Staff

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Dr. Robert Bonfiglio

Vice President
Institutional Field Relations

Phone: 267-284-5029

Email: rbonfiglio@msche.org

Dr. Robert Bonfiglio

Dr. Robert A. Bonfiglio joined the MSCHE staff as Vice President in July 2019. In this role, he serves as a liaison to member institutions, provide training to institutions and volunteers, and support the accreditation decision-making work of the Commission. Prior to joining the Commission, Dr. Bonfiglio served as Vice President for Student and Campus Life at SUNY Geneseo from 1999 to 2019 where he led a staff of 129 in seven departments. He previously served as Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students at Cabrini College (PA) and has held student affairs positions at the College of New Rochelle (NY) and LaSalle University (PA). He was a member of numerous MSCHE visiting teams in the U.S. and abroad as well as a Team Chair. Dr. Bonfiglio previously served as President of the SUNY Council of Chief Student Affairs Administrators. He is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). Dr. Bonfiglio was named the 11th recipient of ACPA’s Excellence in Practice Award in 2013. He earned his Ed.D. in History and Education as well as a Master of Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Student Personnel Administration from Columbia University.

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Ms. Diana Bonner

Assistant Director for Institutional Support Services
Institutional Field Relations

Phone: 267-284-5030

Email: dbonner@msche.org

Ms. Diana Bonner

Ms. Diana Bonner was elevated to Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice President for Accreditation Relations and Manager of Institutional Support Services for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in July 2019. She joined the Commission in 2011 as Executive Assistant to the Vice Presidents. Diana provides support for the institutional membership through direct interaction with Accreditation Liaison Officers, management of the Candidate for Accreditation Status Applicant process, management of staff-initiated supplemental information report requests, and regulatory and institutional requests for accreditation verification. Previously, she served as Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Students and Office Manager for Student Affairs at Arcadia University (PA) for nine years. She also has prior experience at St. Joseph’s University (PA) working with international students enrolled in an intensive ESL program. Ms. Bonner completed undergraduate work at the Pennsylvania State University.

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Ms. Bridgette Boody

Associate Policy Analyst and Records Officer
Policy and Regulatory Affairs

Phone: 267 284 5010

Email: bboody@msche.org

Ms. Bridgette Boody

Ms. Bridgette M. Boody joined the MSCHE staff in the new role of Associate Policy Analyst and Records Officer in August 2020. She will contribute to all phases of policy development, including researching, writing, and ensuring alignment of policies and procedures. She is also responsible for managing the Commission’s maintenance and retention program and responding to all legal and regulatory requests for information and documents. Prior to joining to MSCHE team, she was the Policy Associate at Rodel Delaware, where she conducted research on best practices related to K-12 education, led the annual publication of the Delaware Public Education at a Glance data flipbook, and facilitated a coalition of educators across the state of Delaware on behalf of various education policy initiatives. She is also an alumna of the AmeriCorps national service program, where she served as an International Dyslexia Association-certified reading interventionist in a Title I elementary school. Ms. Boody received bachelors' degrees in political science and women's studies from the Pennsylvania State University.

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Ms. Victoria Clark

Director for Conferences and Educational Programs
Conferences and Educational Programs

Phone: 267-284-5017

Email: vclark@msche.org

Ms. Victoria Clark

Ms. Victoria E. Clark join the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in 1994 as an Office Assistant and has risen through the ranks from Events Supervisor to Assistant Director to her current role as Director for Conferences and Educational Programs. With the Commission, she works closely with the Senior Director for Conferences and Educational Programs to manage logistical functions and registration for all events (including conferences, workshops, and other assigned special events) offered by the Commission. Prior to joining the Commission, she worked at the University City Science Center and primarily for Ben Franklin Technology Center as an Administrative Assistant to the Senior Vice President. She holds an Associate Degree from Harcum College (PA).

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Dr. Idna Corbett

Vice President
Institutional Field Relations

Phone: 267-284-5018

Email: icorbett@msche.org

Dr. Idna Corbett

Dr. Idna M. Corbett joined the MSCHE staff as a Vice President in mid-2017. In this role, she serves as a liaison to member institutions, provides training to institutions and volunteers, and supports the accreditation decision-making work of the Commission. Before coming to MSCHE, she served as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs at Northern Kentucky University where she oversaw University-wide curriculum development, academic assessment processes and student support services, and served as liaison to the University’s regional accrediting Commission and state higher education council. Prior to that, she was at West Chester University (PA), where she was Professor of Educational Development and Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Student Support Services. Dr. Corbett had served multiple times as a Peer Evaluator on behalf of the Commission. She earned her Ed.D. from Temple University (PA), her M.A. from Michigan State University, and her B.A. from Goshen College (IN).

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Ms. Christina D'Argenio

Executive Assistant to the President and Manager of Commission Relations
President’s Office

Phone: 267-284-5025

Email: cdargenio@msche.org

Ms. Christina D'Argenio

Ms. Christina D’Argenio joined the MSCHE staff in December 2011 as Executive Assistant to the President and is now Executive Assistant to the President and Manager of Commission Relations. She works on multiple projects on behalf of the MSCHE President and the Chief of Staff, and interacts with Commissioners, institutions, and members of the public. Previously, she served as Assistant to the Provost/Vice President in the Office of Academic Affairs at Cabrini College (now Cabrini University, PA), and Senior Secretary to the Academic Dean and Director of Pastoral and Apostolic Formation at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary (PA). She earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Science in Organization Leadership at Cabrini University.

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Ms. Wendy DeJesus

Assistant Director of Human Resources and Office Manager
Finance

Phone: 267-284-5045

Email: wdejesus@msche.org

Ms. Wendy DeJesus

Ms. Wendy DeJesus was named Assistant Director of Human Resources and Office Manager for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in August 2020. Ms. DeJesus supports the work of the Finance Unit as well as office and human resources management. She had been serving as Executive Assistant since July 2019. She first joined the Middle States Association in 2010 as an Administrative Services Coordinator before joining the Commission full time. She recently completed her Bachelor’s Degree from the Academy of Art University (CA).

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Dr. Christy Faison

Senior Vice President for Accreditation Relations
Accreditation Services

Phone: 267-284-5021

Email: cfaison@msche.org

Dr. Christy Faison

Dr. Christy L. Faison joined the staff of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education as a Vice President in January 2012. She was elevated to Managing Vice President in July 2018 and most recently promoted to Senior Vice President for Accreditation Relations in January 2019. She provides oversight for the Accreditation Services and Vice Presidents units. As Senior Vice President, Dr. Faison serves as a member of the MSCHE President's Cabinet. Dr. Faison was previously employed by Rowan University (NJ) in a variety of roles, including Professor of Education, Assistant Dean of Education, Associate Dean of Education, Associate Provost, Interim Provost, and Special Assistant to the President. Dr. Faison is a former member of the Board of Examiners for the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, and a former member of the Boards of Directors for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the South Jersey Technology Park. She holds a B.S. degree in Elementary/Special Education from Hampton University (VA), an M.A. in Educational Media from The Ohio State University, and an Ed.D. in Instructional Technology from Temple University (PA).

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Dr. Ellie Fogarty

Lead Vice President
Institutional Field Relations

Phone: 267-284-5012

Email: efogarty@msche.org

Dr. Ellie Fogarty

Dr. Ellie A. Fogarty was promoted to Lead Vice President in January 2020. In this role, she continues to serve as a liaison to member institutions, assists with training provided to institutions and evaluators, and supports the team of vice presidents and the accreditation processes of the Commission. She joined the staff of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education as a Vice President in January 2010. She was previously employed by The College of New Jersey as Associate Provost for Planning and Resource Allocation, Deputy Compliance Officer, Executive Assistant to the Provost, and Business & Economics Librarian. She received her Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Fogarty earned her undergraduate degree in Economics & Business Administration from Immaculata University (PA), an M.B.A. with a concentration in General and Strategic Management from Temple University (PA), and an M.L.S. from University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Fogarty is the author of articles published in various professional journals. Several of her case studies were published in the book, Strategic Management and Business Policy.

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Dr. Kushnood Haq

Vice President
Institutional Field Relations

Phone: 267-284-5023

Email: khaq@msche.org

Dr. Kushnood Haq

Dr. Kushnood Haq joined the MSCHE staff as a Vice President in summer 2017. In this role, he serves as a liaison to member institutions, provides training to institutions and volunteers, and supports the accreditation decision-making work of the Commission. Dr. Haq came to MSCHE from Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY, where he was Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Chair of the Professional Studies Division. In that capacity, he was responsible for planning and implementing new academic programs and strategic initiatives for the College. Prior to Hilbert, he was a faculty member and then Vice President for Academic Affairs at D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY. Dr. Haq has extensive teaching and work experience in the field of business. He earned his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo, his M.B.A. from St. Bonaventure University (NY), and his B.S. from Canisius College (NY).

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Dr. Melissa Hardin

Vice President
Institutional Field Relations

Phone: (267) 284-5073

Email: mhardin@msche.org

Dr. Melissa Hardin

Dr. Melissa Hardin joined the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in July 2021 as a Vice President for Institutional Field Relations. In this role, she serves as a liaison to member institutions, provides training to institutions and volunteers, and supports the accreditation decision-making work of the Commission. Dr. Hardin comes to MSCHE from CAPA The Global Education Network where she oversaw all aspects of CAPA’s academic affairs, working closely with its faculty and institution partners to manage and further develop the quality of CAPA’s academic offerings. Dr. Hardin has more than two decades of experience as an international education professional, most recently as the Assistant Dean for International Studies at Ursinus College where she oversaw all aspects of study abroad advising and managed relationships with program partners. She also brings extensive experience in teaching Spanish language and literature as well as in curriculum development, implementation and assessment. Formerly a member of the Academic Advisory Board for CAPA (serving as chair from 2012 to 2019), she has participated in or chaired five-year reviews of CAPA programs in Florence, London and Sydney. She is also a certified QUIP Peer Reviewer for the Forum on Education Abroad for which she has conducted external reviews of study abroad programs and offices in the U.S, Europe, and Latin America. She frequently presents at conferences and engages with peers in regional, national and international professional associations. Dr. Hardin holds B.A. in Spanish from University of Missouri-Columbia (MO), an M.A. in Spanish from Middlebury College (VT), and a Ph.D. in Spanish Languages and Literature from Washington University in St. Louis. She received a Fulbright Scholars Program grant for the International Education Administrators Seminar in Japan in 2013, and in 2017 the Pennsylvania Council for International Education (PACIE) bestowed upon her the David A. Portlock Outstanding International Educator Award.

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Ms. Kathie Jeffries

Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer
Finance

Phone: 267-284-5024

Email: kjeffries@msche.org

Ms. Kathie Jeffries

Ms. Kathie Jefferies was named Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in August 2020. She was first promoted to Interim Vice President for Finance in January 2020. Ms. Jeffries joined the Commission as Senior Financial Analyst in July 2009 and had served as Controller since January 2016. Before coming to the Commission, Ms. Jeffries served as Controller at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she worked from 2001-2009. Her many years of service includes working in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors in various positions, including Manager of Accounting Services and Director of Finance. She provides financial reporting, review, and analysis for MSCHE and contributes to strategic planning and resource allocation to support the future initiatives of the Commission. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration & Economics from The King’s College (NY), with an Accounting concentration at Pace University (NY).

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Mr. Tze Joe

Senior Systems Administrator
Information Systems

Phone: 267-284-5028

Email: tjoe@msche.org

Mr. Tze Joe

Mr. Tze Joe has provided IT support for the MSCHE staff since 1995. In mid 2016, he assumed his current duties as Senior Systems Administrator where he is responsible for planning, implementing, and maintaining the MSCHE network and server infrastructure among other duties. He is a Novell Certified Network Administrator and Certified Network Engineer. Mr. Joe is a graduate of Drexel University (PA) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Engineering.

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Ms. Mary Beth Kait

Senior Director for Regulatory Affairs
Policy and Regulatory Affairs

Phone: 267-284-5022

Email: mbkait@msche.org

Ms. Mary Beth Kait

Ms. Mary Beth Kait is the Senior Director for Regulatory Affairs. In this role, she oversees reporting to the U.S. Department of Education and ensuring compliance with regulations; reporting to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); and managing complaints and third party comments. Ms. Kait previously worked as a Consultant to the Pennsylvania Economy League conducting economic impact and other policy-related studies for government and public organizations. She has also worked in higher education policy in Washington, D.C., at the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance and at The College Board. She began her career in Institutional Research at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business, Marketing from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan.

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Mr. Brian Kirschner

Senior Director for Communications and Public Relations
Communications and Public Relations

Phone: 267-284-5048

Email: bkirschner@msche.org

Mr. Brian Kirschner

Mr. Brian C. Kirschner was promoted to Senior Director for Communications and Public Relations in January 2020. He joined the Middle States Commission on Higher Education as Director for Communications and Public Relations in April 2018. Mr. Kirschner works closely with MSCHE senior leadership and the Commission to oversee internal and external communications tactics and strategies while managing the MSCHE website and providing support for events. He has more than 22 years of public relations and marketing experience in higher education and the sports/entertainment industries most recently at University of the Sciences (PA) where he served as Director of Communications from 2006-2018. Prior to his role at USciences, Mr. Kirschner was Director of Communications for the Philadelphia 76ers (2000-2006) and served as Sports Information Director at Temple University (PA; 1996-2000). He holds a Master of Education from Temple and a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University (MA).

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Ms. Erin Mattson

Vice President for Accreditation Services
Accreditation Services

Phone: 267-284-5066

Email: emattson@msche.org

Ms. Erin Mattson

Ms. Erin Mattson was promoted to Vice President for Accreditation Services in April 2021. She joined the Commission staff as Assistant Director for Accreditation Services in 2012, elevated to Director for Accreditation Services from 2015 to 2018, and served as Senior Director for Communications from 2018 to 2021. In her role, she leads the Accreditation Services unit and is responsible for the oversight of the Commission’s volunteer management, standing accreditation Committees, and maintenance of the official accreditation record for institutions. Prior to joining Middle States, she served for six years as Senior Admissions Counselor at Temple University (PA). She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University and a Master of Arts from University College Dublin (Ireland).

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Dr. Sean McKitrick

Vice President
Institutional Field Relations

Phone: 267-284-5020

Email: smckitrick@msche.org

Dr. Sean McKitrick

Dr. Sean A. McKitrick joined the staff of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education as Vice President in 2012. In this role, he serves as a liaison to member institutions, provides training to institutions and volunteers, and supports the accreditation decision-making work of the Commission. He had served as Assistant Provost for Institutional Research and Assessment at Binghamton University of the State University of New York, as Assessment and Accreditation Director at Indiana State University, and as a Dean of Instruction for several institutions. His research interests include for-profit institutions, institutional research, student learning assessment, evaluation of institutional effectiveness, educational research and evaluation. Dr. McKitrick received his undergraduate and Master’s Degrees from Brigham Young University (UT) in international relations and his Ph.D. in political science from the Claremont Graduate University (CA).

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Dr. Amy Moseder

Vice President for Policy and Senior Policy Analyst
Policy and Regulatory Affairs

Phone: 267-284-5032

Email: amoseder@msche.org

Dr. Amy Moseder

Dr. Amy Shew Moseder joined the staff of Middle States Commission on Higher Education in December 2011. She was promoted to Vice President for Policy and Senior Policy Analyst in January 2020, adding the Vice President title to reflect additional responsibilities relating to accreditation activities, risk management, engagement with legal counsel, and the management of legal issues. Dr. Moseder researches policy matters and provides the Commission with information and analyses necessary to shape accreditation policy development. She also assists in the development of recertification petitions for the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Previously, she worked as the Director of Institutional Research & Planning at Salem Community College (NJ) and as a communications and marketing professional in the architecture industry. Dr. Moseder earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Delaware and a Doctor of Education degree with specialization in Higher Education Leadership from Wilmington University (DE).

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Mr. Fran Murray

Staff Accountant
Finance

Phone: 267-284-5047

Email: fmurray@msche.org

Mr. Fran Murray

Mr. Francis Murray serves as Staff Account for MSCHE. He handles accounts receivables and accounts payable, the general ledger, and other accounting functions. Before joining MSCHE, he served in a similar role for the Middle States Association. He began his work with the Association office in 1991 as a file clerk and rose to Accounting Coordinator for MSCHE. Mr. Murray attended Chestnut Hill College (PA).

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Mrs. Kathy Ortiz

Senior Accreditation Services Coordinator (Evaluation and MPPR Reports)
Accreditation Services

Phone: 267-284-5015

Email: kortiz@msche.org

Mrs. Kathy Ortiz

Mrs. Kathy Ortiz joined Middle States Commission on Higher Education as Accreditation Service Coordinator in May 2012. Mrs. Ortiz works closely with the Senior Director of Accreditation Services in the processes related to two of the Commission’s Committees, Evaluation and Mid-Point Peer Review. She has over 14 years of experience in higher education, and prior to joining MSCHE, served as Office Manager in the Development Office at The University of the Arts (PA). Mrs. Ortiz studied Business Management at Peirce College and is fluent in Spanish.