Clearinghouse Staff, Advisers, and External Expert Panelists

The EOA Clearinghouse staff

Dr. David Arendale serves as Manager for the EOA Best Practices Clearinghouse.  Arendale is an Associate Professor Emeritus in History and Higher Education at the University of Minnesota with the Department of Curriculum & Instruction in the College of Education and Human Development. <more information>

Phone: (612) 812-0032  Clearinghouse Email: edpractices@eoa.org

EOA Clearinghouse Advisory Council

The EOA Clearinghouse Advisory Council includes experts with academic access programs and approaches to meeting the needs of first-generation college, historically-underrepresented, and poor students.

Dr. Trent Ball is Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Retention at Southeast Missouri State University and provides leadership and management of the Academic Support Centers (Educational Access Programs, Learning Assistance Programs, The Plan for College Initiative, The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, and Student Support Services. <more information>

Mr. Clark Chipman has been a strong advocate for best practices.  After four decades Chipman retired in 2004 from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and continues his work advocating for the needs of first-generation, poor, and underrepresented children and adolescents. <more information>

Bruce and Sharyn Schelske served at the University of Minnesota for more than four decades directing at various times the TRiO Upward Bound, Student Support Services, and McNair Programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).  <more information>

External Expert Review Panel

The External Review Panel of the EOA Clearinghouse is composed of experts with terminal academic degrees, expertise in program evaluation, and familiarity with TRIO, GEAR UP, and other educational opportunity programs.

Dr. Karen S. Agee coordinated the Reading and Learning Center at the University of Northern Iowa 1984-2009.  She served the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) as secretary, president, and executive assistant to the Board.  <more information>

Dr. Clara Fitzpatrick has consulted with many TRIO programs to ensure compliance and accurate data reporting for over three decades.  While she was on the governing board of the former Board of Regents governing Illinois State and Northern Illinois universities, she co-founded the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education, an organization to promote legislation for equality in higher education.  <more information>

Dr. Jay Hegeman has been involved with TRIO programs at Frostburg State University since 1976, when he held a joint appointment with Student Support Services (SSS) and Upward Bound (UB) as an evaluation specialist.  He has been a director of Upward Bound Regional Math/Science Center (RMSC) as well as served as interim director of the campus UB and SSS projects.  <more information>

Dr. Deema de Silva was an Associate Professor and .and grant writer and Director of Student Support Services at Wichita State University since 1985. She implemented the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requirements and Total Quality Management criteria to improve the quality of services offered to students.  <more information>

Dr. Darrin Sorrells is a Learning Assistance Specialist at the University of Southern Indiana (USI) in Evansville, Indiana.  In this position, he oversees all College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) and National Tutoring Association (NTA) tutor training and certification processes for the USI Academic Skills Office.   <more information>