Vanessa is the Associate Registrar at Campbell University School of Law in Raleigh, North Carolina. With over 20 years of experience in higher education, former classroom teacher, and after-school program Director, she brings a deep understanding of academic policy, student advocacy, and administrative leadership.
Alana R. Davis is Associate Provost and University Registrar at William & Mary. In this role, Alana oversees University Registrar operations, including academic operations; records management; academic, state, and federal policy compliance, and degree conferral. She also oversees the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation.
Israah Ansari is a fourth-year transfer student at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in political science and psychology. Having come from a background where higher education was barely an option, she strives to advocate for student success initiatives while furthering her own understanding of education policy.
Dianne Lassai Barker serves as Deputy Executive Director of Program & Policy Strategy at the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, the nation’s only accrediting body for dual and concurrent enrollment partnerships. In this role, Barker leads efforts to strengthen policies and programs that help students successfully transition from high school to college and into meaningful careers. Her work centers on expanding access, ensuring quality, and building sustainable pathways for students, in particular, those historically underrepresented in higher education.
Barker advances NACEP’s mission by building strong relationships with state leaders and institutions, providing technical assistance, and guiding conversations that shape dual and concurrent enrollment policy. She also oversees the development and support of NACEP’s Affiliated Chapters and plays a key role in upholding accreditation standards that drive program quality and consistency. With a deep understanding of the intersection between secondary and postsecondary education, Barker is often called on to advise states and institutions navigating the complexities of program design, policy implementation, and equity in access.
With over 20 years of experience in higher education, Barker has held leadership roles in both institutional and state-level settings. Before joining NACEP, she served as Director of Secondary Education Initiatives and Dual Enrollment at the Technical College System of Georgia, where she led statewide strategy and implementation for Georgia’s dual enrollment programs across 22 technical colleges. She also served as Dual Enrollment Coordinator at Georgia’s largest technical college.
A respected voice in the field, Barker regularly presents at national and state conferences. Her approach is grounded in the strong belief that dual and concurrent enrollment can change lives.
Originally from New Orleans. LA, Barker resides with her family in Marietta, GA.
Sarah Cunningham brings a deep commitment to access, learner success, and innovation to her role as executive director of One Dupont Ventures at the American Council on Education. Since joining ACE in 2018, she has led initiatives that bridge the gap between education and workforce needs; developed modular, learner-centric digital credentials; and advanced strategies that expand access to higher education through credit for prior learning. With more than two decades of experience in higher education and student success, Cunningham provides strategic leadership across product development, technology operations, and market alignment to help ACE meet the evolving needs of learners, institutions, and employers.
Matt Waltz is a nationally recognized leader in forging high-impact partnerships that align education and workforce systems to support adult learners and expand economic opportunity. As Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Development at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, Waltz leads efforts to connect postsecondary institutions with employers, workforce and economic development systems, and community organizations—building sustainable, learner-centered education-to-career pathways.
With deep experience in managing cross-sector initiatives across states and regions, Waltz has led transformational work, including collaborations under WIOA, TANF, and SNAP E&T that bridge academic and career goals for historically underserved populations, while also championing innovations in credit for prior learning, stackable credential pathways, and cross-sector collaborations that center the lived experience of adult learners.
Prior to joining CAEL, Waltz served as COO of WRTP | BIG STEP, where he designed state-recognized pre-apprenticeship programs and helped launch a pioneering multi-employer manufacturing apprenticeship committee. His career reflects a commitment to scaling solutions that recognize all forms of learning and create more equitable access to education and employment.
Whitney Merinar is a dedicated higher education professional with over 26 years of experience in the profession. She began her career as an academic advisor in the for-profit industry and has worked her way into the registrar role. She has been a registrar for almost 14 years, with a recent pivot from the private college industry into the public university sector.
Merinar holds an Ed.S. in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University and recently completed a data analytics certification to add to her repertoire. She is extremely passionate about her profession and advocates for registrars, as they are often unsung heroes. Her favorite part of being a registrar is fine-tuning processes to make the office more efficient.
Curtis Turner is the Director of Express Services at Gateway Technical College (America’s first publicly funded vocational school) in Southeastern Wisconsin. In his role, he leads the college’s Express Services operations, managing student-facing teams—including cashiers and registration assistants—across three Student Services Centers (SSC) located at the Elkhorn, Racine, and Kenosha campuses, as well as the college’s centralized Contact Center. He also serves as the Acting Center Director for the Elkhorn SSC, overseeing its day-to-day operations.
An active member of the Wisconsin Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (WACRAO), Curtis served as Chair of the Professional Development Committee before being elected to the board, where he held the roles of President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. He represented WACRAO and Gateway at the ̽»¨Â¥ Leadership Meeting and annual conferences, and continues to contribute as a recurring member of WACRAO's Local Arrangements Committee.
Curtis’s higher education experience spans roles in registration, records, transfer credit evaluation, and financial aid. He is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers veteran and holds a Master of Science in Administrative Leadership – Higher Education Administration, along with a Graduate Certificate in Support Services for Online Students in Higher Education, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His professional interests include veteran support services, registrar operations, and one-stop service models. He also volunteers as an Assistant Den Leader with Scouting America.
April May Ramey brings more than a decade of experience in higher education administration, with a strong emphasis on student support. In addition to her work in academia, she is a freelance copy editor. She holds an Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal Studies and is an IRS Certified Enrolled Agent, credentials she earned through Pima Community College.
Dr. Nicole Westrick serves as the Assistant Vice President and Dean of the College of Interdisciplinary and Continuing Studies at Morgan State University, where she leads 18 interdisciplinary degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. The Morgan Completes You program serves the growing number of adult learners with some college but no degree.
Under her leadership, CICS has worked across the university to advance institutional practices for Credit for Prior Learning, including the development of portfolio-based assessment courses, the acceptance of ACE credit recommendations for both military and certifications, and the expansion of challenge exam pathways. She is a national advocate for learning mobility and has championed policies and programs that validate diverse forms of learning across a lifetime.
Dr. Westrick’s leadership centers on aligning higher education with real-world career pathways through apprenticeships, helping to meet state labor needs, and digital credentials to support all learners in gaining work-ready skills. Morgan State University was recently selected to participate in the LER Accelerator, which will catalyze collaboration with Territorium to launch digital credentials that capture verifiable skills gained both in and beyond the classroom. Her research examines the role of generative AI in promoting equitable recognition practices and supporting teaching that centers on learners through backward design and Universal Design for Learning.
As a first-generation college graduate and lifelong learner herself, she is deeply committed to ensuring educational access, workforce relevance, and designing systems that meet learners where they are. This commitment includes ensuring that every student’s experience and expertise count toward their educational goals.
Judith Schuler attended the University of Arizona, where she earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in consumer economics. Following her education, she took a position as a consumer-education instructor at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. From there, she was hired as a lecturer and curriculum developer at the Pima Community College Skill Center, in Tucson, Arizona, where she worked for two years. From that position, Schuler was hired as an editor at HPBooks; she worked as a general editor and an acquisitions editor. She was employed by HPBooks for five years, until the company was sold and moved out of state.
Schuler then began working as a freelance editor for FisherBooks, in Tucson. In 1988, she was asked to write a pregnancy book with one of the women’s health authors she had previously worked with, Glade B. Curtis, M.D. Their first book, Your Pregnancy Week by Week, was published in fall 1989. Since that time, Dr. Curtis and Schuler have written 20 titles on pregnancy, after pregnancy, and baby’s first year. Their titles are available for sale in more than 25 languages worldwide; their books have sold more than five million copies.
Schuler appeared monthly on various television programs providing pregnancy information from 2007 through 2020. At present, in addition to keeping their books current and freelance editing, she hosts a podcast on pregnancy, after pregnancy, and baby’s first year.
Robert Morley is the Director of International Services and Governors State University. Prior to working for Governors State University, Robert spent four years as the Director of International Student Affairs at Moraine Valley Community College. Before working for Moraine Valley, he spent three years as the International Admission Coordinator at University of St. Francis and seven years in Bangkok, Thailand as an instructor and recruitment manager. He has a BA from DePaul University, an MA in International Relations from Webster University Thailand, and an EdD in Higher Education Administration from Governors State University.
Garrett Seelinger was raised in Morocco and England before earning his Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University and his Master of Arts from the University of Notre Dame. He has worked with InCred since its inception, evaluating the academic records of thousands of international students for over ten years.
As a member of ̽»¨Â¥ and TAICEP, Garrett actively contributes to the field of international credential evaluation by presenting at conferences and serving as a member of the ̽»¨Â¥ Faculty since 2023. He participated in ̽»¨Â¥’s Cuba Project and co-authored a chapter on international credential issues specific to international students in ̽»¨Â¥'s Guide to International Education. His work with InCred has led to expertise in vocational and technical education worldwide.
Jaime Smith, M.A., M.S..Ed., is a Certified Educational Planner with 25 years of experience in education. She holds a Post-Master’s Certificate in Transfer Leadership and Practice and is working on her first book, a how-to guide for college transfer students. She blogs about transfer credit and admissions at .
Review of: Tracking Transfer: Community College Effectiveness in Broadening Bachelor’s Degree Attainment
Elizabeth Swisher Flood holds a B.A. from Kalamazoo College and M.S.Ed from Indiana University. She currently serves as Assistant Registrar at Ball State University, where she oversees day-to-day operations related to the curriculum management process, publication of the catalog, and university scheduling practices. Her background includes experience with student success and retention, service-learning, orientation and first-year programs, academic advising, and residential life.
Always Say Thank You: From Disengagement to Collaboration in Course Scheduling at Ball State University
Adam McLachlan has been with Ball State University for sixteen years where he currently serves as the University Scheduling Coordinator. Prior to joining the Office of the Registrar, he held several roles in academic affairs focused on scheduling, registration, and departmental administration. He holds a B.S. from Ball State University and is pursuing a master’s in information and communication science.
Sharon F. Cramer, Ph.D., is SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emerita. She was a member of the ̽»¨Â¥ Editorial Board from 2005–2013 and has authored a number of ̽»¨Â¥ publications (see Appendix I).
Broadening Enrollment Management's Collaboration: A Dozen Reasons to Invite a Meeting of the Minds
Louise Lonabocker retired from Boston College in 2017 where she was Executive Director, Student Services and University Registrar. She is a Past President of ̽»¨Â¥, served as Editor-in-Chief of College and University from 2003–2013, and co-edited ̽»¨Â¥’s Leadership Lessons: Vision and Values for a New Generation with Heather Zimar. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College.
C&U and Me
Katrina at 20: Remembering Dick Whiteside
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