The CAEP (Council for the Acceleration of Educator Preparation) accreditation process is meant to ensure high-quality university programs, practices, and graduates. Partnerships and stakeholder feedback and input are essential components of the process, as are equally beneficial partnerships. Our goal for the MSU CAEP Advisory Council is to connect and partner with industry, government, community, and educational leaders who will:
- Build a symbiotic relationship
- Discuss current and future educational, workforce, and community needs
- Review MSU’s educational preparation and accreditation overarching goals, structures, processes, progress, results, and areas for continuous improvement
- Share feedback that will be captured, implemented, and evaluated for impact
We are honored to have such incredible, diverse leaders as partners and advisors and sincerely thank them for all they do to improve the lives of others and ensure students and communities have the teachers and leaders they need and deserve.
As an Advisory Council, our commitment is to:
- Act
- Support
- Serve
- Lead
in small and significant ways to keep Michigan State University as the leader of educational excellence. We aim to keep MSU as a place where all can learn and thrive in a caring community and all positively impact the world, forwarding equity, opportunity, and prosperity.
Current Members
Wanda Cook-Robinson
Prior to her current role, Cook-Robinson served Oakland Schools as superintendent from 2015-2025. Career accolades include: 2013 MI Superintendent of the Year and past president of the Association of Education Service Agencies. She has a passion for student excellence and mentorship.
Lara Dixon
Dixon previously held roles as a teacher and an administrator in Ohio and Michigan. Career accolades include the Governor’s Educational Service Leadership Award. Dixon is a Gerstacker Fellow and the secretary and treasurer for the MI Assoc. of Professors of Educational Leadership, among other roles.
Kyle Greenwalt
Greenwalt’s background includes teaching in both the U.S. and in Hungary. His research is grounded in the study of the student and teacher experience. He is the faculty director of the MSU secondary social studies licensure program. In addition, Greenwalt is the editor of the Journal of School & Society.
Norman Hubbard
Prior to MSU, Hubbard was a founder and (later) executive vice president of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Hubbard currently serves on the board of the Patient Advocate Foundation. He previously held roles with the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers and the Pacific Science Center.
Ben Jackson
Jackson recruits, staffs, develops and supports employees in more than 100 schools and office departments. He created and implemented DPSCD’s On the Rise Academy, MI’s first district-run teacher certification program. Jackson previously was a leader at a non-profit, and served as a teacher.
Jerlando F. L. Jackson
Previously, Jackson held leadership roles at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Career accolades include election as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Jackson is also the director and chief research scientist of the Organizational Disparities Laboratory.
Carlton Jenkins
Jenkins was previously the superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District (2020-2023). He has also held leadership roles in Robbinsdale Area Schools (MN), Atlanta Public Schools (GA) and Saginaw Public Schools (MI), including other career milestones as a teacher and a coach.
Stephanie O’Dea
O’Dea’s career includes 19 years as a high school teacher, K-12 administrator and associate superintendent of instruction for the Montcalm Area Immediate School District and other leadership roles. Most recently, she was a senior education advisor for MI Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Leadriane Roby
Before becoming GRPS superintendent in 2020, Roby was a district leader, principal, mentor, instructional leader and teacher in MI and MN. Career accolades include being named a Western Michigan University Distinguished Alumni. She launched the GRPS Strategic Plan in 2021.
Ben Shuldiner
Shuldiner leads more than 25 schools and 10,000 students as superintendent of the Lansing School District. Previously, he was the Distguished Lecturer of Education Leadership at Hunter College, CUNY. Other previous roles include serving on the New York City Board of Education and as president of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Katrina Kelly Wicker
Wicker is an adjunct professor of intercultural proficiency and leadership at the University of Dayton. She has 25 years of experience in operations leadership. Her scholarship focuses on service-based leadership, educational preparedness and marginalized communities. Additionally, Wicker is on the Board of Trustees at the University of Olivet.
Mark Largent
Mark Largent is a special guest for our Dec. 2 meeting.
Largent coordinates MSU’s undergraduate experience across 16 undergraduate-serving colleges and aims to make MSU even better at supporting every student to learn, thrive and graduate. Largent has also served in leader roles for Lyman Briggs College and was formerly the associate dean of Undergraduate Education.