How AI is Driving Modern Higher Education Administration with Data-Driven Insights to Improve Student Outcomes

Quaiser Absar is the Chief Technology Officer and Director of Institutional Computing at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia.

At Shenandoah University, his job entails managing University computer operations, which includes, administrative and academic computing, network infrastructure, employee support and training. He also holds an adjunct faculty position at the School of Business at Shenandoah University.

Mr. Absar continues to stay up-to-date with today’s changing technology and to find ways to incorporate technology into the educational environment at Shenandoah University.

Mr. Absar remains an invaluable advisor and client of BlackBeltHelp.

Tye Reed is the Vice President of Client Success for BlackBeltHelp. She is leading the company’s Customer Success team and overseeing all the aspects of Customer Service Operations.

Tye has brought to BlackBeltHelp more than 24 years of contact center management success with extensive experience at Fortune 500 companies in operations management, program start-ups, process improvements, client services, leadership development, training, and recruiting. Tye’s primary focus is providing high quality customer experiences. Throughout her career, she has fostered solid, integrity-filled relationships with clients.

Frank is a strategic, data-driven leader that has been serving the higher education market for over two decades. As an accomplished marketing professional with a history of global success, he is experienced in all facets of marketing operations, including content marketing, branding strategy, product positioning, thought leadership, market insights, competitive analysis, and market development. A results-oriented professional with a proven track record of customer-focused marketing acumen and a strong tenacity for getting things done, Frank has brought his marketing, communications, product management, and storytelling expertise to BlackBeltHelp.

Frank will now develop and execute the overall marketing strategy for BlackBeltHelp, lead and manage a team of marketing professionals, and identify opportunities for growth to drive brand awareness and engagement.

Bringing in over 2 decades of experience with him, Manish has ensured seamless operations in terms of client delivery, reporting & analytics, quality, training, and transitions with a special focus on technical integrations to help reduce costs and improve the bottom-line.

He has worked across different streams which include Advertising, Marketing, Sales, Banking, and Customer Service across companies like Barclays, Wipro, NAM and Granton Advertising.

Nik Smith is the Vice President of Operations for BlackBeltHelp. He’s an accomplished Service Delivery leader with over 19+ years of experience focused on IT Services & EdTech domains. Nik has worked across established brands like IBM, Bank of America, Barclays & British Council in his previous leadership roles.

His leadership responsibilities include establishing success in overall delivery operations for BlackBeltHelp across all sites, setting up SOPs, and working with Quality & Training teams in helping improve efficiencies.

Anthony has served higher education in diverse, leadership roles for over 30 years and has helped organizations thrive through his expertise in developing, analyzing, and executing growth strategies. Prior to joining BlackBeltHelp, he served in College Administration as well as in leadership roles within Blackboard Student Services and Ellucian, Inc.

Anthony will now bring his higher education experience and passion for innovative student service delivery to BlackBeltHelp. He will lead BlackBeltHelp as the Chief Executive Officer and President and ensure its alignment with higher education market needs.

Accomplished IT Specialist and Manager with extensive experience in a higher education setting and demonstrated abilities to effectively manage both student and professional staff. Self-motivated problem solver, who is skilled in managing many issues and prioritizing their importance to find resolutions in a timely and effective manner. Possesses strong abilities to adapt to new technologies by extrapolating from existing experience. Possess first-rate communication and collaboration skills to work with diverse groups effectively.

Lila Buytendorp has been serving as the Director of User Services at Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC) since 2000. In this role she is responsible for staff & lab desktop computing and end user support. She guides and supports technology based on the curriculum needs and ensures technology is implemented to support the emerging needs of the college. She builds and supports integrated systems to improve efficiencies and uses technologies to support data-driven decision making. Lila is a member of the Capital Projects Planning and Design Committee to ensure new or remodeled facilities have appropriate technology.

Lila has provided strategic and operational leadership with 28 years of experience in the Management Information Technology field which consists of 23 years in higher education and 5 years in manufacturing. She holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with majors in MIS and Marketing, and a MS in Management and Organizational Behavior from Silver Lake College. Lila was an adjunct faculty member at Fox Valley Technical College, teaching a variety of computer related courses.