Speakers

Carla Fullwood

Carla Fullwood

Dr. Carla Fullwood is a dynamic higher education professional with over 15 years of professional experience in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion education and training. She joined the Elon University community in February 2021, where she serves as the Director of Inclusive Excellence Education and Development. In this role, Dr. Fullwood is responsible for coordinating personal & professional Inclusive Excellence development opportunities primarily for faculty and staff. Dr. Fullwood also manages Bias Education and Response process at Elon and coordinates several anti-bias education efforts on campus.

 

 

 

R. Milton Howell III

R. Milton Howell, III, CPA, SCEP

R. Milton Howell, III is a partner and Director of Tax Services with DMJPS PLLC in Greensboro, N.C. For more than thirty-five years, he has focused on taxation issues, including tax research for both open and closed transactions, structuring complex tax transactions, estate, and income tax planning, and representing clients before federal, state, and local tax authorities. His focus is on the tax needs of closely held businesses and their owners, and extending to their estate planning, personal trusts, and investment entities. Much of his technical expertise is in partnership and S-corporation transactions, particularly involving ownership changes, and mergers and acquisitions. Howell’s passion is strategic tax planning and compliance for businesses, their owners, their children, trusts, investment or real estate partnerships, and estate, with the focus on the entire group working together. What is the best plan for the whole family unit? In addition, Howell regularly writes and reviews articles for local, regional, and national publications on tax matters and spends significant time monitoring current tax issues and legislation.

His speaking engagements include the Southern Federal Tax Institute, the North Carolina Association of CPAs, CPAmerica International, NC Association of Enrolled Agents, and many other venues and organizations. He is a Past-Chair of the Tax Committee of the North Carolina Association of CPAs, a Past-Chair of the Tax Executive Committee of CPAmerica International, and a Past-President of the Greensboro Estate Planning Council. Also, he is a past member of the NC Tax Modernization Task Force which consulted with the NC General Assembly on state tax reform proposals, and the Tax Resource Group which consulted with the NC Department of Revenue on guidance projects.

He holds designations as a Certified Public Accountant and as a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, and has held Series 7 and 66 securities licenses, and NC life, health, and long-term care insurance licenses.

In his spare time, he volunteered as Treasurer of two Boy Scout Troops. Howell enjoys biking, Civil War history, relaxing at the beach, and traveling with his family. He tweets about tax matters via @MHowellTax.

 

 

Lakeisha Vance

Lakeisha Vance

Lakeisha Magwood Vance is an accomplished leader and educator with a comprehensive background encompassing areas such as information technology, program oversight, and curriculum development within academic environments. She earned three degrees, a B.S. in Accounting, a B.S. in Information Systems, and an M.S. in Information Technology and Management, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Vance has over 20 years of experience teaching data analytics, management information systems, web development, and programming courses at a variety of North Carolina community colleges and universities. She is an engaging educator and respected leader.

 

 

 

Stephen Bloch-Schulman

Stephen Block-Schulman

Stephen Bloch-Schulman, Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Elon, works in political philosophy and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He was the inaugural (2017) winner of the Prize for Excellence in Teaching Philosophy, awarded by the American Philosophy Association, the American Association of Philosophy Teachers and the Teaching Philosophy Association. With Anthony Weston, he is author of Thinking Through Questions: A Concise Invitation to Critical, Expansive and Philosophical Inquiry. 

 

 

 

 

Mustafa Akben

Mustafa Akben

Dr. Mustafa Akben serves as an Assistant Professor of Management at Elon University, specializing in deep learning and generative artificial intelligence, focusing on their impact on human cognition in the workplace. With a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Temple University and an M.S. in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania, he explores how emerging AI technologies can shape and potentially enhance human cognitive processes in professional settings. His research ventures include creating neural networks to enhance survey data accuracy and analyzing AI readiness in leadership using transformative AI technologies.

In addition to his AI research, Dr. Akben is deeply invested in understanding and fostering “wise” proactive behaviors in professional environments. He navigates through individual and organizational proactivity, exploring how actions such as opinion voicing, and initiative-taking can be effectively embedded within organizational norms to yield positive outcomes. His work is not just theoretical; it provides practical insights that enable individuals to achieve their goals and organizations to harness the positive aspects of proactivity, ensuring a harmonious and innovative workplace. Dr. Akben is also passionate about teaching leadership, management, AI, machine learning, and strategic human resource management. He has developed several AI-focused and AI-infused classroom exercises and experiential learning activities for his classes.

 

 

Jessie Wei

Jessie Wei

Wei is an Elon alum who graduated in 2006 with a degree in Accounting. She was a member of Beta Alpha Psi. After graduating Elon, Wei pursued and received a master in accounting degree from NC State University.

She started her career at RSM McGladrey in Raleigh for three years and then transitioned to EY for 13 years in EY’s assurance practice. She recently joined Van den Boom & Associates as a Director providing accounting, finance, financial compliance and reporting, strategic planning and project management services to life sciences and biotechnology companies.

Wei is an active leader in organizations promoting women and minorities. She’s also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in education and is one of the founding board members of Rede Academy. She’s also a Board Member and Development Committee Co-Chair at Renaissance West Community Initiative in Charlotte. The Renaissance West Community Initiative is a purpose-built community, part of a growing national movement to break the intergenerational cycle of urban poverty through holistic community revitalization.

She currently lives right outside of Charlotte with her two sons, Henry, and Preston. They enjoy outdoor activities and traveling.

 

 

David Miller

David Miller

Miller is a senior manager within EY’s Assurance Practice. He has over seventeen years of experience serving public and private clients in various industries including semiconductor, technology, transportation, retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, healthcare, and asset management industries. He has experience with SEC accounting and reporting issues, including revenue recognition, mergers and acquisitions, complex convertible debt instruments, pension accounting and organizational restructurings. Miller had led the efforts on technical accounting consultations in these areas. He has experience with registration statements and offerings such as public and private debt and equity offerings and related comfort letter procedures.

Miller has taken the lead project management role for his audits. In this role, Miller is responsible for managing the overall audit effort and ensuring pre-established milestones are set and achieved in accordance with an agreed upon plan and status is communicated timely. Miller also has experience adapting the firm’s audit methodology to a variety of industries, including applying a risk-based approach to our scoping and testing procedures.

Miller has been responsible for the coordination of the multi-location audit efforts for his multi-national clients, coordinating the procedures performed in Beijing, Germany, and the UK. Miller has developed contacts through this process in several countries, throughout Europe and Asia. In addition, Miller has been involved in the oversight of the various statutory audits performed for his clients.

Miller serves as an instructor, training our staff, seniors, and managers on the firm’s audit methodology and development of project management skills. Miller is also a member of the firm’s quality review team, performing audit quality reviews for engagements through the United States.

Miller graduated from Elon University with a BS in accounting and is a registered CPA with the state of North Carolina. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants.

 

 

Steve Wagner

Steve Wagner

Steve Wagner, Assistant Professor of Economics at Elon University, earned a Ph.D. in Applied Micro and Financial Economics from UNC Greensboro. His research focuses on entrepreneurial financial markets and debt contracting. Before joining Elon, he held roles at Wells Fargo in international banking, risk management, strategy and systems, and regional management.

 

 

 

 

Catherine Dunham

Catherine Dunham

Catherine Ross Dunham is a Professor of Law at the Elon University School of Law, serving as a member of the Law School’s charter faculty and formerly serving as the Law School’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Professor Dunham is an expert in the law related to Civil Procedure and Civil Litigation, authoring articles on procedural doctrine, and contributing to the annual SURVEY OF FEDERAL CLASS ACTION LAW: A U.S. SUPREME COURT AND CIRCUIT-BY- CIRCUIT ANALYSIS. Professor Dunham’s scholarship also explores topics related to gender equity and implicit gender bias litigation, analyzing implicit bias-based claims specifically in the context of Title VII class action litigation. Professor Dunham’s articles on implicit bias have been published in the Akron Law Review, the DePaul Journal of Women, Gender and the Law, and the University of Maryland Journal of Race, Religion, Gender, and Class. Professor Dunham’s scholarship on Evidence, specifically her article Reputation Evidence in the Age of Instagram, was awarded the 2021 Edward D. Ohlbaum Paper in Advocacy by the Temple Law Review.

In addition, Professor Dunham has served as a trial analyst for several major news outlets, including NBC and CNN, and is a prior recipient of the ABA Smyth-Gambrell Award for Teaching Professionalism.