KDM Team

Dr. Akers is the Assistant Vice President for Research Innovation and Advocacy, in the Division of Research and Economic Development, and Professor of Public Health, Morgan State University (MSU).

Dr. Akers is also serving as the Principal Investigator to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program on Visual Analytics for Science and Technology (VAST), with a focus on undergraduate STEM training, and a previously funded Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsored Center he created entitled, Center for Health Informatics, Planning, and Policy (CHIPP). And, in 2017, Dr. Akers was appointed by President David Wilson to Chair the University’s first Innovation Committee.

Dr. Akers has been instrumental in establishing the Center for Food Safety Informatics, Research, Engineering, and Security (C-FIRES). He and his team have worked with the International Food Protection Training Institute, along with the USDA and FDA in introducing data, predictive, and visual analytics around food safety and security nationally. Additionally, Dr. Akers and his team have recognized in a seminal publication focusing on the Internet of Things for capacity and automati

Joyce Hunter is a strategic-doer and a philantropreneur. She was appointed to the position of Deputy Chief Information Officer for Policy and Planning at the Department of Agriculture (2013 – 2017). In addition to policy and technology planning, Ms. Hunter oversaw the Departments 4.1 billion dollar IT investment portfolio, responsible for the Departments capital planning, governance, enterprise architecture, FITARA, data management and Departmental policies. She also created the USDA’s Open Data STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Agriculture and Math) summer camp for underserved youth, developed open data discussions with the governments of South Korea, Dubai and the UAE. Also, she was the executive sponsor of the IT Workforce Development program and the IT Fellows Program.

Prior to her appointment with USDA, Ms. Hunter spent 15 years in the health information technology space advising executives and program managers at CMS, FDA, AHRQ and NIH. With over 30 years’ experience in the information technology industry, Ms. Hunter demonstrates a strong ability to build and sustain relationships with public/private stakeholders, develop, lead and implement innovative projects and inter-agency initiatives. Ms. Hunter was the CEO of Vulcan Enterprises prior to her federal appointment and has returned to that role. Vulcan is a strategic management consulting organization, where she also provides executive advisory and facilitation services to corporate, federal and non-profit CXO’s. She served over 10 years with Lotus Development Corporation, rising to the level of Global Account Manager for Ernst and Young International and Marriott International for US, Asia, Europe and Africa.

Ms. Hunter earned a BA from Villanova University and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business and has certificates in Emotional Intelligence, Design Thinking, Technology Business Management (TBM), Scaled Agile for Leaders and Sports Management. She was selected by the editors of FedScoop to be included in the 2017 and 2016 annual list of "D.C.’s Top 50 Women in Technology” and the 2016 Top 50 Federal Leaders. Joyce is a 2017 recipient of the Roy L. Clay Sr. Technology Pinnacle Award as one of the 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology and a recipient of the Wharton DC School Club’s Joseph A. Wharton Award for public service, a member of the Villanova Dean’s Advisory Council and inducted into the Overbrook High School Hall of Fame. Ms. Hunter is a Fellow with The Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT), on the steering committee of the Global Women in STEM, a member of STEMConnector’s Million Women Mentors and recently published in The Handbook of Federal Government Leadership and Administration: Transforming, Performing and Innovating in a Complex World (2017 Routledge).

Susan Mitchell is the President & CEO of Guardians of Honor, LLC (GOH), a professional services firm with a 22-year track record of success providing management consulting, information technology, and research and evaluation solutions for government, industry, and the community. Susan actively engages professionals, scholars, and partners in actions committed to the promotion of equity and excellence in education, healthcare, and economic development. The scope of her corporate leadership includes oversight and service, which focuses on every facet of convenings and events in support of grantee communities and grant program management initiatives. The Department of Education (ED), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Army and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are just a few of the agencies that find value in GOH's body of work. The firm's grants management experience spans the entire federal grant lifecycle – from solicitation development and peer review through site visits, program evaluation, and strategic reporting.

Susan and her team endeavor to create results that resonate. As such, she deploys professionals and subject matter experts that deliver impactful technical support for the NSF programs that facilitate excellence in STEM education and careers for the development of a well-prepared workforce of diverse scientists, technicians, engineers, mathematicians, and educators. Guardians of Honor’s efforts collectively impact $8.1 billion in funding and advocacy for approximately 2,000 colleges, universities, and institutions. Ms. Mitchell is responsible for maintaining the integrity of operational and program objectives that sustain and drive the improvement and access to quality health care and services, foster a health care workforce able to address current and emerging needs and enhance population health. In this capacity, she ensures the delivery of scientific, technical, call center and administrative solutions for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) as a subcontractor of GDIT/CSRA to provision cancer, DoD medical, and other disease and injury-specific research. Guardians of Honor's efforts ensure the efficient management of more than $1 billion in biomedical research investments annually.

Susan is passionate about STEM advocacy as well as career and technical business partnerships. Her passion is safeguarding economic structures and transformation by facilitating purposeful participation and creating capacity within the broader economic landscape at all levels. Susan endeavors to encourage mainstream ecosystem inclusivity and advance collaborative partnerships. She is known for leading efforts that remove barriers to possibilities and foster a path toward employment and developmental growth for underutilized individuals and communities.