Leesa Beck, Ph.D., has worked in higher education for nearly two decades, and currently serves as Director of Summer Sessions at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). A defining aspect of her career has been her passion for improving student services and outcomes through technological innovation, and she has played leadership roles in numerous systems implementations both at UCSB and at the University of California systemwide level. She also has a strong interest in the policy, politics, and ethics of higher education, and regularly teaches and guest lectures on these topics.