Board of Trustees

In her current position, Lynn Johnson overseas Parking and Transportation Services, Procurement Services, Office of Budgets, Business & Financial Services, Facilities Management, Environmental Health Services, Central Receiving & Mail Services, HR, the Office of the Ombuds & EAP, Risk Management & Insurance, Training & Organizational Development & the Office of Equal Opportunity. Lynn also serves as the liaison to the Administrative Professional Council and State Classified Personnel Council and as Board Chair of the Executive Steering Team for the Kuali Financial System Project.

She obtained her B.S. in accounting from UT Arlington. Lynn is a CPA and spent several years with KPMG and served as the CFO for a non-profit cancer research center in Denver prior to joining CSU in 2003.

Dr. Lori Barker is a professor in the Psychology Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). Dr. Barker’s main interests are multicultural attitudes, multicultural education/diversity training, and the psychological impact of diverse U.S. presidential candidates. Dr. Barker is also a licensed clinical psychologist with a private psychotherapy and diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting practice in Riverside, California. As a therapist, she specializes in providing culturally inclusive, sensitive, and responsive therapy. As a consultant, she helps organizations develop policies and procedures to meet their DEI goals. Two of Dr. Barker’s favorite things are travel and teaching, so when she heard about Semester at Sea, she knew it was a perfect fit.

Kristina previously worked for the Microsoft Corporation in Recruiting for nearly 12 years. Her last position there was Director of University and MBA Recruiting which also included responsibility for the company’s internship and scholarship programs. Kristina is a long-time member of the Board of Trustees for Rainier Scholars, an educational non-profit in the Seattle area which opens doors to education for hardworking, disadvantaged children of color, providing a pathway to college graduation and creating future community leaders. She also currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Seattle Country Day School, a private K-8 school in Seattle. Stanford University, Bachelors of Arts and Science degree in Economics and Biology.

Dr. Lisa Braun Glazer is a retired clinical psychologist. In her career, she worked as senior staff psychologist at the UCSD Counseling Center and as Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, teaching at UCSD School of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Braun Glazer worked in many different settings in S. California, and maintained a private practice specializing in the treatment of women. She holds an A. B. degree from Brandeis University, and earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Vermont. Lisa is a passionate environmentalist and has spent the years since retirement working to raise awareness about the climate crisis and threat of plastics aspiring to move people to action. She currently serves on the Advisory Council of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD.

Shaun N. Crisler (He/Him/His) has been committed to higher education and student success as a professional for 15 years and currently serves as the Associate Provost for Student Development at Le Moyne College. Shaun has spent much of his career in housing and residence life working in areas of communication, human resources, staff selection, training and development, and occupancy.

Shaun actively writes and presents on topics such as professional development, career planning, intercultural competence, assessment, and professional recruitment/selection. He also serves as an external reviewer in the ACUHO-I Standards and Middle States Accreditation process.

Shaun holds a B.S. in Biology, a M.Ed. in Adult Education from Northern Illinois University (NIU), and a MIRHR in Labor Relations and Human Resources from The Ohio State University (OSU). Shaun is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM – SCP).

Cedric Dark, MD, MPH, FACEP is an Associate Professor in the Henry J. N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine where he trains the next generation of America’s emergency physicians while caring for patients in one of Houston’s major trauma centers.

Dr. Dark has received the Texas Medical Association’s C. Frank Webber Award, the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association Joseph F. Waeckerle Alumni of the Year Award, and was named to Elemental’s List of 50 Experts to Trust in a Pandemic.

He has expansive media experience including print, radio, podcast, and television – including outlets such as NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and BBC World News.

A graduate of Morehouse College, Dr. Dark earned his medical degree from NYU and a master’s degree from Columbia.

Dennis Gertmenian is the CEO of Foxdale Properties and Founder of Ready Pac Foods®, where he served as CEO for 40 years. During his career, Dennis has completed over 60 mergers and acquisitions mostly related to the food and real estate industries. Dennis received an AA from Pasadena City College, a BS from the University of Southern California, and a MBA from Pepperdine University. Community service is very important to Dennis and his wife Susi, where they devote a great deal of time and resources. He is a lifetime resident of Pasadena where he and Susi raised 5 children. Dennis and Susi spend their summers at Grouse Creek Reserve- their ranch in the Tetons, where they enjoy multiple outdoor activities.

Conrad joined Franklin Templeton in 1988, holding various leadership roles as well as serving as lead portfolio manager of the Franklin California Growth Fund (later renamed the Franklin Flex Cap Growth Fund) from 1993 until 2016. During his 23-year tenure of this traditional long-only mutual fund, it was a top performing fund, outpacing his peers and relevant benchmarks, producing over 16% average annual returns. Prior to this, Conrad received his undergraduate degree from Brown University, and his MBA from Harvard. Conrad has two grown children, Christine and Alex, and married Julia Petitt Herrmann in 2020 after reconnecting with her at their 40th HS reunion. They mainly split their time now between CT and FL, in addition to traveling the globe.

Marisa is passionate about maritime law, which she has practiced since 2007. She handles a variety of maritime matters including cases involving yachts, ship repairs, maritime personal injury, maritime products liability, general average, and bunker fuel disputes. Her practice also includes marine insurance coverage, liability defense, bad faith defense, and commercial maritime transactional matters.

Marisa’s Education includes: Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D. (2007), Law of the Sea Studies at Oxford University, University of San Diego, B.A. International Relations (2001)

Mara Karlin, PhD sailed on Semester at Sea three times, including as a student in fall 1999 and as faculty in spring 2017 and spring 2024. She served in national security roles for 6 secretaries of defense across three administrations. As Asst. Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities, she led the 2022 National Defense Strategy and advised the Secretary of Defense on forces, plans, posture, emerging capabilities, and security cooperation. She was Acting Asst. Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, leading DoD relations with nearly 150 countries. In the Obama and Bush administrations, she focused on strategic planning, defense policy and budgeting, future conflicts, and Middle East and Asian affairs. She was the Strategic Studies Director and an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University-SAIS, and a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings  Institution. She is the author of two books on military history and defense policy. She earned an undergraduate degree from Tulane University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Strategic Studies from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

Jenny Lewis is the Chief Marketing Officer and President at The Knot Worldwide. In her role, Jenny leads all Marketing initiatives for the company and its 19 global brands. With expertise in growing and advancing well-known brands, Jenny was the Head of US and Canada Marketing for Uber and UberEats prior to joining TKWW. As one of Uber’s earliest marketing hires, she helped transform the start-up into an iconic household name, and was the driving force behind a number of product and brand-defining initiatives.

She is a graduate of George Washington University, Semester at Sea alumna, and currently resides in Boston with her husband, Ryan, and 2 year old son, Jack.

Emily leads marketing for LinkedIn’s Learning business, focused on connecting consumers and organizations with digital learning to develop skills needed in an evolving world of work. Emily has over 15 years of experience across marketing and product management at companies including Accenture, American Express, and Yahoo!. She joined LinkedIn in 2013 and led the Consumer Marketing function until joining the LinkedIn Learning in 2016. Emily graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in International Relations and studied abroad in Paris, France through the Sweet Briar program. She holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley.

Karen retired from JPMorgan as a Vice Chairman in investment banking and held numerous leadership roles over her 36-year career, living in London for 20 years. Karen currently serves on the Boards of three publicly traded companies: Aker ASA, listed in Oslo; Energean plc, listed in London and Crescent Energy listed on the NYSE. Karen is a Co-Chair of the Thunderbird School of Global Management Global Alumni network and advisor to the Dean as well as on the Executive Advisory Council for the Bush Institute in Dallas. Karen holds a Masters of International Management from Thunderbird and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in addition to a BA from the University of Colorado. Karen sailed on SAS in the Spring of 1979 and enjoys hiking, cycling, golf, skiing, wine tasting and travel!

Anthony manages investment operations for his Family Office, Armo Corporation, which invests in reliable income producing assets that align with its ultra-conservative investment criteria. Anthony holds a background in Finance and is working toward becoming a CFA charterholder. He graduated from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder in May 2016.

Anthony holds past experience as an Account Executive, Season Ticket Sales for both the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche, and enjoys travel and recreation activities while spending time with loved ones. Anthony joined as a board member in May 2024 as part of the Finance Committee and Investment Committee. Anthony is determined to help grow and spread the word about this life changing program, Semester At Sea!

Khanh was President & CEO of Aviation Capital Group, a global aviation leasing company. Previously, he was President, Chief Investment Officer, CFO, Treasurer and head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Pacific Life Insurance Company. He is currently an independent board member at Reinsurance Group of America (RGA:NYSE).

He has served on the boards of CIT Group, Aviation Capital, Pacific Life, Scottish Re, the Argyros College of Business & Economics at Chapman University. In 2019 he founded and is currently chair emeritus of the Orange County, California, chapter of Ascend Leadership, the largest Pan-Asian professional membership organization, dedicated to developing, elevating & increasing Pan-Asian executive leaders and board members.

He holds a BA from Whittier College and an MBA from UCLA.

Liz first sailed with Semester at Sea as a Resident Director in Spring ’04 then again as staff in Summer ’08 and Fall ’10. Her background is in Higher Education and Human Development, working in Residence Life. After the Summer ’08 voyage she and her husband both switched careers to focus on sustainability as a result of their time with Semester at Sea.

Liz currently serves as the Executive Director for Ecochallenge.org, a digital nonprofit focusing on behavior change and the environment. Liz is a proud Semester at Sea Alum, happy to serve on the Board of Trustees for ISE, and lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and son.

Tracey, is an international policy practitioner vastly experienced in multiparty democratic systems strengthening and meaningful governance. She has a BA (Magna cum laude) in International Relations, Security Studies, Peace & Conflict Transformation from Daystar University and an MPPA (Summa cum laude) in International Policy and Management from Colorado State University. The aspiring pracademic is passionate about community development and strongly believes in paying forward, exemplified in her community service track record including being the brains behind Sosiani Wasome, her brainchild project which equipped a public primary school in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley with a fully equipped modern library.

Greg started his career in the insurance industry at Chubb, in San Francisco and Warren, NJ. After returning to the Pasadena area, Greg joined Swett & Crawford as a wholesale insurance broker in Los Angeles. In 2000 Greg acquired his father’s insurance brokerage where he expanded operations to become a top 100 firm in the United States. Ten years later Greg sold his firm to Arthur J. Gallagher and transitioned into the auto parts business by acquiring Transgo. After growing Transgo into one of the largest aftermarket transmission kit manufacturers, he sold the firm to a private equity group out of North Carolina. Greg currently serves on several forprofit and nonprofit boards. He is the Board Chair of the Chapman Family Foundation, the Executive Chair of Smart Parke, and former Board Chair of Semester at Sea. Greg and his wife, Kristin, live in San Marino and have 3 children (Reese, Luke, and Nico). Greg graduated from the University of San Diego and has an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at USC.

Marjorie is a former high risk labor and delivery nurse with volunteer experience in HIV/AIDS in Zambia, Kenya and Rwanda. She has worked with and supported the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative as well as several other international NGO’s and philanthropies. Marjorie was one of the founding donors of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado and has served as president of her family’s foundation which focuses on social justice issues and the needs of the underserved. She is a former co-owner of The Shreveport Journal and is currently an investor in commercial real estate and alternative assets. Received two undergraduate degrees including a BSN and a Master’s Degree in Health Administration and Policy

Dr. Blanche Hughes received her Bachelor’s degree from Earlham College, a Master’s of Education degree in Student Affairs and Doctorate degree in Sociology from Colorado State University. She is currently in her 17th year as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Colorado State University. In this role, she works with a Division that includes 15 departments that collaborate with other units in the University community providing support for our students and staff. Dr. Hughes teaches and advises in the Student Affairs in Higher Education graduate program.

Blanche is married to Wayne Hughes and they have four children (two are alums of CSU) and five grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, attending athletic events, and teaching.

Terrie is currently serving as the Past President of the Semester at Sea Alumni Association. Terrie sailed in Spring 2012 as a Resident Director and has remained involved in SAS ever since her voyage and job of a lifetime. On land, Terrie is the Director of Residential Student Life at UC Santa Barbara. Terrie’s passions lie in coaching staff, students and clients in using their strengths and values to get unstuck and to design the life they want. Terrie has a wellness coaching practice serving teenagers and women. Terrie is a Mental Health First Aid instructor and certifies MHFAiders in the Santa Barbara County and at UCSB. Terrie enjoys traveling, good food, live music, and the serene beach life in Carpinteria with her husband and their Jindo doggy Prince.

Provost and Executive Vice President Marion K. Underwood is Colorado State University’s Chief Academic Officer and second in command within the University’s administration under President Amy Parsons. In addition to the Office of the Provost’s broad scope of vice provost reporting areas and key student and faculty success initiatives, Dr. Underwood oversees the deans of all eight academic colleges, the Libraries, and Graduate School; the offices of the Vice President for Research and the Vice President for Student Affairs; and the Office of the Chair of the Faculty Council.

Dr. Mandy Bratton is the Executive Director of the UC San Diego Center for Global Sustainable Development, home to the award-winning Global Ties and Global Changemaker Scholars programs. These programs inspire students to collaborate with communities to co-create solutions to urgent challenges such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Mandy also serves as a Founding Director of the UC San Diego Changemaker Institute. As an Ashoka U Change Leader, she was instrumental in making UC San Diego an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus. Mandy holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Texas and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard University. She has completed three voyages with Semester at Sea and served as president of its alumni association.

Ken Cushner, Emeritus Professor of Int’l Teacher Education at Kent State University, is a Founding Fellow and current Executive Director of the Int’l Academy for Intercultural Research. He has been a Fulbright Scholar to Sweden and Poland, and is author of several books including “Teacher as Traveler: Enhancing the Intercultural Competence of Teachers and Students” (2018), and “Human Diversity in Education: An Intercultural Approach” (11th ed., 2024). Ken has taught on five voyages: Summers of 2010 and 2011, Fall 2017, Spring 2019 and Spring 2022, and will direct Global Studies on the Spring 2024 voyage. Ken also serves on the board of Orkeeswa School, a Maasai community schools northern Tanzania; Givat Haviva, an Israeli Jewish-Arab institute devoted to shared society initiatives.

Paige Ensor is a five-year alumnus of the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Spring 2017 Semester at Sea voyager. Upon graduation, she moved to New York City to work for IBM, where she is currently employed as a Corporate Strategist. In addition to her corporate experience, Paige is also the Founder & CEO of MarqUP Brands, a small but mighty marketing services and consulting firm with expertise in non-profit and new business development. Paige joined the ISE/Semester at Sea Board of Trustees as an advisor in January 2023 and is a passionate contributor to the overall ISE/SAS mission.

Jim is currently an Investor and an Independent Director of Ingram Industries and FTAI Infrastructure. Jim retired in 2020 as Global Head of Transportation Investment Banking for JP Morgan after a 34-year career on Wall Street leading high-performing Global Transportation Investment Banking teams covering clients in the Shipping, Cruise Line, Transportation, Aviation and Logistics sectors. Before heading to Wall St, Jim sailed on deep sea coastwise and foreign trades as a Deck Officer with Gulf Oil Corporation, raising his license to Chief Mate. Jim was also a LTCDR in the US Naval Reserve. Prior to this, Jim received a B.S. from the US Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA from NYU Graduate School of Business. Jim and his wife Debra live on the Southern Outer Banks in North Carolina.

Kirk loves sports, family time, and learning. Kirk still regularly plays basketball (often at San Quentin State Penitentiary) and enjoys time with his wife and twin boys.

He received a BA in Science, Technology, and Society. Technical Depth – Management Science and Engineering Stanford Unversity, 2010

Austin sailed as a student on the Fall 2014 voyage while attending the University of San Diego. Austin earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance with a minor in Non-Profit Leadership Studies from USD. Austin started at Bailard Wealth Management in 2016, working with individuals, families, and non-profits to help guide them along their financial journey and be a responsible steward of their capital. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and Enrolled Agent, helping clients navigate a variety of financial situations. He previously served on the SAS Young Alumni Council and Alumni Association Board of Directors.

For the past 24 years, Todd has served as a founding Partner at Western States Technologies, a real estate investment company headquartered in Los Angeles. Prior to that, Todd was Vice-President/Director of Marketing at The Sammis Company, a national real estate investment company headquartered in Irvine, California. Todd graduated cum laude from the Real Estate Finance Program at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and was awarded membership in The Golden Key International Honor Society.

Jay and his wife Christy live in Boulder and are recent empty nesters with two sons in college. In his spare time, he is usually traveling, playing golf, or engaged in other athletic pursuits.

Jay and Christy founded Peak to Peak Leadership, which brings values-based leadership programs to students. He has served on boards or committees at Lead Colorado, Alexander Dawson School, Boulder Country Club, YMCA of Northern Colorado, Boulder Country Day School and SAS’s Alumni Association.

His career focused on brand management and acquisitions at companies including WhiteWave Foods, Horizon Organic, and General Mills. He earned an MBA from the Tuck School (Dartmouth College) and a BA in Biochem and Econ from Queen’s University. Jay grew up in Canada and worked in Japan before going to Tuck.

Mike is an audit partner in KPMG’s Orange County office with more than 25 years of experience providing financial statement audit and audit of internal control services, focusing on mid- to large-size SEC engagements, large private companies, venture-backed and private equity portfolio companies. Mike’s. Mike has travelled extensively including living and working in Bangkok, Thailand. Mike and his wife, Jamie, live in Newport Beach and have busy and active lives raising their 4 children. Mike graduated from the University of San Diego and is also a licensed CPA.

Chanel Watson is a Brand and Program Marketing Manager at Showtime Networks specializing in consumer marketing and brand strategy tactics to promote Showtime’s original programming. Her previous experience in the media industry includes roles at Complex Networks and BET. Currently serving as an Advisory Committe Member among the Marketing and Recruiting Committee, she hopes to help bring more awareness of the Semester at Sea program to HBCUs, and provide opportunities for BIPOC students to take advantage of the voyage she claims is “An experience of a lifetime.”

Chanel was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Maryland until leaving home to attend Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications with a focus on Strategic Communications and a minor in Entrepreneurship. After moving to begin her career in New York City, Chanel attended The New School to receive her Master of Science in Media Management. In the meantime, she enjoys continuing to travel with her old Semester at Sea friends, creating music playlist, and kickboxing!

Dr. Tymitz served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Shipboard Education until February 2007. He served as a faculty member for Chapman College’s World Campus Afloat in 1972 and as the Associate Director of Operations from 1973-75.

In 1976 he was the co-founder of the Institute for Shipboard Education, serving as the Director of Administrative Affairs until 1984. In 1984 he was appointed Executive Director; in 1997 the Board of Directors changed his title to Chief Executive Officer.

His teaching experience includes serving as an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. He has his B.A. and M.A. from Southern Illinois University and received his Ph.D. in 1973 from Oklahoma State University.