Ex-Officio Trustees

Dr. Wesley (Scott) Benton joined Excelsior University’s teaching faculty in the School of Health Sciences in 2013. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in distance higher education, having taught in both online and on-campus formats in institutions since 2004. As an educator, he specializes in leveraging technology to assist students in learning complex material. He is known for his ability to create a supportive learning environment where both novice and experienced adult students thrive and learn. Dr. Benton co-chairs Excelsior’s Faculty Steering Committee.

In the School of Health Sciences at Excelsior, Dr. Benton teaches Anatomy and Physiology and numerous other health-related courses. He also regularly serves as a subject matter expert for the course development program, where he employs contemporary design strategies to craft health science courses that afford high-value learning opportunities. Excelsior’s innovative hands-on Anatomy and Physiology Labs are a recent result of his work.

In addition to a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree, he has earned two master’s degrees, a MA in Counseling Psychology and a MS Ed in Instructional Technology (Adult Learning). In 2012, Benton was named Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Member and awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award from Davenport University. He is a member of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society and the American Association of Anatomists.

Dwayn M. Hanford retired from the U.S. Army as an all-source intelligence technician, and is a team chief and senior intelligence officer for the Department of the Army Civilian in the 1st Information Operations Command, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

During his 23-year military career he received many awards, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medals, and Joint Service Commendation Medals. His campaigns include Desert Storm, Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He has been an active volunteer for many years and has shared his time and talents with various organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America where he currently serves as scoutmaster. In 2007, the Army awarded him the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. In 2008, he was honored with a Community Organization Award from the Boy Scouts of America. Hanford is the 2010 recipient of the Excelsior University C. Wayne Williams Award in recognition of outstanding public service and community involvement. A member of Excelsior’s Alumni Advisory Board since 2012, he was elected president in July 2015.

In addition to the Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts he earned at Excelsior in 2005, Hanford has an associate degree in general studies, a bachelor’s diploma in strategic intelligence, a Bachelor of Arts in history, a Master of Science in strategic intelligence, a Master of Science in management of the U.S. intelligence community, and a master’s degree in distance education and e-learning.