Mili announces appointments to Provost Office staff, new KCON acting dean

Top photo, from left, are Erica Hamilton, Aaron Lowen, Sean Lancaster and Kathy Moran.

Fatma Mili, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, announced appointments within the Office of the Provost and a new acting dean for the Kirkhof College of Nursing.

Current faculty members Erica Hamilton, Sean Lancaster and Aaron Lowen were appointed as assistant vice presidents for Academic Affairs. Their areas of responsibility are detailed below.

Kathy Moran, associate dean for graduate nursing programs and research, KCON, was named the college's acting dean while the external search continues. Moran has broad interprofessional experience caring for underserved populations with chronic diseases. She is a national expert in the development, implementation and evaluation of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project and has extensive experience providing consultation for programs seeking to develop a DNP degree.

Moran takes over acting dean responsibilities for Lola Coke, who served in that role for two years. Mili thanked Coke for her service, noting KCON thrived under her leadership.

"I am highly impressed by the level of enthusiasm and the breadth and depth of leadership in GVSU’s ranks," Mili said. "The members of the Provost Cabinet and I look forward to working with the new appointees as we together execute on the Reach Higher 2025 strategic plan."

In the Provost's Office, Erica Hamilton, associate professor in the College of Education and Community Innovation, will focus on curriculum and program review work. Hamilton, who served as Provost Fellow for Curriculum Innovation, has worked at Grand Valley for nine years and has nearly 25 years of experience in education. Her scholarship is on curriculum design, development, assessment, student learning outcomes and teaching excellence.

Sean Lancaster, professor in the College of Education and Community Innovation, will focus on assessment and accreditation work. Lancaster has been at Grand Valley for 22 years and has held several leadership positions, including department chair. He is one of the founders of the Michigan Teacher Education Network. His scholarship focuses on disrupting patterns of inequity that exist in K-16 classrooms and society.

Aaron Lowen, professor of economics and chair of finance for the Seidman College of Business, will focus on data analytics for the Division of Academic Affairs. Lowen has worked at Grand Valley for 18 years and served as a Presidential Fellow for Enterprise Learning. He has an active scholarship record with publications in several national and state economic journals.