Meet the Presenters

Gavin is a college student educator with a reputation as an organizer, collaborator, and catalyst for educational change. His professional mission is to generate applied scholarship, bridge theory to practice, create systems and processes, and teach higher education professionals to foster college student learning and success.  

He has advanced this mission during his 30+ years in higher education starting out in residence life and moving into student affairs assessment and institutional research positions. Gavin is professor of higher education at New England College where he directs the Doctor of Education and Master of Science in Higher Education administration programs. He is a past president of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) and a past president of ACPA–College Student Educators International. Additionally, he is the founding president of Student Affairs Assessment Leaders an international, grassroots professional association for individuals practicing student affairs assessment.

Gavin frequently consults and presents regionally, nationally, and internationally on the topic of assessment. His scholarship includes over 160 peer-reviewed presentations and 100 invited presentations and keynotes regarding assessment. In addition, he has edited and published articles and books including Reframing Assessment to Center Equity: Theories, Models, and Practices and The Impact of Sense of Belonging in College: Implications for Retention, Persistence, and Student Success.

He has been recognized by for his contributions to student affairs and higher education by receiving NASPA’s George D. Kuh Outstanding Contribution to Literature and/or Research Award and ACPA’s Annuit Coeptis award and Diamond Honoree awards.

Gavin holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education Leadership and Policy Studies and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology, both from the University of New Hampshire as well as a Master of Arts degree in College and University Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Sociology from Michigan State University.

With over 20 years of progressively responsible leadership roles in Student Affairs at Kean University, Kerrin Lyles now has the privilege to serve as the Acting Vice President for Student Affairs, where he oversees eight administrative units that focus on student leadership, development, and engagement.  Prior to this role, his previous positions include Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and the Director for the Miron Student Center.   

At Kean, Mr. Lyles has served on the University Planning Council (UPC); Chairman of the University’s Events Board; and volunteers as a member on various other University committees.  Mr. Lyles holds professional affiliations in the Association of College Unions International (ACUI); where he served on the National Conference Planning Team (2020), and the Region VII Conference Planning Team (2021), and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA); where he participated in the Institute for New AVP’s and AVP Symposium (2023).  

Mr. Lyles has earned a master’s degree in educational administration and a bachelor’s degree in management science from Kean University.  He strives to be a positive influence on the students that he comes into contact with on a daily basis: “I love what I do because I get the opportunity to shape and mold young professionals every day.”  Mr. Lyles is also an adjunct faculty member at the University, where he teaches General Education 1000 and Physical Education 1010 and 2020.  

Mr. Lyles is a member of the Diaconate Ministry at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, NJ; a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity Inc; and is the proud husband of Chantonette Lyles and the father to Jalen and Jelani Lyles.   

Gillian "Gilly" Scott MEd. is the Director of Student Data Systems. With 15+ years of experience in Residential Life and Student Leadership to Advising/Counseling, Faculty Support, Training and Technology Implementation, Gilly has dedicated herself to collaborating with students and colleagues alike to create meaningful initiatives that enrich the student experience ensuring that students not only gain knowledge but also a sense of belonging and purpose within their communities.

Stephanie Baker, Ed.D. currently serves as Executive Director of the Center for Advising, Persistence, and Success at Kean University.  In this role she provides leadership to develop a collaborative, cohesive, and innovative advisement center that supports a diverse population of students in a wide variety of majors.  Stephanie has served in numerous leadership and faculty roles in higher education over the last 15+ years with the last seven specifically focused on university redesign work in the areas of Academic Advisement restructuring and assisting in implementing college wide policies and procedures in collaboration with strategic goals that align with the university mission and vision.  Dr. Baker received her Bachelor of Arts in English Education and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology (LPC) from Montclair State University and a Masters from Rutgers University in Education in Adult & Continuing Education; She received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from St. John Fisher University.  At Kean Dr. Baker currently serves as a member of the President’s Task Force on Advising and University Senate which allows her to continue in the work with key stakeholders developing recommendations that inform policy, impact students success, and the welfare of Kean students for future generations. Dr. Baker enjoys spending time with family, traveling, eyeglasses and reading.

Hong Gao, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Institutional Research. Dr. Gao has been working in the institutional research area for more than twenty years. She possesses a deep understanding of student data and extensive experience on transforming data into meaningful information to support the institutions’ decision-making. Her research focuses on student outcomes, especially on promoting the success of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Dr. Gao received her Ph.D. degree in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Technology Studies from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.

Annie Ye Ji, Associate Director of the Office of Institutional Research. Annie oversees the Office’s internal data warehouse systems. Her responsibilities include the design, build and administration of IR data management systems, the development and monitoring of automated data transformation and loading processes, quality control during data integration, as well as the design and maintenance of the IR website. She has also been involved in multiple collaborative research projects designed to provide data-driven insights to the university community. Annie holds an MS in Management Information System from Kean University.

Ying Wang, Ph.D. Senior Data Analyst of the Office of Institutional Research. Prior to joining Kean, Ying worked as Research Analyst and Coordinator of Institutional Research and Assessment, at Centenary University for 4 years.  She works as a database developer and is responsible for data quality control, data integrating and participated in national-wide research projects and holds a Computer Science M.S. Degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from China Agricultural University.

Nima Sherpa is a Data Analyst of our SADI team here at Kean University who provides data analysis and visualization support to projects span various departments. He believes that building the culture of data driven decision making in Higher Ed enhances academic excellence. Sherpa holds a MS in Business Analytics and has experience with working in corporate and higher ed.  

Wendy Ritch earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in Politics and Religion, her MTS from Harvard University in Theology and Women’s Studies in Religion and her M.A. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in Political/Feminist/Queer Theory and American Politics. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in Urban Systems via a joint program at Rutgers-Newark and NJIT that is also interdisciplinary – the foci are urban health, environments and policy. Wendy has worked as faculty, staff or an administrator in academic health sciences since 1997. She has a background in health policy research, teaching, grant writing, program evaluation, student learning assessment, accreditations, all-hazards preparedness, administration and change management. Wendy is also a musician, visual artist and tennis player/fan. 

Wendy's research interests include health policy, population health, social determinants of health, LGBTQ+ health equity, intersectionality, domestic migration of LGBTQ+ populations and cultural competence education for health professionals. In 2011, Wendy founded the inter-professional LGBTQ+ Health Working Group at UMDNJ and was a member of the planning committee for the 8th National LGBTQ Health Equity Summit, an official ancillary of the National Conference on Tobacco or Health, in 2012. She presented on her dissertation topic, “Rise of the Queerburb - Relationships among the Domestic Migration of LGBTQ+ Populations, Health Policy, Health Equity, and Health Care Provider Cultural Competence,” at the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association’s National Nursing Summit in 2018 and was on the planning committee for the 2019 conference. She also presented on her dissertation at the 2019 annual conference of the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science and was an invited speaker for a 2019 commemoration of World AIDS Day at Rutgers-Camden.  Wendy enjoys being an agent of change and is committed to health equity for all.

Craig Konyk is the Chair and Associate Professor of Architecture at the newly formed School of Public Architecture in the Michael Graves College.  He is the Assessment Coordinator for the School of Public Architecture.  The school of Public Architecture’s Master of Architecture program recently received Initial Accreditation from the National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB).

Orley Wainberg is the Assistant Vice President for Business Affairs. In her role, she is the principal support to the strategic business of the Chief Financial Officer, oversees Student Accounting Services and is responsible for the development of campus auxiliary operations. As a financial professional with over two decades of experience in the higher education sector, she has a rich history of leadership and collaboration and has spearheaded several strategic initiatives aimed at revenue generation, expense reduction, advancing technological systems and student success and retention. She has employed best practices for student-centric financial policies as well as championed data-driven decision-making processes to seek out efficiencies and streamline operations. In a leadership capacity, Orley has served as Vice President of the New Jersey Bursar's Association and Co-Chair of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Self-Study for Standard VI, Planning, Resources and Institutional Improvement, among other leadership roles. She has also served on the NJACSA Advisory Committee on Student Aid (NJACSA), contributing to the development of statewide financial aid policies. Selected as a NACUBO Fellow for the 2023-2024 cohort, she is immersed in a  program designed for emerging chief business officers.  Orley holds a Master of Science in Accounting from Kean University and a Bachelor of Science in Information Science, Sociology, and Anthropology from Bar-Ilan University in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Muhammad Hassan is an accomplished academic leader currently serving as Executive Director of Nancy Thompson Learning Commons at Kean University. His educational journey includes a Master's degree in Graphic Communications, and he is pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, a testament to his commitment to advancing his knowledge and leadership capabilities in the field of education. With over 15 years of dedicated service in Higher Education, Muhammad brings a wealth of experience to his role. He has consistently demonstrated his dedication to the academic community through various leadership positions and contributions to the field. Muhammad’s extensive expertise is highlighted by his notable accomplishment of implementing assessment workflows in the departments he has led. Muhammad is committed to data-driven decision-making and the continuous improvement of educational programs and services. He is dedicated to advancing learning and academic excellence for Kean University and the broader educational community. 

Dr. Julia Nevárez, Professor, Sociology, Kean University

Faculty at Kean University for the past 22 years, her teaching and research focus on urban issues to understand the complexity of urban living incorporating conceptual and applied perspectives from different relevant fields related to urban development, climate change, and technology.

Eunice Nkansah, Ed.D. is a full-time lecturer within the Division of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies at Kean University and Coordinator of Research and Technology. Her professional background centers around healthcare, teaching, research, and international education.Her research has focused on exploring international undergraduate students' experiences, internationalization, Open Educational Resources(OERs), and DEI. 

Jake is an urban and political sociologist, focused on democracy, housing, and changing cities.

Mr. Farrokh brings a wealth of higher education administrative experience to the University. Over his 35 year career at Kean, he cites student engagement and impact as his chief aims.  He has served on numerous committees and every level.  He is proud of being part of the team that has led to AACSB accreditation for the business school.   A specialist in optimizing the student experience, Mr. Farrokh served formerly as the Director of Scholarships and the Director of Student Abroad at Kean, as well as many years in academic advisement.  He served as Executive Director of the NJ Consortium for International Studies.  Mr. Farrokh has an advanced degree in higher education administration, interned at Princeton University, and holds his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester.

Andrew is a Cloud Systems Engineer at Kean University in the Office of Computer Information Services and the Technical Lead/Owner for the EAB Navigate project. Andrew is a technical resource in a team responsible for the modernization and resiliency of the University infrastructure. Andrew has a Master's degree in Technology Management and managed the security and business process implementation of Workday Student in a former role at another institution. 

John Van Brunt is the Assistant Vice President of Admissions at Kean University. In his role, he oversees all aspects of freshmen, transfer, graduate, and international recruitment, transfer credit evaluations, and community college partnerships. John is motivated by the University’s mission and vision to collaborate with various divisions to create initiatives and programs that improve the student experience. He is an enthusiastic leader that values working relationships and cohesion to achieve goals and advance the institution.