Whitney Platzer O’Regan, Ed.D., serves as the senior director of prevention and safety initiatives, under the Health, Safety & Well-being team at NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Dr. O’Regan received her doctorate in educational leadership and policy from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University where her doctoral research focused on student sense of belonging and engagement through a public health lens. Dr. O’Regan has significant experience working to reduce high risk substance misuse on college campuses with functional area expertise in student affairs, policy, student conduct, crisis response, peer education, and health promotion.

Dr. Kevin S. Konecny serves as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Assistant Professor of Education at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK). Dr. Konecny has 33 years of higher education experience in the United States and abroad, including Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, China, Guam, and the United Kingdom. Most of that experience has been in student affairs administration, including leadership of residence life, student government, orientation programs, student publications, student leadership development initiatives, study abroad, international student programs, enrollment management and recruitment, academic integrity, and conflict resolution.

In the U.S., Dr. Konecny held leadership positions at the University of Central Florida, the University of Michigan, Bowling Green State University, and Seminole State College of Florida. His experience in the Arabian Gulf includes serving as the founding Director of Campus and Residence Life with the Qatar Foundation in Education City, Doha, Qatar. Education City is home to six U.S. branch campus institutions (Georgetown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Cornell University, Northwestern University and Texas A&M University), and Dr. Konecny was responsible for the campus residential master planning process in collaboration with university partners in Education City. In addition, Dr. Konecny served in leadership roles, at the executive level, in China, Saudi Arabia and in Kuwait.

Dr. Konecny earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of Maine at Farmington and a Master of Science in Education degree in Counseling Psychology from Saint Bonaventure University (New York) and earned his doctorate in Organizational Leadership at the University of the Potomac (Washington, D.C.). In addition, Dr. Konecny earned a certificate from the Institute for Leading Internationalization through the Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement of the American Council on Education (ACE).

Manal Ammagui began her student affairs journey during her undergraduate years at the University of South Florida (USF), serving as a Resident Assistant and participating in numerous student affairs conferences. She went on to pursue a Master of Arts in French at USF, where she expanded her professional experience by holding two key roles: Assistant Residence Life Coordinator in her first year and the inaugural Graduate Assistant for Residential Student Success position in her second year, all while remaining a French Instructor both years.

Manal went on to Stetson University for two years, playing a pivotal role in shifting the institution from a programming model to a curricular model, building a more intentionally designed residential experience.

Her career then took her abroad, where she spent three years as the inaugural Residential Hall Coordinator at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) before becoming the first-ever Manager for Residence Education at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK). In this current role, Manal continues to shape a legacy of co-curricular education within residential communities, emphasizing holistic student development and engagement.

Manal has been actively involved in NASPA's MENASA Area since 2022, starting as a recruitment volunteer with the Professional Development Committee. She later served in the Conference Committee, first as the MENASA24 Programming Co-Chair, then as the MENASA25 Conference Co-Chair and MENASA26 Conference Chair. Manal is now the Special Projects Team Lead.

Ms. Wadad Youssef El Housseini started her career as in higher education as Instructor of Social Sciences at Balamand University in Lebanon where she taught for a decade. In 2001, she joined the American University of Beirut as Director of Student Activities. In 2009, she joined Qatar University as Consultant to VP of student affairs where she resumed the responsibility of Acting Director of Student Activities till May 2012. Her role entitled her to get involved in various strategic initiatives to ensure the success of Qatar University students. She is the chair of the Student Affairs Professional Development committee at Qatar University.

Founding member and former vice president for the IASAS (International Association of Student Affairs and Services). Member of the MENASA-NASPA board for 2020-2023. Recipient of the Wisdom Award of the Commission of Women’s Identities – ACPA in 2021. Interested in Leadership of Higher Education and Student Affairs, assessment and women role in higher education.

Well known for having her finger on the pulse of the region, Wadad continues to be an engaged advocate of professional development, and student affairs leadership in the Middle East.

Dr. Mousavi earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Akron in Ohio and a postdoctoral master’s degree in Clinical Psychopharmacology from the California School of Professional Psychology in California. Prior to that, she earned a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. She maintains a license in the District of Columbia. Her trainings and experiences included teaching, research and clinical practice in various settings such as universities, community mental health centers, private practice, psychiatric hospitals, child guidance centers, and university counseling centers.

As an integrationist in her approach, some of her areas of interest include crisis intervention, childhood abuse, trauma, psychological assessment, mindfulness, and biofeedback. Dr. Mousavi’s academic contributions include a book on childhood abuse in Iran, articles in peer-reviewed journals, and regular presentations at conferences and meetings.  Currently, many of her contributions focus on multicultural and cross cultural counseling and counseling university students.

Ms. Wadad Youssef El Housseini started her career as in higher education as Instructor of Social Sciences at Balamand University in Lebanon where she taught for a decade. In 2001, she joined the American University of Beirut as Director of Student Activities. In 2009, she joined Qatar University as Consultant to VP of student affairs where she resumed the responsibility of Acting Director of Student Activities till May 2012. Her role entitled her to get involved in various strategic initiatives to ensure the success of Qatar University students. She is the chair of the Student Affairs Professional Development committee at Qatar University.

Founding member and former vice president for the IASAS (International Association of Student Affairs and Services). Member of the MENASA-NASPA board for 2020-2023. Recipient of the Wisdom Award of the Commission of Women’s Identities – ACPA in 2021. Interested in Leadership of Higher Education and Student Affairs, assessment and women role in higher education.

Well known for having her finger on the pulse of the region, Wadad continues to be an engaged advocate of professional development, and student affairs leadership in the Middle East.

Rollie Carencia is originally from Los Angeles. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Media & Cultural Studies from University of California, Riverside, and his Master of Arts in Higher Education and Student Affairs from New York University.

Rollie currently serves as the Executive Director of Student Life at the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University, where he leads initiatives that enhance the student experience and foster vibrant, inclusive campus communities. With a strong foundation in student affairs, Rollie has contributed to several institutions, including the University of California, Riverside, Pratt Institute, New York University, and Columbia University, supporting student engagement.

Outside of his professional work, Rollie enjoys staying active through marathon running and cycling, and he is always on the lookout for his next culinary adventure.

Nora Kearney is originally from Buffalo, NY. She earned her Master of Arts in Student Affairs and Catholic University Leadership from Boston College, and holds a BA in Art History and Writing from Loyola University Maryland.

Nora currently serves as the Manager for Client Success at Ready Education. In this role, she helps lead initiatives that help institutions get the most from there use of CampusGroups. Most recently that focus has been on how clients can transition from simple data collection to true data operationalization, ensuring that student life is viewed as essential campus infrastructure.

With nearly a decade of experience in the EdTech space, Nora has contributed to the success of hundreds of institutions across four distinct platforms, including her work with Columbia School of Professional Studies. She is passionate about creating "work smarter" business processes that turn everyday student routines into actionable data to drive retention.

Outside of her professional work, Nora is regularly found at trivia nights, and is always interested in talking about why this is the year the Buffalo Bills will win the Super Bowl. 

Mayra Olivares-Urueta, Ph.D. leads cross-sector regional strategies across North Texas to increase postsecondary enrollment and completion at the Economic Mobility Center. She brings more than 20 years of experience in community college leadership, student affairs, and enrollment management, including senior executive roles at Tarrant County College and Dallas College. Her work centers on equity-minded practice, student basic needs, and supporting Latinx and parenting students through systems-level change. She has been an active NASPA contributor as a presenter, proposal reviewer, and participant across multiple annual conferences and Community Colleges Institutes.

Darrien Davenport serves as Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at Temple University, where he provides executive leadership for student advocacy, crisis response, conduct, disability resources, basic needs, and behavioral intervention systems. He brings more than 25 years of professional experience, including senior roles at Gettysburg College and York College of Pennsylvania, as well as executive search consulting with WittKieffer. His leadership focuses on access, persistence, and holistic development for first-generation students, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ students. He holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University.

Brenda Ice leads Residential and Community Living at Brown University, overseeing residential education, housing operations, orientation, Greek Life, graduate housing, and capital planning. She brings more than 25 years of student affairs experience, with prior roles at Scripps College, UC Riverside, and several other institutions. She currently serves on the ACUHO-I Executive Board and co-chairs the Mentoring Committee for the NASPA Black Diaspora Knowledge Community. She earned her M.Ed. from Salisbury University and is completing her Ed.D. at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Chris "Topher" Ndiritu provides strategic leadership for residence education, student conduct, and holistic student development at the University of New Orleans. He began his career in student affairs at the University of Tennessee and has held roles at Davidson College and Old Dominion University, where he also served two terms as Student Body President. He is a NASPA NUFP alumnus, a 2022 NASPA Region III Outstanding New Professional Award recipient, and has been selected as the 2026 Director of the Dungy Leadership Institute. He currently serves as Vice President for Marketing for SACSA.

Dr. Gigi Secuban serves as the vice president for inclusive excellence and belonging at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. She brings more than 25 years of higher education experience, including inaugural vice president roles for inclusive excellence at Texas State University and Ohio University. Previously, Secuban held leadership positions at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, where she oversaw the renovation of the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, and at the University of Arkansas, where she served as senior associate director for the freshman engineering program, director of the multicultural center, director of student affairs and diversity services in the College of Education and Health Professions, as well as an assistant director of undergraduate admissions. Her work centers on advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB); promoting student success; and fostering campus environments where all individuals are valued, supported, and heard. She has led initiatives focused on cultural and resource centers, inclusive excellence planning, DEIB fundraising and branding, and campus climate assessment. Secuban earned her Doctor of Education in higher education administration, Master of Science in health science, and Bachelor of Arts in psychology—all from the University of Arkansas. A proud 32-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she is a charter member of the Phi Alpha Omega Chapter in Northwest Arkansas.

Dr. C. Spencer Platt is an associate professor of higher education administration at the University of South Carolina. He directs the Community College Leadership Alliance and previously led the university’s Center for Innovation in Higher Education. With more than 20 years of experience in student affairs, community engagement, diversity and equity, and academic affairs, Platt’s research focuses on access and excellence in education, particularly the experiences of underrepresented students, faculty, and staff at predominantly White institutions. He has secured over one million dollars in extramural funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. His publications include articles in numerous peer-reviewed journals and three books: Multiculturalism in Higher Education: Increasing Access and Improving Equity in the 21st Century (Information Age, 2020); Comprehensive Multicultural Education in the 21st Century: Increasing Access in the Age of Retrenchment (Information Age, 2019); and From Boyhood to Manhood: Deconstructing Black Masculinity Through a Lifespan Continuum (Peter Lang, 2015). Platt regularly presents at national and international conferences, including AERA, ASHE, the International Conference on Doctoral Education, and the International Colloquium on Black Males in Education. He earned a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, an MS from the University of Dayton, and a BA from the University of South Carolina.

Darryl B. Holloman, PhD, serves as vice president for student affairs at Spelman College. He previously held leadership roles as associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Georgia State University and as assistant vice president for student life at Columbus State University. With more than 30 years of experience in higher education, Holloman’s career spans a broad portfolio encompassing student affairs administration, institutional governance, and faculty engagement. He has held faculty appointments at Rutgers University–Newark, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Columbus State University, and Georgia State University. Holloman is a published scholar with numerous articles and book chapters to his credit. His research explores how educational environments are shaped by cultural identity and difference. A frequent conference contributor, he has presented more than 80 research papers at national and international meetings, including those of NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Divisions F and J, the Association of College Unions International, NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising, ACPA–College Student Educators International, and the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.