Melody Sabin began her career in education in 1993 as a high school Spanish teacher. Her career has followed a diverse path focusing on distance education, alcohol and other drug education, and adult continuing education. Melody started at Sherman College of Chiropractic in 2008 as recruitment coordinator before moving into the role of registrar. As registrar, Melody has been through several organizational changes, including working under 4 different supervisors. The most recent organizational change included a change to her job title and duties, now including director of academic records.
Happily divorced, Melody has one son (sophomore) at the University of Rochester and a sassy 13-year-old cat (wannabe panther). A life lesson that Melody would like to share with the world is that a major fault in communication is the illusion that it has happened.
Dr. Rachel Nash is the Assistant Vice Provost for Strategy, Academic Engagement, and Operational Excellence in the Office of Strategic Enrollment Management at The Ohio State University. In this role, she is responsible for the development and actualization of strategic projects, such as software implementations and the regional enrollment turnaround plan. Dr. Nash previously served as the Director of Graduate and Professional Admissions at Ohio State, where she oversaw the processing of approximately 30,000 applications annually to 250+ programs.
2025 SEM EP Graduate
Hasan Kwame Jeffries teaches, researches, and writes about the African American experience from a historical perspective.
He has chronicled the civil rights movement in the ten-episode Audible Originals series “Great Figures of the Civil Rights Movement,” and has told the remarkable story of the original Black Panther Party in Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama's Black Belt, which has been praised as “the book historians of the black freedom movement have been waiting for.”
Hasan has collaborated on several public history projects, including serving as the lead scholar and primary scriptwriter for the $27 million redesign of the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, the site of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He currently serves as the chairperson of the Board of Directors of The Montpelier Foundation, which stewards the Virginia estate of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States and the architect of the Constitution.
Hasan regularly shares his expertise on African American history and contemporary Black politics through public lectures, op-eds, and interviews with print, radio, and television news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, NPR, CNN, and MSNBC.
He has also contributed to several documentary film projects as an historical advisor and featured on-camera scholar, including the 2023 documentaries Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World (PBS) and Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (NBC/Peacock). And his 2020 TEDx Talk “Why we must confront the painful parts of US history” has been viewed more than 2 million times.
For his public history work, the King Arts Center in Columbus, Ohio honored him with a 2023 Legacy and Legends Award.
Hasan's commitment to teaching what he calls “Hard History” led him to edit Understanding and Teaching the Civil Rights Movement, a collection of essays by leading civil rights scholars and teachers that explores how to teach civil rights history accurately and effectively, and to host the podcast “Teaching Hard History,” a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Learning for Justice division. Hasan also helps school districts develop anti-racism programming and culturally responsive curricular content centered on social studies by conducting professional development workshops for teachers and administrators.
A College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Associate Professor in the Department of History at The Ohio State University, Hasan takes great pride in opening students' minds to new ways of understanding the past and the present. For his pedagogical creativity and effectiveness, he has received numerous awards, including Ohio State's highest commendation for teaching - the Ohio State Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Hasan graduated from Morehouse College in 1994 with a BA in history and earned his PhD in American history with a specialization in African American history from Duke University in 2002.
Leigh Cole is Chair of the Education Practice at the law firm Dinse PC (pronounced Din-see) in Burlington, Vermont. She also serves as Immigration Counsel at Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP, a California law firm. Leigh advises clients regarding immigration compliance, including employment-based visas, student and scholar visas, I-9 compliance, and policies including immigration compliance and sponsorship. She interfaces directly with campus constituencies including academic leadership, enrollment management, general counsel, human resources, and international student and scholar services. She earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Cornell University and a J.D. from Albany Law School of Union University, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Albany Law Review. Leigh served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. She currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of College and University Law, and as Board Chair of ISEP: Study Abroad.
Becky Tankersley currently serves as an AACRAO Community & Content Facilitator for Group 1 (admissions) and has worked in enrollment management for nearly two decades. Since 2020, Becky has been the Director of Communications, Enrollment Marketing and Communications at Georgia Tech, combining exceptional communication skills with a passion for supporting enrollment goals.
She joined Georgia Tech in 2012, first working in Undergraduate Admissions before joining the Enrollment Communications team. She is a communications professional with a talent for leading teams and collaborating on projects across various campus units.
Patton-Macklin has a BA in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies in Washington, DC, and Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership with a Concentration in Servant Leadership from Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. She has nearly 15 years of professional experience in community college leadership as a Branch Campus Administrator then Dean of Enrollment Management in Maryland, and currently as Vice President of Recruitment and Enrollment Management in Pennsylvania.
Capstone: Affordable Student Housing Can Improve Attrition Rates
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.