Marcos Luna, PhD
Professor, Geography and Sustainability
is a professor of geography and sustainability and the graduate program coordinator of the geo-information science program at Salem State university. He had a PhD in Urban Affairs and Public Policy with a concentration in technology, environment and society from the University of Delaware. His research has focused on environmental justice and applications of geospatial and other data science techniques to social and environmental inequities. He works with community organizations and policy makers on environmental justice, housing and segregation, energy equity, transportation equity, and climate change adaptation. He is a governor-appointed member of the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Council and the Massachusetts Energy Transformation Advisory Board. He serves on the Board of Directors for GreenRoots, an environmental justice organization serving Chelsea and East Boston, as well as the Board of Directors for Comunidades Enraizadas - Community Land Trust in Chelsea, which seeks to create affordable and permanent housing solutions for the lowest income families, especially immigrant families. Finally, he serves on the education committee for the Boston Public Library Norman B. Levanthal Map & Education Center.
Matthew Pauley
Assistant Professor, Entrepreneurship
A scholar-practitioner, Matthew co-leads CEEDS as faculty director by designing and delivering highly experiential, sustainability-focused entrepreneurship initiatives that connect students with real ventures, small businesses and community partners across the North Shore and internationally. In addition to his PhD, he has earned an accreditation as a Senior Fellow of Advanced Higher Education (SFAHE). Matthew’s teaching and research center on entrepreneurship, social innovation and sustainable communities, drawing on international experience in Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and India. He has founded and led entrepreneurship centers and programs in multiple countries, contributed expertise to the NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) network, and worked with quality assurance bodies such as the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA). Matthew has also developed several open educational resource (OER) textbooks on startup development and social entrepreneurship, and through CEEDS he is focused on building an inclusive, sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial ecosystem that helps students turn ideas into impactful, resilient ventures.
Lorri Krebs, PhD
Chairperson, Geography and Sustainabilitylkrebs@salemstate.edu
Lorri Krebs, PhD is a professor and chair of geography and sustainability at Salem State University and faculty affiliate with the Center of Entrepreneurship, Economic Development and Sustainability (CEEDS). A geography specializing in sustainability, tourism and regional economic development, her work bridges applied research, community partnerships and experiential learning. With international experience in Switzerland, Mexico and Canada, Dr. Krebs brings a global perspective to her work while engaging local communities and organizations in projects that advance regional sustainability and workforce development. She leads grant-funded projects with municipalities and nonprofits across Massachusetts focused on workforce development, economic resilience and sustainable tourism. Her scholarship examines climate change, tourism and destination resilience, with expertise featured most recently by outlets including CBC and Popular Science. Krebs is also a catalyst for program innovation, having helped launch the sustainable tourism certificate and mentoring students through community-based, field-driven research.
Brent Wilkinson
Executive in Residence
Brent Wilkinson has 40+ years as a successful entrepreneur and business transformation leader. Brent has four entrepreneurial exits, they most recent was IBM’s $2B acquisition of Turbonomic where he filled several executive roles (Chief Strategy, Chief People and Chief Information Officers). He is a three-time CEO and most often exercises transformation leadership from the COO role. With industry experience in infrastructure software, financial services, manufacturing, health care tech and clean energy, Brent also has significant mergers and acquisition experience having purchased and integrated over two dozen companies. He graduated from Harvard College with honors in economics and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. Currently, he is a growth adviser to several entrepreneurial ventures, many of which leverage artificial intelligence. Brent is in his third year as executive-in-residence at Salem State University’s Bertolon School of Business, where he is also an adjunct professor for entrepreneurship, a BSB Advisory Board member and interim director of CEEDS (Center for Entrepreneurship, Economic Development and Sustainability).