Management Team
Dr. Richard Oliver
CEO
Dr. Richard Oliver is the CEO of American Sentinel University. Previously, he was a professor at the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. While there, Dr. Oliver received the Outstanding Professor Award and a Dean’s Teaching Award. For several years, he served as a visiting professor of management at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Oliver had a 20-year career at Nortel Networks, where he was vice president of marketing, and also worked for DuPont Co. Dr. Oliver is the author of seven books and more than 50 book chapters and journal articles about management, technology and education, and has lectured around the world on these topics. He served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Services Marketing and the Journal of Strategic Management Education. Dr. Oliver has served on seven corporate boards and was chairman of the Board of Directors of Symmetricom, a high-tech telecom company, from 1997 to 2004.
Dr. Oliver holds a Ph.D. in informatics from the State University of New York, a Master of Arts in communications from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Science in economics from Cornell University.
Mary Adams
President
Mary Adams is the president of American Sentinel University. She has more than 20 years of experience in distance education, including serving as president of Aspen University from 1992 to 2004. Ms. Adams is a commissioner of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), and a past chair of the Research and Education Standards Committee. She has chaired more than 30 DETC accreditation visits and received the DETC’s Distinguished Service Award and Distinguished Recognition Award. Ms. Adams served on the board of Provost Academy Colorado and is vice chair of the Accrediting Commission of the DETC.
Ms. Adams holds an MBA from ISIM University and a Bachelor of Arts in history from California State University, Fullerton.
Dr. John R. Bourne
Provost
Dr. John R. Bourne is provost of American Sentinel University. Previously he was executive director of the Sloan Consortium, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, and professor of technology entrepreneurship at Babson College. He was also professor of electrical and computer engineering and professor of biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Bourne was editor-in-chief of the Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering for 27 years and editor-in-chief and founder of the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks. He was a founding faculty member of the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering and founder of the Sloan Consortium, Inc. He is the author of numerous articles and books.
Dr. Bourne holds the B.E degree from Vanderbilt University and M.S.E. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Florida. He is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He has had sabbaticals at Northern Telecom and at Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden. He received the Meritorious Achievement Award from the IEEE Educational Activities Board in 2003.
Jeff Caplan
Senior Vice President of Enrollment and Retention
Jeff Caplan is the senior vice president of enrollment and retention at American Sentinel University. He has an extensive background in health care and strategic business development. Previously, Mr. Caplan was the executive vice president for a specialty health care media company and the vice president of marketing and product management for a health care electronic exchange between hospitals and suppliers. Mr. Caplan spent his early career at DuPont, where he led a variety of business functions.
Mr. Caplan holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Rutgers University.
Board of Trust
Dr. Kenneth McLennan
Chair
Dr. Kenneth McLennan has extensive experience in academic, government and nonprofit organizations, and was the president and CEO of Manufacturers Alliance from 1987 to 1999. Currently, Dr. McLennan is an adjunct professor at the College of William and Mary (in the Thomas Jefferson Public Policy Program) and for the joint Eastern Virginia Medical School-Old Domini on University Master of Public Health program.
Dr. McLennan holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MBA from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Science from the London School of Economics.
Board Members
Dr. Robert Anders
Dr. Robert Anders is the vice president of nursing at Education Affiliates. He is an expert in nursing education with a particular focus on creating excellence in programs with significant minority populations. He has been a faculty member and administrator in associate degree, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs at several universities, including the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Hawaii, the University of Western Australia and Chaing Mai University. Dr. Anders was funded by the National Institute of Health to research minority health disparities and received funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to improve nursing education. He was elected to the American Academy of Nursing in 2007.
Dr. Anders holds a Ph.D. in public health with an emphasis in health care administration and planning and a Master of Science Nursing from the University of Hawaii. He holds a Bachelor of Science Nursing from Union College.
Duncan Anderson
Duncan Anderson is the president and CEO of Education Affiliates, a company he founded with JLL Partners. Mr. Anderson has more than 30 years of experience leading companies in various industries. He has a proven record of accomplishment in managing global business build-outs, forging strategic alliances and driving operating synergies through acquisitions and organic growth. Prior to founding Education Affiliates, Mr. Anderson was the president and CEO of Global Knowledge Network.
Mr. Anderson holds an MBA from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of North Carolina.
Dr. Marcia Bankirer
Dr. Marcia Bankirer is the president of the Denver School of Nursing. Previously, she served as president of Argosy University, Denver campus. Prior to opening the Denver campus for Argosy in May 2006, Dr. Bankirer was the president of Argosy’s campus in Chicago. Dr. Bankirer has served as the vice provost for Central Michigan University and as academic vice president for Jones International University. She has held several key positions at Colorado State University, including associate provost. Dr. Bankirer has been an active member of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, and was a member of the Academic Review Council and a consultant evaluator.
Dr. Bankirer holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in adult and higher education from the University of Wyoming and a Master of Education and Bachelor of Science in biological science from Colorado State University.
Natasha Blackshear
Natasha Blackshear is an attorney in private practice. Ms. Blackshear's prior experience includes working as a Partner at Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP, running its Nashville office. In 2011, Ms. Blackshear was recognized by the Nashville Post as being one of Nashville's top 101 lawyers. Prior to her legal career, Ms. Blackshear worked as a venture capitalist for five years at Council Ventures, LP, where she was part of a four-person team investing a $52 million fund. Preceding her venture capital work, Ms. Blackshear worked as a corporate valuation consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Ms. Blackshear was appointed by former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen to, and served as a commissioner for nine years on, the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. As well, she served for eight years on the Board of Directors of Market Matters, Inc., an independent, not-for-profit international development organization.
Ms. Blackshear holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.B.A. from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science in applied economics and management from Cornell University. She is admitted to the bar in New York, Massachusetts (retired status) and Tennessee.
Dr. Frank Mayadas
Dr. Frank Mayadas has served as a senior advisor to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation since 2010, advising the foundation on its continuing grants in the Anytime, Anyplace Learning Program. From 1992 to 2009, he served as a program director at the foundation. Previously, Dr. Mayadas spent 27 years at IBM Corporation, holding the position of vice president, research division, technical plans and controls when he left in 1992. He has published widely on systems, devices and solid-state physics and holds several patents and awards from IBM. Dr. Mayadas has served as an advisory board member for the Georgia Institute of Technology and the College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is currently a member of the advisory board for the College of Engineering, University of Florida.
Dr. Mayadas holds a Ph.D. in applied physics from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science from the Colorado School of Mines.
Robert Neumeister, Jr.
Robert Neumeister is the former executive vice president and CFO of Linux Networks. In 2008, he was interim president and CEO of Geeknet, of which he has served on the Board of Directors since 2001. Previously, Mr. Neumeister was the executive vice president and CFO of Dex Media, and the CFO of Prolexis Pharmaceuticals and Aerie Networks. Mr. Neumeister serves on the boards of Symmetricom and Covad Communications Group.
Mr. Neumeister holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts in economics and English from Vanderbilt University.
