NASPA Online Learning Community

Live Webinars and Member Briefings


Live webinars allow student affairs and higher education professionals to access professional development from all over the world. Based on NASPA’s competencies, these webinars showcase scholarly research and best practices and provide resources from diverse presenters and content experts. Webinars can not be downloaded but can be viewed in your office or in a conference room with a larger group. 

  • Webinars are 60 minutes in length unless otherwise indicated. 
  • All on-demand recordings will be available in your Online Learning Community 365 days after the live event. 
  • All webinars are recorded and will be available on-demand within 48 hours from the live event. 
  • Closed captioning will be available for all webinars. Additional accommodations can be requested when registering.


Upcoming Live Webinars and Member Briefings

  • Join Peer Education Initiatives and fellow advisors for a lively, virtual roundtable to swap success stories, tackle challenges, and ignite fresh ideas for your peer education programming. Connect, collaborate, and leave inspired with new strategies for the year ahead.

    Looking for new programming ideas or solutions to common challenges? Connect live with peer education advisors from across the country for an open, interactive discussion. This virtual roundtable is a chance to share programs that worked well, lessons learned from challenges, and creative approaches for the upcoming year. Whether you are a seasoned advisor or new to the role, your experiences and insights are valuable to the conversation. No formal presentations, just real conversations designed to spark collaboration and innovation. Come ready to share, ask questions, and walk away with actionable ideas and renewed energy for your peer education work!

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Discuss successful peer education programs implemented on other campuses
    2. Analyze common challenges faced in peer education programming
    3. Develop at least two new programming ideas or enhancements to bring back to your campus


    Janel Molnar

    Director, Recreation & Wellness

    Ashland University

    Janel Molnar serves as the Director of Recreation & Wellness at Ashland University, where she has been in that position since 2009.  In 2020, her department began to oversee wellness for both students as well as faculty/staff.  Molnar serves as the advisor for the "Student Wellness Team", which is a peer education group housed within wellness.  The Student Wellness Team is composed of 19 students who share wellness information with campus, promote a healthy lifestyle and serve as wellness resources on campus.  Under Molnar's leadership the Wellness Team President (Sarah Watson) received the "Outstanding Peer Educator of the Year" award at the 2025 NASPA Strategies conference, the Student Wellness Team won "Outstanding Student Organization of the Year" and Molnar won "Outstanding Staff Member" at the 2025 Ashland University Leadership Awards.

  • Includes a Live Web Event on 07/16/2025 at 7:45 AM (EDT)

    Many first-generation students attend college to prepare for stable careers and pursue social mobility, while navigating unfamiliar social, economic, and professional landscapes. While much has been written about their educational experiences, less is known about their career development and the challenges they face transitioning into the workforce. Join FirstGen Forward (FGF) and Phase II Advisory to dive into the details of the new FGF research brief addressing gaps, highlighting both the institutional support available and the often-overlooked cultural aspects of boundary-crossing and imposter syndrome.

    Many first-generation students attend college to prepare for stable careers and pursue social mobility, while navigating unfamiliar social, economic, and professional landscapes. While much has been written about their educational experiences, less is known about their career development and the challenges they face transitioning into the workforce. Join FirstGen Forward (FGF) and Phase II Advisory to dive into the details of the new FGF research brief addressing gaps, highlighting both the institutional support available and the often-overlooked cultural aspects of boundary-crossing and imposter syndrome.

    Mary Fugate, Ph.D

    Assistant Vice President, Data Analytics

    FirstGen Forward

    Mary Fugate (she/her/hers) serves as the assistant vice president of data analytics with FirstGen Forward. Mary joined FGF 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, and contributing to the field through research.

    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.

    Nancy Stalowski, Ed.D

    Director, Diagnostics & Data Analytics

    FirstGen Forward

    Nancy Stalowski (she/her/hers) serves as director of diagnostics and data analytics with FirstGen Forward. Nancy brings more than a decade of experience working in higher education and leadership development. For most of her career, she has worked with underrepresented students including first-generation, minority, and DACA students. Prior to joining FGF, Nancy was the executive director of The Public Leadership Education Network, and prior to that she managed the Southern Management Leadership Program at the University of Maryland. Nancy is a highly motivated individual with a real passion for helping students who face additional barriers to success and promoting data-driven decision making.

    Nancy received her Ed.D. in higher education administration at The George Washington University. She also received an M.A. in history and B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, and fishing. Nancy lives in Maryland with her husband and dog.

    Melinda Mechur Karp, Ph.D.

    Founder & Principal

    Phase Two Advisory

    Dr. Melinda Mechur Karp is a nationally recognized expert on improving students’ transitions to college and supporting them once there. She founded Phase Two Advisory after nearly twenty years conducting research and working with colleges on education reform as Assistant Director at the Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. The proud granddaughter of refugees, Melinda works with national and institutional leaders, campus-based faculty and staff, and philanthropists to ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to realize the intergenerational mobility higher education provides. She frequently writes, speaks, and comments on education reform at professional meetings, in the media, and in academic forums.

    Melinda holds a BS in human development and family studies from Cornell University; and both an MA and a PhD in sociology and education from Columbia University. She chairs the Effective Advising Practice Guide Panel for the Institute on Education Science’s What Works Clearinghouse, and she is a member of the inaugural editorial team for the Journal of Postsecondary Student Success.