Agenda

Time	Track 1	Track 2
8:30–8:45 a.m.	Opening Remarks Matt Melvin
8:45–9:30 a.m.	Keynote: Compelling Stories of Adult Student Persistence Matt Bergman, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Innovation, Student Ready Strategies
9:30–9:45 a.m.	Break
9:45–10:30 a.m.	Assessing the Post-Covid Experiences of Adult Learners by Comparing and Contrasting Original Pre-Covid Survey Data from 2018 Joie Marhefka, Ruth Ann Herstek, and Jill Dickun	Generative AI in Higher Ed: Transforming Adult Learning and Education in the Digital Age Jacqueline McGinty and Kayon Murray-Johnson* *speakers will not be attending in person and will be presenting remotely
10:30–10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45–11:30 a.m.	From Enrollment to Engagement: Building a Scholastic Community of Support for Parenting Students Diamonte Walker and Dr. Sherlyn Harrison	Designing and Teaching a Writing, Public Speaking, and Study Skills Course for Adult Learners Esther Prins
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Lunch
12:30–1:15 p.m.	Hendrick Award
1:15–1:25 p.m.	Break
1:25–2:10 p.m.	Empowering Tradition for the Non-Traditional Ashley Bowers and Kiley Barnett* *speakers will not be attending in person and will be presenting remotely	How They Pay: Adult Learners and College Affordability Melissa Kunes
2:10–2:20 p.m.	Break
2:20–2:30 p.m.	Closing Remarks

Time	Track 1	Track 2
8:30–8:45 a.m.	Opening Remarks Matt Melvin
8:45–9:30 a.m.	Keynote: Compelling Stories of Adult Student Persistence Matt Bergman, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Innovation, Student Ready Strategies
9:30–9:45 a.m.	Break
9:45–10:30 a.m.	The Aftermath of Covid-19: Investigating Adult Education Programmatic Trends Rachel Wlodarsky and Wendy Green	Critical Scholarship and Practice: Understanding Power Dynamics Ramo Lordeni and Dr. Michelle Glowacki-Dudka
10:30–10:45 a.m.	Break
10:45–11:30 a.m.	N/A	Using Communities of Practice in Teaching Adult Students Online Jacqueline Penrod Or Teaching Human Resource Development Ajit Bhattarai
11:30–11:40 a.m.	Break
11:40 a.m.–12:25 p.m.	N/A	The “No Lecture” Lecture Maryjan Fiala and Susan M. Yelich Biniecki, Ph.D.
12:25–12:30 p.m.	Break
12:30–1:15 p.m.	Hendrick Award
1:15–1:25 p.m.	Break
1:25–2:10 p.m.	N/A	21st-Century Adult Learners in a Virtual World: A Review and Discussion of Best Practices in Learning Facilitation Adrian Zappala Creating a Place for Adult Learners in Higher Education Amy D. Rose, Jovita M. Ross-Gordon, Carol E. Kasworm
2:10–2:20 p.m.	Break
2:20–2:30 p.m.	Closing remarks

Matt Bergman, Ph.D.
Vice President of Academic Innovation, Student Ready Strategies

Matt Bergman is the vice president of academic innovation at Student Ready Strategies and the author of Unfinished Business: Compelling Stories of Adult Student Persistence. Dr. Bergman’s research and practice are focused on student persistence, prior learning assessment, leadership, and degree-completion programs. His work has been highlighted in international media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, NPR, and TIME Magazine.

His program was the recipient of the ACHE Distinguished Program Award, AAACE Curriculum Innovation Award, and the AAACE Malcolm Knowles Award for Adult Education Program of the Year.

Dr. Bergman was awarded a number of prestigious honors during his 17 years as a professor at the University of Louisville (UofL), including the ACHE South Outstanding Faculty Award and the Metroversity Outstanding Faculty for Adult Learners. He was also a top-4 Faculty Favorite at UofL. He is an ambassador for the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and serves as a teacher, administrator, and ambassador of degree attainment both locally and nationally.

Presenter biographies will be added as they become available.

Kiley Barnett
Navigator, Florida Gulf Coast University

Kiley Barnett joined the Innovative Education and Partnerships team at Florida Gulf Coast University as an FGCU navigator in fall 2021. Prior to becoming a navigator, Kiley was an academic adviser at FGCU, Kansas State University, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Kiley earned dual bachelor’s degrees in health and human performance and secondary education from Fort Hays State University (Hays, KS) and a master of science in educational leadership: college student development from Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK). During college, she competed as a collegiate athlete on the women’s golf team and participated in her sorority and other student life activities, which all led her to a career in higher education. Her professional background includes experience with student programming, orientation, and academic advising. She is committed to helping student grow, learn, and thrive during their time in school.

Ashley Bowers
Student Navigator, Innovative Education and Partnerships, Florida Gulf Coast University

Ashley Bowers serves as a student navigator in Innovative Education and Partnerships at Florida Gulf Coast University. She joined the team in spring 2022. As an individual born and raised in Southwest Florida, Ashley has a commitment to the success of our community. She strongly believes that education leads to opportunity and that this access should be available to all that commit to personal achievement.

Ashley earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with concentrations in marketing and management along with a master of education with specializations in higher education and student affairs at the University of South Florida. Following college, Ashley worked as a traveling leadership consultant for Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity. During her graduate education, Ashley served as the graduate assistant for Academic Initiatives in Residence Life and was an intern at the University of Utah developing a residential curriculum program. Ashley worked for many years at Champions For Learning, a not-for-profit organization in Collier County that focuses on providing lifelong learning experiences for every student. Prior to working at Champions For Learning, Ashley was a professional at Florida Gulf Coast University as an academic retention coordinator in the Center for Academic Achievement and at the University of South Carolina as a residence life coordinator for the Capstone Scholars housing community.

Ashley and her husband, Jamie, have a young daughter and a black lab. Jamie teaches 5th grade at Spring Creek Elementary in Bonita Springs, FL. They live on Fort Myers Beach and enjoy Florida outdoor adventures, home improvement projects, Disney World, traveling, and, most importantly, spending time with loved ones.

Jill Dickun
Academic Adviser and Success Center Coordinator, Penn State New Kensington

Jill holds a bachelor of arts in psychology from Penn State. She has been with Penn State since 2017, currently serving as the Success Center coordinator and an academic adviser at the New Kensington campus. She is pursuing an M.Ed. degree in higher education at Penn State. She has presented at the 2022 Penn State Conference on Academic Advising, University of Pittsburgh’s 2023 Mentoring and Advising Summit, and NACADA’s 2023 Annual Conference.

Maryjan Fiala
Instructional Designer and Research Assistant, University of Nebraska Medical Center Munroe-Meyer Institute

Maryjan Fiala has spent nearly a decade teaching undergraduate business courses in Nebraska and Iowa community colleges. Her community college career has allowed her to learn with diverse learners across adult basic education, international education, and prison education programs. Additionally, she serves as an instructional designer and research assistant at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Munroe-Meyer Institute where she supports subject matter experts in developing meaningful learning experiences for adult learners connected to the psychology and speech-language pathology departments. She earned graduate degrees in adult, occupational, and continuing education and organizational management and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in adult learning and leadership at Kansas State University. Maryjan’s research interests intersect adult learning and health care. She is currently serving on the Editorial Review Board for The Journal of Patient Experience.

Michelle Glowacki-Dudka, Ph.D.
Professor of Adult, Higher, and Community Education, Ball State University

Dr. Michelle Glowacki-Dudka has a Ph.D. in continuing and vocational education from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She has taught at Ball State University for more than twenty years. Her research interests include understanding power dynamics in educational systems, collaboration, and program planning. She also studies women’s leadership, popular education (especially at Highlander Research and Education Center), community development, international issues, and dialogue. She currently serves as the secretary for the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE). Prior to coming to Ball State in 2003, Dr. Glowacki-Dudka worked at universities in the U.S. and abroad in Poland and Saudi Arabia as a faculty member, coordinator, and evaluator.

Wendy Green, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education, Cleveland State University

Dr. Wendy M. Green specializes in the areas of adult learning and development, health professions education, organizational culture, and diversity. She is an associate professor at Cleveland State University in the Levin College of Public Affairs and Education. Dr. Green’s research broadly focuses on the processes of learning and professional development of people across contexts. Past research examined the role of employee resource groups in a for-profit setting and student groups in a university in facilitating individual learning and organizational change. She has examined the intersection of educational attainment, access to health care, and quality of life in Uganda. As a consultant, Dr. Green co-developed curricula and engaged in program monitoring and evaluation for a global health consortium, situated in East Africa, that focused on leadership development for mid-career physicians and nurses. Dr. Green conducted qualitative program evaluation that examined the efficacy of online educational programs focused on the implementation of the WHO’s immunization strategies. She worked for a major oil and gas company and examined the intersection of organizational culture and safety performance. Her current research is focused on understanding the impact of Covid-19 on learners in clinical placements, specifically psychologists-in-training and medical residents.

Sherlyn E. Harrison, Ph.D.
Managing Director of Programs and Operations, Pittsburgh Scholar House

Dr. Sherlyn E. Harrison is a dedicated educator, leader, and scholar with nearly 25 years of experience providing high quality educational programming and mental health services to children and families. Currently, Dr. Harrison is the managing director of programs and operations for the Pittsburgh Scholar House, a program that promotes generational prosperity by providing coordinated supportive services for parenting students who are pursuing higher education. Prior to that, Dr. Harrison served as the Early Head Start program manager for Pittsburgh Public School’s Early Childhood Education program, where she managed high-quality classroom and home-based early learning programs for children ages birth to three.

Centering race while elevating issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are primary to the work that Dr. Harrison has been passionate about for many years. In March 2023, under her leadership, the PPS Early Head Start program received the PA Early Childhood Equity Champion Gold Award for engaging in innovative professional development designed to enhance culturally responsive practices and cultivate learning environments where all children, particularly children of color and their families, feel a sense of belonging.

In addition to her work, Dr. Harrison is a passionate supporter of programs that are committed to the educational, cultural, and economic uplift of African American children and families. She serves as board chair for Hill Dance Academy Theatre (HDAT), an organization that provides professional training in Black Dance traditions, history, culture, and aesthetics to children ages 3 to 18 years old. Sherlyn also serves on the board of directors for Trying Together, the Center for Family Excellence, and on the steering committee for The P.R.I.D.E Program (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education).

Ruth Ann Herstek
Associate Director of Academic Advising, Penn State New Kensington

Ruth Ann Herstek holds the position of associate director of academic advising at Penn State New Kensington. She earned her master of education in adult education from Penn State World Campus. Additionally, she is a certified life coach and applies coaching methodologies to support undecided and warning students. Her responsibilities include overseeing campus advising initiatives and overseeing the training and professional development of faculty advisers.

Ruth Ann has a particular focus on assisting adult learners and has actively participated in the Commission for Adult Learners for more than six years. Notably, she has served as the co-chair of the Hendrick Conference for the past three years, demonstrating her commitment to supporting adult learners and enhancing their educational experiences at Penn State New Kensington.

Carol E. Kasworm, Ph.D.
W. Dallas Herring Professor Emerita of Adult and Community College Education, North Carolina State University

Dr. Carol E. Kasworm is the W. Dallas Herring Professor Emerita of Adult and Community College Education at North Carolina State University. She has conducted extensive research and publications on the learning experiences and related concerns of adult undergraduates in higher education.

Melissa Kunes
Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Executive Director for Student Aid, Penn State

Melissa Kunes is the assistant vice president for Enrollment Management and the executive director for Student Aid at Penn State, a position she has held for slightly over six years. She is a graduate of Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, where she received her undergraduate degree, and an alum of Penn State, where she obtained her master’s degree. Melissa has been with Penn State for over 39 years and has been with the Office of Financial Aid for almost 29 years. Melissa is actively involved in many national organizations in support of our students and the student aid profession, to include the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the Higher Education Loan Coalition, where she where she is currently serving as chair. She is also a member of the financial aid profession’s state association, the Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and is a member of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency State Grant School Advisory Committee. She is passionate in her commitment to helping our students fund their education, as she believes an educated society is the best way to ensure the success of our communities and their futures.

 

Ramo Lordeni, Ph.D.
Assistant Teaching Professor of Educational Studies, Ball State University

Dr. Ramo Lordeni has a Ph.D. in adult education from Penn State with a focus on adult learner needs and characteristics, adult learning theories, vulnerable populations, and workplace learning. He is the director of the Commission for Labor, Unions, and Workers in the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE). Among the graduate courses he has taught are Adult Learning Theory, International and Multicultural Perspectives in Postsecondary and Adult Education, The Adult Learner, and Instructional Strategies in Adult and Higher Education. His research has focused on community learning, oral history, worker education, and literacy.

Joie Marhefka, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor of Biomedical Engineering Technology, Penn State New Kensington

Joie has been serving as biomedical engineering technology program coordinator and teaching at Penn State New Kensington since 2016. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Villanova University and a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her interest in adult learners stems from the nature of the courses she teaches. Biomedical engineering technology is a career-focused associate degree program that attracts a high percentage of adult learners. She has previously presented at the Hendrick Conference as well as at various other conferences related to engineering education, including ASEE and AAMI Exchange, and has published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Jacqueline McGinty, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Instructional Design and Learning Technologies, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Jacqueline McGinty, PhD, is an associate professor of instructional design and learning technologies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on learning sciences, evidence-based practices, inclusive instructional design, and critical digital adult learning.

Kayon Murray-Johnson
Associate Professor of Adult Education, University of Rhode Island

Kayon Murray-Johnson is an associate professor specializing in adult education at the College of Education, University of Rhode Island. Her scholarship centers critical dialogues on race, ethnicity and racism, faculty development, and culturally responsive teaching. Elements of her work have yielded national award recognitions. Alongside a passion for creative scholarship, Kayon enjoys quality conversations, inspirational music, traveling, and coining interesting phrases that make you go “hmmm.”

Jacqueline B. Penrod, MBA, J.D.
Associate Professor, Health Programs, Peirce College

Jacqueline Penrod is an associate professor in the Health Programs department at Peirce College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and an adjunct professor at Drexel University’s Klein School of Law. She is the owner and sole member of J B Penrod Law, LLC, focusing her practice on health information privacy. Ms. Penrod has several years of experience in developing and teaching hybrid (online and in-person) learning content at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. She is a participating member on several faculty committees, including the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee and the Artificial Intelligence in Education Task Force. In addition to her law degree, Ms. Penrod received a teaching certificate in higher education from Temple University in 2017 and is presently pursuing a master’s in education for adult learning and global change at the University of British Columbia. She also has a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance and has worked as a business manager and consultant in the health care industry. Ms. Penrod has served as a community advocate member of the institutional review board at Albert Einstein Healthcare Network and a member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Esther Prins, Ph.D.
Professor, Penn State Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Program

Dr. Esther Prins is a professor in the lifelong learning and adult education program at Penn State, where she also serves as the co-director of the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy. She has more than 50 publications in highly regarded books (e.g., Handbook of Family Literacy, Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education) and prominent journals (e.g., Adult Education Quarterly, American Educational Research Journal, Comparative Education Review, Educational Researcher, International Journal of Lifelong Education). Dr. Prins is the co-author of Teaching and Learning about Family Literacy and Family Literacy Programs (with J. Lynch, 2022) and is editing the forthcoming book, Family and Intergenerational Literacy and Learning: International Perspectives (with R. Zholdoshalieva, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning).

Amy D. Rose, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Adult Education, Northern Illinois University

Amy D. Rose is emeritus professor of adult education at Northern Illinois University, where she taught for over 25 years. She holds a doctorate in adult education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and did advanced graduate work in American history at Columbia University. She also holds a master’s in medieval history from Columbia. She has written and presented on issues related to history and policy analyses in the areas of literacy, women, and adults in higher education. Her specific areas of historical inquiry have included: a history of adults in higher education; history of literacy policy; adult education history in the interwar period; the development of U.S. federal policies on adult education; and the role of women in the development of the field. In addition to articles and proceedings, she was a co-editor of the Handbook of Adult Continuing Education: 2010 Edition. More recently, she is a co-author of Professional Foundations of Adult and Continuing Education (2017), which won the Cyril Houle award from the American Association for Adult Education. More recently, she is a co-author of Creating a Place for Adult Learners in Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities (2024). She served as a co-editor of the Adult Education Quarterly from 2010 to 2013 and is presently a co-editor of Adult Literacy Education: The International Journal of Literacy, Language, and Numeracy. In addition, she has served as a president of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) and was on the board for 10 years

Jovita M. Ross-Gordon, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Emerita, Texas State University

Dr. Jovita M. Ross-Gordon is a distinguished professor emerita at Texas State University. She previously taught and coordinated programs at Penn State and in the New College Program serving adult learners at St. Edwards University. She is the author/coauthor or editor/coeditor of several books including Creating a Place for Adult Learners in Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities (2024) and Foundations of Adult and Continuing Education (2017). She has also published numerous chapters, articles, and proceedings on adult/higher education as well as on equity as related to race, gender, and (dis)ability. She served as a co-editor of the Adult Education Quarterly and co-editor-in-chief of New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Her honors include the Texas State University Graduate College Outstanding Mentor Award and membership in the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame; she is a co-recipient of the AAACE Cyril A. Houle Award for Literature.

Diamonte Walker, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Pittsburgh Scholar House

Dr. Diamonte Walker currently serves as the chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Scholar House. This innovative nonprofit organization strives to offer equal access to higher education, enhance social capital, and provide the support necessary for adult learners in the region to access high-quality jobs in the region. Dr. Walker is the architect of the award winning Wayfinders Program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at increasing college access for adult learners and providing meaningful support for parenting students on college campuses to enable degree completion.

Prior to her tenure at the Pittsburgh Scholar House, Dr. Walker held the position of deputy executive director at the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh. Here, she demonstrated her exceptional strategic, operational, and leadership skills, which led to transformative initiatives such as the Avenues of Hope and the Housing Opportunity Fund. Drawing from her experience in addressing Pittsburgh’s multifaceted challenges, Dr. Walker emphasizes the importance of empowering individuals and transforming communities beyond conventional metrics, goals, and buzzwords.

Dr. Walker holds a doctor of education in leadership and administration from Point Park University, an MBA, and a master of science in management and leadership from Western Governors University. She is an active board member for several organizations, including Neighborhood Allies and the Moonshot Museum.

Recognized by the Pittsburgh Business Times as a Women of Influence honoree and one of Talk Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Women in the state of Pennsylvania, Dr. Walker’s accomplishments have been recognized and celebrated in the region. She is an alumna of Carnegie Mellon’s The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI) and serves as an adjunct professor at Point Park University with an emphasis on teaching cultural competence in the classroom. She is a 2023 Aspen Institute Rising President Fellow. She is a 2023 New Pittsburgh Courier Women of Excellence Honoree and currently served on County Executive Elect Sara Innamorato’s Transition Committee on Robust Education, Workforce and Youth Investments.

Rachel Wlodarsky, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Adult, Professional and Higher Education, Cleveland State University

Dr. Rachel Wlodarsky is an associate professor in adult, professional and higher education at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Wlodarsky studies the cognitive and socio-emotional processes linked to adult learning, authentic reflection on experience, mentoring, work-life balance and faculty development. She has published numerous book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles on topics related to mentoring female faculty, leadership development of adults through mentoring, resilience and adaptation during crisis, work-life balance, and developing faculty through reflection. She also published a book entitled, Reflection and the college teacher: A solution for higher education with IAP in 2014. In addition to her research, she also serves on editorial boards for several adult learning and education journals and is extremely active in professional organizations, having held leadership positions for the Commission of Professors of Adult Education (CPAE) within American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE), Ohio Association of Teacher Educators, and Ohio Confederation of Teacher Education Organizations.

Susan Yelich Biniecki, Ph.D.
Professor of Adult Learning and Leadership, College of Education, Kansas State University

Susan M. Yelich Biniecki serves as professor of adult learning and leadership in the Kansas State University College of Education. Her research focuses on identifying strategies to support adult learners, such as educators, military learners, and administrators, in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments.

Adrian Zappala, PH.D.
Dean of Graduate Studies, Peirce College

Dr. Adrian Zappala has served as the founding dean of graduate studies at Peirce College in Philadelphia, PA, since 2012 and holds a concurrent faculty appointment as professor in the College’s graduate programs in business administration and organizational leadership. Dr. Zappala has 20 years of experience in faculty and administrative roles in various colleges and universities and has published and presented widely in the field of adult education. Dr. Zappala holds graduate degrees in business administration (MBA) and post-secondary and adult education (Ph.D.). He has also completed the Management Development Program (MDP) at the Harvard University School of Education. His areas of expertise include adult learning, leadership, organizational development, distance learning, and competency-based education.