Dr Niamh Nestor (she/her) has been the Student Adviser at the Veterinary Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Ireland since 2014. Niamh’s work is focused on student support, primarily on mental health and wellbeing among veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing students. She is also interested in student engagement and community building. Niamh is a team leader in the UCD Student Advisory Team, managing seven UCD student advisers. She is on the executive of Student Affairs Ireland, and she is an active member of UKAT (UK Advising and Tutoring association) and NASPA. Niamh’s background is in sociolinguistics, migration and integration, and her doctoral research focused on Polish children and teenagers who had migrated to Ireland since Poland joined the European Union in 2004.

Ms. Wadad Youssef El-Husseiny 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.

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. She 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.

Stephanie Bannister serves as the assistant vice president with the Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and The Suder Foundation. Prior to joining NASPA, Stephanie served Kansas State University (K-State) in a variety of roles–most recently as the assistant vice provost for student success. Stephanie joined the K-State division of student life with housing and dining services in 2001. Previously, she served as associate director for student living in housing, directed two residence halls at the University of Kansas, and traveled nationwide as a consultant for Alpha Gamma Delta International Fraternity. Stephanie has a B.A. from Fort Hays State University, an M.S. from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in education from K-State. With a career spanning two decades, she has served as a consultant for higher education and non-profit agencies on a range of topics from strategic planning to community building and leadership development. Stephanie is a graduate teaching faculty member in the College of Education at K-State and is active in the greater Manhattan community.

A first-generation advocate and ally, Stephanie resides in the great state of Kansas with her husband, the Honorable Grant D. Bannister, chief judge for Kansas' 21st Judicial District, and is the proud mother of Sydney, William, and Grace.

Mary Fugate (she/her/hers) serves as director of research and data analytics with the Center for First-generation Student Success. Mary joined the Center for First-generation Student Success in 2020 from NASPA Advisory Services where she served as assistant director. Prior to joining NASPA, Mary served as the assistant director of Institutional Research at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. A data and research enthusiast, Mary is passionate about empowering others to proficiently interpret and utilize data and research for continuous improvement and promotion of student success.

Mary earned a B.A. in sociology from Hofstra University, an M.S. in sociology from Utah State University, and a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Toledo.

Ashley Kulland (she/her/hers) serves as a research and data associate with the Center for First-generation Student Success. Ashley joined the Center for First-generation Student Success in 2021. Prior to joining NASPA, Ashley served as the senior institutional research coordinator at Mayville State University and the coordinator of assessment and education programs at Concordia College in Moorhead. As an efficiency and research enthusiast, Ashley strives to promote ethical and purposeful data decision-making for immediate and long-term campus improvements.

Ashley earned a B.S. in psychology from the University of North Dakota and an M.S. in experimental psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ashley is currently working toward her Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in institutional effectiveness from North Dakota State University.

Martina Martin serves as director of expert guidance with the Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA and The Suder Foundation. Prior to joining NASPA, Martina served as associate director for the University of Kentucky’s student community resources and services and as the program director for first-generation student services and off-campus student services. For over a decade, Martina assisted in developing university-wide first-generation initiatives focused on recruitment, retention, and career and professional development.

 
Martina is a proud first-generation college graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, where she earned a B.S. in physical education, an M.S. in physical education-sports administration, an M.A. in human services-student personnel services in higher education, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy studies. Martina resides in Georgetown, Kentucky with her husband, Ricky Stone, Jr.

Tricia Stouder works in the Office of Student Financial Aid, serving as Iowa State’s Assistant Director for Work-Study Student Employment. She holds a Masters of Science from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has been with Iowa State since 2010, working with training and development throughout her career. As an NSEA Student Employment Essentials trainer, she understands the regulations behind maintaining a strong (and compliant) student employment program. She strives to empower those lucky enough to work with student employees to help create transformational learning opportunities through work experiences. 

Jason Vlastaras is the associate director for student success and programs at Iowa State University. He began his journey in campus recreation, working as a personal trainer at the University of Florida. He received his master of business administration at Oklahoma State University, where he also served as the assistant director of fitness before coming to Iowa State University. At ISU, Jason led the committee to develop the ISU Career Ready framework. He also serves as the Alternate Director to CAS for NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation and has led committees related to assessment, research and professional development. Owing his career to the experience he had as a student employee, he believes career readiness competencies can be a valuable tool to enhancing student success.