Candidates for AVP of University Engagement to visit CMU

Four candidates for Central Michigan University’s new associate vice president of University Engagement will visit with community members between May 18 and May 21, 2026.

Shawna Patterson-Stephens, vice president of University Engagement and Student Affairs, announced the search in February. The AVP of University Engagement will oversee a unit focused on organizational culture and student success, and will supervise teams including the CMU Cares office, the Center for Collaborative Learning and Engagement, the CMU Counseling Center, and more. The individual will provide deep expertise and recommendations for fostering greater community engagement and belonging, Patterson-Stephens said.

Four finalists have been invited to visit Mount Pleasant for meetings with a variety of student, staff and faculty leaders, and will participate in open forums for all interested community members. Abbreviated biographies for each candidate, drawn from their application materials, are listed below, along with the date and livestream link for their open forum. 

All forums will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the President’s Conference Room on the third floor of the Bovee University Center.

Monday, May 18 — Taran McZee, Ph.D.

Taran McZee, Ph.D., currently serves as vice president for belonging and culture and Title IX officer at Albion College in Albion, Michigan. In this role, McZee is a member of the president’s senior leadership cabinet and provides leadership, vision, and guidance for institutional inclusion and belonging efforts. He also founded and serves as a consultant for Penelope Penn Consulting, LLC, which works with agencies on diversity, equity, and inclusion policy, procedure, and initiative creation. His most recent prior roles include Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Officer for the Holland Public School District and vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion and Title IX Officer at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. He serves on the board of directors for the National Association for Diversity Officers in Higher Education, is a board member of several nonprofit organizations, and has spoken at and served on planning committees for numerous professional conferences and meetings. McZee earned a doctorate in educational policy studies and evaluation from the University of Kentucky, and he holds two CMU degrees: a master’s degree in educational administration and community leadership, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

Livestream for Taran McZee

Tuesday, May 19 — Kyle Oldham, Ed.D.

Kyle Oldham, Ed.D., currently serves as director of Workplace Integrity and Talent Management at Colorado State University, where he also served as associate director of Housing and Dining Services for Diversity, Inclusion, and Assessment. In these roles, he trains and coaches staff on workplace management, communication, policies and procedures, and meaning-making perspective. He oversees multiple units, including more than 450 full-time staff, and guides strategic planning, program review, and annual goals efforts.   His prior roles include dean of students for the Semester at Sea program; facilitator and consultant with DeEtta Jones & Associates; training, facilitation and consulting for the City of Fort Collins, Colorado; and leadership and teaching roles at Colorado State University, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and North Central College. He participates in several university, community, and national nonprofit and professional organizations. Oldham earned an Ed.D. in social justice education from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, a master’s degree in student affairs higher education from Colorado State University, and a bachelor’s degree in speech communications from Baldwin-Wallace University.

Livestream for Kyle Oldham

Wednesday, May 20 — Cason Brunt

Cason Brunt currently serves as Deputy Chief Student Affairs Officer and Associate Dean of Students at the University of Vermont. In this role, he serves as a senior advisor to the vice provost and dean of students, and provides leadership on matters of strategic planning, assessment, compliance, crisis response, and student support. He led a multidisciplinary team of more than 220 professional staff working in units such as housing and dining; health, well-being, and basic needs; and student life. His previous roles included serving as dean of students and deputy Title IX coordinator at Dominican University and as interim dean of students and associate dean of students at the New York Institute of Technology. He also held leadership roles in student affairs at La Salle University, Kent State University, Purdue University, Rosemont College, and St. Joseph’s University. Brunt also served as dean of Kenwood Academy, a public college preparatory high school, and as a major gifts officer for the Chicago Scholars Foundation. Brunt earned a master’s degree in communication management with a higher education concentration from La Salle University and a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Livestream for Cason Brunt

Thursday, May 21 — Terrence Frazier, Ph.D.

Terrence Frazier, Ph.D., currently serves as Consultant for the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Impact at Michigan State University, where he has also held roles including assistant to the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Services. In these roles, he has supported the advancement of strategic priorities relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including development and implementation of a campus-wide climate survey, designing training and assessment tools, and developing a structural framework for MSU’s diversity, equity, and inclusion scorecard. Frazier helped to shape and promote university policy and programming that affirms the university’s mission of inclusive student engagement and connectedness. He also previously held teaching, staff and leadership roles at Alabama A& M University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Iowa State University, Ball State University and Ohio University. He is a member of several higher education professional organizations, including the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and has attended and presented at numerous professional conferences. He earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies at Iowa State University, and both a master’s degree in higher education/higher education administration and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and teaching from Ohio University.

Livestream for Terrence Frazier