President James Shadid, Bradley University

James E. Shadid is Bradley University’s 13th president. He served as a United States District Judge for the Central District of Illinois, appointed to that position by U.S. President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 7, 2011. Along the way, he ascended to chief judge during his federal stint on the bench. Prior to that, he was a state judge for 10 years, serving in the five-county 10th Judicial Circuit. After graduating from John Marshall Law School (now University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law) in 1983, he became an attorney in private practice in the Peoria area.

As a 1979 Bradley graduate, Shadid has long given back to his alma mater, both as an adjunct professor and as a former university Trustee.

Dr. Meenakshy Aiyer, Regional Dean, UICOMP

Meenakshy Aiyer, MD, MACP, MHPE, serves as Regional Dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria. After receiving her medical degree from the Madurai Kamaraj University in 1989, she came to the United States to complete her Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Louisville and the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria.

Under her leadership as regional dean, the Peoria campus has expanded its offerings in Graduate Medical Education as well as its delivery and collaboration supporting patient care throughout the region. Establishment of the new Center for Health Research expanded the College’s mission of research and outreach by enhancing understanding and finding solutions to support health equity and outcomes. UICOMP launched a new pathway program with Bradley University to provide opportunities and mentorship to students with local ties who have an interest in medical school.

Additionally, she led the Peoria Healthcare Collaborative Initiative to identify and address healthcare disparities in central Illinois and is a trusted and valued community leader having received the Athena International Woman of the Year Award from the Peoria Chamber of Commerce and the Woman to Woman Health Care/Wellness Award by the Women’s Fund of Central Illinois.

Prof. Brad McMillan, Bradley University

Brad McMillan is the Executive Director of the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service and the Director of the Graduate Nonprofit Leadership program at Bradley University. He has a long history of community and public service in Central Illinois and a record of bipartisan relationships with federal, state, and regional elected officials. Before joining Bradley, McMillan served for a decade as District Chief of Staff for former Congressman and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. He has served on several boards such as CHANGE Illinois, The Nature Conservancy, Heartland Health Services, and the Build the Block referendum campaign that resulted in the magnificent Peoria Riverfront Museum.

In 2009, McMillan was named to the Illinois Reform Commission tasked by Governor Quinn to clean up state government. In 2021, he received Bradley’s Mergen award for outstanding public service. He has a Juris Doctor degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law and a B.A. degree in Political Science from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Dr. Andy Gerhart, Lawrence Technological University

Dr. Andrew Gerhart is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University (Southfield, MI) with primary focus areas including thermo-fluids, active and collaborative student-centered learning, and engineering education. Dr. Gerhart has written over 90 publications and authored four books, including the top-selling fluid mechanics textbook in the world. He has facilitated over 100 workshops worldwide on active learning and mindset education.

Dr. Gerhart was awarded the 2010 Michigan Professor of the Year (by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education), is a Fellow of the Engineering Society of Detroit, and is actively involved in the American Society for Engineering Educators and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers serving on the Performance Test Code Committee for Air-cooled Condensers

Dr. Patrica Saleeby, Bradley University

Dr. Patricia Saleeby is Professor and Department Chair of the Department of Sociology, Criminology and Social Work at Bradley University. She is the global Co-Chair of the Functioning and Disability Reference Group for the World Health Organization (WHO) that focuses on improving data quality and comparability of international classifications like ICD, ICF, and ICHI. As part of the WHO Environmental Task Force, she helped develop the first environmental categories and codes in the ICF that predates Social Determinants of Health.

Dr. Saleeby is a member of the Post-Acute Care Interoperability Project (PACIO) sponsored by CMS and MITRE Corporation as well as the GRAVITY Project, which is a national collaborative developing data standards around using and sharing information on social determinants of health. She is an International Advisory Board member for the Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health, and a member of the Coalition for Social Work and Health, Council on Social Work Education, and the National Association of Social Workers.

Emily Shields, Chief Strategy Officer for OSF HealthCare

Emily Shields serves as Chief Strategy Officer for OSF HealthCare, responsible for leading the development, communication and execution of strategic initiatives that drive growth, innovation and long-term success for the organization. She also plays a key role in advancing the OSF HealthCare brand and shaping growth strategies that support the system’s Mission and future Vision.

Shields has successfully helped lead four hospital acquisitions, expanding the OSF HealthCare footprint to 17 hospitals. She has also spearheaded joint venture opportunities, including an inpatient behavioral health hospital and an ambulatory surgery center. She has worked to strengthen the presence of OSF in the health care community by building meaningful relationships with providers and health systems, and developing strategies to grow service lines and influence referral patterns. Additionally, she led an initiative that partnered with local and regional employers to create customized services that improve care quality, enhance the patient experience, and reduce costs.

Dr. Sudesh Kannan, Author & Cybersecurity SMEs

Dr. Sudesh Kannan PhD is a Cybersecurity Professional with 20+ years of experience in cybersecurity, technical support, R&D and business development. This includes, Cybersecurity: Application Security, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Cybersecurity Awareness Training, and Securing Cloud Applications. He specializes in Human Behavior Change in Cyber-Security and Role-Based Cybersecurity Awareness Training. Dr. Kannan has 25+ of experience in technical papers in conferences and trade and scientific journals. He is an adjunct faculty member at University of Maryland Global Campus and works as a Principal Cybersecurity Innovation Engineer in a major insurance company.