Pathway to Student Success.
2025 ̽»¨Â¥ Elections Candidate - 2026-2027 N&E Committee Member
Position Statement:
The Nominations and Elections Committee is the backbone of the organization, and it would be an honor to be a part of this committee. The hard, diligent work that this committee puts into determining the future of the organization for the foreseeable future is something that goes unnoticed far too often. Being a part of the N&E would be a challenging yet rewarding experience to be able to connect with others throughout the organization and learn about all of the viable candidates for positions. I have been fortunate to be a part of the N&E several times at my state association (CACRAO) and once before at the regional level (SACRAO). Each of those experiences has helped shape me as a person within those organizations because I was able to learn and see what so many other amazing leaders have done in their careers within and outside of the association, that has led them to being ready to take on a leadership role within the association. Being tasked with the responsibility of helping to decide future association leaders is something that I don’t take lightly. I would love the opportunity to be included on the N&E for ̽»¨Â¥.
Jessika Harris is an accomplished higher education professional with over 14 years of experience in academic administration, compliance, and student services. She currently serves as the Compliance & Special Projects Senior Assistant University Registrar at the University of North Carolina, where she plays a pivotal role in managing institutional compliance, student records, and strategic process improvements. Since joining UNC in 2017, Jessika has led initiatives to streamline enrollment services, enhance policy adherence, and improve operational efficiency across multiple departments.
Jessika began her career in higher education in 2010 at Laureate Education Inc., where she progressively advanced through roles in registrar operations, specializing in enrollment management, data analysis, and academic policy implementation. Her tenure in academic operations has honed her expertise in regulatory compliance, process optimization, and leadership development.
With a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Morgan State University, Jessika blends strategic thinking with a deep commitment to student success. She is also pursuing a law degree at Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, further expanding her expertise in governance and higher education policy.
An advocate for professional growth, Jessika is an active member of the ̽»¨Â¥ (̽»¨Â¥). She has participated in the Nominations and Elections Committee, contributing to the selection of association leadership and the advancement of ̽»¨Â¥'s mission. Additionally, she has engaged in leadership programs such as the ASCEND Leadership Program and has been involved with CACRAO. Jessika is also deeply committed to community service, volunteering with organizations focused on mentorship, outreach, and education.
Her dynamic career reflects her passion for creating equitable, efficient, and student-centered institutional policies. Through her leadership and expertise, she continues to drive positive change in higher education.
Carmelitia J. Coleman, Ed.D., has more than 20 years of higher education experience, having held numerous positions within higher education and the corporate sector, ranging from university administrator to education consultant for one of the "Big Four" management consulting firms in the United States. As the Director of Inclusion, Diversity, and Engagement at Transact Campus Inc. – a global higher-education technology company – Dr. Coleman fulfills her passion for making a difference in students' lives, particularly at the postsecondary level. She provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for researching, developing, implementing, and sustaining a range of practices that forward Transact's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Dr. Coleman earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She later earned her doctorate degree in higher education from Walden University.
Financial Aid Knowledge and Resources Among First-Generation College Students
Eleonora Philopoulos is the Director of Architecture and Design in Facilities Management at Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Philopoulos has been working at the university for seventeen years, and leads architecture and interior design for all campus projects ranging from small to large complex projects. Philopoulos additionally leads an annual building interior condition analysis audit and provides strategic direction for deferred maintenance projects yearly. Prior to her WMU experience, Philopoulos worked in Europe as an Interior Architect for retail companies like Nike and Harley Davidson and has won several national design awards over her career.
Academically, in addition to her role as the Director of Architecture and Design, Philopoulos is a doctoral student in the higher education leadership program at WMU with her dissertation topic focusing on campus environments and sense of belonging. Additionally, Philopoulos is a part-time instructor at WMU teaching in the Interior Architecture program for sixteen years. Philopoulos is fluent in Greek and serves as the Faculty Director for the study abroad course to Greece for Architecture and Design at WMU for the past eight years.
The Importance of a Strong Campus Visit: A Practice Brief Outlining Collaboration Between Admissions and Facilities Management
Alicia Kornowa is currently the Director of Admissions at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In her role, Kornowa serves as the chief admissions officer, leading 35 talented admissions professionals in the planning, development, and execution of a comprehensive recruitment, admission, scholarship, and yield strategy for first-year and transfer students. She also oversees credit evaluation for the University and is engaged in financial aid strategy.
This is Kornowa’s second professional stint at WMU; she started in the admissions profession there from 1999 to 2004 as an assistant director of admissions. From there, she served four other universities in various admissions/enrollment management roles: the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida, Cornell University, and the University of Cincinnati. In 2025, Kornowa completed her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership – Higher Education. explored how public, non-flagship universities increased both enrollment and academic profile during a time of declining demographics. Kornowa also earned her M.A. and B.S. degrees in organizational communication. All three degrees are from Western Michigan University.
Robert J. Sternberg, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology, Cornell University, and Honorary Professor of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Germany. He has been a university professor, dean, and provost. His B.A. is from Yale; his Ph.D. is from Stanford; and he holds thirteen honorary doctorates. He has won the Grawemeyer Award in Psychology.
Why Test-Optional and Other Test-Light Options Have Worked So Well in College Admissions
2020 SEM-EP Graduate
Brenda Schumann has over twenty years of experience in higher education and the enrollment management profession. She currently serves as the Assistant Vice Provost and University Registrar at the University of Texas at Austin. Schumann previously served as the Deputy University Registrar and Director of Operations and Compliance at UT Austin, and Director of Registration and Records (Registrar) and Assistant Director of Admissions at Texas Lutheran University.
Her professional experience includes all aspects of the enrollment management portfolio–registrar, admissions, and financial aid–which allows her to apply her knowledge and skills in support of students and the University community. Schumann maintains active participation and membership in ̽»¨Â¥, SACRAO, and TACRAO and presents frequently at various conferences on alternative credentials, digital badging, succession planning, leadership, competency-based hiring and evaluations, strategic planning, and project management.
In 2024, she was recognized with the ̽»¨Â¥ Thomas A. Bilger Award and is serving as the 2025-2026 Vice-Chair of the ̽»¨Â¥ Nominations and Elections Committee. In 2022, she chaired the ̽»¨Â¥ Workgroup that developed a report for the membership on Best Practices for the Implementation of Alternative Credentials.
Schumann has an undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University, a Master of Education degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and a PhD from Texas A&M University.
SEM Capstone Project: The capstone literature review focused on an outcomes-based approach to achieve results in supporting students for success. The literature review applies an outcomes based approach to the development and assessment of a Strategic Enrollment Management unit within an institution, in developing programming and support to assist in student persistence, and in developing an outcomes based approach for the changing role of the Registrar in the support of new teaching models, student mobility, learning outcomes, and academic credit and calendars
Review of: Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy
Jairo McMican, first name pronounced Hi-rrow, is the Associate Director of Equity Initiatives at Achieving the Dream. He has spent the last seventeen plus years working in higher education. McMican currently serves on the ̽»¨Â¥’s Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly Editorial Board, and the NACADA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education Advisory Board. He also serves as the vice chair of the North Carolina Education and Workforce Initiatives Commission. Previously, McMican held a dual position as the dean of college access services at Central Carolina Community College and as the director of equity and pathways for the North Carolina Student Success Center. Currently, McMican is pursuing an Ed.D. in adult and community college education at North Carolina State University. He holds a master's degree in strategic leadership and a bachelor's degree in psychology.
An Interview with Dr. Karen Stout
Positionality Awareness and Training for College Admissions Recruiters
Jill Dunlap is the Senior Director of Research, Policy, and Civic Engagement at NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, based in Washington, DC. Prior to joining NASPA, Jill worked closely with college student survivors of sexual violence for more than 14 years at three different campuses. In 2014, Jill served as a non-federal negotiator representing four-year, public institutions on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) negotiated rulemaking committee. Jill has her PhD in political science and public administration from Northern Illinois University, where her dissertation work focused on the experiences of students impacted by sexual violence on campus.
Ericka M. Jackson is the senior director of undergraduate admissions for Wayne State University. Jackson serves as a key advisor and member of the enrollment management leadership team in the areas of enhanced student experience, undergraduate enrollment planning and management.
Jackson is responsible for planning and directing the recruitment of undergraduate students to Wayne State, as well as developing and implementing processes to achieve the university’s annual and long-term undergraduate enrollment goals. WSU’s enrollment of nearly 24,000 students includes over 16,000 undergraduates. During Jackson’s tenure in Fall 2018, Wayne State enrolled the largest and most diverse first-year incoming class in the school’s 150-year history.
Previously Jackson served as assistant dean of admissions and student affairs at Wayne State University Law School. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University Law School and holds a bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan.
Prior to her position in Law admissions, Jackson served three years as associate director of development and director of the Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African-American Legal History at Wayne Law. She also worked as a litigation attorney for seven years at Sommers Schwartz, P.C., and was a senior major gift officer at the University of Michigan.
Jackson lives in Belleville, Michigan with her husband Isaac and is the proud mother of three adult children, Darian, Isaac Jr., and Aubrey.
Kayla Nichols serves as Deputy Director for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Virginia Tech. As Deputy Director, she oversees day-to-day operations, which includes providing leadership to the data processing team, visitor experience team, recruitment team, communications, and customer support staff.
As a first-generation college graduate, she avidly supports college access initiatives and her foundation in college admissions was built through serving as the lead for diversity, equity, and access programming. This foundation now serves as a critical lens when overseeing operations within the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Kayla actively participates in professional development opportunities by presenting at national and regional conferences, taking online courses through ̽»¨Â¥, participating in the ASCEND Leadership Development Program through ̽»¨Â¥, and participating in programs through Virginia Tech. She also previously served as college fair coordinator and later as the Vice President of Admissions and Enrollment for VACRAO.
Uzoma F. Obidike, PhD, is a Clinical Experiences and Internship Manager at National Louis University. She is also a Career Transition Coach and founder of She Leads Beautifully, where she teaches women in stagnant careers how to tap into their networks to access dream career opportunities. Dr. Obidike is a contributing author of No Ways Tired: The Journey for Professionals of Color in Student Affairs. She has graced local and national stages, leading career and leadership development talks. Dr. Obidike was the 2019 recipient of the Up and Coming Woman in Education for the Influential Women of Northwest Indiana Awards.
Research & Policy Division Michael (Mike) Bilfinger helps to oversee the association's policy and advocacy efforts and serves as editor and contributor to ̽»¨Â¥ Transcript. Mike initially joined ̽»¨Â¥ as an intern for Marketing and Communications before then joining staff full-time as the Associate Director, Membership & Awards. He now serves as the Assistant Director of Public Policy.Mike was born and raised on Long Island, New York where he earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Philosophy from SUNY Stony Brook University. During his time in undergrad, Mike was fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad for a month each in Spain, South Korea, China, Chile, and Peru. He then moved to Washington, DC to pursue a Master of Public Administration at American University, which he completed in 2023. Mike is a strong proponent of car-free living and enjoys commuting on his bike, indoor bouldering at his local gym, and listening to music whenever possible.
Mike directs ongoing monitoring and analysis of federal legislative and regulatory developments, emerging issues, and trends to determine the potential impact on ̽»¨Â¥ members. Additionally, Mike serves as editor of ̽»¨Â¥ Transcript.
An Interview with LeRoy Rooker
Operations Division Matt has been a computer guy at ̽»¨Â¥ since 2004. The IT folks at ̽»¨Â¥ take care of just about anything that has a wire coming out of it. Matt learned about computer systems by rebuilding surplus computers for schools, back when he was a stay-at-home Dad. Long ago, after the kids were all in school, Matt began working with servers and networking equipment. Lately most of what Matt does for ̽»¨Â¥ is Salesforce programming and data manipulation. Matt is almost entirely self-taught. Although Matt does not have a degree he still considers himself fairly well educated. In his spare time Matt makes stuff.
Matt assists the IT team in strategizing, policy-making, standardization, and providing guidance in managing ̽»¨Â¥'s core systems.
Operations Division Charles Han is responsible for managing the association's information technology needs. He has worked at ̽»¨Â¥ since 2008, serving currently as the Director of IT. During his time at ̽»¨Â¥, he has overseen many projects such as AMS implementation, Cyber Security, Cloud Management, and much more. He has received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Minnesota.
Charles manages the IT team to tackle all ̽»¨Â¥'s technical needs for the present and future, including AMS management, cybersecurity, systems integration, project management, and hardware.
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