Meet the Visiting Industry Experts

Senior Director, Teaching & Learning and Professional Development Programs, American Political Science Association

Michelle Allendoerfer serves as the Senior Director of Teaching and Learning. She coordinates APSA’s teaching and learning programs and professional development programs. Prior to joining APSA, Michelle was the faculty coordinator for the International Politics cohort of the Women’s Leadership Program at the George Washington University where she taught political science courses. In addition to her research on human rights, Michelle has published on pedagogy. She received her BA in Political Science at Carleton College and her PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan. In her free time, Michelle enjoys running, travel, and food.

Senior Data and Applied Scientist, NetApp

Adjunct Faculty, North Carolina State University & University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Grant Glass, Ph.D. is a Senior Data & Applied Scientist specializing in applied machine learning, natural language processing, experimentation, and responsible AI. He holds a Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where his research focused on the intersection of technology, language, and humanistic inquiry. He also earned a Master’s degree in Digital Humanities from King’s College London and a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from Harvard University Extension. Grant’s interdisciplinary background bridges advanced data science with ethics, communication, and governance, informing both his industry work and his teaching as adjunct faculty at UNC–Chapel Hill and NC State University.

Manager, Communications & Engagement, The Kraft Heinz Company

From the U.S. to Germany and back again, I’ve spent the past decade translating strategy into shared understanding. I have been a consultant, a scholar, and a teacher across boardrooms, research labs, and time zones. In my current role, I bring the Kraft Heinz Company’s U.S. Sales and commercial strategy to life by creating clear, compelling messaging that drives engagement across internal teams and customers. I work with Sales leadership and cross-functional partners to lead strategic communications planning, align messaging, enable Sales, and measure impact to ensure our storytelling and engagement efforts support growth. I hold a PhD in Communication and Media from the University of Michigan (2023), an M.A. in Communication from Purdue University (2017), and a B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of South Florida (2014). When I’m not working, you can find me hiking with my husband and dog, planning my next trip, cheering on the Wolverines (Go Blue!), or curling up on the couch with a book beside a to-be-read pile taller than I am.

Senior Researcher, Energy and Propulsion Systems, General Motors

Nathaniel (Nate) Leonard is a Senior Researcher in Energy & Propulsion Systems at General Motors. His work focuses on advanced propulsion architectures, with an emphasis on battery and system-level integration to improve efficiency, performance, and durability. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Valparaiso University in 2008 and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University in 2015. He completed postdoctoral research at Valparaiso University and the Technical University of Berlin before joining General Motors in 2017. At GM, he has previously worked as a fuel cell system modeler and system engineer, focusing on requirements analysis, architecture trade-offs, and efficiency optimization.

Learning Experience Designer, Center for Academic Innovation, University of Michigan

Aleks earned her B.A.in Russian Language and Literature at the George Washington University in 2012, and her Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Michigan in 2025. She also completed certificates in Learning Experience Design and Graduate Teaching as a doctoral student. During her studies, Aleks taught a variety of humanities courses to undergraduate students and held several student-employment positions. She most recently worked for the Rackham Professional Development and Engagement team in an instructional design-focused role, and earlier, as a Graduate Student Instructional Consultant at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT).

Chief Culture and Brand Experience Officer, Toledo Museum of Art

Dr. Jennifer McCary is the Chief Culture and Brand Experience Officer at the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA), where she drives the museum’s strategic plan into action and cultivates a culture rooted in communication, collaboration, connection, and accountability.

She previously served as Bowling Green State University’s Chief Diversity and Belonging Officer, reporting directly to the president, where she led initiatives that strengthened community and alignment across the Bowling Green and Firelands campuses.

Dr. McCary holds a BFA in art education and stone sculpture, an MA in college student personnel, a graduate certificate in instructional design, and a Doctorate in organization development and change—all from BGSU. She also serves as vice chair of the Board of Trustees at Mercy College of Ohio, is a member of the Maumee Valley Country Day School Board of Trustees, and contributes her leadership to multiple community organizations.

Nationally recognized for her expertise in Title IX, civil rights investigations, and bystander intervention, Dr. McCary holds certifications in restorative justice, Results-Based Accountability, Green Dot (bystander intervention), trauma-informed practices, and inclusion and belonging.

CEO, CancerPath

Gautam received his PhD from the University of Michigan in Cell Biology, studying insulin folding in Diabetes (Peter Arvan, mentor). He continued at the University of Michigan for his postdoctoral fellowship studying both Alzheimer’s and Ataxia (Henry Paulson, mentor). During that time, he co-founded miLEAD and became their first vice president. He has since worked at Charles River Laboratories as a Product Manager, IQVIA as a Management Consultant, and ran his own consulting practice. He is currently founder and CEO of CancerPath, a company that directly works with cancer patients to optimize their therapies.

Computational Biology Program Manager, Biohub

Christopher Sifuentes, Ph.D., is a computational biologist and program leader who works at the intersection of data generation, multi-omics analysis, and AI-for-biology strategy. He is currently a Computational Biology Program Manager at Biohub, where he focuses on data-generation partnerships and computational strategy to deliver model-ready biological datasets, including clear quality metrics and feedback loops for downstream modeling teams. Previously, he spent five years at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative leading computational biology strategy across a large neuroscience and neurodegeneration grantee network. There, he led a single-cell working group, designed and delivered multi-session training programs, and developed scalable support mechanisms such as expert networks and self-guided learning resources. His technical background spans single-cell transcriptomics, epigenomics, and reproducible pipeline engineering, with a focus on translating complex biology into usable data products and decisions.

Associate Director, Eli Lilly and Company

Dr. Chiamaka Ukachukwu (Chi‑Chi) is an Associate Director at Eli Lilly and Company, where she supports early‑phase clinical biomarker strategy within the neuroscience portfolio. She joined Lilly through the Talent Development Academy (TDA) Rotational Development Program and brings a strong interdisciplinary background. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and M.S. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. in Biochemistry and French minor from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She remains actively engaged with her alma mater, serving on the Georgia Tech College of Sciences Young Alumni Board. Dr. Ukachukwu’s contributions to science and inclusivity have been recognized with numerous awards including a Fulbright research grant and induction into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. Dr. Ukachukwu is an international exchange enthusiast, French speaker, and hopes to continue a career fostering scientific innovation while working across cultures and geographies. Outside of her work, she loves to dance, be outdoors, and build community.

Partner, Ad Verum Partners

After completing his AB at Princeton and his PhD in philosophy at Columbia and working in the Provost’s Office, Jeremy has spent over a decade as a strategy consultant to university leaders. In that time, he worked with the presidents, provosts, and deans of more than 60 public and private institutions, including more than one-third of the AAU and several academic medical centers. These collaborations span strategic planning and a variety of growth initiatives across education and research missions—new schools, major institutes, campuses, partnerships, and other ventures. In 2025, he spent 12 months in the Provost’s Office at one of his clients, University of Rochester, as Associate Vice Provost for Academic Excellence, before returning to the consulting side of the table in 2026 as a Partner at Ad Verum.