With a career spanning five decades, George Takei is known around the world for his founding role in the acclaimed television series Star Trek, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise. But George Takei's story goes where few stories have gone before. From a childhood spent with his family wrongfully imprisoned in a Japanese American Internment Camp during WWII, to becoming one of the country's leading figures in the fight for social justice, LGBTQ rights, and marriage equality—George Takei remains a powerful voice on issues ranging from politics to pop culture. In 2012, Mashable.com named Takei the #1 most-influential person on Facebook, currently with over 10 million likes and nearly 3 million followers on Twitter.
After graduating from Virginia Tech, Lauren enlisted in the U.S. Army, quickly rising to the rank of sergeant, and served 12 months in Iraq with the First Infantry Division. She has worked as a senior legislative associate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a legislative representative for the American Federation of Government Employees, and the director of government relations for Got Your 6. In these positions she advocated on behalf of veterans, their families, and the services and benefits provided by the VA. In recognition of her advocacy work, Lauren was named to the HillVets Top 100 in 2015 and awarded the Excellence by An Up and Coming Practitioner award from the Women in Professional Advocacy in 2016. She was also appointed to the Joint Leadership Council of Veteran Service Organizations for the Commonwealth of Virginia by Governor McAuliffe in 2016. In addition to her advocacy work, Lauren owns and operates a CrossFit gym in Northern Virginia alongside her husband.
Former Vice-President of International Education, AACRAO, Watkins has been in the field of international education for 40 years, all spent at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a member of AACRAO, NAFSA, and EAIE, chaired the NCAA International Student Records Committee 2002-11 and served on the AACRAO Board as Vice President for International Education 2009-12. He has been involved with the AACRAO EDGE project from its inception and is one of the members of the International Education Standards Council (IESC) which provides credential advice found in EDGE. Watkins is an expert in the field and frequently presents at AACRAO and NAFSA conferences.
Born and raised in Taiwan, Chao has lived in the United States since college. In her decade long career, Chao has held positions as an International Student Advisor, International Student and Scholar Services Specialist, and an Immigration Paralegal. Her professional expertise ranges from topics such as admission, recruitment, credential evaluation and immigration/academic advising. Since 2016, Chao has co-organized the Southern Colorado Designated School Official meeting and network that serves as an information hub/dissemination for the school officials from the Southern Colorado area.
Slate Position: 2025-2026 Nominations and Elections Committee
Position Statement:
I am running for a position on the AACRAO Nominations and Elections Committee to further contribute to the ongoing excellence and growth of the organization. My career has been dedicated to higher education administration, and I am passionate about ensuring that AACRAO continues to represent and advocate for the diverse interests of our membership. By serving on this committee, I aim to support the selection of dynamic, innovative leaders who will drive our organization forward.
If elected, my primary goals will be to enhance member engagement, identify future leaders, and foster a sense of belonging for all members.
I aim to enhance member engagement by actively soliciting feedback and encouraging a broader spectrum of our membership to become involved. With the university memberships, we now have access to a wider range of members that may have otherwise previously been unable to become involved.
While working with the broader community of members, I will focus on identifying and nurturing future leaders by sharing the various opportunities for professional development within AACRAO. There are many ways to get involved and become a leader, and I believe that having someone showcase these opportunities can help to create a pipeline of individuals that are ready to be the leaders of the future.
I am passionate about ensuring that everyone feels welcome. This is essential in our development and growth of the organization. It is important that we bring varied perspectives and experiences to the table.
Serving on the Nominations and Elections Committee is a responsibility I take very seriously. I am eager to contribute my skills, experience, and passion to help shape the future of AACRAO
Staci Bernhard is the Assistant Director for Global Initiatives at Florida International University’s College of Business. With more than fifteen years of experience in admissions and recruitment, Bernhard currently focuses on all aspects of international student services. She is a member of multiple organizations in the field of education, chair of the international admissions committee for AACRAO, and incoming chair for TAICEP’s professional development committee. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Science in both higher education administration and global strategic communication, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in adult education and human resource development with a specialization in international and intercultural education at Florida International University.
Review of: Unintended Consequences of Internationalization in Higher Education: Comparative International Perspectives on the Impacts of Policy and Practice
Request LeRoy Rooker ("The FERPA Professor") as a speaker
AboutAACRAO Senior Fellow LeRoy Rooker is the nation’s leading authority on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a comprehensive federal law that provides privacy protections for student education records. As the director of the Department of Education’s Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) for 21 years, he administered laws and policies designed to help protect the rights of America’s 58 million students. Mr. Rooker is well known in the postsecondary world because of his extensive outreach to the higher education community while at the Department of Education. His many appearances at state, regional, and national meetings were not to be missed sessions, and we are honored that he continues to share his expertise through AACRAO FERPA Consulting.
LeRoy Rooker is the nation's leading authority on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and is currently a Senior Fellow in AACRAO's Research & Policy Division.
Schipporeit is currently a Strategic Advisor at Stellic. She previously served as the Director of Student Records and Registration at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She worked in Admissions and Orientation prior to joining the staff of the Records Office in 1989. Her credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in French and German and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration. During her tenure at UNK, she has survived 3 SIS implementations, 2 degree audit implementations, 4 general education curriculum overhauls and a change to the grading system. Her service in AACRAO includes being a past chair of the Professional Development and the Awards committees. She also served on the Program, State and Regional Relations and Nominations and Elections committees. In addition, she assisted in developing the initial Registrar 101 and 201 workshops and continues to present those annually to others new to the profession. She was editor and chapter author for a revised edition of Professional Development Guidelines for Registrars: A Self-Audit and contributed a chapter “Academic Policy and the Registrar” in the book Registrar’s Guide, Evolving Best Practices in Records and Registration. She also wrote three chapters for the newly released Registrar’s Basic Guide.Kimra received the AACRAO Founders Award for Leadership in 2008. She was also presented the UNK Staff Award for Excellence, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents KUDO Award, and the Division of Student Affairs Commendation.
McMillian proudly serves as Senior Corporate Counsel for Hulman & Company. The company is comprised of INDYCAR, IMS Productions, Clabber Girl and the Indianapolis Moto Speedway home of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Jimmie is a graduate of Indiana University - Bloomington and the Robert McKinney Indiana University School of Law. Upon graduation from college, Jimmie served as an Indiana Supreme Court law clerk for the Honorable Justice Frank Sullivan and went on to become a Partner in the Litigation Department of Barnes & Thornburg LLP, the largest law firm in the State of Indiana and one of the top 100 law firms in the country. Jimmie is nationally recognized as a strong and consistent voice for diversity in the legal profession and increased opportunities for minority attorneys. He has served as a leader in local, state and national bar associations. Jimmie has also served on various Boards including his current Board service for the Marion County Public Defender’s Agency and Indianapolis Urban League. Jimmie has shown a tireless commitment to improve the lives of young people and motivate them to succeed despite life’s various obstacles. As a passionate motorcycle, sports car and racing enthusiast, Jimmie truly enjoys the ability to live his dream of working at the “World’s Greatest Race Track.”
The Vice President for Enrollment Management is responsible for developing enrollment management strategy and coordinating, implementing, and assessing operational programs to recruit, admit, retain, and graduate undergraduate students consistent with the University of Delaware’s traditions, mission, vision, and values. He is responsible for developing and cultivating a collaborative universitywide environment to coordinate and synchronize enrollment management to accomplish operational and strategic goals. He supervises offices critical to effective enrollment management: undergraduate admissions, student financial services, registrar’s office, and student enrichment.
Richardson serves as the primary point of contact for the Women and Minority Veterans Program. Keronica works with the Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran service organizations and members of the Legion in leadership to coordinate resources in the local community, and recommend initiatives to assist women veterans. She has testified for women veterans before Congress in support of increase the health care needs and various other bills. She also served on the 2017 Health of Women Who Have Served Advisory Group providing feedback and gender specific data. Keronica also currently serves in an appointed position on the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. Prior to working at the American Legion, Keronica was selected to be a HillVets Fellow in the Office of Senator Joe Donnelly. She served as the policy advisor for the veterans and defense portfolio, staffed Senator Donnelly at briefings, wrote internal memorandums to familiarize congressional staff on issues raised by constituents and responded to constituents requests. Keronica interned with Piemonte Law Firm conducting legal research associated with Veteran’s Affairs and Social Security issues. Keronica prepared Veteran’s Affairs and Social security cases for court proceedings and drafted non-legal memorandas and correspondences for attorneys. She also served as a judicial extern under the direct supervision of the Honorable Judge Ty Hands, assisting and preparing documents for daily court use. She attended numerous District Court hearings, trials, and several training events for Judges and young attorneys on Domestic Violence and Family Law. Keronica also interned with the Army Judge Advocate General Corp (JAG) at Fort Jackson, SC. She prepared motions, conducted legal research and authored briefs and memorandas that supported pending cases. Keronica gathered and prepared all administrative details for multiple high-level government cases. Keronica also served as an active duty Captain in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps. She served as the operations planner and supervisor for a combat organization in Fort Lee, VA supporting over 3,000 personnel. Keronica coordinated and managed the deployment plans, orders and reports for 10 different units; ensuring each deadline plan met its specific requirements. Keronica developed detailed trackers for training and unit operations, which allowed the units to project out its schedule and resource requirements into the next calendar year. She has published several articles on army.mil. Keronica deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait as a Mortuary Affairs Platoon Leader. She supervised and processed more than 500-combined U.S. and Coalition Force deceased personnel, which is recognized as one of the most important jobs in the entire Army. Keronica was appointed as the convoy commander and traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait providing efficient and safe movement of personnel and equipment for over 1, 167 miles. Keronica has a law degree from Charlotte School of Law and as a law student she was selected to study in London, UK at Oxford University as a criminology student. Keronica has a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Claflin University.
At Georgia State, he has served as Chair of the Department of Religious Studies and Director of the Honors Program. Since 2008, he has directed the student success and enrollment efforts of the university, overseeing among the fastest improving graduation rates in the nation and the elimination of all achievement gaps based on students' race, ethnicity or income level. Dr. Renick has testified on strategies for helping university students succeed before the United States Senate and has twice been invited to speak at the White House. His work has been covered by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time, and CNN and cited by President Obama. He was named one of 2016’s Most Innovative People in Higher Education by Washington Monthly, was the recipient of the 2015-16 Award for National Leadership in Student Success Innovation, and was awarded the 2018 McGraw Prize in Higher Education. He currently is principal investigator for a $9 million U.S. Department of Education grant to study the impact of predictive-analytics-based advisement on ten-thousand low-income and first-generation students nationally. A summa cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, Dr. Renick holds his M.A. and Ph.D. in Religion from Princeton University.
Janet Hyde holds an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University with a specialization in marketing and her work has focused on planning for academic organizations for 20 years. Janet brings a thorough understanding of the academic environment and a commitment to education gained through her full-time teaching and administration experiences at Ryerson University and Mount Royal University, multiple part-time teaching experiences, and her consulting with post-secondary institutions since 1997. Janet is a frequent conference presenter on topics that support goal achievement in today’s complex post-secondary environment. Current areas of research include market-based program planning linked to labor market needs, prioritizing program opportunities across faculty lines and change management in postsecondary organizations.
Dr. Wendy Kilgore serves as the Senior Director of Research for AACRAO, where she spearheads the organization's research initiatives. With over 25 years in higher education, Dr. Kilgore's experience includes roles as state dean of enrollment services for the Colorado Community College system, director of admissions and registrar for the Pima County Community College district, and positions at Arizona State University in academic advising and admissions. Prior to her current role, Dr. Kilgore served as a consultant for AACRAO, providing services to a diverse range of higher education institutions, including large public universities, small private colleges, faith-based institutions, for-profit institutions, technical colleges, and community college systems. This consulting work broadened her expertise across various institutional types and challenges in higher education. In her current position at AACRAO, she designs and conducts research projects, analyzes data, and disseminates findings to the higher education community. Her broad-based higher education experience, research expertise, and familiarity with emerging trends make her a respected voice in shaping higher education practices and policies.
Google Scholars Page
Research & Policy Division Funaki received her Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University and worked for the Columbus Council on World Affairs. Julia attended a graduate program at American University and worked in domestic and international admissions for the University. Upon completion of her Master’s in International Communication, she took a job in the foreign student services office at Ohio Wesleyan University. After returning to Washington and completing a Master’s in International Education with an emphasis in Higher Ed Administration, Julia worked for the University of Maryland College Park in International Education Services. In 1996, Julia joined the staff at AACRAO. She has collaborated with NACAC, NAGAP, PESC, and NAFSA: AIE, LSAC, and others. She has served as an author, editor, presenter, committee member, and chair, and serves on the faculty for AACRAO.
Julia directs the international department, provides visibility of AACRAO to the global higher education community, and oversees the Electronic Database for Global Education and the Law School Admissions Council service lines.
Education & Member Development Division
Annetta joined AACRAO in 2008 in the role of Senior Evaluator and Training Coordinator, and is currently the Director for Content and Curriculum. Annetta has worked in the field of international education for over 20 years in various positions at both public and private institutions in international admissions and credential evaluation, student services and academic management. She has presented at AACRAO, NAFSA, TAICEP, AIEA, AICE and EAIE conferences.In her current role with AACRAO, Annetta focuses on strengthening AACRAO's professional development initiatives for membership, including the design and production of on-demand courses, virtual training opportunities, as well as supporting AACRAO's traditional in-person trainings. In addition, her professional research areas include supporting access to higher education for refugee and vulnerable persons. She has worked with EducationUSA, Institute for International Education (IIE), U.C. Davis and Rutgers University Newark on various initiatives supporting access to higher education for displaced and vulnerable persons, including the Article 26 Backpack™ and the University Alliance for Refugees and At-Risk Migrants (UARRM). She currently serves as a Research Affiliate for U.C. Davis. Annetta holds a B.A. in Music from the University of New Mexico, M.A. in Adult Education from San Francisco State University, and an Ed.M. in Human Resource Development from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Annetta oversees the development and implementation of AACRAO's adult education strategy and offerings to include faculty recruitment and training, and leads the C&C department in the design of custom training modules.
Hey, I'm a teacher.
Jedi, Rebels