Aleksandar Popovski has been working in the field of international education since 2006. He has held leadership roles at several public and private colleges and universities, most recently as Assistant Dean of the Graduate School at Binghamton University (SUNY). Alex is currently the president and senior evaluator at Ucredo, a credential evaluation company that is an Endorsed Member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). Alex has presented at AICE symposia, NAFSA and TAICEP conferences, credential forums and webinars, and is a contributor to the NAFSA Online Guide to Educational Systems Around the World. He was involved in setting up the TAICEP certificate, a training program for new credential evaluators.
Dani has over 18 years of experience, working with staff, managers, and executives at all levels to improve organizational performance and capacity. She has worked in the central IT organization at Stanford University since 2001. Prior to joining Stanford, Dani performed a similar role at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
As the Senior Organizational Effectiveness Specialist for Stanford University IT (UIT), Dani creates, coordinates, and supports talent development programs for an organization of over 600 staff. Her role spans coaching individuals and teams; to devising curricula for leadership/management competency development; to planning and facilitating workshops aimed at increasing alignment and identifying strategic direction for workgroups. She coordinates a mentoring program for all UIT staff, and is the overall program lead for IDEAL IT, a program that promotes and advances the Stanford Presidential IDEAL initiative within the IT Community at Stanford. IDEAL stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access in a Learning Community, and is a cornerstone of Stanford’s diversity initiatives. The sub-programs that make up IDEAL IT reflect Stanford IT's commitment to providing opportunities where individuals with diverse backgrounds can collaborate, grow, and excel across different functions and disciplines.
On why she joined the Women's Caucus: "Is it failure? Or is it research? I love the idea that failure is only a perception. If an idea or project fails, it is a learning opportunity as now you’re one step closer to finding out what could work. The only failure is in giving up. With this in mind, there is a freedom to test new ideas, show courage and temerity, and above all continue learning.
My love of learning has made working in higher education an incredible experience. I have been able to translate my own research interests in motivation and organizational behaviour into tangible outcomes for my organizations and the amazing colleagues I work with in higher education. As a leader, I am continually focused on learning the best ways to build collaborative and transparent teams while advocating for equal opportunities and advancement for professional women, and I am honoured to be a member of the AACRAO Women’s Caucus."
On why she joined the Women's Caucus: "I have been fortunate in my journey in higher education to be mentored by a variety of women, not only from my own institution but from other institutions. With their encouragement I became involved in my regional AACRAO. At the same time, my female supervisors encouraged me as I took on more responsibility in the office, and eventually I succeeded the Associate Registrar when she retired. I am so grateful for their confidence in me; it is so important to have a network of trusting and supportive colleagues and without them I would not be in this career that I love. I hope the Women’s Caucus will provide you with the same support and mentoring that I was fortunate to receive."
Monique Wilson is an active member of the Black Caucus, most recently partaking in the February Book Club discussion about Oprah Winfrey's book The Path Made Clear. As part of the staff of the Office of the Registrar at UNC Charlotte, she was ecstatic to be part of bringing Dr. Angela Davis, a political activist, historian, Professor Emerita and acclaimed author to their campus and speak on the topic of resilience as it relates to systemic racial oppression.
The event was held at UNC Charlotte's library, with hundreds in attendance. The recording of the event will be posted on the UNC Charlotte's library website shortly.
On why she joined the LGBTQIA Caucus: "Discovering the LGBTQIA caucus was a highlight for me during AACRAO’s 2019 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.As a new member, I found the caucus to be a welcoming and friendly group of higher education colleagues. I look forward to participating in future AACRAO and caucus events and fostering a supportive environment for knowledge sharing and professional development in our field."
On why he joined the LGBTQIA Caucus: "When a small group of us helped found the LGBTQ Caucus many years ago, one of our main goals was to simply give “folks like us” a place where we could be ourselves and share common goals, issues and concerns. Now, we’ve evolved into a strong group whose added goal of educating our constituency about LGBTQ issues on campuses has made differences at colleges around the world. The caucus has made me proud of AACRAO and has helped make me a better administrator. For that, I will always be grateful."
On why he joined the LGBTQIA Caucus: "I'm in the LGBTQIA caucus because I think visibility is a core value as an engaged gay man and as an engaged AACRAO member. I've been involved in the gay movement since the early 70s, the heady days of gay liberation. Now, as our profession as well as our campuses are more diverse than ever, being "out there" says it loud and proud that we all belong and everyone is welcome. As AACRAO advocates for the issues that are critical to our jobs, having the public backing of our caucus is important work, and I want to be part of it."
On why he joined the LGBTQIA Caucus: "I'm in the LGBTQIA caucus because because none of us are free unless all of us are free."
Born and raised in “Calibama”, Eric has ties to the West and the South (which usually makes for interesting conversations). Presently he is one of two registrars at UA’s Graduate School, serving master’s and doctoral students across more than 120 degree programs. Eric lives in Hoover, Alabama with his wife, Monica and their two boys, Diego and Luca. His reason for joining the Latinx Caucus? "There is strength in numbers." When arriving in a new city, at another conference, it is a comfort to identify with a familiar face and all of the shared history and personal stories that often accompany it.
Shirley Caballero is currently the Assistant Director for the Student-Athlete Academic Center at Florida International University. Shirley began her career at FIU in 2011 as an Academic Advisor for Exploratory students and joined the SAAC in June of 2015.
Shirley earned her undergraduate degree from Florida International University in Anthropology and Sociology with a minor in Religious Studies. She then earned her Master’s in Higher Education Administration from the University of Connecticut in 2011.
A Miami native of Cuban descent, Shirley enjoys spending time her family and friends, going to the beach, or catching a good movie at the theater.When asked what she loves about AACRAO she mentioned that she enjoys being part of a community that understands the work she does on her campus and how it feeds into student success.
Laura Remillard has worked in higher education for about 15 years, 12 of which have been at Stanford University. She is a member of Pacific ACRAO (PACRAO), is on the board of the AACRAO’s Women’s Caucus, and is a member of the AACRAO State & Regional Relations Committee.
In 2021, Anita acquired the new role of AACRAO’s Director of Corporate Partnerships managing key relationships with corporate partners to advance AACRAO’s overall mission and strategic growth plan.Before joining AACRAO, Anita led a 20-year career as a sales and marketing professional in the hospitality industry working for Hilton Hotels Corporation, Discover Puerto Rico and Visit Baltimore. Her primary responsibilities focused on customers from the specialty and diverse markets generating revenue and developing strategic marketing plans to optimize business opportunities.Anita also spent 6 years in the non-profit world working for ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) as the VP of Corporate Development. It’s there that she developed two new initiatives for the organization serving the specific needs of members with ALPFA Veterans and ALPFA LGTB. In her time with ALPFA, Anita worked directly with C-suite executives from Fortune 1000 companies to build, maintain and enhance corporate partnerships while leading 43 professional ALPFA chapters nationwide on local fundraising efforts and sales strategies.She has held many leadership roles with volunteer organizations such as the Network of Latino Meeting Professionals and Meeting Professionals International. Anita holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from West Virginia University and enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two children in Northern Virginia.
Request Dr. Robert Hornberger as a speaker
In his present position as Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Services at Missouri State University (MSU), Dr. Rob Hornberger serves the institution in two major roles – a) coordinate the enrollment goals and initiatives for the entire campus and b) provide executive leadership to the admissions, adult student services, career center, dual credit, enrollment services, enrollment management systems and reporting, financial aid, registrar, scholarships, and veteran student center operational areas. Prior to this position, Dr. Hornberger was the University Registrar at MSU for ten years, overseeing the Registrar’s Office and Veteran Student Center. In that position, he led the office through a comprehensive department review, including the use of the AACRAO Registrar Assessment Guide and Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) guidelines. Dr. Hornberger also served previously as the campus data coordinator in Enrollment Management and Services, and both an assistant director and admission counselor in the Office of Admissions. Dr. Hornberger has presented at AACRAO conferences on the process of creating, maintaining, and sustaining a SEM plan, was published in the SEM Quarterly Journal, and holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and an M.S. in Computer Information Systems.
Dr. Hornberger remains proficient and current with the latest issues and trends in the profession by cultivating strong professional relationships with his counterparts. He has served in high-level leadership roles within AACRAO, such as the chair and vice chair for the AACRAO Annual Meeting Program Committee, Group I Coordinator, Enrollment Management and Retention PAC Chair and Vice Chair for AACRAO, and member of the Nominations and Elections Committee, and has also served as President and other leadership positions of MACRAO (Missouri’s AACRAO).
Since Sept 2019 Steve Ast has been Senior Vice President of Partner Success at InsideTrack where he leads their growth strategy to increase impact. His passion is helping students achieve their education goals in a way that enables them to advance their career and life goals which leads to a noticeable impact on their family and community.
Prior to joining InsideTrack, Steve was Regional Vice-President at Ruffalo Noel Levitz growing their business in their enrollment and fundraising areas. He has also held positions with Wiley Education, Pearson eCollege, and Knowledge Factor.
Steve received his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin - McCombs School of Business. He lives in Evergreen, CO, with his wife and two high-school aged daughters, and their dog Bundles.
His statement for AACRAO's Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus: "Growing up as a second-generation Asian immigrant, a college education provided a way out of poverty and gave me the confidence needed to change my life. Throughout the years, I was fortunate to have mentors who helped shaped me personally, academically, and professionally.I am forever grateful and as a way to give back, I strive to continue to make a positive difference in the lives of the students that I encounter in my everyday work. I am committed to providing them with the same supportive mentoring relationships that my mentors provided me.
His statement for AACRAO's Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus: "Barack Obama said ‘Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek’, and that is why I am in education so we may be the change that our students can see and aspire to become, as well as assist in the professional development of our colleagues so they may grow and serve our students.I have been in academia almost all of my professional career, including as a member of the Faculty, and now as a Higher Education Administrator. Our goal as Educators and Leaders must be to enrich the lives of others through education, and through hard work be an example to our students who aspire to be something greater in a multi-cultural world that is continuously changing with new challenges."
Her statement for AACRAO's Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus: "I am forever grateful and honor my parents who immigrated to this country. They taught me the critical importance of kindness and compassion and the value of education. I have been fortunate to have had the support and help of family, friends, colleagues, and mentors and am committed to help and support others as they pursue education and career opportunities."