Academic Leadership

Amy Rutstein-Riley

Dean of the Graduate School of Leadership & Change

Amy Rutstein-Riley, PhD, MPH is a highly collaborative leader, seasoned educator, and interdisciplinary scholar. Her current research activities focus on Women’s Leadership in Higher Education, Trauma-informed Leadership, and girls’ and emerging adult women’s development.

Prior to joining the Graduate School of Leadership and Change, for the past eighteen years, she has served in a number of roles at Lesley University, including Director of the PhD Specialization in Adult Learning and Development, Dean of the Faculty, Chair of the PhD in Education Studies, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, and, most recently, Associate Provost of Academic Affairs.

Ben Pryor, PhD

Dean of the School of the Environment & Sustainability, & CEO Antioch University’s Seattle campus

The founding Dean of the School for the Environment and Sustainability, Ben Pryor, joined Antioch University in 2015 as the Provost and CEO of Antioch University Seattle. He reports to the VCAA.

Originally from Southern California, Pryor received a B.A. from the Johnston Center at the University of Redlands and a Master’s degree from the Claremont Graduate University. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Penn State University in 1997 and taught at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, until 2013.

His interest in law, politics and ethics led to the creation of an interdisciplinary program in Law and Social Thought in 2004. Pryor served as a Department Chair, Associate Vice Provost, and Dean before moving in 2013 to Phoenix, Arizona, to become the Provost at Western International University.

Shawn Fitzgerald, PhD

Dean of the School of Counseling, Psychology & Therapy, CEO Antioch University’s New England Campus

Dr. Shawn Fitzgerald, the first Dean of the School of Counseling, Psychology and Therapy, our largest school and also serves as CEO of Antioch University New England, a position he has held since 2018. He reports to the VCAA. Prior to joining Antioch, Shawn served in multiple positions at Widener University including Assistant Provost for Graduate Studies and Extended Learning and Dean for the School of Education, Innovation, and Continuing Studies. Additional leadership appointments while at Widener included serving as the Chair of the Pennsylvania Education Deans’ Forum, President of the Eastern Educational Research Association, and Chair of the Board of Trustees for Widener’s Charter School—Pennsylvania’s first university-based charter school.

Shawn also spent 17 years as a faculty member and administrator at Kent State University. During his tenure, he was the recipient of the Giovanna Jackson Faculty Award for International Culture; served as an Invited Lecturer for Sichuan University in Chengdu, China; hosted and mentored numerous visiting scholars from around the world; and was recognized by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education for innovative program development.

Shawn holds a PhD in Applied Research, Evaluation, Statistics, and Measurement and an MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Toledo. He earned his BA in Psychology from Lebanon Valley College.

Terry Ratcliff, EdD

Dean of the School of Distance & Extended Education

Dr. Terry Ratcliff joined Antioch University in 2019 as Executive Dean of Antioch University Online. Since that time his role has expanded and he currently serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for Academic Operations and Chief Online Learning Officer. In addition to oversight of distance learning across the University, Ratcliff oversees the Academic Technology team, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Office of the Registrar, and Continuing and Extended Education programs. He collaborates with the Strategic Initiatives team and faculty to provide credit and non-credit programming to institutional partners. 

During his career in higher education, he has served as assistant dean of students, director of enrollment, dean of adult and continuing education, director of online learning, and chief academic officer. Ratcliff has contributed to higher education as a consultant, providing insight to improve student retention, online teaching and learning, and faculty development.

He is active in the Association for Continuing Higher Education, seving in multiple leadership roles including President in 2024-25. Dr. Ratcliff is also active in higher education accreditation, serving as a volunteer site visitor for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).  In his free time, he volunteers as a Certified Volcano Naturalist at the Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument.

MeHee Hyun, PhD

Dean of Undergraduate Studies

As the founding Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Hyun builds on a lengthy Antioch career as chair of undergraduate programs in Los Angeles, She now oversees all the undergraduate programs while working closely with Terry Ratcliff on fully asynchronous undergraduate offerings. She reports to the VCAA.

MeHee has long been a faculty leader, serving as co-chair of the University Academic Council for many years. A graduate of UCLA three times over, MeHee was recognized as a Chancellor’s Marshall for distinguished service while completing her BA in English, and also received her MA and her PhD in Education, in their Division of Higher Education with an emphasis on Afro-American Studies.

MeHee has over 20 years of professional work experience in the field of Higher Education, having served at Antioch University in various capacities including Director of Admissions & Records, and Acting Dean of Advancement. She also had a number of roles in the Office of Executive Education in the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, on the UCLA Alumni and Scholarship Advisory Committee, and Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools at UCLA.

Ryan Kasmier, EdD

Associate Provost, Antioch University’s Santa Barbara Campus

Ryan Kasmier’s extensive higher education experience includes professional work at six different institutions, including the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and Antioch University Santa Barbara, where he has served as the Director of Student Services since July 2017.

In his over 20-year career in student affairs, he has worked in leadership positions in academic support, housing, retention and persistence, new student orientation, and family services. Ryan has also taught public speaking, life and academic skills classes, and various other liberal arts courses. He is an active member of NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education). He has served in several positions for the AGAPSS (Administrators in Graduate and Professional Student Services) Knowledge Community, including Knowledge Community Co-Chair.

Ryan holds a BS in Organizational Communication and Political Science from Central Michigan University and an MA in Organization and Leadership, with an emphasis in Higher Education, from the University of San Francisco. In May 2021, he completed his EdD in Higher Education Leadership from California Lutheran University.

Mark Hower, PhD

Provost & CEO, Antioch University’s Los Angeles & Santa Barbara Campuses, Acting Chair, MAP Program

Dr. Mark Hower is the Provost and CEO of Antioch University Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. He has been Provost at the Los Angeles campus since June 2017. He reports to the VCAA.

Mark joined the faculty of Antioch University Seattle in January 2000 as an affiliate faculty member. Throughout his time in Seattle, he served in a variety of roles, including chair of the Graduate Management Program, special assistant to the president, interim president, and as a core faculty in the Center for Creative Change.

Mark’s professional experience includes several staff positions in the U.S. Peace Corps, including Peace Corps Country Director in Tonga, and Country Desk Officer for South Pacific Programs and later for startup programs in Ukraine, Russia and the Baltic States.

Mark has a BA from Whitman College, and an MS and PhD in Leadership and Change from Antioch.

Diane White, PhD

Dean, Graduate School of Nursing & Health Professions

As the Founding Dean of the Antioch Graduate School of Nursing and Health Professions, Diane White holds a lifelong belief in access to high-quality healthcare education and a deep commitment to healthcare for all. As a nurse by training, a lifelong educator, and a practitioner, she is committed to re-imagining healthcare in the United States, transforming it into a system that works for all. She believes in preparing graduates to transform healthcare and play a pivotal role in advocating for health equity and access for all humanity.

Before beginning her academic career, White was a full-time nurse at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta in the surgical intensive care unit, where she cared for and about under-resourced individuals, families, and communities. Her mentor encouraged her to pursue an academic career, and she soon realized the impact she could make by helping more future nurses understand the social impacts that are affecting healthcare so that they, too, could care about their patients.

Before joining Antioch, White was most recently the Founding Dean of the School of Health Sciences at Georgia Gwinnett College, and her prior experience includes professor, department chair, and dean. She has a record of success in securing funds, creating programs, and building productive teams.

Among her many accomplishments, White founded the School of Health Sciences based on a culture of care, developed the first total prelicensure conceptual curriculum in Georgia, demonstrated expertise in experiential learning modalities, and engaged in remote and applied learning. She has designed simulation and clinical practice laboratories, led accreditation efforts, developed Health Science degrees, and collaborated with external partners.

White has a doctorate degree in nursing from Georgia State University and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing as well. Her most recent publications and presentations focus on areas such as emotional intelligence in nursing, creating a culture of care in nursing education, and fostering DEI in the nursing curriculum.

Mary Ann Short, PhD

Associate Dean, Graduate Management Programs

Cathy Lounsbury, EdD, LCPC

Associate Dean, Counseling Division