Jarrell Townsend is the Assistant Registrar for Degree Completion at Oregon State University where he is responsible for awarding all degrees at the institution. He also manages their emerging microcredential program. He has been a dedicated higher education professional for over 11 years and takes pride in helping students complete their education journey. He is a Pacific Northwest Native who embraces the uniqueness of the region. He says “There are not many places where you can go to the coast, desert or mountains in one day. The variety of outdoor activities are second to none.” Outside of work, Jarrell spends most of his time being a father, socializing with friends and golfing.
Tiffany Aurora is a storyteller, writer, podcaster, and long-time communications professional who loves to help organizations tell their stories.
Tiffany has led communications teams for associations and nonprofits across the country and has provided strategic communications consulting and content creation services for international NGOs, SaaS companies, and startups. She has also designed and facilitated a wide variety of research studies, focus groups, campaigns, and special events.
Tiffany holds a BA in International Relations and Middle East Studies from Grand Valley State University, and completed graduate work in International Finance and Economic Policy at Columbia University SIPA. She lives in Baltimore and can frequently be found scouting out new restaurants, attending live performances at tiny jazz venues, and getting too emotional when talking about the latest Ravens game.
Jenni Kotowski is the Director of Admissions at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan. Jenni was the co-chair of KCC’s recent initiative to create and implement a new Strategic Enrollment Management plan that identified ways to increase enrollment and retention.
Jenni is working on her Ed.D. in Community College Leadership at Northern Illinois University.
An Experienced and Reliable Student Affairs Leader Who Is Energized by Student Success
As an Institute for Educational Leadership Education Policy Fellowship Program completer, he deepened his knowledge and application of policy and data governance decision-making. Assisting higher education colleagues in strategically eliminating systemic barriers was key to his desire to join the AACRAO consulting team of dedicated professionals making a positive impact in higher education. His doctoral dissertation studied college student retention characteristics, models, and programming that best engage and propel underserved and underrepresented students to successful personal and academic outcomes.
While studying to become an educator, he was also a successful student-athlete. He was named an Academic and Associated Press All-American, served as Team Captain of a top-five college football program, and played for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. These experiences, coupled with being raised in a single-parent low socioeconomic household, allow him to identify with students navigating the enrollment funnel through graduation carrying at-risk characteristics that require just-in-time wrap-around services.
Senior Associate Registrar – Iowa State University; President – Upper Midwest Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (UMACRAO)
I began my higher education career 19 years ago in Continuing Education at Valdosta State University. From there, I transitioned to Iowa State University, first in Engineering Online Learning, then within the College of Engineering Dean’s Office supporting administrative and budgetary initiatives. In 2011, I transitioned to the Office of the Registrar at Iowa State University, where I am currently Senior Associate Registrar. My experience in the Registrar’s Office spans numerous areas including Records, Registration, Curriculum Management, Course Offerings, and Tuition and Fee Assessment. In addition, I am a lifelong learner, and received my Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration in 2017. Alongside my passion for education is my passion for UMACRAO. I am the current UMACRAO President, and have been a member since 2011, serving in various positions such as creating the newsletter, supporting the technology chair, and serving as the Program Chair. The power of education to change lives and communities is fundamental, and it is through associations like UMACRAO and AACRAO that we can connect to move educational initiatives forward, with greater purpose and impact.
The AEFE is a branch of the French Foreign Affairs Ministry that coordinates French schools abroad. The pedagogical inspectors employed by the AEFE have two levels of input : they supervise the teaching of their field of study within the global network of French schools, and they coordinate teacher training in French schools abroad within specific geographical zones. Georgina MORAT is responsible for English, German and Chinese, and coordinates teacher training in the Asia-Pacific geographical area.
The AEFE is a branch of the French Foreign Affairs Ministry that coordinates French schools abroad. The pedagogical inspectors employed by the AEFE have two levels of input : they supervise the teaching of their field of study within the global network of French schools, and they coordinate teacher training in French schools abroad within specific geographical zones. As such, Isabelle Polizzi is responsible for teacher training in the North America and Canada geographical area, and the teaching of French language, literature and philosophy.
Cameron Hall (she/her) is currently pursuing her PhD in Developmental Psychology at the University of British Columbia, where she studies the development of children’s social identities, biases, and stereotypes. Much of her research focuses on understanding how children form their gender identities and learn gender stereotypes, as well as investigates possible interventions to mitigate the harmful impacts of gender bias. Cameron earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Women & Gender Studies at the University of Texas at Austin in 2019. She received her Master of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia in 2023.
Mrs. Natalie Cox is Deputy Director of CampusFrance USA (works in conjunction with the Higher Education Attaché)
Mr. Jean-Christophe Dissart is Higher Education Attaché at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Emmanuel Texier is head of Lycée Français de San Francisco (and coordinator for BFI promotion in French lycées in the United States)
Mr. Bernard Luyckx is head of College international Marie de France, Montréal (and coordinator for BFI promotion in French lycées in Canada).
Jérémie Bourdon is Deputy Head & Director of Secondary of Lycée Français de New York, a renowned bilingual French independent school serving 1200 N-12 students from over 60 nationalities. With an agrégation in math and a master’s in probability and statistics, he taught for 12 years in Grandes écoles preparatory schools in Aix en Provence. In 2013, he joined the Lycée from France, first teaching math and then overseeing the school’s IT, Data and Information Systems. In 2020, he became Head of High School, and Director of Secondary-Assistant Head of School the following year, eventually leading the implementation of the new International French Baccalaureate (BFI) program. He has completed Harvard’s New & Aspiring School Leaders Institute, the Academy for International School Heads' New & Aspiring Heads Institute, and the NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring Heads.
Dr. Vann R. Newkirk, Sr., is the 23rd president of Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, Ohio), the nation’s first, private historically Black college university (HBCU).
Immediately prior to accepting the presidency, Dr. Newkirk served as interim associate vice president at Alabama A & M University in Huntsville, and he is a former president at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to his presidential appointment at Fisk, Dr. Newkirk was that university’s provost and vice president of academic affairs.
He is a native of Elizabethtown, North Carolina who initially attended North Carolina A & T, but received his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Barber-Scotia College. He holds a Master of Arts degree in history from Winthrop University, a Master of Science degree from North Carolina Central University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in history from Howard University.
Currently, Dr. Newkirk is writing a history of African Americans in Alabama. In another written work, “New Life for Historically Black Colleges and Universities” (HBCUs), to improve the long-term viability of HBCUs, he moves to identify their challenges, explore their management systems, and identify models of success. A noted historian, he has written extensively on crime and punishment in North Carolina. He has also authored the 2008 seminal work, “Lynching in North Carolina”, which won the 2009 Willie Parker History Award for the best non-fiction study of North Carolina.
His first priority for Wilberforce is to engage community supporters who can assist in the university’s fund-raising efforts, and solidify student retention and graduation rates which, he says along with premium academic programs, will add value to the university’s distinction among nationally ranked liberal arts colleges.
Paul C. Johnson is the 17th President of the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. MINES is world-renowned for producing highly sought-after scientists and engineers, innovations, and objective analyses, especially in fields relevant to earth, energy, and the environment.
Dr. Johnson’s career reflects his strong passion for innovation, education and student success. He began his career at Shell Development in Houston, developing novel approaches for managing and restoring contaminated soil and groundwater sites. He then joined the faculty at Arizona State University to continue this work and share his experiences with students. He was attracted to the presidency at Colorado School of Mines because of its focused mission, long history of rich industry partnerships, use-inspired research programs, reputation for producing outstanding graduates, and strong alumni affinity.
He has received awards recognizing his contributions to education and research, including the Fair Distinguished Engineering Educator Award from the Water Environment Federation, the Brown and Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award in Remediation, and the National Ground Water Association’s Keith E. Anderson Award. A chemical engineer, Dr. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California-Davis and master’s and doctoral degrees from Princeton University.
April Ruiz is currently Dean for Academic Equity, Inclusion, & Success and serves as interim Vice President for Equity & Inclusion at Wesleyan University. Prior to this, she held other dean roles at Williams College and Yale University, all of which allowed her to serve and center FGLI students. As someone who attended a highly-selective university as a first-generation and low-income student herself, she finds meaning in work that allows her to help FGLI students navigate these institutions as they are, while also effecting change at these institutions to make them more inclusive from within. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of St Andrews and a BA in Cognitive Science from Yale University.