Staff Archive - American Council of Trustees and Alumni

Tracy Pang

Lauri Kempson — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 10:35:56 +0000

As Senior Program Officer for Foundation Relations, Tracy works closely with the Development team and organization staff to cultivate and steward ACTA’s portfolio of foundation supporters. A former high school science teacher and K-12 policy advocate, Tracy is deeply passionate about education equity. She is a native Seattleite who graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a double major in biochemistry and economics and minors in business management, chemistry, and biology. Tracy currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and finds immense joy in hiking, traveling, dinner, and a good cheese.

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Grant Vargo-Willeford

Lauri Kempson — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 18:25:18 +0000

Grant Vargo-Willeford joined ACTA as a Program Associate for Development in September 2023. He works closely with ACTA’s Vice President of Development, Emily Koons Jae, to monitor fundraising goals, research prospective donors, and disseminate fundraising correspondence to ACTA supporters.

Prior to joining ACTA, Mr. Vargo-Willeford obtained a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Baylor University. He has previously held roles in finance, program management, and lobbying, all within the realm of higher education. Outside of the office, he enjoys reading and writing, cooking, watching hockey, and spending time with his girlfriend and their two cats.

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Clare Doyle

Lauri Kempson — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 17:54:20 +0000

Clare joined ACTA in September of 2023, as the Program Associate for Trustee and Government Affairs. Clare works with the Trustee and Government Affairs department in conducting trustee and legislative outreach. She aids the department in monitoring the developing trends in higher education and public policy throughout the country. Clare graduated from Fairfield University, CT, in the spring of 2023 where she majored in Politics and American Studies, and minored in American Government. During her time at Fairfield, Clare worked in the Connecticut lobbying industry, where she developed a strong passion for government affairs. Clare is an accomplished competitive Irish dancer and is an avid animal lover.

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Gregory Brice

Lauri Kempson — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:48:23 +0000

As the Program Administrator of Database Operations, Greg is a member of the operations team working in concert with the Operations Manager and Chief Operating Officer/Senior VP of Finance to support all of ACTA’s database and technology needs.

A DMV native, Greg was born and raised in Montgomery County, MD. Prior to joining the ACTA team, Greg attended Towson University, where he studied Philosophy and worked as an intern for several regional education non-profits. In his free time Greg enjoys listening to music and watching Formula One races.

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Graham Andreae

Lauri Kempson — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:28:23 +0000

Graham Andreae became a part of the ACTA team in February of 2023. As a Program Associate for Communications, he manages metrics and performance of media and social media efforts. Prior to his time at ACTA Graham was an avid film critic and journalist for a local New Orleans magazine. He graduated in 2020 from Tulane University with a Bachelor’s in English. Whenever he has time, he spends it reading history and biography books; playing the occasional round of golf; and listening to vinyl records on his turntable.

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Jimmy Lewis

Gabby Anglin — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 10:02:26 +0000

Jimmy Lewis joined ACTA as Major Gifts Officer in February of 2023. Mr. Lewis works closely with ACTA’s Vice President of Development & Philanthropy, Emily Koons Jae, as well as ACTA’s President and CEO, Dr. Michael Poliakoff.

Prior to joining ACTA, Mr. Lewis acquired his B.S. in Religion and M.A. in Philosophy from Liberty University. After his formal education, he relocated to the Washington, DC area and has been working in higher education and think tanks ever since.

When he isn’t reading or writing, Mr. Lewis likes to spend his time discussing and debating ideas in cigar lounges with friends and strangers alike.

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Alexander Wolf

Lauri Kempson — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 21:02:55 +0000

Alex Wolf joined ACTA in June 2022 as the Research Fellow for Campus Freedom. He focuses on measuring the qualitative and quantitative impacts of policies that affect the climate of free expression on college campuses. Prior to joining ACTA, Alex was a legal researcher. He graduated from the University of Arkansas Honors College in 2017, and the University of Minnesota Law School in 2021. In his spare time, Alex enjoys chess, playing piano, sports, and trivia.

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Steven McGuire

Gabby Anglin — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 20:30:44 +0000

As the Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom, Dr. McGuire writes, podcasts, and speaks on free speech and academic freedom in the context of contemporary campus issues. He also assists with related ACTA rapid responses, reports, and initiatives. Prior to joining ACTA, Dr. McGuire was director of the Matthew J. Ryan Center for the Study of Free Institutions and the Public Good and associate teaching professor in the Augustine and Culture Seminar Program at Villanova University. His academic research focuses on the history of political thought, focusing in particular on the theme of modernity and its critics. He is the co-editor of Eric Voegelin and the Continental Tradition, Subjectivity: Ancient and Modern, and Nature: Ancient and Modern. His writing has also appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Broad and Liberty, RealClearPolitics, Inside Higher Ed, The Public Discourse, Church Life Journal, Modern Age, Perspectives on Political Science, and the Political Science Reviewer.

He is currently editing two volumes on the politics of liberal education. He holds a B.A. from the University of Lethbridge, an M.A. from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America, where he was a Bradley Fellow and an ISI Richard M. Weaver Fellow. He was a 2021 Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow.

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Sadie Webb

Lauri Kempson — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 20:18:08 +0000

As the Program Manager for the College Debates & Discourse Alliance, Sadie works with students, faculty, and administrators to bring Braver Angels Debate programming to colleges and universities throughout the US. Prior to joining ACTA, Sadie studied at Denison University, double majoring in International Studies and Political Science, with a concentration in foreign policy formulation. Throughout her undergraduate education, she was heavily involved in a variety of campus extra curriculars, including co-founding the Denison Debate Society. In her free time, Sadie loves to spend time exploring nature and channeling her creative energy; she is an avid backpacker, chef, and painter.

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Bradley Jackson

Lauri Kempson — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 19:51:24 +0000

Dr. Jackson is responsible for ACTA’s academic publications and for initiatives relating to academic freedom, free expression, civics education, and curricular improvement. This includes overseeing What Will They Learn?, ACTA’s annual assessment of the general education programs of over 1,100 colleges and universities. Prior to joining ACTA, Dr. Jackson was Senior Program Officer at the Institute for Humane Studies, where he focused on topics such as free expression, academic freedom, and the cultural challenges of illiberalism.

He teaches in the Department of Political Science at American University. Prior to this, he taught at both Eastern Michigan University and Hillsdale College. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Michigan State University, specializing in Political Theory and American Government. He has published academic work on Thomas Hobbes and Adam Smith, as well as essays on higher education.

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