Mike Reilly served as the Executive Director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) 2012 - 2021.
Prior to coming to AACRAO he served as the Executive Director for the Council of Presidents, an association of the six public baccalaureate degree granting institutions in the state of Washington. He has 25 years of experience in university administration, admissions and enrollment management, including having been the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at both Central Washington University and Humboldt State University. He recently served on the American Council on Education Board of Directors and is currently on the American Council on Education’s Commission on Education Attainment and Innovation and the College Board’s Access and Diversity Collaborative Advisory Council. He is a frequent writer and speaker on public policy matters impacting higher education.
David L. Roy serves as the Director for Academic Relations, Competitive Admissions, and Access and Diversity in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at The Ohio State University. In this role, he is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the application review process for domestic and international new first year applicants for Ohio State University’s Columbus campus. He also provides senior leadership for the strategic partnership between Undergraduate Admissions and Ohio State’s academic colleges. In addition, David direct efforts to increase the recruitment and enrollment of underrepresented minorities, first-generation and low-income students as well the training and development of Admissions staff specific to access and diversity best-practices.
Prior to his current role, he served as Director for the Diversity Services Office in the College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio State. In that role, he directed recruitment, orientation and advising activities for minority students as well as initiatives designed to assist with minority student retention and graduation.
David has twenty years of higher education experience in enrollment management, diversity, advising, recruitment and retention. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences and Sociology from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, a master’s degree in African American and African Studies from The Ohio State University. He is an alum of The College Board’s Enrollment Leadership Academy.
Kristi Wold-McCormick currently serves as Assistant Vice Provost and University Registrar of the University of Colorado Boulder. In her leadership role, she focuses on student data privacy, business process improvement, academic policy, inclusion initiatives, and academic record and enrollment innovation.
Kristi served as Vice President for Records and Academic Services. She has also served on both the Program and Nominations & Elections committees, and recently chaired an AACRAO committee that developed guidance on disciplinary transcript notations.
Prior to joining CU Boulder, Kristi was registrar of North Dakota State University. She also has held various positions in admissions and enrollment management. Kristi earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from NDSU and a Ph.D. from the University of North Dakota.
AACRAO Role: President - Board of Directors
Lee H. Melvin is the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. He is responsible for leading, developing, articulating and implementing an enrollment management strategy, with the primary vision of maintaining academic momentum and moving UB to higher levels of institutional distinction. Melvin oversees the offices of financial aid, admissions, registrar, marketing and communications and 1Capen Student Services Center.
Thomas C. Black’s forty-year career in higher education has included work in various administrative and registrar roles in academic and student affairs at Stanford, U Chicago, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and, most recently, Johns Hopkins University. Tom is currently the Chief Innovation Officer of Paradigm, Inc. Throughout his career, Tom has implemented student information systems, experimented with data standards, and developed new digital credentials that eventually became the norm within higher education. Most recently, he has worked to prototype the CLR (comprehensive learner record) with an emphasis on helping learners understand what knowledge, skills and abilities they are acquiring, and developing narratives that enable them to become successful in the marketplace. Accordingly, he's turned his attention toward increasing the exchange of learner data using national standards while ensuring only authorized access to improve learner mobility in the marketplace.
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When he is not speaking, Joel expresses his creativity as an actor, writer and comedian. He started performing professionally in 1992. In Dallas, he was co-host of The Movie Zone on UPN 21. He has appeared in dozens of commercials for numerous clients, including the Dallas Cowboys, Harrah's Casino, Mydiscountbroker.com, Time Warner Cable, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Eagle Country Markets, and Extraco Bank. He has appeared in hundreds of corporate videos and has appeared on shows from CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch to the Fox Network’s Fox and Friends Weekend. His articles have been featured in The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle, The Kansas City Star, among many other mainstream media outlets.
Paul McCarty is the Registrar at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. He began his career in higher education at the University of Denver where he was the Associate Registrar for Academic Services.
He has been involved in AACRAO both nationally and regionally--previously serving as on the board of directors and as newsletter editor for the Rocky Mountain Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (RMACRAO).
Role: Associate Provost and Dean of Admission, Seattle University
James Miller is the Associate Provost & Dean of Admission at Seattle University. James has focused his career on building successful, highly efficient student-centered recruitment strategies and tactical approaches that help institutions meet their enrollment and revenue goals. He has expertise in the development and management of complex marketing plans, national recruitment strategies, enrollment data management and analysis, admissions technology, and process redesign. He brings a passion for the inclusive mission of higher education and the development of recruitment and enrollment plans that open the doors as widely as possible to those who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
He has worked in the admissions profession for 16 years and has served at Oregon State University, University of San Francisco, University of Puget Sound, and University of Washington Bothell. He is is a consultant for AACRAO Consulting, the consulting arm for the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, a recognized leader in Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) consulting.
He has served in leadership positions in state, regional and national professional organizations; he is a Past-President of the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO) and the Admissions Practices Chair of the Pacific Northwest Association for College Admissions Counseling (PNACAC). James created PACRAO’s Leadership Development Institute, an award-winning leadership training program for early career high potential leaders.
James received Bachelors’ Degrees in Economics and Psychology from Oregon State University.
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
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.
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.
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.
Request Dr. Kimberley Williams as a speaker
Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Retention, The George Washington University
AboutDr. 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.
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Review of The Black Family’s Guide to College Admissions—A Conversation About Education, Parenting, and Race, 2nd Edition
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.