Speakers

Sabrina Crawford, executive director, Institutional Research and Effectiveness, St. Petersburg College
Sabrina Crawford joined the St. Petersburg College team in 2013, bringing 20 years’ experience in teaching, curriculum development, assessment, research, and accreditation from both the K-12 and higher education fields. She focuses upon streamlining processes to remove effort duplication, ensuring self-sustainability of practices, and creating user-friendly platforms to drive continuous improvement. Her current research interests include the use of e-portfolios for program assessment and faculty evaluation, balancing qualitative and quantitative assessment to develop a true picture of student success, guided pathways, and bridging the gap between high school and college. 

Ms. Crawford is the current president of the Florida Association of Institutional Research. She has presented at various conferences in the area of curriculum and assessment as well as on guided pathways at various state-wide convenings. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and English from Boston College, a master’s degree in curriculum from Saint Michael’s College, and is in the dissertation phase of her doctorate at Northeastern University.

Kristen M. Fragnoli, provost and vice president of academic and student affairs, Finger Lakes Community College
With over 25 years of experience in community colleges, Kristen Fragnoli has a deep understanding of current issues and practices impacting the community college sector. Currently the provost and vice president of academic and student affairs at Finger Lakes Community College, she has worked in a variety of capacities, from early work in student support programs through progressively more responsible positions in student affairs and academic affairs, including 15 years as a tenured faculty member. Her breadth of experience provides a global perspective of how institutional change impacts the work of a campus community.

Ms. Fragnoli is particularly interested in effective faculty/staff learning to promote and sustain innovative approaches to serving students. As provost, she is leading the implementation of a coaching model of student support, reforming the general education program towards an outcomes-driven model, launching a new Office of Professional Learning and Leadership Development, and implementing a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. In her previous position as dean of liberal arts at Monroe Community College she was co-lead of an AACU Roadmap Project focused on creating pathways that integrate high impact teaching practices. Ms. Fragnoli holds a master’s degree in communication from The College at Brockport, a bachelor’s in English and Spanish from Le Moyne College and a SUNY Academic Leader Certificate as well as certification in mediation, conflict resolution and negotiation from Cornell University.

Andrea S. Salis, Ph.D., C.H.E.S., faculty fellow for academic affairs, Queensborough Community College
As a faculty fellow in the Office of Academic Affairs, Dr. Andrea Salis supports efforts of the Queensborough Academies including high-impact practices and faculty use of early alert technology to enhance student success.   Dr. Salis has led efforts to achieve the Advancing Underserved Student Success through Faculty Intentionality in Problem-Centered Learning Grant, funded by TG Philanthropy and part of AAC&U’s Making Excellence Inclusive initiative. She has also received grants from the National Education Association and CUNY. Dr. Salis was a recipient of the CUNY Chancellor’s Award and selected for the CUNY Faculty Leadership Academy Training. She serves on the Society of Public Health Education task force to develop curricula and articulation models in public health.

Dr. Salis has over 12 years of experience as a faculty member of the Health, Physical Education and Dance Department. She earned her Ph.D. in education psychology with a concentration in learning, development and instruction from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She has several pedagogical publications and presentations related to high-impact practices and students’ academic success. Her research interests include academic assessment, applied teaching and learning strategies, health behavior, motivation, self-regulation, and cognition.

Mark R. Bellavia, assistant professor of mathematics, MCC
Mark Bellavia has served as an assistant professor in MCC’s Mathematics Department for seven years. He teaches courses ranging from elementary algebra to calculus II, providing him the opportunity to inspire a diversity of learners. Having served on the steering committee for MCC’s Academies Model, Mr. Bellavia is excited to help bring guided pathways to MCC this fall. He also served as chair of the High-Impact Practices Subcommittee where he helped standardize definitions and criteria for high-impact practices used throughout the college. As faculty liaison for MCC’s School of STEM, Mr. Bellavia will create programming to benefit MCC students in the STEM disciplines. He holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher College and a master’s degree from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Adity Gupta, MCC business administration student, peer mentor and tutor
Adity Gupta will graduate from MCC in June 2016 with honors as a member of Phi Theta Kappa and the Honors Institute. She works as a peer mentor for MCC’s First-Year Experience program and tutors in accounting for the Business Administration/Economics Department. She has a passion for helping others and rigorously works to find ways to improve campus life for students on both academic and social levels. As a peer mentor, she has helped create opportunities for new and returning students to get involved in campus life. She previously served on the FYE Workshop Series Leadership Team where she worked to create workshops and activities to promote student success. Ms. Gupta also freelances off-campus as a brand specialist for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. After MCC, she plans to continue her education and eventually complete her MBA. While pursuing her educational goals, she hopes to continue to work as a tutor and obtain a teaching assistant position to begin the path to her dreams of returning to academia to work in higher education.

Blake Moore, MCC political science student and president, MCC Student Government Association
Blake Moore will graduate from MCC in December 2016 with honors as a member of Phi Theta Kappa and the Honors Institute. He serves as student body president for MCC’s Brighton Campus and Applied Technologies Center. He is also a Model United Nations delegate representing MCC’s 2016 Senegal delegation. He serves as vice-chair for the MCC Association Board of Directors. Mr. Moore represents MCC on the Rochester Intercollegiate Council that collaborates to improve the city of Rochester. After MCC, Blake plans to transfer to Howard University to pursue a bachelor’s degree and, ultimately, a juris doctorate. As president of the Student Government Association, Blake inspires other students to get involved on campus in ways that effect positive and measurable change. He strives to be that channel of communication between administration and the student body.

Nayda Pares-Kane, Ph.D., interim dean, Liberal Arts, MCC
Nayda Pares-Kane joined Monroe Community College in 1999. She has served the college as professor of sociology and former chair of MCC’s Anthropology, History, Political Science, and Sociology Department. Her research interests include community organizing, racial justice, urban racial segregation, and global interdependence. She has dedicated her academic career to examining fundamental questions surrounding global citizenship, identity, power, privilege, and inequality. She holds a doctorate in American studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo’s Department of Transnational Studies, a master of arts degree from San Diego State University and a bachelor of arts degree from Binghamton University.