"Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges, and Paving Pathways"

2025 Transfer Pathways Summit

Friday, June 6, 2025
8 a.m. – 3 p.m. ET

Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (View Map)

Register Here >>

Are you passionate about supporting community college and transfer students?

The second-annual transfer summit will include higher education practitioners, scholars, and students from across Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

Our goal is to create more transfer-friendly practices for students enrolled in four-year institutions. The event is offered by the Pitt School of Education, Office of the Provost, and Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Benefits

• Engage in lively conversations on trends, promising practices, and action steps
• Learn about the common concerns and challenges faced by community college students during the transfer process
• Gain actionable insights from keynote speakers on strategies for improving transfer in your institution

Lunch Sponsor

 Schedule At a Glance

Alumni Hall
4227 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (View Map)

Register Here >>

Keynote Speakers

Opening Keynote

“From Barriers to Bridges: Equity-Minded Transfer Pathways to Student Success”

9:15 – 10:00 a.m.
7th Floor Auditorium

Dr. Frank Harris III
Professor
Co-Director, Community College Equity Assessment Lab
San Diego State University College of Education

Dr. Frank Harris III is best known for his expertise in racial equity in postsecondary education and has made important contributions to knowledge about college student development and the social construction of gender and race in college contexts. His work prioritizes populations that have been historically underrepresented and underserved in education, and he has obtained extramural funding for his research including serving as PI or Co-PI on 34 grants and contracts totaling more than $2.5 million.

Dr. Harris’s career in higher education began in 1999. Before joining the faculty at San Diego State, he worked for nearly a decade as a student affairs educator and college administrator in student crisis support and advocacy, new student orientation programs, multicultural student affairs, academic advising, and enrollment services. He also served as an adjunct professor of speech communication at Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

Luncheon Keynote

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Connolly Ballroom

Manny Smith
Founder and CEO
EdVisorly

Manny Smith graduated from the US Air Force Academy as a first-generation college student and served as a technical product manager in the US Air Force, developing satellite systems and software. Influenced by his experiences, Manny pursued an MBA at UC Berkeley, where he founded EdVisorly, a platform to uplift community college freshman and sophomores with clear and accessible pathways to complete their bachelor’s degree at 4-year universities.

In addition, Manny serves as a Major in the United States Air Force reserves, supporting high potential students in pursuing their dream of attending the US Air Force Academy.

Transfer Student Panel Session

10:15 – 11:15 a.m.
7th Floor Auditorium

The Transfer Student Voices Panel amplifies the voices of students who have transferred to Pitt from community colleges and other 4-year institutions. The Panel will illuminate the transfer experience through the lens of students, shedding light on their journey and discussing effective strategies to support transfers as they navigate and acclimate to a new campus environment.

Moderators

• DeLane Crutcher, Associate Director of Transfer Initiatives, University of Pittsburgh Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
• Dawn Crutcher, Transfer Credit Coordinator, University of Pittsburgh Office of Admissions and Financial Aid

Student Panelists

• Kamryn Abrial – School of Social Work
• Alivia Melius – School of Education
• Michael Sipper – Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

Community College Leaders Colloquium

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Connolly Ballroom

“Beyond Articulation”

Community college transfer students are becoming more of a focus for colleges and universities. The Commonwealth recently passed legislation between the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and Pennsylvania’s 15 community colleges to make transfer of credits seamless. However, the focus of this session is to understand what is needed beyond the seamless, 2+2 articulation of community college students into four-year institutions. The panel will focus on the social and emotional variables that must be taken into consideration to help ensure student success in transfer to senior institutions with an emphasis on the University of Pittsburgh, a large, urban university.

Moderator

Dr. Nicholas C. Neupauer
Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice
University of Pittsburgh School of Education

This engaging discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Nicholas C. Neupauer, Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice at the Pitt School of Education. Dr. Neupauer formerly served as President of the Butler County Community College (BC3) for approximately 17 years, overseeing programs and initiatives that grew BC3 into a regional powerhouse, with six campuses in northwestern Pennsylvania. Dr. Neupauer has also served as Vice President of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.

Panelists

Dr. Quintin B. Bullock
President, Community College of Allegheny County

Dr. Quintin B. Bullock is the ninth president of the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), a multi-campus institution serving approximately 30,000 credit and noncredit students. He has been in this role since 2014. Dr. Bullock is a seasoned educator and community leader with a diverse professional background in higher education. Before joining CCAC, he served as president of Schenectady County Community College in New York and as provost at Tidewater Community College in Virginia.

Dr. Shelly Moore
Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost,
Community College of Beaver County

Dr. Shelly Moore has been Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost at the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) since July 1, 2019. Dr. Moore is responsible for overseeing all credit and non-credit instructional programs and works closely with deans, faculty, and students to support a learning environment that values student achievement and degree completion. Before her current role, Dr. Moore served as the Dean of the School of Nursing and Allied Health at CCBC.

Dr. Katie Thomas
Dean of School of Professions and Transfer Studies
Community College of Beaver County

Dr. Katie Thomas is the Dean of the School of Professions and Transfer Studies at the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC). She has a strong background in community college education, having started her academic journey at a community college herself. Dr. Thomas holds degrees from Butler County Community College, Edinboro University, Slippery Rock University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Before becoming a dean, Dr. Thomas was an English faculty member at CCBC.

Megan Coval
President, Butler County Community College

The former Executive Director of the Butler County Community College Education Foundation and External Relations, Ms. Coval is the ninth President of BC3. She was instrumental in raising nearly $7 million in private contributions toward construction of the Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building. President Coval served as Vice President for Policy and Federal Relations at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and as Director of Government Relations for the U.S. Department of Education’s Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.

Dr. Josh Novak
Vice President, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
Butler County Community College

Dr. Novak oversees various departments, including academic counseling, admissions, advising, athletics, financial aid, registration, and student life. Prior to this role, he was Dean of Students at BC3 for 12 years. He holds a bachelor’s in communication and media studies from PennWest Edinboro, a master’s in college student personnel administration from James Madison University, and an education doctorate from the Pitt School of Education.

Engagement and Action Planning Session

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Connolly Ballroom

Hosted by the School of Education’s Community College Research, Practice, and Leadership team and Pitt’s Admissions Office, this session will provide tools and insights to enhance community college students’ experiences at four-year institutions. Topics include credit loss, advising, articulation agreements, and culture/fit. Activities include a gallery walk and small group discussions to identify practical solutions.

Facilitators:

• Dr. Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher, Professor and Renée and Richard Goldman Dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Education
• Raina Dyer-Barr, Director for Community College Research and Engagement, University of Pittsburgh School of Education, Community College Research, Practice, and Leadership
• Jason Keist, Adult & Learning Workforce Research Manager, University of Pittsburgh School of Education, Community College Research, Practice, and Leadership
• Brett Visger, Senior Director of Pathways Research and Strategy, University of Pittsburgh School of Education, Community College Research, Practice, and Leadership
• Therese Grimes, Director of Transfer Initiatives, University of Pittsburgh Office of Admissions
• Valerie Moore, University of Pittsburgh Transfer Team, Office of Admissions
• Caleb Nesbit, Enrollment Services Manager, University of Pittsburgh Transfer Team, Office of Admissions

Have Additional Questions?

Please contact Megan Brennan at meb201@pitt.edu