Looking for ways to continue to increase student engagement at your institution? 

Join this session for insights on trends and hear about ways that other institutions have solved the student engagement challenge. We’ll cover overarching trends we’re seeing in student engagement, how technology is shifting strategies, and ways that higher education institutions are using technology to take engagement to the next level. 

Leave the webinar with ideas that you can implement at your institution to enhance the student experience, learn how institutions continue to get students’ attention, and ways to encourage engagement throughout the year. 

Joining the team in July 2021, Jack serves as the event management and training coordinator. Within his role, Jack serves as the primary advisor to the Activities Board, while also assisting with other large-scale campus events and initiatives. He also aids student organizations through their development and event planning. Jack earned a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky.

Paige Cook serves as the Associate Director of Student Activities and Greek Life at Gettysburg College. In her professional role, Paige is responsible for the primary oversight of Gettysburg College’s CampusGroups platform, the large-scale social programming on campus, the Multicultural Greek Council, and more. Outside of the workplace, she enjoys drawing, reading, and spending time with her cats!

Dr. Mirko Widenhorn joined Ready Education in 2024, bringing over twenty years of experience in higher education and education technology to his role as Vice President of Marketing. At Ready, he focuses on enhancing the client experience, supporting product marketing needs, and providing thought leadership on student engagement and student success. He regularly presents at conferences worldwide on topics pertaining to enrollment, student engagement, and student success. Mirko holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Wilkes University, an M.A. from the College of Europe (Belgium), and a B.A. from Drew University.

Dr. Melinda Karp, Phase Two’s founder and project lead, has extensive research and thought-partnership experience in the areas of college access, student support, and completion strategies. She is a nationally-known expert on community colleges and strategies to support low-income, first-generation, minoritized, and otherwise under-served students in and out of the classroom. Dr. Karp has authored or co-authored over 70 articles, book chapters, and working papers and 35 practitioner-focused blogs, op-eds, and practical toolkits. She served as panel chair for the Institute for Education Science’s What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide on Effective Advising for Postsecondary Students and a reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education’s 2024 Postsecondary Success Recognition Program. She is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Postsecondary Student Success and a coach for the NCII Rural Guided Pathways Project.  

Dr. Suzanne Lyons is a senior consultant with Phase Two Advisory, supporting their national research and practitioner learning networks related to college access, success, and holistic student support. In addition, she is an educator and systems-level social worker, with over 20 years of experience working in K-12, public and private colleges, and national non-profits, including work with The Posse Foundation, TRIO, and Promise programs. As a first-generation, low-income college graduate, Dr. Lyons has dedicated her career to focusing on policies, programs, and multi-sector partnerships across the K-20 pipeline that support college access and success. Among other publications, Dr. Lyons is co-author (with Dr. Karp) on a chapter in the Routledge Handbook on Higher Education, “Advising the whole student: Current approaches to integrating academic, career, and personal support.”  Prior to joining Phase Two, she led private and federal grants geared toward systems-level change to improve student outcomes in high schools and at Hispanic-serving community colleges. Dr. Lyons holds her Bachelor’s in Psychology & Spanish from the University of Notre Dame, her Master’s in Social Workfrom the University of Pennsylvania, and her Ph.D. in Higher & Postsecondary Education from NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

Dr. Jhenai Chandler is the Vice President of Research and Policy at NASPA, where she leads efforts to advance student success and equity through research-based policy. She previously served as Senior Director of College Completion Policy at TICAS and has held leadership roles at Education Strategy Group and within Florida’s higher education systems. A first-generation college graduate and former parenting student, Chandler is committed to expanding access and support for diverse learners. She holds degrees from Florida A&M University, Nova Southeastern University, and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.

With over 10 years of experience in student affairs, Dr. Tyger is passionate about creating inclusive and supportive campus communities that empower students to thrive. Currently serving as the Assistant Vice President for Student Life at the University of Florida, James oversees the Student Engagement Team, which includes the offices for Campus Engagement, Community and belonging, Sorority and fraternity Life, and Student Legal Services. 

Dr. Tyger is a proud double Gator, having earned both a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and a J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He also holds a Master of Education from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management from Virginia Tech. 

In addition to his role at the University of Florida, Dr. Tyger is the Director-elect for the Public Policy Division of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and serves on the Virginia Tech Student Affairs Advisory Council. 

Dr. Penny Rue is a Professional Certified Executive Leadership Coach and Consultant affiliated with the Association of Governing Boards. She is also Vice President and University Professor Emeritus at Wake Forest University, where she is a Research Professor for the Department of Counseling. She served as the Vice President for Campus Life and Professor of Counseling at Wake Forest University from 2013 to 2022, where she had broad responsibility for the well-being and safety of students and their education outside the classroom. Dr. Rue previously served for six years as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of California San Diego, and as a member of the Student Affairs Council for the University of California system.She served for eight years as Dean of Students at the University of Virginia. She served for twelve years in progressively responsible leadership roles at Georgetown University. She is nationally known for her creative leadership in strengthening campus communities,

leading for belonging, well-being and inclusion, and effective enterprise risk management. Earlier in her career, she held posts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Maryland. Dr. Rue obtained her Doctorate in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland, where her dissertation research focused on a conceptual study of the community on the college campus. She has a Master’s degree in student personnel services from The Ohio State University, from which she received the Maude Stewart Outstanding Alumna Award in 2011, and an A.B. Magna cum laude in English and Religion from Duke University. In 2011, she was named a Pillar of the Profession by the NASPA Foundation. A longtime NASPA Volunteer, in March 2017, she began a three-year term serving as Chair-elect, Chair, and Past Chair of the NASPA Board of Directors, which concluded in 2020. Outside of work, she loves swimming, yoga, gardening, and cats.