Keynote speaker:

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Waded Cruzado is president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), a membership organization that fosters a community of university leaders collectively working to advance the mission of public research universities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

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The association’s membership consists of more than 250 public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and affiliated organizations focused on increasing student success and workforce readiness; promoting pathbreaking scientific research; and bolstering economic and community engagement. Drawing on the powerful collective action of its members, the association’s advocacy arm helps shape federal policy that maximizes the positive impact of public and land-grant universities. APLU’s members span all 50 states, the District of Columbia, six U.S. territories, Canada, and Mexico.

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From 2010 to 2025, Cruzado served as President of Montana State University, where she led transformative growth and set records in enrollment, retention, academic excellence, research, and fundraising.

 

Cruzado is well known for her passion in bringing greater public understanding to the importance of the Morrill Acts of 1862, 1890, and 1994 – which collectively created the public, land-grant university system for the benefit of all Americans. She is a passionate champion of the land-grant university’s tripartite mission of education, research, and outreach to communities, as well as the crucial role higher education plays in the development of individuals, the prosperity of the nation, and the vitality of democracy.

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Prior to assuming the presidency of Montana State University, Cruzado was Executive Vice President and Provost at New Mexico State University (NMSU) and served as interim president of the university. She also previously served as Dean of the College of Arts and Science at NMSU and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, where she started her career.

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Cruzado has held a number of leadership roles in the higher education community, in addition previously serving as Chair of the APLU Board of Directors in 2021, including: Chair of the Campus Compact Board; Chair of the TIAA Hispanic Advisory Board; a member of the American Council of Education Board of Directors; and as a member of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development, a role appointed by the President of the United States.

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Cruzado has earned a wide variety of professional honors, including being recognized with the APLU Seaman Knapp Memorial Lectureship, the Council of Fellows Mentor Award by the American Council on Education, the Paul Harris Fellow Recognition, the Hero Award from the Montana Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the Michael P. Malone Educator of the Year award.  A Puerto Rico native, Cruzado received her bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, her master’s degree in Spanish from The University of Texas at Arlington, and her Ph.D. in Humanities also from The University of Texas at Arlington.

 

President's Panel:

 

Tashika Griffith

Tashika Griffith is the president of Germanna Community College in Fredricksburg, Virginia. Prior to being appointed as Germanna’s seventh permanent president, Dr. Griffith served as Provost and Chief Campus Officer, Clearwater Campus at St. Petersburg State College, St. Petersburg, Florida, a position she held since February 2022.

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She has been affiliated with St. Petersburg College since 2016 and served as Interim Dean of the College of Education, Assistant Provost and Provost of the college’s Downtown and Midtown Centers. Dr. Griffith previously served as Associate Dean of Students at University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Miami, FL, Director of the office of Multicultural Affairs at University of Scranton, PA, and in the Career and Multicultural Center at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. In addition to 16 years in adjunct teaching positions at a number of colleges and universities, Dr. Griffith also taught public high school and served in the university police department at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty member for the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership.

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Dr. Griffith earned a Professional Certificate at Harvard University, a B.A. at Florida Atlantic University, a Master’s degree at Virginia Tech, and her Ed.D. at Northeastern University, Boston, MA.

 

Mary Dana Hinton

​Mary Dana Hinton, Ph.D. is the 13th president of Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, and president emerita of the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota. A nationally recognized champion of the liberal arts and women’s education, her leadership is defined by an unwavering commitment to inclusion, access, and academic excellence.

 

Hinton earned her Ph.D. in religion and religious education with high honors from Fordham University, an M.A. in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas, and a B.A. in psychology from Williams College. She has received the Williams College Bicentennial Medal and honorary doctorates from Misericordia University, the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Mount Saint Mary’s University. In 2021, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

 

An accomplished scholar and thought leader, Hinton’s work focuses on higher education leadership, strategic planning, and access. She is the author of Leading from the Margins: College Leadership from Unexpected Places (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024) and The Commercial Church: Black Churches and the New Religious Marketplace in America, with her forthcoming book Where Love Leads: Leadership, Love, and the Liberal Arts to be published by University of Virginia Press in 2026. Her writing appears widely in leading higher education publications.

 

Hinton currently serves as past chair of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). She also holds board positions with the American Association of Colleges and Universities, The Teagle Foundation, the Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia, and Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles.

She is the author of several books, including Leading from the Margins: College Leadership from Unexpected Places (2024) and the forthcoming Where Love Leads: Leadership, Love, and the Liberal Arts, which will be published by University of Virginia Press in 2026.

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Aminta H. Breaux

​Aminta H. Breaux has served as the visionary 10th president of Bowie State University since July 2017, bringing more than 35 years of diverse higher education leadership experience to the position. As president, she is committed to ensuring that every student at Bowie State University develops an entrepreneurial mindset to achieve success in the rapidly changing workplace and communities. She is dedicated to building on the legacy and rich history of Maryland’s oldest historically Black university with a strategic focus on ensuring the long-term viability of the institution.

Dr. Breaux is a leading voice in 21st century education who has been tapped to serve in multiple leadership roles because of her extensive knowledge and expertise. She was appointed to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Governor Wes Moore’s Service Year Advisory Board. She is past chair for the Board of Directors for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and serves as the chair for the USM Council of University System Presidents. 

 

She has also been recognized with the Educator of the Year Award from the National Council of Negro Women. She received the Trailblazer Award from the Bowie Business Innovation Center (BIC), the business accelerator located at Bowie State, in conjunction with Capital One, and the Capital City Chapter Links Inc. Leadership Award.

 

Throughout her career, Dr. Breaux has demonstrated a passion for ensuring student development and success. Prior to joining Bowie State, Dr. Breaux served as vice president for advancement for Millersville University, where she oversaw fundraising, alumni engagement, event management and external relations. Before that, she was vice president for student affairs at Millersville University, leading several student-centered areas, including athletics, counseling services, health services, the women’s and wellness center, Greek life, campus recreation, university police, student programs, housing and residential programs, judicial affairs, and financial aid.

 

Previously, she was dean of students at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, known as the country’s first college of pharmacy. At Drexel University, she served as assistant provost, overseeing experiential learning and service-learning programs, and as director of co-operative education and career services. She got her start in higher education as a career counselor at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Temple University, a master’s degree in psychological services in education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in counseling psychology from Temple University. She is also a graduate of the Harvard Institute for Executive Management and the American Association for State Colleges and Universities Millennium Leadership Institute. Dr. Breaux and her husband, Melvin, have three daughters and four grandchildren.

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Janette Muir, Panel Facilitator

​Dr. Janette Muir is vice provost for Academic Affairs at George Mason University. She oversees the Office of Accreditation and Program Integrity, the Office of Academic Standards, the Office of Continuing and Professional Education, as well as study abroad programs, global engagement, and undergraduate and graduate education. She manages external academic relations with Virginia community colleges, including the successful ADVANCE partnership with Northern Virginia Community College. Muir also serves as the chief academic liaison to Mason Korea.  

 

Prior to this position, Muir served as the associate provost for Academic Initiatives and Services and associate provost for Undergraduate Education at George Mason. She served as Academic Policies Committee chair on George Mason’s Faculty Senate for five years and as an elected faculty representative to the Board of Visitors for four years. Before serving on the Faculty Senate, Muir led New Century College (now School of Integrative Studies). 

 

Committed to teaching excellence, Muir has been recognized for the quality of her teaching both at the university and national levels. She was named a Teaching Fellow for the Eastern Communication Association (ECA) and awarded a C-SPAN Fellow for her educational involvement with the cable network. She is a Centennial Scholar in the communication discipline, past president of ECA, and past editor of Communication Quarterly, a top-tier journal in the Communication discipline. 

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Muir's extensive scholarly and professional engagement is highlighted by over 40 articles and book chapters, and more than 130 presentations and workshops across diverse national and international forums. Her academic home at George Mason is in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences where she is an associate professor in Communication and Integrative Studies. Her academic life focuses on the areas of political communication, civic engagement, and the study of the presidency. Working with University Life, she has helped lead efforts to engage students in political participation on campus. Her recent work focuses on presidential first ladies. 

 

Muir received a PhD from the University of Massachusetts in the area of rhetoric and political communication. She also earned an MA in communication from Wake Forest University, as well as a BS in behavioral science and a BS in communication arts from Palm Beach Atlantic University.  Muir is an emerita board member of the Virginia Network for Women in Higher Education and recently earned emerita status.