Cynthia Johnson
President, ReThink Higher Education Consulting, LLC
Cynthia Johnson was recently interviewed by Time Magazine for a
proposed article in the ongoing series Innovators:
Forging the Future for her
cutting edge work as the founding director and idea person behind the
first college degree program in the nation for students challenged
with learning and intellectual disabilities.
Under Cynthia’s energetic leadership with the Venture Program
in Washington State, she designed the creative team of faculty
and experts in the fields of curriculum, assessment, and the workforce,
who developed this first degree program. Cynthia created Rethink
Higher Education Consulting to thoughtfully facilitate the replication
and implementation of the Passport Program to
colleges, universities, and organizations throughout the nation
The how and why students learn and the best methods to facilitate
these practices together with her lifelong love of learning are drivers
for Cynthia. She has extensive background in higher education program
development, teaching postsecondary students challenged with intellectual
and learning disabilities, and curriculum and assessment development.
A natural net-worker, with a belief that both learning and leadership
require innovation, creativity, and collaboration, Cynthia has built
strategic alliances both regionally and nationally. She is a seasoned
manager capable of motivating people toward common exciting educational
goals that also significantly meet and exceed profitability targets.
Cynthia has a comfort level with the media, public speaking, politics,
and the business community. She has been interviewed by various national
media and educational journals including National Public Radio, the
Chicago Tribune, Inside Higher Education, University
Business Review,
The Seattle Times, and KIRO Television.
She recently testified before the U.S. Department of Education’s
Commission on the Future of Higher Education and
was the featured speaker for the Social Security regional meeting held in Seattle. Cynthia was a featured speaker in April, 2008, at the Rhode Island Transition in the Ocean State Conference, Rhode Island Department of Education, Office of Diverse Learners, and the Offices of Rehabilitation and Human Services. In 2007, Cynthia presented at the University of Washington's Innovative Technology for Autism Symposium.
Cynthia holds a Master of Educational Administration with emphasis
on higher education and adult learning theory, is both a Certified
Mediator Practitioner and a Registered Counselor in Washington State,
holds a Certificate in Brain Research in Education, and has taught
a variety of college courses including Brain Basics, Social Change
in America, Personal Finance, Conversation Skills, Disability Awareness,
and Family History Research.
Cynthia is the mother of five grown children who were willing participants
in her first experiential learning lab. For example, she taught them
the alphabet by having them dip their fingers into their favorite flavor
of yogurt and then write the letters on the windows. The messy windows
were worth it…her children love to read!
Media Interviews with Cynthia as Venture Director:
Seattle college program for special needs adults
October 17, 2005, National Public Radio All Things Considered
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4962487
KIRO News: One-of-a-Kind Program
October 12, 2005, KIRO Television
http://www.rethinkhigered.com/multimedia/video/kiro_news-web.wmv
A Degree of Their Own
October 2005, University Business Review
http://www.universitybusiness.com/page.cfm?p=1003
Parent Trainer, Faculty Trainer
George Lynn is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor from Bellevue,
Washington who has pioneered the use of psychotherapy for adults
and children with neuropsychological issues. He has lectured internationally
on the subject, has written three popular books on parenting children
with challenges, and holds Masters degrees in psychology and public
administration.
His career as a psychotherapist and writer spans twenty-two years
and includes extensive teaching and publication accomplishment.
George has taught at the graduate level at Antioch University,
the University of Puget Sound, and Chapman College, has had articles
featured in several national magazines including:
Bipolar
Magazine,
The
Family Therapy Networker, and
Hope.
He
has appeared on National Public Radio several times and he
has been a keynote speaker at various educational conferences in
the United States and England.
Since 1991, George has focused attention on the powerful impact
of brain chemistry in the process of personal change and development.
He subsequently developed a practice specialty working with individuals
challenged with ADD, Tourette Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder, and Asperger's Syndrome.
George is author of
Survival Strategies For
Parenting Your ADD Child,
Dealing With
Obsessions, Compulsions, Depression, Explosive
Behavior, and Rage (Underwood Books, 1996),
Survival
Strategies for Parenting Children With Bipolar Disorder (Jessica
Kingsley Publishers, 2000), and
Genius! Nurturing
the Spirit of the Wild, Odd, and Oppositional Child (Jessica Kingsley
Publishers, 2005). His website is
http://childspirit.com.
Jonathan Deutsch, Ph.D.
Workforce Trainer, Faculty Trainer
Jonathan Deutsch is Associate Director, Center for Economic and
Workforce Development at Kingsborough Community College and a senior fellow of
the Institute for Virtual Enterprise of the City University of New York, an institute
charged with developing student success through active learning interventions
in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and sustainable leadership.
From
his first job as a cook and job trainer at a summer camp for children
and adults with developmental disabilities, he has been an advocate
for learners of all abilities.
Deutsch earned his Ph.D. from The
Steinhardt School of Education at New York University, studying
social and cultural aspects of food and is a graduate of Drexel
University and the Culinary Institute of America. He has published in
such publications as the
Journal of Leadership
Education,
the
Journal
of Hospitality,
Tourism Education,
and
Food
and Foodways and is
Education Editor of the journal
Food, Culture
and Society. Contact him
at
jdeutsch@kingsborough.edu.
Christine Johnson, Ph.D.
Organizational Designer
Christine Johnson holds a Ph.D. in Social-Clinical Psychology from
the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California with an emphasis on
Organizational Development. For 25 years she has been developing
and remodeling organizational cultures. She works collaboratively,
enabling clients to achieve their goals for productive work environments.
Christine’s
clients include Kaiser-Pemanente, Agilent Technologies, and, most
recently Summit Charter High School in Redwood City, California.
Since
2001, Christine has been on the Board of The Children’s Health
Council in Palo Alto, California (
www.chconline.org)
focusing on program evaluation, human resource development, and
strategic planning.
In her spare time she is a builder and garden designer.
She lives with her husband who is a physician and jazz musician,
and their two sons, ages 19 and 15.
Laurie Stephan, Ph.D.
Curriculum Developer, Faculty Trainer
Laurie is an instructional
design specialist and Program Director at the University of
Washington. She has facilitated teams in instructional design
at numerous colleges and universities throughout the nation,
and played a key role in designing
Passport's original
curriculum development and alternative assessment system. Laurie
has an extensive background in developing higher education instructional
programs and the appropriate learning outcomes and instructional
strategies that match both the student population and the institution.
Laurie is a master teacher with years of experience in teaching
special needs and typical students both in the United States and overseas.
Laurie
is a master at conducting outreach and training workshops for
end users including faculty and secondary students. She is skilled
at conducting industry research, including focus groups, trends
analysis, and professional association meetings to develop frameworks
for educational programs in new and emerging fields. She has
designed and implemented faculty training and developed online training
tools and resources.
Laurie earned her Ph.D. in Applied Language Studies from
the University of Washington, holds a Master in Teaching English
as a Second Language, is a DACUM facilitator, and is fluent in
Mandarin Chinese and German.
Laurie's publications include:
Alignment
Online, Into Alignment: Enhancing Teaching, Learning (Anker
Books, 2005),
Applications
of Information Technology: Trends Assessment 2004 (NWCET, 2004),
and
Teaching Technical and Soft Skills: Skill
Standards Based Teaching (McGraw-Hill Mike Meyer's IT textbook
series, 2003-2004).
Jacob Schwarz, J.D.
Legal Consultant
Jake is a law partner with Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham
LLP and has offices in San Francisco and Palo Alto, California. He
focuses on representing emerging growth and high technology companies. His
practice includes advising clients with respect to business formations,
licensing and joint ventures, intellectual property protection, and
employment law counseling. His clients include tech companies in industries
such as software, semiconductors, systems integration, environmental
sciences, aeronautics, and biotech, as well as businesses in educational
services, retail, and real estate development and management.
Jake began his legal career as a commercial litigator with the
San Francisco office of an international law firm. His professional
and civic activities include the Santa Clara Country Bar Association,
Palo Alto Area Bar Association, and Volunteer for the Boys and Girls
Club of the Peninsula. His court admissions include California State
Courts, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, U.S. District
Court for the Northern and Central Districts of California. He is a
member of the Bar of California and is a frequent guest speaker at
Santa Clara University’s
Leavey School of Business. He has also been a presenter at the Center
for International Legal Studies’ international law seminar in Kitzbühel,
Austria.
Jake has a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from Claremont
McKenna College (magna cum laude).
