Darian Burwell 

Gallaudet University

Undergraduate Institution: Gallaudet University

Darian Burwell is deeply invested in student success at Gallaudet University. An alumnus of the institution, she understands Gallaudet from both a student and administrative perspective, allowing her to shape institutional culture. Burwell supervises the JumpStart program, a two-track initiative including the Summer Bridge and New Signers programs. As a result of Jumpstart, persistence and retention rates at the University have increased. While the JumpStart program is impressive, Burwell’s personal characteristics as an advocate are also noteworthy. She is often seen across campus supporting her students in a variety of events and is able to connect with faculty, staff, and students to build bridges across the institution. Burwell continues to create a culture of caring at Gallaudet. 

Tamara Clunis 

Amarillo College

Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at Austin

Tamara Clunis is admired as a leader by example. Her true investment in students at Amarillo College is evident through her teaching, mentoring , student advocacy, and ability to inspire the students she works with. One of Clunis’s most innovative efforts is her integration of the English as a Second Language, Developmental Education, and Certified Nurse Assistance programs into one cohesive classroom. This strategy has provided immense support for at-risk students, dramatically increasing student success rates from 3% to 100%. Though Clunis’s primary focus is Amarillo College, her efforts can be felt throughout the entire community: Her work is expanding college access to a broader segment of the Amarillo population and providing the resources needed for student success. Clunis serves as an ongoing advocate for all students at Amarillo College. 

Keisha Hoerrner 

Kennesaw State University

Undergraduate Institution: Kennesaw State University

Keisha Hoerrner is creating a culture of change at Kennesaw State University. Her advocacy is twofold. First, she works vigorously and uncompromisingly to support any measure fostering student success. Second, she encourages her students to be advocates for social justice issues. Hoerrner is dedicated to providing educational experiences that will transform students into productive, passionate, and engaged citizens. She has been an innovative problem solver as demonstrated by creating a new learning community option for the first-year seminar when she learned that some students could not enroll in the course. Hoerrner’s impact extends beyond her direct work with students, such as her efforts and contributions to the development of a graduate program in first-year studies at Kennesaw State, which is currently awaiting approval. Hoerrner not only influences first-year student initiatives at her own institution but also in the profession as a whole.
 

Brad Hollingshead 

Medaille College

Undergraduate Institution: Ohio Dominican College

Brad E. Hollingshead’s initial experiences working in the first-year classroom provided him with the background to contribute significantly to the development of programing efforts aimed at improving the first-year experience. He has been integral in restructuring his institution’s undergraduate curriculum and providing opportunities for students to engage in liberal learning outside the classroom, such developing Medaille’s first-year learning community program. This initiative has had many institution-wide effects, including a 7% increase in first-to-second-year retention rates, improvements in first-year student classroom performance, and greater participation in hands-on learning experiences. Hollingshead’s prowess as both an educator and administrator continues to contribute greatly to higher education programming on multiple levels. 

Virginia McAleese 

Paul Smith’s College

Undergraduate Institution: Ramapo College of New Jersey

Virginia McAleese aims to change lives. Her work with the Paul Smith’s College Academic Success Center has lead to in unprecedented institutional gains. In 2009, the College sought to restructure and revamp its student success efforts. Given a high number of at-risk and first-generation students, it was clear that an institutional blueprint was necessary. Since then, McAleese has advocated for increased developmental math tutoring and Supplemental Instruction courses, resulting in marked improvements in student success rates. She not only touches students’ lives through her work in the Academic Success Center but also as the director of the first-year seminar program. McAleese’s efforts are aimed at increasing the value students receive from their college education, and her colleagues and students would agree that she is successful.  

Sally Murphy 

California State University, East Bay

Undergraduate Institution: Colorado College

Sally K. Murphy has used her visionary leadership to promote and provide programs in support of first-year student success. Her primary work has been reframing and recreating the Freshman Learning Community model for California State University, East Bay. This program includes mandatory, yearlong, thematically linked learning communities; peer mentors; and a required service-learning project for first-year students. Despite budget cuts and understaffing, Murphy has been an unyielding advocate for students, searching for new and innovative ways to integrate interactive learning methods into the curriculum. She is noted for going above and beyond the call of duty in helping students. Murphy is deeply committed to spending quality time with her students, and her empathy touches lives every day. 

Gregory  Robinson 

Olive-Harvey College

Undergraduate Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Gregory D. Robinson systematically revamped and reenergized the first-year and new student programming at Olive-Harvey College. His knowledge of best practices, coupled with his ability to analyze surveys and conduct focus groups, grounded his new initiatives in evidenced-based research. He created the Panther Tracks program, a first-year experience initiative designed to increase retention rates, and advocated for the construction of a New Student Welcome Center to provide specialized attention for new students. Robinson has instituted many new programs during his tenure, including a mandatory new student orientation, an online self-guided career assessment tool, and an online student health resource. Innovative, creative, and resourceful, Robinson serves as a catalyst for success. 

Michael Salmon 

Marymount Manhattan College

Undergraduate Institution: University of the West Indies

Michael Salmon relied on his background in academic advising to implement programming designed to enhance the experience of first-year students. Salmon broadened the scope of academic advising, developing specialized advisement and outreach initiatives for distinct cohorts. He worked to create a successful first-year mentoring program, which includes a one-credit course. The program directly benefits first-year students and their upper-division peer mentors. Not content to sit on his laurels, Salmon spearheaded an effort to revise this program and turn it into a purely peer-led community workshop initiative and helped organize a learning communities program. Both initiatives have resulted in higher levels of academic success and social engagement as well as increased first-to-second-year retention rates. Salmon’s multilevel and multifaceted initiatives continue to compound to transform Marymount students’ first-year experience. 

Cheryl Spector 

California State University, Northridge

Undergraduate Institution: Rice University

Cheryl Spector is an active advocate who supports student rights across her campus. Since 1998, she has been involved with first-year seminar programs beginning with the creation of the University 100 class at California State Northridge. Spector has collaborated with faculty, administrators, and professionals throughout her institution ensuring that first-year students have their needs met through the University 100 course. Aside from the first-year seminar, she is involved with the Freshman Connection learning communities program and the One Campus, One Book common reading program. Spector’s ability to effectively connect students to the resources they need to be successful enables her to serve as a consistent change maker for first-year students. 

Jayme Stone 

University of Central Arkansas

Undergraduate Institution: Arkansas Tech University

Jayme Millsap Stone is devoted to providing learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom. Stone works in both the academic and student-life fields, providing her a unique perspective on institutional partnerships. Her work in creating residential college programming has inspired and nourished the student population, and she was instrumental in creating the first residential college in Arkansas. Aside from her residence-life pursuits, she helped introduce and initiate summer reading, sophomore-year experience, and commuter college programs on her campus. Stone’s multifaceted approach to institutional change continues to positively impact the University of Central Arkansas.