Heidi Hoskinson, Ph.D., is Vice President for Enrollment Management at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. In that role, she oversees the areas of admissions, financial aid and student success and retention. Dr. Hoskinson has been a higher education professional for 30 years, working in the areas of student affairs, enrollment management, and academic affairs with students, faculty, and professional staff at a variety of institutions. She completed her doctoral degree in adult and higher education with an emphasis in administration at the University of Oklahoma, earned a Master of Science degree in educational leadership from Central Connecticut State University and an undergraduate degree in economics and English from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.
The Dream (or Reality) of Proven Practice
Joseph Minichini is a passionate higher education professional with more than twelve years of experience in registrarial services. He is the Assistant Registrar, Policy and Projects, in the University Registrar’s Office at the University of Toronto. Over his career, Minichini has participated in projects aimed at improving student services through his work in innovative initiatives, such as the university’s first eTranscript, digital diplomas, the Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council (PESC), and most recently, the CanPESC Common Digital Layout transcript. Minichini holds a master’s degree in higher education leadership. He is the recipient of the PESC 24th Annual Best Practices Award and the 2020 OURA award of excellence.
An Online Tool for Declaring Student Absences at the University of Toronto
Richard Levin has served as the University Registrar in four Canadian universities, most recently at the University of Toronto where he was also a Senior Strategist in the Office of the Vice-Provost Students. He retired in 2024. Richard has a keen interest in evidence-based decision-making. He has served on the executive committees of the Ontario University Registrars’ Association (OURA) and the Association of Registrars of Universities & Colleges in Canada (ARUCC) and is a recipient of the University of Toronto Influential Leader award. Levin is an Assistant Consultant with AACRAO Consulting.
Jim Paterson is a writer who covers K-12 and higher education for a variety of publications. He lives in Lewes, DE.
Revisiting 1925: The Evolution of Higher Education Issues and Innovations
Dr. Nizam holds a PhD in Computer Science from Dalhousie University. Her professional experience spans over 20 years, primarily in the areas of registrarial operations, Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM), data analytics, predictive modeling, software development, and teaching. She is passionate about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how the use of Generative AI can be deployed in registrarial operations to enhance overall service delivery and promote Academic Integrity. Dr. Nizam’s recent work on promoting Academic Integrity has been recognized and presented at various conferences and academic conventions. As a passionate administrator and an educator, Dr. Nizam integrates her theoretical, technical, and practical expertise to develop evidence-based policies and assess its success through concrete performance metrics. Dr. Nizam plans to apply the recently acquired knowledge from the AACRAO SEM certification process to positively shape the registrarial framework at the University of Toronto.
2025 SEM-EP Graduate
Capstone (Literature Review): Data-Informed Culture to Navigate
Disruptions in Strategic Enrollment Management
Martha Zepeda, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, is an Associate Faculty Member at the University of Phoenix College of Nursing. She teaches registered nurses pursuing RN to BSN and MSN nursing degrees. Dr. Zepeda is a registered nurse with more than 40 years of experience, including extensive experience in the acute care hospital setting. She has participated in research studies for the University of Phoenix and the acute care hospital setting and performed her own research.
Impact of Faculty and Curriculum on Online Doctoral Integration: A Quantitative Perspective
Pamela Peters is an Assistant Professor of Broadcasting and Journalism in the School of Communication and Media at Western Illinois University. Peters obtained her doctorate from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas. Her research examines the digital divide, race and ethnicity and forms of capital in relation education, climate change and crisis management in digitally mediated spaces.
Feeling Overwhelmed: First-Generation College Students’ Experiences with Social Capital and Community Cultural Wealth During the College Search Process
With over twenty years of higher education experience, John Meldrum currently serves as Director of Records & Registration at Macomb Community College in Warren, MI. He was previously Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions (Operations & Finance) at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. Meldrum was also on the faculty and served as Assistant Dean of Studies, Registrar, & Director of Institutional Research at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI. He has chaired or served on multiple state committees involving the Michigan Transfer Agreement and Michigan Transfer Network Replacement. Meldrum has chaired Michigan-ACRAO’s Legislative Issues Committee. He has also served on Michigan-ACRAO’s leadership team, including as President in 2014-2015. He served three years on the AACRAO’s Finance, Investment, and Audit Committee. Meldrum holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Oakland University and a Master of Arts in Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary.
Capstone (Literature Review): A Journey from Advocate to Reformer: Enrollment Management, Social Mobility, and Higher Education as a Public Good
At Red Rocks, Jen oversees the Student Records Department, Admissions, International Student Services, and registration platforms. Jen has been with Red Rocks Community College for 13 years. Jen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Policy Studies in Education from the Institute of Education, University of London.
Capstone: Strategies to increase yield rates among first-generation students
Aaron Lindberg is a dedicated higher education leader with over 20 years of experience in the California State University system, serving at both San Diego State University and California State University, Northridge. As Director of Admissions at CSUN, he champions access, diversity, equity, and inclusion in university admissions. A certified Gallup Strengths Coach, his top five talent themes—Input, WOO, Communication, Connectedness, and Learner—drive his commitment to student success and institutional growth. Aaron is also a graduate of AACRAO’s inaugural ASCEND program, designed to diversify leadership in Strategic Enrollment Management.
Dr. Tamika Davis is the Associate Vice President of Recruitment, Admissions, & Community Outreach for CT State Community College. In this role, she leads strategic initiatives to enhance student enrollment, foster community engagement, and streamline the admissions process. Prior to this position, Dr. Davis served as the Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management from August 2022 through November 2024, guiding the institution through a critical transition period. With a deep commitment to access and student success, she brings extensive experience in higher education leadership, enrollment management, and outreach strategies.With over 18 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Davis has worked extensively with diverse student populations, serving in key student service areas such as admissions, dual enrollment, academic coaching and advising, career services, and as both a non-credit lecturer and adjunct faculty. She has also held leadership roles as a Guided Pathways Manager and Student Success Center Coach, collaborating with national organizations such as Jobs for the Future and Achieving the Dream to implement innovative, student-centered practices aimed at improving student outcomes and eliminating barriers to post-secondary education.
As a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Davis is deeply committed to fostering inclusive, supportive learning environments and increasing access to higher education. She works closely with faculty, staff, students, and community partners to implement data-driven strategies that support student success, retention, and degree completion.
Dr. Davis holds a BA in Communications from the University of Colorado, a MS in Counseling & Student Development in Higher Education from Central Connecticut State University, and an EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford. She remains dedicated to advancing enrollment management practices and student support services to ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive academically and personally within the CT State Community College system.
Malia Brown has worked for Elon University since 2021, having started as an Assistant Registrar for Operations. She began service as the Registrar in the Elon University School of Law in August 2022. Prior to working at Elon, Malia gained nearly a decade of experience in registrar services and enrollment management having worked in North Carolina A&T State University’s Registrar’s Office from 2012 to 2021. While at North Carolina A&T, Malia held various positions within the office including serving as a Graduation Coordinator, Degree Audit Specialist, and Business and Technical Applications Analyst. Throughout her experiences at both institutions, she has gained a wealth of knowledge and skills in the area of technical support by maintaining student information systems, assisting with system upgrades and new system implementations. She continues to be an advocate for academic policy changes and workflow enhancements that help improve both students’ experiences and staff workloads.
Malia received her Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Master of Science in Adult Education with a concentration in College Leadership from North Carolina A&T, as well as a Master of Arts in Christian Practice from Duke University.
Amanda Ostreko is the Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Graduate Enrollment Management at the University of Kansas (KU). Amanda oversees the Graduate Admissions office, providing strategic leadership for enrollment management efforts for domestic and international graduate applicants and new students. Amanda has held several roles at KU for over 20 years, including Director of Graduate Enrollment and Assistant Dean in the Office of Graduate Studies.
Amanda holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from KU and has served in numerous leadership roles for Staff Senate, including President. She has served on the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Research Committee and NAGAP’s Governing board, where she most recently held the role of NAGAP Research Chair. Amanda’s research and professional interests revolve around Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) and higher education, with numerous publications and over 50 presentations.
Sarah Ancel founded Student-Ready Strategies to accelerate the nation's progress toward a more equitable postsecondary system that serves all students. Sarah has a unique combination of local, state and national experience in higher education policy and practice and a proven record of successful student-focused reforms. She is a policy expert, a strategic and tactical implementer, and a keen analyst of data, environment, and opportunities. She is a leading national voice in serving marginalized student populations more effectively.
Before forming Student-Ready Strategies, Sarah served as Senior Vice President for the national nonprofit Complete College America. Sarah grew and coordinated support for its 46-member Alliance of States and its network of CCA Fellows. She provided policy consultation, coordinated with funders, delivered in-state technical assistance, and developed and launched a strategy for returning adults. Before joining CCA, Sarah served as Associate Commissioner for Strategic Planning and Policy for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. In that role, she was responsible for implementing the Commission’s strategic plan, including developing and advancing the Commission’s legislative priorities. She came to that role after spending nearly a decade contributing to the fiscal management and oversight of Indiana’s state and local governments.
Daniel Knox is the Director of the Institute for Systems Innovation and Improvement at the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH), which aims to build capacity and improve performance of NASH member systems to advance equitable student outcomes. The Institute was among the first organizations to apply improvement science principles to the public higher education system context at scale. In addition, Dr. Knox is leading NASH’s data and metrics initiative, which developed a novel baseline study of public higher education system impacts related to degree and credential completion, social mobility, and student debt. Dr. Knox is also working on applying AI to transfer student advising in collaboration with UC Berkeley’s Computational Approaches to Human Learning Lab. Previously, Dr. Knox held the position of Assistant Provost at the State University of New York, where he engaged in developing, implementing, and assessing broad-scale policy, research, and technology initiatives aimed at supporting student success and closing equity gaps, with a particular focus on transfer policy. He holds a B.A. in English Language & Literature from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University at Albany, SUNY.
Erika Swain is the Assistant Director of Academic Compliance and Authorization for the University of Colorado Boulder. In this position, she leads the university’s academic compliance efforts by ensuring the university meets regulatory, including accreditation, and state authorization requirements for educational activities delivered by CU Boulder in and outside of Colorado. Erika also serves as the Associate Director for State Authorization for the CU system, advising the CU campuses and system on state authorization and associated regulations and requirements. Prior to joining CU Boulder in 2019, Erika worked in institutional accreditation, overseeing training and federal compliance programs in her roles at both the Higher Learning Commission and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. She also previously served as the Registrar at North Country Community College in the northern Adirondacks (NY).
Sarah Austin is a policy analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). Prior to joining NASFAA in 2018, Sarah worked in financial aid administration at Gonzaga University and Whitworth University in Washington state. She also served in various volunteer roles with the Washington Financial Aid Association (WFAA). Before her current role on NASFAA’s policy team, she held positions in business services and training and regulatory assistance.
Cheryl directs the activities of the State Authorization Network (SAN), including coordination of staff addressing interstate policy and compliance as well as other ancillary compliance issues. Additionally, she serves the overall WCET membership in addressing emerging and special regulatory issues related to digital learning in postsecondary education. Cheryl is a contributing author for a guidebook for understanding the legal basis for State and Federal compliance for activities of post-secondary institutions, State Authorization of Colleges and Universities. Cheryl was awarded the 2024 Eagle Award by USDLA for demonstrating unique leadership in the public policy arena and has a long-standing record of educational technology support as well as the support of the USDLA mission, which includes serving the needs of the distance learning community by providing advocacy, information, networking and opportunity. Cheryl earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from James Madison University
Dale is a leading authority on student privacy law and has 13 years of experience administering the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). Prior to his current position as Senior Fellow, Dale served as Senior Policy Advisor on student privacy within the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development (OPEPD). Dale also served eight years as director of the Department’s Student Privacy Policy Office.
Dale’s federal experience extends well beyond student privacy. He served as director of Policy, Research, and Evaluation Services within the Department’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, which administers the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins Act) and Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). He began his federal career in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services working to improve the services to individuals with disabilities. Dale started his career as a special education teacher and has held leadership positions at both the local and state levels. Dale has dedicated his entire professional career to the betterment of the education of our nation’s students. Dale earned an MS degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee.