●Winner of 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award (together with Elon Musk), Awarded by the Award Committee of Nobel Laureates in Peace and Economics
●Among less than 20 individuals to be awarded the Thomas Jefferson Initiated “Peace Through Commerce Medal” by the U.S. Government since its inception in 1790 and the only person in history to have been awarded both the Oslo Business for Peace Award and the Peace Through Commerce Medal.
●President, Allelon Energy Partners and former President of Sithe Global Pacific (Sithe Global is owned by the Blackstone Group)
●Visiting Scholar, Jinan University
●President, the American Chamber of Commerce in South China
●Former Chairman of Montgomery College and State Chairman of the Maryland Association of Community College Trustees representing all seventeen colleges in the State.
●Former Member of the Board of Directors of the Kennedy Institute by appointment of Cardinal James A. Hickey.
●Together with Secretary of State of Cambodia Knighted under the Philippine act of Parliament 646 joining Dr. Henry Kissinger and King Carlos of Spain and others previously knighted.
●Together with the Philippines Secretary of Health, Dr. Francisco T. Duque, III, became a Sino-Philippine Asia International Peace Laureate for “his dynamic contributions to humanity”

Dr. Louis J. Agnese is the Chairman of Texas Health and Science University (THSU) with campuses in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. THSU was the first school in Texas approved by the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners to provide instruction in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 1996. The University has continually maintained its accreditation since that time.

Prior to THSU Dr. Agnese served as the eighth president of the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas, from 1985, when at the age of 33 he became one of the youngest college presidents in the United States, until his retirement in 2016, when he was named President Emeritus and also Emeritus member of the Board of Trustees. His was the second longest presidential tenure in UIW’s 139-year history. He’s also the founder of Agnese Global Consulting, where he consults on a variety of international subjects, including higher and secondary education.

During his UIW presidency, enrollment rose from 1,296 students in 1985 to 11,422 in 2016. Paralleling this period, UIW grew from the 19th largest private university in Texas to the third largest private university in the state, based on global enrollment. Today, Incarnate Word has nearly 40,000 living alumni, compared to 8,000 in 1985.

Schumann Endowed Professor and Chair, Mercer University Department of Journalism and Media Studies
Author, Walt Kelly and Pogo: The Art of the Political Swamp and The American Chamber of Commerce in South China’s White Paper on the Business Environment in China 2018, 2019 and 2020 editions.
Editor and Contributing Writer, South China Business Journal

Dr. James Eric (Jay) Black’s professional background includes print, broadcast, and film. His awards include the National Association of Teacher of English Award for Superior Writing, The Roberta Kevelson Scholarship Award from the Semiotic Society of America, and The Atlanta Olympic Committee’s Olympic Force Award for Superior Community Service. His work has appeared on NPR, CNN, UPI, ABC Radio, and Georgia News Network. His first book was Walt Kelly and Pogo: The Art of the Political Swamp. He has also published extensively in magazines and academic journals. Dr. Black spends his summers for the most part in China where he was awarded Permanent Visiting Scholar status at Jinan University International Schools. He also curated and wrote The American Chamber of Commerce in South China’s White Paper on the Business Environment in China 2018, 2019 and 2020, an annual publication of over 500 pages that are presented in both English and Mandarin.

Education
Ph.D., Public Communication,Georgia State University
M.A., Journalism Management, University of Kansas
B.S., Broadcast Communications, Mercer University

The George Washington University, Washington DC August 2019 - Present
Academic Success Coach at The School of Business (Undergraduate Programs)
• Assisting the student on issues related to academic success and preparedness
• Aiding the student in the identification of internal and external distractions, which may have contributed to the student’s academic status
• Helping the student set academic goals
• Guiding the student through the administrative policies and procedures associated with academic probation
• Identifying University or other relevant resources which may facilitate the student’s re-engagement
• Facilitating and/or identifying workshops and meetings designed to re-engage the student in their academic success