Maria Medrano, Ph.D., is the Director of Special Projects at the UTSA Graduate School where she collaborates with campus partners seeking training grants from various federal funding agencies. She also conducts research to develop evidence-based programming for graduate students, especially as it relates to wellbeing. Dr. Medrano obtained her Ph.D. in psychology from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She has been assisting prospective students from diverse backgrounds in starting their graduate education journey in her role at the Graduate School since August 2015, with a major focus on equitable access to graduate education for underrepresented minority students. Her research focuses on first-generation graduate students and their transition from undergraduate programs from a socio-cultural perspective as well as mental health.Keep Running with Us: An Innovative Program at a Hispanic-Serving Institution Designed to Increase Graduate Enrollment of Hispanic/Latinx Students
Josie is the Assistant Registrar for transfer credit articulation at the University of Notre Dame. As a teaching defector, Josie "fell into" higher education and started out in the program of General Studies at (formerly) Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, a program that received a high number of returning students, adult students, transfers. Through her start in General Studies she found her niche in transfer articulation and has continued to move up, working specifically in transfer credit creating efficient processes to make students' transitions easier. As a registrar employee, Josie conscientiously advises and makes decisions knowing there are people behind the external college credits she sees in her work and strives to put those students' best interests first.
Catharine Punchello is a Vice Provost and University Registrar at Thomas Edison State University and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Elvia Bow is a Assistant Director Registrar Office at Pima Community College and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Amy Gleason is a Assistant Registrar at Duke University and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Bryant Faust is an Associate Dean and Registrar at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Audra McQuarie is a Vice President, Registrar at University of Phoenix and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Nicholas Tonozzi is an Associate University Registrar at Northwestern University and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Kenneth Drake is a Associate Registrar at New York University and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Blake Bedsole is a Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management at Troy University and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Ryan Hunt is a University Registrar at The Ohio State University and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate.
Michelle Gruber is the Associate Registrar at Butler University and was a 2024 ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Congressional Hill Day Advocate. Gruber currently serves as the President of Indiana-ACRAO. With over 18 years of experience in higher education, she has developed a deep passion for the intricacies of the Registrar's Office and the power of data and databases in supporting institutional success. Throughout her career, she has been committed to improving operational efficiency and enhancing student experiences through data-driven solutions. Outside of her professional work, she is an avid artist, creating both paintings and drawings, and enjoys reading mystery novels, particularly whodunits. Gruber is also a proud mother to one daughter, Abbie, and two sassy cats, Pants and Marmalade.
With over 25 years of work experience in higher education, I am a passionate and dedicated leader who strives to make a positive impact on students, faculty, and staff. My core competencies include strategic enrollment management, adult education, staff development, and academic administration. As an adjunct faculty and advisory board member, I currently leverage my expertise and skills to support the doctoral program in higher education at Fairleigh Dickinson University and the reenrollment services at myFootpath.Previously, I served as the Executive Vice President of Education at Helms College until October 2023, where I led the institution wholly. Additionally, I have published journal articles and book chapters on enrollment management and higher education leadership and have made nearly 100 presentations at regional and national conferences. I have been an ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ member since 2002, and served on the ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ Board as the Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Management from 2014 -2017.
Interview with Don Hossler
Aaron Oberman, Ph.D., is an associate professor of counselor education at The Citadel and serves as the program coordinator for school counseling programs. His scholarly interests include the ASCA National Model and best practices in teaching and training school counseling students.
Examining College Admissions Counseling Curricula within School Counselor Preparation Programs
Kara Hadley-Shakya serves as the Associate Vice President for University Admissions at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), commencing her role in January 2024. Prior to that, she served as the Executive Director of Recruitment and Admissions at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Hadley-Shakya is a SEM practitioner who brings more than fifteen years of experience in higher education. Her experience in admissions positively impacts students from diverse backgrounds and helps them attain their academic and personal goals in a supportive and inclusive environment. She is a member of ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ and presented at the 108th Annual Meeting. She earned her B.S. and M.S. from St. Cloud State University.
The First Two Years of College: Predicting Academic Success and Promoting Four-Year Completion
Rebecca Weston, Ph.D., is Associate Dean in The Graduate School and Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). She received her Ph.D. in experimental psychology at the University of North Texas, with specializations in interpersonal relationships and quantitative methods. She has conducted research on relationships and partner violence for more than 20 years. Her more recent research on graduate student success is an outgrowth of her service as inaugural director of the Ph.D. program in psychology at UTSA. After seeing firsthand what factors facilitate and impede students’ successful degree completion and career placement, she was excited to have the opportunity to directly impact graduate students’ success in her role at The Graduate School working with a dedicated and passionate group on implementing and evaluating initiatives such as Keep Running with Us, the annual Graduate Student Well-Being Survey, and the Transdisciplinary Teams Grand Challenge.
Keep Running with Us: An Innovative Program at a Hispanic-Serving Institution Designed to Increase Graduate Enrollment of Hispanic/Latinx Students
Meng Ni, Ph.D.,is a strategic enrollment management data specialist and functional analyst at University of Houston-Clear lake (UHCL). Her career in higher education began in 2017 as a faculty member and student advisor. At UHCL, she develops data-driven enrollment strategies and provides input and recommendations to the SEM team for goal setting and long-term planning. She is a member of ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ and presented at the 108th Annual Meeting. Dr. Meng Ni earned her B.S. from Sun Yet-sen University, China, and her Ph.D. from University of Miami.
Jeffrey Ragsdale, Ed.D., is the Assistant Vice Provost of Graduate Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). He and his team lead student success initiatives involving DegreeWorks, Annual Review and IDP and the Bold Doctoral Staged Orientation series. Together these three initiatives were developed to remove barriers and demystify processes to degree completion. Prior to this position, he served as assistant dean of the UTSA Graduate School where he led the enrollment and recruitment strategies where, as part of the leadership team, the Keep Running with Us program was created. He is a three-time alum of the University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in humanities, master’s in educational leadership and policy studies with a concentration in higher education administration, and received his Ed.D. in educational leadership with a concentration in higher education.
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