EDUP Xcelerated Excellence
A podcast for the advancement of educational excellence and equity for traditional and non-traditional educational experiences and contexts, across higher education and beyond. The podcast seeks to engage educators, scholars, entrepreneurs, advocates, and policy makers at all levels.
Episodes
Our guest, Dr. Marianne Lucas Lescher, is a lifelong educator, as a teacher, district curriculum director, and school principal for total of 43 years. In her 26 years as a K-5 and K-8 principal,she led her school to a National Blue-Ribbon recognition, the highest award a school can receive. Her schools receivedArizona's highest school recognition, the A+ School of Excellence honor 5 times. Dr. Lescher received her...
Our Guest, James Wilson, is a public policy professional, education advocate, and graduate student at Georgia StateUniversity’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, where he is pursuing a Master of Public Administration. A recent cum laude graduate of Georgia State with a degree in Public Policy, a minor in Urban Education, and a certificate in Social Science and Data Analytics, James has focused much of his academic and pr...
Our guest, Dr. Daniella Molle, is a qualitative researcher who conducts inquiries related to equitable education for historically underserved students. She has a background in the teaching and learning of English as an additional language. For a decade, her work focused on expanding educators’ capacity to meet the needs of multilingual students through job-embedded professional learning. Since 2021, Daniella has been the rese...
Our guest, Mohammed Elmeski, PhD, is a university professor, senior education advisor, researcher, and international development professional with nearly three decades of experience spanning education policy, higher education, school improvement, and system reform. His career has bridged academia, government, research, and international development, with leadership and advisory roles in Morocco, the United States, Africa, the Mid...
Our guest, Eric Scheninger, is founder and CEO of Aspire Change EDU. He works with schools worldwide, helping educators meet and exceed their potential to improve learner outcomes. Aspire Change EDU, a collaborative consultancy, provides personalized support to educational systems. Prior, Eric was a teacher and the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his leadership, his school became a globally recognized mode...
Our guest, Dr. Scott McLeod, J.D., is a Professor of Educational Leadership. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts on P-12 school leadership, deeper learning, technology, and innovation. He is on a mission to make students’ day-to-day learning less boring and more meaningful and relevant. Scott is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Educati...
Our guest, Dr. Jean-Philippe Marelli, is a scientist and beekeeper. Along with Psychologist Carlos André Santana, he founded Arimubee, with a mission to demonstrate thatexceptional food can be produced while regenerating forests, protecting native bees, and creating positive impact on society.
Arimubee is a Brazilian regenerative food company producing premium stingless bee honey and bee-derived products from the Atlantic Forest of ...
Our guest, Reyan Warren, is a doctoral student in the Social Justice in Education program at the University of San Diego and the current President of the AACTE Holmes Scholars Program. A proud graduate of Victor Valley College, she brings a unique perspective shaped by her journey from community college to doctoral study. Her research centers on resilience theory, with a specific focus on how Black girls and women navigate and resi...
Our guest, Todd Nesloney, is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA). He has also served as an award-winning principal of a PreK-5th Grade campus of over 775 students in a rural town inTexas. He has been recognized by the White House, John C Maxwell, the Center for Digital Education, National School Board Association, the BAMMYS, and more for his work ...
Our guest, Dr. T.J. Vari, is the Senior Director of Product Strategy at MaiaLearning with a focus on postsecondary planning for students worldwide. Dr. Vari is a former deputy superintendent, middle school assistant principal and principal, and high school English teacher. Dr. Vari is an award-winning educator, recognized speaker, and the co-founder of TheSchoolHouse302, a leadership development company with an international footpr...
Our guest, Dr. André O. Hudson, is Dean of the College of Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), a role he has held since 2023. He previously served as Head of the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences from 2017 to 2022. Originally from Jamaica, he emigrated to the United States at age 14 and earned his B.S. in Biology from Virginia Union University in 2000. He received his Ph.D. in Plant Biology and Pathology ...
Our guest, Dr. Andy Jacks, is an award-winning principal, speaker, author, and leadership coach dedicated tohelping educators build thriving school communities full of energy, growth, and fun. A former Virginia Principal of the Year and National Distinguished Principal, he shares practical, research-based strategies on leadership, school improvement, student engagement, and creating lasting positive change. He is the author of Disc...
Our guests, Dr. E. M. Nuñez and Malik Harouna, are Assistant Director for Scholar Support & Educational Access at San FrancisBay University (SFBU) (SFBU Scholars Program) and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) for Aline, respectively.
Dr. Nuñez (they/them) is a higher education and nonprofit leader with over 15 years of experience advancing equity-driven programs for first-generation, low-income, and historicallyunderrepresented stud...
Our guest, Dr. Maylén R.R. Sullivan, is the 2026 SWCOLT and California Language Teacher of the Year. A passionate trilingual educator originally from Cuba, she serves as the Coronado Unified School District World Language Teacher on Special Assignment (ToSA), where she leads K-12 professional development and shapes the department's vision.
Sullivan believes language is a powerful vehicle for problem solving and civic engagement &md...
Our Guest, Tiffani Jaseph, is a dedicated special education professional with 16 years of teaching experience. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Special Education from the University of Arizona.
Driven by her passion for children, Ms. Jaseph began her career in general education but soon realized her true calling in special education and made the transition to that field.
Our Guests, Ed Alvarez and Dr. Cheryl Ingram, are Executive and Executive Deputy Directors, respectively, of the Silicon Valley Equity in Education Institute (SVEEI).
Ed’s education experience spans the past 25 years, including roles as President and Board Chair of The National Hispanic University, The Foundation for Hispanic Education, and the Latino Education Advancement Foundation. Currently, he serves on the board of Engli...
Our Guest, Dr. Terrance McNeil, is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Practice and Leadership at Tennessee State University, where he serves as Program Coordinator of the Higher Education Leadership Ed.D. program. With over 20 years of experience in K-12 and higher education, his work centers on equitable educator preparation, leadership development, and expanding access for underrepresented groups.
Our Guest, Dr. Taha Duri, is a figure in the fields of architecture and design. Currently, he serves as the “Dean of the College of Design” at the American University in the Emirates (AUE). He has a rich academic background and extensive professional experience in architecture, interior design, and the built environment.
Professor Duri earned a Ph.D. in Architecture from the Universityof Pennsylvania and a Master of Scie...
Our Guest, Dr. Brad Fuster, is Provost and Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs at San Francisco Bay University and Host of EdUp Innovation. Brad Fuster has extensive experience in higher education leadership. As a respected music professor and academic leader, Fuster brings deep expertise in academicaffairs, enrollment management, international program management, and technological innovation to SFBU. He has held key leade...
Our Guest, Prince Johnson, a 26-year veteran educator, is the 2026 New York State Teacher of the Year as well as the 2025 Gilder Lehrman New York History Teacher of the Year. A passionate advocate for career and technical education (CTE) and a leader in sustainability, he teaches social studies at Food and Finance High School in New York City and serves on the NYCPS Climate Education Leadership Team.
His drive as an educator was sh...
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