Speakers
Joan Liu
Bio
Joan Liu has been a university advisor for the past two decades, working at national and international schools in the US, Turkey, England, and Singapore. For the past nine years, she was a university advisor at the United World College of SE Asia. Outside of school, Joan was the Inaugural Chair of Inclusion, Access, and Success for the International Association of College Admissions Counseling, launching the organization's Scholar Program, which trains and supports talented, under-resourced counselors around the world, who work with high achieving, low income students.
In 2018, Joan mobilized a pro-bono team of counselors to support the 61 Nepali students who had lost full scholarships from University of Texas at Tyler (due to a "budgetary error"). She galvanized a global movement to re-seat these students, and she and her team seated 56 students at new universities in the US, Canada, Middle East, and East Asia, with 10+ million in fin aid and scholarships; and raised 180K in gap funding - after the US cycle had finished for that year. In 2021, she and the Nepal Justice League team were awarded NACAC’s Joyce E Smith Award, an award given to those who “have improved the field of education and the way students are served” (2020).
Since 2019, Joan has run an initiative called Second Chance, which seats high achieving, low income students at universities, in the post April 1st space, with full scholarships. To date, she and her team have seated 104 international students, at universities in the US, Canada, S Korea, Germany Ghana, Mauritius, and Hong Kong with full scholarships in the past 4 years.
Lisa Hernandez
Bio
Lisa Hernandez is the Chief Human Resources Officer and Title IX Coordinator at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA. She is passionate about creating a positive experience and sense of belonging for both students and employees. Lisa is a seasoned civil rights litigator who came to higher education after serving for thirteen years as a Senior Trial Attorney with the Pittsburgh Area Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In that capacity, she enforced and brought federal actions against employers under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (as amended), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other federal anti-discrimination statutes. Prior to her tenure at EEOC, Lisa clerked for federal and state court judges, and worked as an associate at Reed Smith. She received both her JD and BA (International Relations) from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband, son, and two dogs.
April Bush
Bio
Dr. April Bush has had over 20 years of experience in higher education. Like many admission professionals, Dr. Bush, started in admissions as a student worker and tour guide. Upon graduating from college, she started working for her Alma Mater, Erskine College. Her career has including working at several private colleges across the South as well as one public college. The last eight years, Dr. Bush has worked as a consultant for Ruffalo Noel Levitz within the financial aid services division. During this time, Dr. Bush has served over 30 campus across the country and helped them grow enrollment and increase their net tuition revenue. Currently, Dr. Bush is Vice-President and Senior Consultant, where she will continue to work with campuses on their overall strategies to further their institutional goals. During her career, she has presented at many conferences on topics such as improving the campus visit experience, test optional policies/strategies, and recruiting students to a women’s college.
Dr. Bush has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Erskine College, a Master’s Degree in Education with a specialization in Enrollment Management from Capella University, and a PhD in Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education. Dr. Bush lives in Greenville, SC with her husband, three children and four dogs. Dr. Bush is a life-long learner, who continues to look for ways to increase her knowledge and expand her skill set. In fact, during the pandemic, she learned to play the Marimba and Vibraphone as part of an adult ensemble.
Melissa Micco
Bio
Melissa began her public accounting career in 1994 at a then “Big 6” firm, serving higher education, non-profit and middle market clients.
After eight years in public accounting, Melissa joined the finance team of a large regional healthcare provider. She then joined Robert Morris University (RMU) in 2008 as the Controller and has since assumed several other areas of responsibility. Melissa currently serves as the Chief Accounting and Financial Planning Officer and Assistant Treasurer of RMU where she oversees the finance team, as well as compensation and benefits for the University faculty, unions, and non-union staff. Melissa is a Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A) and has her Masters in Instructional Leadership. She has served on a number of non-profit boards, particularly for community centers and youth sports organizations. Melissa lives in Cranberry Township outside of Pittsburgh with her husband, her two hockey-loving sons, and her rescue dog, Mario.
Marylyn Scott
Bio
As Assistant Dean for Student Transitions at African Leadership Academy (ALA) in South Africa, Marylyn Scott currently works with a dynamic team of committed staff to counsel students and their parents about the college and scholarship application processes and facilitate the placement of ALA students in university and other post-graduate experiences.
Prior to joining ALA, Marylyn spent 15 years in progressively responsible roles in enrollment management at Mount Holyoke College, Bates College, Chatham University, and Bucknell University. Before college admissions she had many lives as a(n) classroom teacher, college professor, employee for the South Korean Ministry of Education, flight attendant with United Airlines, and community educator for the Alzheimer’s Associations
Kamilah Lewis
Bio
Kamilah Lewis is a tech savvy, growth-focused leader, with a love for the consumer and their lifecycle with a brand. With over two decades of experience in holistic brand growth strategy through offline and online channels, Kamilah has helped launch and cultivate more than a dozen top consumer-centric omnichannel brands with a passion for developing consumer strategy. These days, her consumer of focus is the prospective student and their families.
While at EAB, one of the most well-respected consulting firms specializing in education institutions, Kamilah helped build EAB’s Agency Services department by leading the implementation of comprehensive digital strategies based on a thorough understanding of market trends, technical breakthroughs, customer journeys, and customer behavior. She also served as one of the architects for the Agency’s digital strategy product offering and was a highly-quested presenter as the foremost digital content strategy SME at EAB.
Kamilah now serves as the Vice President of University Partnerships at Noodle, the country's fastest-growing online learning network to build a network of top US universities, launching online and hybrid degree programs of quality and scale that enhance student-faculty engagement, raise capacity and resilience, lower operational costs, and leverage opportunities for collaboration between institutions.
Kamilah is a two-time Sabre award recipient for digital advertising campaigns focused on families, but as a mother of four amazing human beings she’s most proud of being the 2020/2021 Working Mother of the Year by Working Mother Magazine.
Kamilah earned a bachelor of science degree in marketing from the University of Maryland Global Campus (formerly UMUC) and a master of business administration degree.
Ilene Crawford
Bio
Ilene Crawford, PhD
Provost and Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs
Cornell College, Mount Vernon, IA
Ilene Crawford is the Provost and Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs and Professor of English at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. A 1992 graduate of Cornell, Ilene returned to her alma mater on July 1, 2020 after serving fifteen years as a professor of English, women’s studies, and interdisciplinary studies, and five years as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT. Ilene is a two-time Fulbright scholar to Vietnam, where she was affiliated with the University of Pedagogy in Ho Chi Minh City.
Diane Vertin
Bio
Diane has worked in both the private and public sector and has over 25 years of experience in higher education. She currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at The College of Saint Scholastica. Diane is passionate about working with and helping others achieve their goals and live their best life. She lives at the “End of the Road” in Ely, Minnesota, along with her husband, Frank and doggies—Sophie, Loki and Coco. Diane enjoys outdoor adventure, Yoga (is a certified instructor), cooking and connecting with people.
Nataly Kogan
Bio
A leading expert on emotional fitness, Nataly Kogan is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and keynote speaker on a mission to help millions of people embrace their Awesome Human, struggle less and thrive more in work and life!
Nataly immigrated to the US as a refugee from the former Soviet Union when she was 13 years old. Starting her American life in the projects and on welfare, she learned English by watching “Who’s the Boss?” on repeat.
She went on to reach the highest levels of success at McKinsey and Microsoft, as a Managing Director at a venture capital fund, and as founder or executive at 5 startups and tech companies.
But after years of chasing a non-existent state of nirvana, Nataly suffered a debilitating burnout that led her to find a new way to live and work.
Today, she helps Awesome Humans break free from daily burnout, unleash their full human potential, and experience more joy and meaning by sharing her unboring science-backed Happier Method™ – and her signature positive energy!
Nataly is sought-after international keynote speaker and has appeared in hundreds of media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, TEDx Boston, and SXSW.
She is the founder of Happier, Inc, and has worked with hundreds of top companies, teams, and leaders through her Happier @ Work and leadership programs.
Nataly is the author of of HAPPIER NOW, GRATITUDE DAILY, and THE AWESOME HUMAN PROJECT and hosts The Awesome Human Podcast that people call their “best-self hour”.
Nataly began painting when she turned 40 and is a self-taught abstract artist. She loves bright colors, overuses the word “awesome”, and is the funniest person in her family. (Just can ask her husband and daughter, her favorite Awesome Humans.)
Wendy Beckemeyer
Bio
Wendy is the founder of the Pay It Forward conference; read more about it under our Why page!
Wendy Beckemeyer is vice president for enrollment management at Cornell College, Iowa. She has over 30 years of experience in higher education and is passionate about college affordability. Wendy is one of the authors of "The College Affordability Academy: A Blueprint for Counseling Families."