Office of Academic Affairs

Dr. Michael (Mike) R. Hulsizer is the incoming Vice President of Academic Affairs. He previously served as the Dean for the College of Science and Health, Interim Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Acting Dean for the School of Education.

Hulsizer has been a full-time faculty member in the Psychology Department since he arrived at Webster in 1997 and previously served as department chair. He teaches introduction to psychology, social psychology and biopsychology, as well as applied psychology classes on topics such as motivation and emotion, prejudice and discrimination, and advanced statistics. He is also a fellow in Webster's Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies.

Hulsizer has written about various topics related to the teaching of psychology, research methods, peace psychology, social justice, hate groups and genocide. He is co-author, with fellow Webster professor Linda M. Woolf, of "A Guide to Teaching Statistics: Innovations and Best Practices" (Wiley-Blackwell). He is a past recipient of the William T. Kemper Award for Excellence in Teaching at Webster University and the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, and he has received or shared multiple awards for research and instruction from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology.

Hulsizer holds a BA in Psychology from State University of New York at Buffalo and an MA and a PhD in Experimental Psychology from Kent State University.

Thao Dang-Williams is the associate vice president for Academic Affairs. She has over 25 years of experience in higher education administration as both faculty and administrator. Dang-Williams’s areas of interest include faculty support, student success, academic planning, and global education. Dang-Williams works closely with colleagues throughout Webster’s global network to ensure alignment with University policies and procedures in addition to working on initiatives to support student success at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Dang-Williams has served the University in her previous roles as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Interim Associate VP of Online Education, and Dean of Extended Education, St. Louis Metropolitan Region. Dang-Williams has a BA in Government and Communication from Monmouth College, an MA in Communication from Saint Louis University and an EdD in Higher Education Administration, also from Saint Louis University.

John Buck provides leadership for all functional areas of student affairs, works closely with campus student leaders, develops student life policies and procedures, and consults with colleagues throughout Webster’s worldwide network on student life issues. Buck has served on a variety of committees, including the Behavioral Intervention Team, University COVID-19 Task Force, the Undergraduate Enrollment and Retention Working Group, and the Tuition Adjustment Committee. Buck holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Colorado State University, a master’s degree in management and leadership, and a doctorate in management (DMgt), both from Webster. He is also a 2014 graduate Webster University’s Global Leadership Academy.

DJ Kaiser is the assistant vice president for Academic Affairs. He is also a professor and been the director of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages since 2011. He previously served as the associate dean for the School of Education leading the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) process, and he also served as a peer reviewer for CAEP and its predecessor, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. He currently supports accreditation and international education efforts at Webster University and works with federally funded grant projects. Kaiser has a PhD in Comparative Literature and an MA in Drama from Washington University in St. Louis, and BAs in Linguistics and Spanish and an MATESL degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Josette Bradford leads the Reeg ARC provides academic resources, support, advocacy and access through relationships that empower students across the worldwide Webster University community. She has 25 years of experience in higher education and has primarily focused on student retention, persistence, and graduation. Bradford completed her BS in Biological Science at SIUE and both her MS in Workforce Education and PhD in Educational Administration & Higher Education at SIUC.

Kyle McCool provides leadership to the Academic Advising Center, which includes both undergraduate and graduate advising. In addition, the advising team provides training and resources to faculty advisors and other student service professionals across the global network. She is also a co-lead for the Student Success Portal, powered by Starfish, a retention and case management tool used across the University. She is a member of the Global Advising Council and serves on Curriculum Committee, Graduate Council, Global Citizenship Committee, Graduate Tuition Refund Appeal Committee and the Academic Progress Committee. She is also involved in NACADA, the Global Community for Academic Advising. She earned her Master of Science in Education, Higher Education & Student Affairs from Indiana University, her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Tulsa, and is a graduate of the 2017 Webster University Global Leadership Academy.

Erik Palmore is the director of the Faculty Development Center (FDC) which provides professional development and support for the teaching efforts of Webster faculty worldwide. Palmore leads Webster’s learning analytics efforts, developing tools and methods to identify opportunities to positively impact student success, with particular emphasis on supporting leaders throughout the University with insights that impact academic planning, retention, and graduation. Palmore received his MA in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University, and his BA in English and Film from Webster University.

As director, Academic Resources and Planning, Rita Smith works closely with academic leadership worldwide and student affairs to develop annual budgets and manage academic resources, to develop business analytics to support data-driven decisions, and to continuously improve academic operations. Her office maintains all faculty data for tenure track and adjunct faculty members, issues U.S. adjunct letters of appointment, supports standing and ad hoc committees, publishes academic catalogs, manages several graduate student processes, and works closely with faculty and students awarded internal research funds. Smith serves on the University Budget Steering Committee and the University Planning Committee. Smith earned an MBA from Webster University and a BA in Economics from Westminster College.

Hannah Verity provides strategic leadership and direction for the development and launch of global academic programs, including study abroad programs, faculty mobility opportunities and international partnership development, working collaboratively with academic units, Webster’s international campuses and external partners. She brings over 10 years of experience in education abroad, international program design and development, and partnership building to her work at Webster. Verity serves on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis and is currently the Compensation Chair for the Webster Staff Alliance. In 2008 she completed her BA in American Studies and immediately went abroad to earn her Global MA in International Relations (2009) while studying in London, Geneva, Vienna and Leiden through Webster University’s international campuses.

Michele Boesch joined Webster University in 1989. She applies her extensive knowledge of University policies and procedures to managing graduate student processes related to academic standing, readmission, reinstatement and petitions to graduate. Michele assists with the state authorization/licensure process for domestic campuses. She provides administrative support to the Graduate Council, the University’s graduate curriculum committee.

Heather Goodin manages process and publication of Webster’s academic catalogs, including serving as editor. She works closely with faculty and academic units and curriculum committees related to curriculum updates and changes. She also manages official communication sent from the Office of Academic Affairs as well as serving as a content manager for Connections. Goodin serves on committees contributing to continuous operational improvement. Goodin holds her Master of Arts in Teaching from Missouri Baptist University and her BS in Elementary Education from University of Missouri–St. Louis. Joining Webster in 2021, she has been in higher education for more than a decade.

Linda Jakob is responsible for creating and distributing all adjunct faculty Letters of Appointment for U.S. which includes communicating with academic departments, individual faculty and payroll. Jakob supports all processes related to adjunct faculty across the U.S. (and some international sites). She completed her BA at Webster University and MBA at Maryville University. With many previous years in higher education, Jakob joined Webster University in the fall of 2020.

Raven Pugh coordinates the daily operations for the vice president for Academic Affairs. In this role, she facilitates a number of Academic Affairs committees, including the standing Academic Program Review Committee and various ad hoc committees. Pugh supports Webster’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) and is also a resource for student and faculty researchers seeking IRB approval. She also manages application/nomination processes for faculty opportunities and awards across the Webster network of campuses, including faculty research grants and teaching awards. Pugh is a Webster University graduate, who earned a Master of Arts in Education and Innovation and a graduate certificate in Sustainability and Social Equity Studies. Her BA in Psychology is from the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Olivia Radle joined Webster University in 2021. She maintains all faculty data and records for the Office of Academic Affairs, providing data and reports as needed. Radle creates full-time faculty contracts and oversees the processes for documentation of faculty qualifications and credentials for full-time and adjunct faculty worldwide. She works collaboratively with human resources and academic units to onboard new faculty. Radle earned her BFA in Fashion Design and MBA with a Marketing emphasis from Lindenwood University.

Uniyme Etim, serves as the graduate assistant for the Office of Academic Affairs. Etim works with faculty records to ensure compliance with documentation requirements. She earned a Bachelor of Science Accounting, Accounting and Finance from Afe Babalola University, an MBA from Webster University and is pursuing an MS in Information Technology Management with Webster University.