Instructors
As an Operations Manager, Katie provides logistical support to ensure that our events make their way from the creators to the end users in addition to ensuring that internal processes and information are centralized. Prior to joining Academic Impressions, she was the Teacher Training Program Manager and an Instructor at CorePower Yoga. She still enjoys practicing yoga regularly in addition to going on hikes and walks, experiencing cultural events going on in the city, and traveling.
As Customer Relations Manager, Katie manages all correspondence with our customers and Subject Matter Experts, and coordinates various internal procedures for our Operations Team. She enjoys problem solving and finding a way to meet the needs of everyone we work with. Katie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from Washington University in St. Louis. Before making the move to Denver and Academic Impressions, she spent the last few years in the Washington, DC area working in performing arts and arts education. She is excited to explore all that Denver has to offer! When she isn’t working, you can usually find Katie on a hike, doing yoga, going to a concert, or trying a new recipe or restaurant.
Paulyne Becerra has 15 years of experience in higher education advancement and currently serves as the Executive Director of Development, Student Success and Parent Programs at the University of California San Diego. In this role, Paulyne manages a team of frontline fundraisers and program directors who support student success initiatives and parent and family engagement. Working closely with campus partners, the team is focused on building a robust pipeline of engagement and philanthropic opportunities.
Maria is a career educator whose work experience spans a variety of institutional categories, including research universities, comprehensive universities, land-grant universities, and urban-located and rural-located, HBCUs, and PWIs. She served as President and CEO of Coppin State University (CSU) and was the first woman to be installed as president. Prior to her appointment at CSU, she was Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta—the first African American in the role. She served as Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs at Tennessee State University (TSU)—the first woman to serve as chief research officer at the institution. She served as principal investigator on numerous grants and received millions in federal funding for scientific research, facilities construction, and educational projects from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Department of Energy, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. She brings insights to her coaching practice gained through firsthand knowledge from breaking barriers in leadership roles in higher education. She is an experienced coach who works with clients who aspire to be deans, vice presidents, provosts, and presidents. In addition to coaching, she has worked […]
Partnering with higher ed leaders to increase their influence and impact. Dorine Lawrence-Hughes, JD, EDD, has been counseling and coaching leaders since 2012. As certified coach and facilitator, she provides individual coaching for leaders seeking to expand their impact, transition into new leadership roles, or level up their leadership skills to face increasingly complex challenges. Dorine also facilitates group coaching and leadership workshops for teams and organizations and specializes in executive leadership, conflict, middle management, and leadership communication. Her most recent clients include the University of Michigan Medicine health system, Kansas State University, the University of Houston-Downtown, and several government agencies. Dorine also co-created a leadership development program for women in higher education through UCLA and is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC). Dorine’s own leadership experience includes serving as an Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of Michigan for 7 years where she provided strategic oversight of various cross school, cross-curricular, and co-curricular initiatives for effective teaching and learning. Prior to her work with the University of Michigan, she served as a Clinical Associate Professor with the University of Southern California. Dorine is also an attorney – licensed to practice law in California for over 20 years where […]
Yianna Kappas is a Learning and Development Manager at Academic Impressions, where she designs and facilitates professional development experiences focused on advancement and women’s leadership in higher education. A skilled facilitator and relationship builder, Yianna helps leaders and teams deepen their self-awareness, strengthen collaboration, and translate learning into meaningful organizational impact. Before joining Academic Impressions, Yianna spent nearly eight years at her alma mater, Clemson University, serving first as an academic coordinator for student-athletes and later as director of alumni engagement with the Clemson Alumni Association. She began her career in higher education at East Carolina University and earned her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from William & Mary. Yianna works remotely from North Carolina, where she enjoys traveling, reading, attending Broadway shows, and cheering on college sports—especially her beloved Clemson Tigers (any excuse to tailgate!).
In Nicolle’s administrative role, she is responsible for faculty development to strengthen teaching and research as well as leadership programming for administrators. She is also responsible for developing policies and assisting with the promotion and tenure process. Nicolle continues her research on disproportionate minority contact and program evaluation. The second edition of Disproportionate Minority Contact Current Issues and Policies was released in 2017. She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and has a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration. Nicolle also completed the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program in 2014-2015.
Melinda J. Papowitz is Director of Prospect Research at Yale University. In this capacity, Melinda oversees prospect research, prospect management, data analysis and prospect identification divisions. Her department serves Yale College and Yale’s schools, museums, libraries, and other program areas. Under her guidance, the prospect research department played a pivotal role in Yale’s successful $3.88 billion campaign and now enthusiastically supports the recently launched “For Humanity” campaign. Melinda has played a leading role in developing protocols for determining and mitigating reputational risk for the university. Melinda holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin (BA), Harvard Divinity School (MTS), University of Chicago (MA) and the University of New Haven (MBA). As a volunteer, Melinda has served as vice president for a New Haven neighborhood development organization and has written grants for select organizations. For three years, Melinda held an adjunct faculty position at the NYU Center for Fundraising and Philanthropy.
A. Graham Peace is currently Chair of the Department of Management Information Systems and an Associate Professor of MIS in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. He previously served as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Academic Affairs, where he focused on improving the undergraduate student experience. He currently teaches and performs research in Information Ethics.
Rebel Smith is currently Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs for the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. She is passionate about student success and focuses on recruitment and retention.
