Keri Baker
NSU
Scholarly Communications Librarian, NSU
Keri Baker is the Scholarly Communications Librarian for Nova Southeastern University. The scope of her work surrounds the discoverability and visibility of NSU's research output. She works with faculty, research staff, and students on publishing or archiving work in our institutional repository, NSUWorks, finding free or reduced-cost publication opportunities for manuscripts, and clarifying open access copyright rules and standards.
Rick Branham
Cloudsource
VP, Pre-Sales, Academic & Content Solutions, CloudSource
Rick has more than three decades of experience with SirsiDynix including support, product management, business development, marketing, and sales. Formerly leading the Asia Pacific region, he now drives SirsiDynix’s vision and strategy for Academic libraries. He also leads the Pre-Sales Solutions group, which leverages the BLUEcloud platform’s robust extensibility (through REST web services and JavaScript, primarily) to develop creative and innovative solutions for libraries. Rick also leads our new Content Solutions team, which leverages the vast body of global open access content for the CloudSource platform. The CloudSource OA solution was released in 2021, and in 2024 CloudSource+ will launch to expand the index to include licensed content and related holdings management tools.
Dr. Ron Chenail
NSU
Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, NSU
Ronald J. Chenail, Ph.D. is Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Family Therapy at Nova Southeastern University. He is Editor-in-Chief of The Qualitative Report and the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage. Since 1990, he has been part of 14 grants and contracts totally over $6,506,300, published over 130 publications including nine books, and given over 200 formal academic presentations at conferences and meetings.
Maryska Connolly
SirsiDynix
CloudSource Director of Partnerships & Communications, SirsiDynix
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Maryśka Connolly is the CloudSource Director of Partnerships & Communications and works closely with content and technology partners to improve the CloudSource OA and CS+ products. She holds a Master of Library & Information Science and worked in academic and medical libraries for over a decade. Though primarily an eresource and systems librarian, Maryśka has held positions across the spectrum of library departments including cataloging, instruction, circulation, and archives. She has worked for SirsiDynix since 2021 and currently leverages her experience and perspective as a librarian to improve the CloudSource user experience.
Adrianna Cuevas
Author
Adrianna Cuevas is the author of the Pura Belpre honor book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, the Edgar Award winning The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto, and many other popular middle grade titles. She is a first-generation Cuban-American originally from Miami, Florida. A former Spanish and ESOL teacher, Adrianna currently resides outside of Austin, Texas with her husband and son. When not substitute teaching at her local high school, cheering for the Florida Panthers hockey team, and setting off the smoke alarm in her kitchen, she is writing her next middle grade novel.
Zain Deane
Author
Zain Deane is an award-winning writer and editor originally from Karachi, Pakistan. He is the author of five nonfiction travel books published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., and editor of three Michelin guides. Zain’s short fiction has been published in NEWN Magazine, Byline Magazine, and featured in the 2010 Anthology of Pakistani Literature. His short story, “The Man of Emotions,” won the 2006 Writers’ Journal Fiction contest. Most recently, his story “The Four Deaths of Valerie” was a finalist in the 2021 Royal Palm Literary Awards.
Mikaela Felty
IGI
Managing Editor of Acquisitions
Mikaela Felty is the Managing Editor of Acquisitions at IGI Global Scientific Publishing, where she has been a key team member for over three years. In her role, Mikaela specializes in guiding researchers through the publishing process, whether they are contributing chapters, articles, or full-length books. With a deep understanding of the academic publishing landscape, she is dedicated to helping scholars transform their research into impactful publications, ensuring both high-quality content and successful project outcomes.
Debbie Reed Fischer
Author
Debbie Reed Fischer is a best-selling, award-winning author of novels for teens and tweens. Her middle grade novel This is not the Abby Show (Penguin Random House/ Delacorte) won the Royal Palm Literary Gold Award for Best Children's Book, and was twice honored as a PJ Library selection in 2017 and 2020. Abby Show has been compared to Jack Gantos’s Joey Pigza series (Publisher’s Weekly), as well as Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Renee Russell’s The Dork Diaries series (Booklist). Debbie has been teaching writing workshops as well as speaking on author panels, at schools and literary conferences for many years. In addition to writing novels, Debbie has contributed to anthologies, non-fiction books, magazines, newspapers, and TV scripts. A graduate of the University of Miami, Debbie has a degree in Screenwriting and worked for many years as an agent for film and TV, then as a teacher before achieving her dream of becoming an author. Her autobiographical short story This is What I'll Tell You, is in the anthology Coming of Age: 13 B'nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman & Company). A portion of the proceeds goes to organizations fighting antisemitism. Her forthcoming book is a historical, set in 1939 Guantanamo, Cuba, based on her family on the eve of World War 2.
Rebecca Frankel
Sage Publishing
Acquisitions Editor, Sage Publishing
Rebecca Frankel is an Acquisitions Editor at Sage Publishing, commissioning case studies and other resources that are available to students and professors via their academic library. She joined Sage in 2017 after several years editing facing-page translations of Latin literature through Harvard University Press’s Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library and I Tatti Rennaissance Library Series.She looks forward to working with the team at NSU, and invites prospective authors to reach out at Rebecca.Frankel@sagepub.com.
Dr. Amanda Furiasse
NSU
Assistant Professor, Digital Humanities, NSU
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Amanda Furiasse, PhD, is Assistant Professor of digital humanities in the Department of Humanities and Politics at Nova Southeastern University. She is currently the senior producer of Florida 2100: Tales of Tomorrow, a multimedia project that explores pressing ethical challenges from the perspective of the future, and host of the Department of Humanities and Politics' Applied Humanities Podcast. She has published numerous articles, including in the Journals for the American Academy of Religion, Africana Religions, Cultural Analytics, and Museums & Social Issues. She was the co-Director of the Contagion, Religion, and Cities Project at the Center for the Study of Religion and the City at Morgan State University, senior producer and co-host of the Political Theology Network’s Assembly podcast, and public fellow at Sacred Writes: Public Scholarship on Religion.
Meg Gardiner
Author
Meg Gardiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of seventeen novels. Her thrillers have won the Edgar Award and been summer reading picks by The Today Show and O, the Oprah magazine. In August 2022 Heat 2, co-authored with Michael Mann, debuted at #1 on the New York Times best seller list. A former lawyer, two-time president of Mystery Writers of America, and three-time Jeopardy! champion, Gardiner lives in Austin.
Toby Green
Coherent Digital
Director and Co-Founder of Coherent Digital
Toby has 40+ years' experience in scholarly, policy and professional publishing. Before co-founding Coherent Digital, he held a variety of senior roles with OECD Communications/Publishing, Elsevier Science and Pergamon Press. Besides the formal books and journals stuff, Toby has wrestled with data publishing, pioneered freemium open access and is now trying to tame grey literature. He is a regular speaker at publishing and librarian events including: Charleston, NISO, ALPSP, OASPA, SSP, and Fiesole. Currently, he serves as expert advisor to the Open Research Community and is a Board Member at Annual Reviews. Previously, he was a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing Board and Chair and Council Member, ALPSP. See a list of his publications.
Mike Greene
Message Makers
Mike Greene is the President of Message Makers, LLC. Mr. Greene has consulted in management, quality, and communications. He has taught strategic planning and created commercials and documentaries for organizations. He is past Chairman of the Broward Film and Television Commission and the Broward Alliance Creative Economy Task Force. He was Co-Chair of the Creative Industries Task Force of Vision Broward, the County’s planning process for the year 2025.
Dr. Kristina Heubish
Elsevier
Open Access Analyst, Elsevier
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Dr. Heubish currently works as an Open Access Analyst for Elsevier. She received her PhD in Science Education from Columbia University, publishing in natural philosophy and cognitive learning. She is an active member of the Association for Science Teacher Education, leading the Northeast regional conference in years past. Dr. Heubish switched from academia to publishing 7 years ago, now focusing on transformative agreements to support the Open Science movement. She is passionate about educating authors on the journals publishing process and how to fruitfully contribute to the scientific record
Bethany Leach
Emerald
Strategic Account Manager, Emerald Publishing
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Bethany Leach is a knowledgeable publishing professional. She has over 17 years of experience in both academic and popular materials publishing. Going beyond the bounds of a traditional publisher, Emerald wants to be a facilitator of impact, encouraging equitable, healthy and sustainable research and publishing for all. Bethany joined Emerald in January 2024 and is passionate about publishing research that has real world impact.
Dara Levan
Author
In 2024, Dara Levan published two books: Her novel, It Could Be Worse, which is a story about Allegra Gil who suspects her charmed life may be a gilded cage. She has a devoted husband, Benito, two loving children, a thriving therapy practice, and lifelong friends. But when a surprising discovery in a piano bench reveals a shocking family secret, Allegra questions everything she thought she knew about the two people who raised her. Was it true? Did her father, a respected pediatric neurosurgeon, harm instead of heal? And Allegra’s mother—how much did she know? Dara is also a contributor to the USA Today bestselling anthology On Being Jewish Now and an essay collection edited by Zibby Owens. This is an intimate and hopeful collection of meaningful, smart, funny, sad, emotional, and inspiring essays from today’s authors and advocates about what it means to be Jewish, how life has changed since the attacks on October 7, 2023, and the unique culture that brings this group together.
Dr. Eric Mason
NSU
Associate Professor, NSU
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Eric Mason, Ph.D. is a Faculty Coordinator at the Nova Southeastern University Writing and Communication Center. He is also an associate professor with the NSU Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts where he teaches and researches writing processes and technologies.
Christina Mattioli
Elsevier
Customer Consultant with Elsevier
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Christina Mattioli currently holds the role of Customer Consultant with Elsevier. In this role she focuses on working with her academic and government library contacts in the United States and Canada to optimize their experience with Scopus & ScienceDirect. Prior to joining Elsevier, Christina worked with numerous colleges and universities in the US and Canada in the Advancement and Enrollment management arenas. Christina has a passion for the support and advancement of education and science and has enjoyed taking her experiences further supporting her librarian colleagues to further this mission.
Gina McCue
Emerald
Vice President, Emerald Publishing
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Gina McCue is a seasoned publishing leader with over 30 years of experience fostering successful collaborations with libraries, faculty, and consortia. As Vice President at Emerald Publishing, she joined the company in 2023, driven by a passion for sharing high-quality content and ensuring that academic research creates meaningful real-world impact. Emerald’s core missions—responsible management, fairer society, healthier lives, quality education for all, and sustainable infrastructures—strongly resonate with Gina. In her role, she is focused on expanding and evangelizing the Emerald brand with researchers and libraries across the Americas, championing Emerald’s commitment to advancing research that leads to positive global change.
Kate McKean
Author
Kate McKean is a literary agent at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her MA in fiction writing at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her work has appeared in Poets & Writers, Electric Literature, Catapult, and her first book, Write Through It: An Insider’s Guide to Publishing and the Creative Life will be published by Simon Acumen in June, 2025, followed by a picture book to be published by Sourcebooks in 2026. She writes the Agents & Books newsletter at katemckean.substack.com. You can find her at all the places online as well as katemckean.com.
Tiffany McKerahan
IEEE
Manager, Author Engagement & Support, IEEE Publications
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Tiffany McKerahan has been active in scientific journal publishing for almost 20 years. In her current role as IEEE’s Manager of Author Engagement & Support, she focuses on the development and implementation of author tools, procedures, and communications intended to support IEEE authors. Throughout her career, Tiffany has focused on improving the publishing experience for the author and outreaching to the scientific community through initiatives such as author workshops, reviewer mentorship programs, and the co-authorship of publishing ethics guidelines
Deron Morgan
Clarivate
Customer Success Consultant
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Deron Morgan is a Solutions Consultant at Clarivate, working with Academic, Life Sciences, Non-profit and Corporate customers. He has a background in analytical and creative consulting with a focus on literature mining, open science, improved workflows, multi-dimensional researcher profiles, and institutional benchmarking. He also have a keen curiosity in learning "how things work" to help customers solve their most critical problems.
Dr. Janine Morris
NSU
Customer Success Consultant
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Deron Morgan is a Solutions Consultant at Clarivate, working with Academic, Life Sciences, Non-profit and Corporate customers. He has a background in analytical and creative consulting with a focus on literature mining, open science, improved workflows, multi-dimensional researcher profiles, and institutional benchmarking. He also have a keen curiosity in learning "how things work" to help customers solve their most critical problems.
Jessica Offenberger
Sage Publishing
Editor III, Journals STM, Sage Publishing
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Jessica Offenberger is a Publishing Editor on the SAGE Journals Editorial team. She manages a range of science and medicine journals, working with editors and societies to develop new strategies as well as problem solve. During her time at SAGE, she has also worked closely with the Author team to create and develop resources to help early career researchers across disciplines better understand the publishing process and publish their research. Jessica has a background in project management, marketing, business development, and self-publishing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University and is based in Los Angeles.
Julie Tyler Ruiz
StoryBold
As a PhD in English with a decade of teaching experience in higher education, Julie Tyler Ruiz brings an exceptional blend of academic expertise, business acumen, and creative passion to the world. of writing. After leaving higher education, Julie transitioned into a sought-after voice in both the private sector and literary community. She is dedicated to helping others find their voice and succeed in their writing journey. Julie created StoryBold to help writers of all levels discover their voice, transform ideas into page-turners, and succeed in the competitive publishing world. Through personalized coaching, StoryBold has helped writers: finish book drafte, land agent representation and book deals, build author platforms, and step into leadership roles in the writing community. She offers live workshops, self-study courses, along with private coaching.
Dr. Robert Speth
NSU
Professor, Nova Southeastern University
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Dr. Speth is presently Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy and Adjunct Professor of Biology and the Honors College at Nova Southeastern University; Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology in the School of Medicine, Georgetown University and a Research Associate of the Institute for Ethnomedicine in Jackson, WY. He has published over 240 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts with over 500 total publications. Dr. Speth has special interests in the pharmacological and toxicological properties of “natural products”, especially cannabis (marijuana), in particular their use and abuse as drugs, dietary supplements and medical adjuvants.
Raj Tawney
Author
Raj Tawney is the author of Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience, winner of a 2024 Best Indie Book Award and Living Now Book Award, and the new, critically-acclaimed Middle Grade novel All Mixed Up. He is also a freelance publicist in the book industry and has worked with many authors, at both big and small publishing houses, to promote their work. His experience from working on "both sides of the fence" has given him special expertise and insight on how best to get the word out on a new title.
Debbie Thomas
Author
Debbie Thomas is an award-winning children’s book author, songwriter and content creator. Her dream of creating wholesome, original, and inspiring children’s content has led her and a team of dedicated volunteers to perform at several schools, children’s hospitals, and nonprofit organizations. Though authorship and songwriting are a passion, Debbie is a professional urban planner and serves as the Economic Development Manager for the Town of Davie. Above all, Debbie’s most cherished role is that of a wife and a mother of two amazing little girls.
Dr. Eleanne van Vliet
Elsevier
Scientific Editor, Elsevier
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Dr. Eleanne van Vliet is a Scientific Editor at Elsevier, where she collaborates with authors, editors and publishers to help researchers publish their work across Elsevier’s environmental science journals. Prior to joining Elsevier in 2022, Eleanne worked in academia as well as in the non-profit sector with a focus on environmental conservation and health sciences. She holds a doctoral degree in environmental health sciences from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Eleanne brings a unique perspective, offering diverse angles on the peer-review journey.