Carmelitia J. Coleman, Ed.D., has more than 20 years of higher education experience, having held numerous positions within higher education and the corporate sector, ranging from university administrator to education consultant for one of the "Big Four" management consulting firms in the United States. As the Director of Inclusion, Diversity, and Engagement at Transact Campus Inc. – a global higher-education technology company – Dr. Coleman fulfills her passion for making a difference in students' lives, particularly at the postsecondary level. She provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for researching, developing, implementing, and sustaining a range of practices that forward Transact's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Dr. Coleman earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She later earned her doctorate degree in higher education from Walden University.
Financial Aid Knowledge and Resources Among First-Generation College Students
Eleonora Philopoulos is the Director of Architecture and Design in Facilities Management at Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Philopoulos has been working at the university for seventeen years, and leads architecture and interior design for all campus projects ranging from small to large complex projects. Philopoulos additionally leads an annual building interior condition analysis audit and provides strategic direction for deferred maintenance projects yearly. Prior to her WMU experience, Philopoulos worked in Europe as an Interior Architect for retail companies like Nike and Harley Davidson and has won several national design awards over her career.
Academically, in addition to her role as the Director of Architecture and Design, Philopoulos is a doctoral student in the higher education leadership program at WMU with her dissertation topic focusing on campus environments and sense of belonging. Additionally, Philopoulos is a part-time instructor at WMU teaching in the Interior Architecture program for sixteen years. Philopoulos is fluent in Greek and serves as the Faculty Director for the study abroad course to Greece for Architecture and Design at WMU for the past eight years.
The Importance of a Strong Campus Visit: A Practice Brief Outlining Collaboration Between Admissions and Facilities Management
Alicia Kornowa currently is the Director of Admissions at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In her role, she serves as the chief admissions officer, overseeing nearly 35 talented team members. This is Kornowa’s professional second stint at WMU; she got her start in the admissions profession there from 1999 – 2004 as an assistant director of admissions. From there, she has served four other universities in various admissions/enrollment management roles: the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida, Cornell University, and the University of Cincinnati.
In addition to her role as the director of admissions, Kornowa is a doctoral student and is nearing the end of her coursework for a Ph.D. in educational leadership, with an emphasis in higher education. Kornowa anticipates completing her degree in late 2024 or early 2025. Her dissertation will focus on the relationship between a university’s academic profile and enrollment outcomes.
Robert J. Sternberg, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology, Cornell University, and Honorary Professor of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Germany. He has been a university professor, dean, and provost. His B.A. is from Yale; his Ph.D. is from Stanford; and he holds thirteen honorary doctorates. He has won the Grawemeyer Award in Psychology.
Why Test-Optional and Other Test-Light Options Have Worked So Well in College Admissions
Brenda Schumann, Ph.D., is the Assistant Vice-Provost for Enrollment Services and University Registrar at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining the University of Texas at Austin, she served as the Director of Registration and Records and Assistant Director of Admissions at Texas Lutheran University. She has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, specifically in registrar and admissions offices. Dr. Schumann earned her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. She has a master of education degree in higher education administration from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor of science degree in agricultural communications from Texas Tech University. Dr. Schumann also completed the AACRAO Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Endorsement Program and currently serves as a SEM program evaluator for current participants. In 2022, she chaired the AACRAO Workgroup on Alternative Credentials.
Review of: Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy
Jairo McMican, first name pronounced Hi-rrow, is the Associate Director of Equity Initiatives at Achieving the Dream. He has spent the last seventeen plus years working in higher education. McMican currently serves on the AACRAO’s Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly Editorial Board, and the NACADA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education Advisory Board. He also serves as the vice chair of the North Carolina Education and Workforce Initiatives Commission. Previously, McMican held a dual position as the dean of college access services at Central Carolina Community College and as the director of equity and pathways for the North Carolina Student Success Center. Currently, McMican is pursuing an Ed.D. in adult and community college education at North Carolina State University. He holds a master's degree in strategic leadership and a bachelor's degree in psychology.
An Interview with Dr. Karen Stout
Positionality Awareness and Training for College Admissions Recruiters
Jill Dunlap is the Senior Director of Research, Policy, and Civic Engagement at NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, based in Washington, DC. Prior to joining NASPA, Jill worked closely with college student survivors of sexual violence for more than 14 years at three different campuses. In 2014, Jill served as a non-federal negotiator representing four-year, public institutions on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) negotiated rulemaking committee. Jill has her PhD in political science and public administration from Northern Illinois University, where her dissertation work focused on the experiences of students impacted by sexual violence on campus.
Ericka M. Jackson is the senior director of undergraduate admissions for Wayne State University. Jackson serves as a key advisor and member of the enrollment management leadership team in the areas of enhanced student experience, undergraduate enrollment planning and management.
Jackson is responsible for planning and directing the recruitment of undergraduate students to Wayne State, as well as developing and implementing processes to achieve the university’s annual and long-term undergraduate enrollment goals. WSU’s enrollment of nearly 24,000 students includes over 16,000 undergraduates. During Jackson’s tenure in Fall 2018, Wayne State enrolled the largest and most diverse first-year incoming class in the school’s 150-year history.
Previously Jackson served as assistant dean of admissions and student affairs at Wayne State University Law School. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University Law School and holds a bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan.
Prior to her position in Law admissions, Jackson served three years as associate director of development and director of the Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African-American Legal History at Wayne Law. She also worked as a litigation attorney for seven years at Sommers Schwartz, P.C., and was a senior major gift officer at the University of Michigan.
Jackson lives in Belleville, Michigan with her husband Isaac and is the proud mother of three adult children, Darian, Isaac Jr., and Aubrey.
Kayla Nichols serves as Deputy Director for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Virginia Tech. As Deputy Director, she oversees day-to-day operations, which includes providing leadership to the data processing team, visitor experience team, recruitment team, communications, and customer support staff.
As a first-generation college graduate, she avidly supports college access initiatives and her foundation in college admissions was built through serving as the lead for diversity, equity, and access programming. This foundation now serves as a critical lens when overseeing operations within the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Kayla actively participates in professional development opportunities by presenting at national and regional conferences, taking online courses through AACRAO, participating in the ASCEND Leadership Development Program through AACRAO, and participating in programs through Virginia Tech. She also previously served as college fair coordinator and later as the Vice President of Admissions and Enrollment for VACRAO.
Uzoma F. Obidike, PhD, is a Clinical Experiences and Internship Manager at National Louis University. She is also a Career Transition Coach and founder of She Leads Beautifully, where she teaches women in stagnant careers how to tap into their networks to access dream career opportunities. Dr. Obidike is a contributing author of No Ways Tired: The Journey for Professionals of Color in Student Affairs. She has graced local and national stages, leading career and leadership development talks. Dr. Obidike was the 2019 recipient of the Up and Coming Woman in Education for the Influential Women of Northwest Indiana Awards.
Research & Policy Division Michael (Mike) Bilfinger helps to oversee the association's policy and advocacy efforts and serves as editor and contributor to AACRAO Transcript. Mike initially joined AACRAO as an intern for Marketing and Communications before then joining staff full-time as the Associate Director, Membership & Awards. He now serves as the Assistant Director of Public Policy.Mike was born and raised on Long Island, New York where he earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Philosophy from SUNY Stony Brook University. During his time in undergrad, Mike was fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad for a month each in Spain, South Korea, China, Chile, and Peru. He then moved to Washington, DC to pursue a Master of Public Administration at American University, which he completed in 2023. Mike is a strong proponent of car-free living and enjoys commuting on his bike, indoor bouldering at his local gym, and listening to music whenever possible.
Mike directs ongoing monitoring and analysis of federal legislative and regulatory developments, emerging issues, and trends to determine the potential impact on AACRAO members. Additionally, Mike serves as editor of AACRAO Transcript.
An Interview with LeRoy Rooker
Operations Division Matt has been a computer guy at AACRAO since 2004. The IT folks at AACRAO take care of just about anything that has a wire coming out of it. Matt learned about computer systems by rebuilding surplus computers for schools, back when he was a stay-at-home Dad. Long ago, after the kids were all in school, Matt began working with servers and networking equipment. Lately most of what Matt does for AACRAO is Salesforce programming and data manipulation. Matt is almost entirely self-taught. Although Matt does not have a degree he still considers himself fairly well educated. In his spare time Matt makes stuff.
Matt assists the IT team in strategizing, policy-making, standardization, and providing guidance in managing AACRAO's core systems.
Operations Division Charles Han is responsible for managing the association's information technology needs. He has worked at AACRAO since 2008, serving currently as the Director of IT. During his time at AACRAO, he has overseen many projects such as AMS implementation, Cyber Security, Cloud Management, and much more. He has received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Minnesota.
Charles manages the IT team to tackle all AACRAO's technical needs for the present and future, including AMS management, cybersecurity, systems integration, project management, and hardware.
Education & Member Development Division
Belma Sadikovic supports the management, design, and production of AACRAO’s on-demand courses/micro-credentials and manages all webinar related activities. Belma Sadikovic has been a part of AACRAO since 2021 serving as the Curriculum and Content Coordinator. Belma is an essential part of the Content & Curriculum team, housed in the Education & Member Development Division.
Belma Sadikovic earned a BA from Boise State University, Idaho, with a major in German Language and Literature, followed by a Master of Education in English as a Second Language in 2009. She earned a doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Multicultural Education and Social Justice Education from Boise State University in 2017.
Prior to her role at AACRAO, Belma served as an assistant professor of Curriculum & Instruction in the Department of Leadership and Learning at Minnesota State University Moorhead. With over 15 years of experience working in K12 and higher education, Belma Sadikovic taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses to pre-service and in-service teachers and has over ten years of online teaching experience.
Belma Sadikovic was invited to give a TedTalk in 2016 titled “What it feels like to be a refugee”. She gives talks nationally and internationally about advocacy for equitable higher education access for refugee populations and effective integration strategies post-resettlement and consults on policy and program development with national nonprofits. Belma Sadikovic is the co-founder of Boise State University’s Refugee Alliance.
Belma assists in the management, design, and production of AACRAO’s on-demand courses/micro-credentials and manages all webinar related activities.
Operations Division Martha Henebry is the executive lead for operations and membership at AACRAO where she oversees member acquisition and retention, renewals, and systems management and implementation. She also coordinates the association's information technology, accounting, and human resources departments to ensure an efficient and compliant process. She has over 35 years of broad business experience in for-profit and nonprofit organizations, approximately 27 years in the U.S. and 8 years in Ireland. The vast majority of her work in the U.S. has been in non-profit higher education associations. Prior to AACRAO, she worked at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). Martha completed her primary and secondary education in Ireland and has a MBA from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.
Martha is the executive lead for operations and membership at AACRAO. She oversees member acquisition and systems management and implementation. She also coordinates the organization's IT, Accounting, and HR departments.
Operations Division Alex began working at AACRAO as an intern in the Membership department in 2015, moving to a full-time position in 2017. After gaining experience in every position in the Membership Department, he began his current position as Director, Membership and Operations in 2022. He received a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs in 2017 and a Master's Degree in European and Eurasian Studies in 2021, both from The George Washington University. Alex is originally from Connecticut, but now lives in Maryland with his wife and two cats. He loves cooking and trying new dishes with his friends and family.
Alex oversees the Membership and Operations team and coordinates the retention of over 11,000 existing members, the recruitment of new members, as well as drafting membership policy to align with AACRAO's strategic plan.