Cameron J. McCoy, Ph.D., is the Vice President and Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives at Lehigh University. He is accountable for leading enterprise-wide external engagements, aligning careers and economic development, and enabling institutional innovation through design thinking and internal consultation.
Dr. McCoy completed his graduate studies at the University of Oklahoma, M.A. (Organization Leadership), Doctoral (Interdisciplinary), and his undergraduate degrees (History, Social Studies, and Architectural Studies) at Washington State University, cum laude, with Honors and Global certificates. His research interests combine economics and educational administration in evaluating university organizational economic engagement approaches. His recent work explores allocative inefficiency of boundary spanning functions in US higher education.
McCoy is a graduate of the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership and served as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow at George Mason University and Southern New Hampshire University in 2018.
Sue Reyes has worked at San Diego State University for over 18 years providing Information Technology support primarily for Enrollment Services projects and initiatives. She has played a key role in paperless application processing and electronic transcript processing. She is the main technical support for EDI transcript processing and document imaging within Enrollment Services as well as the lead developer for SDSU’s OnBase ECM software. She has also served as an Oracle Application Developer, EDI Developer, SQL DBA and is a Certified OnBase System Administrator and OnBase Workflow Administrator. Sue joined the AACRAO SPEEDE committee in 2012 and was the acting Chair for the 2017-2018 year. Sue has represented AACRAO on the PESC Change Control Board and as a member of the PESC Seal of Approval Committee.
Mary Strain leads strategic alliance development for Hyland’s blockchain credentialing solutions and other innovative solutions. Hyland, a leading content services provider, is revolutionizing the way organizations around the world issue and verify records leveraging the Blockchain as a secure anchor of trust.
Capstone Abstract:
This study compared retention rates of students who experienced a strengths-based freshman seminar curriculum to those who did not. Whether enrolled in a freshman seminar or not, freshmen who did not take the StrengthsFinder® assessment had a retention rate 28 percentage points below those who took the assessment and were enrolled in the strengths-based freshman seminar. This same percentage difference applied to students who took the StrengthsFinder® assessment and enrolled in a non-strengths-based freshman seminar. Students who took the StrengthsFinder assessment but were not required to enroll in a freshman seminar course per their program or admission requirements had a higher mean ACT score but were retained at a rate 20 percentage points lower than those in the strengths-based freshman seminar/learning community.
2020 AACRAO Elections - Nominations and Elections Committee Candidate
I have served in the Carolina Association for 14 years in many leadership roles from Ed-Op Committee and School Counselor Conferences to VP of South Carolina for Admissions.
I currently serve as the Director of Recruitment, Admission, and Orientation at a medium sized technical/community college. Prior to this role, I spent eight years at four-year private institution. I think my perspective from both "worlds" makes me uniquely qualified to serve AACRAO with a diverse viewpoint.
I feel it is time for me to expand my network and servant heart beyond CACRAO. Allowing others to enjoy similar professional development opportunities, I have experienced. I think you will find I have an “all in” spirit. I strive for a standard of best in my work.
Beyond my personal development, I hoping to help shape the admission profession at a higher level. I am passionate about the work we do as admission professionals. I would like to help continue building on the foundations others have set. The thought of being “at the table” for discussions and development, makes me excited!
AACRAO has been a big part of my career for more than 15 years. I enjoy the people I meet and the colleagues with whom I am able to coordinate on work questions. AACRAO has afforded me the opportunity to work with the finest Admissions and Registrar people in the United States! Being a part of the N&E Committee will allow me to give back to the organization that has given me so much over the years.
My name is Pam Walden and I am currently the Associate Registrar at Illinois State University. I began my career at Illinois State University in July, 1992. I first joined IACRAO in 2009, serving as the Website Manager. Since then I have held several board positions within the association – Technology Committee Chair, President-Elect, President, and Past President. I had the pleasure of serving on IACRAO’s board from 2009 – 2017. Having served on the board for nearly ten years, I understand how important it is to have the right people in the right positions. Because of this experience, I understand how those positions work together to advance the association in the right direction. I would be honored to serve AACRAO on the Nominations and Elections Committee.
I have served for the past three decades in the higher education profession. My roles have included serving as the director of admissions for a graduate school, the director of an institution's one-stop shop for graduate and correspondence/online students and the registrar's office. In my current position as AVP of Academic Records/Registrar I oversee policy and procedure for both admissions and the registrar's offices throughout our 15 campuses.
Over my tenure in higher education I have seen a decline in the amount of participation when it comes to voting for officers in our professional organizations. I would like as much as possible to aid in the process of getting the word out and encouraging the membership to partake in this process. Now more than ever our colleagues need to partcipate in professional development and be directed by competent and professional leaders.
A little about myself, I have twenty years of experience in higher education within the registrar's office and have been a member of AACRAO for the past 12 years. I spent eighteen years at Montana State University and currently I serve as the University Registrar at Louisiana State University of Alexandria.
I believe to get the most out of your memberships is to be involved. I have had the distinct pleasure to serve both regional and national associations over the years, during my time with PACRAO; I served on the local arrangements committee, the nominations and election committee and secretary for the board. Currently, I serve as the chair for the Graduation Committee for AACRAO and this past year I had the pleasure of serving as co-chair for volunteers for the 2020 annual conference.
My experience in higher education and dedication to this profession is why I would be honored to serve on the Nominations and Election Committee. If you know me; you know I do not need a reason to start up a conversation with someone; I can pretty much talk to anyone. If you don't know me; don't worry, we will be friends shortly and I will have your name on the ballot to serve on a committee or board and work with you on a presentation.
AACRAO has opened up so many doors for me, I have presented at the conference for the past 6 years with colleagues around the country, and co-wrote an article for the College and University publication on Commencement. AACRAO has made it possible to connect with colleagues around the world leading to a network of associates, that are always willing to share ideas and experiences.
We are constantly being asked to do more with less and we have been living in one of the most unique times. We need people to serve our association that are willing to speak up, are passionate about serving students, and who can help guide us through these unprecedented times. I promise to help find the best candidates to serve us!
I am excited and grateful to be considered for the Nominations & Elections Committee. Participating in this committee is a way to serve the membership, give back to an organization that has benefited me, and shape the future direction of AACRAO.
My work in the registrar profession began when I joined Academic Support Resources at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 2014. Since then, I have been active in my regional organization (UMACRAO), attended multiple AACRAO conferences, served on AACRAO’s Federal Compliance Committee, and presented at AACRAO conferences on topics including, trans-inclusive practices in a registrar’s office, FERPA, and academic policy development. I even ventured into the world of podcasts on For the Record. This year, I am chairing the Federal Compliance Committee.
Prior to my role in the registrar profession, I worked in higher education in two law schools, Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles and the University of Minnesota. This has given me the perspective of working at a small private institution in professional education, in addition to my current experience at a large public institution. I intend to keep the broad range of AACRAO’s membership in mind as a member of the Nominations & Elections Committee.
I believe that my experience brings some key strengths to this role. First, I have a unique role within a registrar’s office that spans degree audits, academic policy, strategic communications, training on student records systems, and student data privacy. This role requires making effective decisions on a wide range of topics as well as collaboration, attention to detail, and change management. Second, my prior experience as a career counselor and coach will help me identify strengths of applicants for AACRAO’s leadership positions. I have reviewed countless resumes and cover letters and coached people to find their dream positions. Third, I have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, which are key values of AACRAO. I have worked in diversity recruitment programs for law students, served as an appointed Commissioner on my city’s Community Engagement Commission, and served our diverse student body in a variety of projects including co-leading a project to implement gender identity and pronoun fields in our student information system.
I hope to have the opportunity to serve AACRAO and its membership in this role. Thank you for your consideration.
Kristin Smigielski is the Dean of Enrollment Management at Parkland College, a community college in east central Illinois. She has been in Higher Education for 18 years. She is a member of the Illinois ACRAO (IACRAO) organization, where she has served as a district chair and President. Kristin currently serves on the AACRAO State & Regional Relations Committee.
Aloha! My name is James Faustino and it is with great enthusiasm that I submit my candidacy for the Nominations and Elections Committee. I believe that my professional experience, training, demonstrated leadership capabilities, connection to the industry, and my commitment to the development of the ideals of the AACRAO organization align well with the position. I feel that I am well prepared and qualified to contribute and provide a unique perspective given my background, culture, and associations.
I am currently the Director of the Hoʻokele Department at BYU–Hawaiʻi. Ho'okele is the Hawaiian word for navigation. It is this exact concept and philosophy of navigating, coaching, mentoring and enabling students for success that I envision and expect the department that I lead, will provide as a service for students. The Ho'okele department's organization is a novel organizational approach to uniting several traditional student services functions into a single department to improve the student experience from recruitment to post-graduation. These departments include Student Recruitment, Admissions, New Student Experience, Experiential Learning, Career Services, Financial Aid, and Alumni Relations.
I have been with Brigham Young University-Hawaii for the past 9 years and have over 14 years of experience in Higher Education. I have performed in a variety of leadership roles in Higher Education. My past positions and experiences have afforded me the ability to understand many facets of the university administration and student life. I have been involved in student data collection and analysis, strategic enrollment planning, student programming, and helped guide efforts for diversity, inclusion, and student success. I am passionate and possess a strong commitment to the education, development, and empowering of young people.
I received a Bachelors Degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Business. I also attended Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and received a Masters Degree in Engineering Management. My professional experience outside of Higher Education administration involves work in Information Technology and Software Development.
I am passionate and possess a strong commitment to the education, development, and empowerment of young people. I have a strong understanding of student issues, legal matters, and trends that can affect the management of student-development programs such as patterns of student behavior and family dynamics.
I would be happy to provide further details or expound upon my viewpoints or experiences if necessary.
Here is a snapshot of my professional profile. I have also attached my CV for a more comprehensive outline of my professional experiences.
PROFILE HIGHLIGHTS:
Katie A. Schwienteck currently serves as the Campus Registrar at Penn State York and has 20 years’ experience in higher education. Katie’s experience spans admissions, enrollment management, student records, transfer recruitment, credit articulation, strategic planning, articulation agreements, partnerships, and transfer student advising. Being a transfer student herself, Katie has always been passionate and involved with transfer, and served as a transcript evaluator for nearly 10 years. Katie served as a past co-chair for AACRAO’s Technology and Transfer Conference committee and has presented several times at AACRAO’s Annual Meeting. Additionally, Katie has been quoted and published in AACRAO Connect, The Successful Registrar, The Enrollment Manager, and Insider HigherEd on various transfer related topics. Katie earned her Masters of Art in Communication from Notre Dame of Maryland University and her Bachelors of Science in Public Relations from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. She is also adjunct faculty in the field of Communications and Public Speaking.
Casey Bullock has been an Executive Director in Enrollment Services and University Registrar at Weber State University for the past eight years and has worked for the institution in other roles since 2006. Previous to his roles in the Office of the Registrar, he was the Transfer Coordinator in the Office of Admissions at Weber State University, which included recruitment of transfer students, advising, partnering with two-year institutions, and transfer articulation. Dr. Bullock has collaborated with higher education professionals in many capacities and at all levels in AACRAO as well as UACRAO. His research interests are in transfer student success and degree completion efficiency. He received his A.S. degree from Dixie State University, a B.S. degree from Utah State University in Business, Psychology, and Communications, and an M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah. In 2021 Casey became an SEM-EP Graduate and earned the SEM-EP badge.
Erin R. Mason, M.Ed., M.A., has almost 20 years of experience in higher education, including a diverse background in registrar functions, educational technology, and program development. Mason currently serves as the University Registrar at the University of Utah. She is an active member of professional associations, including AACRAO. Her AACRAO affiliation includes service on the Program Committee, Nominations and Elections Committee, as a PAC Chair and member of the Registration and Academic Support Services Committee, and as Vice Chair of Member Engagement. Mason was a founding member of the AACRAO Women’s Caucus.
She has presented and co-presented at numerous conferences, demonstrating her commitment to sharing knowledge and expertise within the higher education community. Her current research interests include legitimizing the expertise of professional staff in the academic governance environment and developing psychologically safe environments that foster learning, growth, transparency and continuous business improvement. Mason holds a Master of Arts in Adult Learning from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Education from the University of Hartford.
2021 AACRAO Elections - Vice President at Large Candidate
In late 2020, the AACRAO BOD adopted a vision and associated goals focused on "a community centered on learner success driven by professional excellence and leadership in enrollment and academic services." Rooted in collaboration, innovation, inclusivity, inquiry, and integrity, the associated goals are to be realized by 2026. Focused on these values before their current iteration, I have served as an AACRAO leader as chair and member of multiple committees, transfer conference director, ad hoc committee member, nominations and elections, author, and presenter at the annual meeting, webinars, tech/transfer, and SEM. Having addressed topics ranging from social media, access, transfer, policy, and professional competencies to data-driven enrollment strategy, my skills and experiences align perfectly with an "at large" position. I understand the organization and how we might address the challenges facing higher education today. If elected, my goal will be to meet those challenges and achieve AACRAO’s goals to benefit the membership and the learners we serve.
2020 AACRAO Elections - VP for Leadership and Management Development Candidate
For the past twelve years, I have been grateful to learn from my colleagues in AACRAO. Attending annual meetings has allowed me to learn from other participants during sessions and informal gatherings. This exposure has meant a great deal to me as a professional who is now able to be a contributor. I would not be able to participate in leadership opportunities and contribute to the organization by writing book chapters and re-writing the Registrar CAS standards without that exposure.
The nature of professional organizations is that they are only as strong as we make them, only as valuable as our contributions, and only as lasting as our dedication. As a recipient of such great value from AACRAO, I wish to contribute further to the organization that helped me become a seasoned professional in my work. I constantly am gaining value from the organization and its membership and am learning every day. Frankly, not a week goes by where I do not speak with a colleague that I met through AACRAO; this demonstrates the organization’s importance to me.
The role of Vice President for Leadership and Management Development is of great interest to me because it would be an honor to share AACRAO’s leadership and mentorship opportunities with all members. I want to ensure that the organization communicate with the entire membership about what is has to offer; it would be a pleasure to play a role in helping others as I was helped by the organization. That said, thinking about how AACRAO can continue its outstanding service in emerging ways for a new generation of leaders is critical to our continued growth and relevancy in the future. Our outreach needs to continue to not only the membership we know but also the possible membership that exists in our professional field. This includes thinking about inclusivity as broadly as possible and talking honestly at our annual meetings about how we can continue to grow and change for the better.
I am nowhere near an expert leader and continue to learn every day but I am unafraid to committing to leadership challenges where I can learn and lead at the same time. I am currently finishing my term as PACRAO President and am humbled at how much I have learned as a leader of an organization in a year where difficult decisions such as cancelling annual meetings had to happen. It has been humbling and heartbreaking, but also hopeful as we work to create new traditions for our regional organization where we compel our members to stay engaged with their network of colleagues when they need them most! I would like to continue to learn and lead as a member of the AACRAO Executive Board and in particular as the Vice President for Leadership and Management Development.
In summary, I will list a few of my AACRAO contributions over the past twelve years so that you can see my range of participation in our organization:
Presented at AACRAO and/or AACRAO Tech annually
Authored several chapters in Curriculum Management
Participated in the rewrite of the Registrar CAS Standards on behalf of AACRAO
Served on Nominations and Elections in 2017 and 2018 (vice-chair in 2018)
Julia A. Pomerenk, M.A, works as the University Registrar and Associate Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management at the University of Oregon. Before becoming a UO Duck, Pomerenk served as the university registrar at Washington State University and at Pacific Lutheran University, where she began her higher education career as an admissions counselor 37 years ago. Throughout her career, Pomerenk has enjoyed participating in and contributing to professional associations. She currently serves as the AACRAO Vice President for Records and Student Services. For PACRAO (Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), Pomerenk helped lead as PACRAO president and as the dean of the Leadership Development Institute for its first four years. She has presented and written on topics of leadership, joy, and community building. Pomerenk earned her B.A in English and Psychology at Pacific Lutheran University and her M.A. in English at the Ohio State University.
AACRAO Role: Vice President for Records and Academic Services - Board of Directors
I am the Assistant Director of the Graduate Admissions Office at the University of Idaho. I also function as a Designated School Official (DSO) and as a Slate Captain for the University of Idaho CRM and Application System.
I have earned a B.A. in French from the University of Bucharest, an M.A. in Francophone Literature from the University of Cincinnati, and currently pursuing an M.A. in TESOL at the University of Idaho.
I have held conference presentations at AACRAO and the AICE Symposium. I have presented a pre-conference workshop on online verification of credentials at the NAFSA 2019 Conference. Contributor to NAFSA website and ACEI blog.