Every student deserves the opportunity to get back on track and feel confident in their learning. In this session education leaders will share student success stories from various nonprofit partnerships, like The NROC Project, and how they have implemented proven measures to help fill student knowledge gaps.
Among the panelists will be Dr. Samuel West, District P-16 Director at Houston Community College, where he provides leadership for all K-12 programs in the seven public school districts throughout the greater Houston area. We will also explore Ivy Tech’s Knowledge Assessment Initiative, an award-winning program implemented in 2020 under the direction of Gwenn Eldridge, who will be our other panelist for this session.

Meet Our Panelists

Gwenn Eldridge, Assistant Vice President for Academic Transitions and Support, Ivy Tech Community College
Her work focuses on placement policy and implementation and support programs. She has been instrumental in the college’s transition to co-requisite instruction and has led the work of transforming the placement process and tutoring management, implementing the use of multiple measures for placement and the introduction of a cloud-based solution for tutoring management. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Indiana University and Butler University, respectively, and she is nearing the completion of a doctorate in community college leadership from Ferris State University.

Dr. Samuel G. West, District P-16 Director at Houston Community College
Dr. West has 15 years’ experience in recruitment, program development, event coordination, community outreach, enrollment management, and academic advising. He obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Social Work from Stephen F. Austin State University and completed a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration at Texas Tech University in 2017. He researched interagency support for homeless community college students in a dissertation titled A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Perceptions and Experiences of College Students Who Have Experienced Homelessness and Student Support Services.
Dr. West has served in various roles for the Houston Community College District and is now the District P-16 Director, where he provides leadership for all K-12 programs in the seven public school districts throughout the greater Houston area. He also oversees programming with Charter, Private, and Homeschool communities. Dr. West is committed to the success of students and dedicated to serving as a leader among his colleagues and committed to building community partnerships to support students’ success.

Dr. Angie Smajstrla, The NROC Project, Regional Membership Manager
Having spent over 15 years in education with publishing, Angie decided to pursue her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at Dallas Baptist University and has now finished her dissertation which is entitled Ensuring College Readiness Through the Use of EdReady. Her passion for education led her to NROC where she is currently a Regional Membership Manager covering the southern states. She enjoys reading, traveling, and scuba diving.