DR. ALEXANDER N. CARTWRIGHT

President, University of Central Florida

Dr. Alexander N. Cartwright

Alexander Cartwright was selected as UCF’s sixth president by the UCF Board of Trustees on March 20, 2020 following a nationwide search. He was confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors the following week.

Under Dr. Cartwright’s leadership, UCF is determined to become the university for the future — one that unleashes the potential within every individual; enriches the human experience through inclusion, discovery, and innovation; and propels broad-based prosperity for the many communities the university serves. To achieve this vision, UCF is focused on increasing academic, operational, and inclusive excellence.

As a first generation college student whose journey to higher education was not traditional, Dr. Cartwright understands and prioritizes the need to build successful outcomes for students from all backgrounds. He is an internationally recognized researcher and scholar in the area of optical sensors, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, SPIE, and the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Cartwright is a prior winner of both the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award. In addition, he earned the 2002 SUNY Chancellor’s award for excellence in teaching.

CATHY N. DAVIDSON

Author of “The New Education”

Cathy N. Davidson is the Senior Advisor on Transformation to the Chancellor of the City University of New York (CUNY). She is also Founding Director of the Futures Initiative and Distinguished Professor of English, as well as the M.A. in Digital Humanities and the M.S. in Data Analysis and Visualization programs at the Graduate Center (CUNY). The author or editor of over twenty books, she has taught at a range of institutions, from community college to the Ivy League. She held two distinguished professorships at Duke University, where she taught for twenty-five years, and also became the university’s (and the nation’s) first Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies. She is cofounder and codirector of the Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory (HASTAC.org, known as “Haystack”), the “world’s first and oldest academic social network,” founded in 2002.

Davidson’s many prizewinning books include the classics Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America and Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory (with photographer Bill Bamberger). Most recently, she has concentrated on the science of learning in the “How We Know” Trilogy: Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn; The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World in Flux; and, co-authored with Christina Katopodis, The New College Classroom.

Davidson has won many awards and grants including from the Guggenheim Foundation, ACLS, NEH, NSF, and the MacArthur Foundation. Most recently, the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences presented Davidson with its annual Advocacy Award. She has served on the board of directors of Mozilla, was appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Council on the Humanities, and has twice keynoted the Nobel Prize Committee’s Forum on the Future of Learning.

EMILY FLOSITZ

Assistant Director of Career Development with the Career Services Office, University of Central Florida

Emily Flositz serves as an Assistant Director of Career Development with the Career Services office at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Emily develops and manages career readiness programs for all students at UCF as well as assists students through one-on-one appointments on major exploration, career assessment, and professional development topics.

She enjoys supporting students’ exploration of occupations and majors to discover pathways and connections from classroom to career and has a passion for supporting military veterans, students with disabilities, and first-generation college students.

She has been with Career Services since 2016 after having worked nearly three years at Seminole State College in the Career Development Center. Emily graduated from the University of South Florida (USF) in 2012 with a Master of Arts in Counselor Education, with a concentration in Career Counseling. She also earned her Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from USF in 2006. She also maintains her Certified Career Counselor (CCC) credential from the National Career Development Association.

COURTNEY RAYAM HAND

Faculty, Experiential Learning Office, University of Central Florida

Courtney Rayam Hand serves as Faculty with the Experiential Learning (EL) office at the University of Central Florida (UCF). In her role, she instructs internship courses and supports students in their process of finding valuable internship experiences.

Prior to her role in Experiential Learning, Ms. Hand served as an Assistant Director with UCF Career Services where she supported the management of the Career Development Team, counseled students regarding major and career choices, facilitated professional development workshops, and supported university initiatives to provide Student-to-Professional successful transitions.

Before returning to Orlando, Florida, Ms. Hand was the Director of Intercultural Programs at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV overseeing both Multicultural Programming and International Student Services. She enjoys supporting and educating students as they evolve professionally and personally into their career goals.

Ms. Hand graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, with dual majors in psychology and sociology. Later, she graduated with a Master of Arts in Counseling from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ. Ms. Hand is also working toward her doctorate in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in educational psychology from the University of Central Florida.

DR. KENNETH A. JESSELL

President, Florida International University

Dr. Kenneth A Jessell

Dr. Kenneth A. Jessell is the president of Florida International University. He was unanimously approved by the FIU Board of Trustees as president-designate on Oct. 17, 2022, and confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors on Nov. 9, 2022, as the sixth president of FIU.

Prior to his appointment as interim president in January of 2022, Dr. Jessell served as Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer at FIU from 2009-2022. At this position, he was responsible for the management and administration of financial, facility and business service operations of the university. Dr. Jessell is also a professor of finance in the College of Business Administration at FIU.

Prior to his time at FIU, Dr. Jessell served as the Senior Vice President for Financial Affairs at Florida Atlantic University. During his 26-year career at FAU, Dr. Jessell served in several key leadership positions, including Interim University Provost, Interim Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of the FAU Foundation, Associate University Provost and Associate Dean in the College of Business Administration. Dr. Jessell started his employment at FAU in 1983 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Finance and Real Estate.

Dr. Jessell’s teaching and research interests are in the areas of financial management and real estate finance and appraisal. He has published 16 articles and abstracts in academic journals including The Financial Review, Journal of Cash Management, The Appraisal Review, Housing Finance Review, Applied Economics and Journal of Financial Education. He has also presented several research papers in the areas of finance and real estate at professional conferences and organizations including the Oxford Roundtable in Oxford, England.

PAGE KELLER

Vice President of Academic Relations, Knack

Page Keller, after 25 years in higher education focusing on learning assistance and peer education, joined the team at Knack Technologies, Inc. as Vice President of Academic Relations.

Her career encompasses research, writing, and practice advocating for peer education as a high-impact practice. In her current role at Knack, Keller forges and nurtures relationships with students, prospects, and partners across college and university campuses.

Keller’s ongoing commitment to student success and persistence is further exemplified by her engaging presentations and workshops, which provide valuable insights to leading figures in the higher education sector.

DR. GEORGE D. KUH

Indiana University

Dr. George D. Kuh George D. Kuh is Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Higher Education at Indiana University (IU).

He is the founding director of IU’s Center for Postsecondary Research, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), and the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).

George has more than 400 publications and made several hundred presentations on topics related to assessment strategies, institutional improvement, college student engagement, and campus cultures. He has consulted with about 400 institutions and organizations in the U.S. and abroad. His recent books include Using Evidence of Student Learning to Improve Higher Education (2015), Ensuring Quality and Taking High-Impact Practices to Scale (2013), High Impact Practices (2008), and Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That Matter (2005, 2010).

His work has been recognized with awards from the American College Personnel Association, American Educational Research Association, Association for Institutional Research, Association for the Study of Higher Education, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, Council of Independent Colleges, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and National Center on Public Policy in Higher Education as well as eleven honorary degrees.

RHEA F. LAW

President, University of South Florida

Rhea F. Law Rhea Law became the University of South Florida’s eighth president in March 2022. A proud fifth-generation Floridian who is passionate about the success of the state, Law is actively involved in corporate, public policy, civic, and charitable work.

The first USF graduate to serve as president, Law has deep ties within the USF community and throughout the state of Florida. She earned an undergraduate degree in management from USF, putting herself through school while working as the university research project administrator for the Office of Sponsored Research. She then earned her terminal degree in law at Stetson University College of Law.

As one of the founding members of the USF Board of Trustees, she spent five years as vice chair and four years as the first (and only) female chair, contributing significantly to USF’s growth and evolution as a high-impact, global research university.

Law has held top leadership positions with many Florida-based organizations. She served as board chair of the Florida Council of 100, the public policy liaison with Florida’s governor, cabinet, legislative leadership, and Supreme Court, and was a two-time chair of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and the Tampa Bay Partnership during times of reorganization and expansion. She also served as chair of the USF Health Professions Conferencing Corporation, which operates the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation. At Stetson University, Law was a member of the Board of Trustees and chair of the College of Law’s Board of Overseers.

Law is the former CEO and chair of the Board of Fowler White Boggs, a Florida law firm. In 2014, she led the merger of Fowler with a national firm, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, where she continued to serve as chair of the firm’s Florida Offices until 2021. The consolidation of the firms created a powerhouse firm with law offices throughout the country and hundreds of lawyers who specialize in a broad spectrum of business areas such as Energy, Finance, Healthcare and Life Sciences.

PAUL J. LUNA

President and CEO, Helios Education Foundation

Paul J. Luna is a nationally recognized leader in philanthropy, education, and community development. Since 2006, he has served as President and CEO of Helios Education Foundation, where he has led the foundation in its efforts to create opportunities for individuals to succeed in postsecondary education. In this role, he is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the organization, cultivating strong community relationships, and initiating strategic partnerships in Arizona and Florida. He brings more than 30 years of public and private professional experience to the leadership of Helios.

A native of Miami, Arizona, Mr. Luna graduated from Miami High School, and as a first-generation college student, attended Stanford University, where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering. In addition to his role at Helios, Mr. Luna currently serves as a member of Greater Phoenix Leadership, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Florida College Access Network Advisory Board, the America’s Promise Alliance Board of Directors, the Center for the Future of Arizona Board of Directors, the Partnership for Economic Innovation Board of Directors, and the Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities President’s Council.

DR. PAUL G. PERRAULT

Senior Vice President, Community Impact and Learning, Helios Education Foundation

Dr. Paul G. Perrault is Senior Vice President, Community Impact and Learning for Helios Education Foundation. Dr. Perrault is charged with leading the development of the Foundation’s research and evaluation agenda and in managing Helios’ grants and project management team.

Dr. Perrault comes to Helios with more than 15 years of research and evaluation experience. Prior to joining Helios, he was a researcher at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, where he served as a lead investigator on Arizona’s Move On When Ready evaluation and as principal investigator on Yuma’s Ready Now Yuma evaluation.

Dr. Perrault received his Ph.D. in Educational Foundations and Policy with a specialization in research methodology at the University of Michigan along with two Masters Degrees, one in Educational Administration and another in Secondary Certification. He also earned a JD at the University of Detroit Mercy and a BA in Journalism at Michigan State University.

Dr. Perrault’s currently serves as a Board Member for Touchstone Health Services and is co-chair of the Data Impact Group for Grantmakers for Education. More recently he was selected as a fellow to Arizona’s prestigious Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy and is an alum of Valley Leadership – Class 40.

TARA STOPFEL WARDEN

Assistant Vice Provost for Advising, Academic Services & Strategic Partnerships, University of Cincinnati

Tara Warden Tara Stopfel Warden serves as the Assistant Vice Provost for Advising, Academic Services & Strategic Partnerships at the University of Cincinnati (UC.) She specializes in strategy and innovative program design for advising, enrollment management, and student success. Her leadership supports 50,000 students across 11 colleges, including two community colleges and three campuses. Her team oversees advising, orientation, student success tools & assessment, early college programs, dual enrollment, and Cincinnati Public Schools Strong.

Tara has advocated for and facilitated investments of more than $6M perm funds in advising and student success over the last 20 years, accompanying remarkable increases in enrollment, student retention, graduation rates, and reducing equity gaps for Black students. The programs she has founded have received awards and recognition from NACADA for innovation and exemplary practices. In 2019, Tara was honored with NACADA’s Michael C. Holen Pacesetter Award and in 2020, she received the ACE Ohio Excellence in Higher Education Leadership Award.

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If you have any questions regarding session proposals, sponsorships, or any other aspect of the conference, please contact Associate Director of Strategy with the Florida Consortium, Scott Mauro at scott.mauro@ucf.edu.

You can also contact the National Student Success Conference planning team with Reimagined Experiences. Reimagined Experiences is a conference and event planning firm that is partnering with the NSSC providing planning services and customer support. If you have any questions regarding this year’s conference or need help with your registration, please contact Reimagined Experiences at 1-877-664-4630.

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