Meet Our Presenters

Heather Adams is a senior program manager at the College Excellence Program, leading the development of transfer initiatives. Prior to joining CEP, Heather served as the director of the UCLA Transfer Student Center and director of UCLA College Learning Communities. Heather’s​ work has centered on generating institutionalized receptivity, support, and policy restructuring for underserved student communities through strategic partnership and practice. Heather advocated for the establishment of the UCLA Transfer Center and transformed a program serving 300 students annually to a thriving and collaborative campus center that provides resources and support to over 27,000 transfer students each year. A proud community college transfer student, Heather earned an A.A. in psychology from Santa Monica College, and transferred to UCLA, where she obtained a B.A. in psychology and an Ed.D. in educational leadership. https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/team/

In her role as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at St. Edward's University, Glenda supports transfer initiatives in an effort to strengthen the pipeline for students to finish their undergraduate degrees. With retention rates above 75%, small class sizes, small student/teacher ratios, and a mission that supports community partnerships, equity, diversity, and inclusion, the university serves as an attractive partner to Texas community colleges.

Glenda has over 42 years in higher education, graduated from a community college, helped to launch Northeast Texas Community College in the 90's, and worked closely with adult degree completion students for over ten years, so she understands and embraces the needs for transfer populations to be successful. Most recently, she served as guest speaker on HigherEdGeeks.com with the topic, Bonus Episode #108: Glenda Ballard on Seamless Transfer Policies.

Dr. M.J. Bishop is Associate Vice Chancellor and director of the University System of Maryland’s William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, established in 2013 to create a collaborative culture of academic innovation that catalyzes new ways of thinking about student success, translates ideas into action, and scales and sustains promising practices. Informed by the diversity of USM’s 12 public higher education institutions, findings from the learning sciences, and capabilities of emerging technologies, the Center leads statewide efforts to implement, evaluate, and scale and sustain innovations aimed at student success. Prior to USM, Dr. Bishop was Associate Professor and Director of Lehigh University’s Teaching, Learning, and Technology Program where she was responsible for the institution’s graduate programs in instructional technology and teacher education. While at Lehigh, Dr. Bishop received several awards for her research and teaching including the prestigious Stabler Award for Excellence in Research and Teaching.

David Bralower is the Director of Graduate and Transfer Admission at St. Edward's University. Dave has 20 years of experience working in enrollment management at both independent schools and in higher education. For the past 11 years, David has worked with undergraduate and graduate populations as well as the management and development of online programs and partnerships.

David has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Colgate University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Leadership and Change at St. Edward's University.

Tracy Canales is currently the Senior Associate Director in the Office of Admission at St. Edward's University. Tracy has worked in higher education for over 20 years, primarily in enrollment management and transfer student recruitment. She is passionate about guiding students through their college search process with advising and mentorship to offer key ways for successful transfer pathways.

In collaboration with campus partners, she is a member of task force committees dedicated to transfer-friendly practices and initiatives. She has presented at several professional conferences regarding transfer student success, such as the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admission Officers (AACRAO). She was also interviewed by Spectrum News in their In Focus segment of "Tips for College Transfer Student Success."

Dr. Jenna Cullinane Hege serves as the vice president of Institutional Research & Analytics at Austin Community College. In this position, she is responsible for leading the college’s collection and analysis of data to support informed decision-making and strategic planning. Cullinane Hege came to ACC from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board where she worked extensively with the state's vast data resources to inform policy and improve student success and educational equity in Texas. Cullinane Hege is a fellow in the Aspen Institute’s Community College Excellence program and is an assistant professor of practice at the University of Texas-Austin (UT-Austin). Previously, she served as the higher education policy and strategy lead and as a research scientist at the Charles A. Dana Center at UT-Austin and special assistant to the president at the Institute for Higher Education Policy.

Renee Esparza, Transfer Resources Director, started at ACC in 2005. Over the last 15 years, Renee has been a recruiter, advisor, adjunct faculty member, program coordinator, and analyst. Renee has served on many ACC, university, and statewide committees during her time at ACC. Most recently, Renee is a member of the Texas Transfer Alliance and the Equity Transfer Initiative grant work team which both aim to improve transfer rates and ease the transfer path ACC students navigate as they progress to earning a bachelor’s degree.

Renee has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas, a Master’s of Arts from Texas State University and recently earned a Post-Master’s Certificate in Transfer Practice and Leadership from The University of North Georgia.

Eliza Epstein is an educator, scholar, activist, and student. She is a doctoral candidate in the UT Austin Educational Policy and Planning program studying liberatory, abolitionist, and anti-colonial policies and pedagogy, with a focus on the expansion of Ethnic Studies policy at the state and local level. Additionally, she studies community college transfer and purposes of higher education. She is an organizer with Undoing White Supremacy Austin, District 5 for Black Lives, and the Ethnic Studies Network of Texas, as well as an editor on the Texas Education Review. She is former high school English educator and cross country coach and worked for over a decade as a film editor in California.

Abigail Garza has been working at ACC for two years as the Career and Transfer Specialist for the south region campuses. Abigail graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Masters in Higher Education Administration and from Texas State University with a bachelor's degree in International Studies. Abigail's professional background includes Academic Advising and Mentoring.

Shantelle Harper joined ACC in 2018 as a Career & Transfer Specialist and has worked in higher education for eight years with a focus on career services and student services. Shantelle completed her Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration on Occupational, Workforce, and Leadership Studies from Texas State University. Shantelle serves Cypress, Round Rock, and San Gabriel Campuses.

Jim has 16 years of experience working in higher education. Engaged as a Business Development Specialist by Western International University (WIU) in 2005, Jim initiated and developed relationships with Tribal education centers across Arizona and improved alliances with air force, army, and guard installations in Arizona, as well as New Mexico, Nevada, and California. He also became active in the Arizona Education Consortium (AEC) where he organized 30 to 60 education fairs per year and served a term as the AEC President.

Jim transitioned to Western Governors University (WGU Texas) in 2017. In his role as Strategic Partnerships Manager for central Texas, he is the university liaison with multiple state and local agencies, corporations, school districts, and community colleges from San Marcos to Waco. Jim has been a regular fixture at Austin Community College (ACC) since his arrival in Texas. He is the point-person for WGU’s ‘Onward With Learning’ (OWL) partnership with ACC, which is a dynamic Transfer-Pathways program offered at only a handful of community colleges nationwide.

Dr. Harrison Keller is the Commissioner of Higher Education for the State of Texas. He is a sixth-generation Texan with more than two decades of experience in educational budget and policy, digital learning, senior university administration, management, fundraising, and building effective coalitions among school districts, community colleges, universities, systems, and policymakers.

Dr. Keller's appointment as the sixth Commissioner of Higher Education and chief executive officer for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board was effective October 1, 2019.

Dr. Keller is a recognized innovator in policy and programs to improve college readiness and student success, especially for low-income and first-generation students. He is the founder and was Principal Investigator of the On Ramps dual enrollment initiative that provides college-level courses to tens of thousands of high school students across the state of Texas, and the Texas OnCourse initiative that works with Governor Greg Abbott's Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative to improve secondary college and career advising across the state.

He came to the Coordinating Board from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was Deputy to the President for Strategy and Policy and a Professor of Practice. Dr. Keller also served at UT Austin as Vice Provost for Higher Education Policy and Research, and Executive Director of the Office of Educational Innovation and the Center for Teaching and Learning. Prior to coming to UT Austin, Dr. Keller was Director of Research for the Texas House of Representatives and Senior Education Advisor for the Speaker of the Texas House.

Dr. Keller has taught at Georgetown University, St. Edward's University, and the University of Texas at Austin. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from Georgetown University. He and his wife, Gena Nivens Keller, live in Austin with their three children.

Michelle Landrum, R.D.H., M.Ed., serves as the Dental Hygiene department chair at Austin Community College (ACC), where she has taught public health dentistry and clinical courses since 2008. She has served as a dental public health consultant for various government organizations since 2006 and received the ASTDD Distinguished Service Award in Dental Public Health in 2021. She presents at national, state, and local conferences on topics related to improving the oral health of children in underserved populations. Ms. Landrum received her dental hygiene certification from UT Health San Antonio in 2003, and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Sciences in 1995 and a Master of Health Education in 2013, both from Texas State University.

Jeffrey Mayo, Ph.D. is Assistant Director of First-Year Experience Office at the University of Texas at Austin. In this role, he leads the Transfer-Year Experience program, designed to support students through the academic transition to campus. Informed and motivated by his own transfer experience, Mayo aims to reduce friction in the transfer process and highlight the value these students add to their new institution. He previously worked in Enrollment Management at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He has published on Latino community college experiences and student civic engagement and has presented his research at national convenings of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, Latin American Studies Association, Online Learning Consortium, and National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students.

MaryJane McReynolds, Ph.D. was a community college transfer student whose experiences significantly influenced her varied higher education and public service career. She has taught, conducted research and held positions in academic and student affairs at tribal colleges, community colleges, private and public universities over the past 30 years. She has developed and directed first year, transfer and mentoring programs for undergraduates and graduate students and she has taught high school social studies.

Currently, Dr. McReynolds is the director the Office of Articulation and University Relations where she leads ACC’s district-wide efforts to improve and expand transfer opportunities, streamline the transfer process and close the transfer equity gap. She has served as an advisor and consultant on transfer research funded by the NSF, Greater Texas Foundation and partner universities, and she volunteers to speak to rural high school students about the value of higher education.

Dr. McReynolds earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Anthropology from The University of Texas at Austin, and her doctorate in Anthropology and Education from the University of New Mexico. Her research centers on understanding personal and institutional roadblocks to educational success, particularly among indigenous women.

Edgar Medina came to ACC in 2017 and has worked in higher education for 10 years with a focus on career services and employer relations. Edgar recently completed a master's degree in Higher Education Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin. Edgar serves the Eastview, Elgin, HIghland, and Rio Grande Campuses.

Eyra Pérez is the Technical Assistance Director for Excelencia in Education. She advances the Seal of Excelencia institutional transformation strategy by providing support to institutions committed to intentionally serving Latino students. Eyra brings more than 25 years of experience in Latino student access and success, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, equity-centered practices, program development and management, student development, student leadership, financial aid, transfer, STEM, and parent involvement. Her professional experience includes higher education, K-12 education, and non-profit community-based organizations. Eyra earned a PhD in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a Master’s in Educational Leadership from UTSA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Our Lady of the Lake University.

Gary Ray has served as the associate vice president for enrollment management and marketing at Texas State University since 2016. At Texas State, 37% (12,354) of the fall 2020 undergraduate enrollment were transfer students. Austin Community College is Texas State’s primary transfer partner and enrolls more than 1,200 transfers each year. The 2021 US News & World Report ranks Texas State #18 in the US for most transfers. Texas State transfer students came from 450 different institutions representing 36 states and US territories.

Mr. Ray has a master’s degree in education from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Lee University. He has also completed Harvard University’s Management Development Program.

Carolynn Campbell Reed taught as a math adjunct starting in 1996. She worked in several industries, but education kept pulling her back. She has been full-time faculty at Austin Community College since 2008 and now serves as Math Department Chair. Carolynn has led the department through the transformation of developmental math to corequisite course models in four math pathways.

Dr. Gretchen Riehl currently serves as the associate vice president of workforce education at Austin Community College. In this role, Dr. Riehl provides institutional leadership to the six credit divisions with a workforce focus. These divisions include Arts and Digital Media; Business; Computer Science and Information Technology; Design, Manufacturing, Construction, and Applied Technology; Health Sciences; and Public and Social Services. She is also responsible for oversight of the Continuing Education Division.

Prior to joining ACC, she served as executive dean of science, technology engineering and mathematics at Eastfield College, part of Dallas College. Dr. Riehl started her tenure at Dallas College at El Centro College where she served as faculty in respiratory therapy and associate dean of continuing education. Dr. Riehl holds a bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy from the University of Missouri, and master’s and doctorate degrees in health studies from Texas Woman’s University.

Rebecca Robinson-Francis is passionate about the life-changing impact of education. A first-generation college student herself, she has devoted the past 20 years to making a difference in the lives of students by helping to create high school to college programs for ACC and their partner school districts.

Rebecca has a B.B.A. in Business and Finance from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Marisa Rodriguez Serrano has been with Austin Community College for over 13 years. She has served as a Student Services Assistant, Advisor and Transfer Academy Specialist. Marisa has a Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Austin. She is the Transfer Resources Coordinator and provides services to the district.

Louis Soares serves as ACE's chief learning and innovation officer.

In this role, Soares incubates and scales ACE’s executive leadership networks, as well as catalyzes compelling research and innovation initiatives across the Council. Working with colleagues, Soares integrates the work of ACE’s leadership, research and innovation teams to optimize membership value for colleges and universities by developing programs and services to advance the success of senior leaders, diversify the executive talent pipeline and facilitate partnerships to enhance institutional performance.

Soares’ prior roles at ACE include vice president for policy research and strategy (2013–2016) and vice president for strategy, research and advancement (2016–2018).

With more than 20 years of experience in postsecondary education policy and practice, Soares is an accomplished policy analyst and thought leader on emerging trends in higher education. While at ACE he published two landmark papers, "Post-Traditional Learners and the Transformation of Higher Education" and "Evolving Higher Education Business Models," that advanced the public dialogue on adult student needs and the acceptance of innovative education delivery models.

Soares has developed and successfully implemented innovative education/training programs for and, in collaboration with, college, university and employer partners for frontline workers, business executives and higher education administrators. These innovative projects garnered support from: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, TIAA Institute, ACT, Verizon Foundation, Fleet Bank, CVS, Bank of America, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Labor.

Prior to coming to ACE, Soares served as the director of the postsecondary education program and fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP), a premier Washington, DC based think tank. Prior to CAP, he served as director of business/workforce development under Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri and as director of education partnerships for the Rhode Island Technology Council.

Soares was appointed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to serve on the National Board of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education in 2011-14.

He holds a master’s in public administration from Harvard University (MA) and a bachelor’s in business economics from Brown University (RI).

Corey Tabor is a dynamic speaker, author, and life coach who has spent the last 25 years working primarily with nonprofits in Central Texas focused on life transformation. He has worked as a pastor, college minister, and program director of the sex education program at a local pregnancy center. He currently serves as a Business Consultant with BiG Austin and Program Director for Apartment Life. He is also the Founder and President of III (Triple I) Coaching, a firm that informs, instructs, and inspires people to fulfill their purpose. He graduated with a B.S. in Communication Studies / Human Relations at the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Ministry Leadership from Rockbridge Seminary. He holds certifications in professional life coaching, human behavior, nonprofit management, and sexual risk avoidance. He’s been married to his wife April and they have two daughters.

Ram Vela is the Career & Transfer Specialist for the Northridge and Highland Campus at Austin Community College. After 10+ years of providing comprehensive job skills training and career case management services to people with disabilities, he was welcomed to the Career and Transfer team in January of 2020. Ram is grateful and excited to continue working with ACC students to help them achieve their career and transfer goals.

Dr. Xueli Wang (pronounced similar to “Shoo-lee Wong”) is the Barbara and Glenn Thompson Endowed Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on community colleges and STEM education, aiming to identify practices, structures, and policies toward transformative change for equitable student outcomes. In collaboration with a number of community and technical colleges, Dr. Wang’s NSF-funded research projects have investigated students’ learning, transfer pathways, and success, as well as how faculty development translates into teaching practices that subsequently shape students’ experiences and outcomes. A notable example of Dr. Wang’s work is her book, “On My Own: The Challenge and Promise of Building Equitable STEM Transfer Pathways,” published in 2020 by Harvard Education Press. Grounded in a large-scale longitudinal study of 1,670 community college students, this book unravels inequities in transfer, particularly in STEM fields of study, and illuminates policy and practices toward cultivating equitable transfer pathways. This book received the 2021 outstanding publication award from the American Educational Research Association’s Postsecondary Education Division. Among her numerous other awards, Dr. Wang was honored with the Transfer Champion–Catalyst Award by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students in 2021, the Barbara Townsend Lecture Award by the Association for the Study of Higher Education in 2020, and the UW–Madison School of Education’s Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in 2020.

Jenna Watts currently serves as Director for Governmental Affairs and Policy Initiatives at UT Austin. She engages with policymakers to represent the interest of the university during policy and budget deliberations. Additionally, she works to promote state policies and initiatives to improve postsecondary outcomes for students at UT Austin and throughout Texas. Prior to joining UT Austin, she served as the vice president for policy at Deans for Impact, a national organization founded to improve the way teachers are prepared to serve our nation’s students. She worked closely on major education policy initiatives related to public school assessment, accountability, graduation and teacher quality while serving as the committee director for the Texas House Committee on Public Education for ten years. She also served as the director of governmental relations at the Texas Education Agency. Jenna received her bachelor’s degree in government and history from the University of Texas at Austin.

Elif Yucel is a doctoral student in the Urban Education Policy program at the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on two areas: community colleges, primarily around developmental education and transfer, and the nexus between the education and criminal legal systems.