Keynote Speaker

Lyndsey Fennelly

Rock bottom is awful. Feeling less than is hard. But listen to a story of hope, healing and resilience as former Iowa State All-American women’s basketball player, Lyndsey Fennelly, walks you through a story that will ignite and inspire the importance of mental health. Lyndsey is a long-time Ames resident, business owner, and philanthropist and recent Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee (2024). Don’t let her success fool you. The vision of happiness is not as obvious as one might think. Soak in her story as you consider ways to improve your own mental habits and resolve!

Breakout Session Speakers

Michael Boyd

 Kate Garretson

Kate Garretson is an Instruction Librarian at Parks Library. She has been working in academic libraries for over 10 years.

Ani Das

Stacy Renfro

Stacy Renfro is a project manager with ResearchPOST in the Office of the Vice President for Research and has worked at Iowa State University for more than 15 years. A former President of the Professional and Scientific Council, she brings a systems-focused, practical approach to helping teams create clarity and momentum in complex work.

Tera Lawson

Tera Lawson is a continuous learner who strives to build win-win relationships and projects and is passionate about improving herself and others.  As the Senior Program Specialist for Innovation Programs at the Student Innovation Center, Tera works with groups of students, faculty, staff, and visitors of all sizes to embrace and ignite their creativity and ability to innovate.  She has served as the President of the Professional and Scientific Council, Co-Founded Cardinal Women and led co-horts from 2018-2024, and was named one of the twelve Women Impacting Iowa State in 2023.  She holds a B.S. in Journalism and Mass Communications and an M.Ed. in Education, with an emphasis on Leadership and Learning from Iowa State University.

Dwaine Heppler

Dwaine Heppler has served as Associate Vice President, Human Resources Delivery and Strategy at Iowa State since February 2019.  Prior to that, he held various roles in human resources, ethics and compliance, professional licensing, and economic development in industry and public-private partnership non-profits.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Community and Regional Planning and M.B.A. from Iowa State.

Susan Ray

Susan Ray is a Data Analyst in the Office of Institutional Research (IR). IR serves campus by providing official reporting counts, dashboards for colleges and senior leadership, and [almost] any data request you could imagine.

Jesse Rothweiler-Foster

Korrie Price

Korrie has worked in higher education for over 15 years, primarily in the area of student services.  She is currently a data analyst in the Office of Institutional Research.  She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, and a Master’s of Business Analytics from the University of Iowa.

Susan McNicholl

Susan McNicholl is a communications specialist in the Office of the Vice President for Research at Iowa State. She holds a master’s degree in strategic communication from the University of Iowa and a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Grinnell College. Her work with the Professional and Scientific Council—including leading the 3-3-3 Listening Campaign and the effort to bring all council meetings online in 2024—reflects her commitment to ensuring all voices are heard and that Iowa State staff feel a genuine sense of belonging.

Dariana Glasco-Boyd

Dariana Glasco-Boyd is a Senior Career Coordinator for Undergraduate Business Career Services at Iowa State University. A proud Cyclone, she holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology, as well as a master’s in education from Iowa State University. Outside of ISU, Dariana is the co-founder and Director of Learning and Development at M&D BEST, a consultancy dedicated to delivering tailored professional development solutions. Her work spans leadership and management training, programs that foster compassionate leadership and equitable workplaces, and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and mental wellness initiatives.

Kristin Terrill

Kristin Terrill is the Senior Program Specialist for Graduate Scholarly Activities at Iowa State University.

Callie Craig

Callie Craig (M.A. in English Literary and Cultural Studies, University of Oklahoma) is a dedicated higher education professional with over a decade of experience supporting student success through teaching, career development, and academic advising. Currently serving as Career Advisor and Career Peer Program Supervisor at Iowa State University, Callie brings a holistic approach and creative problem-solving to student engagement, combining pedagogical expertise with personalized guidance.

With a background as an English and Humanities professor, Callie has taught a wide range of undergraduate courses, fostering critical thinking and career readiness in the classroom. As a career advisor, she supports students in navigating career exploration and job search strategies by frequently collaborating with colleagues and campus partners to advocate for more student-centered practices—whether in the classroom or on the job market.

Heidi Seegers

Heidi Seegers (M.Ed in School Counseling, Iowa State University) has worked in the education industry for 23 years, as a school counselor, academic advisor and career advisor.  As the presentation implies, she has had a number of happenstance situations throughout her career and life.  She was a career advisor early in her career at a small, private college and circled back to career services at Iowa State 11 years later.  Meeting with students and supporting them on their career journey has been one of the greatest joys in her career. 

Alison DePenning

Alison DePenning began with ISU Extension and Outreach 2006. In 2017, she left her County Director position and began with the Professional Development unit where she specializes in DiSC Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Facilitation skills, and Organizational Orientation.

Gayle Coon

Gayle Coon has been a Program Specialist in the Professional Development Unit with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for eight years, providing leadership for the Organizational Mentor Program. She also facilitates workshops on leadership, facilitation, and communication, and is a certified CliftonStrengths Coach. Gayle received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Iowa State University and a master’s degree in education from the University of Missouri St. Louis. Before joining the Professional Development team at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Gayle was a classroom teacher for 23 years in Iowa schools.

Kris Baldwin

Using AI and innovative tools doesn’t require a computer science degree—it just requires curiosity and the right guide. Kristi Baldwin, Virtual Education Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Professional Development, will help you find the missing puzzle piece for using technology effectively, ethically, and with confidence. Remember, it’s not about adopting every new tool—it’s choosing the right ones and using them confidently. With actionable techniques to streamline workflows, engage learners, and reclaim time, Kris will show you the way to turn tech overwhelm into tech solutions!

Robin Ertz

Morgan Bruce

Morgan Bruce is an Assistant Manager of Operations for Finance at Iowa State University and has been with ISU for nearly nine years. She holds a Master of Business Administration with a leadership specialization and a Bachelors in Psychology. In her role, she supports Finance Service Delivery through training, process improvement, and operational guidance, with strong experience using Workday and ServiceNow to support financial processes.

Kayla Pippitt

Kayla Pippitt is a learning and development specialist in Information Technology Services, where she develops how-to articles and demo videos to help staff and students effectively use Workday. With a background in education and instructional design, Kayla is passionate about empowering users to work more efficiently and confidently within the ISU Service Portal and Workday.

Dan Fillius

Dan Fillius is the statewide field specialist for commercial vegetables and specialty crops with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. In order to reach more clients, he has developed programming on many platforms, including podcasts, Instagram, email newsletters, web articles, and snail mail. Generative AI is not the cornerstone in this, but it helps with some of the menial tasks.

Sara Klute Behn

Sara Klute Behn is a Certified Yoga Therapist (IAYT), Board-Certified Master’s-Level Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), and Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional (DipACLM). She brings an integrative, compassionate approach to well-being that supports individuals navigating stress, life transitions, and mental-emotional challenges. Sara specializes in helping people build nervous-system regulation skills, resilience, and sustainable lifestyle habits that support both mental and physical health. Drawing from evidence-based coaching, yoga therapy, and lifestyle medicine, Sara creates a supportive, non-judgmental space where people feel safe, heard, and empowered.

Rebecca Nation

Rebecca serves as the Learning and Development Specialist at the Student Innovation Center, supporting Innovation Programs through training development, program execution, and participant engagement. She collaborates with students and campus partners to create meaningful learning experiences and works to instill creative confidence in everyone who comes to the Student Innovation Center. She has worked at Iowa State for 10 years and is also a proud double alum.

Nicole Scott

Nicole Scott is a research project manager within the ResearchPOST team. She has experience and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary, multi-institutional teams and team science. Returning to Iowa State University in 2018, she has held various roles within the university, mostly focused on research, collaboration and training. She holds a B.S. in biology from Iowa State University, a M.Res in primatology from Roehampton University and a Ph.D. in cognitive science from University of Minnesota.

Kelsey Hummer

Kelsey Hummer is a Finance Supervisor in Finance Service Delivery, who has achieved progressive career growth over her 13 years at ISU. At the start of her career, she had no interest in holding a leadership role and simply wanted to excel in her current position, while continuing to grow both personally and professionally. Over time, she learned how leadership can impact everything from operational efficiency to employee satisfaction and stepped into leadership roles to create a positive impact on people and processes at ISU.

Closing Keynote Speaker

Jennifer Schroeder

Jennifer Schroeder is the Team Supervisor for the Finance Service Delivery team that supports Birch and LAS.  She currently serves as the P&S Council President and has served ISU for more than 19 years, previously supporting Financial Aid, Financial Literacy and the UBill.  Prior to serving as President of Council, Jennifer contributed as a councilor on the Awards and Professional Development Committees.  She holds a BA in Finance from UNI and a MS in Human Development & Family Studies from Kansas State.