OPENING SPEAKER
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Tia Brown McNair, Ed.D.
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is a nationally recognized leader in inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, student readiness, equity in student outcomes, and campus climate. Her work focuses on helping colleges and universities create learning environments where all students can thrive and where institutional change is guided by evidence, accountability, and a deep commitment to diversity and student belonging. Through her scholarship, facilitation, and national engagement, McNair has advanced conversations and strategies that support student success. She is the co-author of Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success, and the editor of Strengthening Campus Communities Through the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Framework. Her contributions have been recognized with the Facilitator Award at Stetson Law’s Annual National Conference on Law and Higher Education, NASPA’s Outstanding Contribution to Higher Education Award, and an honorary degree from Franklin Pierce University for her national work to dismantle a false belief in a hierarchy of human value.
CLOSING SPEAKER
Friday, October 1, 2026
Amber Fallucca, Ph.D.
Dr. Amber Fallucca serves as the inaugural director of the Carolina Experience at the University of South Carolina (USC), an office dedicated to a comprehensive undergraduate experience through an emphasis on transfer, sophomore, junior, and senior year students. Dr. Fallucca previously served as USC’s Quality Enhancement Plan Director and Associate Director in the Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning. She also serves as Affiliate Faculty in the College of Education teaching courses in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program and in the South Carolina Honors College. Dr. Fallucca’s scholarly and practitioner experiences focus on higher education assessment, design and accessibility to experiential learning and additional meaningful beyond the classroom engagements, and experiences of student populations on the college campus.
With more than 20 publications and 50 regional and national presentations, Dr. Fallucca has also been recognized for her efforts specific to higher education assessment and graduate and undergraduate college teaching. She has also consulted with many institutions on student affairs assessment, higher education accreditation, and implementation of scaled student-focused initiatives.