Bio
Dr. Soraira Urquiza is a first-generation college graduate and professional. In addition to her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California, she earned a Master’s degree in Chicana/o Studies from CSU Northridge and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Mount St Mary’s University. She is currently the Registrar for the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and was the recipient of the 2021 AACRAO Emerging Leader Award. She is also the current Chair of the Latinx Caucus and President of PACRAO.
Request Dr. Kimberley Williams as a speaker
Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Retention, The George Washington University
AboutDr. Kimberley Williams currently serves as the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Retention at the George Washington University (GW). In addition, Kimberley is the assistant director of AACRAO’s SEM Endorsement Program (EP). She has three decades of experience in higher education.
Dr. Williams has a proven track record of consistent enrollment success and is widely viewed as one of the top enrollment professionals in the country. Kimberley's background includes extensive background in building targeted student outreach, readiness, and support programs that have assisted her in enhancing student diversity, community engagement, and retention rates at several institutions. In addition, Kimberley has led efforts in developing CRM systems, pre-college, and summer bridge programs, and early alert networks strongly aligns with GW's student success goals and aspirations.
Prior to joining GW, for nearly a decade, Kimberley served as the Vice President for Enrollment Management (VPEM) at two public, regional universities. She has also held leadership roles in student enrollment and support at Northern Illinois University, the University of Michigan-Flint, and Old Dominion University.
While at Northeastern Illinois University, as VPEM Ms. Williams oversaw the matriculation of the inaugural Hope Chicago first-year class and implemented a case management approach to advising the new scholar-cohort program. In addition, the student engagement model featured the development of individualized student success plans and an automated student referral system to align student needs with the appropriate campus support units.
During Kimberley's tenure at the University of Mary Washington, as VPEM she helped establish new partnerships with several community-based organizations, including the Latino Student Fund (MD), Access College Foundation (VA), and the Partnership for the Future (VA). She also implemented a set of campus-wide committees, and student engagement plans to improve diversity and student persistence levels. These efforts resulted in the percentage of students of color at UMW rising from 23 percent in 2014 to 30 percent in 2021, and the overall first-to-second-year student retention rate increasing by 4.8 percent. Under her leadership, the percentage of students of color at Mary Washington grew from 23 percent in 2014 to 30 percent in 2021. In addition, UMW enrolled its largest first-year class in history, and saw a significant increase in its incoming first-year academic profile.
In addition to the aforementioned strategic enrollment management successes, Kimberley led enrollment efforts at the University of Michigan- Flint. Under Kimberley’s leadership, UM- Flint realized a 29 percent increase in new first-year enrollment (2005-2011), and a 200 percent increase in international student enrollment as noted in a 2010 MLive article titled “UM-Flint keeps rank as state's fastest growing university.”
Kimberley is the author of the 2021 book "History of American Higher Education A to Z: A Primer for Enrollment Managers." She also has several recent articles and publications focusing on student success and enrollment management. Recent presentations include "Closing Equity Gaps in Enrollment – A Four-Pronged Approach" (2021), "SEM and Retention; The Perfect Pair" (2018), and "We Check More Than One Racial Category... Are You Ready for Us?" (2016). In 2023, Kimberley completed her Ed.D. from Regent University (VA). Her dissertation research examined employment engagement and succession planning in the context of retaining enrollment middle managers in the American "Big Quit," "Great Reshuffle, and/or "Great Resignation" era. In addition, Kimberley holds an Ed.S. degree in Higher Education Administration, a master's degree in Education Administration, and a bachelor's degree in English, all from Old Dominion University. She also holds a postmaster's certificate in leadership from the University of Michigan's Center for the Education of Women.
Review of: The State Must Provide: Why America's Colleges Have Always Been Unequal―and How to Set Them Right
Review of: Yale Needs Women; How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules of an Ivy League Giant
Review of The Black Family’s Guide to College Admissions—A Conversation About Education, Parenting, and Race, 2nd Edition
American Higher Education in the Year 1925: Through the Lens of Dean Alida P. Banks
Review of: Lifting the Veil on Enrollment Management: How a Powerful Industry is Limiting Social Mobility in American Higher Education
Dr. Amardeep Kahlon is a nationally recognized leader in competency-based education (CBE). Her project, Fast Track to Success, is aimed at expanding CBE across Texas. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), a national organization that advocates for CBE and has created quality standards for CBE.
As the founder and chair of the annual Fast Track to Success conference, Dr. Kahlon has created a valuable forum to discuss innovation in higher education across Texas. In October 2017, the Chronicle of Higher Education profiled her as one of the top ten innovators for her work in CBE. She was the lead for the Texas Affordable Baccalaureate project at Austin Community College (ACC). Prior to assuming her current roles, Dr. Kahlon spent a sabbatical year (2013-14) in India as the founding Dean of Academics at an emerging new university. She has presented at local, state, and international conferences and has been invited to speak in different forums.
Currently, Dr. Kahlon serves as the Assistant Dean of Distance Learning and External Relations at Austin Community College. She is also the director of the Women in IT program and the Fast Track to Success project. Dr. Kahlon earned a Masters in Computer Science from Binghamton University and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Dhanfu E. Elston (pronounced: dah-nee-foo) serves as Complete College America’s Vice President of Strategy where he utilizes his campus expertise for practical application, implementation, and scaling of CCA momentum strategies at institutions throughout the nation. He provides oversight of the 15-To-Finish scale strategy, Purpose First career choice grant, technology Seal of Approval, and scaling standards to close achievement gaps. Elston coordinates relationships with Governor’s Offices and higher education state-wide systems in their college completion efforts. Recently, he launched a national initiative to amplify completion efforts at minority-serving institutions. Over two decades of his higher education career in academic and student affairs, Elston has created and implemented comprehensive success and retention programs that have garnered national attention.
In his role as University Registrar, John Papinchak focuses on student privacy, data stewardship and governance, academic policy, academic calendars, and university learning spaces. John began working at Carnegie Mellon's Office of Admission in 1984 and in 1988 became an Associate Director of Admission. He served as the Director of Summer Studies from 1986 until 1994. In 1994, he became Carnegie Mellon's University Registrar. He was involved with the re-engineering of Enrollment Services in 1995 and with implementing several process improvements including the first Student Information Online (SIO), online registration (OLR) and electronic grades (E-Grades/FIO). He has since been intimately involved in the Student Services Suite (S3) project to modernize SIO, the implementation of My Plaid Student, the current development of the S3 Admin Console and S3 Faculty Course & Grade Information, and the development of the Student Data Warehouse (SDW). John currently sits on the Associate Deans Council, Associate Deans for Graduate Programs, the University Education Council, Learning Spaces and Information as an Asset Teams, and he serves on the University Committee on Discipline. He is also co-chair of the Veteran Students’ Success Steering Committee.
John received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering with an additional major in Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon in 1984. In 1990, he earned a Master of Science degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon's H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management. He is active in several professional organizations, including American Association of University Registrars, on which he currently serves as a board member and Conference Program Director, MSACRAO, and AACRAO, where he serves on the Program Activities Committee. John is a former Staff Council Representative and Chair, and former member of the Carnegie Mellon Admissions Council (CMAC). He has served as the co-sponsor of Carnegie Mellon's Faculty/Staff blood drives with the Central Blood Bank since 1986. He is also a faculty advisor with Alpha Phi Omega's Kappa Chapter, presently chairing the Advisory Committee. He has served as a Class of 1984 representative as part of the Inspire Innovation campaign, an alumni volunteer, and is a member of the Order of The May and a Loyal Scot.
Outside of Carnegie Mellon, John was formerly involved as a Cubmaster and Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America, local Little League president and coach, local soccer association president and board member, and recreational and travel soccer coach. He remains active as a local soccer referee officiating youth and high school matches and is the current registrar for the Western PA State Referee Committee. John lives in South Park with his wife and has three adult sons.
Beka has 17 years of experience in credential evaluation and has extensive knowledge of foreign educational systems and the issues surrounding the recognition of international educational credentials. He frequently presents on foreign educational systems and the recognition of international educational qualifications at national and international conferences and workshops.
Chantel Reynolds is a Recognitions Manager with Cambridge Assessment International Education, where she engages with college and universities across the southern United States. In this role, Chantel supports faculty and administrators as they develop comprehensive prior learning assessment policies that acknowledge the skills and experiences Cambridge students bring to the institution.
Prior to joining Cambridge International, Chantel served in a similar role at the College Board, where she supported institutions using both ACCUPLACER and CLEP. Chantel was the primary project manager for the implementation of two statewide custom assessments: the NC_DAP for the North Carolina Community College System and the TSI Assessment for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In addition, she has several years of experience in student services and academic support and as adjunct faculty at both two- and four-year institutions. She is currently pursuing her Ed.D in community college leadership.
In her spare time, Chantel volunteers with the Earthwatch Institute, a non-profit environmental organization, working on projects ranging from panda conservation in China to archaeological sites in Italy to orca observation off the coast of Iceland. She is happy to tell stories and share photos.
Adina Chapman is the North American Regional Manager for Higher Education with Cambridge Assessment International Education, where she engages with colleges and universities across the western United States and Canada. In this role, Adina supports faculty and administrators as they develop comprehensive prior learning assessment policies that acknowledge the skills and experiences Cambridge International students bring to the institution.
Prior to joining Cambridge International, Adina served in a similar role at the College Board as Director of Higher Education Policy Analysis, where she communicated AP Program changes and developed research-based support for teams of College Board staff to use in cultivating AP policies, with a particular focus on state-wide policies. At the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, Adina led the state-wide general education taskforce, faculty development, policy development on state-wide transfer initiatives, and implementation of CollegeSources's Transfer Equivalency System (TES) with Kentucky’s public registrars. In addition, she began her career at the Kentucky Approving Agency for Veterans Education, a part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) where she reviewed and recommended improvements to academic, admissions, and financial aid policies as well as approved programs at Kentucky colleges and universities to ensure that veterans received quality education and training that foster economic growth and opportunity for them and the Commonwealth.
In her spare time, Adina volunteers as a mentor with Peak Education, a not for profit organization in Colorado Springs which, serves over 250 students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds from 7th grade through the completion of their college education. Peak Education empowers their scholars to take ownership of their educational journey and to equip them with the knowledge and resources to make choices that allow them to reach their full potential.
Sully Saucedo currently serves as Assistant Director, International Admissions at Texas Woman's University. She has worked in higher educations for 18 years, including seven years in international education. She has co-presented at regional NAFSA conferences, the 2018 AACRAO Annual Meeting and previously served on the AACRAO International Admissions Committee. Prior to her current role, Sully held positions in the Office of the Registrar and Office of Internal Audits.
Chris Adams comes from an educational background in history, political science, and comparative education. His professional work encompasses over a decade in higher education admissions and international student mobility, during which he has contributed to two AACRAO publications: “Inclusive Admissions Policies for Displaced and Vulnerable Students” and “The Cuba Project.” Chris has been actively involved in multiple national and international higher education organizations, currently serving as president of The Association of International Credential Evaluation Professionals (TAICEP).
Melanie is the first woman to hold the role of Executive Director in the association’s history after nearly six years as the Deputy Director. She brings a global perspective rooted in an understanding of the technological proficiency and flexibility needed to move AACRAO forward.
Melanie came to the national office with 18 years as an AACRAO member, with experience in Records & Registration, Enrollment Management and International Recruitment and Credential Evaluation. She has served the association in a variety of volunteer leadership roles throughout her career, most recently as Vice President for International Education on the AACRAO Board of Directors. Melanie earned an MA in Information Science from the University of Missouri - Columbia and a BA in History /American Studies from Marlboro College in Vermont.Identity, Mentorship, and Community: AACRAO’s First Woman Executive Director on Her Leadership Journey
Celebrating a Century of Scholarship: The Indispensable Role of Research & Inquiry in the Development of a Profession
Jim Kelly serves as Senior Director of Technology at Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). Over the last 18 years, he has successfully built a foundational framework for technology to support infrastructure, applications, and strategic activities. These initiatives have been key to the growth of services offered by ECE helping the business triple in size during Jim’s tenure. Jim manages a team of skilled technology professionals, sets technology goals and leads strategic planning initiatives. As part of ECE’s senior leadership team, Jim supports internal & external systems while involved in planning, general leadership and management efforts. Jim also works with PESC and the Groningen Declaration Network to standardize credential evaluation data and contributes to educational data mobility internationally. Jim serves as Chair of the PESC Board of Directors, Co-Chair and Steering Committee Member of the PESC Global Education Organization (GEO) User Group on the PESC EdExchange Steering Committee. Jim has also been representing PESC as speaker and presenter at Annual Meetings of the Groningen Declaration Network. After graduation from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with a degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, Jim began a career in business and technology professional consulting for organizations that vary in both size and industry. Jim’s consulting experience brings a wealth of knowledge in technology, project management, business systems, warehousing, and distribution to his current efforts.
Matt Bemis, an Associate Registrar at the University of Southern California, is responsible for the Degree Progress operations for the University. He serves as the administrator over the Degree Audit and Transfer Credit applications, is responsible the certification of student athlete academic eligibility, and is the project lead for the electronic data interchange (EDI) initiative at USC. He is a past Chair for the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee, is co-chair for the PESC GEO Code Steering Committee, and serves on the PESC Board of Directors. Matt has been active within the AACRAO community for more than 23 years, and has served on the AACRAO SPEEDE Committee for more than 10 years.
Loida currently serves as the Director of Recruitment and Enrollment Services at A&M-Central Texas. Her career began 9 years ago as a graduate admissions coordinator where she gained expertise in foreign credential evaluations. Loida’s passion for serving non-traditional populations continued through her work in transfer recruitment, by leading transfer initiatives and partnerships across Texas. In her current role, Loida continues the efforts to provide equitable opportunities and educational access to all transfer students. Her advocacy for change has led her to become an active member of TACRAO and AACRAO by serving as a committee member, presenter, researcher, and as the host for Transfer Tea, an AACRAO podcast.
Rosalie is currently a lead evaluator at Bellevue College, a hybrid two and four year institution in Washington State. There she oversees transfer credit and graduation for professional and baccalaureate programs. Prior to this role, she served for two years in AmeriCorps, where she established a peer mentor program for immigrant and refugee college students. Rosalie is passionate about improving college access and developing institutional policy that is responsive to the diverse backgrounds of our students. She has a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Washington.
Joellen Shendy has worked in higher education for over 30 years, developing unique expertise in the areas of credential innovation, competency-based education, online education, transfer and non-traditional students. A former Associate Vice Provost & Registrar, Ms. Shendy has written articles and blogs on the future of education and credential innovations as well as comprehensive learning records with AACRAO, 1EdTech, Educause, and Parchment among others and she was a founding member of CAPACRAO (Chesapeake and Potomac Association of Registrars and Admissions Officers). Currently a Senior Product Strategy Director for Workday Student, she works to envision and build the student system of the future – putting students at the center. She lives in Port Hueneme, CA and you can often find her running, reading, or playing video and board games.
Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, author of a highly-anticipated upcoming memoir The Stars in My Soul: My Unlikely Journey through Space and Time, is an internationally-recognized astrophysicist, science TV personality, and global education advocate who has had a long, distinguished career in academia and scientific research. Since 2007, he has been a professor of Aerospace, Physics, and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology. Currently, he is stationed at NASA Headquarters, where he serves as an Astrophysicist and Space Science Education Lead for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. A former TED fellow, Dr. Oluseyi holds three degrees, eight U.S. patents, four E.U. patents, and co-hosts several shows on Science Channel and Discovery International, including Outrageous Acts of Science, How the Universe Works, Space's Deepest Secrets, Strange Evidence, You Have Been Warned, and Strip the Cosmos. Dr. Oluseyi’s success is even more impressive given his incredible personal background and story.
Hakeem grew up in some of the roughest neighborhood’s in this country; he changed schools roughly 10 times in seven years. Living in chaotic circumstances led him to spend most of his time indoors reading and watching PBS nature shows. Discovering a love of science and a fascination with Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Hakeem decided to teach himself these principles of science. He became determined to become a scientist and overcame incredible odds to earn 3 degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics from Tougaloo College, and a Masters and Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford University. After finishing up with school, Hakeem worked at one of Silicon Valley’s most successful companies and did research on manufacturing computer chips. Hakeem’s inventions can be found in the computer chips you use every day. Sharing his roller-coaster ride of success and the setbacks he faced along the way, Hakeem inspires audiences around the world to chase their dreams no matter how unlikely they may seem.
Today, as NASA’s Space Education Lead, he is responsible for co-managing 27 SMD Science Activation cooperative agreements totaling more than $40M. He also provides strategic and scientific advising for SMD investments in STEM Education, Citizen Science, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Strategic Communications. Currently, his scientific research is based on "hacking stars" to develop innovative new technologies and better understand our universe. Leveraging techniques for interpreting electromagnetic radiation, laboratory plasma physics, computational modeling, machine learning, time-domain informatics, big data analytics, and high-performance computing, his work has resulted in 12 patents, and ~80 publications covering contributions to astrophysics, cosmology, semiconductor manufacturing, and ion propulsion. His science education research has resulted in highly effective and efficient, divergent techniques for teaching mathematics and physics to learners of all ages.
Outstanding Technical Innovation and Best Paper at the 2010 NSBE Aerospace Systems Conference, the 2006 Physics Technical Achiever of the Year by the National Technical Association, a 2005 NASA Earth/Sun Science New Investigator Fellow, the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation Astrophysics Research Fellow, the Ernest O. Lawrence Astrophysics Research Fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2001-2003), and as a NASA GSRP Fellow at Stanford University.
Hakeem is one of the world's most popular educators and science communicators. He regularly appears on news programs and has won or been nominated for several awards for science reporting including one Emmy nomination and four Webby Awards.