Higher Learning 2025

Keynote & Featured Speakers

April 5–8, 2025, Chicago

Keynote Speakers

David Allison

Human values expert, CEO of a global research firm, two-time bestselling author, founder of the Valuegraphics Project

David Allison is a human values expert, CEO of a global research firm, two-time bestselling author, and founder of the Valuegraphics Project. He is focused on changing how we understand ourselves, the people around us, and those we hope to engage with in our work. As the founder of the Valuegraphics Project – the first global inventory of core human values – he has transformed human values into measurable data and created an entirely new type of human-centric insights. He helps big brands like PayPal, Five Star School Supplies, the United Nations Foundation, and Google connect with people by honoring their values. 

After decades of helping big brands engage people, David Allison recognized that demographics weren’t working like before. Gender roles were blurred, age has nothing to do with how we behave, and our income doesn’t change what’s in our hearts. Instead, our values drive our behavior and our shared values that engage people and influence outcomes. So he launched the Valuegraphics Project to turn human values into data and create a revolutionary new approach to inspiring action – with the enormous power of shared human values.

Today, after nearly a million surveys in 152 languages, David is the world’s foremost human values expert, with two bestselling books and an international speaking career. Innovative organizations like PayPal, Lululemon, and the United Nations Foundation use David’s data to connect with people in new, more profound ways – by honoring what they value. He coined the term valuegraphics to describe his unique approach to understanding people, which now appears next to demographics in textbooks used on campuses worldwide. Valuegraphics have been featured in Forbes, INC Magazine, and the Harvard Business Review, and his latest book, “The Death of Demographics,” was hailed by critics as “Convincing, insightful, and…revolutionary.”

He’s developed an entirely new and powerful way to address any issue, and seize any opportunity by leaning deep into a fundamental human truth: we are what we value. His highly engaging and passionate keynote delivery, combined with game-changing insights, make his keynote presentations entirely unique can’t-miss events.

Values are the answer.  Let’s put them to work

Drawing from over ten years of research, David Allison will present on a balanced, data-informed approach to fostering understanding and uniting campus communities to kick off the conference on Saturday, April 5 at 5 p.m.

Amelia Parnell

President, NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

Dr. Amelia Parnell is an accomplished higher education executive and an internationally recognized thought leader regarding current issues and emerging trends in the field. She is a passionate advocate for higher education as a tool for personal advancement and impact, and she seeks opportunities to partner with organizations and individuals who share her sincere commitment to centering students’ needs.

In her prior role as vice president for research and policy for NASPA, Dr. Parnell led many of the association’s scholarly and advocacy-focused activities and fostered partnerships with college administrators, researchers, grant makers, and other higher education professionals.

As a frequent keynote speaker at national and regional conferences, Amelia presents on topics related to higher education, student affairs, college affordability, student learning outcomes, and institutions’ use of data and analytics. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and PBS NewsHour.

Amelia recently completed four years of service on the Board of Directors for EDUCAUSE, where she was Chair of the Finance & Investment Committee and the Audit Committee. She is also the past chair of the Higher Education Equity Network (HEEN), a collective impact network representing more than 25 organizations at the forefront of addressing racial equity in higher education.

Amelia enjoys opportunities to teach, and she is energized by making complex concepts easy to understand. She has had enriching engagements with students and peers as an adjunct instructor and lecturer and she is the author of the book, “You Are a Data Person,” which she wrote to encourage all higher education professionals to discover and embrace their unique data identity.

Amelia holds a Ph.D. in higher education from Florida State University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration from Florida A & M University.

Charles L. Welch

President and CEO, American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Dr. Charles L. Welch became the seventh president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) on January 15, 2024. Dr. Welch joined AASCU after serving nearly 13 years as president of the Arkansas State University System, where he led the state’s second largest higher education system. He is also past president of Henderson State University (AR).

Dr. Welch is past president of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges and served as chairman of the board of the Arkansas Association of Public Universities. He is vice chair of the American Academic Leadership Institute Board of Directors and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. He also served on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, is a former board member for the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches and was inducted into the Arkansas Boys State Hall of Fame.

He was co-chair of the Executive Council of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. He previously served as chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope-Texarkana, vice chancellor for academic affairs at Arkansas State University-Beebe, and dean of university studies at the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College. Welch also worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has served as an instructor of education and political science at three different colleges in Arkansas.

Dr. Welch has deep ties to AASCU, having led two AASCU member institutions, and served as chair of the AASCU Board of Directors twice from 2019-2021. He co-chaired AASCU’s Presidential Postsecondary Value Commission Task Force. He was also actively engaged with AASCU’s New Presidents Academy and Emerging Leaders Program, serving as executive sponsor for both initiatives.

Dr. Welch is a first-generation college student and the first member of his extended family to receive an advanced degree. He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Arkansas, a Master of Arts in political management from The George Washington University (DC), and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Dr. Welch was awarded President Emeritus status by the Arkansas State University System in December 2023. The system also honored Dr. Welch with the creation of the Charles L. Welch Presidential Scholars Program.

Representing the interests and insights of Student and Academic Affairs professionals, Amelia Parnell and Charles L. Welch will take part in a fireside chat to discuss strategies to improve teaching, learning, and student success Monday, April 7 at 9 a.m.

Featured Speakers

Susan Elrod

Chancellor, Indiana University South Bend, Change Leadership Consultant

Presenting: Leading Systemic Change Using the Change Leadership Toolkit

The higher ed environment continues to evolve in new and unpredictable ways. It’s important that leaders have tools to drive proactive, strategic and systemic change. Join change leadership expert Susan Elrod to learn how the research-based Change Leadership Toolkit (CLT) can help leaders identify change levers and create a plan that has a lasting impact.

Susan Elrod is an experienced biology professor, university administrator, and national leader in STEM education. Throughout her career, she has used an entrepreneurial mindset and a shared leadership approach to achieve goals that result in meaningful progress and lasting change. Her experience as a leader spans three university systems in the United States: the California State University (CSU) system, the University of Wisconsin (UW) system, and Indiana University (IU) – and roles including dean, provost and chancellor. She also served as the executive director of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) at the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. Her scholarship has resulted in over 30 publications on topics ranging from undergraduate research to systemic change and leadership, as well as several scientific publications and patents. Elrod holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of California, Davis and an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from California State University, Chico where she also served as President of the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI). She was a postdoctoral fellow at Novozymes, Inc. in Davis, California and was an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow at Colorado College in 2006-7 and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Jon Fansmith

Senior Vice President, Government Relations & National Engagement, American Council of Education

Presenting: Updates from Washington

Join Jon Fansmith for a federal legislative and regulatory update focused on the latest developments in higher ed. Topics will include priority issues for federal policymakers and what to expect ahead of the transition to the new administration.

Jonathan Fansmith directs ACE’s comprehensive efforts to engage federal policymakers on a broad range of issues including student aid, government regulation, scientific research, and tax policy. His work involves representation before the U.S. Congress, administrative agencies, and the federal courts. As an expert voice on behalf of colleges and universities, he is quoted widely in national and international media on higher education issues. Fansmith coordinates the efforts of the Student Aid Alliance, a coalition of over 80 higher education organizations. He is a member of the Think College National Coordinating Center Accreditation Workgroup, which was created as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. He also serves on the board of directors of the Foundation for Education Investment and the advisory board of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students. Fansmith was formerly the president and an executive committee member of the Committee for Education Funding. Fansmith earned a BA in history from Georgetown University and an MA in government from Johns Hopkins University.

Tomikia P. LeGrande

President, Prairie View A&M University

Presenting: Strategic Enrollment Management: A Collaborative Leadership Approach for the Future of Higher Education

Tomikia P. LeGrande draws from experience in the development and implementation of strategic planning, priorities, and goals to influence national prominence, strategic partnerships, and student access and success. Hear her speak about a collaborative leadership approach for the future of higher ed.

Tomikia P. LeGrande, Ed.D., became the ninth president of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) on June 1, 2023. Before joining PVAMU, Dr. LeGrande served as vice president for strategy, enrollment management and student success at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she led the development and implementation of the university’s strategic plan, priorities, and goals to influence national prominence, strategic partnerships, and student access and success. Other senior level leadership roles prior to VCU include vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at the University of Houston-Downtown, and associate vice chancellor for enrollment management at Winston Salem State University.

At the national level, Dr. LeGrande is actively engaged in issues of access, parity, higher education policy and leadership development. She is a sought-after thought leader, and a regular presenter and facilitator on the topics of enrollment management, educational equity and student success. As a two-time graduate of HBCUs, and having earned a doctorate in higher education leadership, Dr. LeGrande understands the transformative power of education in helping students dismantle class, social, and cultural barriers. She believes that centered and effective leadership in higher education can amplify and accelerate the social mobility of all students, but especially of those from communities that have been underserved and underrepresented.

Expert Panel: Practical Applications for GenAI in Higher Education

Kathe Pelletier | Senior Director of Community Programs, EDUCAUSE
Christopher van der Kaay | Founder and Owner, Castle AI Consulting
Ryan Low | Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration and Treasurer, University of Maine System

Each of us approach Generative AI (GenAI) with a mix of curiosity and concern. Hear a panel of experts address the realities of GenAI and discuss ethical considerations for its usage in higher ed. Hear how they have each leveraged this emerging technology to achieve new levels of efficiency in their disciplines and discover applications for GenAI in your own work.

With more than 20 years of experience in higher education across areas such as advising, academic support, curriculum design and competency-based education, Dr. Kathe Pelletier is currently the Senior Director of Community Programs at EDUCAUSE. She brings an expertise for combining traditional higher education evidence-based practice with innovative delivery models. She has been recognized by the International Center for Supplemental Instruction for starting and scaling the first online Supplemental Instruction program, and she has also been recognized for a hybrid program and course framework that creates a structure for faculty that balances creativity, consistency, and quality. Kathe has accomplished such things as building an online student success center from scratch, establishing a competency-based curriculum model that became an anchor for a self-paced CBE program, developing an assessment and outreach system that delivered personalized resource recommendations to incoming students, and guiding faculty communities of practice.

Christopher van der Kaay, Ph.D., specializes in applying data analytics and artiﬁcial intelligence to enhance institutional effectiveness in higher education. His work integrates traditional statistical methodologies with emerging AI technologies to support data-informed decision-making. With over 20 years of experience spanning K-12 and higher education, he focuses on AI-driven institutional data analysis and using AI to extract insights from unstructured data.

Dr. van der Kaay earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education with a cognate in Instructional Technology, as well as his Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Gerontology, from the University of South Florida. He regularly leads professional development sessions on AI applications, data analysis, and assessment methodologies at state and national levels. His current research interests center on the ethical use of AI in education, with emphasis on transparent and responsible approaches across teaching, learning, and institutional operations.

Ryan Low is the Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration and Treasurer at the University of Maine System, overseeing finance, government relations, facilities, procurement, and information technology. With a robust public sector finance background, Ryan has also served as CFO/VP for Administration and Finance at the University of Maine and the University of Maine at Farmington. His career in higher education followed significant roles in Maine’s state government, including Commissioner of Finance, State Budget Officer, and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor. He has managed state biennial budgets, overseen stimulus funding, and contributed to budget reform. Ryan’s expertise was recognized through his service on the transition teams for Maine’s last two governors and as an active member, and former chair, of the State of Maine’s Consensus Economic Forecasting Commission. Additionally, he contributes to various Boards and Commissions, leveraging his extensive experience in finance and administration.

Featured Workshop

The Courage to Convene: Facilitating the Conversations That Can’t Wait

Erik Skogsberg | Voltage Control

Erik is a dynamic learning and development (L&D) leader with nearly two decades of experience empowering leaders and teams across top companies, educational institutions, and non-profits worldwide. His expertise spans facilitation, professional learning, organizational change, and research, with a strong focus on driving meaningful collaboration and innovation. Guided by deep empathy and caring, Erik leverages human-centered design, systems thinking, and futures thinking to help clients and colleagues uncover actionable solutions and achieve transformative results. Whether leading workshops, fostering inclusion, or shaping leadership strategies, his work is rooted in creating impactful and sustainable growth and change.

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