Smittcamp Family Honors College scholar and computer science graduate Nathan Theng not only excelled in academics, but worked to make a positive impact on others through his research and mentorship. Nathan's research focused on leveraging technology to revolutionize the healthcare industry, and his commitment to service through tutoring and leadership ultimately empowered his peers. Watch the full short film on how three remarkable grads, including Nathan, are paving a brighter future: bit.ly/3zdhK5n

The Best Graduation Speech of 2024 Is Absolutely Obvious, and It All Comes Down to Just 1 Word. A rainy day and an abbreviated speech, but some very useful lessons were shared. Robert Hale Jr.'s address to the graduates of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth was truly memorable. He gave $1,000 in cash to each graduate, with $500 for them to keep and $500 to give away to someone in need. Certainly, giving money to graduates is a sure way to win hearts. However, the speech was more than just a generous gesture. From humble beginnings of washing dishes to becoming a dot-com billionaire, Hale shared his journey of success, failure, and redemption. It's a powerful story of resilience and giving back to the community. Watch the video at the bottom of the article to witness Hale's inspiring message unfold. It's a reminder that success is not just about personal achievements but also about lifting others up. Kudos to Robert Hale Jr. for an impactful and memorable graduation speech. https://lnkd.in/ezuMgb_N (skip video to 2:25)

?? Did you know that early childhood tinkering, making and engineering foster future STEM success? By encouraging children to explore, experiment and create, educators help kids see themselves as capable engineers, scientists and problem-solvers. Read more about this in National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)'s 'Small Hands, Big Ideas' at https://lnkd.in/gDG8_9be.

Do you have a story to share from the campus community you would like to share? ??Submit your story to Titan Spotlight that highlights research, publications, awards, gifts, and student success: https://lnkd.in/gmR4turf

Time & Precision. The strategic imperative to deliver more enrollment with less (less marketing, less scholarship and less counselors) is not a trend that is going away in higher ed enrollment management. Getting more from the team also does not have to mean working 2x as many hours for half the pay with 5 times the applicant volume. What it does involve, however, is a vision and commitment to modernizing the core processes of enrollment management for the benefit of the institution, admissions team and the prospective student. One aspect of this is the delivery of more efficient and effective use of time and increased enrollment precision through a much deeper understanding of enrollment data, applicant behaviors and understanding of consumer decision theory. How does a small college deliver on this from a practical standpoint? I'm looking forward to Ryan O'Dell talk about how what he's done at Edgewood College!

Amazing feature article from our great friends and innovation partners at Illinois Institute of Technology, showcasing their work in Autonomous Fundraising to the entire community. “We teach the growing industry of AI in the classroom,” says?Susan Lewers, Illinois Tech’s associate vice president of major and planned gifts. “We should look for ways to implement these practices for university operations, including advancement.” Check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eKJuT3FW

Illinois Institute of Technology is leading the charge for technical schools in #AutonomousFundraising with their use of their VEO, Scarlet. As Tad Vezner states, "Given real-world staffing limitations, the reality is that many prospects go unassigned and potentially unengaged by a human fundraiser. Scarlet provides the solution with the ability to personally connect with graduates and build a more robust pipeline." At the end of the day, every organization - whether higher education, healthcare, or nonprofit - has some segment of donors who are currently receiving direct mail/marketing, but would benefit from 1-1 engagement, that fundraising teams do not have the capacity to manage. The VEO provides a solution to this challenge, complementing the work of, and adding critical capacity to existing teams.

Small actuarial science programs offer huge benefits to their students, but don't have the resources to reach higher status with the SOA. I am already seeing a trend towards students preferring CAS in part due to the unfair advantage the SOA grants to students attending larger schools... Actuarial science educators want to see our students and field grow and succeed, but that requires a fair playing field for all actuary students.

Can’t wait to attend this session with Nancy Weinstein and Heidi Sipe presenting. Strengths-based strategies personalized to help every student, based on the science of learning.