Professional photo Chris Huang.

Christopher Huang

Vice President for Academic Systems and Completion Strategy at Ivy Tech Community College

Bio:

Chris Huang is the  Associate Vice Chancellor and Registrar, Purdue University Fort Wayne. He has served as a registrar since 2006 at both private and public institutions. Chris’ career in higher education began as an admissions counselor at this alma mater, Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He holds a Master of Arts in Communication from Purdue Northwest. Since 2013, Chris has been an active member of the Illinois Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers holding several leadership positions: District Chair, Professional Activities Officer and President.

Since 2017, Chris has been involved with AACRAO’s Asian and Pacific-Islander Caucus.

Why he joined: "As a Taiwanese immigrant, the value of education was instilled in me by my parents. As a person of color, there have been times in my personal and professional lives where I’ve felt like an outsider or that I didn’t belong.

As a member of the AAPI Caucus, I hope to connect with colleagues through the association to share our experiences and support each other in our work and create a sense of belonging among peers. This includes mentoring, sharing our successes and raising awareness about access and equity for our AAPI colleagues and students. It was my honor to serve the AAPI caucus as chair from 2018-2020. I also had the opportunity to serve as Illinois AACRAO’s first AAPI president in 2018.

I want to encourage AAPI colleagues to be involved in leadership positions at the state and regional levels and at the national level, so that our voices can be heard."

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn. 

AACRAO Role: Vice President for Information Technology - Board of Directors

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Kristy Goodwin

Kristy is Director of the College Pathways Program at Governors State University. Beginning her career at Rush University Medical Center as a coordinator, Kristy is highly involved in AACRAO, with special emphasis on programs that call to her passions: mentorship, youth advancement, and developing future leaders. 

Years of experience with program development, public speaking, recruitment and admissions, and program development in higher education have made her no stranger to challenges and new ideas. Her skills and education speaks to a plethora of experiences as a leader in and out of the higher education network.

Connect with Kristy on LinkedIn. 

 

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Ewa Nowicki

Ewa (she/her/hers) began her career in education in 2003 working as a teacher, and in 2008 she started her journey in higher education as an academic administrator. She has served at institutions such as Boston University, Stanford University, and Amherst College. 

Ewa is currently a doctoral candidate at Northeastern University and an Education Policy Fellow with the Institute for Educational Leadership and Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy. She is passionate about advancing access, equity, and inclusion for all members of higher education learning communities.

Connect with Ewa on LinkedIn. 

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Dr. Soraira Urquiza

Registrar, California Institute of the Arts

Bio

Dr. Soraira Urquiza is a first-generation college graduate and professional. In addition to her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California, she earned a Master’s degree in Chicana/o Studies from CSU Northridge and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Mount St Mary’s University. She is currently the Registrar for the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and was the recipient of the 2021 AACRAO Emerging Leader Award. She is also the current Chair of the Latinx Caucus and President of PACRAO.

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Dr. Kimberley Williams

Request Dr. Kimberley Williams as a speaker   

Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Retention, The George Washington University

About
Dr. Kimberley Williams currently serves as the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Retention at the George Washington University (GW). In addition, Kimberley is the assistant director of AACRAO’s SEM Endorsement Program (EP). She has three decades of experience in higher education. 

Dr. Williams has a proven track record of consistent enrollment success and is widely viewed as one of the top enrollment professionals in the country. Kimberley's background includes extensive background in building targeted student outreach, readiness, and support programs that have assisted her in enhancing student diversity, community engagement, and retention rates at several institutions. In addition, Kimberley has led efforts in developing CRM systems, pre-college, and summer bridge programs, and early alert networks strongly aligns with GW's student success goals and aspirations.

Prior to joining GW, for nearly a decade, Kimberley served as the Vice President for Enrollment Management (VPEM) at two public, regional universities. She has also held leadership roles in student enrollment and support at Northern Illinois University, the University of Michigan-Flint, and Old Dominion University.

While at Northeastern Illinois University, as VPEM Ms. Williams oversaw the matriculation of the inaugural Hope Chicago first-year class and implemented a case management approach to advising the new scholar-cohort program. In addition, the student engagement model featured the development of individualized student success plans and an automated student referral system to align student needs with the appropriate campus support units.

During Kimberley's tenure at the University of Mary Washington, as VPEM she helped establish new partnerships with several community-based organizations, including the Latino Student Fund (MD), Access College Foundation (VA), and the Partnership for the Future (VA). She also implemented a set of campus-wide committees, and student engagement plans to improve diversity and student persistence levels. These efforts resulted in the percentage of students of color at UMW rising from 23 percent in 2014 to 30 percent in 2021, and the overall first-to-second-year student retention rate increasing by 4.8 percent. Under her leadership, the percentage of students of color at Mary Washington grew from 23 percent in 2014 to 30 percent in 2021. In addition, UMW enrolled its largest first-year class in history, and saw a significant increase in its incoming first-year academic profile.

In addition to the aforementioned strategic enrollment management successes, Kimberley led enrollment efforts at the University of Michigan- Flint. Under Kimberley’s leadership, UM- Flint realized a 29 percent increase in new first-year enrollment (2005-2011), and a 200 percent increase in international student enrollment as noted in a 2010 MLive article titled “UM-Flint keeps rank as state's fastest growing university.”

Kimberley is the author of the 2021 book "History of American Higher Education A to Z: A Primer for Enrollment Managers."  She also has several recent articles and publications focusing on student success and enrollment management. Recent presentations include "Closing Equity Gaps in Enrollment – A Four-Pronged Approach" (2021), "SEM and Retention; The Perfect Pair" (2018), and "We Check More Than One Racial Category... Are You Ready for Us?" (2016). 

In 2023, Kimberley completed her Ed.D. from Regent University (VA). Her dissertation research examined employment engagement and succession planning in the context of retaining enrollment middle managers in the American "Big Quit," "Great Reshuffle, and/or "Great Resignation" era. In addition, Kimberley holds an Ed.S. degree in Higher Education Administration, a master's degree in Education Administration, and a bachelor's degree in English, all from Old Dominion University. She also holds a postmaster's certificate in leadership from the University of Michigan's Center for the Education of Women. 

Review of: The State Must Provide: Why America's Colleges Have Always Been Unequal―and How to Set Them Right

Review of: Yale Needs Women; How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant

Review of The Black Family’s Guide to College Admissions—A Conversation About Education, Parenting, and Race, 2nd Edition

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Luisa Havens Gerardo

Vice Provost Enrollment Management, Virginia Tech

Dr. Luisa M. Havens Gerardo became Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at Virginia Tech on August 1, 2017. Prior to Virginia Tech, she served as the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Services at Florida International University (FIU). She began her career as a student recruiter at her Alma Mater, the University of Idaho. She has served in leadership roles in the areas of admissions, recruitment, registration, international admissions, graduate admissions, financial aid and enrollment services.  Dr. Havens Gerardo is currently serving as President for AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) and also served as Vice President for Access and Equity from 2010 to 2013 for AACRAO and is an institutional delegate to the College Board.
 
Originally from Honduras, she holds a BS degree in Radio and TV production, a Master's degree in Resource Recreation and Tourism and a Ph.D.in Education with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration from the University of Idaho.
 
Throughout her career, Dr. Havens Gerardo has worked with diverse, underrepresented and/or at-risk populations. Such experiences contributed to her doctoral research focus culminating in her doctoral dissertation titled “Academic integration and self-efficacy: An exploratory study of at-risk student persistence”. In her role at FIU and previously at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), both Hispanic Serving Institutions with strong commitment to access and student success, she diligently worked on initiatives aimed at serving transfer students, military veterans, low socioeconomic status (SES) populations and first generation college students. She frequently presents at local, regional and national forums on varied topics such as applying strategic enrollment management practices at urban universities, process reengineering in enrollment services, staff development and training and leadership/management development.
 

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Amardeep Kahlon

Assistant Dean Distance Learning & External Relations, Austin Community College

Dr. Amardeep Kahlon is a nationally recognized leader in competency-based education (CBE). Her project, Fast Track to Success, is aimed at expanding CBE across Texas. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), a national organization that advocates for CBE and has created quality standards for CBE.

As the founder and chair of the annual Fast Track to Success conference, Dr. Kahlon has created a valuable forum to discuss innovation in higher education across Texas. In October 2017, the Chronicle of Higher Education profiled her as one of the top ten innovators for her work in CBE. She was the lead for the Texas Affordable Baccalaureate project at Austin Community College (ACC). Prior to assuming her current roles, Dr. Kahlon spent a sabbatical year (2013-14) in India as the founding Dean of Academics at an emerging new university. She has presented at local, state, and international conferences and has been invited to speak in different forums.

Currently, Dr. Kahlon serves as the Assistant Dean of Distance Learning and External Relations at Austin Community College. She is also the director of the Women in IT program and the Fast Track to Success project. Dr. Kahlon earned a Masters in Computer Science from Binghamton University and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.

 

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Dhanfu E. Elston

Vice President for Strategy, Complete College America

Dr. Dhanfu E. Elston (pronounced: dah-nee-foo) serves as Complete College America’s Vice President of Strategy where he utilizes his campus expertise for practical application, implementation, and scaling of CCA momentum strategies at institutions throughout the nation. He provides oversight of the 15-To-Finish scale strategy,  Purpose First career choice grant, technology Seal of Approval, and scaling standards to close achievement gaps. Elston coordinates relationships with Governor’s Offices and higher education state-wide systems in their college completion efforts. Recently, he launched a national initiative to amplify completion efforts at minority-serving institutions. Over two decades of his higher education career in academic and student affairs, Elston has created and implemented comprehensive success and retention programs that have garnered national attention.

 

Dr. Elston earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from Georgia State University where he conducted research in student retention, intercultural relations, learning communities, leadership development, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He earned both an M.A. in Educational Leadership and B.S. in Biology from Clark Atlanta University.
 

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John Papinchak

University Registrar, Carnegie Mellon University

In his role as University Registrar, John Papinchak focuses on student privacy, data stewardship and governance, academic policy, academic calendars, and university learning spaces. John began working at Carnegie Mellon's Office of Admission in 1984 and in 1988 became an Associate Director of Admission. He served as the Director of Summer Studies from 1986 until 1994. In 1994, he became Carnegie Mellon's University Registrar. He was involved with the re-engineering of Enrollment Services in 1995 and with implementing several process improvements including the first Student Information Online (SIO), online registration (OLR) and electronic grades (E-Grades/FIO). He has since been intimately involved in the Student Services Suite (S3) project to modernize SIO, the implementation of My Plaid Student, the current development of the S3 Admin Console and S3 Faculty Course & Grade Information, and the development of the Student Data Warehouse (SDW). John currently sits on the Associate Deans Council, Associate Deans for Graduate Programs, the University Education Council, Learning Spaces and Information as an Asset Teams, and he serves on the University Committee on Discipline. He is also co-chair of the Veteran Students’ Success Steering Committee.

John received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with an additional major in Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon in 1984. In 1990, he earned a Master of Science degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon's H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management. He is active in several professional organizations, including American Association of University Registrars, on which he currently serves as a board member and Conference Program Director, MSACRAO, and AACRAO, where he serves on the Program Activities Committee. John is a former Staff Council Representative and Chair, and former member of the Carnegie Mellon Admissions Council (CMAC). He has served as the co-sponsor of Carnegie Mellon's Faculty/Staff blood drives with the Central Blood Bank since 1986. He is also a faculty advisor with Alpha Phi Omega's Kappa Chapter, presently chairing the Advisory Committee. He has served as a Class of 1984 representative as part of the Inspire Innovation campaign, an alumni volunteer, and is a member of the Order of The May and a Loyal Scot.

Outside of Carnegie Mellon, John was formerly involved as a Cubmaster and Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America, local Little League president and coach, local soccer association president and board member, and recreational and travel soccer coach. He remains active as a local soccer referee officiating youth and high school matches and is the current registrar for the Western PA State Referee Committee. John lives in South Park with his wife and has three adult sons.

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Beka Tavartkiladze

Senior Director, Evaluation Services at World Education Services

Beka has 17 years of experience in credential evaluation and has extensive knowledge of foreign educational systems and the issues surrounding the recognition of international educational credentials. He frequently presents on foreign educational systems and the recognition of international educational qualifications at national and international conferences and workshops.

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Chantel Reynolds

Recognitions Manager, Cambridge Assessment International Education

Chantel Reynolds is a Recognitions Manager with Cambridge Assessment International Education, where she engages with college and universities across the southern United States.  In this role, Chantel supports faculty and administrators as they develop comprehensive prior learning assessment policies that acknowledge the skills and experiences Cambridge students bring to the institution.

Prior to joining Cambridge International, Chantel served in a similar role at the College Board, where she supported institutions using both ACCUPLACER and CLEP.  Chantel was the primary project manager for the implementation of two statewide custom assessments: the NC_DAP for the North Carolina Community College System and the TSI Assessment for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.  In addition, she has several years of experience in student services and academic support and as adjunct faculty at both two- and four-year institutions.  She is currently pursuing her Ed.D in community college leadership.

In her spare time, Chantel volunteers with the Earthwatch Institute, a non-profit environmental organization, working on projects ranging from panda conservation in China to archaeological sites in Italy to orca observation off the coast of Iceland.  She is happy to tell stories and share photos.

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Adina Chapman, Ph.D.

North American Regional Manager, Higher Education, Cambridge Assessment Inc.

Adina Chapman is the North American Regional Manager for Higher Education with Cambridge Assessment International Education, where she engages with colleges and universities across the western United States and Canada.  In this role, Adina supports faculty and administrators as they develop comprehensive prior learning assessment policies that acknowledge the skills and experiences Cambridge International students bring to the institution.

Prior to joining Cambridge International, Adina served in a similar role at the College Board as Director of Higher Education Policy Analysis, where she communicated AP Program changes and developed research-based support for teams of College Board staff to use in cultivating AP policies, with a particular focus on state-wide policies.  At the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, Adina led the state-wide general education taskforce, faculty development, policy development on state-wide transfer initiatives, and implementation of CollegeSources's Transfer Equivalency System (TES) with Kentucky’s public registrars. In addition, she began her career at the Kentucky Approving Agency for Veterans Education, a part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) where she reviewed and recommended improvements to academic, admissions, and financial aid policies as well as approved programs at Kentucky colleges and universities to ensure that veterans received quality education and training that foster economic growth and opportunity for them and the Commonwealth.

In her spare time, Adina volunteers as a mentor with Peak Education, a not for profit organization in Colorado Springs which, serves over 250 students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds from 7th grade through the completion of their college education. Peak Education empowers their scholars to take ownership of their educational journey and to equip them with the knowledge and resources to make choices that allow them to reach their full potential.

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Van C. Wilson

Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Experience and Strategic Initiatives, VCCS

Dr. Van C. Wilson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Experience and Strategic Initiatives has over 35 years of experience in post-secondary education. He joined the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Academic Services & Research staff in January of 2013 and currently serves as the chief student services administrator for the system. This includes enrollment management, credit for prior learning, admissions, registration, student leadership, financial aid, veteran’s services, library services, the early alert system and the Virginia Education Wizard, the system’s on-line educational portal.   His current priorities includes working with VCCS colleges to accelerate educational attainment for military veterans by developing system-wide methodologies to evaluate and award academic credit for military educational experiences, the implementation of several system-wide technologies to support student success, teaching, and learning, and seeking system wide solutions to address student housing and food insecurity barriers.
 
Prior to joining the VCCS, Dr. Wilson served as Associate Vice President for Student Learning and Success for the North Carolina Community College System.  He also worked as Vice President for Student Services at Forsyth Community College located in Winston-Salem North Carolina and held leadership positions at Winston-Salem State University and Western Carolina University. 

 

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Sully Saucedo

Assistant Director International Admissions - Texas Women's University

Sully Saucedo currently serves as Assistant Director, International Admissions at Texas Woman's University. She has worked in higher educations for 18 years, including seven years in international education. She has co-presented at regional NAFSA conferences, the 2018 AACRAO Annual Meeting and previously served on the AACRAO International Admissions Committee. Prior to her current role, Sully held positions in the Office of the Registrar and Office of Internal Audits.

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Chris Adams

Senior Associate Director of International Admissions - Indiana University Bloomington

Chris Adams comes from an educational background in history, political science, and comparative education. His professional work encompasses over a decade in higher education admissions and international student mobility, during which he has contributed to two AACRAO publications: “Inclusive Admissions Policies for Displaced and Vulnerable Students” and “The Cuba Project.”  Chris has been actively involved in multiple national and international higher education organizations, currently serving as president of The Association of International Credential Evaluation Professionals (TAICEP).

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Michael Sessa

PRESIDENT & CEO, PESC

Michael serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the PESC Board of Directors, a position he's held since 2002. At PESC Michael manages PESC’s membership, finances, events, marketing and website, strategic planning and PESC’s fifteen committees and groups. He began his career in 1990 at a local branch of The Boston Five Cents Savings Bank in student loans and consumer lending & compliance and has dedicated his efforts to standardization and interoperability ever since. As evangelist at PESC, Michael speaks regularly at conferences and events throughout the USA, Canada and around the world. Michael first served on the PESC Board of Directors from 1999-2002, representing American Student Assistance (ASA) and the National Association of Student Loan Administrators (NASLA), before coming on board in 2002.
 
Prior to PESC, Michael worked 10 years at American Student Assistance (Massachusetts Higher Education Assistance Corporation) as Director of Program Relations and Planning managing industry and government affairs and strategic technological initiatives.  Michael is a 1989 graduate of Dartmouth College and was born and raised in Revere, Massachusetts, just north of Boston.  He currently resides in Washington DC where PESC is headquartered.

Melanie Gottlieb

Melanie Gottlieb

Executive Director, AACRAO

Melanie is the first woman to hold the role of Executive Director in the association’s history after nearly six years as the Deputy Director. She brings a global perspective rooted in an understanding of the technological proficiency and flexibility needed to move AACRAO forward.

Melanie came to the national office with 18 years as an AACRAO member, with experience in Records & Registration, Enrollment Management and International Recruitment and Credential Evaluation. She has served the association in a variety of volunteer leadership roles throughout her career, most recently as Vice President for International Education on the AACRAO Board of Directors.  Melanie earned an MA in Information Science from the University of Missouri - Columbia and a BA in History /American Studies from Marlboro College in Vermont.

Identity, Mentorship, and Community: AACRAO’s First Woman Executive Director on Her Leadership Journey

Melanie's Role At AACRAO

Melanie is responsible for ensuring the association's operations (to include staff, infrastructure, products, and services) are in alignment to carry out the mission according to the strategic direction of the AACRAO Board of Directors.
 

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James Kelly

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIAL EVALUATORS

Jim Kelly serves as Senior Director of Technology at Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE).  Over the last 18 years, he has successfully built a foundational framework for technology to support infrastructure, applications, and strategic activities. These initiatives have been key to the growth of services offered by ECE helping the business triple in size during Jim’s tenure.  Jim manages a team of skilled technology professionals, sets technology goals and leads strategic planning initiatives. As part of ECE’s senior leadership team, Jim supports internal & external systems while involved in planning, general leadership and management efforts.

Jim also works with PESC and the Groningen Declaration Network to standardize credential evaluation data and contributes to educational data mobility internationally.  Jim serves as Chair of the PESC Board of Directors, Co-Chair and Steering Committee Member of the PESC Global Education Organization (GEO) User Group on the PESC EdExchange Steering Committee.  Jim has also been representing PESC as speaker and presenter at Annual Meetings of the Groningen Declaration Network.

After graduation from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with a degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, Jim began a career in business and technology professional consulting for organizations that vary in both size and industry. Jim’s consulting experience brings a wealth of knowledge in technology, project management, business systems, warehousing, and distribution to his current efforts.

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W. Matthew Bemis

ASSOCIATE REGISTRAR, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Matt Bemis, an Associate Registrar at the University of Southern California, is responsible for the Degree Progress operations for the University.  He serves as the administrator over the Degree Audit and Transfer Credit applications, is responsible the certification of student athlete academic eligibility, and is the project lead for the electronic data interchange (EDI) initiative at USC.   He is a past Chair for the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee, is co-chair for the PESC GEO Code Steering Committee, and serves on the PESC Board of Directors.  Matt has been active within the AACRAO community for more than 23 years, and has served on the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee for more than 10 years.

Loida González Utley

Director of Recruitment and Enrollment Services, Texas A&M University - Central Texas

Loida currently serves as the Director of Recruitment and Enrollment Services at A&M-Central Texas. Her career began 9 years ago as a graduate admissions coordinator where she gained expertise in foreign credential evaluations. Loida’s passion for serving non-traditional populations continued through her work in transfer recruitment, by leading transfer initiatives and partnerships across Texas. In her current role, Loida continues the efforts to provide equitable opportunities and educational access to all transfer students. Her advocacy for change has led her to become an active member of TACRAO and AACRAO by serving as a committee member, presenter, researcher, and as the host for Transfer Tea, an AACRAO podcast.