Program Directors
Angela M. Cain ("Angie"), MBA, Interim Director, 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 and university partnerships that enhance educational access, foster longitudinal engagement, and dismantle systemic barriers for underserved youth and families. 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 "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.
Dr. Lee Anne Thompson, Associate Director, is the interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and is a professor of psychological sciences at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). She received her bachelor of arts degree from CWRU in psychology and sociology and her master’s and PhD degrees from University of Colorado Boulder in psychology. As interim dean, Thompson leads 21 departments across the college, along with major centers including the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, the Schubert Center for Child Studies, the Emerging Scholars Program, the Dittrick Medical History Center and the Leonard Gelfand STEM Center (K-12 programming). She joined the faculty in 1987 and has held many leadership positions at the college and university level including serving as the inaugural department chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences when the Departments of Psychology and Communication Sciences merged in 2011. Thompson most recently served as the senior associate dean for faculty affairs in the college. A developmental psychologist, Thompson’s research program has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2002 where she has focused on understanding how children acquire reading skills, comprehend what they read and acquire mathematical skills. She along with her colleagues and students have published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. As an award-winning teacher, she received the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education Award for Teaching Excellence in 2005 and received the McGraw-Hill Excellence in Teaching First-Year Seminars in 2013. She has been nominated for the Bruce Jackson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring as well as for the Wittke Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. A strong believer in partnering with local communities, Thompson has served as a mentor in the Provost Scholars Program since 2015 and as the associate director of the program since 2019. The program is a partnership between CWRU and East Cleveland City Schools and Cleveland Metropolitan School District that provides mentoring and tutoring for middle and high school students. Thompson and her husband Paul Appelbaum, a retired high school physics teacher, are the proud parents of Drew (CWR ’12; GRS ‘13, Civil Engineering) and Ian (CWR ‘15, sociology). She enjoys hiking with her dogs, cycling through the Cleveland Metroparks, camping and cooking.
Ms. Latonya Shazor, MEd., is the Assistant Director of the Provost Scholars Program. She received her first Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and K-12 Reading from Cleveland State University. She has worked in the education field in many capacities, including as an Elementary Teacher, Curriculum and Instruction Leader, School Administrator of a 6th- 12th grade behavioral health center, and Site Coordinator of the Coach Sams Literacy Program. In 2014, Ms. Shazor earned another Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. She went on to become a faculty member at Baldwin Wallace University where she taught the principles of diversity and an education course. She also served as Education Field Supervisor at Baldwin Wallace where she was responsible for providing professional development, monitoring, and evaluating teacher interns who were completing their curriculum requirements. With a passion to work in under-resourced communities, Ms. Shazor has partnered with Cuyahoga Community College to teach General Education Development (GED) sessions in the evenings. She has also taught GED courses at the Lorain Community-Based Correctional Facility, where she worked with individuals in confinement. She is eager to share her expertise in curriculum design, networking, research approaches, and best practices that are proven strategies to address the needs of the Provost Scholars, and all aspects of its multifaceted programming. In addition, she has long-standing linkages to the East Cleveland City Schools and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). Ms. Shazor is committed to the Provost Scholars Program and its relentless pursuit for excellence. You may contact her at lxs854@case.edu.
Program Staff
Kate Burleigh brings a wide array of relevant experiences to her role as Program Manager for the Provost Scholars Program including classroom management, program administration and business communication. Most recently, she spent 4 1/2 years on the Early Childhood Faculty at The Music Settlement in Cleveland, where she fostered cognitive, social, and emotional development in young learners from varied backgrounds through hands-on, curiosity-driven activities. Prior to that, Kate served as Director of Children’s Education at Forest Hill Church in Cleveland Heights, a justice-oriented community where she designed educational programming and led teams of volunteers and staff. At Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, she held leadership roles in admissions in addition to teaching 5th grade.
Kate’s career began in Chicago where she held marketing and communications positions at global firms IBM and Arthur Andersen. With a BA in English and Education from Ohio Wesleyan, Kate brings a demonstrated track record of building meaningful relationships and designing impactful programming for people from all backgrounds. Outside of work, she finds joy in reading, playing music, traveling and spending meaningful time with her family and friends. Her personal and professional life are deeply rooted in community, laughter, and lifelong learning.