David Burge has served as Vice President for Enrollment Management at George Mason University since July 2015.
Before coming to Mason, he served as Executive Director of Admission Services at Arizona State University and oversaw the execution of a new student enrollment strategy for undergraduate and graduate, domestic and international students.
Other professional experience includes the University of Kansas and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, holding senior leadership roles within each institution’s Office of Admissions and Scholarships.
He is currently the immediate past-president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), a professional organization of more than 15,000 school counselors and college admission professionals. Prior to serving in the NACAC Presidential Cycle, Mr. Burge served as President of the Great Plains Association for College Admission Counseling, an affiliate of the national organization.
He has recently served on a number of panels/sessions focusing on the role and impact of public higher education – the Social Mobility Symposium, TargetX User Conference, and as the welcome speaker at the annual meeting for NACAC.
A native Kansan, his academic background includes two degrees from the University of Kansas: an undergraduate degree in English Literature and a master’s degree in Educational Policy and Leadership.
Joshua Childs, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Educational Policy and Planning program in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin. His research examines the role of interorganizational networks and cross-sector collaborations to address complex educational issues.
Digital Swag and College Students: Exploring 21st Century Digital Admissions, Recruitment, and Yield Collateral
Kristin Woods, Ph.D., is currently the Senior Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), which includes leadership of the Offices of Admissions, Financial Aid & Scholarships, International Engagement, and Student Success & Retention. Her professional experience and research interests include orientation and first-year programs, recruitment and college choice, community college transfer initiatives, retention and student success, co-curricular assessment, and academic and career services. She holds her Ph.D. from Iowa State University, M.A. from Bowling Green State University, and B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa. Woods was also a 2024 AACRAO Congressional Hill Day Advocate.The Impact of Interventions for Students Readmitted After Academic Suspension
Deirdre Bucher Heistad, Ph.D., has been at the University of Northern Iowa since 2000 and serves as the Executive Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Undergraduate Studies division includes the Office of Academic Advising, Community Engagement, Study Abroad, the Office of Academic Advising, Honors and Scholars Programs, UNIFI general education, academic assessment, and academic support programs. Dr. Heistad has a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, a D.E.A. degree from Paris IV-Sorbonne, and an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Iowa. The Impact of Interventions for Students Readmitted After Academic Suspension
Megan Vogt-Kostner works as the Senior Research Analyst in the Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness at UNI, as well as teaching as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Social Work. In her primary role at UNI she works alongside campus partners to support their strategies of evaluation and assessment while making data informed decisions. Her main research interests include the assessment of first-year initiatives, student success after graduation, and campus-wide surveying. Megan has presented at many regional and national conferences on the success of peer led support programs and the effectiveness of data visualization when reporting. Megan holds a M.A. and M.S.W. from the University of Northern Iowa and a B.A. from Buena Vista University. The Impact of Interventions for Students Readmitted After Academic Suspension
Chrissy Holliday, Ph.D., is the Senior System Liaison for Rural Education and Workforce Development Initiatives at Colorado State University Pueblo. She earned her Ph.D. in higher education leadership from Colorado State University in 2020 and holds a master’s degree in education from Capella University and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication/print media from Campbell University. Her research interests focus on college access and affordability, college-going culture, and first-generation student challenges. Her published articles to date have focused on research related to first generation college-going culture, which applies directly to her work as a university administrator focused on enrollment and access.The Deciders: Understanding the First-Generation College-Going Experience in Support of Enrollment and Diversity Efforts
Sharon K. Anderson, Ph.D., is Professor of Counseling and Career Development at Colorado State University. In 1993, Anderson earned her Ph.D. from the University of Denver in counseling psychology. She became a licensed psychologist in 1995. Her experience as a practitioner includes: private practice with adults and the elderly, supervision of master’s level students and those seeking licensure, and consultation regarding ethical issues in practice. Anderson has taught the master’s level ethics course for counseling students for more than 25 years, teaching and mentoring a multitude of students. She has co-authored or co-edited other ethics books used by psychologists (Foundations of Ethical Practice, Research and Teaching in Psychology and Counseling) and life coaches (Law and Ethics in Coaching: How to Solve and Avoid Difficult Problems in Your Practice). She has contributed to more than 50 publications including books, book chapters, and refereed articles, most of them looking at the practice of professional ethics, teaching ethics, and issues of privilege.
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AACRAO Bio
Alex Underwood is the University Registrar at The University of Arizona, since May 2019. Prior to joining Arizona, Alex served as the Executive Director of Academic Systems and Student Records for City Colleges of Chicago, the largest community colleges district in Illinois serving over eighty thousand students a year. Alex’s previous roles at City Colleges included District Director of Academic Systems and Registrar of Malcolm X College. He has over 15 years’ experience in developing and implementing policies and procedures for academic operations, student records, curriculum management, and enrollment planning. Alex is someone who values the role that technology plays in the development of processes that maximize efficiencies for both students and the wider academic community. He has also served in several roles, including Registrar, at Kendall College in Chicago. He began his professional career as an Academic Advisor and believes this has rooted his life’s work in the student experience. Alex also serves as the Vice President of Professional Development for PACRAO, the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
Melissa Frey currently serves as the Registrar and Dean for the Department of Student Recruitment, Enrollment, and Graduation Services at Chemeketa Community College (Salem, OR). She is also the Director for the Chemeketa Accelerated Pathways to Success Title V Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions Federal Grant Program.
As the current President-Elect for the Pacific Association of Collegiate Admissions and Registrar Officers (PACRAO), Melissa is passionate about bringing forth conferences and other professional development opportunities focused on professional issues common to PACRAO’s members. PACRAO also provides an avenue for its membership base – more than 350 regionally accredited 2-year, 4-year, and graduate schools with an individual membership of 1,500 professional admissions officers and registrars – to contribute to the general advancement of higher education, their professions, and their individual careers.
Melissa holds a Master of Education (College Student Services Administration) and a BS (Business, Management, Marketing, and related Support Services), both from Oregon State University.
Kim Medina currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management at Colorado Mesa University (Grand Junction, CO). Kim brings almost 30 years of experience working to recruit students for institutions ranging from community colleges and small private institutions to large urban institutions. She has dedicated her professional life to assisting students, parents, and counselors to access post-secondary education.
A Colorado native, Kim holds an MA (Counseling) from the University of Phoenix and a BA (Social and Behavioral Sciences) from Colorado Mesa University.
Erin Hutchinson currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management at Earlham College (Richmond, IN). In this role, her primary responsibilities include the day-to-day operations of the Admissions office and the supervision of 10 team members. Erin is committed to increasing access to higher education for underrepresented students and supporting her team as they strive for their professional goals.
Prior to Earlham College, Erin spent close to five years as a college advisor at Deerfield Academy (Deerfield, MA) and almost a decade at Washington and Lee University (Lexington, VA) as the Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Scholarship Coordinator, and Coordinator of Minority Recruitment.
Erin holds a Master of Education (Education Administration) from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a BA (Archaeological Anthropology) from Harvard University.
Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Division
Director, Consulting Operations
Nicole directs all operational aspects of AACRAO Consulting's services as well as managing consultant activities, and contributing to the development of strategic department initiatives such as marketing, new business lines, and recruiting consultant expertise.
Mr. Brown is currently serving as the Curriculum Assistant Manager for Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science for the University of Arizona. Jason has a professional career that spans both the non-profit and higher education arenas. Jason has served as executive-level support and as a curriculum coordinator at Pima Community College for the past sixteen years.
Dr. Deike has spent over 35 years in higher education as a university administrator and faculty member. Through his experience in student life, institutional research and enrollment management at several of the nation’s top institutions, Deike has developed a broad understanding of the complex challenges facing colleges and universities in the current higher education landscape. His career spans multiple institutions from a small private liberal arts college with an enrollment of 1,100 students, to a large public flagship with a systemwide enrollment of 90,000 students on 24 campuses, to one of the world’s largest private universities with 50,000 students enrolled on three campuses and 11 academic centers around the world. Randy has been responsible for key aspects of the student experience and student success from first contact through graduation, which include admissions, financial aid, cooperative education and career development, student life, advising, registration, billing, academic information and systems, enrollment analytics, marketing and communication and finance.
Dr. Deike has a long track record of service to higher education including numerous opportunities to represent U.S. higher education nationally and internationally by partnering with the College Board, National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), International Career and College Counseling (IC3), the World Leading Schools Association (WLSA) and other U.S. higher education institutions. Recent examples include serving as a principal participant in the development of the College Board’s monograph, The Future of Enrollment Leadership, and serving as a member of the NACAC Task Force on Standardized Admissions Testing for International and U.S. Students. The breadth of Randy’s experience has led to media requests resulting in quotes or appearances in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Chronicle of Higher Education, the New York City NBC television affiliate and C-SPAN as examples.
Randy has traveled extensively in Asia, recruiting and presenting on higher education in the United States. He has also presented and served as a panelist nationally on topics related to access and affordability, international education, the future of work and the value of higher education.
Dr. Josh Hibbard has served nearly 20 years in university administration and enrollment management, including positions as Director of Student Success, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success, Associate Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Management, and Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management. Dr. Hibbard’s experience is at both public and private medium-sized comprehensive universities in rural and urban areas. Throughout his career, his span of care has included oversight of admissions, advising, registrar’s office, financial aid, orientation programs, and student accounts, to name a few.
Dr. Hibbard’s research interests span a wide range of student success areas, including online student retention and harnessing the power of technology to improve recruitment, retention, and graduation outcomes.
Dr. Hibbard has led through the conversions of three CRM’s and two SIS transitions. His passion is transforming recruitment, student experience flows, and developing innovative learning environments to enhance pathways to a higher education credential, from communication planning, to improving student support structures. He has led the development and multi-year efforts for university strategic enrollment management planning, from start through implementation. He has also led financial leveraging optimization enhancements, aligning strategy with mission, vision, and strategic plan.
Dr. Hibbard holds a BA in Biblical Studies, an MA in Social Sciences, and a PhD in High Education with an emphasis in Student Success.
Fred Rodriguez is a seasoned higher education administrator with over three decades of leadership experience in enrollment management and student services. He has a comprehensive knowledge of academic and student affairs through his background at a wide range of institutions, from large public to small private, and graduate and professional schools. His broad understanding of enrollment management is built upon years of data-driven decision making, a student-centered orientation, and collaboration at all levels within the university and with colleagues at peer institutions. Mr. Rodriguez’s areas of expertise include policy development, strategic planning, compliance, student information system implementation, records and registration, student success and retention, and inter-institutional partnerships. Throughout his career, he has focused on creating teams that genuinely care about students, placing their success at the center of purpose and vision.
Most recently, Mr. Rodriguez served as University Registrar at Trinity University in San Antonio where he was responsible for all operations, budgets, and staff in the Office of the Registrar. Previously, he directed enrollment services offices at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and the University of Houston. With a strong command of technology, he specializes in implementing innovative solutions to enhance the student experience, and support academic advising, scheduling, degree audit, and early identification of at-risk students. Leading a team of faculty, advisors, student affairs directors, and IT staff, he created Early Alerts, Trinity University’s first student success system.
Mr. Rodriguez has for many years been actively involved in professional organizations and development. In addition to serving as president of the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (TACRAO), he has conducted workshops, chaired multiple committees, and shared his knowledge with association newcomers in mentorship programs.
Dave Meredith’s 28 years of experience in higher education span both the academic and student affairs side of the house. He has been an admissions director at mid-size and large public universities and has been a part of four, one-stop shop implementations. Dave has experience helping schools assess and restructure internal processes, use data to develop recruitment plans and build targeted yield plans. He also has worked with schools to reform office culture through hiring and training of new and existing staff. In addition to his work in admissions and enrollment management, he has experience in student retention, honors programs and new student orientation.
Dave has worked in Ohio, North Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, New Mexico, California and Georgia. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati where his research focused on FGC/low SES students and their successful navigation of the transition from high school to college. He has been an active presenter at regional and national conferences, has served on a College Board advisory committee and was elected president of the North Carolina Higher Education Advisory Board in 2018.
Dan Merian, Ph.D., is the director of enrollment management analytics and data for the Office of Enrollment Management at the University of Michigan. Merian brings a broad understanding of the student lifecycle through a data-informed lens.With a working knowledge of admissions, financial aid, and student success, he utilizes data to inform enrollment questions and identify trends related to access and affordability. Merian is skilled at developing enrollment projection models and reports, leveraging models to assess financial aid strategies, and working as a collaborative leader within and across organizations.Merian has worked at numerous institutional types, including private liberal arts, flagship research, and master's comprehensive institutions. Before his current role, Merian was the director of enrollment management strategic initiatives, research, and analytics at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he led the overall enrollment management applied research and analysis efforts for the regional campus. He was the project manager for UM-Dearborn's strategic enrollment management (SEM) planning process and sat on the university-wide data governance committee. In addition to Merian's data and analytics experiences, he has led a student success office, an enrollment technology team, and as an admissions representative, he successfully recruited record-breaking enrollment classes. Merian holds a doctoral degree in higher, adult, and lifelong education from Michigan State University, a master's degree in economics from Central Michigan University, and a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics from Alma College.