism practice. Wenger has worked for the U.S. State Department providing multimedia journalism training in the South Pacific and in Europe. She holds a B.S. in English from Minnesota State University, an M.A. in English from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and a Ph.D. in journalism from Kingston University in London. Wenger conducts multimedia workshops in newsrooms around the country for the Radio Television Digital News Association in conjunction with its Google News Initiative Program and is editor-in-chief for the Electronic News journal. She was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2013 at the University of Mississippi.
Click here for a video statement from Debora Wenger.