Diane Treis, Ed.D., has more than three decades of public service in education, local government, and economic and community development. She currently serves as the Director of Academic Programs and Student Learning Assessment for the University of Wisconsin System Administration. In this role she provides consultation to UW System faculty and staff in the development of academic degree programs to meet current workforce and student demand. She serves as the principal system resource on matters relating to the assessment and credit award for prior learning and she has led major initiatives relative to the recognition of prior learning, credit transfer, degree completion, and other high impact educational practices at the system, state, and national level. Treis Rusk holds a Doctor of Education in higher education leadership, policy and organization from Vanderbilt University. She also has a Master of Science in human ecology and Bachelor of Science in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
For more information regarding the tools created to expand CPL opportunities as part of one university systems’ participation in the All Learning Count project, please contact the author at dtreisrusk@uwsa.edu.
Incorporating Post-Traditional Adult Learner-Centered Strategies into Enrollment Management Planning
Lydia Liu, Ph.D., is Principal Research Director in charge of three ETS research centers: Center for Education and Career Development, Center for Language Education and Assessment Research, and Center for K12 Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. Dr. Liu is an expert in assessment and research of critical competencies in higher education. She has also managed several grants awarded by the National Science Foundation and other funding agencies in the United States, India, China, and Korea. Dr. Liu has authored and coauthored more than 90 peer-reviewed journal articles, research reports, and book chapters in the fields of applied measurement, higher education, and science assessment. Dr. Liu received the 2019 Robert Linn Memorial Lecture Award and 2011 National Council on Measurement in Education Jason Millman Promising Measurement Scholar Award in recognition of her original and extensive research in learning outcomes assessment in higher education and K–12 science assessment. Dr. Liu holds a doctorate in quantitative methods and evaluation from the University of California, Berkeley.
An Exploration of Admissions-Related Practices from Institutions’ Admissions Web Pages and Implications for Equity
Guangming Ling, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for Education and Career Development at ETS, Research and Measurement Science area. His research focuses on the assessment and training of critical competencies in higher ed and the workforce, as well as a broad range of topics in applied measurements, such as test validity and fairness issues, higher education learning outcomes assessment, rating issues with constructed responses, test mode effects, computerized adaptive testing, an application of latent variable models. Dr. Ling’s research has appeared in more than 40 peer-reviewed journal papers, book chapters, research reports, and more than 80 conference presentations. Dr. Ling holds a Ph.D. in psychometrics/quantitative psychology from Fordham University.
Harrison Kell, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Scientist in the Center for Education and Career Development at Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton, New Jersey. Dr. Kell’s expertise lies in the assessment of cognitive (e.g., verbal and mathematical reasoning) and noncognitive skills (e.g., intercultural relations, personality traits). He has developed assessments relevant to student admissions and personnel selection (e.g., situational judgment tests [SJTs]), performance evaluation (e.g., behaviorally anchored rating scales [BARS]), and performance improvement (e.g., feedback interventions). He serves as a content expert for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) program. Dr. Kell has published articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Psychological Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, Perspectives on Psychological Science, Journal of Organizational Behavior, and chapters in multiple edited volumes (e.g., APA Handbook of Career Intervention, The Science of Expertise). His practical research interests concern the relationship between relatively stable human attributes (e.g., personality traits, cognitive skills) and human performance, broadly construed (e.g., career success, creativity, job tenure and retention). Dr. Kell’s theoretical research interests lie in strengthening the soundness of interpretations of those attributes, in order to improve the validity and fairness of decisions based upon them (e.g., admissions, development, selection). Dr. Kell received his Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology in 2011 from Rice University and was a postdoctoral fellow in the quantitative methods program at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University from 2011 to 2014.
Sara Haviland, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist in the Center for Education and Career Development (CECD) at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ. She studies the social contexts of education and careers, with a focus on access and equity. She has worked on a variety of grant-funded research and evaluation projects related to career pathways, adult learning, workforce development, and employer engagement. Dr. Haviland holds a M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in social theory and ethics from Oglethorpe University.
Sugene Cho-Baker, Ph.D., is an Associate Research Scientist in the Center for Education and Career Development at ETS. Her research centers on exploring faculty and student perceptions on graduate school admission processes, ongoing changes in the admissions processes in higher education, and the association between GRE tests scores and graduate student performance outcomes. Another major strand of her research is on exploring young adults’ perceptions regarding career and technical education and the alignment between labor market demands and individuals’ personal interests in technical careers. Across all topics of her research, emphasis is placed on how the findings vary by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. She earned her Ph.D. in 2020 in human development and family science from the Ohio State University.
Reginald M. Gooch is a Research Associate at ETS. He holds an M.A. in second language education from McGill University and a B.A. in international studies from the University of Washington. His research interests include equity in higher education admissions, culturally responsive assessment, and English language teaching and learning. Prior to his time at ETS, he worked as a test developer and English language teacher in South Korea.
Criteria and Procedures Used for Holistic Admissions Procedures in Graduate Degree Programs
Jose Sotelo is a Graduate Fellow at ETS where his work centers around the holistic admissions process in secondary education. His work at ETS tries to triangulate and define the holistic admissions process by investigating ideas that different stakeholders have about admissions. He is also currently a Ph.D. student at Northwestern University where he studies cognitive psychology. His work at Northwestern focuses on how individuals represent and navigate space, as well as how they use those representations to problem solve.
John Haller, Ed.D., is the Vice President of Enrollment Management and New Student Strategies at the University of Miami. During his time at Miami, he led the movement from a largely merit-based to a hybrid merit- and need-based financial aid strategy where 100 percent of financial need is met. Also, the institution realized a 60 percent plus increase in applications and a 50 percent plus increase in yield. The institution realized a decrease in student indebtedness and the highest freshman retention and six-year graduation rates in university history.
Prior to Miami, John served as the associate provost for enrollment management at Saint Joseph’s University and had experiences in student success at Drexel University, M.B.A. admissions at Vanderbilt University, and undergraduate admissions at Denison University. He is an honors graduate in economics and statistics from the University of Michigan, received master’s degrees in business and higher education, and received his Ed.D. in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania.
A Tale of Two Private Catholic Philadelphia Universities: Longitudinal Market Position Differentiation
A Tale of Two Private Catholic Philadelphia Universities: External Environment Factors that Influence Market Position
Influencing Student Persistence of Low Performing, First-Term Students through Academic Enrichment
A Tale of Two Private Catholic Philadelphia Universities: Internal Environment Factors that Influence Market Position Differentiation
Joy de los Reyes, D.B.A., is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Felician University in Rutherford, New Jersey. She has a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University, an M.B.A. from NYU Stern School of Business, and a D.B.A. from Felician University. Dr. de los Reyes spent the earlier part of her career in the corporate sector, having worked in both sales and marketing for Johnson & Johnson. She always had a passion for business education and mentoring, so she pivoted to a career in higher education over fourteen years ago.
Her research is primarily centered in social media marketing and marketing strategy. Since her previous life was in sales, she has a particularly keen interest in the college recruitment process. Dr. de los Reyes is an educator, who puts student engagement at the forefront of not only her teaching, but also her advisement and research. Thus, she has additional publications and presentations centered around engagement and marketing simulations in business education.
The Influence of Instagram and Social Media Marketing Engagement on Prospective College Students’ Choice of University
Laura Castillo serves as the Senior Director of the Office of Scholarships at Florida International University. As Director, she is responsible for the direction and coordination of all activities pertaining to the awarding of scholarships at the university. Laura received both her Bachelor of Health Service Administration and her Master of Public Health, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from FIU. Laura is passionate about transforming the way universities leverage scholarship dollars to support enrollment objectives and improve student persistence and success.
Capstone: Hello? Is it FIU you’re looking for? Investigating the influence of a call campaign on new student matriculation.
Why Russ joined the LGBTQIA+ Caucus: College students appreciate knowing that institutions of higher learning and university leaders welcome all. We must work to provide an inviting, comforting, and nurturing home where students may be themselves, find their purpose, and further advance our society by working together. The importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion are subjects that young people need to understand so they can be part of the solution by combating prejudice. I believe our campuses should lead the way for increased understanding of one another as injustice must be addressed.
Laura Beth Daws, PhD, is the founder and president of LBD Communications, LLC. Laura Beth has a BA in Public Communication from the University of North Alabama, an MA in Communication from Auburn University, and a PhD in Communication from the University of Kentucky. She spent 17 years as a professor, teaching courses at the graduate and undergraduate level in public speaking, communication skills, team communication, business communication, media studies and research methods, and became nationally recognized for her work in innovative online and in-person classroom teaching strategies. She taught thousands of students to be better communicators through engaging and interactive lectures and courses.
She ultimately was promoted to the position of Interim Director for the Kennesaw State University School of Communication & Media, supervising 70 faculty and staff, and managing curriculum for 4 undergraduate BS programs, one graduate MA program, and multiple certificates and minors serving 1,600 students. While in academic leadership, she developed and facilitated numerous faculty training programs related to online education and pedagogical skills. She left academia in June 2022 to start her own consulting firm, working in the areas of training & development, leadership coaching, business strategy, and workforce development.
Seattle is a part of the marketing department at Modern Campus specializing in the company’s tools for the Registrar. She resides in Tampa, FL, and is a graduate of Penn State University.
Susan Luchey brings over 30 years of developing student and community leaders to AACRAO. She is a familiar face at national leadership conferences and has earned a national reputation for having her pulse on what’s new in leadership education. Under her capable direction, the University of Delaware’s Blue Hen Leadership Program was recognized twice by the Association of Leadership Educators as the 2014 and 2021 Outstanding Leadership Program. This program, which Susan created from the ground up, continues to be a model for certificate programs in the United States.
Known as an innovator, Susan has been recognized by NASPA as a leader in innovative practices for the programs she has created through student affairs and faculty partnerships focused on leadership. She was awarded as the 2022 Robin Orr Practitioner of the Year by the Association of Leadership Educators. University of Delaware's Student Life Division honored her with numerous Bright Initiatives Awards for her innovative programs. Susan recently retired as the Associate Director of Student Centers for Student Leadership Development at the University of Delaware and is now engaging in consulting work in the field of leadership and program development and education.
As an experienced leadership educator and program developer, Susan has assisted various departments and campuses in developing their own leadership programs and serves on external review committees evaluating current programs. In addition, she consults with organizations and non-profits on strategic planning and program development. Previously, Susan served as the Manager of Student Life and Director of Student Involvement at the University of Baltimore where, among her many accomplishments, she developed and directed their campus-wide student leadership program, created their first full-scale orientation program for freshmen, and introduced the idea of a campus-wide Community Service Day. To complement her love of football, Susan has consulted for and presented leadership development programs to the Baltimore Ravens (despite being an avid Steelers fan!)In addition, she has led a leadership development series for NCAA athletic teams. Susan’s previous professional experience also includes managing four departments within the Division of Student Affairs including Student Involvement.
An active member of professional associations, Susan has served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Leadership Educators and of LEAD365 National Student Leadership Conference, in addition to serving on a variety of non-profit boards. When you want to go from the theoretical to the practical application, there’s no one more qualified to help you make the connection.
The FERPA Professors answer questions about FERPA interpretation and implementation for higher education professionals throughout the year. LeRoy Rooker, AACRAO Senior Fellow, has long served as the primary voice of the FERPA Professor both in-person and online. FERPA Professor contributors include:
Want the Professor to come to your campus? Visit our FERPA compliance training page.
AACRAO members, send your questions to the FERPA Professor at communications@aacrao.org.
FERPA (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) is a federal law pertaining to the release of and access to student educational records. FERPA protects students’ rights regarding the privacy and accuracy of education records.
FERPA applies to all schools that receive funds under applicable programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Institutions are responsible for ensuring that all of its school officials comply with FERPA. Failure to comply could ultimately lead to a withholding of funds administered by the Secretary of Education. In general, the best protection for education records is training.
Bruce Etter is the Senior Director of Research and Consulting for UPCEA. Bruce has been working for UPCEA in a variety of capacities since 2014 and is responsible for developing and managing UPCEA’s research initiatives. Bruce frequently presents research findings at UPCEA and partner events, and has authored nearly 20 research papers, most recently the 2023 State of Continuing Education Report. He graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in Sociology and a minor in Sustainability Leadership.
Jim Fong is the Chief Research Officer for the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA). Prior to joining UPCEA, Mr. Fong worked as a higher education strategic marketing consultant and researcher for two firms and prior to that was the Director of Marketing, Research and Planning for Penn State University Outreach where he helped with the launch of the University’s World Campus. While at Penn State, he earned UPCEA’s Mid-Atlantic Award for Distinguished Service in 2003, as well as the Adelle Robertson Award for Emerging Continuing Education Professional in 2004.
Fong has authored a number of articles and book chapters on online and continuing education including Marketing Distance Education: The Importance of Strategy and Context, published in the International Handbook of Distance Education and The Arrival and Denial of the New Adult Learner, published through UPCEA Unbound.
Mr. Fong is an adjunct instructor at Rutgers University and the University of California Davis. He has also taught online and graduate courses at Drexel University, Penn State University, Framingham State University and Duquesne University. He has also taught undergraduate courses at the University of Vermont, Community College of Vermont and Penn State University. He holds a B.S., M.S. and an M.B.A. from The University of Vermont.
Alaina Wollner coordinates recruitment and admissions for the Master of Architecture program at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan before beginning her admissions career at Columbia Law School.Review of: Accepted
Amynah Mithani, Associate Vice Provost and University Registrar, joined Johns Hopkins University in April 2021 to lead and oversee the Office of the University Registrar and coordinate policies and procedures across all schools involving student life cycle – from admissions to awarding diploma. She is also a key contributor to the Student Services Excellence Initiative to improve student services. Mithani has been an active AACRAO member since 2012 and had the opportunity to present at the AACRAO conference in 2014, 2015, and 2021.
Mithani has served as a manager at Deloitte Consulting (2019 – 2021) where she advised higher education institutions and federal clients on process improvement strategies, configuration of degree completion tracking software, tuition assistance business processes, and student information systems implementation. Prior to her work with Deloitte, she served as deputy university registrar at Georgetown University for two years, where she successfully developed and led a university-wide "Live Registration" initiative with 100 percent student, faculty, and administrator satisfaction. She also led trainings for university faculty and administrators and managed quality assurance for the launch of an upgrade to the university's enterprise student information system. Before joining Georgetown, she served as a business process analyst at Chamberlain College of Nursing and registrar at DeVry University.
Mithani received her B.S. in business administration and her M.B.A. in information systems management, both from DeVry University. She was also was a 2024 AACRAO Congressional Hill Day Advocate.Capturing Students’ Lifelong Learning Journey: The Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Learner Record