Yidong’s Story

Posted on by Caitlin Abram

Yidong, data scientist
With Excelsior since 2013

Education

  • PhD. in Industrial Engineering
  • Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management

Professional Background

I started my career in the operations research and analytics field, which provides Analytics-as-a-Service (AaaS) for clients in various industries including retail, auto manufacturing and financial services. I have seen how big data and analytics guided the strategic and operation decisions of those big firms, and how business insights, generated from big data and analytic process, provide competitive advantages to those companies.

My Excelsior Journey

My journey with Excelsior is quite simple: it was the right opportunity at the right time. Back in school I wanted to become a college professor, someone who does research and educates students. I was also quite interested in the field of big data and analytics. A job Excelsior helped me to fulfilled both wishes.

What I Do

  • Establish the standard procedures for analytic model development and production in a linux environment.
  • Develop, test, deploy and maintain analytic products to support daily college operations.
  • Support emerging ad hoc analytic projects.

How I Help Students

Many of my projects are related to our Student Success Center. The analytic products include machine learning models, and dashboards which can help to identify at-risk students, and prioritize our work. This makes sure every student receive the right service at the right moment. In addition, the management team can also use various dashboard product to identify the strength and weakness in our current services and improve our student service in future. My wish is that big data and analytics can empower Excelsior to identify the unique needs of each individual student and provide the customized service at scale to ensure their success.

What I Like Best About Working At Excelsior

The people at Excelsior are the best.

Lalanda’s Story

Posted on by Caitlin Abram

Lalanda, assistant director of admissions operations & partnerships
With Excelsior since 2014

Education

  • Master of Public Administration

Professional Background

My journey to higher education began at beauty school. I am a licensed Cosmetologist for about 20 years now. After working in the salon for 6 years, I took a second job as a Cosmetology Instructor. After a few years as an Instructor, I was promoted to Lead Instructor where I supervised cosmetology, barbering, esthetics and nail technology instructors in addition to overseeing classroom instruction and student evaluation and testing. From lead instructor, I was promoted to campus Director to oversee all components of the beauty school.

After leaving the teaching side of Cosmetology, I maintained my license and continued to do hair. I was hired by an educational institution as an admissions counselor and worked with high school and adult student populations. Seeking more opportunity for advancement, I decided to look for work elsewhere and was told about Excelsior College. I believed that there was hope and opportunity at Excelsior College, so I took a leap of faith.

My Excelsior Journey

When I started at Excelsior College, I was an admissions specialist. I received my Bachelor of Science from Excelsior College in 2016 and was promoted to admissions counselor shortly after. Because opportunity is always staring you in the face at Excelsior, I decided to continue my education and received a Master of Public Administration in 2019. Since completing my master’s degree, I have been promoted to admissions lead counselor and now the Assistant Director of Admissions Operations & Partnerships.

Since working at Excelsior college, not only have I been promoted, but I have been afforded the opportunity to serve on committees, provide feedback for improvement and streamlining and work on new initiatives for efficiency to improve the student experience.

What I Do

In my current role I work in conjunction with Admissions leadership in overseeing the operational component of the admissions department. This includes completing activity reports to provide feedback from the data to increase the efficacy and productivity of Admissions. I am the contact person for any technical issues or concerns within Admissions. I generate views and reports to help admissions counselors manage and troubleshoot their caseloads.

I manage the Partnership Admissions team and work closely with our partnership team to capture, engage and convert prospective students. I mentor counselors on my team in strategic outreach, caseload management, productivity and student issues. When needed, I am a go-to for escalated student matters.

How I Help Students

I can honestly say that I use my life’s story to support student success. I am a product of education at Excelsior College. I am the students that we service. I am what can happen when someone gives you an opportunity. I use all of this in my role, from having conversations with students to developing a strategic outreach plan with my team. I know how important it is for our students to get an education that will count for them, be flexible for them and level the playing field for career advancement or career change.

What I Like Best About Working at Excelsior

I love the team mentality and attitude that feeds into every effort that we put forth. Also, our desire to change lives and the world by servicing the underserved exemplifies our belief that everyone is worth the work and has something to offer.

Qiñones’ Story

Posted on by Caitlin Abram

Qiñones, assistant director of admissions operations & partnerships
With Excelsior since 2018

Education

Degrees:

  • Bachelors of Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Daemen College
  • Masters of Business Administration, Marketing, D’Youville College
  • Masters of Science, Cybersecurity, Excelsior College, 2022

Certifications:

  • Project Management Professional (PMP® Exam Prep), Villanova University, 2017
  • Essentials of Project Management, Villanova University, 2017
  • Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP), Prosci, 2019
  • Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM), Training Industry, 2020
  • Certified Professional in Agility in HR, ICAgile, 2020

Professional Background

I started my career as a graphic designer at New Era Cap. I transitioned to a Marketing Communication Specialist, utilizing all the skills I learned while obtaining my MBA. I transitioned to a digital marketing manager, where I used my marketing and graphic skills to promote and market products online. I relocated to the Albany area and became an I.T. business analyst at Golub Corp. I worked in the I.T. department, where I managed and maintained all websites and applications

What I Do

I provide oversight and management of the college’s enterprise systems training needs supporting business processes. I focus on developing training for the college’s enterprise systems. I play an integral role in ensuring that an exceptional training structure supports the college’s vision of aligning people, processes, and technology. I am reporting to the Executive Director of Enterprise Operations. I work with operational analysts, designated functional leads, technical staff, and subject matter experts to establish training requirements and develop and execute enterprise systems training plans. I support end-user training to ensure functional area trainers are adequately prepared to administer training.

How I Help Students

I utilize my years of experience along with my certifications when crafting training courses. Having the ability to be a good listener and problem-solving skills allows me to understand where the learning gaps are for the end-user completely.

What I Like Best About Working at Excelsior

The work-life balance is fantastic here. The working relationships that I have with my co-workers make life here more comfortable.

Combining Business with Nursing

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Steven Marciano’s business background helps him thrive in his career in nursing administration

2018 Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences graduate Steven Marciano, of Tampa Bay, Florida, is the manager of business operations at Saint Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, where he oversees and provides business support to 17 nursing units throughout the hospital. Although he is now strictly in the health care field, it is his experience in business management that has helped to propel him to where he is today.

As the manager of business operations, Marciano collaborates with nurse managers to maintain the productivity of each unit. Marciano meets with these managers and executive staff in a 9 a.m. meeting each day and then follows up with smaller meetings for specific projects and hospital operations. He also “makes the rounds” by visiting each unit and assessing employees’ efficiency and needs. In addition, Marciano is in charge of preparing financial reports for executive leadership.

Marciano’s business background has prepared him for his current role. When he first moved to Florida in 1986, he worked for a family construction company for 12 years. His last role with the company was as the business manager, and he oversaw multiple insurance policies. Working closely with insurance agents made him interested in earning his insurance licenses so he could start his own insurance company in 2007.

A self-described lifelong learner, Marciano decided that he wanted to change careers and expand his knowledge base. He had several friends in the health care field who encouraged him to pursue nursing. His first job in health care was as a bedside nurse on a progressive care step-down ICU unit. Marciano was an LPN but over time, he wanted to return to school. He desired to further his education and to combine his interest in business with his new career in nursing. “My transition to health care required a nursing program, and thereafter, a bachelor’s degree was required for many promotions, such as management,” says Marciano, who initially enrolled in Excelsior’s bachelor’s in nursing program in 2014.

Marciano decided to transition from bedside nursing to nursing administration. He desired to be part of the new public health approach to health care, emphasizing community needs and implementing community interventions for disease prevention management and overall health and wellness. “I received an email from Excelsior announcing the health sciences [with an emphasis in] public health degree program and immediately transferred out of the nursing program into the new program.”

Marciano earned his bachelor’s degree in health sciences with an emphasis in public health in three years, while working full-time and juggling family priorities. He maintained a demanding workload of four courses per term and even had some health issues during his academic journey, but he is thankful for what he has learned from his experience. “Earning my degree provided me the opportunity to acquire my current role. In addition, the multitude of courses I’ve completed have provided an abundance of knowledge to apply to health care,” he says, easily listing courses such as Ethics of Health Care; Our Environment, Our Health: An Introduction to Environmental Health; Health Education and Promotion for Diverse Communities; and Global Health as some examples of courses with lasting impact. Marciano enrolled in the master’s in healthcare administration program and is on track to complete the program at the end of August 2021.

Landing his current job as a manager of business operations was a long journey, says Marciano, and it required hard work and earning respect from his co-workers. Thanks to his background in business, though, he has proven he has been able to transition seamlessly from a nurse into the administrative side of health care. He says his business background and skill set have been instrumental in his current role and choosing to pursue this career is “the best decision I ever made, the most rewarding work I’ve done in my professional career.”  

More from Steven Marciano

What is the best piece of business advice you’ve received on the job so far?

The best business advice I received is always to keep an open mind, diversify, and ask for what you want.

What are the most important traits/skills for someone to succeed in your field?

The ability to collaborate and interact professionally with a diverse, multidisciplinary group of individuals and be flexible. In addition, the ability to listen to others, lead by example, fostering trust, dignity, respect, and teamwork. 

What networking tips would you give to current Excelsior students?

Networking has been an essential and instrumental aspect of my success throughout my professional career. My suggestion is to get involved with respective professional organizations, work-related special projects, and all of the wonderful resources available from Excelsior, including the alumni network.

What time management tips do you have for current students juggling activities outside their Excelsior studies?

Time management tips include schedule your study time, choose quiet study settings with little to no distractions, leave phone and electronic devices away from study spaces, develop rituals to maintain balance and concentration, and take breaks to avoid burnout.

 

Excelsior College Ranked in 2021–2022 Military Friendly Schools

Posted on by Alicia Jacobs

Albany, N.Y. — Excelsior College has been recently designated a Military Friendly® School for the 2021–2022 Military Friendly® Cycle. Excelsior was previously recognized with this distinction for nine consecutive years, from 2011–2019. Military Friendly® is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful opportunity for the military community.

To be designated as Military Friendly®, Excelsior was ranked against benchmark standards in the following areas: admissions, academic policies, culture, financial aid, graduation, military student support, and retention.

“Servicemembers are an important part of our student body, and we are thrilled to be recognized as a partner to student success and supporter of the military community,” stated Excelsior College Provost John Caron. “Excelsior College is uniquely positioned to assist active-duty and former servicemembers achieve their educational and career goals through flexible, affordable, and career-oriented academic programs. Our students save on tuition and finish their programs soon due to our generous transfer credit policy.”

To see the full ranking, visit https://www.militaryfriendly.com/schools. Outside of this ranking, Excelsior College has consistently ranked among the top Best for Vets colleges in an annual ranking by Military Times.

# # #

Media Contact Excelsior College:

Alicia Jacobs, ajacobs@excelsior.edu, 518-410-4624

ABOUT EXCELSIOR COLLEGE

Excelsior College (excelsior.edu) is an accredited, not-for-profit online college focused on helping adults complete their degrees and advance their careers. The college contributes to the development of a diverse, educated, and career-ready society by valuing lifelong learning with an emphasis on serving individuals historically underrepresented in higher education. Founded in 1971, Excelsior meets students where they are — academically and geographically — removing obstacles to the educational goals of adults pursuing continuing education and degree completion. Our pillars include innovation, flexibility, academic excellence, and integrity. Learn more at excelsior.edu.

Degrees at Work: Bad Break Leads to Increased Skills

Posted on by Dana Yanulavich

Working on a college degree can be backbreaking work. But for Kerry McCormick, that description carries a double meaning. And that’s because, in 2012, McCormick had the unfortunate experience of literally breaking her back. While convalescing from surgery in 2013, the Valley Stream, New York resident decided to put her recovery time to good use and enrolled in Excelsior College’s Bachelor of Science in Business program.

McCormick began her college studies at Queensborough Community College right after high school but discovered that she wasn’t ready to buckle down. More than 15 years later, she reconsidered a return to college and was exploring different programs. On Christmas day she was gifted with a ringing endorsement from her boyfriend’s son, a student in Excelsior’s nursing program. She explains, “He spoke so highly of the programs, of the teachers, the advisors, and how accessible it was [being an online institution] that I had to run with it.” When she checked the College’s website and saw her desired course of study, she enrolled the next day.

“When I was in kindergarten, and the teacher asked what everyone wanted to be when they grew up, I said I wanted to be a waitress,” McCormick explains. And at 18, she started working as a hostess in a restaurant. This self-described extrovert loves the hospitality industry, noting that no two days are the same. She says, “I like making people happy and making them smile. “ She feels that everyone should work in the hospitality industry at some point in their lives because it teaches communication and people skills.

McCormick currently serves as manager of the Bayside, Queen’s location of Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse. A mid-sized hospitality group, Uncle Jack’s has three New York area locations, a Georgia restaurant, and two additional steakhouses opening soon. She describes her job as “making sure guests have the steakhouse experience that they’re craving.”

Among her challenges are dealing with staff, customers, and vendors. Typically, hospitality workers are very transient, and retaining employees has been one of her biggest challenges. However, for the first time in her career, she’s been pleasantly surprised at the low turnover at Uncle Jack’s, an attribute she credits to the owner’s ease of accessibility and commitment to his brand and his employees.  “Your most valuable asset in your company is your human capital,” McCormick emphasizes. “It’s not only important to pay your people what they’re worth, but also to provide that feeling of ‘oneness with the company. It makes going to work every day more of a pleasure and less of a chore.”

Although many people can make a comfortable living in the hospitality industry without the benefit of a degree, McCormick notes the advantages of formal education. “You take notice of people with degrees. We’re an elite club,” she explains. “People who don’t know me, but who know I have an advanced degree, treat me with more respect and seek my opinion on things. That piece of paper [the college degree] that I worked for really does help! I’ve always been a relatively confident person but having the degrees has given me the confidence where I can truly go into any room and own it.”

Excelsior’s coursework helped bolster and expand McCormick’s already prodigious hospitality skills.  She cites BUS517 Employee Staffing and Development as being influential and relied on the textbook’s breakdown of salary levels and how to present them when working as an industry recruiter. She also enjoyed BUS364 Legal Environment of the Hospitality Industry and kept the textbook because she feels it will be a lifelong resource. Classes in human resources, she notes, gave her a solid foundation to help her navigate any situation. “The lesson plans and course material were all very relatable,” she notes.

McCormick completed her bachelor’s degree in 2016 and then enrolled in Excelsior’s Master of Business Administration program, which she completed in 2020. She’s now exploring a second master’s degree in hospitality management, hoping to strengthen her financial skills in particular. She says, “I’m sure I should and could learn it while doing it [on the job], but I would just love to have that classroom experience as well. There’s so much more to learn.” Another way Excelsior prepares its graduates to run a business is through the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Business and Management.

MORE FROM KERRY McCORMICK

Crucial to her success at Excelsior

I knew it was going to be hard to start—me relearning how to learn again. But I had the support of my friends and family. I also used support services at the College such as Smarthinking, especially for every math class, and Grammarly for my papers. And my boyfriend Billy, a retired printer, helped proofread.

How to succeed in the hospitality industry

Everything you learned in kindergarten applies to the hospitality industry—be on time, clean up after yourself, and be courteous.

The Excelsior College experience

I cannot sing the praises of Excelsior College enough. I became close with Michele Paludi, senior faulty program director for human resources and leadership, and we did a lot of work with SHRM [Society for Human Resource Management] together—that was an amazing experience. This online institution that is a lot of miles away from Bayside, Queens, still afforded me an opportunity to belong to a group outside of school to connect with other people who were pursuing the same endeavors as me. It really made the experience a full college experience while letting me do it on my own time.

The best advice she’s received on the job—so far

Consistency and communication. If you’re putting a product out make sure it’s consistent. That’s how to build and maintain your base. If your product is constantly changing or your quality is constantly changing, you’re not going to retain your customers. Whatever product you’re putting out, make sure it’s the best, and make sure you’re proud of it!

Networking tips

Talk to everyone, get ideas from everyone, have a business card, get as much information as you can, and utilize LinkedIn for everything it’s worth.

 

The Road Less Taken

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Christopher Johnson’s diverse job history leads to his dream career

 

Christopher Johnson’s pathway to becoming the director of the Cybersecurity Operations Center at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) was not straight or fast. Johnson took some classes here and there to pursue his education and also landed a few different jobs—one with the U.S. Navy—before finally earning two degrees with Excelsior College and settling down at the NGA in Virginia.

After high school, Johnson, of Manassas, Virginia, planned to enter Southern Illinois University of Carbondale’s microbiology program with the intention of becoming a virologist. He wanted to study the “worst of the worst,” when it comes to viruses, he says, from Ebola to hemorrhagic fevers. Before beginning at Southern Illinois University, however, he enlisted into the Illinois Army National Guard and went to boot camp.

When Johnson returned from boot camp, a visit to see friends at Western Illinois University for about a week changed his trajectory. “I realized that maybe college life wasn’t the right decision for me at that moment in time,” he says and explains that the way his friends spent their time having parties and not studying didn’t sit well with him. Instead, Johnson reached out to a friend in the Army National Guard who worked on building cellphone towers, asking for a job. “The money was amazing for an 18-year-old with no college degree. It was hard work. We traveled all the time. I was on the road three weeks out of a month, traveling all over the country, everywhere from Texas to the northern reaches of Minnesota. I got to see this country. It was fantastic,” says Johnson.

But Johnson knew he couldn’t build cellphone towers for the rest of his life. After about three years, he reached out to the man his mother was dating, who was in the Navy, and told him he was ready for a change. With his help, Johnson spoke with a Navy recruiter and enlisted. Johnson took some college courses, but he was not yet serious about earning a degree. He says that one of his biggest regrets is that while in the Navy, he didn’t take advantage of the free tuition assistance and pursue a degree.

Johnson was a fire controlman on the USS Yorktown, but when he was coming back from deployment in 2004, he learned that the ship was going to be decommissioned. So, he started to look for another assignment. He began to cross-train in the information technology field, which he was already interested in—his interest in PC gaming had led him to start building his own computers. He had the opportunity to study information technology at the U.S. Navy’s Center for Information Dominance and says he fell in love with the field. “The idea of playing cat and mouse, like a detective with adversaries, really appealed to me,” he says. By 2005, Johnson was ready to take his education further and enrolled in Excelsior. He earned an Associate in Applied Science in Technology in 2007 and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology in 2019.

As the director of the Cybersecurity Operations Center (or “C-SOC”) at the NGA, he is responsible for NGA’s 24-7 cybersecurity network defense. He oversees a cyber threat intelligence team whose job it is to monitor networks for adversarial activity and insider threats. If anything comes up, an incident response team responds to the issue by containing and eradicating the threat. Johnson is also chief of the Cybersecurity Operations Division and is usually involved in making real-time decisions critical to the security of the NGA.

Johnson loves his job because he has his hands in many different situations and enjoys working against adversaries who are always changing their technique. “They change and come back, we do something to stop that, they change and come back. I really just enjoy that. That sort of challenge always keeps you on your toes and you can’t let your guard down. You can’t take a breather even for a moment,” he says.

It might have taken Johnson a little longer to land his dream position as director of cybersecurity operations, but sometimes that is how it happens. His varied experiences and technology degrees from Excelsior set him up for success in his role. He is proof that it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get to where you want to go; what matters is the dedication to getting there. Learn more about Excelsior College’s BS in Cybersecurity program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a Good Partner: How to Work with Employers in a Pandemic

Posted on by Scott Dolan

Dolan, S. (Guest) with Jeffe, S. (Host). (2020, November 19). Being a Good Partner: How to Work with Employers in a Pandemic. Ruffalo Noel Levitz podcast.

https://www.ruffalonl.com/blog/enrollment/being-a-good-partner-how-to-work-with-employers-in-a-pandemic/

In challenging times, like a pandemic, it can make working together difficult. This podcast offers advice about how to proceed with corporate outreach today, what kind of structure you need to be successful, and what role institutions can and should play in the ever more pressing upskilling and reskilling that our workforce (and prospective student base) needs in order to be successful.

Training Leaders for the 21st Century Through an Immersive Graduate Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Posted on by Anna Zendell

Zendell, A., Ward, C., Schmidt, G., Paludi, M., Oliver, M., Estwick, A, and Dolan, S. (2020, November). Training Leaders for the 21st Century Through an Immersive Graduate Interdisciplinary Curriculum. Presentation online at Online Learning Consortium Accelerate conference.

The presentation explored the growing importance of interdisciplinary studies to tackle today’s complex organizational and societal problems. We can share the story of how Excelsior School of Graduate Studies developed a robust, highly engaging interdisciplinary leadership core curriculum and supports attendees in developing plans for their own interdisciplinary courses.

Epistemic Trust in the Online Classroom: How instructors build relationships with adult learners to enhance student learning

Posted on by Anna Zendell

Rapple, L. and Zendell, A. (2020, November). Epistemic Trust in the Online Classroom: How instructors build relationships with adult learners to enhance student learning. Presentation online at Online Learning Consortium Accelerate conference.

We reviewed the results of a research study that examined the importance and way that online instructors build a trusting relationship with adult learners. This includes the implications for how instructors manage their online classrooms and interact with students. It also includes the application of study results for higher education administrators, instructors, and course designers.

Teaching strategies during COVID-19

Posted on by Anna Zendell

Zendell, A. (Guest) with Donato, D. (Host). (2020, August 27). Teaching strategies during COVID-19. In Upstate Issues Podcast.

https://wgy.iheart.com/content/2020-08-27-upstate-issues-podcast-teaching-strategies-during-covid-19/

 

For those institutions and individuals who are not already accustomed to distance learning, COVID-19 presented huge challenges.  In this podcast, Zendell shared information about planning for new approaches to reach students, teacher workloads, and about the discomfort some may be feeling as on-line learning often reveals their personal space.

Building Community: A Holistic Approach to the Online Student-Alumni Cycle

Posted on by David Schejbal

Lesht, F., Schejbal, D., Shiel, R., and Kendall-Taylor, L. (2020). Building Community: A Holistic Approach to the Online Student-Alumni Cycle. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 20(6), 132-140.

Academic and support needs of online students are often neglected by the colleges and universities of which they are a part. Institutions often don’t know how to contact alumni of their online programs. Yet, this group of students and alumni can donate generously to the institution. Alumni of online programs are an important donor group and should be cultivated in ways that recognize their unique academic experiences. This paper raises awareness of the multi-faceted process of the online student-alumni cycle and includes examples of ways to increase the bond between online student-alumni and institution from which they graduate.