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Conversation with Dr. Amber Williams

Presented by Advantage Design Group
Play
Dr. Amber Williams
Vice Provost for Student Success
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

After many intentional conversations about our needs and wants for a keynote speaker at our annual conference, we are thrilled to announce Dr. Amber Williams as our Keynote Speaker. As the Vice Provost for Student Success at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, her deep understanding of our field and hands-on experience makes her an incredible addition to our conference. 

In her hour-long fireside chat, Dr. Williams will share her authentic approach to her work, demonstrating how she genuinely engages with the challenges we face. We can’t wait to hear her insights and inspiration!

Shaun Holloway & Gracie Hood
Co-Chairs, Speakers & Special initiatives

Dr. Amber Williams is a seasoned higher education administrator and visionary leader responsible for the University of Tennessee’s efforts to serve undergraduate scholars and their unique academic goals. She is a globally-recognized expert and highly sought-after keynote speaker for student success initiatives as well as organizational leadership and development, diversity and inclusion, and women in business. Described as a transformative leader, she looks beyond numbers to see scholars as individuals—creating programs and services that support their unique story, prepares them for graduation, and empowers every Volunteer to make a difference in the world.

Through her efforts leading the Division of Student Success, retention rates have jumped to a record-breaking 91%, well above the national average of 75%. In her four years on Rocky Top, she’s created and implemented numerous customized programs and data-driven initiatives designed to promote success throughout a scholar’s academic journey. Each program was carefully curated through a student success framework that encourages a strengths-based approach through confidence, high expectations, and individualized structures that ensure every student matters. 

The personalized approach has made UT’s Division of Student Success a national leader for its innovative efforts, and many of the programs Dr. Williams has implanted have become a roadmap for other institutions. These efforts include:

Dr. Williams came to UT in January 2020 from the University of Nebraska, where she served as their Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and had significant experiences influencing student success initiatives. Under her leadership, Nebraska created and designed the Nebraska College Preparatory Academy, an innovative college access program that addresses fundamental inequalities in the education system by preparing first-generation and low-income students to achieve personal and academic success. The Academy scholars average a 90% first-year student-to-sophomore retention rate and an 85% graduation rate. 

Dr. Williams earned her bachelor’s in communication studies from the University of Kansas, a master’s in leadership education, and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Inside Higher Ed highlighted her career trajectory.  

Dr. Williams is married to UT associate professor of sociology Deadric Williams. They have two children, Anthony and Avery.

Note from our Sponsor

Advantage Design Group is thrilled to announce our role as the presenting sponsor for the Conversation with Dr. Williams! Her story, dedication, and authenticity are unparalleled. We hope you enjoy the session and leave feeling energized, excited, and ready to lean into your Authentic Approach. Since 2013, our unwavering support of NODA has been a cornerstone of our success and we are excited to be able to continue this support in a major way this year.  

Through our shared mission to engage, welcome, and prepare new students and families for college success, we are grateful for the opportunity to provide the best online and virtual orientation solutions. It’s not just about solving the information gap; it’s about creating effective digital experiences bridging essential life transitions. Each partnership sparks innovation and empowerment to show authentic stories and foster genuine connections. Now more than ever, we remain committed to delivering transformative experiences that build communities and redefine the journey to college and beyond. Learn more about Advantage Design Group. 

Panel Discussion: Navigating the New Normal

Join us for a dynamic panel on “Navigating the New Normal: How Current Issues Impact Supporting Staff in Higher Education,” where Orientation, Transition, and Retention practitioners confront pressing matters facing educators and student populations today. From student activism to state legislation impacting universities and what staff support means in this field, this conversation encompasses valuable shared insight on how we can successfully navigate our work with the next era of students.
 
In this insightful hour-long discussion, panelists will share their authentic approaches to these current challenges. From new to seasoned professionals, participants can look forward to open dialogue that addresses student affairs issues through collaboration and idea-sharing across campuses.

As you think about where our conversations will lead us, we want our membership to engage with and guide our dialogue by submitting questions below. Our moderator will use these questions to shape the conversation on different topics.

Jawaun McClam
Assistant Director of Orientation Programs
University of Florida

Jawaun McClam hails from Florence, South Carolina, and began his journey in higher education as an Orientation Leader during his undergraduate years at the University of South Carolina. His involvement in various campus organizations fueled his passion for student affairs, leading him to pursue a master’s degree at Louisiana State University. In Summer 2021, Jawaun gained valuable experience through a NODA Internship at Virginia Tech, solidifying his commitment to orientation and student engagement. He now works at the University of Florida, where he recruits and supervises a team of Preview Staffers and helps shape the Preview program.

Eena Singh
Assistant Dean & Executive Director
University of California, Los Angeles

Eena Singh (she/her/hers) is currently the Assistant Dean & Executive Director for UCLA’s New Student & Transition Programs department, which oversees new student & family summer orientation for all 10,500 new first-year and transfer students, as well as 4,000 family members. Prior to UCLA, Eena has experience overseeing new student orientation and transition programs at UC Irvine and NYU. Eena has her BA in Anthropology from UCLA, an MA in Higher Education & Student Affairs from NYU, and is currently a second-year doctoral student in the Educational Leadership Program at UCLA. As an immigrant from India, her identity as a South Asian woman of color is at the heart of her story and journey, both to and through higher education. Throughout her career, Eena has been passionate about supporting both students and staff in higher education, especially in recognition of the gaps that exist for many students and staff of color at our institutions. In addition to advocating for equitable and inclusive practices when recruiting, hiring, and retaining student and professional staff at the institution level, Eena has also been vocal in her advocacy for staff in national associations like NASPA and NODA. Most recently, Eena held the role of the 2023 NODA Annual Conference Chair held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is looking forward to returning to this year’s NODA Annual Conference in Portland to discuss an important and timely topic of how we can truly support OTR practitioners in ways that are inclusive of their background and experiences, while empowering them to have the knowledge and resources to navigate their own unique path in our field.

Tamerika ‘Tami’ Brown
Success Coach
Higher Education Professional

Tamerika ‘Tami’ Brown is a dynamic higher education professional that has focused her career on promoting success in academic and professional settings since her career began in 2017. Tami is a mentor, advisor, aspiring life coach, and what she likes to call a “strategic pot-stirrer”. The quote, “if it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you” has guided Tami’s belief on how she engages in conflict and discourse in her personal and professional development. Tami’s higher education experience has been at various institution types, in areas including academic advising, first-generation programs, leadership development, admissions, orientation, and student success initiatives. Tami received degrees in human resource management from Texas State University and college student personnel from Ohio University, which sparked a passion for understanding how diversity and culture influence how we build effective programs and teams. As a first-generation college graduate, Tami brings a unique perspective and deep commitment to creating and nurturing environments where all individuals can express their authentic selves. When not at work, Tami enjoys traveling, cooking, house revamp projects and being a bougie auntie to her niece and nephew.

Jeff Brown
Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students | NODA President-Elect
American University

Jeff Brown currently serves as the Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students in the Division of Student Affairs at American University in Washington D.C. In this role he provides leadership for key departments that support the care and well-being of the student body including the Office of the Dean of Students, Student Accountability and Restorative Practices, the Student Health Center, the Center for Well-Being Programs and Psychological Services and International Student and Scholar Services. Prior to this role, Jeff served for four years as the Dean of Students. In that role he has responsibility for undergraduate and graduate student care, support, and advocacy. He also served as the chief student conduct officer for the University. Jeff had responsibility on the AU campus for inclusion support, neighborhood relations, threat assessment, crisis management and multiple retention initiatives. Prior to his move to American University over six years ago, he worked at Clemson University for 19 years serving in a variety of capacities, most recently as the Associate Dean of Students where he over saw all orientation programs, parent/family programs and support, the Student Veteran Center, retention programs for underrepresented students and extended orientation programs. He also has extensive experience working in residence life and fraternity and sorority life. Originally from the Chicago area, Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations & Communications from Bradley University and a Master of Education in Student Affairs Administration from Clemson University.

Moderator
Gracie Hood
Program Coordinator | NODAC 2024 Co-Chair for Speaker & Special Initiatives
University of California, Berkeley

Gracie (she/her) currently serves as the Co-Chair for Speaker & Special Initiatives for this year’s NODA Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. She has also served on the NASPA 2022 Annual Conference Leadership Committee as a SA Series chair. In addition to conference planning, Gracie currently works at the University of California, Berkeley as a Program Coordinator for New Student Services welcoming over 10,000 students each year. In this role, she develops campus partnerships and specializes in the Transfer Student Experience where she orchestrated the inaugural Transfer Student Symposium geared at networking nearly 3,000 incoming transfer students with local Bay Area companies and Berkeley affiliate programs. Gracie is a student affairs practitioner who seeks intentionality in the work she produces aiming to enhance programmatic and relationship-building efforts.

Gracie has spent time in North Carolina where she was an overly involved college student earning her B.A. in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration. Here she gained experience working in small, private and large, public institutions with Student Government, Residence Life, Student Leadership & Services. She also spent a summer at Brown University as an Activities Manager for Pre-College Programs.

Outside of work, Gracie will definitely be at the airport headed somewhere cool, doing ceramics in the studio or finding fun coffee shops and restaurants in San Francisco.

Author’s Luncheon

Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better

Psychologist Woo-kyoung Ahn devised a course at Yale called “Thinking” to help students examine the biases that cause so many problems in their daily lives. It quickly became one of the university’s most popular courses. Now, for the first time, Ahn presents key insights from her years of teaching and research in a book for everyone.

She shows how “thinking problems” stand behind a wide range of challenges, from common, self-inflicted daily aggravations to our most pressing societal issues and inequities. Throughout, Ahn draws on decades of research from other cognitive psychologists, as well as from her own groundbreaking studies. And she presents it all in a compellingly readable style that uses fun examples from pop culture, anecdotes from her own life, and illuminating stories from history and the headlines.

Thinking 101 is a book that goes far beyond other books on thinking, showing how we can improve not just our own daily lives through better awareness of our biases but also the lives of everyone around us. It is, quite simply, required reading for everyone who wants to think—and live—better.

Presented by:

Imagination: A Manifesto

In this revelatory work, Ruha Benjamin calls on us to take imagination seriously as a site of struggle and a place of possibility for reshaping the future.

A world without prisons? Ridiculous. Schools that foster the genius of every child? Impossible. Work that doesn’t strangle the life out of people? Naive. A society where everyone has food, shelter, love? In your dreams. Exactly. Ruha Benjamin, Princeton University professor, insists that imagination isn’t a luxury. It is a vital resource and powerful tool for collective liberation.

Imagination: A Manifesto is her proclamation that we have the power to use our imaginations to challenge systems of oppression and to create a world in which everyone can thrive. But obstacles abound. We have inherited destructive ideas that trap us inside a dominant imagination. Consider how racism, sexism, and classism make hierarchies, exploitation, and violence seem natural and inevitable—but all emerged from the human imagination.

The most effective way to disrupt these deadly systems is to do so collectively. Benjamin highlights the educators, artists, activists, and many others who are refuting powerful narratives that justify the status quo, crafting new stories that reflect our interconnection, and offering creative approaches to seemingly intractable problems.

Imagination: A Manifesto offers visionary examples and tactics to push beyond the constraints of what we think, and are told, is possible. This book is for anyone who is ready to take to heart Toni Morrison’s instruction: “Dream a little before you think.”

Ruha Benjamin is a professor of African American studies and the founder of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab at Princeton University. The author of the Stowe Prize–winning Viral Justice, as well as Race After Technology and People’s Science, Benjamin lives in Princeton, New Jersey

Presented by:

About One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

From award-winning novelist and journalist Omar El Akkad comes a powerful reckoning with what it means to live in the heart of an empire that doesn’t consider you fully human.

On October 25th, 2023, after just three weeks of the bombardment of Gaza, Omar El Akkad put out a tweet: “One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” This tweet was viewed more than ten million times.

One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This chronicles the deep fracture that has occurred for Black, brown, Indigenous Americans, as well as the upcoming generation, many of whom had clung to a thread of faith in Western ideals, in the idea that their countries, or the countries of their adoption, actually attempted to live up to the values they espouse.
This book is a reckoning with what it means to live in the West, and what it means to live in a world run by a small group of countries—America, the UK, France, and Germany.  It will be The Fire Next Time for a generation that understands we’re undergoing a shift in the so-called “rules-based order,” a generation that understands the West can no longer be trusted to police and guide the world, or its own cities and campuses. It draws on intimate details of Omar’s own story as an emigrant who grew up believing in the Western project, who was catapulted into journalism by the rupture of 9/11.
This book is El Akkad’s heartsick breakup letter with the West. It is a breakup we are watching all over the United States, on college campuses, on city streets, and the consequences of this rupture will be felt by all of us. His book is for all the people who want something better than what the West has served up. This is the book for our time.

Presented by:

NODA Talks

NODA Talks applications have closed. Check back soon to see what stories will be shared this year!

Wellness Activities

Check back soon to see what wellness activities will occur this year!