Matt Pellish serves as the Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at CampusReel where he currently oversees partner development and strategic service planning. Prior to joining CampusReel Matt spent the last decade as Managing Director at EAB where he founded and built out the firm’s Advisory Services function to provide excerpt advice and consultative direction to EAB’s partner network of colleges, universities, K-12 public school districts, and independent schools where he personally visited over 450 campuses in North America and Europe. Early in his career Matt developed a passion for education which expanded in roles as Director of Continuing Education, Chief of Staff, and head of New Program Development at several universities and colleges in the northeast including Harvard University, Cambridge College, Wheelock College, and Saint Joseph’s University. Matthew earned a B.A. with honors in English and Political Science magna cum laude from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA and a Masters degree in Education (Ed.M.) from Harvard University where he specialized in Higher Education Management, Organizational Design, and Leadership.
Rob Carroll has worked in higher education since cofounding CampusReel in 2017. He brings deep technical, digital, and problem-solving experience to the higher education landscape and is passionate about helping universities and programs more effectively recruit their next class of students. Last year, Rob was named Forbes 30 Under 30 in Education, has been featured in numerous news articles and publications, and won Colgate University's Entrepreneurship competition. He's consulted and worked with all types of universities from large state schools to community colleges to MBA programs.
Lora Beth Short currently serves as the Registrar for Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC). SRTC serves 11 counties in southwest Georgia and has campuses in Bainbridge, Moultrie, Thomasville, and Tifton. Lora Beth has worked at the college for more than 15 years and the past 10 being in the Registrar’s Office. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Management in 2016 and is currently completing her Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University. She has implemented several systems for SRTC including DegreeWorks, a degree auditing system, Credential Solutions, a digital transcript request system, and most recently, the move to digital credential printing through Parchment.
Sara Cook is currently the Associate Registrar for Academic and Student Services at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). This includes support for registration and enrollment, academic records, undergraduate degree clearance, diplomas, and NCAA athletic certification. She has worked in the Office of the Registrar at UCSB since 2007 and recently completed her EdD in Higher Education Leadership at California Lutheran University.
As Associate Registrar/Product Management, Amanda's primary role is to identify and implement technology to help facilitate efficient systems for campus constituents. When strategizing, she draws from the basic tenets of organizational psychology, technology adoption, change management, and client experience to ensure viable solutions. Amanda received her B.A. in Psychology in 2002 from University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Pete Novak is passionate about strategic development to improve education, grow organizations and advising startups.
As an immigrant himself, he has supported immigrants by developing emergency food delivery, telecommunications, financial and education solutions for the communities. For example, he led development of cross-border next day food delivery from US to West Africa during ebola, was a founding trustee at Global Community Charter School in Harlem and co-founded ODYSSEY, the MBA Games at Columbia Business School.
Currently, he is the Country Manager for Cambridge Assessment English for Canada/USA and a startup advisor. Pete is also a fervent advocate of more cowbell.
LinkedIn
Lisa Emery is a Senior Associate Registrar at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She previously served as the Product Manager for the institution’s Student Administration systems and as a consultant in Accenture’s Higher Education practice. She chairs MACRAO’s Enrollment Management committee and is a member of AACRAO’s Information Systems and Technology Committee. Emery is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Eastern Michigan University.
SEM-EP Capstone Project – “SEM Strategies for the Next Decade: Charting the Path for an Elite Midwestern University” is a literature review of recent research applicable to the long-term SEM planning efforts of a selective institution in the Midwest. Changing demographics and population migration will decrease the rate of growth in students and increase competition among elite schools. These institutions will need to expand recruitment strategies by focusing on underrepresented groups and prepare for expansive changes in student support services, pedagogy, and curriculum that will be required when working with new student groups. The articles featured in this literature review include studies looking at differences by race and ethnicity in traditional measures of college readiness, challenges faced by Latino students, and student support services for First-Gen students.
In memoriam: A beloved AACRAO member, Tom passed on May 1, 2021 at the age of 86.
Over three decades, Tom was a contributing author to a number of updates to Academic Record and Transcript Guide , mainly on the topic of electronic data exchange (EDX). He was also a recipient of Honorary Membership, the APEX Award, and the Distinguished Service Award.
He was born on November 5, 1934 in West Palm Beach, Florida to John T. Stewart Sr. and Wilhelmina Brandenburg Stewart who preceded him in death. Tom graduated from Palm Beach High School in the class of 1952. He was an Eagle Scout, a member and president of DeMolay and ATO fraternity at University of Florida. He received a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida in 1956 and worked as a research engineer for three years for Dow Chemical Co. in Freeport, Texas before becoming an officer in the US Air Force, serving as a supply officer at Toul-Rosieres Air Base in France. He was released from active duty in 1964 as a First Lieutenant. He returned to the University of Florida where he received a Masters of Teaching Mathematics in 1965. He was a long-time resident of Coconut Grove in Miami, FL. After teaching math at Miami Dade College (MDC) for one year, he became the first campus registrar at the College’s South (now Kendall) Campus. He was instrumental in bringing technology to the admission and registration of students and modernizing the maintenance of student records. He was the prime mover in providing the opportunity for students to register for classes using the automated voice response (Star Service) telephone registration system. MDC was the third college in the nation to provide this service to its students. He was a leader in creating both state and national standards that allowed for academic records (transcripts) to be sent electronically over the internet to other colleges and universities. Tom was president of both Florida ACRAO and the Southern ACRAO (SACRAO). He was awarded honorary member to both SACRAO and AACRAO upon his retirement from Miami Dade College in 2003. After retirement, he remained actively involved in AACRAO and P2OW Education Standards Council (PESC) in Washington, DC, in their efforts to continue developing international standards for electronic exchange of high school and college student records.Tom is survived by his brother Ronald B. Stewart and sister-in-law Virginia Reynolds Stewart of Gainesville, FL and Franklin, NC, a niece Laura Stewart Monday and a nephew John Michael Stewart of Gainesville, FL. He was predeceased in 2013 by his life partner Arnulfo DeLeon.
Arrangements are entrusted with Crevasse’s Simple Cremation, Gainesville, Florida. Leave online condolences or fond memories in Tom's guestbook.
Tribute Video
Linda began working for the University of Pittsburgh in the Office of the University Registrar in August 2015. Linda and her team oversees all aspects of grades and graduation. Prior to working at the University of Pittsburgh Linda spent many years in community engagement roles at Pittsburgh Action Against Rape and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Linda earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh in Literature and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Chatham University.
Dr. Lauren Kim is Director of Registration and International Student Services at Marshall B. Ketchum University in Southern California. She’s held the position since 2019. Prior to that, she was an associate registrar at Harvey Mudd College for 7 years. Lauren is a member of AACRAO’s AAPI caucus since 2017, and currently serves as the vice-chair. She received her doctorate degree from University of Southern California in Education in 2015.
2021 SEM-EP Graduate
Dmetri Berko has devoted his career to helping businesses and institutions achieve operational excellence. By breaking down complex systems, Dmetri has identified and enabled efficiencies, and provided clarity to the sphere of Recruitment and Enrolment Management.
Dmetri’s practical and forthright style has contributed to positive changes and increased productivity across the spectrum from public to private colleges and universities. His tenacity and constant questioning of operational systems results in transformational progress wherever he serves.
He currently serves as Campus Director, Online for the Visual College of Art and Design and Acting Regional Director of Operations, VCAD.
Dmetri has a Bachelors of Science in Geography from the University of Calgary, a Master’s of Project Management from Keller Graduate School of Management, and internationally recognized professional designations in Human Resources (RPR, CPHR, and SHRM-SCP), Management (CMP), and Project Management (PMP).
Capstone Project: Focusing on Student Retention
I have been the Registrar at Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Omaha, NE since 2011. Prior to that, I worked in the President's office for six years. Working in higher education was by sheer accident. After I graduated from my alma mater, the University of North Dakota, I never dreamt that I would ever return as a staff, let alone pursue a higher-level position at another institution. It was evident I found my true calling while working at MCC! I have been a member of AACRAO since becoming Registrar and have served a term on the Community College Issues Committee. I am also an active member of NACRAO, having previously served on its board and I continue to serve on a committee.
Her statement for AACRAO's Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus: "I became a member of the AAPI Caucus because I feel that I can positively contribute to its growth and advocacy, especially in light of the recent anti-Asian sentiments and acts against the community. A community that I am a part of, as I am half-Korean."
Dr. Allan Davis is the Manager of Admissions and Recruitment at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine. He oversees the application process for the School’s four clinical and five non-clinical programs, including UMKC’s combined 6-year BA/MD program. In 2019, he was responsible for coordinating the expansion of summer pipeline programs designed to recruit students underrepresented in medicine. Before working at UMKC, Dr. Davis completed his PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. His dissertation examined how Anglo American women used amateur theatre to contribute to the racial formation of whiteness in the early 20th century. Outside of work, Allan enjoys listening to audiobooks while walking his dog and eating pupusas with husband.
John M. Braxton is Professor Emeritus of Leadership, Policy and Organizations, Higher Education Leadership and Policy Program, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Resident Scholar, Tennessee Independent College and University Association, and Affiliate Scholar, The USC Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice.
Braxton has two major programs of research. One centers on the college student experience with particular attention focused on college student persistence. His work on college student persistence entails the assessment of theory on college student persistence, the revision and construction of new theory on college and constructs and empirical testing of revised and newly formulated theory on this phenomenon.
Braxton has published more than 110 publications in the form of articles in referred journals, books, and book chapters. He is a recipient of the Research Achievement Award bestowed by the Association for the Study of Higher Education and the Contribution to Knowledge Award given by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA)-College Student Educators International. Both awards are for outstanding contributions to knowledge that advance the understanding of higher education.
Professor Braxton served as editor of the Journal of College Student Development from 2008 to 2015. He currently serves as an associate editor for the Journal of College Student Retention: Theory, Research and Practice. He is also a past president of the Association for the Study of Higher.
Delineating A Practitioner-Defined Research Agenda for Enrollment Management
Developing the Two-Way Practitioner-Researcher Loop for Enrollment Management
Organizational Assessment to Improve College Student Persistence
Building Cultural Capital in First-Year Students At Residential Colleges and Universities
Fostering a Sense of Community in Residence Halls: A Role for Housing and Residential Professionals in Increasing College Student Persistence
The Pathway Toward the Institutionalization of Enrollment Management Departure from College: The Role of the Social Network of Students
A Professional Body of Knowledge for a Nascent Profession
Enrollment Management and Managing Enrollments: Revisiting the Context for Institutional Strategy
The Pathway Toward the Institutionalization of Enrollment Management
Interview with Don Hossler
Alexandra Cannell Wendt, is a Manager of Executive Projects in the Office of the Chancellor at Vanderbilt University. Wendt graduated from the higher education administration program at Vanderbilt in 2021. Since attending Vanderbilt in 2019, Wendt has worked as a graduate assistant in the office of the provost and in the office of the chancellor. Prior to attending Vanderbilt, Wendt worked in higher education in Arizona leading the AmeriCorps Program in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University and prior to that, leading the nationally recognized service-learning program at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Wendt holds an associate’s from Chandler-Gilbert Community College, a bachelor’s in human communication and a minor in global studies, and a master’s in higher education administration.
Andrew Peterson, Ph.D., is Vice President for Educational Innovation and Global Outreach at Western Seminary, Portland, OR. Andy received the Ph.D. in Educational Technology from the University of Pittsburgh.
The Coming of Age of Data Analytics in Higher Education
Robert Nisbet, Ph.D., is a retired data scientist who has written many books in the field of data analytics. Bob continues as an Instructor in the Predictive Analytics Certificate Program at UC Irvine teaching the Applications of Predictive Analytics and Effective Data Preparation courses in the program. Bob received his Ph.D. in Ecosystem Analysis and Modeling from Arizona State University.
Olga Komissarova received her Ph.D. in Higher Education, Leadership, Management and Policy from Seton Hall University in May 2020. Her quantitative research projects explore finances and enrollment patterns at universities in the United States. After graduation, she served as an Instructional Aide at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research. She currently works as a Data Analyst for a software technology company.
Exploring the Relationship between International and Minority Enrollment in MBA programs at Public Universities in the United States
Nicholas Dix is a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership program, and a graduate enrollment professional at the University of Northern Colorado. His research and professional interests include college student success and the analysis of current trends in higher education. He holds a Master of Science in Management from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Government from Illinois State University.
The Relationship between Institutional Budget Models and Graduate Strategic Enrollment Management Structures