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.

Dr. Frank Cuevas serves as the vice chancellor for the Division of Student Life. Student Life departments provide the daily support students need to learn, lead, and serve on campus and in our community. The vice chancellor is the chief student advocate for the campus. This role supports the development, assessment, and improvement of campus life and student experiences that meet the university’s mission, priorities, and strategic plan.

As vice chancellor, Cuevas and his leadership team are responsible for student care and support, health and wellness initiatives, and leadership and engagement opportunities. He oversees more than 450 staff members and 3.7 million square feet of facility space that includes on-campus housing, campus recreation, the Student Health Center, the Frieson Black Cultural Center, and the Student Union.

Cuevas has led significant capital projects at UT. He led the planning and construction of six residence halls from 2013 to 2018. Additionally, the construction of three new multiuse student housing facilities recently began, which are the first housing public-private partnership approved at a university in the state of Tennessee. Cuevas led the construction of a new Student Union in 2019 and the installation of National Pan-Hellenic Council monuments in 2021. He served as a central leader of UT’s COVID-19 pandemic response team where his focus was on safe and effective student programs and services. In 2021, Cuevas announced a new strategic plan for Student Life. This involved a division-wide reorganization to foster an environment where students learn, lead, and serve.

Cuevas is a first-generation college graduate and earned his bachelor’s in international affairs, his master’s in higher education, and his doctorate in higher education administration from Florida State University. Cuevas began his student affairs career at The Ohio State University as a residence hall director. Following his time at The Ohio State University, he returned to Florida State University where he worked in housing and various leadership roles for more than 15 years.

In 2010, Cuevas joined UT as the executive director of University Housing and has served in several leadership roles within Student Life. Cuevas is also an adjunct assistant professor for the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. He has co-authored published works on career transitions across the life span for student affairs professionals, and diverse perspectives about today’s college students. He is also  involved in a variety of community and professional associations.

In 2025, Cuevas was named as one of NASPA’s Pillars of the Profession. This award, one of the NASPA Foundation’s highest honors, recognizes exceptional members of the student affairs and higher education community for their work and contributions to the field.

Dr. Cuevas is an avid college sport fan and is passionate about higher education. He and his wife, Cathy, have two adult children.

Dr. Jill Dunlap is the Assistant Vice President for Civic Engagement, Policy Research and Advocacy at NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Prior to her current role, Jill worked at three different campuses over a span of 15 years. Jill’s primary background is in equity and justice work, specializing in interpersonal violence prevention and response. Her expertise in interpersonal violence has allowed her to serve as a consultant at the national level, from participating in the federal rulemaking process, serving as a subject matter expert to the Department of Defense and a member of the Peace Corps Sexual Assault Advisory Council. Jill also teaches Political Science at both St. Xavier University and DePaul University in Chicago. She completed her PhD in Political Science and Public Administration at Northern Illinois University. Jill’s research has centered on the experiences of college students and student affairs professionals, and includes a range of topics from interpersonal violence, to advancing racial justice on campus. Her work can be found in several books including Contested Issues in Troubled Times: Student Affairs Dialogues on Equity, Civility, and Safety and Scandal and Corruption in Congress. Jill’s most recent research focuses on equity and social change efforts in higher education and she is proud to have co-authored the recent report, Advancing Racial Justice on Campus: Student and Administrator Perspectives on Conditions for Change.

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. 

Maya Ann Chaly Temperley is Associate Vice President for Government and Community Relations at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Serving in this capacity since February 2022, Temperley is responsible for the development and implementation of strategies to cultivate and enhance RIT’s relationships with government officials. In collaboration with academic and administrative leadership at RIT, Temperley engages federal and state government officials and agencies to advocate for policy and legislation, secure funding for university initiatives, and develop mutually beneficial partnerships. She monitors legislative and regulatory issues and prepares and submits comment letters to the federal government on behalf of the university. Temperley brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration, including prior roles at St. John Fisher College and the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester.  During her tenure at Fisher, she established the College’s first corporate and foundation relations, sponsored program, and government relations offices.

Diana Ali is currently the director of policy research and advocacy at NASPA. Through her service at NASPA, Diana provides timely analysis of emerging policy issues at state and federal levels, creates tools for student affairs professionals to understand and respond to these issues, and organizes and supports NASPA advocacy and civic engagement efforts.

Since moving to the area, Diana has been a non-profit advocate, and is currently a mental health group facilitator in the Chicagoland community. She has served as an AmeriCorps volunteer for two years and graduated with a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

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.

For over a decade Jessica Thompson has led TICAS’ work on college access and affordability, with expertise in higher education finance and funding, federal and state grant aid, federal loans and repayment, education tax benefits, higher education data and information tools, and the federal financial aid application process. Before joining TICAS, Jessica spent six years as a higher education policy analyst for the University of Washington, focused on national, state and institutional funding and policy issues. Additionally, she has worked on policy and administrative problems related to energy assistance, homelessness, and mental health. She received her MPA with a focus in Public Policy from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU, and her BA in Psychology from the University of Southern California.