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.