Sara Goldrick-Rab, Ph.D. is Professor of Higher Education Policy & Sociology at Temple University, and Founding Director of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice in Philadelphia. She is also the Chief Strategy Officer for Emergency Aid at Edquity, a student financial success and emergency aid company, and founded Believe in Students, a nonprofit distributing emergency aid.
Sara is best known for her innovative research on food and housing insecurity in higher education, having led the four largest national studies on the subject, and for her work on making public higher education free. She is the recipient of the William T. Grant Foundation’s Faculty Scholars Award, the American Educational Research Association’s Early Career Award, and the Carnegie Fellowship.
In 2016 POLITICO magazine named her one of the top 50 people shaping American politics and she is ranked 6th in the nation among education scholars according to Education Week.
Her latest book, Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream, won the 2018 Grawemeyer Award, and was featured on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
The Chronicle of Higher Education calls Sara “a defender of impoverished students and a scholar of their struggles”--an accurate description of her life’s work.
Cokie Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News and NPR. In her more than forty years in broadcasting, she has won countless awards, including three Emmys. She has been inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the fifty greatest women in the history of broadcasting. In addition to her reporting, Roberts has written six New York Times bestsellers, most dealing with the roles of women in U.S. history. Roberts holds more than twenty five honorary degrees, serves on the boards of several non-profit institutions, and was appointed by President Bush to his Commission on Service and Civic Participation. In 2008, the Library of Congress named her a “Living Legend,” one of the very few Americans to have attained that honor.
For the past decade, Dr. Bridget Burns has advised university presidents, system chancellors, and state and federal policy leaders on strategies to expand access to higher education, address costs, and promote completion for students of all backgrounds. Named one of the “16 Most Innovative People in Higher Education” by Washington Monthly, she is the founding Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA). The UIA is the ground-breaking national consortium of public research universities igniting a movement through their collaborative work (innovate together, scaling “what works,” and broadly diffusing what they learn) to close their achievement gaps and improve outcomes for all students. The UIA was developed during Dr. Burns' tenure at an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowship at Arizona State University.
Dr. Burns held multiple roles within in the Oregon University System, including serving as Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor, where she won the national award for innovation in higher education government relations. She was a National Associate for the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, and has served on several statewide governing boards including ones governing higher education institutions, financial aid policy, and policy areas impacting children and families.
She received her Ed.D in Higher Education, Leadership, and Policy from Vanderbilt University.
Award: Emerging Leader Award Winner: Texas Ruegg Texas is a boomerang transplant to East Texas, returning to LeTourneau University after severing as Registrar at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth and as Registrar and Director of Institutional Research at Austin College in Sherman. He is a two-time alumnus of LeTourneau, earning both his graduate and undergraduate degrees in Business and is currently completing his dissertation at Northcentral University for the completion of a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration. Texas is an Eagle Scout, an avid cyclist, triathlete, and advocate for health and wellness as well as a certified Stephen Covey 7 Habits instructor and an award winning public speaker and leadership trainer. After losing his first wife to cervical cancer at age 35, Texas discovered the power of Post Traumatic Growth which has created the opportunity for him to share his testimony and the importance of work/life balance at leadership events and conferences around the country. Rüegg’s return to LeTourneau University brought an accumulation of personal and professional experience that spans both public and private higher education as well as leadership roles in state, regional, and national professional organizations. His wife, Shana, works for Longview Regional Hospital in Longview, TX as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist(CRNA) and they have two beautiful children at home, Lukas (6yrs) and Vivian (3yrs), and one older child, Jacob (23yrs) living and attending college in Austin. The Rüeggs live in a restored Victorian home tucked away in the piney woods of East Texas where they have just planted the first acre of what will soon be the Rüeggenbach Vineyard. Texas said any AACRAO members who visit get the first glass on him. Learn More about AACRAO Awards
For 30 years, Shelby served his alma mater, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, in varying roles of increased responsibility and in 2018 retired as Vice Provost and University Registrar. Today, he continues serving higher education as director, service innovation networks with the National Student Clearinghouse. With a background in software development and design, Shelby has had a wide professional portfolio that includes experience working with the offices of the bursar, admissions, student financial services, information systems and technology and registrar. Shelby was part of the technical team for the UT Austin SPEEDE (Standardization of Postsecondary Education Electronic Data Exchange) Server which was developed and managed by the Office of the Registrar at the University of Texas at Austin from the fall of 1996 until which time the Server was transferred to the National Student Clearinghouse in 2013. During that time the UT SPEEDE Server supported the electronic exchange of over 34 million educational documents (including transcripts, test scores, and applications for admission) nationally using industry-based national standards. Shelby is active professionally, serving as a member of the Board of Directors, Foreign Credential Services of America, and a former member of the Board of Directors and former chair of the Advisory Committee, National Student Clearinghouse, former member of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center board, and holds regular membership and participates in AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), SACRAO (Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) for which he was president 2003-2004, and TACRAO (Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) for which he was chair of the TACRAO Legislative Issues Committee and TACRAO Technology Committee. Shelby has been a member of Educational Testing Services (ETS) TOEFL Technology Committee and has served on AACRAO’s International Education Data Collection Committee. Shelby has been a participant in the Groningen Declaration initiative since 2013, presented a keynote at the 2013 meeting in Beijing and a session in Malaga, Spain in 2015 and in Cape Town, South Africa in 2016, and participated on a keynote panel in Puebla, Mexico in 2019.
Award: Centennial Award for Excellence Winner: Rosana Reyes A tireless advocate for underserved populations in higher education, Rosana has a distinguished career of over 30 years in both the public and private sectors. She currently serves as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Development at Luzerne County Community College. Prior to serving in this role Ms. Reyes served as Associate Vice President of the Newburgh campus at The State University of New York-Orange County, SUNY Orange. At this same institution, she also served as Director of Educational Partnerships. Prior to arriving at SUNY Orange, Ms. Reyes held the Director of the Higher Education Opportunity Program at Mount Saint Mary College. From early on in her career, Rosana set herself apart as an inspired mentor and advocate for ESL and economically-challenged first-generation college students striving to find their way. Always seeking ways to advance the cause, Ms. Reyes accepted a SEEK Directorship at Mount Saint Mary College where she was solely responsible for the oversight of recruitment, academic advisement, mentoring and transitional challenges of qualified minority student populations in assimilating them into a traditional college setting, always with an eye on graduation and successful outcomes. When Luzerne Community College in Pennsylvania was looking to further diversify and implement a robust Student Enrollment Management strategy and plan, they tapped Rosana and she helped to implement a successful One-Stop Enrollment Center and combine the functions from Recruitment through Enrollment though Graduation and beyond to continue serving underserved and economically challenged student populations. Ms. Reyes has presented at numerous national and state conferences including the National Association of Community College Trustees, the National League of Innovation, and the Northeastern Association of Two-Year Colleges Annual Conferences. Her professional involvement includes serving a as SUNY Orange's and Mount Saint Mary College representative for the Mid-Hudson Association of Women in Higher Education. She also served as a Member of the Orange-Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Education Advisory Board, and on the Hudson Valley Tech Prep Consortium Advisory Board. Ms. Reyes earned a Bachelor's Degree in Forensic Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Fiscal Analysis and Oversight from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Ms. Reyes is currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from Wilkes University. She is a graduate of Leadership Orange class of 2009, Wilkes Barre Executive Leadership class of 2013 and Lackawanna Executive Leadership Class of 2015. Ms. Reyes is also co-recipient of 2018 Innovation Award from the National League of Innovation. Learn More about AACRAO Awards
Rock is the Associate Registrar for Operations at Clemson University. He previously served as Registrar at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia, and prior to that, as Registrar at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, South Carolina. The primary responsibility of his current position is to oversee the planning, development, implementation, & maintenance of systems that support the operations & services provided by the Registrar's Office. He is also responsible for continuous process improvement initiatives within the department. He has been, and continues to be active in AACRAO, SACRAO, CACRAO, and GACRAO, presenting multiple sessions over the years. He has held leadership positions at both the state and regional levels, including serving as the President of SACRAO in 2011. He currently serves on the AACRAO Board of Directors as VP for Information Technology, and as a faculty member for Registrar 101 online and Registrar 201. He also was a 2024 AACRAO Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Making the Transfer Path to a Bachelor's Degree Seamless and Successful: Best Practices
Award: Elbert W. Ockerman State and Regional Professional Activity Award Winner: Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO) Project: PACRAO Leadership Development Institute (LDI) PACRAO initiated a Leadership Development Institute (LDI) with the expressed intent to provide a development opportunity for emerging leaders in the professional arenas that PACRAO serves. As registrars and admissions officers, we are both the gatekeepers and the pathfinders for our students. America's population, and by extension the population of American colleges and universities, is rapidly diversifying. Within a generation, a majority of Americans will come from populations that are currently underrepresented in higher education. However, the ranks of admissions and registrar professionals, particularly at the leadership level, is not representative of the students we serve and will serve in the future. PACRAO can play a key role in shaping every level of membership through thought leadership, professional development opportunities, and the creation of intentional streams of development that actively encourage a broader spectrum of professionals to engage and grow in the profession. The PACRAO LDI exists to fill both PACRAO’s leadership funnel, and the leadership funnel in our professions, with emerging leaders who are representative of the diversity of our region. Through their commitment to transformative learning and the guidance and mentorship of our phenomenal faculty, the cohort will become the next generation of enrollment leaders who will reshape the way higher education works. What is the LDI? • A Cohort of 10-15 "students" who are relatively early in their careers who aspire to leadership roles at their institutions and with PACRAO. The Cohort is carefully selected so that it is as representative as possible of the diverse experiences of the students we are serving now and will be serving in the coming decades. • A dedicated faculty made up of PACRAO members who have distinguished themselves in the Admissions and Registrar fields and as servant leaders to the PACRAO community. Three faculty members and a faculty Dean have been selected to lead and mentor the cohort. • A carefully constructed curriculum that will expose Cohort members to literature, group conversation, guest speakers and more. The LDI experience will expose Cohort participants to the possibility of a transformative experience that will both provide critical knowledge that higher education leaders must possess in order to be effective in their roles. Coequally, the LDI experience should create inspiration in each participant to be difference makers and change agents in every community they belong to. The cohort has been asked to commit to being involved in the LDI for one year. The cohort’s year begins at the Annual Meeting and concludes at the Annual Meeting the following year. The Cohort will be engaged in readings and virtual conversations about those readings. All materials will be provided at no charge to participants by PACRAO. PACRAO does not charge for the LDI or LDI materials. We expect one commitment in from our cohort members in return for our investment in the LDI: we expect that every Cohort member will agree to stand for some sort of leadership or other formal involvement opportunity with PACRAO once their cohort year has concluded. Learn More about AACRAO Awards
Award: Elbert W. Ockerman State and Regional Professional Activity Award Winner: Ohio Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (OACRAO) Project: OACRAO Summer Institute The OACRAO Summer Institute (OSI) is a three-day intensive workshop that is geared toward newer professionals but designed to allow all participants to gain from the experience, including the “faculty” leaders. This immersive experience provides opportunities for attendees to reflect upon their own strengths, develop their leadership capabilities, learn more about the profession, explore emerging trends, and expand their network of colleagues. Intended for a small target cohort of 20-30 participants, OSI is led by a faculty group of six experienced members. The faculty members serve as mentors for smaller mentee groups within the larger OSI cohort. In advance of OSI, faculty mentors reach out to each of their mentees to introduce themselves and serve as a resource not only before OSI, but also during and after the event. The curriculum is designed to facilitate small group activity and discussion. While there are specific topics in the curriculum, OSI allows for discussion on any topic by including campfire discussion, meals, team-building activities, etc. The goal is to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to ask any question while attending. If a participant leaves and has a question, they have a built-in network of colleagues that includes, but is not limited to, their assigned faculty mentor. OSI was first offered in 2013 and was conceptualized by then OACRAO President Dan Wilson, Registrar at Muskingum University. The fourth and most recent offering of OSI was held in August 2018. OSI has served 76 participants over the four offerings and has featured 15 different experienced OACRAO members serving as faculty. OSI has not only enhanced its participants and faculty in their path towards personal and professional growth, it has also enriched the entire OACRAO organization by developing and attracting members who are new to the profession. OSI has quickly developed into a flagship event for OACRAO, and we look forward to the next edition of OSI planned for 2020! Learn More about AACRAO Awards
Karee is the 2023-2024 VP for International Education.
She was hired as the international admission processor for the University of Idaho in May 2006. Through my position at the University of Idaho, she has been given the opportunity to work with colleagues around the world though organizations like AACRAO, NAFSA: Association for International Educators Member, TAICEP: Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals Member, and AICE: Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc.
Most of her volunteer work with AACRAO has been with the professional activities committees. She have sought out topics for annual meeting sessions, webinars, international training offerings that are needed to be successful in our day-to-day jobs on our campuses.
This volunteer work has enriched her professional life and passion for international education. Starting in 2010, Karee served as a member for the International Admissions Professional Activities Committee and appointed to Chair in 2011. While serving as Chair, she wanted to get more involved and asked to join the AACRAO Program Committee. Karee served as Program Committee Coordinator for Group 2: International Education for four years. She served on the Annual Meeting Program Committee as Vice Chair in 2018 and served as Chair of the 2019 Annual Meeting.
Karee has been awarded several AACRAO awards in recognition of her strong willingness and desire to volunteer. She was awarded the Emerging Leader Award in 2016, Thomas A. Bilger Award in 2019, and most recently the Award for Excellence in International Education in 2020.
If I am elected as a Vice President of International Education and serve on the Board of Directors, I will collaborate with AACRAO membership to fulfill AACRAO’s mission and vision. Learn More about AACRAO Awards
Award: Honorary Membership Winner: Janie Barnett Janie Barnett, Associate Executive Director of AACRAO and “passionate, energetic, quick-thinking whirling dervish meets pragmatism, leadership, organization, and aplomb,” will be retiring this month after being the heart and soul of AACRAO for more than 20 years. Barnett’s contribution to transforming AACRAO from a financially struggling organization in the late 1990s into the thriving international association it is today cannot be overstated. Barnett started her career in higher education in 1970, working at the Community College of Denver (Auraria Campus). From there she went to the University of California-San Diego, Iowa State University, and the University of Glasgow (Scotland) before coming to AACRAO. During her time on campuses she was involved in state, regional, and national boards, serving as the President of the National Student Employment Association (NSEA) for three years. During her career at Iowa State, Barnett worked for Jerry Sullivan and when he moved to UC Boulder, Sullivan tried to recruit her to come with. During her career at Iowa State, Barnett worked for Jerry Sullivan and when he moved to UC Boulder, Sullivan tried to recruit her to come with. “My girls were in school and my family was rooted in Iowa; I didn’t want to move,” Barnett said. “But when he was hired as the Executive Director at AACRAO, I was in Scotland, and my kids were in college, and again he offered me a job. It seemed like the right time and I was excited for a change.” That was in October of 1998, and Sullivan and Barnett’s first order of business was to recruit Barmak Nassirian. “Barmak’s job was to put AACRAO on the map with government relations, and I was to make revenue with meetings and sponsorships”, Barnett said. “The three of us spent all our time in the conference room with our heads together, trying to provide important member benefits with no budget and reduced staff.” With a supportive board and a small-but-mighty office staff, the team began to push the needle out of the red and into the black. “We were a team, and we all put our shoulders to the wheel,” Barnett said. “Most of the organizations I’d been involved with previously were entirely volunteer organizations, so we didn’t have the time and resources to accomplish what we wanted. So despite the fact that we had only seven staff, I felt like a kid in a candy store with all these talented people who knew what to do and could provide those needed services to members. They’re geared up, this is their job as professionals, and you aren’t asking someone to volunteer to do something.” Over her 20 years with AACRAO, Barnett has worked in a variety of areas, including meetings, professional development, membership, corporate partners and sponsorships, international relations, and more. Barnett has also built strong relationships and partnerships with key higher education innovators, and was recently recognized by the Postsecondary Education Standards Council (PESC) for Distinguished Service to higher education. “The easy part is selling AACRAO,” Barnett said. “These companies need us, and we need them, so it’s a win-win.” On international, one of the most fascinating and satisfying parts of her career has been the opportunity to work with international education initiatives. As part of the Groningen Declaration and as a key liaison with Associacion de Responsables de Servicios Escolares y Estudiantiles (ARSEE), Barnett has enjoyed advancing an international vision of higher education associations. Those who know Barnett best aren’t surprised to hear that her post-retirement plans begin with San Diego. Despite her worldly travels, Barnett’s always been a California girl. Her oceanside relaxation will have to fit into a busy travel schedule, as Barnett hopes to return to Hawaii, Mexico, Scotland and more, in her newfound free time. “I have friends all over the world because of my job and I want to spend time with them and have them visit me!” she said. Barnett is also prioritizing family time, including special trips with her mother, siblings, and children. “Most importantly, I want to spend time with my daughters Lyndsey and Brooke and their husbands Todd and Matthew and grandchildren Camila (11), Cedar (8), Fisher (6), and Vivienne (3) in Montana and Colorado,” Barnett said. “I want to take them traveling with me and have them come share my love of the ocean and San Diego with me in California.” Barnett also hopes to stay involved with education through consulting and volunteer work. Immigration, DACA and gender equality are particularly dear to her, and San Diego is probably a good place to work with these issues. “I’m not sure there’s enough time in the day for everything I want to do!” she laughed -- which is exactly those who know her expect of Barnett upon retirement. “Janie was my boss when I was an undergraduate working in the financial aid office at Iowa State, so to work with her again in this great phase of her career has been both a privilege and a joy,” AACRAO Executive Director Mike Reilly reflected. “She still keeps an unbelievable pace and I'm sure that will continue into retirement. I challenge anyone to try to keep up with her.” Learn More about AACRAO Awards
Award: Award for Excellence in International EducationWinner: Jacquelyn D. Elliott, Ed.D.Dr. Jacquelyn D. Elliott “Jacqui” is known for her diverse background in higher education to include Academic Affairs, Institutional Advancement, International Education, and all aspects of Strategic Enrollment Management. Well-versed in management techniques, she has over twenty-five years of leadership experience in higher education. She was formerly Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Mary Baldwin College (now University), Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Bridgewater College, and Vice President for Enrollment Management at Tusculum College (now University). She also served in an academic appointment with the University of Missouri—St. Louis, where she was Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Education and International Liaison Specialist in International Studies and Programs. In that role, she worked to develop international collaborative faculty research, student exchange, accreditation consultation, program reviews, and faculty training and development in Kuwait and Oman. East. She currently holds dual roles as the President of enrollmentFUEL, a Student Search company in North Carolina, and Chief Enrollment Specialist with Marion Military Institute. She also conducts faculty development training for leaders of universities throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the auspices of the Academic Leadership Center (ALC) of the Ministry of Education. She was the first female faculty appointment at the all-male King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Elliott received her doctorate in higher education administration from The George Washington University where her dissertation, The American Council on Education’s Office of Women in Higher Education: A Case Study of Evolution and Decline 1973-2011, was the winner of the national Myra Sadker Dissertation Award. Elliott’s current research and publications focus on women and leadership in the USA and Saudi Arabia, history of higher education, enrollment management, and student affairs.Dr. Elliott has presented over 200 sessions at academic and administrative conferences nationally, and internationally. She served as Vice President for Professional Development for the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (SACRAO) and is a past editor for the SACRAO Journal. Additionally, she served on the Board of Directors as Vice President for International Education with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO) in Washington, D.C.
An Interview with Eric Waldo
Learn More about AACRAO Awards
Award: Elbert W. Ockerman State and Regional Professional Activity Award
Winner: Georgia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers
Project: GA SEM - The Georgia Institute of Strategic Enrollment Management (GISEM) and the GACRAO Enrollment Managers Workshop (GEM)
2018 marked the 12th year that GACRAO’s Institute of Strategic Enrollment Management (GISEM) has served the needs of aspiring and new-to-the-profession enrollment managers. Participants are awarded the distinction of achieving status as a Registered Enrollment Professional (REP) after participation in two pre-annual conference GISEM institutes and completion of a variety of field experiences. To date, 85 members of GACRAO have achieved the status of Registered Enrollment Professional through GISEM participation.
2018 also marked the inception of a new, complementary pre-annual conference experience, the GACRAO Enrollment Managers workshop (GEM). The GACRAO Executive Board, desiring to provide low-cost professional development opportunities for senior enrollment managers across the state, enlisted a group comprised largely of GACRAO past-presidents to design and implement the GEM workshop. The GEM track provided in depth data -oriented sessions relevant to the complex challenges faced by today’s enrollment managers. Together, the new GEM track and the GISEM track marked the inception of GA SEM, featuring speakers such as Georgia State University’s Tim Renick, University of South Carolina’s Scott Verzyl, AACRAO’s own Executive Director, Mike Reilly, and other enrollment thought leaders. Concurrent sessions occurred within the GISEM and GEM tracks, complemented by several joint sessions and a networking reception for all GA SEM participants. Additional sessions covered retention, branding, strategic use of financial aid, and the evolving intersection of enrollment management and data science.
Over 30 aspiring and established enrollment managers from Georgia’s public, private, and technical higher education institutions participated in the initial year of GA SEM. Registration cost for GA SEM was only $75 when also registered for the GACRAO annual conference. Through initial and future support for GA SEM, comprised of the GISEM track for aspiring enrollment managers and the GEM track for established enrollment managers, GACRAO actively seeks to support the present and the future of our profession.
After living and teaching in China for five years, Amanda began working in US higher education as a credentials and processing specialist at Pepperdine University and later Baylor University. She enjoys the complexity and ability to problem solve that evaluating foreign credentials involves. Amanda is passionate about always seeking to improve international student’s application and admission processes. She is currently the Assistant Director of International Graduate Admissions at Indiana University – Purdue University (IUPUI) and is serving as a fellow on AACRAO’s International Education Standards Council.
Erin currently serves as the Associate Director for the Center for Global Engagement at Florida Atlantic University. In this role, she manages foreign credential evaluations and supports current international sponsored students. Formerly, Erin was the Director of International Services at Lynn University and previously served as an International Student Advisor at Colorado State University and the University of Denver. She has more than 10 years of experience in international higher education. Prior to joining the field, she earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Ohio University and served as a U.S. Peace Corps teacher volunteer in Namibia. She then taught high school mathematics in Hawaii for 2 years before returning to Ohio University to complete a M.Ed. in College Student Personnel.
Emily received her Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and her Master of Philosophy, also in Classics, from Cambridge University. Emily currently serves as Senior Director of Knowledge Management at the Global Health Workforce Development Institute, a division of CGFNS International. Active in the field of international comparative education for over 20 years, Emily has presented at many conferences at the regional, national and international level, such as those held by American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), the Groningen Declaration Network, and NAFSA – the Association of International Educators.Emily has also contributed to numerous publications, which include IERF’s Country Index series and AACRAO’s 2021 Guide to Bogus Institutions and Documents. She currently serves on AACRAO’s International Education Standards Council (IESC). In 2008, she was a recipient of the Pioneer Research Grant for her comparative study on credentials evaluation in four countries. In 2019, she was named by NAFSA as the recipient for the Annual Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Enrollment Management.
Bill is one of the founders of EDGE and assisted in the design of the original architecture and software. He has been Vice President of International Education for AACRAO, served on the NAFSA Board, TOEFL Board and the National Council on the Evaluation of Foreign Credentials and retired from the University of Texas where he as an Assistant Dean and directed the Graduate and International Admissions Office.
Jennifer is Assistant Director of Admissions in the District Admissions and Records Office at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas. Prior to her current position, she worked in the Admissions Office at Texas A&M University-Kingsville in Kingsville, Texas, the Graduate Admissions Office at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho and in the International Admissions Office at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Jennifer has been working in the field of international admissions and credential evaluation for more than 25 years. She has been a member of AACRAO since 1995. As an AACRAO member, she has served as a member of the International Publications Advisory Committee since 2004, chairing that Committee from 2011-2016, and she served as a member of the International Admission Committee. In March 2016, Jennifer was selected to be a member of the AACRAO International Evaluation Standards Council (IESC). She was elected to the Board of Directors as VP for International Education for a three-year term starting in March 2018.
Jennifer is the author of the “Belgium” and “Canada: New Brunswick” profiles for AACRAO EDGE. She provided the “Resource Organizations, Agencies, and Institutions” and “Publications and Other Useful Resources” appendices for the 2001 edition of The AACRAO International Guide, and was a co-author on Chapter Twenty-Two: The Art of Credential Evaluation in the 2016 edition of The AACRAO International Guide for which she was also asked to provide the Introduction.
Jennifer served on the NCAA International Student Record Committee 2009-2018, serving as Chair of that committee from 2015-2018. She was a member of NAFSA from 1995-2007 and has previously served on both the Physician Assistant Professional Standards Committee and the Credentials Committee for the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing (now known simply as CGFNS). She holds a bachelor’s in Anthropology from the University of North Texas and a master’s in Anthropology from the University of Idaho.