Leadership Team

Vice President

Jennifer Miller, an EdD student, is our Vice President, supporting member engagement within the organization. Her DiP’s goal is to highlight the causes of teacher demoralization and burnout due to factors, such as poor school and professional climate. She hopes that her research will one day assist in making the changes necessary to make teaching more sustainable and a better environment for all to succeed. She started her career as an adjunct professor in both the English and Education departments at CUNY College of Staten Island in New York City. She has taught English Language Arts and Library Skills at a middle school in New York City and as Massachusetts English Language Arts high school teacher. She has experience engineering and piloting programs for mentoring, teacher preparation, educational technology support, social-emotional learning for the classroom, SEL school climate and classroom intervention, and leadership programs at the secondary and higher education levels. As an SEL specialist, she has written curriculum and trained other educators to improve classroom and school climate while working in EdTech as a learning specialist and proposal specialist. Jennifer received her BA and MA at CUNY College of Staten Island. Her other research interests include gamification, game-based learning, composition and rhetoric, literacy access points, participatory culture and effects on literacy development, artificial intelligence in K-12 and higher education, and educational technology best practices in the English Language Arts classroom. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Zach, and their two children. 

Secretary

Taylor Chelo heralds from northern Rhode Island, and is currently enrolled in Northeastern’s Ed.D. Program with an Integrative Studies Concentration in Higher Education Administration/Innovative Teaching & Learning. Her action research focuses on the integration of the ePortfolio as a high-impact pedagogical practice to potentiate curricular coherence and meaning-making for undergraduate students. Prior to her time in higher education, she attended Quinnipiac University for her B.A. in English and M.A.T. in Elementary Education and taught fourth-grade for four years in a Title I public school, half of which was spent persevering through the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of her elementary education journey—and in light of her previous work alongside professors, college administrators, the University’s Vice President/Provost, and the Board of Trustees at her alma mater—, Taylor had an “itch” to explore the higher education world, which catalyzed her pursuit of her M.Ed. in Higher Education at Providence College from 2020-2022. Ever since, Taylor has worked for Northeastern University’s College of Engineering on their Boston campus as an Undergraduate Academic Advisor and First-Year Seminar instructor. In her professional role, she helps over 250 undergraduate students across the bioengineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial engineering disciplines to make timely paths to graduation. Between her versatile education background spanning different levels of academia, her pre-existing professional network within and institutional knowledge of Northeastern University, her logical organizational skills, and her charismatic energy to connect others through information fluency and clear communication, Taylor is confident that she will make a profound difference in the GSERA community as an eBoard member. Outside of her professional work and studies, you can find Taylor going for walks along the Ocean State shoreline, dabbling in her photography hobby, reading for pleasure, aimlessly perusing the aisles of TJMaxx & Marshalls, in the Starbucks drive-through, or spending time with family and friends.

Treasurer

Melody Su is an EdD student at Northeastern University, specializing in workplace learning. Her explores how enhancing AI literacy can help organizations accelerate progress and more effectively achieve their missions. With over a decade of experience in education, Melody has held various roles across the field. Originally from California, she has lived and worked in Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan) since 2018. Currently, she serves as a Program Director for a social-impact enterprise, designing experiential learning programs for global organizations focused on social entrepreneurship, sustainability, and technology for good. In her free time, Melody enjoys hiking–having conquered Mt. Kilimanjaro at 5,895 meters–traveling to 27 countries and counting, and podcasting as the host of EpNex: Education 360.

Program Director

Criss Vo is a doctoral student in Education (EdD) at Northeastern University, where his research centers on integrating AI tools into college writing classes to enhance student writing and study skills. His journey in academia began at Golden West College (GWC) in California, where he earned an associate degree in English. Driven by a passion for English studies, Criss transferred to California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), completing both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees there. During his graduate program, he split his time between California and Paris, for he spent part of his graduate program abroad. His master’s thesis titled “Silence of the Women: Sensationalizing the Whitechapel Murders” explores the public’s shifting perceptions of Jack the Ripper and his murders in 1888 and how sensational journalism played a critical role in constructing and catapulting the Ripper’s fame/infamy into today’s popular culture while simultaneously erasing the lives of the five women victimized by his crimes. Currently, Criss teaches college writing and literature courses at both GWC and Fullerton College. In his third year of teaching, he won the Part-Time Faculty of the Year Award (Academic Senate Award for Teaching Excellence) at GWC. Alongside his teaching, Criss has served in the Academic Senate at GWC and actively participates in various educational committees. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his partner Heidi, working out, reading novels, and leaving voice messages for Taylor Chelo.

Andrew Anderson is an academic specialist in the Graduate School of Education. His professional focus is student-centered learning and 21st-century skills-based on deep learning competencies, shared leadership, continuous improvement, and professional learning communities.

Dr. Anderson is the principal of Barrington Middle School in Rhode Island, a high-performing school of 850 students and 90 staff, where he has partnered with NExT and the Highlander Institute to provide embedded training and coaching to all teachers on deep learning principles and the development of project-based learning opportunities. He was awarded a $200,000 competitive grant targeting student-centered learning and was involved in all aspects of a $64 million school construction project designed around deep learning principles. Throughout a given school year, Dr. Anderson’s middle School, Barrington Middle School, hosts nearly 100 visitors to see deep learning in action. He is a member of the New England League of Middle Schools and other professional organizations. He is also a National Institute for School Leaders (NISL) facilitator and has presented at National Conferences across the Country. He lives in Rhode Island and teaches online.

Alex Fronduto, DHS is an Assistant Teaching Professor within the Graduate School of Education in the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Premedical and Health Studies (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences), a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration (Northeastern University), and a Doctorate in Health Sciences (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences). His previous research has ranged from the lab-based sciences (Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus [KSHV] and Yeast-Two Hybrid System) to education (Team-based learning in health professions education and its impact on student achievement). His work experience includes working in enrollment management for ten years at a private four-year university with responsibilities including recruitment of all populations of students, full-time admission staff and student worker supervision, travel coordination, operations and data management, affordability and financial aid, and event/marketing management. Currently, his teaching includes courses such as Foundations of Higher Education, The New Supervisor, Challenges in Supervision, and Connecting Theory and Practice. In addition to teaching, he chairs and second reads for EdD students working on their dissertations.  Dr. Fronduto is a member of and has presented at conferences for NEACAC (New England Association for College Admission Counselors) and NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling).

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Charlotte Representative

Seattle Representative

Phil Hernandez, an EdD candidate in Higher Education Administration, expects to defend his dissertation in Summer 2023. His research focuses on the role of student housing at community colleges in promoting the persistence and retention of first-generation and historically excluded students. His research work indulges his passion for identifying opportunities for alignment between student life and housing to enrich the campus life experience in the two-year setting. In his professional role, Phil serves as the Director of Student Housing at Green River College. He previously worked in residential life roles in four-and two-year settings in Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia, Iowa, and Colorado. Originally from Michigan, Phil earned his baccalaureate degree from Central Michigan University and Masters at Iowa State University. Phil entered doctoral work in January 2021. In his spare time, Phil enjoys regional and international travel. He lives in Auburn, Washington with his “Jack-Chi” terrier mix Taddy.