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.

Atlehang Bokaba is an Assistant Researcher in the Director’s Office within the Directorate for International Partnerships and Relations at the University of the Free State, South Africa. She has served as a Research Assistant for the "Female Voices in the Third Space" project, led by Coventry University with global partners, which examines how Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) for women in Higher Education. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree, majoring in Political Science and History, from the University of the Free State and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Honours in History. During her undergraduate studies, she served as President of the Golden Key International Honour Society UFS chapter, as Prime and Deputy Prime of the Residence Committee, and as Chairperson of the Student Representative Council (SRC) in the Faculty of Humanities. Passionate about community development, she is actively involved in nonprofit initiatives focused on women’s empowerment, mental health awareness, and addressing drug and alcohol abuse in her community. Atlehang is a UNESCO Intercultural Competence Conference participant.

Namatai Kwekweza is a Pan-African feminist, human rights activist, and advocate for constitutionalism, youth empowerment, and women’s rights. She is the founder of WELEAD Africa, a youth-led leadership and advocacy organization operating across Southern Africa. Through her work, she promotes democratic governance, civic participation, and constitutional integrity, especially among youth and women in marginalized communities. Her approach combines grassroots mobilization, policy advocacy, leadership development, constitutional rights education, and digital activism. Namatai has impacted thousands of young Africans by equipping them with tools and platforms for civic engagement and leadership. Her work has also influenced regional and international policy conversations on democracy and human rights. She is the recipient of several honors, including the 2025 German Africa Prize, the inaugural Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize (2023), and the Walkabout Prize under the Next Generation Foresight Practitioners Awards (2020).

Kgadi Mathabathe serves as the Director of Student Affairs at the University of Pretoria, where she is dedicated to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and engaging environment for all students. With over 15 years of experience in higher education, Kgadi has served as institutional lead for numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing student success, including the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation Scholarship Program, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Program, to name a few. Under her leadership, UP has managed to raise funds to broaden access and success to academically talented young people from low socio-economic backgrounds and facilitate a smooth transition from basic to higher education. Kgadi, an NRF rated researcher, holds a PhD in Science Education (UP), where she focused on innovative teaching and learning strategies that promote self- and socially regulated learning as well as the development of student and educator metacognition. Her commitment to creating an enabling environment is driven by a belief in the transformative power of education and the importance of providing every student with the opportunity to succeed. Beyond her professional endeavors, Kgadi is an advocate for broadened access and success into STEM for students from low socio-economic backgrounds, demonstrating a deep commitment to building educational spaces that are accessible, welcoming, and empowering for all.

Lwandisile Mhlanga is a Masters student in Industrial Engineering at Stellenbosch University, specialising in Logistics and Supply Chain Systems. He is an intern at the University’s Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) division and serves as the Vice-Chairperson for the Senior Prim Committee and the Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert (FVZS) Student Leadership Ambassador. Across five terms of student leadership, Lwandisile has helped shape day-to-day life in residence communities that are multilingual and multicultural, giving him practical insight into how intercultural competence is built beyond policy through routines, peer accountability, and shared spaces. He is a Ripples of Hope Fellow, a Nedbank Mike Brown Scholar and a 2025 Rector’s Award recipient for Excellence in Leadership. He is also part of the core steering committee for the UNESCO Conference on Intercultural Competence for the Africa Youth Summit programme.

Dr Heidi October serves on Stellenbosch University's Student Affairs management team. Her role entails the oversight and co-design of student leadership programmes for academic transcript recognition. She has extensive international higher education stakeholder relations experience at more than 25 international universities. As a student leader she has been actively involved in student leadership since the 1990s and has been awarded with Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for excellent achievement as student leader and as a staff member, and academic honorary colours from the University of Pretoria where she obtained her PhD in Leadership Studies. She has also been awarded honorary membership of the international Golden Key Society for her contribution to leadership and serves on the NASPA global division board. 

Heidi is passionate about co-creating platforms for global participation on student leadership initiatives to engage critically as active citizen-leaders. The FVZS Institute’s partnerships, local and abroad with more than 1500+ students participating annually in academic recognised leadership programmes, allow her to continue her research on the “born-free student leaders’ identity formation in post-apartheid South Africa”. These global engagements include, having served on the steering committee for the Stellenbosch University & KU Leuven Think Tank for academic top achievers; Co-convenor for the 2024 Nobel Symposia in Africa & International Youth Think Tank; guest lecturing at the Association of Commonwealth Universities’ summer school; a series of guest lectures at MCI Business School in Innsbruck, Austria and KU Leuven, Belgium; transcultural leadership workshop for the Leadership Excellence Institute, Zeppelin University, Germany; and scholarly papers at international conferences. Apart from her research focus area on student leadership identity formation in post-apartheid South Africa, she enjoys long-distance walking and solo traveling with more than 45 countries explored to date.

Maria del Pilar Murguia was born in Bolivia and raised across Italy and Colombia! Her multicultural life experience allowed her to learn firsthand the challenges that living in different countries entails!  With a business background, Pilar started working in International Higher education since June 2003 at John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. The focus of her work at JCU was and is to establish and maintain an environment that supports learning, encourages a strong sense of community, and promotes student development through active engagement in university life. 

Pilar currently directly supervises the areas of Athletics, Outdoor Education Programs, Performing Arts, Student Activities and Trips, and Student Leadership Programs (OL, OSA, Student Clubs). She is part of the board of the Crisis Management Team of her University, as well as the University strategic planning committee.

Pilar is a certified Student Leadership Challenge practitioner, and her continued interest in intercultural leadership makes her curious about all new trends in the field. She is an active member AACUPI, NASPA, EUCA among other associations.

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.

"Passionate about empowering individuals to reach their full potential, Heba Shaheen is dedicated to supporting student leaders in creating meaningful and lasting impact throughout their experiential learning journey at The American University in Cairo (AUC) and within their wider communities.

With over 16 years of professional experience, Heba began her career as a Quality Control Analyst in a multinational company after earning a BSc in Chemistry with a minor in Psychology. She later transitioned into higher education, pursuing her passion for student development, leadership, and well-being. She currently holds two master’s degrees and is pursuing a PhD in Global Public Health at AUC, with research interests focused on policy management and workplace well-being. Heba holds an MSc in Organizational Psychology from the University of London, with a focus on women’s leadership, workplace gender equity, and well-being, as well as an MA in International & Comparative Education from AUC, concentrating on research and policymaking, with a focus on Education for Sustainable Development. She is also a Certified Student Affairs Educator from the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs, with a concentration in Campus Activities. She is also a professional trainer and practitioner in personality, interest, and strengths assessments.
Heba’s career journey from Chemistry to Higher Education reflects her belief in the power of perseverance, passion, and purpose. Through the challenges and rewards of career transition, she continues to inspire others to embrace growth, resilience, and lifelong learning."

Dr. Janelle Rahyns serves as the senior director for global impact at NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. She supports the association's international initiatives such as NASPA's Global Division, the MENASA Advisory Board, the MENASA NASPA Conference, the Global Summit on Student Affairs and Services, the International Symposium, the International Exchange Program, and assists in the support of the Latin America and the Caribbean Advisory Board. Prior to joining NASPA, Janelle served as the Assistant Dean at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, and the Resident Director at the University of California Los Angeles. Her research interests focus on African American college students, comparative study abroad experiences, international student affairs, and race and ethnicity in study abroad. Janelle holds a Ph.D. in Social Science & Comparative Education with a concentration in International & Comparative Education from the University of California Los Angeles, an M.Ed in Student Personnel in Higher Education and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida.

As the Director of Innovation and Impact on the Quality Coaching team, Victoria Dunn manages work addressing scalable solutions for quality education-to-career coaching, especially technology-enabled or publicly available solutions. She also supports overall grant making and management across the team's portfolio including post-secondary education, transition coaching, and state-level supports. Victoria joined Strada in 2024. Previously, she led work in several national college access and success organizations, such as the Posse Foundation, Bottom Line, and KIPP Foundation. 

Dr. Melissa Irvin serves as Senior Associate Vice Provost for Student Success at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In this role, she provides strategic leadership for the Academic Success Center, First-Year Experience & University Pathways unit and Advising & Technology Initiatives, guiding initiatives that promote academic excellence, coordinated care, and proactive interventions. She previously served as Assistant Dean for Academic Support and Outreach at the University of South Florida, where she oversaw Academic Advocacy, High-Impact Practices & Undergraduate Research, and advising technology & analytics. Earlier in her career, she held leadership positions at Tennessee Technological University, advancing enrollment management and student success initiatives that achieved record retention gains. Most recently in the Division of Student Success at UT Knoxville, she led the Division’s adoption of Salesforce Student Success Hub and the development of the University Exploratory Pathways initiative for first-time-in-college students admitted with test scores below historical benchmarks.

Dr. Kayla Devora-Jones is the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Coastal Bend College, a rural Hispanic-Serving Institution in South Texas. A first-generation college student herself, she has spent more than 20 years working in education to create coherent pathways for first-generation, rural, and Latinx students. She holds an doctorate degree in Learning and Organizational Change from Baylor University, fellow of the Latinos for Education Advanced Leadership Fellowship (ALLF), a NASPA Advising Success Network mentor, and the creator of Mi Camino — a bilingual, AI-powered navigator designed to support first-generation Latinx students through the high school-to-college transition. Her work sits at the intersection of user-centered design, access, and innovation in student success.

Amie Tryon has served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Salish Kootenai College since June 2025, following an interim appointment to the position.  During her 31 years with the College, she has served as an Upward Bound Instructor, Department Chair / Faculty of Liberal Arts, Director of Academic Success, and Director of Institutional Effectiveness.  Her experience as staff, faculty, institutional researcher, and now administrator, provide for a multi-perspective approach in leading student success work.  Through these various roles, Amie has led, and continues to lead, campus student support and success initiatives in conjunction with American Indian College Fund, Achieving the Dream, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, and the Urban Institute in an effort to strengthen sustainable student supports; grow integrated campus collaborations; develop student centric procedures and policies; and build data capacity within campus programs and departments.

David Ford, Ed.D., is Vice President of Quality Coaching at Strada Education Foundation, where he leads efforts to translate the Principles for Quality Education-to-Career Guidance into scalable, statewide practice. He also supports the Quality Coaching team’s efforts to advance human-centered, AI-enabled, technology approaches and solutions for scaling through the use of career navigation platforms. A first-generation college student who began his career as a school counselor, Dr. Ford has spent nearly three decades supporting systems and learners navigating critical transitions from education to meaningful work. Most recently, he served as Bureau Chief at the Iowa Department of Education and Executive Director of the Iowa College Student Aid Commission, overseeing the state’s college access, affordability, and attainment initiatives. A recognized leader in the field, Dr. Ford specializes in aligning K–12, higher education, and workforce systems to ensure that personalized guidance and career navigation become universal drivers of economic mobility.

As Strada’s senior vice president, quality coaching, Craig Robinson leads efforts to ensure all students have access to education-to-employment guidance that helps them reflect on their talents and interests, choose a career goal, map pathways through education, and successfully navigate challenges. Robinson’s work focuses on developing systems that support coaching that is timely and responsive to students’ talents and interests as well as labor market needs.
Before joining Strada in 2024, Robinson served as president and chief executive officer of Matriculate, a national tech-enabled virtual advising program that connects high-achieving, low-income college juniors and seniors to highly trained undergraduate advisors. Robinson previously served as CEO at College Possible, a college access and completion program that matches eligible students with near-peer coaches and a curriculum designed to help them navigate and overcome common barriers to success in education after high school.

Elise Newkirk-Kotfila serves as the assistant vice president for strategy and partnerships at NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Her work focuses on student success research and partnerships, and she leads the Advising Success Network, a dynamic network of national organizations partnering to engage institutions in holistic advising redesign to advance success for all students, including Black, Latinx/a/o, Indigenous, Asian, and Pacific Islander students and poverty-affected students. The network provides technical assistance and resources to guide colleges and universities through advising redesign initiatives and has supported over 267 institutions in 30 states. Prior to her work at NASPA, Elise served as the director of applied learning for the State University of New York (SUNY), where she led SUNY’s 64 campuses through an applied learning initiative which culminated in providing at least one high-quality experiential learning opportunity to 460,000 students. Elise has served on national advisory councils and boards, including on the executive board for the Society for Experiential Education. Elise holds a master’s degree from the University at Albany where she studied Women’s Studies and Public Policy with a research concentration on community-university partnerships and a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies from The College of Saint Rose.

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.

Creston Lynch, Ph.D. serves as Assistant Vice President for University Life at George Mason University, Virginia's largest and most diverse public university, where he leads division-wide initiatives, oversees student retention and success programs, and supports implementation of the university's strategic plan. He has held senior leadership roles at Southern Methodist University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Western Kentucky University, and Clemson University, building coalitions, strengthening campus climate, and advancing the student experience across institutional contexts. He has been active in NASPA for more than a decade, presenting at the Annual Conference and AVP Symposium and engaging with regional and national planning efforts. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of North Texas.

Garrett Naiman leads campuswide strategy and operations that advance student success, engagement, and well-being at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education, grounded in the belief that every student deserves the opportunity to thrive. He has been an active NASPA contributor and most recently served on the 2025 Extended Learning Sessions conference subcommittee. He holds degrees from UC Santa Barbara, the University of Vermont, and the University of San Francisco.

Quincy D. Spencer provides strategic leadership for student engagement, belonging, and success at the University of Arkansas, overseeing a portfolio that includes transition programs, college access, student media, leadership and involvement, family programs, community engagement, and multicultural initiatives. His scholarship focuses on family engagement, first-generation student success, and second-year retention, and he draws on experience across large public universities, mid-sized institutions, and medical colleges. A past president of NODA, he is active in NASPA and AHEPPP and works as an independent higher education consultant. He holds a doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Arkansas.

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.