Meet the Team
Executive Transition Team
Chao Guo
chaoguo@sp2.upenn.edu
Chao Guo is Professor and Faculty Director of Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership Program in the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Chao currently serves as President of ARNOVA’s Board of Directors.
Alan Abramson
aabramson@gmu.edu
Alan Abramson is a Professor and Director of the Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He is a former president of ARNOVA.
William Brown
wbrown@tamu.edu
Dr. William Brown is a professor and the Director of the Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy and Holder of the Mary Julia and George Jordan Professorship at Texas A&M University in the Bush School of Government & Public Service.
Jennifer Madden
jrmadden@linfield.edu
Dr. Jennifer Madden is the the dean of the School of Business, Paul S. Barber Chair of Design and Innovation, and a professor of management at Linfield University. She is also a Nonprofit Management Research Fellow, a Fowler Sustainability Fellow and a Management Design Fellow.
Elizabeth Searing
elizabeth.searing@utdallas.edu
Dr. Elizabeth Searing is an Associate Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas and the Fellow to the Venise Stuart Professor in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. Dr. Searing’s primary research focus is the financial management of nonprofit and social enterprise organizations, but she also conducts work on resilience, charity data, and comparative social economy more broadly. She is an Associate Editor and editorial board member of Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and she also serves as an Adjunct Research Professor at Carleton University, Canada.
Volunteer Coordinators - Communications Team
Brandy Wicker
Volunteer ARNOVA-L Coordinator
Brandy Moriah Wicker attained bachelor's degrees in English and theatre and dance from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas. She has almost 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration and fundraising, with the bulk of her career in arts administration. She is currently a teaching assistant at The University of Texas at Dallas, pursuing a PhD in Public Affairs full-time in the public and nonprofit management department. Her research interests broadly include nonprofit management and effectiveness, with specific attention to public funding for the arts, cultural policy, arts administration, arts outcomes, and grants personnel.
Anton Sutiagin
Volunteer Newsletter Coordinator
Anton Sutiagin is currently a Ph.D. student and Teaching Assistant in the Public and Nonprofit Management program at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he explores effective governance and organizational resilience strategies in the nonprofit sector. With a background in sociology and extensive experience in market research and consumer insights, he brings analytical expertise to studying nonprofit operations and impact. Along with his research studies into nonprofits, he is actively involved in volunteering for local nonprofits in Richardson, TX.
Salman Bin Habib
Volunteer Social Media Coordinator
Salman Bin Habib is a PhD student in Public Affairs at UT Dallas, researching nonprofit finance, public budgeting, and blockchain policy. He brings hands-on experience in social media strategy, digital marketing, and data analysis across higher ed and nonprofit settings. At ARNOVA, he manages social media to amplify research, foster engagement, and bridge academic insights with public discourse.
Kayla Parker
Volunteer Website Coordinator
Kayla Parker is a Ph.D. student and graduate teaching assistant in the Public and Nonprofit Management program at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the graduate fellow with the Scholars Strategy Network.
Volunteer Coordinators - Membership Team
Tulib Ahmed
Volunteer Membership Coordinator
Tulib Ahmed is a passionate advocate for education and sustainable development with over 15 years of experience driving positive change within the non-profit sector. He holds a bachelor's degree in Information and Communication Technology and a master's degree in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, where he also served as a Graduate Assistant for the Global Philanthropy Environment Index. Fluent in English, Arabic, and Bahasa Malaysia, he connects with diverse communities on a global scale.
Tulib's career trajectory reflects his unwavering commitment to social impact. He has worked and collaborated with renowned organizations like the World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation, NAMA Foundation, and the United Nations for over 15 years. His expertise spans strategic planning, public relations, partnerships, and marketing.
Mnguashima V. Soomiyol
Volunteer Membership Coordinator
Mnguashima is a Ph.D. student in the Public Affairs and Community Development program at Rutgers University–Camden and a community-engaged scholar. Her research interests include livelihoods, nonprofit organizations, community resilience, community-based research, and initiatives aimed at improving access and fostering social justice in distressed and vulnerable communities. She is dedicated to studying public policies and interventions that enhance livelihoods and promote equity.
Benito Ortega Torres
Volunteer Membership Coordinator
Benito is a Ph.D. student in Public Affairs and Community Development at Rutgers University – Camden. Originally from Paraguay, he supports ARNOVA’s Membership Team while conducting research on community resilience, nonprofit density, and social vulnerability in Latin America and the Caribbean. His areas of interest include rural development, sustainable agriculture, agrarian vulnerability, and the intersection between nonprofits and agriculture through a social lens.