Canada’s Strategic Enrolment Management & Marketing Conversation

Obstacles don't scare Sarah Wells. As an Olympic hurdler and Pan Am Games Silver medallist, Sarah has become an expert in overcoming hurdles both literally and figuratively. Founder of the Believe Initiative, Sarah has used her story to help over 125,000 people in North America understand the importance of being resilient and the power of believing in yourself. Sarah has worked with organizations such as Salesforce, Deloitte, Proctor and Gamble, Kraft-Heinz, Bell Media, and Google on how to build more resilient teams and leverage passion to activate purpose. Most recently you might recognize Sarah from Season 7 of the Amazing Race Canada where she finished as runner up, and was able to use her skills in a whole new kind of way. As someone who used to exercise for a living, she's a little bit crazy, but very passionate about making an impact. You'll want to listen up when Olympic semi-finalist and Pan Am Games silver medallist Sarah Wells takes the stage!

Angi is an accomplished communications professional with 20+ years of experience in higher education, focusing on marketing and communications using traditional and digital media, brand development, and storytelling. She is a mom of two, a pastel and watercolour artist, the queen of list-making and pie-baking. She's a dog mom of two labs, she loves the outdoors, and she loves a good hot dog. She considers herself an expert loader of dishwashers (although, her husband will disagree), and despite her skills in digital communications, she is very particular about her pens. She was around when email became a 'thing'.

Bonnie has over 30 years of experience in the postsecondary sector, including 15 years at McMaster University in recruitment and admissions and more than 10 years as Registrar at Huron University College. During her time at Huron, Bonnie assumed the responsibilities for institutional assessment and planning, and was promoted to the position of Registrar and Executive Director Institutional Research and Planning. In her more than five years with Academica Group, Bonnie has successfully led several SEM Planning and SEM-associated projects. Bonnie completed her Master’s in Enrolment Management in 2013 and is currently working toward her doctoral degree in Performance Improvement Leadership for Higher Education.

Chiranjiv is a Google-certified professional with 6+ years of experience in Digital Marketing.

In his current role as Digital Marketing Lead at The Michener Institute of Education at UHN, Chiranjiv develops in-house marketing campaigns alongside copywriters and graphic designers and manages Michener's social media channels, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Since starting this role three years ago, Chiranjiv has helped grow organic followers through effective content strategies and has increased enrollment in full-time and continuing education programs through paid digital marketing campaigns.

David Cameron is the Senior Manager of the Research and Development Department in the Toronto District School Board. He is an educator and education policy sociologist with research interests inschool change and the interrelationship between educational policy intentions or design and peoples’ experiences within policy frameworks. David has twenty years of experience working in the school systems of Ontario, the US, and the UK. Most recently, David worked as a Director of Research for People for Education, a non-governmental organization think tank that advocates for public education. David believes that societal health and human rights depend on an enriched and vibrant public education system.

Dr. Busch is the University of Windsor’s Associate Vice-President, Enrolment and Senior International Officer. He is responsible for leading the institution’s enrolment and internationalization activities in collaboration with other senior institutional leaders. His scholarship focuses on the role organizational culture has on internationalization, or the process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into higher education.

Grace Acosta is an experienced strategic and systems thinker by heart and is passionate about improving the overall student experience through process improvements. Throughout her 16- year career in higher education in the Philippines, Singapore and Canada, she advocated and led numerous initiatives in registrarial services, enterprise systems and data analysis. In her current role, she pioneered the creation of an online assessment portal, the automation of grade conversion and the systematic applicant data collection and analysis. These innovations successfully re-engineered and transformed recruitment and admissions processes by leveraging data analytics and technology.

Grace currently serves in the Strategic Enrolment Management Working Group at The Michener Institute and is also a board member of Canadian Ellucian Users Group. She graduated with honours (Cum Laude) from her undergraduate degree in education and applies the fundamental pedagogical principles learned to strategic enrolment management.

In her free time, Grace is an outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking and kayaking.

Specializing in analytics, content creation and website maintenance, Graeme is highly skilled in developing and executing communications and marketing strategies that increase brand awareness, engagement and trust.

Hannah Dang is the Senior Director - Partner Relations at ApplyBoard, where she leads their Canadian and Australian Portfolio of Universities, Colleges and K-12 Institutional Partners. Hannah and her team have successfully established partnerships with over 450 institutions across the sectors. ApplyBoard is now the largest AI-powered platform for international student search, recruitment and admission.

Hannah has spent the last 12 years in various leadership roles within the Canadian International Education sector. Along with her experience, Hannah was responsible for driving high growth in student recruitments, managing student placements portfolios, and building successful public-private partnerships. Hannah is a true believer in the positive impact of student mobility and she is passionate about making a difference in the world through education. She has worked alongside senior industry leaders and government stakeholders on new business development and strategic planning to support Canadian Institutions.

Jackie Pichette is the Director of Research, Policy and Partnerships at the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), where she guides research projects and works with external partners to explore innovations and improvements in higher education. Prior to joining HEQCO, Jackie worked as a consultant at an Indigenous advisory services firm, as community organizer at Simon Fraser University, and as a government policy analyst. She has a M.P.P from Simon Fraser University and a B.A.H from Queen’s University.​

Jennifer Powell has 13 years of experience working in the post-secondary sector in areas that include communications, marketing, admissions, student recruitment, student services, work integrated learning, career development, event planning and stakeholder relations.

During her time at Durham College, she also was a member of the Board of Governors.

Prior to joining the sector, Jennifer worked at a national not-for-profit that represented the interests of both grocery retailers and foodservice distributors across Canada in both event planning and public policy positions.

Jennifer holds a diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming as well as post-graduate certificates obtained through Ontario Tech University and Ryerson University and a micro-credential through the Brainstorm Strategy Group Inc.

John F. Albanese is an experienced leader in admissions, enrolment, and student affairs. He is student-centered and data-driven, with expertise in recruitment and enrolment strategy and curating the student experience. John closely follows the data and trends in the prospective student marketplace and has led enrolment growth at several universities. He is inspired by the transformative experience students achieve with the right direction and support and has focused on integrating key functional areas to optimize student success. John’s most recent roles prior to joining GCNYC include leading recruitment, enrolment, and student services for MBA and MS programs at Baruch College-City University of New York and the University of San Francisco.

Kara Eldersveld specializes in developing transparent, mutually beneficial partnerships with colleges and universities that focus on prioritized growth opportunities. Every institution has a unique recipe for growth and Kara has a proven track record of assembling complex and strategic solutions that leverage expertise across academic program strategy, marketing, enrolment and course design/development. Prior to Blackboard, Kara was the Director of Marketing and Enrolment Strategy at Rice University. During her time there she worked closely with university leadership to develop a university-wide program portfolio strategy that included more than 300 non-credit and certificate programs. She also developed an in-house workflow around market research, program performance, governance, instructional design, marketing, advertising, enrolment, admissions, and student services. Prior to Rice, Kara worked as the head of strategy and accounts at two different award-winning advertising firms, serving a variety of clients, from k-12, higher-ed, non-profits, entertainment, and hospitality. Her corporate and high-education experience gives her a unique perspective around how to solve for the complexities of building a successful strategic online program portfolio from the ground up. Kara holds an B.A. from Miami University in Mass Communications.

Kelly Gallagher-Mackay is an Associate Professor of Law and Society at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her major research interest is systemic discrimination and educational inequalities. Past roles include Research Director at the Future Skills Centre and at People for Education, and Northern Director of Akitsiraq Law school in Nunavut. Her 2 kids are on either side of postsecondary transitions.

“Learning is social and we learn by doing” – This phrase best describes the lens that Nick uses to see the world and how he has become a leader in the recruitment and admissions of Canadian based candidates for post-graduate professional degree programs.

A love for understanding how people learn led Nick to pursue a Master’s in Education from Canisius College. Upon graduation he took on the role of Project Leader for Katimavik and managed the competency-based work-integrated learning curriculum and community engagement for the project. This experience led to the opportunity with Cuso International in Tanzania as a National Volunteer Advisor.

When Nick returned from East Africa he became the Associate Director, Institutional Relations at International Studies Abroad (ISA). This role managed the company’s Canadian operations, developed annual budgets, created business and project plans, managed domestic and international university partnerships, implemented targeted programming to recruit program specific students to post-graduate professional degree programs while managing the administrative team to ensure a high-level customer service to prospective students and university partners.

In 2017, Nick joined Western University’s Faculty of Science to oversee the recruitment and admissions of students for two post-graduate professional degree programs and is currently serving as Associate Director, Recruitment and Admissions for Ivey’s Accelerated MBA program.

Nick is currently responsible for the success of SAVY AI – York University's student virtual assistant, with capabilities to navigate York students to resources for academic success, health and wellness, student life, campus services and career development. He brings to this role almost 25 years of experience in marketing, communications, web and application development, and project management. Nick has also led York University's Division of Students' choices of CMS, CRM, and email management solutions and the creation of communications strategies and online protocols. He now spends his time finding ways to leverage technology to aid in student success.

Nina Bilimoria Angelo is Unibuddy's Toronto based Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer. In this capacity, Angelo will support the global expansion of Unibuddy's unique peer-to-peer platform that allows institutions to help students make crucial decisions about where to go to school, what to major in, and how to make the most of their higher ed experience. Prior to joining Unibuddy, Angelo led teams at Top Hat, Pearson and HP and advised Fortune 500 companies as a management consultant. A seasoned higher ed leader, Angelo specializes in strategy creation, product conceptualization and testing, positioning and messaging, brand advocacy, and generally bringing order to chaos. "At such a critical time in higher ed's evolution, students need peer support now more than ever," Angelo says. "I am thrilled to contribute to the growing success of Unibuddy, where I believe we are helping improve educational return-on-investment for all students."

Richard brings 14 years of direct experience in community outreach, relationship building, and providing educational support to various students from underserved communities throughout the GTA. Examples include building and maintaining relationships with Toronto Community Housing (TCH), MP’s Office (Bill Morneau), Regent Park Community Health Centre, Empowered Squared, Toronto District School Board, the Pathways to Education program and most recently representing Queen’s on the Tri-Business School Collaborative. As the Manager of Access and Inclusion with the Undergraduate and Recruitment team, Richard is responsible for the implementation and execution of the Undergraduate and Recruitment (UAR) EDII Task Force recommendations. Formed in August 2020 the UAR RDII Task Force was created to address challenges of equity, inclusion and diversity faced by Black, Indigenous and racialized students. Under his portfolio Richard oversees the First-Generation Student Admissions Pathway and the Queen’s Equity Ambassador Program. Both initiatives focus on increasing access and awareness to post-secondary by engaging with equity deserving and racialized students to reduce barriers to demystify and some of the barrier’s they encounter. Richard is also currently acting as the Vice Chair for the Standing Committee, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion with the Ontario University Registrars Association (OURA).

Robert S. Brown retired from the Toronto District School Board's Research and Development department in 2019, following thirty-five years in applied research. He is Adjunct Professor at York University, in the Faculty of Education and in Critical Disability Studies. He has authored or co-authored works in a number of fields including education, psychology, sociology, medicine, and economics.

Rupaali Kumar is the Recruitment Officer focused on Campus Visitors and Community Outreach at Brock University. In this capacity, Rupaali oversees the campus tour program (both in-person and virtual) and organizes community outreach opportunities that allow students to engage with Brock in unique ways. Rupaali is a graduate of Brock University’s Concurrent Education program and has spent some time teaching high school in the GTA before returning to Student Recruitment at Brock. Rupaali brings experiences and insight from her teaching career to facilitate meaningful interactions between Brock University and prospective students.

Ryan Snowdon is the Strategic Enrolment Management Lead in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s University. In this role, Ryan guides the faculty in all matters of enrolment and retention including the development of transfer opportunities and pathways. Ryan has over 10 years of experience working in Undergraduate Admissions at Queen’s where he was integral in developing a First-Generation Pathway while continuing to oversee key initiatives such as the Indigenous Admission Policy and admission to upper year and online programs. Ryan has presented on transfer options and processes at several conferences and colleges throughout Canada and the United States.

Sanchit (he/his) came to Canada as an International Student. He holds two Master's degrees and has diverse experience working with International Students and various marginalized communities (including LGBTQ2S+ & refugees). Sanchit is passionate about Data-driven approaches to International Student Recruitment, helping Canadian institutions to improve their students' experiences and lessen the risk of over-reliance on one or two major source countries for student recruitment. Prior to ApplyBoard, Sanchit worked with Vancouver Island University in the International Student Services as well as International Student Recruitment teams. Residing in the traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit peoples, Sanchit is passionate about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and Truth & Reconciliation work, and is an advocate for Social Justice. Outside his day job, Sanchit is an Anti-Racism Response Training Facilitator and has worked with various public and private organizations across Canada, including notable Post-secondary and secondary educational institutions.

Obstacles don't scare Sarah Wells. As an Olympic hurdler and Pan Am Games Silver medallist, Sarah has become an expert in overcoming hurdles both literally and figuratively. Founder of the Believe Initiative, Sarah has used her story to help over 125,000 people in North America understand the importance of being resilient and the power of believing in yourself. Sarah has worked with organizations such as Salesforce, Deloitte, Proctor and Gamble, Kraft-Heinz, Bell Media, and Google on how to build more resilient teams and leverage passion to activate purpose. Most recently you might recognize Sarah from Season 7 of the Amazing Race Canada where she finished as runner up, and was able to use her skills in a whole new kind of way. As someone who used to exercise for a living, she's a little bit crazy, but very passionate about making an impact. You'll want to listen up when Olympic semi-finalist and Pan Am Games silver medallist Sarah Wells takes the stage!

Shoshannah Bennett-Dwara is a Recruitment Representative in the First-Generation Portfolio for Admission and Recruitment at Queen's University. She works directly with underrepresented communities in the GTA to assist in navigating the process of obtaining a post-secondary education. She has spent 4+ years working in EDII work through enacting policy and enforcing change through her role as Undergraduate Trustee to the Queen's University Board of Trustees as well as through Vice-President of the Queen's Student Diversity Project, Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Queen's University Advocacy Coalition, and Chief of Sponsorship on the Queen's Black Premedical Association, among others. She has an overarching goal to express, validate, and ensure that the perspectives and ideas of marginalized groups are readily discussed and actively pursued to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity at Queen's and beyond.

Shoshannah has won various accolades that speak to her passion in furthering the above aim, including the Agnes Benidickinson Tricolour Award, the highest tribute that can be paid to a student for valuable and distinguished service to Queen's University in non-athletic, extracurricular activities. She looks forward to expanding her reach in the coming years and truly cultivating courageous change.

Sohrab Rahmaty recently joined OCAS’s Applied Research Department as their Lead Researcher and Writer. He has extensive professional research experience and enjoys analyzing, and working with, both quantitative and qualitative data. At OCAS, Sohrab and his team work extensively with Power BI and Cognos which provide the data for much of their research needs. Sohrab also has extensive labour market and economic development experience, as well as expertise working with international students and hopes to bring these skill sets to OCAS’s future research projects.

Suzie Addison-Toor has worked for Georgian College as faculty, program coordinator, founded the Centre for Changemaking and Social Innovation and is currently the Director of Student Success and Social Innovation.

She is responsible for implementing the social innovation strategy college wide in addition to helping lead proactive changes to the college's student services portfolios and student government. Accomplishments include leveraging the concepts of flourish and thriving to build a new student success framework, leading Georgian to be the first and only Canadian college to be recognized as an Ashoka Changemaker Campus.

Prior to working at Georgian College, Suzie founded and led “Addus”, a community agency in Toronto that supports adults with developmental disabilities to lead active lives.

Suzie Addison-Toor has a Masters in Leadership from Royal Roads University. She is also a trained Executive Transition Practitioner and is part of a growing community of consultants that are supporting agencies and associations through the unique aspects of nonprofit leadership transition.

Tina Dealwis, MA, is a Content Specialist on the Vice-Provost, Students – Communications and Marketing team at York University. Tina has worked in higher education for the past six years. At York University, she acts as the voice of SAVY, York’s student virtual assistant – where she helps to create a positive student user experience through writing impactful chatbot content. The content acts as a first line of contact for students’ inquiries and aligns with SAVY’s personality and tone and voice. She also leads focus groups with students that help inform future content. She previously worked at the University of Guelph-Humber as a Web Content Writer, and at Sheridan College as a Digital Communications Officer and Copy and Content Writer. Tina obtained a Master of Arts in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University, and a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism from Ryerson University.

Vidur Kalive is the Artificial Intelligence Architecture Lead at York University, with responsibility for multiple projects that are aimed at integrating AI and Machine Learning into different aspects of the student experience at the university, including SAVY, York University's Student Virtual Assistant. Vidur has a Bachelor's degree in Engineering and a Master's degree in Business. He has over 5 years' of experience working in the higher education sector. In his previous role, Vidur worked with Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, where among other things, he helped develop Deakin's AI student virtual assistant using IBM Watson, which at the time was the first implementation of its kind anywhere in the world.