Michele J. Hansen, Ph.D. serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Research and Decision Support (IRDS) at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. IRDS is a comprehensive institutional research office where members are engaged in institutional research, advanced statistical analyses, survey research, program evaluation, student learning assessment, and data support for strategic enrollment management. Dr. Hansen’s primary research interests are in the areas of predictive analytics, use of thick data (quantitative and qualitative), employing analytics through an equity lens, program evaluation methods, understanding the effectiveness of interventions to enhance retention and academic success of undergraduate and graduate students (applying social psychology theories to higher education), and incremental and large-scale change management. Dr. Hansen received her baccalaureate degree in psychology from Michigan State University and master’s and doctoral degrees in social psychology from Loyola University Chicago.
Exploring and Communicating Data for Test-Optional Decisions
Steven Graunke, Ed.D., is the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. In his role at IUPUI, Graunke assists with the reporting of enrollment information, completes data requests from schools and academic units, and participates in studies of the effectiveness of programs designed to facilitate student success. His scholarly research interests have focused on test-optional admissions, retention modeling, and the intersection of financial and psychological factors on student success. Graunke received an Ed.D. in higher education and student affairs with a minor in inquiry methodology from Indiana University. He received his masters’ degree in counseling from Ball State University and his bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in chemistry from Butler University.
Julia Duhan Trowbridge is Western Michigan University’s Salesforce Trainer and Project Specialist. At the time this article was written, Trowbridge was the associate director of admissions operations at Western Michigan University. In this role, she oversaw all aspects of application processing and decision-making and ensured that the application process fit seamlessly into the recruitment cycle. Prior to joining WMU in 2016, Trowbridge worked in professional school, graduate, and undergraduate admissions in various roles. She earned a master's degree in higher education administration from Loyola University Chicago in 2011 and bachelor's degrees in advertising and communication from Michigan State University in 2007.
A Barrier-Free Path to Going Test Optional
Request Dr. Sherry Wells as a speaker
Sherry Wells, Ed.D. is associate faculty in the doctoral studies department of the University of Phoenix. In 2023 she retired from Lamar University after serving as the inaugural Associate Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management and subsequently as the Assistant Vice Provost for Digital Learning. Prior to establishing the enrollment management division at Lamar University, Dr. Wells served as Registrar at two public universities and one technical institute. She also has over two decades of classroom experience teaching undergraduate courses in communications, student success, interest group seminars and learning communities.
As a first-generation college student, Dr. Wells has a good understanding of challenges many students face as they embark on a journey of higher education. She believes in a holistic approach which serves her well in not only student success but also as a certified long term care ombudsman. Dr. Wells is an experienced public speaker and team builder who earned Bachelor of Arts, Master of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Doctor of Education degrees as well as a graduate certificate in organizational communication.
Selected Career Achievements:
Organization: Created an enrollment management division for a four-year public institution. Built a sense of collaboration and team focused initiatives across departments and disciplines. Achieved record enrollment with raised admission standards under my leadership.
Teaching and Student Success: Provided instruction as an adjunct faculty member in university courses for over two decades. Record enrollment and increased retention of at-risk students occurred during my tenure as the leader of student success initiatives.
Leadership: Led all operations of the division of strategic enrollment management including:
recruitment, admissions, new student orientation/week of welcome, financial aid and scholarships, records and registrar, veteran’s services, undergraduate advising center, student tutoring and retention services, disabilities resource center, academic services, career and testing center, university success seminar, community outreach, and McNair scholars’ program.
Led the learning technology implementation and support for the Learning Management System (Blackboard) and associated software, instructional design and quality matters review of online courses, online student advising, and state authorization compliance.
Communication: Created and implemented a recruitment communication flow to prospective students. Articles published in professional peer-reviewed journals. Presented a variety of sessions at professional meetings and staff development trainings.
System Implementation: Led implementation teams for three student information systems, degree audit systems at two universities, multiple learning technology software packages, a syllabus content management system, and a customer relations management system. All implementations were successful and completed on time or ahead of schedule.
Selected Publications & Recognitions:
2023 recognized as an Admission Expert by The National Academy of Public Administration in “Assessment of Coast Guard Academy Admission Processes” submitted to the United States Congress.
2022 published “An Interview with College Board’s David Coleman and Priscilla Rodriguez” in College and University, volume 97, number 2.
2019 published “Field Notes: Crisis Communication on Campus”, “Student Digital Experience: Making Sense of the Mess”, and “FERPA and Digital Education” in AACRAO Connect.
In addition to professional activities, she lives in southeast Texas where she volunteers in her community, serves as a director of her Rotary club, dotes on her grandchildren, spoils her dogs, and takes cruises any chance she gets.
An Interview with David Coleman and Priscilla Rodriguez
Christina Marie Pellegrino, Ph.D., has served as an educator and advisor in K-12 and college settings, including public and private institutions. Pellegrino has enjoyed roles in student advising, teaching, and higher education administration and admissions. She earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University where she researched the impact of test-optional policies on national institutions. Pellegrino is the owner of Complete College Prep, LLC where she provides college planning advisement and tutoring.
Test-Optional Policies: Implementation Impact on Undergraduate Admissions and Enrollment
Request Dr. Lishen as a speaker
AboutWendy Lishen, Ed.D. is the Assistant Vice President for Academic Records at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She has over 30 years of experience in higher education administration. Throughout her career, Dr. Lishen’s experience has enabled her to develop a comprehensive view to student access and success. Her higher education experience has included a plethora of organizational change initiatives including online education, University relocation, institution inception, student information system implementation, and department creation to name a few.After serving as University Registrar in Pennsylvania for 24 years, Lishen went on to serve as Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and University Registrar at Florida Atlantic University, where she became skilled at strategic planning to increase student graduation rates and streamline enrollment processes to improve student satisfaction as well as increase data integrity for program assessment. She implemented a new customer service department at Florida International University for all Enrollment Management offices for over 50,000 students at two campuses. Currently, Dr. Lishen is the Assistant Vice President for Academic Records at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences with the primary campuses in Bethesda, MD and San Antonio, TX in addition to additional Department of Defense site locations established throughout the world. Throughout her career, Dr. Lishen has served on many professional development committees as well as presented on enrollment best practices. Currently, Dr. Lishen is actively consulting for the American Association of Collegiate Registrar’s and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) on projects throughout the country.
Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Division
Mickey Reynolds is the Associate Director of Consulting Operations. She completed her Bachelor's degree at the University of Phoenix in 2001 in Business Administration before going on to earn a Master of Education in Adult Education at Oregon State University in 2009. Before starting her consulting work with AACRAO in 2011, Ms. Reynolds was an Associate Director of Operations and Communications in the Office of Admissions at Oregon State University. She has accumulated 27 years of experience working in higher education, including 16 years working in Admissions. During her career, Reynolds has implemented customer relationship management systems, document management systems, and business process workflows. Her areas of expertise include transfer articulation practice and policy, all functional areas of Admissions Operations, transcript evaluation, document management, and workflow management, Ellucian Banner Student Information Systems as well as being versed on best practices in Student Services. Ms. Reynolds has a wide range of admission operations experience, including organizational structure and business processes, she is able to review and map processes to determine a more efficient and streamlined process that is beneficial for both admissions and the student.
Mickey assists administrative aspects of AACRAO Consulting Services with an emphasis on financial management and processes, review of contracts and proposals and reports.
Jerry Martinez brings over 25 years of experience in enrollment services to Wharton County Junior College as the first Dean of Enrollment Management and Registrar. This new opportunity will allow Jerry to put into practice all the ideas and experiences that he gained throughout his higher education career.
His strengths are in data analysis and process improvement, and with 4 SIS conversions under his belt, he’s able to help organizations understand gasps, risks, and self-imposed bottlenecks in their processes caused by policies or systems. The challenges institutions face may be the result of narrow interpretations of local/state/federal policies and/or mandates, and Jerry's approach has always been to advocate for the student while also protecting the institution. He considers himself a fierce student advocate. Jerry holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Natalie joined the UW-Milwaukee Registrar’s Office in 2017 and oversees the institution’s curricular management systems. She was previously with Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University, where she helped build the infrastructure for Oregon’s first accredited joint School of Public Health. She currently serves as the Wisconsin Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Membership Coordinator and Vice Chair of AACRAO’s Asian American & Pacific Islander Caucus.
She previously served on AACRAO’s State and Regional Relations Committee.
Natalie earned her Bachelor of Science in Speech & Hearing Sciences and Master of Public Health from Portland State University.
Linda is currently the Assistant Director for Partnerships and Programming for the University of Pittsburgh’s Asian Studies Center. Within the Asian Studies Center she oversees community partnerships, engagement prospects for programming related to Asia and high impact experiential learning opportunities.
Prior to working at the Asian Studies Center, Linda was the former Assistant Registrar for Student Records and Graduation at the University of Pittsburgh. Linda also worked with Pittsburgh Action Against Rape and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Linda earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh in Literature and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Chatham University. She is currently co-chair of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus through the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).
Leo Sweeney was known for his excellence and leadership in internal education, having served as a consultant in over 40 different countries. He conducted extensive research on the educational systems of South Asia and wrote two books, one on India and the other on Pakistan, both of which are published in the AACRAO World Education Series.
When he wasn't abroad, Leo worked as the Director of Admissions and Registrar at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) for almost 32 years before retiring as Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Student Affairs at UMKC in September 1992. During his life, Leo also served as Chairman of the College Entrance Examination Board's Advisory Committee on International Education, and Vice Chairman of their Advisory Council on the Test of English as a Foreign Language. He received Honorary AACRAO Membership in 1993. Notably, he is the only person to have served both as the President of AACRAO (1984) and the President of NAFSA: Association of International Educators (1974).
Leo was a veteran of World War II, father of three, and husband to Annabelle Sweeney since 1948. He passed away in 2022 and will be remembered as a humble, professional, mentor and leader we can all strive to emulate.
Afet Dundar is Director, Equity in Research and Analytics at the National Student Clearinghouse and has been with the organization for over 10 years. In the early years of her tenure with the Clearinghouse, Dr Dundar lead the development and production of the Clearinghouse Research Center’s national reports on student outcomes and annual High School Benchmarks report. In recent years, Dr Dundar has been leading the education metrics development work for different platforms and services of the Clearinghouse and is currently leading the work on establishing and driving forward the principles for an equitable, unbiased, and inclusive approach to data collection and analytics at the Clearinghouse. Dr Dundar has contributed to numerous publications on student access and success outcomes. She has a Ph.D. in education policy studies from Indiana University Bloomington.
Aimee Leturmy is the University Registrar at Bentley University. Prior to joining Bentley in March 2022, she served fifteen years in the registrar’s office at Florida State University, most recently serving as the senior associate registrar where she managed the day-to-day operations of the office. Aimee began her career in athletics and previously held positions at Southern Methodist University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Central Florida. She holds a B.S. in sports management from FSU and a M.A. in exercise and sport science from UNC-Chapel Hill. Aimee is currently pursuing a doctor of education in educational administration and policy from Florida State University.
Management vs. Leadership: Would You Rather?
Katie Cloud is the Interim University Registrar at The George Washington University and has worked in higher education since 2009. Prior to joining The George Washington University in May of 2021 as the Deputy Registrar, she was an Associate Registrar for Current Records, Transcripts, Graduation and Athletic Eligibility at Florida State University. She also has experience working in an academic dean’s office, as an academic advisor and in an academic department. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in international affairs and a Master of Science in education leadership and policy, both from Florida State University.
Lizeth Nguyen is a Student Support Specialist at Trellis Company, working with Minority-Serving Institutions to produce equitable student-focused communication.
Nudging in a Pandemic: Lessons Learned from Text Messaging College Students amid COVID-19
Sana A. Meghani is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Catalyst:Ed. She is deeply committed to amplifying the voices and stories of those who have been historically marginalized at institutions of higher education.
Michael H. Small, D.B.A., is a Full Professor Emeritus of Management in the Department of Management & Marketing of the College of Business & Technology at East Tennessee State University. Michael earned his D.B.A. from Cleveland State University and conducts research in the areas of Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing and Business Administration.
Postsecondary Intentions of Latino and African American Students in Tennessee: Considerations for Strategic Enrollment Management
Edith Seier, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Mathematics & Statistics in the College of Arts & Sciences at East Tennessee State University. Edith earned her Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Wyoming and conducts research in the areas of Kurtosis & Variability and Applications of Statistics to Biology, Public Health, and Medicine.