Lisa holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Administration – Higher Education from the University of Minnesota, and a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor’s in Mass Communications from St. Cloud State University. Her dissertation topic was Implementing Data Analytics as an Organizational Innovation in Colleges and Universities. She completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Management and Leadership in Higher Education institute, and she was an American Council on Education Fellow for 2015-16. She presents frequently at the locally, nationally and internationally on change management and data analytics in higher education.
Dr. Linda Baer served over thirty years in numerous executive level positions at Civitas Learning, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Minnesota State College and University System, Bemidji State University, and Minnesota State University Mankato. Currently, she is a senior level consultant in higher education. Her focus is to inspire leaders to innovate, integrate and implement solutions to improve student success and transform institutions for the future. Baer publishes and presents nationally in academic innovations, educational transformation, next generation leadership, alliances and partnerships, the campus of the future, shared leadership, and building organizational capacity in analytics. She has co-presented workshops and presentations on analytics in higher education. Recent publications include Change Agent Leadership, Analytics as a Tool to Improve Student Success, and Connecting the Dots: Assessment, Accountability, Analytics and Accreditation. A book chapter on Unleashing the Power of Learning Analytics was published in the recent Handbook on Learning Analytics. She is currently working on a guidebook for analytics. Baer served on the Society for College and University Planning National Board. She has made numerous presentations including at the Society for College and University Planning, EDUCAUSE, AASCU, WCET, and AACC.
Dr. Baldasare is an experienced researcher, analyst, and consultant with a demonstrated history of success in data strategy and change management, helping organizations of all kinds effectively use data to inform strategy and achieve measurable outcomes. Angela’s work as a strategic consultant at Civitas Learning is informed most recently by her 8 years at the University of Arizona. From 2014-2018 Angela served as the assistant provost for institutional research, leading the university’s student data strategy, including the use of Civitas Learning products, achieving record high retention rates for the institution. From 2010-2014, Angela served as the director of assessment and research for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management at Arizona. Angela is a sociologist by training and was an assistant professor at the University of Dayton from 2000-2003. Angela also spent 10 years consulting on international public health and justice projects, as well as statewide community and tribal initiatives for multiple branches of the Arizona Governor’s Office, U.S. Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Sarah is a certified coach and an experienced leader in higher education and charitable-sector fundraising and engagement strategy, holding a master’s in public administration focused on Government-University relations. In addition to over 20 years of experience developing and implementing alumni relations strategies, Sarah has focused on senior-level volunteer engagement, Board engagement and management, fundraising policies and procedures, and best-practice in supporting volunteer-led philanthropic initiatives. Sarah’s areas of research and education include project management, risk assessment and planning for risk in volunteer engagement programming, framework planning and institutional readiness for volunteer engagement, volunteer professional development and volunteer pipeline progression, working with student volunteers, student-led philanthropy, Board partnership and setting strategic Board direction, and volunteer stewardship and recognition. As a Certified Volunteer Resource Manager, and internationally Certified in Volunteer Administration, Sarah has a long history of engaging volunteers to work collaboratively in support of institutional priorities.
Laura H. Denbow has over twenty-five years of higher education experience in the fields of career services and alumni relations. For the past eight years, she has served as senior director of the Office of Volunteer Programs, Alumni Affairs and Development, at Cornell University. In her role, Laura oversees the creation, development, and implementation of a university-wide strategy for providing meaningful volunteer engagement opportunities to alumni, parents, and friends over a lifetime. Prior to Cornell, Laura worked for twelve years at Bucknell University, moving from the role of director at the Career Development Center to the role of executive director of Alumni Relations and Career Services. She began her career in the field of career services at Georgetown University where she held a variety of roles over seven years. Laura received her master’s in counselor education from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia and her bachelor’s in business administration from James Madison University.
Shannon Jaeger currently serves as the Learning Design and Development Specialist in Lehigh’s Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) department. After having spent a decade as a frontline engagement and philanthropy officer, she is turning her passion for the work inward to better support DAR team members. In her role, she brings into focus: onboarding and training for new and existing staff; managerial and leadership best practices; and diversity, equity, and inclusion as a crucial element of talent development. Shannon believes that a community of learning begins with building and fostering a community of belonging. With her background in organizing and her nationally-recognized models for mobilizing communities and scaffolding volunteer organizations for successful engagement, Shannon applies her expertise to the strategic framework she has developed (Dialogue, Systems, Representation, and Support). Through facilitated workshops, creating universal standards, auditing processes and materials, and challenging the concepts that threaten equity, safety, and dignity, Shannon is committed to developing professionals in the industry, building sustainable processes, and advising institutional leadership. She is motivated by nurturing inclusive spaces for solutionaries and critical thinkers. Shannon is in her second year of leading Lehigh’s Council for Equity and Community, the campus-wide organization responsible for the development of progress […]
Sasha is a Research Analyst at AI. Her work focuses on understanding our customer’s needs and finding best practices to feature in our Advancement, as well as Research, Scholarship, and Entrepreneurship programs at AI. She enjoys putting research insights into action and driving topic selection for our trainings. Sasha holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Bard College and an MA in International Studies from University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Prior to joining AI, she worked in a variety of research roles in the non-profit sector. When not working, Sasha can be found hiking, camping, or skiing in the wonderful Colorado outdoors with her husband, taking care of her elderly cat, and reading.
Brenda J. Williams is an experienced higher education administrator with over 16 years’ experience designing and managing units & programs that support student success and retention. As the Director of Career Experiences at DePaul University, she has oversight of the teams that manage student employment, the EDGE program, employer engagement and the Alumni Sharing Knowledge Program. Her charge is to provide strategic oversight and leadership in the development of programming and partnerships that create opportunities for students to explore career options through on-campus and off-campus jobs, internships, job shadowing, mentoring and networking. In her former role as the Associate Director of EDGE and New Student Engagement, Brenda oversaw curriculum development, student placement and team leader training of a career and job skills development program for first year students – the EDGE (Education and Development Grant for Employability) Program. The EDGE Program was a 2016 recipient of NACE’s Career Services Excellence Award. In her former role as the Associate Director of the Financial Fitness Program, Brenda was charged with developing and expanding a financial literacy program for DePaul students and alumni. As the manager of this program, Brenda designed 14 workshops, a comprehensive website and social media strategy, a peer educator […]
Annie Kurtin joined the Student Engagement & Career Development department at the University of Arizona in 2017. As Associate Director, Student Engagement, Annie oversees the 100% Engagement Initiative – a campus-wide program that creates and connects undergraduates with opportunities for experiential learning, both within and beyond the classroom. In addition to 100% Engagement, Annie works across campus with academic partners to develop innovative skill-building programs to provide students with both hands-on technical and soft-skills applications. Prior to joining this Student Affairs unit, Annie was a Lecturer in the School of Architecture at the University of Arizona where she coordinated and developed curriculum for the First-Year Design Studios. In addition to teaching design studio, Annie also taught History/Theory and Design Communications courses, and served on both the College and School curriculum committees.
Mary T. Calhoon is the Founding Associate Director of the Nevada Career Studio at the University of Nevada, Reno. Mary T. is the author of two 2018 articles published in the NACE Journal about the studio model for career services. She developed a course on peer career education for NACE. Mary T. has presented at NACE, MPACE, and NASPA Conferences to national and regional audiences about the Career Studio’s innovative work, inspiring a growing consortium of schools experimenting with the studio model. She holds a Masters of Education in Teaching from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Bachelors of Arts in English and Women’s and Gender Studies from Amherst College. Prior to the University of Nevada, she served as a high school English teacher in Wahiawa, Hawaii, and as a Teach For America corps member.
