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Ruth V. Watkins is president of postsecondary education, where she leads Strada Education Foundation’s research, philanthropy, thought leadership, and policy efforts to help more individuals access and complete postsecondary education and training to improve their careers and lives. Before joining Strada in 2021, Watkins built a strong reputation for supporting social change and community workforce needs as the 16th president of the University of Utah. In that role, she increased degree completion rates and research funding, established innovative student funding models, and built strong partnerships with community stakeholders. Uniting the campus as “One U,” Watkins and her team drove innovation in research, education, and operational efficiency, and addressed major societal challenges, including in mental health and interpersonal violence.Under Watkins’ leadership, the University of Utah cultivated broad and deep connections to communities and was responsive to the state’s workforce needs. During her tenure, the university produced more graduates in high-demand fields than any other state institution, and those graduates secured employment or proceeded to graduate or professional school at noteworthy rates. Watkins previously served as the University of Utah’s senior vice president for academic affairs for five years before being appointed president. Earlier in her career, she spent 20 years in leadership and faculty roles at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, vice provost, and associate provost. Watkins graduated with highest honors from the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology. She earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in child language at the University of Kansas, where she was a National Institutes of Health predoctoral fellow. Her scholarship focuses on communication development and disabilities in young children.
Valerie Valle is a Master’s candidate and dual degree student at Rutgers University Newark. Last year, she began her accelerated Master’s program in the School of Public Affairs and Administration, complementing her undergraduate studies with minors in Political Science and Social Justice. Motivated by her own experiences and the narratives of those in her community, Valerie is dedicated to expanding opportunities for underserved and minority populations.Throughout her undergraduate career, Valerie has gained valuable experience through various internships, leadership roles, and volunteer work. She served as an Undocumented Ambassador at Rutgers University’s Intercultural Resource Center, interned in the office of Congressman Rob Menéndez Jr. at the U.S. House of Representatives, and worked as a legal intern at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Additionally, she interned with the nonprofit New Jersey Citizen Action where she focused on community outreach efforts and held the position of Student Government University Senator for the School of Public Affairs and Administration.Having spent her entire life in Newark, New Jersey—a city rich in history and diversity—Valerie is deeply committed to her community. She has dedicated countless hours to volunteering and collaborating with various youth organizations to enhance outreach efforts, such as the Mayor’s Leadership Academy.Valerie is also an alumna of the Rutgers Honors Living Learning Community, where she was recognized this spring with the Clement A. Price HLLC Legacy Award for her leadership, service, and community spirit. She served as the organization’s pre-law president and is a Braven Accelerator fellow and first-generation college student.
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez is the eighth chancellor of The City University of New York (CUNY), the first educator of color and first Latino to lead the nation’s largest urban public university which serves 233,000 degree-seeking students across 25 New York City campuses with an operating budget of $4.1 billion. To build on CUNY’s unrivaled role as an engine of economic mobility, Matos Rodríguez has focused on removing barriers to students’ success and redoubled CUNY’s emphasis on the career outcomes of its graduates, developing a series of public-private partnerships with some of New York’s largest employers and new pipelines for students to enter the workforce. An accomplished and award-winning historian who worked at three CUNY campuses before his appointment as chancellor in 2019, Matos Rodríguez is driven by CUNY’s mission of providing a first-rate public education to all students regardless of means or background and the interconnected role the University plays in lifting New York. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and a doctorate in history from Columbia University.
From the start of her career, Mo Ramos has passionately dedicated herself to empowering the next generation with the skills needed for economic freedom. As an immigrant from Mexico and a first-generation college graduate, Mo knows firsthand the challenges of navigating uncharted paths. Her journey has fueled her commitment to building strategic partnerships that focus on educational advancement and career readiness. Currently, Mo serves as a Senior Program Manager at Adobe, where she leads the Minority Serving Institution (MSI) strategy. Through her leadership, Mo has successfully managed multi-million-dollar grant initiatives and collaborated with institutions and non-profits to address educational inequities, democratize digital literacy as essential 21st century skills, and advance diversity in the tech and creative industry.
Shawn VanDerziel is the Chief Executive Officer and President of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the foremost source of information on the transition from college to career.
As a leading voice on the employment of the college educated and advocate for equitable outcomes for all students, VanDerziel is featured regularly as an industry expert in both traditional and digital media and is a sought-after speaker on a range of topics, including internships, hiring, career readiness, and trends in the workforce and college job market. He also represents NACE as a member of the DOL’s Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) Inclusion@Work Leadership Council and the Washington Higher Education Secretariat.
Prior to joining the NACE staff, VanDerziel served on the NACE Board of Directors as a board member, vice president, and president (2008 – 2011). In 2014, he was inducted into the NACE Academy of Fellows in recognition of his contributions to the profession. VanDerziel is a graduate of Michigan State University and was previously the chief human resources officer for the Field Museum and served as chief of staff. Earlier roles included a corporate recruiting management position with Norrell Corporation on behalf of fortune 500 clients and a position in higher education as associate director of student enrollment at National- Louis University.
VanDerziel is a graduate of Michigan State University, holds his senior professional in human resources (SPHR) certification through the HR Certification Institute (HRCI), and is a senior certified professional (SHRM-SCP) through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
