What’s Next for Academic Careers: From Manager to Professor?

Dr. Ray Lutzky is a higher education leader with 20+ years of exprience expanding the reach of the world's most innovative universities. He is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Element451, the leading AI-powered, all-in-one student engagement CRM platform. He previously served as Vice President at Academic Partnerships, one of the largest online program managers in North America, and as Director of University Partnerships at InStride, a global provider of strategic workforce education for companies founded by Arizona State University (ASU). Dr. Lutzky teaches graduate courses at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in user experience design and digital media management, and is also a volunteer lecturer for the Ukraine Global Faculty. His work in enrollment management and admissions encompasses leadership positions at Cornell University, NYU, Pace University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Dr. Lutzky earned his PhD in Communication and Rhetoric from RPI, and master's degrees in digital media from Syracuse University and ASU.

Dr. Jeremiah Nelson currently works for Catawba College’s Ketner School of Business as Assistant Professor of Management and Program Director of the Ketner MBA and Bachelor of Business Administration programs. With more than 20 years of higher education experience, Jeremiah’s responsibilities have spanned a wide range of leadership roles in Graduate Enrollment Management including strategic recruitment, admissions, retention, career and professional development, diversity and inclusion, career and professional development, and student services. He has more than 20 years of experience teaching online, in-person, and hybrid undergraduate and graduate courses in HR, innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategic management. Jeremiah holds a BS and MS from Central Connecticut State University and MS in Human Resources from Western Carolina University. He earned his Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at North Carolina A&T State University with dissertation research focused on the perceived influence of HR managers on innovation in their organizations. Jeremiah is currently serving as a national board member of NAGAP, The Association for Graduate Enrollment Management as Immediate Past President and Treasurer.