Meet our Executive Advising Team

Dr. Joel M. DiCicco, CPA

Dr. Joel M. DiCicco, CPA, is a finance, taxation, and accounting expert with 40+ years of experience across government, academia, and professional service. At the IRS, he advanced to Territory Manager for Financial Products, and later Global High Wealth and Large Business Employment Taxes, leading examinations of sophisticated taxpayers and overseeing complex structuring, valuation, and employment-tax matters. For 15+ years he has taught in Florida Atlantic University’s Graduate Executive Programs as a full-time Senior Instructor in accounting, finance, and taxation. He contributes to the profession through the Florida Institute of CPAs (Editorial Committee and Accounting Principles/Auditing Standards Committee) and serves on the LIRN Board, advising on investments, financial reporting, and Form 990 compliance. He holds a PhD (Public Administration—budgeting/finance), MS-Tax, MBA-Finance, plus credentials in valuation, forensics, and management accounting.

Heidi Frazier, JD, PMP

Heidi Frazier is the President of Florida University Southeast (FUSE). She brings a diverse background to her roles, with over a decade of experience as an educator, an eclectic educational background, and extensive administrative practice. She holds a master’s degree in business, a Juris Doctorate with multiple academic recognitions, and is a JSD Candidate. Ms. DiCicco has taught various subjects at the college level, served as a court administrator and attorney for a child advocacy program, worked briefly as a Senior Attorney for Florida’s Office of the Attorney General, Children’s Legal Services, and previously held a position as a Department Director for a nonprofit. 

Bedru Sultan, Senior Advisor | Global Development & Sustainability

Bedru Sultan is a seasoned advisor and entrepreneur with over three decades of leadership across Africa, the Middle East, and North America. With academic training in Economics and Emergency Planning, he has guided multinational partnerships in infrastructure, energy, and environmental restoration. He co-founded Prime Business International, led Eureka Pioneers in renewable energy, and served as CEO of GCCOM in France. His board service includes U.S.-based firms Build Africa, Trans-Atlantic Commerce, and the global nonprofit Trees for the Future. As Founder and Chairman of Greener Ethiopia, he has overseen the planting of nearly 40 million trees and advised the late President of Ethiopia on environmental affairs. Based in the United States, Mr. Sultan continues to advance sustainable development and strategic collaboration worldwide.

Luís Carvalho

Luís Carvalho is a communications and education specialist with over 17 years of experience leading projects that translate research and public-health evidence into impactful campaigns and innovative e-learning programs. He currently serves as Education Coordinator at the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG, UK), where he designs and manages global capacity-building and digital learning initiatives for primary-care professionals. 

Throughout his career, Luís has held roles spanning strategic communications management, consulting, health-promotion leadership, and higher-education quality assurance. He co-created and co-wrote 2’ Life-Changing Minutes, Portugal’s first health-education television series, which received multiple awards, and directed national communication campaigns, including a tuberculosis-prevention series commissioned by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health. 

Luís also serves as an external evaluator for Erasmus+, advises on script development for stage and screen, and teaches scriptwriting. His work bridges creative storytelling with public-health impact and education, demonstrating his multidisciplinary expertise in delivering sustainable learning solutions. 

He holds a Master in Research and Innovation in Higher Education (MARIHE, Erasmus Mundus) and continues to contribute internationally to advancing education, communications, and health promotion. 

Edward W. Choi, PhD

Dr. Edward W. Choi is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Writing Center at Yonsei University’s Underwood International College, and a board member of Dongyang University. A scholar of international and comparative higher education, his research examines governance, internationalization, and family-owned universities in Korea and globally. 

He has edited and authored books with Routledge, Brill|Sense, and Springer, and published in Policy Reviews in Higher Education and International Higher Education. He also reviews for Higher Education Research & Development and the International Journal of African Higher Education, and serves on the editorial board of Educazione. 

Dr. Choi earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Boston College, an M.A. in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University, an M.S.W. in Not-for-profit Management from Rutgers University, and a B.A. in Economics from Boston College. His teaching spans research methods, sociology of education, and Korean higher-education internationalization. 

Dr. İsa Saraç, PhD

Dr. İsa Saraç is a scholar and higher-education entrepreneur dedicated to global academic collaboration and innovative learning. Educated in Turkey (BSc Mathematics, Ege University; MSc Applied Statistics and Computing, Ege; PhD Econometrics, Dokuz Eylül University), he combines quantitative rigor with institution building. An academic visitor at the University of Warwick, he later founded London Meridian College in London, serving as president. Relocating to the U.S., he established Virginia International University in Fairfax, Virginia, leading it for 24 years until 2023 and building a multicultural institution recognized for international orientation and student success. He currently serves as president of the Society for the Advancement of Global Academics (SAGA), advancing cross-border partnerships, technology-enabled pedagogy, and access to higher education. His career reflects leadership with global, lasting impact.

Dereje Tessema, PhD, PMP, PMI-ACP, CEA, SAFe-SPC

Dr. Dereje Tessema is a scholar-practitioner, consultant, and educator with over 25 years of experience managing large-scale government and private-sector programs. He specializes in enterprise architecture, EdTech, and infrastructure projects, and has led numerous multimillion-dollar initiatives. 

An accomplished author of three books and multiple research papers on leadership and management, Dr. Tessema developed the Tessema Multiple Intelligence Model, advancing organizational transformation and agility theory. He holds Ph.Ds. in Management and Sustainability, two master’s degrees, and several industry certifications. 

Dr. Tessema has taught graduate and professional courses worldwide in project management, leadership, enterprise architecture, and agile methodologies, including at Georgetown University, where he teaches in the Master of Professional Studies in Project Management Program. He also trains and consults executives and leaders globally. 

Ayenachew Aseffa, PhD, MPM, SAFe-SM

Dr. Ayenachew Aseffa is an experienced academic administrator, educator, consultant, trainer, and project manager with over a decade of international experience in both academic and non-academic roles. He has worked with several international organizations, including serving as a consultant to the World Bank, and has led international projects such as the Higher Education Forum for Africa, Asia, and Latin America, a multi-country initiative spanning three continents. 

As an academic administrator, Dr. Aseffa has overseen institutional transformation efforts that strengthened all aspects of organizational capacity. He is also an established scholar with numerous publications and completed research projects. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, where he also completed a postdoctoral fellowship. His academic background further includes studies in public administration and management. ​