Thriving in High School and Beyond: Strategies for Academic Success & Personal Development

Joseph B Cuseo

Joe Cuseo holds a doctoral degree in Educational Psychology and Assessment from the University of Iowa and is Professor Emeritus of Psychology. For more than 25 years, he directed the first-year seminar—a core college success course required of all new students.
He’s a 14-time recipient of the “faculty member of the year award” on his home campus—a student-driven award based on effective teaching and academic advising; a recipient of the “Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award” from the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition; and a recipient of the “Diamond Honoree Award” from the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) for contributions made to student development and the Student Affairs profession.
+++__Currently, Joe serves as an educational advisor and consultant for AVID—a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the college access and college success of underserved student populations. He has delivered hundreds of campus workshops and conference presentations across North America, as well as Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

Aaron Thompson

Aaron Thompson is a nationally recognized leader in higher education with a focus on policy, student success and organizational leadership and design. He serves as President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and as professor of sociology in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. He recently served as interim president of Kentucky State University. Thompson holds a doctorate in sociology in areas of organizational behavior and race and gender relations.

His leadership experience spans 27 years across higher education, business and numerous non-profit boards. Thompson has researched, taught and consulted in areas of diversity, leadership, ethics, multicultural families, race and ethnic relations, student success, first-year students, retention, cultural competence and organizational design throughout his career.

As a highly sought after national speaker, Thompson has presented more than 800 workshops, seminars and invited lectures in areas of race and gender diversity, living an unbiased life, overcoming obstacles to gain success, creating a school environment for academic success, cultural competence, workplace interaction, leadership, organizational goal setting, building relationships, the first-year seminar, and a variety of other topics. He continues to serve as a consultant to educational institutions (elementary, secondary and postsecondary), corporations, non-profit organizations, police departments and other governmental agencies.

Thompson has published more than 30 publications and numerous research and peer reviewed presentations. He has authored or co-authored the following books: Changing Student Culture from the Ground Up, The Sociological Outlook, Infusing Diversity and Cultural Competence into Teacher Education, Peer to Peer Leadership: Changing Student Culture from the Ground Up. He also co-authored Thriving in College and Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success, Thriving in the Community College and Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development, Diversity and the College Experience, Focus on Success and Black Men and Divorce.

Shane Shope

Shane Shope is Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Program at Morehead State University. Shope earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Ohio University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum from Miami University. Dr. Shope has over 25 years of experience in K-12 and Higher Education settings, including serving as a high school teacher and district level administrator. Shope has worked as an educational consultant nationally and in the Middle East. His research has focused on College and Career Readiness, school transitions, rural leadership models, social justice issues and community capacity building. He has numerous peer reviewed publications and presentations, including Career Ready: Are You, Addressing Challenges to Postsecondary Transitions K12/Higher Education Collaboration, Toward a Responsive Model for Educational Leadership in Rural Appalachia: Merging theory and practice, and Rural Specific Concerns and Strategies in the Budgeting Process. Shope has traveled extensively throughout the United States, delivering numerous presentations and workshops on community asset mapping and career readiness initiatives. Dr. Shope worked in coordination with the Public Education Evaluation Commission for the Ministry of Education for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and served as a researcher for the Regional Education Lab for Appalachia.

John Roush

John R. “J.R.” Roush is an Assistant Professor of Education at Shawnee State University; Chief Consultant for The JD & R Group, LLC; Independent Contractor/Representative for Southern State Community College’s College Credit Plus (Early College); Owner/Operator of Roush Cattle, Hay and Straw and former; Dean of Core Studies/ Campus Director with Southern State Community College, Ohio; Professor of Educational Leadership at Morehead State University and PK-12 teacher and principal. Over the last 26 years, nearly 23 involved leadership roles in both K-12 and higher education. Roush holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Ohio University. Dr. Roush recently co-authored a career and college ready book, “Thriving in High School and Beyond: Strategies for Academic Success and Beyond,” and has published several peer-reviewed articles involving capacity building and successful higher education – high school transition programs. Implementation of the "Collaborating on Economic Success in Appalachia" High School-Higher Education Alignment Project, Educational Assets, Resources, Barriers and Social Capital in a Semi- Isolated Community of Appalachia, Toward a responsive model for educational leadership in rural Appalachia: Merging theory and practice.   His areas of academic interest and research include educational leadership, social capital, rural education, capacity building, college access and career readiness. He has presented at numerous state, regional and national conferences and consulted/researched nationally and internationally; including an invitation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to assist in evaluating and making recommendations to their public school system.