HECA Conference 2012 Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Dave Marcus and Gwyeth Smith (aka Smitty)
Pulitzer-Prize winner David L. Marcus has been a high school teacher, a visiting professor, a journalist, and an educational consultant. In between, he wrote two highly-praised books about education. Currently, he writes for print and online publications including Newsweek, Time, and Forbes. He spent a year as a high school teacher and visiting fellow at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. He also taught at Ithaca College, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He is an honors graduate of Brown University, where he volunteers as an alumni interviewer, and spent a year as Nieman Fellow at Harvard.
Gwyeth Smith has worked as a school counselor on Long Island, and it is his work that inspired Dave Marcus to write Acceptance. Smitty now shares his expertise with student and professional audiences throughout the metropolitan area.
FEATURED SPEAKER: Lynn O'Shaughnessy
In the debate Rumor v. Research, Lynn O'Shaughnessy will share ways that students, parents and consultants can explore schools both academically and financially.
Lynn O'Shaughnessy is a higher education author, journalist and speaker. She wrote The College Solution, an Amazon bestseller, and a financial workbook, Shrinking the Cost of College. She writes a college blog for CBS MoneyWatch and for her own at TheCollegeSolution.com. She is the consulting director of college planning at UC San Diego, and has been interviewed about college for publications too numerous to mention.
FEATURED SPEAKER: Luke Skurman
For his part in the debate Rumor v. Research, Luke Skurman will tell the College Prowler story, and how best to use the College Prowler site as a resource for helping students select a college.
Luke Skurman is the passionate, hard-working, founding executive who is providing innovative resources for students and counselors by presenting the voices and perspectives of college students on his website. Luke has been named among the top 20 entrepreneurs under 25 and the Top 30 entrepreneurs under 30. Among numerous other accolades, in July 2008, he was elected to the CMU Board of Trustees as the youngest in its history, and now sits on several University committees and advisory boards.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP I: Peter Van Buskirk Hotspots, Hooks and Hidden Agendas: An Inside Look at College Admissions
The college-going process has morphed into a high-stakes "rush for the gold," making the need for transparency into admission and financial aid practices greater than ever. This highly interactive, case study workshop goes inside the decision-making to make sense of the current admission climate within the context and ever evolving priorities of enrollment management. Whether you're a veteran or a newbie, you'll come away with new and valuable information and perspectives on the admissions process.
Peter Van Buskirk is a consumer advocate, author and consultant who has presented student-centered motivational and professional development programs to more than 1,000 audiences worldwide. Hotspots is a popular pre-conference workshop at NACAC, and several regional ACAC conferences. The author of Winning the College Admission Game, Peter was Dean of Admission at Franklin & Marshall College for 12 years and worked at Peterson's as the VP for College Planning Solutions.
A decade ago, he appeared weekly on the Discovery Channel's program Science News, bringing the latest astronomical discoveries to the US television audience. More recently, his television appearances have been limited to more serious matters on Comedy Central's The Daily Show and in a National Geographic channel series, The Known Universe. He serves on far too many University, government, and American Astronomical Society committees for his own (or anyone else's) good. He believes he is a better cook than astronomer and, ambiguously, most of his colleagues who have sampled his gastronomical undertakings agree.
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP II: Francine Block Growing Your Business and Developing Your Professionalism
As independents, we need to expand our businesses and develop our professional expertise. This workshop will talk about how to combine both of those for greater success. We will discuss how people will learn about you, how you will validate yourself and become visible in your community. We will continue with discussions on networking, volunteer and travel opportunities. Learn what professional organizations exist and which will be valuable for you. We will discuss the importance of ethics and maintaining the high road. As educators, we all need to continue learning.
Francine Block's career in college admissions has spanned more than 25 years. Highly regarded for her expertise on college admissions issues, she has contributed to numerous publications, been interviewed on television and for newspapers. She is a past President of PACAC, a National Assembly Delegate to NACAC and a National Commissioner for AICEP/CEP.
