Soar to Success — UNF's institution-wide student success strategy, integrating advising, analytics, communications, and academic support into a coordinated model that has driven three consecutive years of record retention and effectively closed equity gaps for first-generation, Pell-eligible, and underrepresented minority students.
myNest — A Slate-powered student success portal that centralizes appointment scheduling, early alerts, and advisor-student communication. Winner of the 2024 Slate Icon National Award for institutional impact.
EngageUNF — A university-wide experiential learning platform that serves as the infrastructure for UNF's first-ever experiential learning graduation requirement, guaranteeing every undergraduate at least one high-impact experience before graduation.
Next Level Student Success (NLSS) — A monthly professional development series for student success staff, building a shared institutional culture and cross-unit expertise across advising, academic support, and student affairs.
Osprey First Summer Pathways — A six-week immersive summer transition program for incoming first-year students, building academic momentum and belonging before the first semester begins.
UGA NSF STEM Pipeline Grant — Co-led a $300,000 National Science Foundation initiative to increase the retention and graduation of underrepresented minority students in STEM disciplines.
FSCJ Downtown Immersion Project — The first initiative to embed a Florida college in a downtown urban core, anchored by a $1.2M adaptive reuse project that converted a historic Jacksonville building into 58 units of student housing.
FSCJ Social Enterprise Incubator Competition — Founded a Bank of America–funded competition empowering students to develop entrepreneurial ventures with measurable social impact.
Signature Framework
Student Momentum Architecture is a proven model for building the institutional infrastructure that makes a seamless student experience possible — not as an aspiration, but as a measurable outcome. Developed and operationalized at the University of North Florida, it integrates data systems, human capacity, coordinated communication, and scalable academic support into a coherent ecosystem. The result: three consecutive years of record-setting retention, effectively closed equity gaps, and a student experience that no longer depends on students knowing where to look.
The Four Pillars of Institutional Impact
1. Integrated Experiential Ecosystems (Engage UNF)
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The Challenge: High-impact practices (HIPs) are often fragmented across campus, creating "participation gaps" for students without existing networks.
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The System: A unified platform that centralizes internships, undergraduate research, and community engagement into a single, visible "front door."
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Outcome: Guaranteed access to experiential learning, stronger workforce readiness, and institutionalized alignment with career pathways.
2. Human Infrastructure & Capacity Building
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The Challenge: Technology alone cannot solve retention; success requires a highly trained, mission-aligned workforce.
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The System: The Next Level Student Success (NLSS) and Rockstar Advisor programs—leadership-led professional development that fosters a culture of excellence.
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Outcome: Increased staff retention, cross-unit collaboration, and a "student-first" culture that permeates every touchpoint.
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At UNF, this model has anchored three consecutive years of record retention and was a contributing factor in closing equity gaps between first-generation and continuing-generation students.
3. Data-Informed Action Architecture
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The Challenge: Most institutions are "data rich but insight poor," struggling to translate massive datasets into real-time interventions.
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The System: A strategic architecture that integrates real-time progress monitoring with automated, proactive communication loops between advising and academic leadership.
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Outcome: Early-alert precision, measurable increases in 4-year graduation rates, and a "visible" student journey.
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At UNF, this model has anchored three consecutive years of record retention and was a contributing factor in closing gaps between first-generation and continuing-generation students.
4. Scalable Hybrid Academic Supports
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The Challenge: Outdated advising structures often struggle to maintain personalization as enrollment grows and student needs become more complex.
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The System: A multi-tier hybrid model that integrates centralized foundational support with college-based specialized guidance.
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Outcome: Improved accessibility, staff efficiency, and a coordinated case-management approach for at-risk populations.
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At UNF, D/F/W rates in gateway STEM courses declined by more than 11 percentage points, and first-year retention rose from 79% to 87% over three years.