Currently, I am in my thirteenth year serving as the Registrar at the University of Mary Washington. My prior higher education experience includes undergraduate and graduate admissions and TRIO programs. Additionally, my experience encompasses HBCUs, predominately white institutions, and community colleges. With over 25 years of higher education experience, I am a proven leader who communicates effectively, evaluates information analytically, and promotes inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. These years of experience have allowed participation in AACRAO membership at state, regional, and national associations. As a result of the many years of participation, I have developed a national network of association members who are potential candidates to serve in leadership positions.
Further, as an active member of the associations, I have presented with colleagues from my respective institution, other institutions as well as vendor presentations. The presentations and workshops have consisted of Electronic Exchange of PDF Transcripts (VACRAO, 2014) with National Student Clearinghouse; Implementation of Electronic Transcripts (SACRAO, 2015); We Can Be Social (AACRAO, 2017); Five Dysfunctions of a Team (AACRAO, 2022).
My entire 27-year career has been in higher education. I have had the pleasure to work under, with, and alongside many colleagues over the years, who have provided mentorship and friendship to me. My involvement and continued support of associations like AACRAO gives me the opportunity to pay it forward.
Connection, Inclusion, and Engagement are three principles I believe are key to the work of AACRAO. The power of AACRAO is only as strong as the members they serve and is dependent on engaging its membership with current and relevant opportunities to foster professional growth and build a network of connected colleagues.
Now more than ever it is critical that we ensure the voices of our membership is represented whether that be through nominations or voting, opportunities to present at an event, or collaborating to support one of AACRAO’s key initiatives. As the pressure continues to build across the field of higher education to reassert its value, its imperative that we foster connections, and ensure membership is engaged and presented with opportunities to share their story and help shape the future of AACRAO.
As members of the higher education community, we all know how valuable it is to give back to our peers, which is one of the many reasons to have joined AACRAO. The opportunity to give back by selecting from the many talented and engaged members who wish to participate in AACRAO in the capacity of a board member is a commitment not to be taken lightly and one that I would be honored to take on. As President of Illinois-ACRAO, I knew the value of having engaged members participate in the running of the organization and planning of events. As a committee chair with AACRAO, I’ve felt the impact when engagement was lacking or leadership was waning.
I have served on the State & Regionals Committee as a member, co-chair, and chairperson over the last several years. During my time on the committee, I have enjoyed our role of bringing leaders from state/regional organizations together to share their best practices and innovative ideas. It been exhilarating to learn new ideas from so many; but honestly, the best part has been meeting and getting to know such wonderful people from institutions all over the country (and sometimes beyond).
I value the professional growth I acquire by participating in AACRAO Leadership. It's a great opportunity for me personally and also a way for me to help keep the organization stay strong by participating as an active member.
My involvement at the national level with AACRAO and at the state level at president-elect, president, past-president, and member of the Nominations & Award Committee of Wisconsin ACRAO (WACRAO), I've learned that what appears to be easy in terms of running an organization is anything but -- it takes a great deal of time and dedication by a lot of people to keep the organizations thriving, and for beneficial conferences and annual meetings to happen every year.
Portia has worked in higher education for over 10 years, holding roles in scheduling and degree audit. While learning and working in higher education, she has maintained the focus of student and regained a focus in technology and has become a Product Manager within the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation, assisting in enhancing the student experience through our web and mobile applications. In addition to student work, she also works in fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion and served as the Chair of her former department’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, co-host on AACRAO’s podcast H.E.A.R.D. (Higher Education and Real Diversity) and serves as the AACRAO Black Caucus Social Media Vice Chair.
Portia currently serves as AACRAO’s Group VII’s Program Coordinator and a member of Tech and Transfer Summit Advisory Committee. She is also the outgoing 23/24 member of the Nominations and Elections Committee.
Sofia has served in several positions for the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, including as Past-President, and having served on the executive committee of the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions officers.
Ken McVearry is a senior specialist for the Postsecondary Data Partnership -- a first-of-its-kind nationwide effort to help institutions mobilize for student success and equity via comprehensive data, dashboards, and centralized reporting -- at the National Student Clearinghouse. As part of his role with the Postsecondary Data Partnership, Ken serves the evolving needs of the higher education industry by advocating for improved student success and outcomes via data informed decision making. Prior to joining the Clearinghouse, he served as the chief student affairs officer and dean of students at a private liberal arts university. Ken has held various positions in support of student engagement throughout his over 20-year career. Ken holds a B.A. in political science from Loyola University Maryland and an M.Ed. in experiential learning and development from Plymouth State University.
Frank joined the Office of the University Registrar at Duke University in August 2015. He comes to Duke from Purdue University, where he served as the University Registrar. Prior to that, he worked as Director of the Office of the Registrar at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, where he received his PhD in Education Policy and Administration, with a concentration in Higher Education Administration. He is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada.
LinkedIn
Justin Wenig is the CEO & Co-Founder at Coursedog. He graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Computer Science and moved on to make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021.
Michael Rao, Ph.D. serves as the fifth president of Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health System. He is also a tenured professor in the VCU College of Health Professions.
Under President Rao’s leadership, 26 graduate schools and programs are ranked in the top 50 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report; sponsored research reached $363 million in 2021, a record-breaking amount for VCU; and 4- and 6- year graduation rates of 44% and 66% are above the national average for public universities.
With Rao as leader, VCU is among the few U.S. institutions that are both a Carnegie Foundation-designated R1 doctoral university and have community engagement status. VCU Health System is a safety-net health system that is also the region’s level one trauma center and one of the few providing tertiary and quaternary levels of care. VCU Medical Center is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Richmond and is among the top 100 hospitals in the nation. Additionally, VCUarts Qatar — located in Doha’s Education City — is internationally recognized for excellence in art and design.
President Rao’s mission to put students and patients first is reflected in VCU’s recalibrated strategic plan, Quest 2028. Revised to meet the needs of the VCU community post-pandemic, the plan allows the university to better meet the needs of the university and academic medical community. It is focused on improving the experience of students and patients, strengthening educator and researcher compensation, and increasing national prominence through research.
Rao serves as chair of the Virginia Bio+Tech Partnership Authority, which is focused on expanding the region’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities. He is a board member with the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, for whom he serves as its representative for the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. Rao is a member of the senior executive advisory committee for the Northern Virginia Technology Council, a trade association dedicated to advancing the region’s efforts as a global leader in technology. He serves as chair for the American Council on Education, a national organization of higher education leaders focused on shaping policy that supports students and serves the public good. He is past chair of the Virginia Council of Presidents, a consortium of leaders serving the commonwealth’s colleges and universities.
President Rao holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida. Rao’s career in higher education began in California in 1992, when he became president of Mission College. He went on to serve as chancellor of Montana State University – Northern and president of Central Michigan University.
He and his wife, Monica — a watercolorist and graphic designer — have two sons.
Lane Trotter joined Camosun College as its President on January 1, 2022. Lane served as President and CEO at Langara College for eight years from January 2014 to December 2021. Prior to joining Langara he served as the Senior Vice President, Academic, at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. While he was in Ontario, he contributed his expertise to Colleges Ontario, the umbrella organization representing all 24 Ontario colleges, serving as both Chair and Vice Chair of the Coordinating Committee of the Vice Presidents Academic, as an expert panelist for the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities’ visioning sessions for all 24 colleges and 20 universities in 2012, participated in the development of Colleges Ontario’s proposal to offer three-year applied and four-year honours degrees, and was one of the lead authors for the creation of a province-wide Ontario Online Institute.
Lane has also served as a Dean at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. While at BCIT, he was instrumental in the development of the education and business plan for the Aerospace Campus, which opened in 2007. He also spent a number of years serving in different roles in BC’s Ministry of Advanced Education. Lane served as the Chair of the Council of Presidents of BC Colleges between 2015-2017 and, in 2017, served as the Campaign Chair for the United Way of the Lower Mainland. He also served on the Board of Governors of the Business Council of BC. He earned his Doctorate of Education from Simon Fraser University (2010) and holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Victoria (1992).
Robert currently serves as vice president for strategic enrollment management at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has a proven record of consistent enrollment leadership success. He has led four years of progressive results at Augsburg, welcoming the largest and most diverse entering classes in its 153-year history.
Robert’s vision at Augsburg is to flip the enrollment management strategy and remove barriers so that the university applies to the student. The COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing racial injustice, and the great resignation underscored the potential for this “inside out” change. He circled with a cadre of innovative team members and partners like the Minnesota Office of Higher Education; APR (Applied Policy Research); the Art & Science Group; Spark 451; Marie Bigham, founder and executive director of ACCEPT (Admissions Community Cultivating Equity & Peace Today); and Nicole Johnson, founder of the Harriet Tubman Effect Institute. The culmination of these strategic collaborations led to the university launching “Augsburg Applies To You” in fall 2022. Augsburg is making the major shift from a “gatekeeper” model of admissions to an enrollment experience focused on student belonging. This new strategy includes a totally new way to be admitted and a new approach to student engagement that is connected to first-year student success.
Robert’s career spans multiple tuition-driven institutions, both public and private, open and selective admissions, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. In the middle of his career he served as a vice president for finance and administrative operations for eight years—a valuable experience that continues to inform his vocation of enrollment management. Having learned as much from his failures as his successes, Robert draws inspiration from the poem “The Guest House” by Jalaluddin Rumi. He views his DEI posture of being a “Belonging Adventurer” as a form of powerful personal healing.
Founder and creative director of Javanna Productions M.O.V.E. and the Harriet Tubman Effect Institute, works to dismantle systemic oppression and white supremacist culture within industries and institutions through storytelling.
Recently Nicole stepped into the role of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Mathison.io where she leads the company's DEI client engagement and internal DEI transformation. Nicole is also the creator of EDIFY, a 5 step dismantling systemic oppression program that is designed to shift the culture in institutions, schools, and artistic organizations. Nicole is a member of SAG-AFTRA with a Master's Degree in Education Leadership from NYU Steinhardt.
Anthony Johnson is a Two-Spirit Keynote Speaker, LGBTQ2S+ Advocate, and ED&I Expert. Before moving to Canada, Anthony worked as a community outreach personnel specializing in working with others on their personal challenges related to mental health and self identity. He has also worked as a consultant and contractor for First Nation Communities specializing in community reinvention, community restoration, and healing.
Anthony now uses his powerful story to bring awareness for LGBTQ & Indigenous Equality, and his artistic way to approach each event helps bring audiences new learning opportunities for them to reflect on and implement in their lives.
Caroline Casagrande is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The programs supported by her office include: Fulbright Scholarships, Humphrey Fellowships, Gilman Scholarships, overseas American Spaces, undergraduate exchanges, teacher exchanges, the promotion of U.S. higher education overseas and study abroad for Americans, and English and foreign language study programs.
Previously, Ms. Casagrande served as the Special Advisor to ECA Assistant Secretary Marie Royce, providing senior-level advice on the formulation of public diplomacy programming to support the National Security Strategy. She has led new initiatives on a broad range of educational and cultural exchange programming to support global women’s economic empowerment, religious freedom, and countering state-sponsored disinformation.
A life-long public servant, Ms. Casagrande served in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 11th and 12th Legislative Districts from 2008 to 2016, rising to Deputy Republican Leader. She is the youngest woman assembly member ever elected in New Jersey, and a member of the first all-female delegation to represent a New Jersey Legislative District. Prior to serving in the New Jersey Assembly, she was a partner in the law firm of Menna, Supko & Casagrande in Shrewsbury, NJ. She has served as township attorney and special counsel for municipalities throughout New Jersey. Ms. Casagrande served as Director of the Young Women’s Leadership Institute from 2010-2016, which she developed to expose high school seniors to careers in public service. She has been an honorary fellow of Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics since 2015. She is an exchange alumna, having participated both as an American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) delegate to Nepal in 2010 and as an ACYPL fellowship recipient at the East-West Center in 2015 from where she traveled to India as part of a delegation of young parliamentarians.
A New Jersey native, Ms. Casagrande holds a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law – Camden and a B.S. in political science from Pennsylvania State University. While in college, Ms. Casagrande interned in the new democratic government of South Africa.
Sarah has a demonstrated history of working in higher education to increase accuracy and efficiency. She has been the Associate Registrar for Academic Student Record Support Services at the University of Georgia since 2017. Sarah came to UGA from Youngstown State University, where she was the Associate Director of Records in the Office of the Registrar for 5.5 years. She began her higher education career at Western Kentucky University in 2006 in Graduate Studies and Research.
Over the years, Sarah has participated in state and regional AACRAO organizations in Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, the Southeast, and Great Lakes. Sarah became a member of the Women’s Caucus in 2021 and has been Co-Chair for Professional Activities, Vice-Chair, and is currently serving as the Chair. Sarah would like the Women’s Caucus to continue to host webinars and other events to provide timely content that can empower caucus members.
Sarah earned her undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Arts in Political Science at Texas A&M University.