Art & Science

More About Ben

When Ben Edwards was offered his first job as a consultant to nonprofits two decades ago, he heard words he never thought he would hear: “Your doctorate in American studies is perfect preparation for what we do.” As it has turned out, Ben’s passion for distinctive educational and cultural institutions has fueled his career, and to this day makes him a determined student and advocate of each client he serves.

Mentored for seven years in university development, communications, and academic administration when exceptional leaders were taking Duke to national prominence in the 1980s, Ben believes that every organization should be focused, ambitious, and clear.

His love of institutions and determination to focus each one, no matter where that leads, has involved Ben in an extraordinary variety of projects. In one he might direct a feasibility and positioning study for a fundraising campaign, in another write a strategic plan, in others run alumni studies, overarching branding efforts, student recruitment studies, board development, or national leadership studies. In addition to working for scores of universities, colleges, and professional schools, he has extensive experience with independent schools and nonprofits ranging from conservation organizations to arts institutions to foundations.

Having written the biography of a composer whose work ranged from symphonies and operas to the blues and show tunes, Ben is a lover of music of all kinds, an avid traveler, a hiker and former tennis professional, and a parent holding to the curious notion that teenagers are more enjoyable than people of just about any other age.

More About Craig

In addition to his consulting responsibilities, Craig oversees the firm’s in-house and fieldhouse research operations. He also has been instrumental in refining the firm’s research methods and practices, particularly in the use of predictive modeling and its application in pricing, branding, financial aid, recruitment, and alumni studies. Craig also oversees all of the firm’s financial aid modeling assignments, working with a broad range of public and private institutions. His expertise on the application of predictive research methods to drive decision-making on pricing and financial aid has made him a regular presenter at national higher education conferences around the country.

More About Rick

Rick began his career on the administrative staff of Princeton University, where his first job required him to complete assignments in admissions, financial aid, public affairs, communications, media relations, annual giving, and alumni relations. Early in his career he was also an annual giving agent and president of his Princeton undergraduate class, perhaps all the more notable given that he was the first male in his family to attend college. Although he didn’t realize it at the time, this experience provided ideal preparation for a consulting career. After seven years at Princeton, Rick became a Vice President of the New York City office of the Barton-Gillet Company, then the leading market consulting firm to higher education. He became a founding partner of Art & Science Group in 1993.

Rick has been a pacesetter in higher education marketing and the development of the firm. He was among the first practitioners of market research and strategic planning in student recruitment and fundraising and pioneered the development of predictive modeling of student choice. He invented studentPoll, and then forged the firm’s collaboration with the College Board to jointly publish this national research newsletter. Not surprisingly, he is also highly valued as a strategic and tactical advisor to college and university presidents, boards, and other senior administrators.

More recently, Rick has focused his energy and talents on international projects. Under the sponsorship of the U.S. Embassy in Prague, the Fulbright Commission, and the U.S. Department of State, Rick conducted seminars and workshops on branding and marketing for the rectors and vice-rectors leading universities in the Czech Republic. He is leading several initiatives in China with Tsinghua University, the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, and the Shenhua Energy Group. Rick is the President of the North American operations of the CNA-USA University-School Alliance. The Alliance’s primary goal is to advance the enrollment and strategic interests of member US colleges and universities in China.

Rick’s high-energy personality, intellectual versatility, and creative thinking find many expressions outside his professional life. He’s a jazz guitarist, a devotee of Beethoven string quartets; a lifelong long distance runner; a recent convert to recumbent bicycling; and an outspoken critic of conspicuous consumption.

More About David

David likes to think his commitment to this profession derives from an idealistic belief in the critical work done by educational and other non-profit institutions and a heartfelt conviction that the stronger institutions are individually the more good they can do for society as a whole. In fact, his interest in institutional strategy began with public policy, through the issues and organizations he dealt with early in his career as a legislative aide to Lawton Chiles, the senior United States Senator from Florida. After two years as the only person he knew in the Wharton MBA program who aspired to work with non-profits, rather than in investment banking or corporate consulting, he signed on with the Barton-Gillet Company, the leader in higher education marketing at the time.

David counts as one of the happiest days of his life — following his wedding, the births of his children, and a few other choice moments — the day in 1994 when he, Ben Edwards, and Rick Hesel founded Art & Science Group. Then senior vice president of Barton-Gillet, he had long had an itch to run a small business that pursued the vision and lived by the principles he shared with his new partners.

David’s work tends to be on high-level strategy, informed by rigorous empirical research. He has been instrumental in the development of the most sophisticated methodologies available today to guide the decisions of mission-driven organizations. An early pioneer in addressing institutional issues from a market positioning perspective beginning in the 1980s, he went on to apply econometric modeling techniques to help colleges and universities optimize their use of financial aid and student recruitment efforts. Since the mid-1990s, he has led the development of survey research-based techniques for analyzing and planning tuition pricing, strategic planning, and brand positioning initiatives.

More About Kate

Right out of college, Kate's first indirect experience with higher education — working for a boutique textbook publisher in San Francisco — turned her off to publishing, but ignited her interest in the world of higher education. Having serendipitously entered the field of higher education marketing, she is now one of the most experienced senior consultants at Art & Science Group with more than 20 years of marketing and communications consulting experience.

Kate moved to Baltimore in the summer of 1987 from San Francisco, where she had recently helped oversee the media relations and public events for the 50th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. In her new East Coast home, she began her career in higher education consulting at The Barton-Gillet Company, the firm that pioneered the development of marketing in the non-profit sector. There she assumed a major role in the creation of recruitment and development publications, annual reports, and other communications for long list of blue-chip institutions, including Columbia Law School, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the University of Michigan Medical Center.

In 1994 she joined the newly-established Art & Science Group as the first Managing Associate. Today, other than the founding partners, she remains the only charter member of the firm. During her time with the firm, Kate has gained an extraordinary depth and breadth of institutional consulting experience, playing a critical role in nearly all of the major services of the firm, from enrollment management and student recruitment to alumni studies and annual fund marketing and communications.

Kate brings spirited energy and creative insight to every client. She is also an outspoken advocate of her client's best interests. Kate also played a central role in the development of studentPOLL, a national research newsletter first launched by Art & Science in 1994 and now jointly published by Art & Science Group and the College Board and serves as it editor. In addition to her responsibilities for the firm's marketing, Kate oversees the day-to-day operations and communications for the CNA-USA University-School Alliance, serving as the interface between American colleges and universities and CNA-USA staff in China. CNA-USA’s primary goal is to advance the enrollment and other strategic interests of member institutions in China.

More About Eric

Eric has been committed to furthering education, his own and others', ever since he can remember. A former Shakespeare scholar, teacher, and education researcher, he shares with his Art & Science Group colleagues a deep love of higher education and brings to the firm a rich perspective and a passion for problem solving.

Well before joining Art & Science Group, Eric worked as an adjunct and assistant professor, indulging his interest in early modern English law and obscure Elizabethan playwrights. Turning his back on this glamorous life, Eric left academia to work in the non-profit education sector, where he gained professional experience that would prove valuable for his work with Art & Science Group.

Eric first served as Managing Editor for the American Educational Research Association, but soon moved on to become an education writer and researcher at The George Washington Center for Equity and Excellence in Education, a non-profit organization providing support to K-12 educators. For the latter organization, Eric managed communications as well as research studies and co-authored a number of national research reports. He also gained experience with quantitative and qualitative research, managing and co-authoring with the Center's director a major policy study, State Assessment Policy for English Language Learners: A National Perspective (Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006).

Since coming to Art & Science Group, Eric has discovered that consulting in higher education is a perfect fit for his experience, his passion for higher education, and his intellectual curiosity. Each client—small liberal arts college, law school international NGO, technical university, independent high school—presents a puzzle that requires a unique solution. Eric finds working as part of a team determined to help clients solve this puzzle, whether through rigorous empirical research, internal operational analyses, examination of marketing and communications strategies, or all of these, particularly satisfying.

More About Jamie

Jamie has dedicated his entire career to collegiate admissions and student recruitment. He has been at the forefront of several successful enrollment campaigns at multiple institutions. He brings a wealth of admissions knowledge to Art & Science Group and the firm’s clients.

Before joining Art & Science Group, Jamie served as the Director of Undergraduate Student Recruitment at West Virginia University. Jamie oversaw all aspects of undergraduate student recruitment, including all marketing and communications initiatives, territory enrollment goal setting, recruitment data analysis, and coordination of on-and-off campus events. Under Jamie’s leadership, WVU experienced record enrollments, including three of the largest first-year and transfer classes in WVU’s history, with progressive improvement in its student profile. He also helped develop new site architecture and content for the admissions web site, established coordinators for multicultural and transfer student recruitment, and enhanced the university’s social media presence.

Jamie’s first leadership role in admissions was at Berea College in Kentucky. There he started as an Admissions Counselor, exceeding enrollment goals for his assigned territory of West Virginia and was later named Director of Admissions. As Director of Admissions, Jamie oversaw all aspects of the recruiting and admissions at the college. During his tenure, Berea met enrollment and student profile goals every year. In addition, Berea maintained significant minority enrollment, including 18 percent African-American enrollment.

Before his position at Berea, Jamie served at Virginia Tech as an Enrollment Coordinator for the MBA program and taught and advised students in the Interdisciplinary Studies program while completing his master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

When not working with clients and colleagues, Jamie enjoys spending time with his daughter and family, hiking throughout the region, and relaxing with a good book. Jamie is looking forward to assisting a variety of institutions achieve their enrollment and revenue objectives.

More About Risa

Risa left the firm to join her then new husband in Chicago and start a family. Over the past few years, Risa has begun consulting again with Art & Science Group, along with pursuing her free-lance writing interests and managing a highly successful fundraising campaign at her son’s preschool.

Prior to joining Art & Science Group, Risa managed the research and operations for the Tennessee Governor’s Council for Excellence in Higher Education, a blue-ribbon panel appointed to study public postsecondary education in that state and issue policy recommendations regarding the system’s performance. Prior to that position, she taught English and composition at Vanderbilt University for five years while earning her graduate degree. Earlier experiences include several years in human resources management, where she focused on recruiting management, employee relations, workforce diversity, and training and development.

A talented writer and editor, Risa has published articles for a number of organizations including The Chronicle of Higher Education and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Most recently, the New York Times online parenting section, Motherlode, ran an editorial she wrote about her son’s dance recital. Art & Science group is very pleased to be collaborating with Risa again.

More About Emily

One of Emily’s first experiences with Art & Science Group came when she was a client at The Hill Center, an innovative school for children with learning disabilities. The project helped the school develop a more strategic, market-focused positioning platform that raised its visibility and appeal among prospective families, donors, and national influencers. The project also changed the way Emily approaches positioning an institution for fundraising success.

The firm’s clients benefit immensely from Emily’s experience and her strong skills in alumni and development strategy and implementation; her capacity to work effectively with donors, board members and senior administrators; and her passion for education and expanding opportunities for students. Beyond her interest in education, Emily is drawn to the work of a broad range of non-profit organizations. She brings a genuine curiosity and style to her work, rolling up her sleeves to adapt to the specific needs of each institution

In her spare time, Emily enjoys travel — including travel to “institutional destinations” — reading, music, digging in the dirt, and cooking for friends and family. Her blended family of five teenage and 20-something children and two dogs keeps her busy, entertained, and on top of her game.

More About Shanaysha

As a former college professor and active volunteer on community and public boards focused on education, Shanaysha views marketing consulting as a unique opportunity to apply her training and expertise to the challenges confronting higher education, non-profit organizations, and foundations. Of her transition from educator to educational consultant, Shanaysha says, “Working for Art & Science Group and the kinds of institutions that have been formative in my growth as an individual and a professional is almost too good to be true.”

Before joining Art & Science Group, Shanaysha was an Assistant Professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs where she lectured and taught political science. She also has held teaching positions at both secondary and higher education institutions including the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Garrison Forest School, Baltimore County public schools, and Hood College.

Her deep commitment to improving education in the Baltimore City public schools is reflected by her current tenure as a Commissioner for the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners. In this position, Shanaysha and her fellow board members provide valuable strategic guidance to the CEO of Schools on raising the educational achievement of the 83,000 students served by the city’s public schools and providing ongoing financial and management guidance.

Someone clearly capable of juggling the personal and professional priorities in her life, Shanaysha is the mother of three adventuresome, affable, elementary-aged children who keep her on her toes. Lately, she’s been exploring the world of contemporary children’s literature, becoming somewhat of an expert on books involving vampires, magicians, orphaned children, while also sharing her childhood favorites with her children.

An intelligent and approachable professional, Shanaysha enjoys serving clients and being engaged in projects that matter and improve institutions and the people they serve.

More About Terry

Before joining the firm, Terry served as a research assistant and interviewer for the American Institutes for Research (AIR) where he played a key role in a longitudinal survey of Baltimore third graders focused on analyzing the effectiveness of a classroom-based intervention program implemented in several city first-grade classrooms. As an undergraduate at James Madison University, he was involved in numerous studies, including an independent research study on impulsivity in college students which has received special recognition at two conferences. As well, Terry was an integral part of a comprehensive study on 12 Rockingham County (VA) high schools exploring the behaviors and attitudes of adolescents to support the advancement of regional community programs.

Terry plans to pursue graduate courses in the near future for applied psychology or industrial/organizational psychology. He is an avid fan of independent cinema and enjoys disc-golfing, table tennis, crossword puzzles, and reading science fiction novels.

More About Leo

Before joining Art & Science Group, Shanaysha was an Assistant Professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs where she lectured and taught political science. She also has held teaching positions at both secondary and higher education institutions including the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Garrison Forest School, Baltimore County public schools, and Hood College.

Her deep commitment to improving education in the Baltimore City public schools is reflected by her current tenure as a Commissioner for the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners. In this position, Shanaysha and her fellow board members provide valuable strategic guidance to the CEO of Schools on raising the educational achievement of the 83,000 students served by the city’s public schools and providing ongoing financial and management guidance.

Someone clearly capable of juggling the personal and professional priorities in her life, Shanaysha is the mother of three adventuresome, affable, elementary-aged children who keep her on her toes. Lately, she’s been exploring the world of contemporary children’s literature, becoming somewhat of an expert on books involving vampires, magicians, orphaned children, while also sharing her childhood favorites with her children.

An intelligent and approachable professional, Shanaysha enjoys serving clients and being engaged in projects that matter and improve institutions and the people they serve.

More About Rebekah

Prior to joining the firm, Rebekah interned at Polk-Lepson Research Group, a firm specializing in qualitative and quantitative survey research related to marketing, consumer behavior, and public opinion. At Polk-Lepson she was involved in research projects ranging from evaluating the success of a performing arts program for children to the development of a database designed to determine variables that contribute to the success of participants in a county drug court program.

While an undergraduate at York College, Rebekah participated in the development of the College’s five-year strategic plan. As part of this effort, she designed and conducted online research with the campus community and local business leaders.

When she is not crunching data or involved in preparing client presentations, Rebekah enjoys bike rides along the Northern Central Railroad Trail and volunteering for a variety of organizations. A professed coffee connoisseur and dog lover, Rebekah is appreciating the firm’s fancy espresso machine and pet-friendly office.

More About Courtney

At the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, Courtney worked on a comprehensive project with the Maryland State Department of Education’s Childhood Development Division charged with improving early education statewide. To evaluate how early childhood education programs can better serve students and meet their desired outcomes, Courtney conducted qualitative interviews with parents and providers. The project resulted in the development of a set of strategies to identify at-risk children and improve their retention in pre-school.

During college, Courtney spent a semester studying at La Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, studying Spanish, Argentinian history and politics, and tango. After finishing her undergraduate degree she spent the summer working as a volunteer teacher for Cross Cultural Solutions in Karanga, Tanzania, and in graduate school she studied Renaissance rhetoric in Florence, Italy. In her spare time, Courtney enjoys keeping fit, baking, reading and, not surprisingly, traveling whenever and wherever she can. Once she makes it to Antarctica she will have accomplished her goal of traveling to all seven continents.

More About Janeene

Born and raised in Baltimore, Janeene held a variety of financial positions for Maryland Chemical for 20 years. But it was her three years at the University of Maryland, as Operations Coordinator for a state-wide public health education and awareness campaign underwritten by cigarette restitution funds, that made her truly value the societal and community contributions made by institutions of higher learning. There she served as the Operations Coordinator, setting up offices for the Statewide Health Network to educate rural citizens about the need for cancer screening and the warning signs of smoking-related diseases. Having lost her mother to end-stage pulmonary disease, Janeene was deeply committed to the cause and enjoyed helping others. Her commitment to higher education is evident by the fact that as a single parent Janeene worked two jobs for many years, determined to put her daughter through nursing school — a goal she realized in 1998.

An avid traveler with a large, blended family, Janeene is always ready for the next challenge and adventure. If you ask her colleagues, all will tell you that Janeene is always a step ahead, doing whatever needs to be done to better serve the interests of the firm, its clients and employees.