Higher Ed Pulse

Adam Metcalf

Adam is the Co-Founder of ZeeMee, a private social community for colleges. He lives in Wyoming with his wife and three kids. He is passionate about faith, education and culture.

Adam Poluzzi

Dr. Adam Poluzzi is the Assistant Vice Provost for Graduate Enrollment Management at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He has twenty years of experience in graduate admissions, marketing, recruitment, and financial aid. He has previously served as the Associate Dean of Enrollment Management at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry and the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at the Boston College Lynch School of Education. Adam holds three degrees from Boston College, including a Ph.D. in higher education with a focus on graduate enrollment, school culture, and communications, as well as an executive certificate in strategic digital marketing from Yale. His most recent publication, "Communicating Culture through Admissions," discusses how schools can best engage with prospective students, especially in a time of increasing virtual interaction.

Adanna Smith

Alex Stepien

Alex Stepien is the CEO of Cappex, a company that connects students and colleges by allowing colleges and universities to build their brands, connect with prospective students, generate qualified inquiries, and meet their enrollment goals. He graduated with a BS in Economics from the University of Michigan. Alex first started at Cappex as an Account Executive in 2008 and since moved up the ranks where he has served as Cappex's CEO for the last 3.5 years.

Allison Lanier

Allison’s interest in sales began in her teens while working in retail.

Alyssa Green

As a higher education photographer, Alyssa Green is the visual storyteller for the University of Montevallo.

Amber Molhagen

Amber Molhagen is the Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs for the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work. There are approximately 350 students enrolled in the MSW program with an additional 40 students in the PhD program. Students come from all walks of life, numerous states, and a number of international countries, reflecting the broad racial and ethnic diversity of our greater community.

Amrit Ahluwalia

Amrit Ahluwalia is the Editor in Chief of The EvoLLLution, the online newspaper developed by Modern Campus to create a conversation hub focused on non-traditional higher education and the transforming postsecondary marketplace. Ahluwalia was part of the team that conceived of and launched The EvoLLLution. The EvoLLLution, which launched in January 2012, serves over 2000 contributors and attracts approximately 60,000 monthly visitors. The site publishes articles and interviews by some of the industry’s leading thinkers at every level -- from presidents and provosts to deans and directors to educators and students to employers and government officials and everyone in-between -- from across the United States and around the world. Ahluwalia works personally with every contributor at The EvoLLLution to produce the content that has supported the site’s rise to becoming the top resource for non-traditional higher education. He regularly speaks on topics related to the changing higher education environment at conferences across Canada and the United States, and advises college and university leaders to help frame the strategic visions for their institutions. Ahluwalia earned his BA (Honors) in Political Studies from Queen’s University and his MA in International Politics from McMaster University. He lives in London, Ontario.

Amy Glynn

Amy Glynn is CampusLogic's VP of Student Financial Success. She serves as a higher education advocate focused on eliminating the financial barriers that delay and derail college enrollment and completion. Amy is focused on helping colleges and universities deliver student financial success through automation, advising and analytics. Dedicated to improving staff efficiency and the student experience, Amy has spent her entire career optimizing the financial aid process while ensuring institutions maintain compliance with Federal Title IV regulations. A nationally renowned and sought-after speaker, Amy champions ideas that can help turn the tide for millions of students who drop out of higher education every year for reasons related to finances. Amy holds a BA in English Secondary Education from the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY and a Master of Science in Higher Education from Walden University.

Andy Shearouse

Andy Shearouse is the assistant director of Augustana College's entrepreneurial center (better known as EDGE).

Angela Brown

Since 2014, I've been the director of marketing and communications at Flint Hill School, a JK-12, co-ed day school just outside of Washington, DC. Before that, I spent 10 years focusing on B2B marketing communications for AmLaw 100 firms, IT consulting and digital marketing agencies and a leading commercial real estate information and analytics company. In my time at Flint Hill, I've become extremely passionate about equity and inclusion and innovation in education. I could go on for a while about both.

Anna Johnson

Anna Johnson is a College Recruitment Manager for the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work. There are approximately 350 students enrolled in the MSW program with an additional 40 students in the PhD program. Students come from all walks of life, numerous states, and a number of international countries, reflecting the broad racial and ethnic diversity of our greater community.

Anthony Machcinski

Anthony Machcinski is the Assistant Director of Marketing Communications of Manor College.

Anthony Robinson

Anthony has worked at various agencies over the years focused on growing businesses, building teams, and helping create impactful brand experiences.

Ashley Budd

Ashley is a senior marketing director at Cornell University.

Ashley Rodgers Berner

Ashton Brown

Ashton Brown is the Assistant Director of Admissions at Texas Woman’s University. Ashton wears many hats at TWU, and a few of her responsibilities include: visiting with prospective students at the various stages of the graduate search cycle, planning and executing marketing and recruitment events, and traveling year-round across the state of Texas to find the best prospects for TWU’s programs.

Auryan Ratliff

Auryan Ratliff is the Director of Creative & Emerging Technologies at EdPlus at Arizona State University and is currently leading a team responsible for building out the new Immersive Technology Initiative for EdPlus. Auryan and his team focus on designing solutions and enhancing the ASU technology stack for a variety of user experience challenges refining how users engage with higher education.

Ben Bilow

Ben Bilow leads the creative and user experience design practice at mStoner. He collaborates with clients to establish clear goals for success and works diligently to achieve positive experiences for prospective students on the web. Ben is a staunch advocate of user-centered designs, collaboration across disciplines, and the marriage of strategy and user experience. Previously, he worked in Columbia College Chicago's award-winning creative services office, in which he designed for print, web, and environments. While at mStoner, Ben has presented on "Visual Design for Digital Stories" and "Photography for Art Directors" at UCDA and on "Digital Storytelling" at WebCon, hosted by University of Illinois.

Beth Carron

Beth Carron is the Director of Higher Education Services and a partner at iFactory.

Bill Faust

Bill Faust, Senior Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Ologie, works with purpose-driven clients like universities, hospitals, and cultural organizations to tell an authentic story and find their true voice. Bill has had a lifelong passion for aligning an organization's brand experience with its mission, vision and values by leveraging the power of research, strategy and creative expression, including design, messaging and story development.

Bob Rafferty

Bob Rafferty is the Executive Vice President & Partner at SimpsonScarborough.

Brandon Busteed

Brandon Busteed is the President of Kaplan University Partners and was formally a Partner at Gallup and Executive Director of Education and Workforce Development. His career spans a wide range of important work in education as an educational entrepreneur, speaker, writer and university trustee. An internationally known speaker and author on education policy, Brandon has frequently written for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Trusteeship Magazine, The Huffington Post, Fast Company and other publications. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and USA Today and on NPR and the NBC News “TODAY” show, among others.

Brandon Etheredge

Brandon Etheredge is the Director of Digital Content Strategy for the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University.

Brett DiMarzo

Brett DiMarzo has been in the field of higher education for over 18 years and is currently the Director of Graduate Enrollment Digital Strategy at Boston College. After graduating from his bachelor’s degree program at Stetson University, he initially spent time as part of the management team within the Walt Disney Consumer Products division, enhancing his customer service and leadership skills. Returning to the field of higher education in 2003, he began his professional career in Financial Aid at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, later moving to the Office of Admission as the Assistant Director of Admission. He also spent several years as Associate Director of Graduate Admission at Suffolk University and led the recruitment and admission efforts as Director of Graduate Admission for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Simmons University prior to coming to BC. He received his Master of Education degree in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University in 2011, has served in several positions in the New England chapter of NAGAP, has presented at both national and regional NAGAP conferences, and currently sits on the NAGAP Leadership Cultivation and Elections Committee and the Education Committee.

Brian Kennedy

Brian began his career as an admission counselor in 2007.

Bryson Purcell

Bryson Purcell is an enrollment management professional focusing on digital marketing and consumer engagement and the co-founder of Success U, an independent college coaching service for high school students and their families. In his professional role as the Assistant Director of Admissions, he is responsible for the recruitment, outreach, and yield of students at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. Bryson holds a bachelor's degree in Information Technology Management as well as a Master's of Education from Bloomsburg University of PA.

Caroline Khalili

Caroline Khalili is the VP of Creative Services at Archer Education — an education technology company that helps colleges and universities recruit, enroll, and retain students.

Carrie Barnett

As SimpsonScarborough’s content marketer, Carrie helps advance the agency by amplifying industry research, thought leadership, and client work in their digital communication channels. Carrie graduated from California Lutheran University with a B.A. in Political Science and a Master of Public Policy and Administration. Her previous employers range from the National Archives to 20th Century Fox Films to a ballet company. Most recently, she was Director of Advancement Marketing & Digital Philanthropy at her alma mater, where she built comprehensive advancement marketing plans and introduced innovative digital philanthropy practices to the community. Carrie is most proud of her management of Cal Lutheran's 2020 Giving Day, which brought the community together, tripled donations, and won a CASE Award of Excellence. A military brat growing up, Carrie now calls Thousand Oaks, CA, home with her husband, son, and three cats. When she's not working, you can find her cooking up a storm, hiking, cohosting her own podcast, I Don't Want to See That with Carrie and Kevin, or at the movies with her unlimited movie pass.

Charles Whitaker

Charles Whitaker is dean and professor at Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. Whitaker, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Medill, is the first alumnus of the school to serve as dean. Before joining the Medill faculty, Whitaker was a senior editor at Ebony magazine, where he covered a wide range of cultural, social, and political issues and events on four continents, including two U.S. presidential campaigns, and the installation of the first black members of the British Parliament.

Chris Edwards

Chris Heubner

Chris Heubner is a digital strategist at Cyberwoven, which is a website strategy, design, and development agency located in Columbia, South Carolina. Chris has always had a passion for journalism and advertising. Before joining the Cyberwoven team, Chris spent over four years working in marketing at the University of South Carolina — where he remains an adjunct faculty member to this day!

Chris Parrish

Chris Parrish is Podium Education's President of University Partnerships. He is a perennial optimist and enjoys building teams, products and partnerships that thrive in challenging environments. After jobs in investment banking and consulting, Chris began his career in higher education a decade ago by helping institutions like UC Berkeley, Rice, and Pepperdine launch degrees in emerging technology areas like data analytics. He has worked with dozens of colleges and universities to design and launch unique programming that both drives enrollment and increases student ROI.

Christian Ponce

Christian Ponce is an award-winning marketing leader, currently serving as the Associate Vice President for Marketing at Old Dominion University.

Christina Inge

Christina has been in digital infrastructure and outreach for over 18 years

Clay Hensley

With more than two decades of experience supporting the global engagement of higher education institutions, Clay Hensley frequently presents on issues impacting international education & student mobility. Clay has served on several advisory boards, including those affiliated with U.S. Department of State’s Open Doors Report, the IC3 Movement, International Education Advantage (Intead), & the Council of International Schools (CIS), respectively. Clay currently works with several partners, including NACAC, IB, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Cialfo, Northeastern University, among others. Clay previously led international higher education engagement for the College Board, and was awarded the annual Distinguished Service Award by International-ACAC in 2013. Clay has also taught at the secondary and the tertiary-level.

Clayton Dean

Clayton Dean is currently the Senior Vice President at Archer Education. Prior to his time at Archer, Clayton was the co-founder and chief operating officer at Circa Interactive, a higher education consulting agency based out of San Diego, CA, as well as the Co-founder of Circa Health, a Colorado-based Mental Wellness Platform designed for students. After chasing his dream of working in professional sports (NBA, MLB, Speedo) in the two years after college, Clayton found his true passion: higher education. Over the last twelve years, Clayton has partnered with dozens of top institutions to plan, develop and deploy high-quality online graduate programs, including Harvard University, Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Colorado, University of Southern California, Duquesne University, and more. Clayton was a four-year member of the Men's swimming program at Duquesne, serving as captain his senior year, and holds two bachelor's degrees in business administration and sports marketing (2007). Connect with Clayton on social media. Twitter: @claytdean LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytondean14/

Cornelia Anderson

Cornelia Anderson has a passion for higher education, and her main career goal is to promote innovation in technology for schools, colleges, and universities. Over the past two decades, Cornelia has worked with educational institutions in various roles assisting with the development, integration, and management of student information systems and products. For the past 6 years, as co-founder of Verity IQ, Cornelia’s focus has been on building software solutions to help schools streamline the way they communicate with prospective, current, and former students to ensure the best possible experience.

Cynthia Chilton

Cynthia Chilton is an experienced marketing professional with over 20 years of experience in developing teams and executing strategies that drive revenue growth. She has consulted for and led teams representing organizations such as Nordstrom, Experian, Pepperdine University, and Westcliff University. Her passion for leadership, vision, and strategy provides a competitive and proactive advantage for companies and institutions. Cynthia has earned a bachelor's degree and an MBA from Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business, focusing on Leadership and Managing Organizational Change.

Dan Giroux

Dan Giroux has tackled complex challenges for Fortune 100 companies, elite universities, and small businesses alike

Dan Sanchez

Dan Sanchez is obsessed with teaching marketers how to build an audience. He's also the current Inbound Marketing Director for Element451, a children's book author, blogger, and podcaster that you can find on danchez.com.

Daniel Bonner

Dan is the resident Video Guru for Enrollify and brings the creative perspective to the marketing table. When he’s not locked in his room hunched over an edit or sweating his a$$ off shooting Zach and Shane’s latest crazy idea for a video, you can usually find him taking a nice long nap, finding the next best cocktail DC has to offer, or trying to keep his plants alive.

Danielle Bell

Danielle Robinson Bell is an assistant professor and director of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Professional master's program. Bell's area of expertise is strategic communications and its impact on business outcomes for organizations, brands and executives. She specializes in work that advances efforts related to culture, equity, inclusion, women, and BIPOC in the workplace. Bell spent more than 15 years on the agency side of advertising and branding creating integrated marketing campaigns for some of the world's most recognized brands. Prior to joining Medill, she served as a trusted adviser to business leaders on matters related to crisis communications, reputation management, public relations and inclusive communications. She earned her bachelor of science in journalism from Northwestern University Medill School, and here MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Managament.

Danielle Richter

Danielle is the Director of Marketing & Recruiting, Center for Graduate & Professional Studies at Midland University. At the University, she works with the adult population of students (across 12 programs) that don't fall into the traditional undergraduate or transfer student buckets. Danielle has a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry with skills in Event Planning, Marketing Strategy, Customer Service, Sales, Recruitment, and Admissions.

Derek Faasse

Derek Faasse is currently the Director of Undergraduate Admission at Capital University.

Desirée Anderson

Alejandra “Ale” Sosa Pieroni

Dr. Alejandra Sosa Pieroni is a higher education professional with nineteen years of experience in enrollment management.

Dr. Blake Bedsole

Dr. Chris Domes

Dr. Chris Domes is the president of Neumann University, which is a Catholic university founded in the Franciscan tradition located in Aston, Pennsylvania. Dr. Domes has an impressive record of accomplishment that spans 31 years in higher education. He has led initiatives in strategic planning, fundraising, academic program expansion, enrollment management, community relations, technology access, and campus growth.

Dr. Chris Lewis

Christopher A. Lewis, Ed.D serves as the Director of Graduate Programs at the University of Michigan - Flint. He is also the host of the Victors in Grad School podcast, amongst a number of other podcasts, including SA Voices from the Field and Dads with Daughters. Christopher is the President of the Rotary Club of Williamston Michigan and is the Treasurer of the Williamston Community Schools Board of Education and was honored recently as a Pillar of the Profession from the NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Foundation. He also co-founded an international organization called Fathering Together which supports fathers in being engaged members of their children’s lives.

Dr. Colby Jubenville

Colby B. Jubenville, PhD is an accomplished international speaker, author, educator and coach. Currently the Director of Middle Tennessee State University’s CBHS Center for Student Coaching and Success, he is a member of the Honors College faculty and holds an academic appointment as Special Assistant to the Dean for Student Success and Strategic Partnerships in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences. During his tenure in higher education, Dr. Jubenville has published over 40 peer-reviewed and professional trade articles. He is certified in Harrison Assessments and routinely conducts 360 reviews for corporate clients and mid/large scale companies throughout the United States. His insights have been published in the Washington Times, Nashville Business Journal, The Tennessean, The Nashville Post, Canvas Magazine, and AthleticBusiness.com. Colby is also a Cylient Coaching in the Moment Certified Coach.

Dr. Dustin York

Dustin York, EdD, teaches as an associate professor of the graduate and undergraduate communications programs at Maryville University. His PR experience spans the agency, corporate, and political realms; York has worked for major clients including Nike, PepsiCo., and Scottrade Financial Services and as the public relations consultant on a 2008 political campaign.

Dr. Edward Herrelko III

I am fortunate to have built a career doing what I love– helping students to achieve their educational goals and helping institutions grow via marketing, enrollment management, online program management, business process improvements, and strategic partnerships with the right companies. My focus on building strong teams and leading from the front allows me to play a role in architecting solutions to important problems within the higher education industry as a whole. Ultimately, I believe that education has room for more innovation (especially through technology), better student experience (SX), increased diversity, and greater accessibility...online or in person!

Dr. Frederick Pereira

Dr. Frederick A Pereira is a faculty member and part of the recruitment team at Baylor College of Medicine. He has conducted significant research in the field of hearing and hearing loss, using genomics to better understand the mammalian hearing organ. At Baylor College of Medicine, he has been assisting in student recruitment for several programs for 12+ years, gaining experience on the road at student recruitment events. Dr. Pereira emphasizes finding the "right-fit" program for prospective students. He ensures that students' academic and professional interests are rooted in medical research in order to create optimal outcomes for the school and students.

Dr. Matthew Gann

Dr. Ximena Paez-Colasante

Dr. Ximena Paez-Colasante is a coordinator fo the Interdisciplinary Pd.D. Program in Genetics at Texas A&M University. She is an experienced Postdoctoral Fellow and has a well demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry.

Dror Liebenthal

Dror immigrated to the US and was the first in his family to navigate the US education system, with scholarships opening critical educational doors along the way. As the CEO of Bold.org, Dror focuses on scaling product, growth, and operations towards our mission of fighting student debt. Dror also leads our philanthropic efforts and relationships with donors as President of the Bold Foundation. Prior to co-founding Bold.org, Dror was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Mechanism Ventures and the VP of Operations at a high-growth talent network, leading globally distributed teams across a wide range of domains. Dror graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Princeton University, with additional focuses in Computer Science and Moral Philosophy.

Elias Martinez

Brand marketing leader at Texas State University, a First Generation and Hispanic Serving Institution. In 2022 my team at Texas State was named the AMA’s “Higher Education Marketing Team of the Year.” In 2016 my team at Colorado State University was named the University & College Designers Association’s “Best In-House Team.” Client experience: General Mills, Cheerios Brands, Google, Nike, Betty Crocker, Reese’s Puffs, Nordstrom, Wheaties, KiX, Churchill Downs, Gerber Childrenswear. Work featured in: The Anthem Awards, Communication Arts, Print Magazine, ESPN, Good Morning America, The Huffington Post, Deadspin, The Dieline, The Guardian, The Bleacher Report, Esquire, Death and Taxes, and the front page of Reddit.

Elizabeth Johnson

Elizabeth founded SimpsonScarborough in 2006 with the vision of creating a higher ed marketing agency that puts research at the center of marketing strategies. Over the last 30 years, Elizabeth has helped more than 300 institutions research, develop, and implement plans to increase visibility, strengthen enrollment, raise money, and advance higher ed brands —from flagship universities and Ivy League institutions to small liberal arts colleges and regional state schools. She is a staunch advocate for the role of CMO within higher ed and the need to integrate marketing across the enterprise for colleges and universities to thrive despite the many challenges facing the industry. Elizabeth is a trusted resource within the higher education marketing community, having presented more than 200 workshops and papers at a veritable alphabet soup of higher education-related conferences and symposia, and chairing the American Marketing Association's Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education from 2007-2011. Her work is fueled by an enduring belief that higher ed changes the world, and that US colleges and universities play an essential role in solving the world's most pressing problems —like curing cancer, alleviating poverty, and ending systemic racism. Elizabeth is a proud alumnus of James Madison University where she earned her B.S. in Mathematics and Fordham University where she earned her M.B.A. with a concentration in Marketing.

Emily Evans

Emily is the Assistant Director of New Media, Enrollment Division at University of Notre Dame. She's a dynamic storyteller with a passion for communicating information in a compelling and influential way. Leveraging her background as new anchor and journalist, Emily aims to inspire deeper thought and action by persuasively delivering a message to a target audience.

Emma Cavanagh

Eric Stoller

Eric Stoller is the former Vice President of Product Strategy at Element451—an advanced student engagement CRM available, providing higher ed institutions with a competitive admissions advantage from recruitment to enrollment. You may know Eric from his articles on Inside Higher Ed, speaking engagements, or consulting work around digital engagement. He’s always loved doing marketing and public relations but never wanted to work for an agency. However, Eric’s experiences in student development services at the University of Illinois Chicago and enrollment management + academic advising at Oregon State University cemented his interest in the intersection of technology, student success, and digital engagement. Eric has an associate degree from Indian Hills Community College, a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Northern Iowa, a master’s degree in higher education administration from Oregon State University, and an honorary doctorate in coffee drinking.

Erin Fields

Erin Fields is a seasoned higher education professional with over five years of expertise in Admissions, Marketing, and Recruitment at the graduate level.

Erin Stine

Erin Stine is an Account Executive at CampusESP, a parent communication engagement and communication solution for universities. Erin spent over 10 years working in The New School in New York City, and her previous roles include serving as the AVP of Enrollment and Director of Admission for Parsons School of Design. Prior to coming to The New School in 2009, Erin taught digital design in Florida, directed the photography program at the School of Cinema and Performing Arts in London and assisted in launching one of the country's first university-sponsored student artwork stores in Chicago. Erin holds a BFA in Photographic Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology and an MA in Media Studies from The New School.

Faton Sopa

Faton Sopa is the Co-Founder and CEO of Manaferra.

Gerald Stanley

Gerald is the President and CEO of Inroads Analytics. He has spent the past 20 years in SaaS development and deployment according to client specifications. As the lead developer for the inSuite Educate predictive analytics platform, Gerald is the central figure for making data science accessible and actionable for your enrollment teams.

Gil Rogers

Gil is the Founder of GR7 Marketing — a B2B Marketing for Education Innovators consultancy and service provider. Gil's entire career has been drawn to cutting-edge technologies and how they may support student success; from recruitment and marketing to retention and persistence (and beyond!). He started GR7 Marketing to help amazing entrepreneurs and business leaders, with services and software that he believes in, better tell their story to the educational institutions they seek to serve.

Ginger Dickens

Ginger Dickens is an academic advisor for graduate programs in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. 90% of the graduate students enrolled in Computer Science & Engineering graduate programs at UT Arlington are international students.

Guillaume Delloue

Guillaume is a senior consultant at HubSpot who specializes in helping agency partners effectively serve their clients. Guillaume oversees all of the higher education institutions that the DD team (the people behind Enrollify) serves, and recently spoke at the NAGAP Conference in Toronto on how grad schools are using HubSpot to attract, engage, and delight students to their programs.

Hannah Fuchigami

Hannah Fuchigami is the Marketing Manager for North America at Squiz. She is a higher education nerd and marketing professional that has worn just about every hat in the book: from digital, to content creator, to event planner. Hannah has worked for Squiz going on 3 years, and in that time, she's become a self-proclaimed branding enthusiast and will get fired up about pretty site search implementations that really work. She's a graduate of Azusa Pacific University and will give you her Gen-Z meets millennial opinion on your website any day of the week.

Harrison "Soup" Cambell

Harrison "Soup" Campbell is a former university dean of admissions that now serves the higher ed. tech. world as Director of Product and Marketing at ZeeMee. He's been leveraging social media to engage prospective students since Myspace was a thing. Soup is known as a one-of-a-kind social chameleon who can instantly connect and relate with anyone and everyone he meets. He brings a passion and exuberance for education and students that you have to experience firsthand to fully understand. Soup's credo: "While most spend all their time trying to figure out ways to move the needle, I decided years ago that it made more sense to be the needle!"

Heather Daniels

Heather Daniels is the Executive Director of Admissions at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Howard Purcell

Howard Purcell, OD ‘84, FAAO was named the 13th president of New England College of Optometry in July of 2018. Dr. Purcell brings to the position a wealth of experience in private practice, academia, and the optometric industry. He is well versed in evolving trends and technologies in healthcare and optometry in particular and brings this expertise to the presidency. Prior to his appointment as President, Dr. Purcell served as the Senior Vice President, Customer Development for Essilor of America. He was part of the Essilor team for 10 years. Prior to joining Essilor he spent 13 years as Senior Director of Professional Affairs for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. Dr. Purcell is a graduate of NECO, Class of 1984, and has long been involved in the school through presenting continuing education, supporting student development, and serving on the Board of Trustees. Dr. Purcell began his optometric career by participating in a group optometric practice for eleven years with his father, NECO alumnus Saul Purcell, OD ’54, in Miami Beach, FL. Beginning in June 1991, Dr. Purcell joined the faculty of Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry. During his career at the college, he was a principal in the development of the Department of Cornea and Contact Lenses. As Associate Professor, Dr. Purcell was responsible for both the didactic and clinical components of the program. He later reached the rank of Deputy Dean of the college. Dr. Purcell is a Diplomate in the Cornea and Contact Lens Section of the American Academy of Optometry. His energetic and enthusiastic style has made Dr. Purcell a popular lecturer internationally. Dr. Purcell’s unique philosophies and practices have often attracted the media to focus attention on current optometric issues and research in the industry.

Ian Evenstar

Ian Evenstar is not only one of the most experienced brand consultants and creative directors in California, he is also the founder and CEO of the UNINCORPORATED agency. He serves as the agency's creative strategic director, where he implements his extensive experience in branding, marketing, and design. Ian has over two decades of experience helping business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams grow their brands, launch products and services, and increase the company’s profitability. He is a seasoned director who has led the development of global brand initiatives, national advertising campaigns, and international marketing strategies.

Ian Mortimer

Dr. Ian Mortimer is the founding president of the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship. Launched in the fall of 2024, the Golisano Institute provides an entrepreneurially-grounded business education, within a two-year timeframe, that culminates in high-skills business employment, new business development, coaching, and joint degree options with schools such as Syracuse University. The Institute is financially supported by the generosity of B. Thomas Golisano, Entrepreneur and Founder of Paychex, which ensures that all motivated students can access a high-quality business education. Prior to initiating the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, Ian held senior-level enrollment and planning leadership positions at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Nazareth College, and Champlain College. In each of these experiences, improved market position and enrollment growth was achieved. In addition, early career experiences include technology consulting, product development, and professional services management at small start-ups and large technology firms. While at St. Bonaventure University, Ian earned a B.A. in English and a M.S.Ed. in Counseling Psychology and learned college admissions work. In addition, Ian holds an MBA from the Saunders College of Business at RIT and a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from LeBow College of Business at Drexel University.

Jamie Gleason

Jamie Gleason is the Vice President Of Enrollment Strategy at Direct Development. He brings over 15 years of higher education experience to the team; almost a decade of which was spent on campus(es) and nearly six years was in edtech. A self-proclaimed "farmer + fixer," Enrollment has always provided the perfect challenge for him! He's happiest when mining through spreadsheets, results, and (generally) any type of data!

Janice Cheng-McConnell

Janice Cheng-McConnell grew up in Taipei, Taiwan and earned her bachelor's in creative writing and Master of Public Administration at Binghamton University. As the Assistant Director of Graduate Enrollment Communications at Syracuse University's Maxwell School, Janice strategizes multimedia content and student journeys. Her other projects include serving as the vice chair for the 2022 HighEdWeb Annual Conference and as a facilitator for Dr. Josie Ahlquist's Renew virtual retreat series. Janice spends most of her free time playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Jaunelle White

Jaunelle White is the Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Chief Student Development Officer at Point University.

Jeff Dillon

Jeff Dillon is a senior consultant at Squiz - a technology company that is revolutionizing the way higher ed builds digital experiences for its constituents. With over 21 years of higher ed experiences working on the tech side, Jeff is a proven leader in managing dynamic and complex IT organizations, and driving business transformation. He is continually striving to use agile principles to enhance project and business processes and has a passion for leveraging teams of developers to optimize User Experience with the core principles of Universal Design and Accessibility. Jeff is a frequent speaker and presenter at Higher Education technology conferences and welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with other schools to improve the quality and speed to deliver student centered services.

Jeff Green

Jeff Green is a Recruiting Coordinator at Texas A&M University School of Law. He has a plethora of experience in higher education, particularly in admissions and enrollment management, and a demonstrated history of working with students from different personal and academic backgrounds.

Jessica Cox

I’m a Graduate Admissions Counselor for the School of Education at Manhattanville College. I’ve been working in higher education for almost 5 years, starting in the Graduate Advising office and eventually moving to Admissions after receiving my Master’s in Marketing and Communications Management in 2018. In my spare time I love to read books on Tudor history, hike and travel!

Jessica Pontarelli

Jessica Pontarelli is a leader in higher ed communications.

Joanne Wang

As the Director of Professional and Master’s Programs at Vanderbilt's School of Engineering (VUSE), Joanne works closely with senior leaders on both university and school levels including the Provost Office, Graduate School, URO, Financial Aid, ISSS, VUSE Deans and CBO. On a daily basis, she oversees the operations of the School of Engineering master degree programs, including eight Master of Science degree programs and night Master of Engineering professional degree programs (both on campus and online). Additionally, she develops distance education degree and non-degree programs, collaborating with third party agencies and industry partners to manage two online master's programs.

Joel Goodman

Joel Goodman is CEO of Bravery Media and co-host of the Appendix B podcast. With more than 16 years of higher education web marketing experience, his work focuses on digital strategy and hospitable design. When he’s not ranting about “what good design looks like” on LinkedIn, you can find him cheering on Tottenham Hotspur, contributing to the Higher Ed Hot Takes newsletter, or perfecting his pizza dough.

John Goodwin

Providing subject matter expertise with over 20 years in providing Marketing and Enrollment Management Capacity, John is a Senior Managing Director at Archer dedicated to helping Archer's academic partners (Small, Medium, and Large National and Regional Universities and Colleges) DEVELOP and GROW their online presence and communities.

John Van Fleet

John Van Fleet is the Chief Marketing Officer at Archer Education — an education technology company that helps colleges and universities recruit, enroll, and retain students.

Joshua Charles

Joshua Charles is a senior marketing and communications leader in higher education.

Julia Wheeler

Julia Wheeler recently graduated with a BA in Psychology (and a minor in Criminology) from Mount Saint Mary College. She is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology at Roger Williams University.

Karen Hebert-Maccaro

Karen Hebert-Maccaro is presently GM of Education at Morning Brew where she is helping reimagine the future of business education. Prior to joining Morning Brew in 2021, Karen held executive positions in talent management, content, and academia including most recently as the CEO of Executive Education at Babson College. Karen holds a Ph.D. from Boston College, is an ICF-certified executive coach, a writer, and public speaker who you can find talking about all things leadership development, career management, and the future of business education on Twitter @eduversequeen.

Karin Fischer

Karin Fischer is a senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, where she writes about international education, the social and political divides around college, and other topics.

Kate Ledger

With nearly 20 years in higher education marketing combined with digital and social saavy, Kate is focused on developing and promoting powerful brands, leading strategic planning, and fostering engagement. In 2022, she was named the Higher Education Marketer of the Year by the American Marketing Association Foundation and Lipman Hearne. Her strengths in relationship building and enthusiasm for telling the institution's story make her a valuable partner.

Kathleen Davis

Kathleen Davis started her design career at The Weather Channel two days after graduating from The University of Alabama. After 10 years of creative titles and working for brands like Yamaha Motorsports, Yamaha Watercraft and the Arthritis Foundation, Kathleen made the change to higher ed and hasn’t looked back. She is currently the Director of Engagement Marketing at the University of Lynchburg.

Kati Pratt

Katie Beczak

Katie Beczak is the Associate Director of International Enrollment at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She directs outreach and recruitment across south and central Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan. Before working in International Enrollment, Katie worked in Graduate and Part-Time Enrollment Services at RIT.

Katie Linder

Dr. Katie Linder is a nimble and creative higher education administrator with extensive experience with online teaching and learning, educational development initiatives, online/blended/hybrid course design and development, academic research & writing productivity and support. She is currently the Executive Director for Program Development at Kansas State University. She is known for developing strong collaborative partnerships within and across institutions to support faculty/professional development initiatives and curriculum design & assessment. Furthermore, she has a proven track record of relationship building, innovation, and follow-through!

Katie Szalda

Katie Szalda has been Director of Admissions at Siena College since 2015 and has 18 years of experience in college admissions and enrollment management. She has led the admissions team in entering new markets, engaging with a new generation of students, getting the wider campus community involved in recruitment efforts and the redevelopment of admissions programs. Katie was named the Capital District Counseling Association's Counselor of the Year in 2021. She has an MBA from Sage College of Albany and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Siena College. She is a board member for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany Schools and a past president of the Capital District Counseling Association.

Kavitta Ghai

Kavitta Ghai is the Co-Founder and CEO of Nectir, a social platform for education that encourages collaborative learning through connecting students in the same classes. After seeing communication between students being an issue on her campus, the idea of Nectir was born to solve it. She has raised nearly $2.5 Million dollars in seed funding to date.

Kaycee Woodford

As UX Specialist, Kaycee Woodford translates research, analytics, client goals, and customer needs into solutions that deliver results. Kaycee’s unique combination of skills span design, research, testing, marketing, and content strategy. Her experience in UX and analyzing user behaviors gives her a keen ability to understand the intricacies of valued demographics and the importance of adjusting and fine-tuning all aspects of an institution’s website. With her diverse background, Kaycee approaches the UX process holistically and with empathy.

Keith Ramsdell

Keith Ramsdell has over 25 years of progressive leadership experience in higher education and enrollment management.

Kerry Morrison

In a career spanning more than twenty years, Kerry Morrison has worked alongside some of the biggest brands and agencies in the world. His career spans advertising, startups, telcos, media conglomerates, big consulting and dot-coms. Kerry is currently the Chief Storytelling Officer (CMO) at Goodkind, where Kerry helps spread the gospel of storytelling for both Goodkind and customers. You can find Kerry on Twitter, Medium and Linkedin.