Joe McGonegal is an award-winning higher-education advancement and communications professional with two decades of experience in college and university roles. Trained as a journalist and teacher, Joe spent 15 years in high school and college classrooms before pursuing administrative roles in communications and advancement. At MIT, Joe leads a team of five that produces events, programs, and services in the areas of shared interest groups, lifelong learning, and career services for the more than 137,000 living MIT alumni. Recently, Joe has written about online/digital engagement for The New England Journal of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and the Academic Impressions blog. Joe holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and education from Marquette University and a master’s degree in journalism from Harvard University.
Dr. Scott has more than 13 years of experience working in undergraduate admissions and enrollment at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), a four-year public institution. As the Senior Associate Director of Admission at UNCW, she is responsible for developing recruitment and enrollment plans and adjusting strategy as institutional goals and student needs and demographics change. She works collaboratively on marketing strategies at every stage of the enrollment funnel, including segmenting populations to increase engagement among students. She is a self-proclaimed data nerd who uses historical institutional trends and predictive analytics to inform decisions and create a path for enrollment growth. In addition to enrollment management, she has also served as an instructor for UNCW’s First-Year Seminar course that supports new students as they integrate into the college experience. Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Masters of Public Administration, and her Doctorate of Education (Ed.D) in Higher Education Leadership.
Brandi Foley-Rodgers is the Director of Human Resources for the Office of the President, Provost, and Executive Vice President for Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology. After earning her Bachelor’s degree from Clark Atlanta University in 2000, she joined Georgia Tech to work in the Office of Human Resources. Brandi has been working as a strategic partner in the field of human resources for over 19 years with experience in the areas of recruiting, compensation, and employee relations. She has held the Professional in Human Resources designation and the SHRM Senior Certified Professional certification.
Amir began in data entry / order fulfillment and is now the Academic Impressions’ desktop and IT support technician. He is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin (GO PACK GO!) and attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for his Healthcare Administration bachelor’s degree. When not in the office, he’s usually working on open source projects like mobile motion analysis to help doctors/clinicians accurately detect if a patient has scoliosis and automated home devices for insurance companies. In his free time he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and traveling solo – he has almost covered the entire eastern half of the U.S.
As a Research Analyst, Heather uses her research skills and endless pursuit of knowledge to identify current topics of interest in higher education, specifically within the domain of Student Affairs. Prior to joining the Academic Impressions team, she researched transportation, community design and development, and decision-making. Heather holds a master’s in cultural anthropology from Northern Arizona University. Outside of work, she enjoys biking, reading, cooking, and spending time with her dog and cat.
As a Business Development Manager Ashvina focuses on advancing leadership and fostering inclusive environments within higher education institutions. With a doctorate in cultural anthropology from Southern Methodist University, she brings a unique blend of academic insight and strategic vision to her role, driving partnerships and innovative solutions at the intersection of academia and business.
Alia is a Research Analyst at Academic Impressions, working on topics such as marketing and communications, campaigns, major gifts, recruitment, and admissions across the advancement and enrollment management domains. Prior to coming AI, she worked in librarianship with an emphasis in assessment, teaching and learning, subject libraries, and outreach. She holds a BA from American University, an MA from the University of Iowa, and an MS from the University of Texas-Austin. Alia enjoys spending time with family and friends, relaxing, traveling, watching a good movie or television show, and learning new things.
As a Senior Learning and Development Manager at Academic Impressions, Jess leads AI’s strategy and content development for our inclusive leadership and women’s leadership programs, creating engaging learning experiences for faculty and staff to expand their self-awareness, work effectively and mindfully with others, build high-performing teams, and collaboratively lead strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Academic Impressions full-time, Jess served as a subject matter expert and educator for Academic Impressions while serving in her role as the Assistant Dean of Students and Title IX Deputy Coordinator at Loyola University Chicago. She has worked in a variety of capacities within higher education, including student success, conflict resolution, student conduct, Title IX, and gender equity. Jess holds a BA from John Carroll University and an MA from the University of Cincinnati. She holds a certificate in Women in Leadership from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead Executive Education Program and has completed Chicago’s Center for Conflict Resolution 40-hour Mediation Skills Training.
Tiara joined the AI team as a Membership Eligibility Specialist. She has spent 10+ years in the Healthcare industry as an administrator and eligibility specialist here in the beautiful state of Colorado. Originally from the Heartland of the Mid-West, the wonderful state of Iowa, she attended the University of Iowa (GO HAWKS!). Upon coming to Colorado, she obtained her Associate of Business Administration from Colorado Technical University. She’s very excited to bring her knowledge and skills to Academic Impressions as well as to learn and grow within the organization.
