Dean Hoke is a Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group in the United States and Co-Founder of Edu Alliance Ltd. in the United Arab Emirates. Dean has held decades of progressively responsible and visionary leadership roles in higher education, communications, and online learning. He has led numerous initiatives that have created innovation and positive change in the higher education and non-profit sectors. Hoke is a Senior Fellow with the Sagamore Institute focusing on small colleges. He is also the former President/CEO of the American Association of University Administrators, and the Producer and Co-host of the podcast series Small College America.
Dean began his career in 1975 at Bellarmine University, where he worked in various roles, including Admissions and External Relations. In 1983, he entered the broadcasting field, serving as a senior executive for Public Broadcasting System stations and a cable network. In 1998, he co-founded The Connected Learning Network, a full-service online learning company, and in 2009, accepted an invitation to move to the United Arab Emirates, serving in senior positions at Higher Colleges of Technology & Khalifa University before co-founding Edu Alliance in 2014.
He participates in numerous advisory & consulting projects in the fields of international education, branding, business intelligence, and online learning. He is an active speaker and writer in the field of international higher education and distance learning. Dean has consulted, presented, and written on the field of leadership, higher education, and distance learning in the United States, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Spain, Lebanon, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Hoke holds a B.A. from Urbana University, an M.S. from the University of Louisville, and a Certificate in Executive Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Dean currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana. You are encouraged to connect on LinkedIn.
Areas of Expertise include:
- International Higher Education
- Small Colleges
- Branding
- Online Learning & Educational Technology
- Business Intelligence and Development
Tom Davisson served for 30 years as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with Sullivan University System in Kentucky. Prior to joining Sullivan, Tom was the President of DeVry University DuPage and Area President of all DeVry Chicago-area campuses. He has held P&L responsibilities at both DeVry and Sullivan, institutions with over 8,000 students. At Sullivan University, Tom led their team from a two-year institution to a regionally accredited doctoral-granting university. In addition to introducing baccalaureate and master’s level programs, Tom also led the university in establishing a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Ph.D. in Management. He also led the institution’s online development, growing to over 3,000 students taking online classes each term. He is a founding Commissioner of the National Association for Academic Excellence.
Mr. Davisson is one of the leading experts in the area of higher education institutions, bridging the gap between education and the workforce. He has written White Papers for Governor’s in two states, worked on the Manpower Planning Task Force for the Governor of a third state. Tom also testified before the US Congress on Workforce legislation. In addition, he has served on and chaired visiting committees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), both in the Southeast US and in 5 other countries. He retired from the Board of Trustees of the University of Rio Grande in Ohio in the summer of 2019 and was subsequently named Trustee Emeritus by the Board.
Tom has more than 47 years of experience in senior higher education administration experience. He also serves on numerous non-profit boards. He has a Bachelors Degree from the University of Rio Grande in Ohio, a Masters from National Louis University, and a Certificate in the Executive MBA Program from the University of Chicago.
Areas of Expertise
- University Leadership
- Business Development
- Career Education
- Accreditation
- University Operations
- Online Leadership
Dr. Senthil Nathan is Co-Founder of Edu Alliance Group, Inc. and Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Ltd in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Since the company’s founding in 2014, Senthil has been involved in numerous advisory and consulting projects for higher education institutions and investment firms. He also serves as a subject matter expert for engineering firms in the field of campus planning.
Dr. Nathan joined the Higher Colleges of Technology in 1993, the largest higher education institution in the UAE, with 23,000 UAE National students. He served in a variety of positions and, from 2006 to 2013, was Deputy Vice Chancellor/Vice Provost for Planning & Administration. Dr. Nathan has been involved in numerous advisory and consulting roles in education, training, and development engagements with a multitude of clients in the United Arab Emirates, Canada, the United States, Africa, and India, and speaks on current issues in higher education in the Middle East.
Dr. Nathan received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the National Institute of Technology in India in 2014, presented by the former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Livingston University in Uganda. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honors) from the National Institute of Technology, India, a Master of Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India, and a Ph.D. in Engineering from Rice University. Senthil has also completed executive education programs from Harvard and MIT.
Areas of Expertise
- University Administration & Strategic Planning
- Institutional & Program Accreditation
- University Effectiveness
- Institutional Development
- Campus Planning
Nancy K. Hoke is a partner of Edu Alliance and a member of the Board of Directors. Her expertise is in online instruction, instructional design, instructional technology, and digital video/audio production. With over 20 years’ experience in education, Ms. Hoke has experience in K-12 and higher education. Her experience in designing and producing instructional media that assists in providing quality instruction and successful learning outcomes. In addition, she was a public broadcasting executive and was responsible for broadcast programs for K-12 instructional television.
Nancy worked in the UAE, providing expertise in K-12 and higher education, with a focus on online and blended learning. During her six-year tenure at Khalifa University, she managed the learning management system and the instructional technology. As a part of the start-up for Khalifa University, Ms Hoke provided research and recommendations for the learning management system and the technology to be purchased and implemented in the classroom. She is recognized as an expert in online learning and learning management systems, having presented and trained in Europe, South Korea, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. She has a Bachelor’s of Education from the University of Nebraska, and a Master’s in Radio and TV from Michigan State University.
Areas of Expertise
- Instructional Design
- Mentoring
- Educational Technology
- Online Learning
- Faculty Training