CAREER, STAFF, & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

I’m sure I’ll be referencing my workbook for future use! The Emotional Intelligence section was valuable for being a good leader.

SE: Absolutely. I loved being a part of a group of friends from the Leadership Academy who could share insights with me throughout the year and at the conference. In addition to leadership, it taught me so many fundamental management skills that are not trained. It was a marvelous experience, and I’m really glad I did it.

JJ: It’s worth every penny. Advocate for yourself to get the funding to go. It paid for itself ten-fold.

KM: Yes. A program like this was outside of my comfort zone. I wasn’t involved with NAGAP before this, so this is my entry to this. NAGAP is already an idea-sharing organization, so the value of professional development in general, the fact that it was more than checking off the box, has inspired me to do more and to help more people. Coming back from Summit gave me a lot of validation.

HC: Oh, absolutely. Again, the opportunity to think through situations. I know I can bring some of this to my new situation here at UConn. The leadership concepts and discussions I’ve had with my coaches are things I can apply to my new role. The biggest takeaway was that I could meet colleagues who are doing similar things professionally, and it helped me to connect with so many people I wouldn’t have otherwise connected with. I’ve grown with NAGAP because of it. I’m more involved and would not have been without the Academy. I’ve been able to connect in a greater sense.

EL: I would say so. Many people might think it’s a high price tag, but, at the same time, if you see what impact can be made because of this, it pays for itself.

Each person interviewed was willing to speak freely about their experience and takeaways. If you have additional questions, please, connect through The Exchange or learn more about the next cohort at https://www.nagap. org/leadership-academy n

Kittie Pain serves as the director of graduate admissions at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. She holds a bachelor’s degree from McDaniel College and a master’s degree from Drew University. She likes good books and a stiff Manhattan.

The

Experts Bureau

The NAGAP Experts Bureau provides members, as well as outside media, with valuable and reliable resources in the matters of GEM. NAGAP members benefit from having well-respected colleagues within the organization who can confidently and respectfully respond to their best-practice questions or concerns.

Areas of expertise include, but are not limited to:

• Recruitment & Marketing

• Graduate & Adult Student Services

• Ethical Issues in GEM

• International Recruitment & Retention

• Staff Professional Development

• Admissions Policies & Procedures and Operations & Technologies

• Diversity & Inclusion in GEM

• Academic Program Development

• STEM, Biomedical, Medical School Recruitment and Retention

Questions, concerns, or feedback for the Experts Bureau may be directed to nagapmedia @ gmail.com.

with NAGAP Committee Chairs

Ryan Taughrin, EdM, Chair of

In a nutshell, what does your committee work on (or are responsible for)?

The membership committee, more broadly, works on membership recruitment and membership engagement. Practically, our team has focused on finding new ways to connect with colleges and universities who may not have NAGAP membership, holding webinars and virtual events to give members a space to check-in with each other, posting on The Exchange to facilitate conversation, and thinking about policy and new initiatives that can be implemented to increase our member base. Additionally, we are responsible for running the NAGAP First Timers session at the annual summit, along with doing follow up at the time of member renewal in late June/early July. Finally, the membership committee is working closely with others to implement and launch NAGAP Communities in 2023.

What led you to your career in graduate enrollment management (for instance, how did you find your first role in GEM? Why have you continued in this field since?)

I started in GEM through the need or desire to find a job in higher education that had a balance of student interaction, along with administrative work/project management. It was clear from my first job after my master’s program finished that a career in residence life and related functional areas was not the best fit for me. I was always interested in a job in undergraduate admissions, and had research interest in college access, but really could not put all the pieces together at 24. When my first job in GEM came up, it was part processing paper applications, with the idea that they needed someone to build a recruitment and admissions marketing plan for a School of Education; and this was in 2013! Fast forward a decade, and I have been in the field ever since.

I stayed in GEM because of the variety of work, and the ability to do that work with fellow staff, faculty, etc. Additionally, it gives me a unique perspective in understanding how a university runs. I find the diversity of projects and approaches challenging and exciting.

Tell us about your current role in graduate enrollment management. What do you enjoy most about it?

I am the assistant dean for enrollment management in University of Buffalo’s (UB) Graduate School of Education. My job involves leading our admissions office, which has a team of five staff members handling admissions operations, recruitment, and communications. Additionally, I oversee data analytics and assessment for the school, with a specific focus on ensuring we are not just admitting students, but creating a data environment that helps us understand retention, graduation, and success in our school. Finally, in the past six months, I have added components of student services to my team. We are currently working to figure out better ways to remove bureaucratic red-tape and barriers, both from a staff and functional standpoint, and a student standpoint, between our unit and the broader university.

At this point in my career, I really enjoy managing people. I have spent considerable time on the “front lines” of GEM work; traveling for graduate school fairs, writing email content, holding individual student appointments, etc. I really enjoy seeing my team members thrive, and seeing their ideas come to light.

We are currently working to figure out better ways to remove bureaucratic red-tape and barriers, both from a staff and functional standpoint, and a student standpoint...

How long have you been involved in NAGAP, and what led you to becoming involved?

I have been involved in NAGAP for as long as I have worked in GEM, thanks to support and guidance from my supervisors and mentors in my first position (shout out and thank you, Sara Langston)! After presenting at a NAGAP conference on some of the work of our office, I was lucky enough to ask some questions about getting involved in my chapter, and my engagement and involvement has stayed consistent since.

What are you most excited to work on or accomplish in your committee chair position?

Truthfully, I am excited about finding ways to show what NAGAP has to offer to folks in GEM and GEM-adjacent positions who do not realize what we have to offer. I think the graduate enrollment space is so expansive with respect to positions and position titles, and the idea of helping someone find their professional home