The powerhouse. From emails to text messages to post cards, Amanda is here to help with all your communication needs. With 16 years of admissions experience at a private liberal arts college, she's had the opportunity to learn, implement and develop a Slate CRM instance from the ground up. Whether she's setting up inquiry forms, creating templates for events, managing queries, building a Slate-hosted application or developing drip marketing communications, Amanda is utilizing her skills and experience to assist clients with any and all Slate needs.

The problem solver. In her seven years of higher education experience, Laura Murnen has dabbled in a variety of roles including communications, service learning, recruitment, and event planning. But when it comes to choosing favorites, it's helping piece together that perfect communication in Slate. This carries through outside of work, where you will likely find her honing her skills posted up at a local coffee shop with a crossword puzzle.

The passionate one. Allison got her first glimpse of the admissions world when she landed a job as a tour guide in college - and she's never looked back. After graduating from Penn State, Allison worked in various admissions roles at La Salle University, where she oversaw the implementation of Slate and all things CRM-related, among other things. Now, she's using her love of admissions at Underscore, bringing more than eight years of experience managing email communications and admissions data to her role as Slate Strategist.

The creative strategist. After working in Ball State’s admissions office as an undergraduate, Jessica Severt knew she wanted to combine her digital marketing education with her passion for enrollment services. Before joining Underscore’s Communications Division, Jessica served as a key member of the Slate implementation team at Ball State, where she soon became the go-to “Slate person” for her institution. When she’s not busy learning new Slate features or innovative communication tactics, you can find Jessica doing something creative, like photography and digital art.

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The solver. With a background in developing admissions strategies under a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion, Laura brings years of information systems experience to her role at Underscore. Prior to joining the team, Laura worked for Portland State University, where she led multiple application and recruiting implementations, as well as maintained the organization and integrity of data.

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The automater. With more than 14 years of varied experience in enrollment management, it’s safe to say Matt has walked in your shoes. Whether he’s busy automating manual processes, working in Upload Dataset or creating rules, one thing remains – Matt is focused on making sure your Slate instance matches your institution’s goals and objectives.

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The change agent. You can say Chris Carl lives and breathes higher education. Starting as an admissions counselor for his alma mater Marywood University, Chris spent his days working directly with students and parents in the recruitment process. He later went on to hold various roles in enrollment management at the University of Mary Washington, with his most recent position as a CRM manager.

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The Communicator. When people describe Amanda Johnson, you’ll hear the words “passionate” and “dedicated” frequently used. She comes to Underscore with years of experience in both higher ed and web development, most recently serving as assistant director of admissions for Charleston Southern University. With an appetite for helping institutions communicate effectively to ensure they are gaining the best fit students, Amanda is here to make sure you meet your enrollment goals. When she isn’t busy falling more in love with Slate, you can find Amanda kickboxing, petting her cat JJ, or collecting yet another coffee mug.

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The connector. Chris Besse unintentionally fell into the world of enrollment, like most higher education professionals do, but quickly realized he wanted to make a career out of it. With experience in both recruiting and operations, Chris has viewed enrollment from multiple lenses and perspectives. Before joining Underscore, Chris worked for his alma mater as associate director of admissions, where he became the bridge between operations and admissions when it came to all things Slate. Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Sarah, and his Husky puppy, Tucker.      

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The Special Agent. A seasoned Slater, Nicole Nickerson will ensure you get the most out of Slate and your Underscore experience. Having spent the last 5 years designing solutions for the Mother Ship – Technolutions – Nicole has in-depth knowledge of the Slate toolkit and a unique perspective into the innovations of tomorrow. With over 20 years of experience working in higher education, Nicole understands what it takes to get things done correctly... the first time.

The Slate Geek. Emma Hayek’s career in higher ed started immediately after college graduation, at place a place she knew and loved – her alma mater Creighton University. After serving as a counselor for a few years, Emma transitioned to managing digital marking for undergraduate admissions – which is when her love for Slate really grew. Emma’s specialties? Creating efficiencies, improving the student experience, and empowering Slate users. But when she’s not geeking out over configurable joins, liquid markup and portals, you can find her outside hiking, camping, or playing with her dog.

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The attentive one. Rachael Yates has spent her entire career living and breathing college admissions. Shortly after graduating, she joined her alma mater, St. Catherine University, as an admissions counselor and later transitioned to Assistant Director of Admission. In this role, she managed their email campaigns within Slate – which is when she realized just how powerful the CRM really was. Now as an Underscore Slate Strategist, she’s helping dozens of higher ed clients communicate more efficiently and effectively with students. And when she’s not geeking out over Slate, you can find Rachael at a hockey rink or playing with her dog.

As a Slate Portals Strategist and Software Engineer, Thomas Muscarello helps build and tailor Slate portals for multiple audiences, including Application Lifecycle, Prospect, Athletics, and Faculty. Prior to joining Underscore, Tom worked at multiple institutions in both Student Engagement and Residence Life departments. During that time, he developed a passion for creating a positive experience for students.

The philosopher. In life, Nick takes a minimalist approach to things. As your Slate Strategist, however, he dives in with enthusiasm to get you the maximum return on investment. Having spent more than five years in college admissions marketing, Nick knows a thing or two about optimizing Slate for each audience. In his spare time, he is a cherry pie and donut connoisseur (not usually together), and enjoys surrealist art.

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The organizer. Where will you likely find Blaine Mannering? Putting the various Slate puzzle pieces together to create a beautiful, efficient, and effective instance. Having spent more than seven years in higher ed admissions as a territory manager, Slate captain and admissions event coordinator, Blaine loves talking through a college's current processes and asking the question "why?" Prior to Underscore, Blaine served on the Slate Implementation team at her alma mater Hanover College, and most recently oversaw visits, events, and student employees at Denison University.

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As a member of the Implementation & Consultation team, Jill assists clients with building their Slate instance from the ground up. She is here to help you dive into your business practices and translate those into the powerful tools available in Slate. Prior to joining Underscore, Jill worked at Columbia College Chicago for 16 years, first as a recruiter, then as a Slate specialist. Jill loves untangling tricky problems and finding the best path forward using the tools available in Slate. Outside of work, Jill enjoys knitting, quilting, and baking pies.

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Sydney has spent her professional career in higher ed working in Kansas at small private institutions as a counselor, assistant director, and most recently director. She served as a Slate Captain and quickly fell in love with all the Slate capabilities and is always excited to learn something new. When not working, she can be found on the yoga mat teaching or practicing or in the kitchen whipping up a beautiful cake.

Emily spent eight years working in undergraduate admission offices; most recently she served as the assistant director of admission and event coordinator at Mount Holyoke College. She immediately found her passion for admission and took on any any additional tasks from territory management and communications to virtual engagement and everything in between. As a Slate Strategist Associate, Emily works with our partners to ensure they are communicating with their audiences effectively and efficiently

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Rocco Porcellio provides Slate support, training, and technical expertise for Underscore's partners. As a former one-man Slate management team for a regional liberal arts university, Rocco is an avid problem solver. He prefers elegant solutions over expedient routes. He is committed to leveraging technology to enhance the admission and enrollment process for both students and enrollment professionals.

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As a Slate Portals Strategist for Carnegie's Underscore division, Monica Brazil started her journey in higher education in Chapman University's Office of Admission. She started leveraging Slate's power to target audiences on social media, and that's when her love of Slate started. She continued on to be the Slate go-to for the communications team building portals, managing email campaigns and much more. Monica also brings expertise in art and design, which translates to building beautiful, functional experiences for students and campus partners. As a self-proclaimed lifelong learner, Monica is always learning new Slate features, growing her coding skills, and staying up to date on user experience best practices.

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As a Slate Strategist Associate, Carolyn Meyers studies data, market trends, and specific benchmarks in order to help colleges utilize Slate efficiently and effectively. Prior to joining Underscore, she worked in hospitality. As a student at the University of North Carolina Asheville, Carolyn studied economics, specifically in terms of development. Since graduating, she has continued research in her field and hopes to someday publish her work.

The advocate. If you’re looking to optimize and leverage the power of your Slate instance, look no further than Ryan. Working several years in higher education enrollment and marketing, Ryan has industry experience managing campaigns, planning events and recruiting students from around the country. Always ready to step up to the plate, he brings Slate-specific experience to help you exceed your goals. With anything from enrollment marketing needs to implementation and support, give Ryan a call.

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The planner. Sabrina Gregrow’s motto? “Coordination is key.” While earning her bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany, Sabrina spent her undergrad years working as a marketing intern and executive assistant, where she helped manage projects, coordinate events and organize website content. After graduating in 2018, Sabrina honed her skills in client services and project management at places like Ameriprise and the NYS Office of General Services, before joining the Underscore team.  

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The seasoned leader. Martin Smith started his career nearly 30 years ago as a road warrior for his alma mater, Otterbein University, and has never looked back. Fast forward to 2020, and Martin has more than 26 years of higher education experience under his belt, holding a variety of roles such as enrollment management and marketing consultant, as well as chief enrollment officer at both private and public institutions around the country. And what happens when Martin’s not on the road? You can find him on the golf course or spending time with his wife in Florida.

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The Go Getter. If there’s one word we’d never use to describe Ansley Donaldson, it would be unenthusiastic. As a recent communications studies graduate from Appalachian State University, Ansley has been able to dip her toes into many different areas of communication, from organizational to intercultural to her personal favorite, interpersonal. With a passion for relationship building and collaboration, Ansley is ready to serve as her clients’ right-hand woman, keeping them on track, organized and ready for just about anything.

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As an Account Manager, Molly Hovden serves as the day-to-day point of contact and main communication liaison between clients and Underscore’s internal teams. She manages print, email, and digital communications plans through the coordination of project information and timelines as well as cross-divisional collaboration. Her educational background and prior student affairs roles have uniquely positioned her to be a passionate storyteller and relationship builder who takes great joy in creating the best possible experience for our clients.

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