myCSUSM
Speakers & Presenters
Join us as we explore the vital connection between social mobility and inclusive economic excellence for our communities. We will examine how rankings intersect with social mobility on campuses, shaping the future of higher education. The symposium will feature California State University Trustee Wenda Fong and Chancellor Mildred García, alongside an inspiring lineup of students, alumni, faculty, university Presidents, and leading experts in social mobility. They will share their professional and personal insights on how we can collectively advance opportunities for all. Expect powerful stories, innovative solutions, and actionable takeaways that will ignite new possibilities for your institution. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in a conversation that is shaping the future of education!
Diego Arambula
The California State University, Vice Chair of the Board
Carnegie Foundation, Vice President, Educational Transformation
Diego Arambula is vice president for educational transformation at the Carnegie Foundation. As vice president, Diego leads ambitious, actionable strategies and builds partnerships with educators, policy makers, parents, employers and community based organizations to advance Carnegie’s mission.
Diego joins the Foundation with more than 15 years of education experience. Most recently, Diego served as a managing partner with Transcend. There, he worked with teachers, principals and superintendents across the country to explore how to best reimagine learning environments to prepare all children to thrive. Additionally, he served as the founder and executive director of GO Public Schools Fresno, an education advocacy nonprofit focused on unlocking demand for radically re-envisioned school models. Diego began his career in education at Summit Public Schools, a leading network of charter public schools headquartered in Redwood City, California. While there, he served as classroom teacher, a founding principal, and the chief growth and innovation officer.
Senator Toni G. Atkins
Senate President Pro Tempore, Representing California Senate District 39
In 2016, Atkins was elected to represent the 39th District in the state Senate, where she has continued to advocate on behalf of women, the LGBTQ community, the environment, healthcare, veterans and increasing the state’s supply of affordable housing. After just one year, she was selected by her colleagues to serve as Senate President pro Tempore. In March 2018, she was sworn in, becoming the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to lead the Legislature’s upper house. Atkins is the first person in 150 years, and the third person in California history, to lead both houses of the Legislature.
Ranjeeta Basu, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Contemplative Practices
Dr. Ranjeeta Basu is a Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Contemplative Practices at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). She is a trained mindfulness teacher and practitioner and facilitates faculty learning communities, workshops, and trainings for the CSUSM campus community and beyond. She has published articles and presented her work at conferences both nationally and internationally. She is currently researching the impact of mindfulness practices on the wellbeing and stress levels of students from historically underrepresented communities in NIH funded programs.
Dr. Basu completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics at the University of Bombay. After completing her Ph.D. in Economics from University of California, Riverside, she joined the Economics department at CSUSM in 1994. Over the last 30 years, she has done research and taught courses in many different areas of Economics including International Economics, Gender and Development, Economics of Wellbeing and Econometrics. She has also held several administrative positions at CSUSM including department chair, Associate Dean, interim Dean, interim Provost and interim Chief Diversity Officer.
Erika Beck, Ph.D.
President, California State University, Northridge
Erika D. Beck was appointed president of CSUN in October 2020. Prior to her appointment to CSUN, she served as president of CSU Channel Islands for four years. While president of CSUCI, Beck championed the campus’ vision to become a national leader in providing equitable, affordable and transformative education. CSUCI placed at the top of many recent national rankings including those issued by U.S. News & World Report, Money and Washington Monthly. The campus’ four-year graduation rate for first-year students has also reached an all-time high and last year was recognized as one of nine institutions in the nation with the prestigious Seal of Excelencia for its accomplishments in facilitating Latinx student success.
B.A., Psychology, University of California, San Diego
M.A., Psychology, San Diego State University
Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, University of California, San Diego
Eric Brooks
Principal Data Analyst for Education, U.S. News & World Report
Eric Brooks is the principal analyst for U.S. News's education rankings. He currently oversees data review and computations across all the company’s school guides; including helping refine methodologies for the annual Best Colleges and Best Grad Schools editions. Upon joining the company in 2010, he led in formulating U.S. News’s inaugural rankings of online degree programs and later K-12 public schools.
Brooks is a longstanding member of the Association for Institutional Research and has presented at numerous higher education forums. He lives in Fairfax County of Virginia and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and politics, with a minor in journalism from Brandeis University; and also a Master of Arts degree in political science from American University.
Mark Cafferty
President and CEO, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation
As president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, Mark Cafferty sits at the center of a unique collaboration of business, trade, community, and education leaders who have redefined the region’s economic development strategy, cementing the region as a key stakeholder in the global economy.
Cafferty has spent more than 20 years designing systems to support career advancement and economic opportunity for American workers. He has served in numerous public-sector leadership positions and has been sought as a consultant on workforce development efforts throughout the country.
Alejandra Campoverdi
Obama White House, first White House Deputy Director of Hispanic Media
Alejandra's award-winning memoir, FIRST GEN, examines the emotional toll of social mobility on those she refers to as “First and Onlys.” A national bestseller, FIRST GEN is the winner of the California Independent Booksellers Alliance (CALIBA) Martin Cruz Smith Award, and was longlisted for the Outstanding Works of Literature (OWL) Award for the First Year Experience. FIRST GEN is also the 2024 Opportunity Matters Book Club selection for the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), a national book club for first-generation and low-income students at colleges and universities across the country.
Previously, Alejandra served in the Obama White House as the first White House Deputy Director of Hispanic Media. She produced and appeared in the groundbreaking PBS documentary Inheritance, and founded the LATINOS & BRCA awareness initiative in partnership with Penn Medicine’s Basser Center for BRCA.
Alejandra holds a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and graduated cum laude from USC. She currently serves on the boards of the California Community Foundation and Harvard's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy, and is a Senior Fellow at the USC Center on Communication Leadership and Policy.
Ben Churchill, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Poway Unified School District
Dr. Churchill is passionate about ensuring that each and every student leaves high school with an achievable plan for success in college or trade school, military service, or direct entry to the world of work. Previous to joining Poway Unified School District, Dr. Churchill served as superintendent of the Carlsbad Unified School District for eight years. During his tenure in Carlsbad, Dr. Churchill’s team saw a significant increase in the number of high school students earning college credit through articulated and dual enrollment agreements; expansion of robust and award-winning career pathways opportunities for students; and collaboration with regional EDCs and Chambers to connect students to high-demand, high-wage careers in the San Diego region.
Dr. Churchill earned a doctorate degree in education administration from Argosy University, a master’s degree in school leadership from Northeastern Illinois University, a master’s degree in teaching and learning from DePaul University, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Valparaiso University.
Jack B. Clarke, Jr.
The California State University, Chair of the Board
Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo’s Student Services and Disabilities Practice
Group, Partner
Jack B. Clarke, Jr. is a partner in Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo’s Student Services and Disabilities Practice Group, where he handles matters concerning education law, special education disputes and public agency litigation. He has successfully defended school districts and other education clients in student disciplinary matters and civil rights and constitutional claims, as well as special education due process hearings.
Clarke was the first African American to become an equity partner in the Litigation and Schools Departments of the Riverside office of Best Best & Krieger LLP, where he served with distinction on the firm’s subcommittee on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. He is also the past president of the Riverside County Bar Association Board of Directors.
Hether Danforth
VP US Academic, Microsoft
Hether Danforth is the Vice President of US Academics. Her team is dedicated to empowering higher education, K12, and Academic Medical Center organizations throughout the United States, supporting over $2B in business for US Academics. Hether and her team collaborate closely with institutional, educational, government, and healthcare leaders to accelerate their strategy and initiatives, bringing forward the power of technology. Their goal is to empower faculty, students, researchers, and physicians by leveraging the full spectrum of Microsoft technology, from AI to Cloud to Collaboration and more.
Hether has a wealth of information in the education industry, spending the past six years in the Education Operating Unit, serving as the Account Team Unit General Manager, followed by the Specialist Team Unit General Manager. Before that, she held the role of Senior Director for the East Region Healthcare and Life Science team, overseeing engagements with large Providers, Payers, and Life Science companies, both in the public and private sectors. Her team developed numerous market-making opportunities, helping to drive significant collaborations and partnerships with key healthcare customers across industry.
Hether holds a degree in Economics from St. Lawrence University and currently resides in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons. Her passions outside of work include hiking, skiing, and paddleboarding. She is also an enthusiastic traveler, continuously exploring the world in search of culinary delights and exciting adventures
Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Ed Trust
Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D., serves as Ed Trust’s senior vice president. In this role, Wil spearheads Ed Trust’s mission to highlight inequities and outline solutions to improve access, success, affordability, and completion in higher education for low-income students and students of color. Prior to joining Ed Trust, Wil served in Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s administration as deputy secretary of postsecondary and higher education, where he developed and implemented the state’s strategic vision for higher education.
Deborah Diamond, Ph.D.
Director, Anchor Economy Initiative, Federal Reserve Bank Philadelphia
As director of the Anchor Economy Initiative, Deborah helps the expansive eds and meds sectors of the Third District leverage their talent and resources to build a thriving regional economy.
Before joining the Bank, Deborah led Campus Philly, an economic development nonprofit that pioneered a now national model for engaging and retaining recent graduates in the cities where they studied. In this work, Deborah developed skill in connecting higher education partners with current employment needs and trends, and she has experience in helping regional colleges and universities collaborate effectively. She also built a 50-city national learning network called Young Smart and Local, dedicated to sharing best practices and successful strategies for talent cultivation and retention.
Deborah has a doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago, followed by a Mellon postdoctoral fellowship in the Society of Fellows at Columbia University. She has taught at Bryn Mawr College, from which she has an undergraduate degree.
Matthew Doyle
Superintendent, Vista Unified School District Superintendent
Dr. Doyle is the Superintendent of the Vista Unified School District. He is responsible for leading the design and implementation of the district strategic plan, the Blueprint for Educational Excellence and Innovation, in response to the State of California Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) provisions.
Dr. Doyle’s primary focus is to create the conditions for transforming a traditional educational organization into a scalable, sustainable personal learning environment. The Personal Learning Challenge project won the Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association. Vista Unified was recently awarded the California Department of Education 2022 Pivotal Practice Award for demonstrating innovative practices in response to the global pandemic.
Dr. Doyle has spent 34 years in education as a teacher, site administrator, district administrator, and county administrator. Dr. Doyle has extensive experience supporting English language learners and students with special needs. His current area of strategic interest is the design and development of a learning ecosystem including prenatal to grade three systems, learning zones and building a career superhighway - an uninterrupted career development pathway for students to discover their strengths and interests and transform them into talent capital that aligns to the demands of the global marketplace. Ultimately, his passion is to create a culture of joy and engagement for all learners.
Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes, Ph.D.
President, Cal State LA
Berenecea Johnson Eanes was appointed by the CSU Board of Trustees to serve as president of Cal State LA. Her tenure began January 8, 2024. Eanes is Cal State LA’s ninth president and the first woman to serve in the position.
Under her leadership at Cal State LA, the University is in the process of developing a comprehensive strategic enrollment plan, centering greater engagement with LA’s historically marginalized communities in the East and South as well as a retention mindset to minimize the loss of students who stop out mid-journey. Enhancing student success is also a key area of focus for the president, acknowledging the benefits that flow from timely graduation for individuals, families, and the region. The leadership team is additionally working to develop a facilities plan that will ensure the University meets today’s and tomorrow’s educational needs. Lastly, the president is building new bridges aligned with the idea that “We are LA,” a region of unimaginable culture, creativity, and potential.
Eanes previously served as president of York College, City University of New York, where she provided strategic leadership and counsel to approximately 1,100 faculty, staff, and administrators beginning in 2019. Eanes also served as a professor in the Department of Social Work at York. Her appointment as president of Cal State LA marked a return to the CSU for Eanes, who previously served as vice president for Student Affairs at California State University, Fullerton from 2012 to 2019, where she delivered leadership and oversight for myriad student success programs, as well as new campus infrastructure and the university’s strategic plan.
Eanes earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from Dillard University, a master’s degree in social work from Boston University, and a doctorate in social work from Clark Atlanta University.
Wenda Fong
CSU Board of Trustees, The California State University
Wenda Fong began her 40-plus year career in television as the producer and host of her own live, talk show series in Los Angeles. Fong is the producer and director of music and variety specials, awards shows, reality specials, sitcoms, talk shows, documentaries and live events. She holds the dual distinction as being the first person of color and only woman to have produced the Emmy Awards. She has launched productions across the United States and around the world, including China, Canada, Europe and Africa.
Mildred García, Ph.D.
Chancellor, The California State University
Dr. Mildred García began her tenure as the California State University’s 11th chancellor on October 1, 2023. She is the first-ever Latina to lead the nation’s largest and most diverse four-year public university system.
The appointment marks a return to the CSU for Dr. García, who served as president of Cal State Fullerton from 2012 to 2018, during which time she led the university to record improvements in graduation rates and nearly tripled new philanthropic gift commitments. She also served as president of CSU Dominguez Hills from 2007 to 2012, where she held the distinction of being the CSU’s first Latina president. At CSU Dominguez Hills, she dramatically increased retention rates for freshman and transfer students and eliminated a structural deficit of $2.8 million.
Prior to her appointment as chancellor, Dr. García served as president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) since 2018, where she was a strong and internationally renowned advocate for public higher education, working to influence federal policy and regulations on behalf of 350 member colleges and universities. She is the first Latina to lead one of the six presidentially based higher education associations in Washington, D.C. During her tenure at AASCU, she directed a strategic agenda that focused on public college and university leadership for the 21st century and provided professional development opportunities for presidents, chancellors and other public higher education leaders.
Dr. García previously served as the CEO of Berkeley College, where she was the first systemwide president for all six campuses in New York and New Jersey. She has held both academic and senior-level positions at Arizona State University; Montclair State University; Pennsylvania State University; Teachers College, Columbia University; and the Hostos, LaGuardia and City Colleges of the City University of New York.
A recipient of myriad awards and honors, Dr. García was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on several advisory boards, including the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and by the U.S. Secretary of Education to serve on the Committee on Measures of Student Success.
Dr. García was raised in New York City by her parents, who moved to New York from Puerto Rico. A first-generation college student and the first in her family to earn a degree, she received her associate degree from New York City Community College, a bachelor’s in business education from Bernard M. Baruch College and a master’s in business education from New York University. At Teachers College, Columbia University, she earned a master’s and a doctorate in higher education administration.
Elizabeth González
Chief Program and Strategy Officer, College Futures
Elizabeth González is a long-time philanthropy professional working for national, state, and regional foundations in support of public-sector systems change strategies and the advancement of equitable intergenerational social-economic mobility. She joined College Futures Foundation in 2019. As chief program & strategy officer, Elizabeth leads the development and implementation of the Foundation’s strategy in service of the foundation’s vision and mission.
Previously, Elizabeth was a portfolio director at The James Irvine Foundation, where she oversaw the education and workforce portfolios and teams - the Better Careers initiative, postsecondary success grantmaking, and Linked Learning, Irvine’s signature initiative to integrate academic and career-technical education for better student outcomes in high schools throughout California. Prior to her work at the Irvine Foundation, Elizabeth was a postsecondary success program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation overseeing a national portfolio of municipal partnerships for college success.
Elizabeth is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation college student from southeast Los Angeles. She earned a B.A. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a focus on poverty, labor market inequality, and social policy. Elizabeth currently serves as a member of the KQED board, USC’s Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy advisory board, Center for Effective Philanthropy’s advisory board, and the Public Policy Institute of California’s Statewide Leadership Council. She lives in Santa Rosa, CA with her husband and son and enjoys hiking, poetry, and the joy of a good cumbia.
Mushtaq Gunja
Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification Systems & Senior Vice President, President's Office
Mushtaq Gunja serves as executive director of the Carnegie Classification systems and senior vice president at ACE, where he is in charge of running and reimagining the Carnegie framework.
Prior to joining ACE, Gunja served as assistant dean in academic affairs at Georgetown University Law Center (DC), where he was in charge of academic policies for the law school, including accreditation, teaching methods, and new programs related to increased educational outcomes. He also serves as an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown Law and previously taught at the University of Maryland School of Law and Washington Adventist University.
Gunja served as the chief of staff to the under secretary at the U.S. Department of Education under President Obama. In this position, he provided strategic advice to the under secretary in the development and implementation of policies across higher education, including improving access and affordability, highlighting promising practices to foster completion, encouraging increased innovation, improving the borrower experience for students with federal loans, and ensuring fair treatment for all students of higher education
Gunja graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School (MA) and magna cum laude and with honors from Brown University (RI) with a B.A. in political science and diplomatic history.
Nate Hilger, Ph.D.
Economist
Nate Hilger is a researcher and writer. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University and a PhD in economics from Harvard University.
He has worked as a professor of economics at Brown University and an economist and data scientist in Silicon Valley. While in academia he was a Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and continues to hold an affiliation with the Population Studies and Training Center at Brown. In 2020 he served as a lead policy consultant on early childhood and non-K12 child development issues for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign.
He has won grants and fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, the Hoover Institute, and the Kauffman Foundation, and given talks at universities and research institutes around the world. He has made formative contributions to the IRS Databank and the Stripe-Stanford Survey of Internet Entrepreneurship.
His academic research on child development and inequality has been published in The Quarterly Journal of Economics and other leading peer-reviewed journals, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other major media outlets. He lives with his wife and two kids in Redwood City, California.
Robert Kelchen, Ph.D.
Department Head, University of Tennessee & Data Editor for Washington Monthly
Robert Kelchen (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison) is professor and head of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Prior to joining ELPS in 2021, he was an associate professor and department chair at Seton Hall University. His research areas include higher education finance, accountability policies and practices, and student financial aid. Dr. Kelchen has recent publications in Educational Researcher, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, The Journal of Higher Education, and Economics of Education Review. His research has received more than $2 million in funding from Arnold Ventures, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the Lumina Foundation, and the William T. Grant Foundation.
He is associate editor of Research in Higher Education, data editor for Washington Monthly magazine’s annual college guide and rankings, and received the Excellence in Public Policy in Higher Education award from the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s Council on Public Policy in Higher Education in 2023.
Terren Klein
CEO, College Pulse; WSJ/College Pulse Rankings
Terren Klein is the CEO and founder of College Pulse–a research and analytics firm dedicated to amplifying the voice of the college student. Through its innovative American College Student Panel™, which includes over 950,000 students and recent graduates from more than 1,500 institutions across the U.S., College Pulse provides tailored marketing and research solutions. These insights empower campus recruiters, marketing teams, and universities with actionable data to make informed decisions. The company’s data also supports the College Pulse/WSJ Rankings, in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, offering a comprehensive look at higher education performance. Originally from Edgemont, New York, and a Dartmouth College statistics graduate, Terren now lives in Frisco, Colorado.
Georj Lewis, Ed.D.
President, Clayton State University
Dr. Georj L. Lewis joined Clayton State University as its seventh president on February 1, 2023. In his 28th year in the higher education sector, Lewis started his post-secondary education career in admissions and enrollment, coordinating minority recruitment efforts. After five years, he moved into mid-level management positions in the functional area of multicultural affairs and led the student diversity efforts at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and then transitioned to leading the same efforts at Georgia Southern University. In May 2019, Dr. Lewis was tapped to serve as interim president of Atlanta Metropolitan State College before officially being named the college’s fourth president in November of that year. Dr. Lewis has received several awards, most recently recognized as a 2021 Pillar of the Profession by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). He is also a recipient of the Paragon Award for New Presidents by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. He has also taught graduate courses on student services in higher education, undergraduate first-year experience courses and has recently collaborated on a book chapter in the Handbook of Research on Black Males and regularly serves on dissertation committees.
Dr. Ramona Lewis, Ed.D.
Faculty, Educational Leadership in Higher Education, Western Michigan University,
Associate Director, Office of Faculty Development
Dr. Lewis (she/her) is a master faculty specialist in the Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology in the College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University. She earned an Ed.D. in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University, an M.A. in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, and a B.A. in English from Arizona State University. Dr. Lewis is an alumna of the State of Michigan King Chavez Parks Future Faculty Fellow program.
Dr. Lewis is a proud practitioner-scholar, beginning her career in higher education as an administrator, she utilizes that experience to guide her scholarship and current work with students. Prior to joining WMU, Dr. Lewis served at Bowling Green State University, Georgia Tech, University of Michigan, and Eastern Michigan University in both academic and student affairs areas. These included faculty development, academic advising, first-year experience, new student orientation, academic advising, tutoring and academic support services, and residence life.
- Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Eastern Michigan University
- M.A., College Student Personnel, Bowling Green State University
- B.A., English, Arizona State University
Ellen Neufeldt, Ed.D.
President, California State University San Marcos
Since becoming the fourth president of California State University in July 2019, Dr. Ellen Neufeldt has focused on engaging, interacting, listening, and building relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community constituents. A champion of innovation and entrepreneurship, President Neufeldt oversaw the opening of CSUSM’s Innovation Hub, an on-campus home for meeting societal needs, less than a year into her tenure in March 2020. But her commitment to innovation goes beyond a physical space, encompassing an entire ecosystem that includes a critical focus on social innovation. Dr. Neufeldt is also firmly committed to ensuring that Cal State San Marcos is a diverse, inclusive and welcome home for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. Focusing throughout her career on student success and student social mobility, she cares deeply about being part of the solution to creating pathways for students to achieve their dreams.
Jennifer Ostergren, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Education, Health & Human Services, CSUSM
Jennifer A. Ostergren, PhD, CCC-SLP is the Dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services at California State University, San Marcos. She is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist with more than 20 years of experience working with adults with neurologic cognitive and communication disorders across the spectrum of rehabilitation settings. Dr. Ostergren is a published author and a national and international speaker in the areas of rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and support personnel in the field of speech-language pathology. She has specialized training in futures thinking and an interest in the futures of work, health, and education.
Scott Peters
Representative, California's 50th District
Congressman Scott Peters serves the country’s most beautiful congressional district, California’s 50th, in San Diego County. First elected in 2012, Scott’s career has been defined by major legislative victories for our veterans and military, deploying clean energy, reducing drug costs while protecting innovation, and confronting the substance abuse crisis.
Above all else, Scott works to improve the quality of life for San Diegans. To that end, he has championed San Diego’s innovation and life sciences economy, strengthened the San Diego – U.S. Military partnership, tackled the scourge of cross-border sewage, and taken on homelessness and the housing shortage with federal funds.
Scott earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and worked as an economist for the United States Environmental Protection Agency before attending New York University School of Law. He and his wife of 33 years reside in La Jolla, where they raised their son and daughter.
Monte Randall, Ed.D.
President, Office of Executive Affairs, College of the Muscogee Nation
Dr. Monte Randall is Muscogee (Creek) from the Apekv-Tvlledegv Tribal Town and Deer Clan. He is a veteran of the United States Navy and a graduate of Haskell Indian Nations University, the University of Oklahoma, and Oral Roberts University, where he received a doctorate in educational leadership.
Dr. Randall’s research focuses on Native American culture, problem-solving abilities, and leadership. His dissertation correlated the significance of cultural learning in overcoming the impacts of historical trauma of Native American students. Dr. Randall is the fifth president at the College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN). He has worked extensively at CMN as the dean of academic affairs, dean of student affairs, and tribal services instructor. While at CMN, Dr. Randall developed the federal financial aid policies, Office of Student Affairs, and a student learning assessment plan, and he contributed to CMN’s accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission.
Dr. Randall is a Mellon and Aspen Fellow and Carnegie Foundation commissioner. He contributes to the Tribal College Journal and volunteers as a community leader with Glenpool Public Schools, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Dr. Randall regularly presents topics related to Native American education, culture, and leadership within the community.
Star Rivera-Lacy, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President, Palomar Community College District
Star Rivera-Lacey, Ph.D., is the Superintendent/President of Palomar Community College District. Previously she served as vice president of student services at San Diego Continuing Education in California. Dr. Rivera-Lacy has over 20 years of community college administrative and leadership experience. Her community college experience includes serving as a vice president of student services; dean of counseling; director of EOPS, CalWORKs, and outreach; and director of student support services; she is a former tenured associate professor and counselor. Her leadership skills and qualifications include experience with developing and implementing innovative programs for diverse traditional, and nontraditional, student populations in both credit and noncredit educational settings. Her current scope of responsibility includes providing leadership for the development, implementation, and evaluation of key components of student services. Dr. Rivera-Lacey is also heavily engaged with integrated planning and leadership for the institution’s student success and equity efforts.
Emily Rounds
Third Way, Education Policy Advisory
Emily is an Education Policy Advisor at Third Way, a center-left think tank in Washington, DC, where she researches and advocates for accountability, transparency, and equity in federal higher education policies. Emily helps to lead Third Way’s higher education value metrics, the Price-to-Earnings Premium and Economic Mobility Index. Her passion for her work is grounded in the intergenerational mobility effects of higher education and centering policy around student success
September Sanderlin
Old Dominion University, Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
September Sanderlin holds more than 30+ years of human resources experience, and has been a Monarch at ODU since 1997. As Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, she oversees organization development, training, employee relations, compensation and classification, benefits, workforce planning, compliance, information systems, recruitment, staffing, transactions and record-keeping, and she also oversees the office of Institutional Equity & Diversity.
Throughout her tenure at ODU, Sanderlin has chaired a number of critical initiatives, including the Threat Assessment and Management Committee, Quality of University Life program and the Enrollment Management Customer Service subcommittee. On the state level, she is a member of the Department of Human Resource Management Training Council and the Virginia Universities' Chief Human Resources Officer Council.
Kristin Sobolik
University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor, Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) Board Chair
Kristin Sobolik is the eighth chancellor of the University of Missouri–St. Louis and leads the region’s premier public research university which enrolls more than 15,000 students, employs more than 2,300 and generates an annual economic impact of more than $430M. As an anchor institution and a workforce driver, UMSL has the largest alumni base in the metro region with alumni generating a $13.4B annual economic impact to the state.
Sobolik first joined the University of Missouri–St. Louis community in 2017 as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs – quickly rising to the role of executive vice chancellor followed by her appointment as interim chancellor and then chancellor in 2020. Prior to UMSL, Sobolik served in administrative and faculty roles at Wright State University and the University of Maine, graduating with her degree in Biology from the University of Iowa and her master’s and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Texas A&M University.
Don Stansberry, Ph.D.
Vice President of Student Affairs, Clayton State University
Dr. Don Stansberry joined Calyton State University in 2023 as the Vice President of Student Affairs. Previously he served as the inaugural presidential fellow at Old Dominion University and served as the vice president of Student Engagement and Enrollment Services.
Dr. Stansberry is a student-focused professional dedicated to student engagement, development and collaborative relationships to enhance the student experience. As a first-generation college student himself, he is committed to supporting students in completing their education.
Dr. Stansberry began his career in student affairs over 30 years ago serving as a resident director/director of Student Activities, that is where he found his passion for working with students to realize and maximize their potential.
His career path has taken him to Western Illinois University, Towson University, and for over two decades he was a member of the Old Dominion University team. At ODU, he started as the director of Student Activities and Leadership. During his time at ODU, he has served in many leadership roles including dean of Students, assistant vice president and associate vice president.
Dr. Stansberry is a proud member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, Omicron Delta Kappa and Order of Omega. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education and an Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University. He also earned a master's degree in College Student Personnel Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communication from Ohio University.
Antonio Tillis, Ph.D.
Chancellor, Rutgers University-Camden
Dr. Antonio D. Tillis has served as chancellor of Rutgers University in Camden since July 2021. Chancellor Tillis is an internationally known scholar who has presented his work at universities and academic conferences around the world. A visionary leader, Chancellor Tillis has decades of higher-education experience that guide his commitment to elevating research output, student success, and civic engagement across Rutgers–Camden.
Before joining Rutgers University–Camden, Tillis served as interim president of the University of Houston–Downtown, a comprehensive urban institution offering more than 50 degree-granting programs and serving more than 15,000 students. In this capacity, he worked collaboratively to promote student and faculty development, engage the community, and advance the strategic vision for the second-largest campus in the University of Houston system. Also, at the University of Houston, he served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the largest of the 15 academic and professional colleges at the university. Under his leadership, the reputation and resources of that school grew significantly.
A first-generation college student, Tillis holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree in Spanish literature from Howard University. He earned his Ph.D. in Latin American literature (with an Afro-Hispanic emphasis) from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
Jose Antonio Vargas
Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker and Tony-nominated theatrical producer. A leading voice for the human rights of immigrants, he founded the non-profit narrative change organization Define American.
His best-selling memoir, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, was published by HarperCollins in 2018. His second book, White Is Not a Country, will be published by Knopf in 2024.
In 2019, he co-produced Heidi Schreck’s acclaimed Broadway play, What the Constitution Means to Me, which was nominated for a Tony Award for “Best Play.” His second Broadway production, a staging of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s musical Here Lies Love, opened at the Broadway Theatre in 2023.
He is a proud graduate of San Francisco State University (‘04), where he was named Alumnus of the Year in 2012. An elementary school named after Vargas opened in his hometown of Mountain View, California in August 2019.
José Manuel Villarreal, Ed.D.
Principal, Rancho Buena Vista High School, Vista Unified School District
Dr. José Manuel Villarreal is a dedicated educational leader and innovator with a deep commitment to equity, student success, and community empowerment. As the Principal of Rancho Buena Vista High School in the Vista Unified School District, he is focused on building strong, student-centered learning communities that foster college and career readiness. Under his leadership, Rancho Buena Vista High School launched the first cohort of CSUSM’s SWIFT Program, Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast Track, which leverages dual enrollment courses for a three-year accelerated degree.
With 25 years of experience in education, Dr. Villarreal has served in various leadership roles, including Principal, Assistant Principal, and Assistant Superintendent at Epiphany Prep Charter School, where he developed strategic systems to support diverse student populations, and as a National Institute for Latino School Leaders Fellow with UnidosUS, advocating for educational policies that uplift historically underserved communities.
In addition to his work in K-12 education, Dr. Villarreal is an adjunct professor at Alliant International University, where he teaches graduate courses in educational leadership. His expertise spans strategic planning, instructional innovation, dual-language education, and restorative practices.
Charles L. Welch, Ed.D.
President, AASCU
Charles L. Welch became the seventh president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) on January 15, 2024. Welch joined AASCU after serving nearly 13 years as president of the Arkansas State University System, where he led the state’s second largest higher education system. He is also past president of Henderson State University (AR).
Welch is past president of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges and served as chairman of the board of the Arkansas Association of Public Universities. He is vice chair of the American Academic Leadership Institute Board of Directors and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. He also served on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, is a former board member for the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches, and was inducted into the Arkansas Boys State Hall of Fame.
Welch is a first-generation college student and the first member of his extended family to receive an advanced degree. He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Arkansas, a Master of Arts in political management from The George Washington University (DC), and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Jim Wolfston
President, CollegeNET, Inc.
Jim Wolfston is President of CollegeNET, Inc., the publisher of the Social Mobility Index (SMI). CollegeNET develops scheduling, admissions, and video interviewing technologies that are now used by over 1000 colleges and universities. Mr. Wolfston holds 30 patents covering several of the innovations behind these technologies. He is the executive producer of the new, award-winning documentary RIGGED, which explains how broader access to higher education holds the key to solving the growing divergence between rich and poor in this country. Mr. Wolfston earned a B.A. Summa Cum Laude in Mathematics and Psychology at Western Michigan University and an M.S. in Computer and Communications Science at The University of Michigan.
Luke Wood, Ph.D.
President, Sacramento State University
Luke Wood was appointed Sacramento State’s ninth president in May 2023. Prior to his appointment, Wood served as a key leader driving transformational change in the areas of student success, enrollment and campus diversity at San Diego State, as the university’s chief diversity officer and vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity.
Wood joined San Diego State in 2011 as a professor and in 2012 was named co-director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab, a research and practice center focused on reducing equity gaps between students of color and their peers. In 2017, he became the first Black faculty member to be named a Distinguished Professor at SDSU, while serving as a professor in the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation and Postsecondary Education.
In 2023, Wood was appointed by the California State Senate to serve on the newly established California Racial Equity Commission, which works to promote racial equity and address structural racism across the state.