Setting the Stage: COVID-19 Expert Panel
Mr. Godwell Khosa, Business Program Manager in the Experiences and Devices Executive Management Office at the Microsoft Corporation
Godwell Khosa is a Business Program Manager in the Experiences and Devices Executive Management Office at Microsoft. A talent management expert and seasoned connector, he designs, implements, and operates global programs that support Microsoft’s aspire-to culture of creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to be their full, authentic selves in alignment with Microsoft values and do their best work every day. Godwell works with individuals at every level of their careers, including more than 700 interns and 2,700 new hires annually, and thousands of early-career employees and seasoned engineers. He has spent more than 20 years working in diverse environments including startups, early-stage and growth-phase companies, established businesses, government, and globally-dispersed teams. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Howard University. He is married and has two children.
Dr. Don Betz, President Emeritus, University of Central Oklahoma, Executive Director of Global Initiatives and International Education, American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)
Don Betz has enjoyed a distinguished career in higher education spanning more than 49 years, developing a reputation for collaborative leadership, team development, effective teaching, and transformative learning. Betz has led three institutions in Oklahoma and Wisconsin, and has held multiple leadership roles in state, regional, national, and international organizations, including as a member of AASCU’s American Democracy Project founding committee and chair of AASCU’s Committee on International Education. He currently sits on the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP) executive committee and serves as the USA coordinating chair. His life-long focus on international issues includes working for and with the United Nations and its affiliated non-governmental organizations.
Don Betz received his B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of San Francisco and his M.A. and Ph.D. in International Studies from the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.
Dr. Meghan Walsh, Chief Academic Officer, Hennepin Healthcare, and Deputy Incident Commander for the Hennepin Healthcare Incident Command Pandemic Response Team
Dr. Walsh is an associate professor of Internal Medicine and the associate dean at the University of Minnesota Medical School, and the chief academic officer at Hennepin Healthcare (HHS). Dr. Walsh earned her medical degree in 2001 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her master’s degree in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in 1997. Prior to her graduate education, she served as a teacher with the U.S. Peace Corps in Malawi, East Africa, and has returned several times since to Malawi and Kenya for public health program work. She completed her residency in internal medicine at HHS in 2005, and continues to practice internal medicine at HHS.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Walsh served as the deputy incident commander for the HHS Incident Command Pandemic Response team. In this role, she helped oversee clinical operations, technology, logistics, supply chain, and finances throughout the pandemic response. She also cared directly for COVID-19 patients, trained front-line workers in appropriate PPE usage, and continues to work with the HHS team for vaccine access and equity.