Joining McMaster’s office of alumni advancement in 1998, Karen was appointed to her current role in 2006. Previously serving as the associate director, she is currently responsible for managing the university’s alumni relations and annual giving efforts. Karen has worked on two of McMaster’s fundraising project teams – one for the University Student Centre and the other dedicated to the Athletics and Recreation Centre and Stadium Campaign. She came to McMaster from positions in the Canadian Intramural Recreation Association of Ontario and Mohawk College.
Vanessa designed and implemented the first stop-out program at University of New Mexico and is responsible for much of the program’s success over the past four years.
Matt Kuder is the community director and second-year experience coordinator in the Alcala Vista Apartments at the University of San Diego. Originally from Winter Haven, Fla., Matt received his master’s degree in counseling (focusing on college student development) from the University of San Diego and his bachelor’s degree in international studies with a minor in Asian studies from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Matt is in his seventh year working in residential life, and prior to becoming the second-year experience coordinator, he was the first-year experience coordinator for two years, helping to support first-year orientation, the preceptor faculty program, and the FRESH@USD sessions. For the past three years, Matt has been the second-year experience coordinator and helped pilot a number of programs including the Vista’s House Cup, geared toward the 670 second-year students living in his area. This past year, he also participated in USD’s inaugural SYE Abroad program, traveling as an integrated learning coordinator to Florence, Italy.
In her current role, Claire Robinson oversees several academic support programs including academic coaching, academic recovery initiatives, outreach and early intervention, marketing and communications, cross campus advising, transfer student support, tutoring, and supplemental instruction. As a member of the university’s Planning, Assessment, and Innovation Council, Claire works with various units across the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support to assist in their strategic planning. Claire trains and coordinates the Student Success Center’s assessment efforts along with the unit’s planning and performance blueprint. Externally, Claire has had an opportunity to serve as the lead quality enhancement plan (QEP) evaluator for three institutions and has co-facilitated several workshops on strategic planning at SACS-COC. Claire’s research interests surround academic coaching and advising in higher education. Serving as the Director of the Academic Coaching program since 2007, Claire uses the Appreciative Advising framework to train coaches and advisors offering individualized student support on campus. She has consulted at several institutions on academic success coaching, succeeded in getting the academic coaching program CRLA level-three certified, and awarded program winner of a bronze NASPA Excellence Award in academic support. Claire has written several articles on academic coaching and appreciative advising, co-authored the book Appreciative College […]
In his role as immigration specialist and program coordinator, John Leedock works with the faculty and student affairs offices to promote globalization of student education inside and outside of the classroom. He regularly works with various university offices to enhance traditional student services to supporting the unique needs of immigrant and non-immigrant students. In addition to his administrative work, he has developed and currently teaches a course designed to support the individual acculturation and integration processes of international students, scholars, and their dependents. Outside of the office, he volunteers with the South Suburban Immigrant Project in southwest suburban Chicago, which provides integration and legal counseling for local immigrants and non-immigrants. He also conducts research on international student, refugee, and immigrant acculturation in Chicago.
Amanda currently oversees assessment efforts for the Office of Residence Life at Penn State and has worked for the past decade to educate student affairs practitioners on the importance of assessment. Amanda also has worked collaboratively with both academic affairs and student affairs departments at multiple institutions to develop university-wide assessment projects. She has served on various university-wide assessment and data committees, including institutional research committees, student satisfaction committees, retention and enrollment management task forces, and more. Amanda is currently in her second term on the directorate for the American College Personnel Association’s Commission on Assessment and Evaluation. She has been an invited faculty member at the Summer Institute on First-Year Assessment and has presented at many local, regional, and national conferences, including ACPA’s Assessment Institute. Amanda has published articles in the Journal of College and University Student Housing, NASPA’s NetResults, ACPA’s Developments, and Assessment Update.
With nearly 20 years of experience teaching and directing occupational programs, Lisa has transitioned to faculty professional growth in her role as instructional designer and educational technologist in the Center for Teaching Excellence at Scottsdale Community College. Lisa works individually with faculty (residential and adjunct) to deal with specific instructional needs. She develops and delivers comprehensive training programs, including workshops on pedagogy, best practices in teaching and learning, new faculty orientation, Quality Matters, and instructional technologies. Lisa has extensive experience working with adjunct faculty as a program director with a team of 17 faculty and through her faculty development efforts.
In her current position, Alisa collaborates, coordinates, and strategizes with the instructional designer, Center for Teaching and Learning (CTLE) staff, and the eCourses faculty lead. She also serves as the liaison with academic departments and other divisions/areas across the college, and she is the co-chair of the CTLE advisory committee. Alisa remains an English professor at Glendale Community College on a limited basis, where she teaches hybrid and online freshman composition and literature courses. She is an assistant chair/eCourses coordinator for the English Department and works with faculty to create and/or improve their online/hybrid courses. She also evaluates all online/hybrid instructors and courses in the English department. She previously served as eCourses faculty lead for the college and headed the campus eCourses committee. She recently completed a research project on discussion tools in online/hybrid courses as a MIL Fellow (2012-13). Alisa briefly served as interim instructional technologist for the Title V grant at Phoenix College working with faculty to develop hybrid and online course modules. In her current position, Alisa collaborates, coordinates, and strategizes with the instructional designer, Center for Teaching and Learning (CTLE) staff, and the eCourses faculty lead. She also serves as the liaison with academic departments and […]
