An Opportunity for CWRU's Pre-Collegiate Programs to Collaborate & Envision Together
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
2:30 - 4:00 PM
The Tinkham Veale University Ballroom
Join us for the Office of Pre-Collegiate Programs Retreat, a strategic convening focused on K–12 priorities, youth social-emotional wellness, and strengthening collaboration between higher education and K–12 partners.
The program will highlight a faculty partnership opportunity and conclude with a fireside chat with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District on addressing academic needs, out-of-school time gaps, and expanding awareness of scholarship opportunities for students and families.
Featured Presenters:
Brent Dean
Executive Director, College and Career Readiness, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Brent Dean is an accomplished educational leader dedicated to expanding college and career opportunities for students through innovative partnerships, career pathways, and experiential learning. He currently serves as the Executive Director of College & Career Readiness for Cleveland Metropolitan School District, where he leads districtwide strategies that connect academics, career exploration, and work-based learning to ensure students graduate prepared for college, careers, and life.
With more than a decade of experience in education, Brent has built a reputation for designing systems that strengthen the connection between schools, industry, and higher education. Prior to joining Cleveland Metropolitan School District, he served as the Director of Academy Partnerships for Danbury Public Schools, where he helped launch and scale a wall-to-wall academy model designed to align high school pathways with workforce needs and postsecondary opportunities. In that role, he cultivated more than 200 business and community partnerships, developed strategic plans for career academies, and collaborated with workforce boards, chambers of commerce, and higher education institutions to ensure students had meaningful exposure to high-wage, high-demand careers.
Earlier in his career, Brent served as an Academy Coach with Metro Nashville Public Schools, where he managed career academy programming, coordinated industry certifications and dual enrollment opportunities, and built strong partnerships with businesses and community organizations to provide students with hands-on career exploration experiences. In recognition of his work, Brent was named Academy Coach of the Year.
Brent began his career as a mathematics educator, teaching high school mathematics and serving as an adjunct mathematics instructor at both Alabama State University and Nashville State Community College. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master of Education in Secondary Education and Mathematics from Alabama State University, along with additional graduate coursework in pure mathematics. His background in mathematics continues to inform his approach to education, emphasizing analytical thinking, problem solving, and data-driven decision making.
Throughout his career, Brent's work has been recognized nationally for his work in career academy development and educational leadership. He is a frequent presenter for the National Career Academy Coalition, where he shares best practices on building strong business and community partnerships that support student success and workforce readiness.
Brent is passionate about creating equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities that empower students to explore their interests, develop real-world skills, and successfully transition to college, careers, or the workforce.
Elizabeth Capps, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences
Elizabeth Capps is an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Psychology program within the Department of Psychological Sciences and the Sara and Curt Moll Institute for Mental Health and Well-Being at Case Western Reserve University.
She completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Ohio University, her predoctoral internship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and her postdoctoral research fellowship at Children’s National Hospital.
Her work broadly focuses on supporting positive academic and social-emotional outcomes for adolescents with ADHD. As such, her research involves: (1) identifying meaningful and malleable factors associated with functioning among youth with ADHD and (2) developing, implementing, and evaluating school-based interventions that target these factors to enhance positive outcomes. In her research, she specifically focuses on school mental health and school-based intervention to increase access to effective services for youth and their families.
Angela M. Cain, MBA
Executive Director, Pre-Collegiate Programs
Angela "Angie" Cain serves as the inaugural Executive Director of Pre-Collegiate Programs at Case Western Reserve University, situated within the Office of Local Government and Community Relations under the Office of the President. A specialist in cross-sectoral collaboration, Cain leads the university’s strategic efforts to bridge the gap between K-12 systems and higher education. Her work focuses on the design and implementation of scalable community partnerships that enhance educational access, foster longitudinal engagement, and dismantle systemic barriers for underrepresented youth.
Cain transitioned to CWRU in 2023 following a notable 24-year tenure at Cleveland Clinic. During her time there, she was a key architect of initiatives at the intersection of community health equity and pipeline talent development. By embedding public health strategies into educational frameworks, she addressed the structural inequities impacting socioeconomic outcomes in underserved urban corridors—work that has become a benchmark for enterprise-level community alignment.
A dedicated advocate for policy and leadership excellence, Cain is a current Fellow in the Ohio Education Policy Leadership Program (OEPLP). Her professional trajectory is further informed by her completion of Cleveland Clinic’s Lead Forward Empowering Others program and her status as an alumna of the Neighborhood Leadership Development Program (NLDP, Cohort XI).
Cain’s scholarly and community interests extend into the realm of social advocacy and restorative justice. In October 2025, she co-authored her first book, Permission to Emerge, which explores themes of healing journeys and personal transformation. Her commitment to "at-promise" youth is evidenced by her long-standing leadership of outreach ministries serving the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center.
A lifelong learner, Cain holds a BA in Psychology and an MBA with a concentration in Corporate Social Responsibility from Ursuline College—a dual background in behavioral science and social ethics that informs her current mission of creating sustainable, mutually beneficial ecosystems between the university and the diverse communities it serves. In recognition of her commitment to her alma mater and her leadership in the field, she will join the Ursuline College Alumni Board in May 2026. Outside of her professional work, Angie enjoys spending time with her husband, their adult children, eight grandchildren, and their Yorkie.