April 23-25, 2026
Conference Agenda

7th Annual Business School Engagement Collaborative (BSEC) Conference
Theme: Building Momentum: Resilience, Leadership, and Innovation
Locations: Hyatt Regency Newport Beach & Paul Merage School of Business

Thursday, April 23

Conference Kickoff

2:00p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Registration & Check-in

at Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Hotel

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Conference Kickoff Welcome & Networking Reception

at Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Hotel
Kick off the conference by connecting with fellow attendees in a relaxed, engaging setting.

Friday, April 24

Conference Morning

at the Paul Merage School of Business

8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Opening Welcome & Conference Overview

Speaker: Dr. Danielle Ammeter, BSEC Chair

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Keynote Address

Building Momentum: Resilience, Leadership, and Innovation

Speaker: Dr. Damon A. Williams

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Deans Panel Discussion

Building Momentum: Resilience, Leadership, & Innovation

Panelists

Dean Randy V. Bradley – Jack C. Massey College of Business, Belmont University
Dean Rangapriya (Priya) Kannan – Lucas College & Graduate School of Business, San José State University
Dean Joyce A. Strawser – Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University
Dean H. Rao Unnava – Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis

Moderator Timothy S. Mescon, Ph.D. Vice President, Americas Growth & Engagement, AACSB International

12:15 - 1:30PM Networking Lunch

Conference Afternoon

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Industry & Innovation Panel

Disrupt or Be Disrupted: The Future of Business Education

Panelists

Mats Johansson, President, EON Reality
Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich, President, New State University
Julian Tandler, Entrepreneur
Matt Wheelan, Entrepreneur

Moderator Andrew Schwarz

2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. AACSB Session

Advancing Societal Impact in Business Education

Speaker Tim Mescon Vice President, Americas Growth & Engagement, AACSB International

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Leadership Development Session

Holistic Leadership: Enabling Resilience & Innovation

Speakers

Deborah Vereen
Frank Miles

Friday Evening Reception

Hyatt Regency Newport Beach

7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Networking Reception & Awards Dinner
Celebrate achievements and continue building connections in an elevated evening setting.

Saturday, April 25

Day 2 Conference

Paul Merage School of Business

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Keynote Address

What Leaders Can Learn From a Child Asking, “Are We There Yet?”

Speaker: Joe Lalley

10:40 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. Final Session

What’s Disrupting University Recruiting

Speaker: Kelsey Darnell, Strategy Lead, Member Experience at Veris Insights