Programs and Speakers

Monica Andrade is the Vice President of Legal Strategy and State Policy at the Presidents’ Alliance, where she leads the organization’s legal strategy and broader state policy agenda. She oversees litigation and other legal interventions in partnership with external counsel and provides strategic direction on state policy priorities. Prior to joining the Presidents’ Alliance, Monica served as an Immigrant Rights Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Michigan, where she litigated high-impact civil rights cases in state and federal courts and advanced policy protections for immigrant communities. Her work included Hamama v. Adducci, which resulted in the release of hundreds of Iraqi nationals facing deportation, and Malam v. Adduci, which secured the release of 50 medically vulnerable individuals detained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monica is the co-author of The Border’s Long Shadow, a report on Border Patrol practices in Michigan that contributed to statewide policy changes. She holds a B.A. in Social Work from Northern Arizona University and a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law. She is a Skadden Fellow alum and has been recognized by the Detroit Bar Association, the Michigan Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association for her work in immigrant rights.

Luz is the Director of Campus Engagement at the Presidents’ Alliance, where she provides national support to colleges and universities seeking to strengthen institutional support for undocumented students and expand access to graduate education. She also founded the UndocuChats Collective, where she designs trauma-informed mental health programming and facilitates identity-centered workshops for undocumented students nationwide. Luz’s work spans community colleges, nonprofit organizations, and higher education institutions across California and New York. She holds a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with an emphasis in Education from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate of Arts from Mt. San Antonio College.

Dr. Andy Brantley has served as CUPA-HR’s president and chief executive officer since July 2005.  Before joining CUPA-HR, he worked for 17 years in campus leadership roles including associate vice president and chief human resources officer at the University of Georgia, director of human resources at Davidson College, and director of human resources at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Andy received his Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Business Administration, and Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Georgia.

Andy currently serves on the Washington Higher Education Secretariat steering committee and in September of 2025, he completed a four-year term as the Secretariat’s representative to the American Council on Education Board of Directors. He was also recently appointed to the EDUCAUSE board of directors.

Andy is a frequent keynote and workshop presenter at meetings across the country.

Dr. Zuzana C. Wootson is the Deputy Director of Federal Policy, leading the Presidents Alliance’s policy agenda on issues pertaining to international and refugee students, scholars, and alumni. Zuzana brings nearly a decade of experience conducting policy analysis and advocating on issues related to asylum seekers, refugees, workforce development and international migration. She has extensive experience coordinating and participating in national and international coalitions focusing on establishing and improving migration policies and practices. Before joining the Presidents’ Alliance, Zuzana was a Manager at Labor Mobility Partnerships, where she built relationships with key partners from the government and private sector, including industry associations and federal- and state-level legislators. In her previous role at the National Immigration Forum, she focused on advancing policies that emphasize workforce development, such as English language acquisition, adult education, employment, training, credential attainment and professional licensure. Zuzana holds a Doctorate of International Affairs and a Master of International Public Policy degrees from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Liz LaPolt Clark is Vice President for Policy and Research at NACUBO and a member of the NACUBO executive leadership group. She has been widely quoted in the press and is a sought-after speaker on how Washington politics and federal policies impact higher education. Liz got her start on Capitol Hill opening Cornell University’s first Washington, DC-based federal relations office. Also in her career, she has led federal affairs for the State University of New York (SUNY) System and for Oregon State University. At NACUBO, she heads the team responsible for analysis of federal regulatory and legislative actions, research, and data analytics. LinkedIn: @lizlapoltclark

Danielle DeSawal is clinical professor and Master’s Program Coordinator for the Higher Education and Student Affairs at Indiana University. Danielle’s research interests focus on professional practice in student affairs, college unions, and advising student organizations on campus. She has presented numerous educational sessions and has keynoted as well as consulted with institutions on student affairs practice. She has co-edited a New Directions for Student Services monograph on the trends and issues facing the college union and co-edited a text for NASPA focused on the use of professional competencies in student affairs through supervised practice. 

Danielle has held leadership positions within national professional associations. She was recognized by ACPA as a Diamond Honoree, by NASPA as a Pillar of the Profession, and has been honored by Indiana University with the faculty award from the Commission on Multicultural Understanding and the Gordon Faculty Award through the Division of Student Affairs. She has also been recognized for her outstanding teaching and received the Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award. 

Prior to joining the faculty Danielle worked on a federally funded grant investigating Latino/a college students’collegiate experiences, served as the Educational Program Coordinator for ACUI, and worked with the First Year Experience program at the University of Arkansas. She currently teaches courses in higher education administration, student development, and professional development in student affairs, student organization advising, and leadership development. 

Miriam Feldblum is co-founder, President and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance. Miriam has over 30 years of experience in higher education administration, student support, and in teaching and research of immigration policy, politics, and higher education.  A national expert on the intersection of immigration and higher education and author of Reconstructing Citizenship: The Politics of Nationality Reform and Immigration in Contemporary France, Miriam has written extensively on immigrant, refugee, and international students, immigration policy, and higher education practices. She previously served as Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students, and Professor of Politics at Pomona College, as Special Assistant to the President, Faculty Research Associate, and Senior Director of Academic Support and Planning  at the California Institute of Technology, and as Assistant Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco.

Miriam received a BA in political science from Barnard College, and MA, MPhil, and PhD degrees in political science from Yale University. She is on the Board of TheDream.US, a Public Member of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), and a non-resident fellow at the Migration Policy Institute.  As a daughter of a refugee and Holocaust survivor, she is personally invested in these issues and in the success of immigrant, refugee, and international students and their families.

Dr. Michael Griffel is an associate vice president for Student Services and Enrollment Management, and director for University Housing. His work focuses on capital construction for the division as well as developing and enhancing environments for student academic success, growth, and development in University Housing. He previously served as the director of residence life at Bowling Green State University, director for university residences at the University of Idaho, director for residence life and assistant director for residence life at Robert Morris College, and residence hall director at the University of Pittsburgh. Michael has been actively involved with ACUHO-I (Association of College and University Housing Officers-International), serving on the executive board and committees and task forces.

Michael earned a doctorate in education from the University of Idaho, a master’s in adult education from Pennsylvania State University, and a bachelor’s in general studies with concentrations in organization design and sociology from the University of Michigan.

Michael is married and has three children. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, baking, camping, hiking, swimming, most sports, and reading literature and research about college student success.

Erin started her career in higher education nearly 30 years ago as an admissions officer and ever since, she’s been helping institutions communicate effectively with their most important audiences.

At TVP Communications, Erin harnesses the experience gained over her career in higher education, her knowledge of the federal policy sphere, and her keen insights into individual leadership styles to benefit our clients. She particularly shines in building internal communication plans and providing high-level strategic counsel to senior leaders. She helps lead the agency’s crisis communications work and frequently speaks and provides training for rising professionals in a variety of roles on campuses.

Prior to joining TVP Comms in 2014, Erin spent six years at the American Council on Education, where she helped position the Council as a leading source for national and regional media covering higher education issues and provided support for member institutions facing challenges on their own campuses.

Erin’s formative higher ed experiences came on the campus of her undergraduate alma mater, Drew University, where she was deputy chief of staff to two presidents, Hon. Thomas H. Kean and his successor, Robert Weisbuch. In that role, she represented the president with a variety of constituencies, helped manage day-to-day issues, and was part of the university’s response to crises.

In addition to her career in higher education, Erin also served as press secretary for U.S. Representative Rodney P. Frelinghuysen and spent five years in the administration of New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.

A native New Jerseyan, Erin lived in Washington, D.C., for 15 years, during which time she earned a master’s degree in communication from American University, before returning to the Garden State in late 2021.

Gavin W. Henning is an award-winning educator, scholar, and national leader in higher education assessment, student success, and belonging. With more than 30 years of experience, he has dedicated his career to helping institutions use data and evidence to improve learning, equity, and engagement.

Gavin serves as director of the Doctor of Education and Master of Science in Higher Education Administration programs at New England College, where he also leads the Center for Innovation in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship. A former president of ACPA–College Student Educators International and the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, he has helped shape national conversations on assessment and institutional effectiveness.

The co-author and co-editor of several influential books—including Maximizing the Impact of Assessment in Higher Education: Closing the Loop with Change Management. Student Affairs Assessment: Theory to Practice, and Reframing Assessment to Center Equity. Gavin’s work bridges theory and practice to create more equitable and student-centered learning environments.

Dr. Logan serves as executive director of B&D’s higher education practice group. He brings over 20 years of experience in higher education housing, auxiliary services, and student affairs. In his current role, he works with the firm’s higher education clients to identify and implement solutions that allow them to thrive and deliver on their academic mission, both from a facilities and operations perspective.

Dr. Logan’s expertise means that he understands what it takes to build, maintain, and strengthen a high-performing organization within the college and university environment. He comes to B&D from the Ohio State University, where he most recently served as Associate Vice President for the Residential Experience. At Ohio State and in his previous positions, Dr. Logan focused on the sustainable design, implementation, and oversight of comprehensive auxiliary operations and student affairs financial models. He has also served on the ACUHO-I Executive Board for over five years. He is a frequent speaker on higher education topics related to his expertise.

Matt Miller is the Program Lead for Generative AI at Carnegie Mellon University, advancing a human-centered vision for CMU as an AI-powered university where generative AI is equitably accessible, confidently understood, and widely adopted. Guided by the principle of human amplification over automation, he helps campus leaders translate GenAI into rapid, measurable value through trusted processes, responsible practices, and sustainable capability-building.

Matt has spent 8.5 years at CMU building campus-wide innovation and change capacity. He was a founding member of the Business Innovation Office, an internal organizational effectiveness and change management consultancy, and he later founded several of CMU’s flagship AI enablement efforts, including the Generative AI Center of Excellence, the Generative AI Community of Practice, and Executive AI Training workshops. He is also the founder of the University Technology and Innovation Collaborative, a cross-divisional community that democratizes IT innovation across campus.

Dr. Darby Roberts earned her doctorate in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University.  She also holds a Master of Science in Human Resources Management and Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Analysis and Research from Texas A&M University. She has 30 years over experience working in student affairs. She teaches Assessment and Interventions in Student Affairs in the Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education program.
Dr. Roberts is the Director of Student Life Studies in the Division of Student Affairs.  Her academic interests include student affairs assessment processes, program review, and assessing student learning in the co-curricular. She is co-author of Student Affairs Assessment: Theory to Practice(2016) and Frameworks for Assessing Learning and Development Outcomes (2nd ed., 2021). She is co-editor of Learning is Not a Sprint: Assessing and Documenting Student Leader Learning in Cocurricular Involvement (2012) and New Directions in Student Leadership: Assessing Student Leadership (2016). Dr. Roberts has also contributed numerous book chapters on student affairs assessment and frequently presents at national conferences.

Lee Rainie joined the Imagining the Digital Future Center as director in 2023 after 24 years of directing Pew Research Center’s efforts to study the internet and technology. At the Pew Internet Project, his team produced more than 850 reports about the social, political and economic impact of four technology revolutions: the internet/broadband revolution, the mobile connectivity revolution, the social media revolution, and the artificial intelligence revolution.His Project was described by the American Sociological Association as the “most authoritative source of reliable data on the use and impact of the internet and mobile connectivity,” and the ASA awarded him its prize for “excellence in the reporting on social issues award.” His work has been covered by network and cable news and every major global news publication.

Lee is co-author of “Networked: The New Social Operating System” and five books about the future of the internet, based on Project surveys. Prior to his work at Pew, Rainie was managing editor of the newsweekly magazine U.S. News & World Report and he previously covered American politics for several publications.

Dr. Ashley Tull serves as Professor of Professional Practice and as Program Coordinator for the Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership Program. Prior to joining TCU, he served as Clinical Professor and Program Director for the Ed.D. in Higher Education at Southern Methodist University. He has held previous administration and teaching roles at Tarleton State University, the University of Texas at Arlington, University of Arkansas, and Florida State University. Tull earned a bachelor of science with honors in social and rehabilitation services and a master’s of education in college student personnel services from the University of Southern Mississippi. He received a graduate certificate in human resource development and a doctorate of education in higher education administration from Florida State University, where he was a Hardee Scholar.

Tull has edited three books, which have been used extensively in graduate preparation programs in higher education and student affairs administration; The Handbook for Student Affairs in the Community Colleges, with Linda Kuk and Paulette Dalpes; New Realities in the Management of Student Affairs: Emerging Specialist Roles and Structures for Changing Times, with Linda Kuk; and Becoming Socialized in Student Affairs: A Guide for New Professionals and Their Supervisors, with Joan Hirt and Sue Saunders. His research has been published in the Journal of Multicultural Affairs, College Student Affairs Journal, NASPA Journal, the Journal of College and Character, Research in the Schools, Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership, Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors and the Journal of College Student Development.

As a practitioner, his research interests centered on management concepts and supervision in student affairs and higher education and the role of the senior student affairs officer. As a faculty member, his research interests are centered on fraternal values and the history of college fraternities. In 2017 he received the SMU Rotunda Outstanding Professor Award. He enjoys educational related travel and has taken students to Belgium, Canada, China, England, Finland, France, Japan, Scotland, and Sweden. Tull also serves as a volunteer on the national level for Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.

Mr. Turner has been with Brailsford & Dunlavey since 1994 and currently oversees B&D’s higher education practice group. He has a diversified program management background that includes work on over 600 assignments in almost every state in the country. Mr. Turner is a highly sophisticated engineer of complex financial models that test the performance of facilities under a wide variety of market conditions. A respected thought leader for the firm, Mr. Turner is considered a leading national expert on higher education real estate and public private partnerships. He is a frequent lecturer on campus real estate, campus life facilities such as student housing, athletics/recreation and dining, town gown issues, and other public-private partnerships, and was asked to be the keynote speaker at a national conference on P3 partnerships.

Prior to joining B&D he worked with the U.S. General Services Administration as a real estate analyst. Mr. Turner has shared his experiences and ideas through over 75 industry presentations and articles at national conferences and symposiums including the P3 Summit, P3,edu, Interface, National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO), National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), Society of College & University Planners (SCUP), , Association of College Unions International (ACUI), National Association of Collegiate Auxiliary Services (NACAS), Association of College & University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO), and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).