Kardia Group Affiliated Coaches

Who are the Kardia Group Coaches?

We – the Kardia Group coaches – bring substantial knowledge, experience, and passion to our work. All of us have studied, and continue to study, higher education as an organization and as an environment for individuals and most of us have direct training and experience in STEM or technical fields. We bring a commitment to understanding the impact of social identities and structures on individuals, including matters such as climate-related issues, microaggressions, and departmental cultures. We support the improvement of higher ed to support individual growth, success, and resilience.

Alison Coil

Alison brings passion and precision to helping faculty navigate the complex system of higher education, using her knowledge of systemic issues, experience in equity and inclusion, and robust time management skills to help faculty articulate their scholarly achievements and align their time and priorities to achieve their career goals.

Zabrina Epps

A systems thinker by nature, Zabrina’s superpower is her ability to understand an individual’s goals and aspirations at the nexus of institutional systems and structures, the realities of departmental politics, and the shifting priorities of leadership.

Zaryab Iqbal

Zaryab focuses on the specific priorities and circumstances of individual clients to develop a specialized approach to goal achievement, productivity and success, development and growth, and strategies for navigating the intricacies of the academic profession and institutional processes.

Kelly Mack

Kelly brings authenticity through positivity, gratitude, biofeedback, and mindfulness. She holds a space for scholars to sustain optimal levels of productivity without compromising or damaging their inner core spirits.

Elizabeth Odders-White

Elizabeth’s deep compassion and creativity, coupled with an intimate familiarity with the complexities of an academic environment, enable her to offer clients the particular support they need to achieve their goals while honoring their values and prioritizing well-being.

Scott Frey

Satisfaction with our work, and our overall quality of life, are often highly intertwined. The vicissitudes of academia can present unique challenges in this regard, and many discover that these do not disappear with tenure. Scott draws on his ample experience as a mentor, academic leader, and scientist to help individuals navigate this landscape with an emphasis on identifying and pursuing goals that align with their sense of purpose.

Sumun (Sumi) Pendakur

Sumi pairs a complex understanding of the nuances of higher education systems and structures with a skill for dialogue and engagement, humor, and a desire for institutional actors to feel empowered to make equitable change in their spheres of influence.

Angela Schaeffer

Angela is a strategic communications consultant and coach who believes in the power of communications to bridge divides, advance understanding, and inspire action and advocacy. She is particularly passionate about developing empathetic leaders and their communications skills and helping organizations and communities navigate change through effective communications.

Nélia Viveiros

Nélia (she/her/ella) uses her extensive experience in law, academe, equity, diversity and inclusion, mediation and conflict change management to help clients find their crucible leadership conflict skill set, setting them on the path to their unique leadership practice.

Karen Williams

Karen pairs profound intellectual curiosity with deep patience, guiding scholars into new ways of seeing and being. Her questions help define a new pathway and develop new understandings of success.

Want to learn more about coaching? Check out some of our other resources:

Coaching

Coaching FAQs

What Can I Expect in My First Coaching Session?

Faculty Coaching Groups

6-Session Coaching Series