Stay ahead of your institution's risks with HigherEdRisk!
Our Spring 2026 Edition has arrived. Don't miss our latest issue below.
Special thanks to our Spring 2026 contributors.
Ross A. Mugler is a lifelong advocate for higher education and has been instrumental in shaping policy and governance at the state and national levels. He serves as president and CEO of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), where he champions best practices in institutional leadership and governance.
Kate Hausmann is a Vice President and Claims Advocate in the Claims & Legal Risks Group for the Professional & Executive Risk (ProEx) Specialty Practice at HUB International. Kate is a licensed attorney and previously worked at large insurance carriers managing complex claims nationwide, including claims involving higher education institutions. She has experience in employment practice liability, directors' and officers' liability, and educators' legal liability, among others. Kate's experience includes large-exposure class actions and governmental investigations, and she's seasoned in private and judicial mediations, as well as in supporting insureds through trial, arbitration, and appeals.
Callum Bedos is the Founder and CEO of Backpack Payments, a payments technology company that specialises in complex, third-party payment verticals within the higher education industry. This includes payments from 529 plans, prepaid tuition plans, scholarship foundations, private businesses, state and federal government agencies, as well as international organizations. Prior to founding Backpack, Callum spent nearly a decade at SoFi, leading a number of teams, including Capital Markets, Corporate Development, and International Expansion. Callum also served as CFO of a consumer Fintech company and began his career in Investment Banking in his hometown of Sydney, Australia.
Carlo Salerno is Managing Director of Education Insights at the Burning Glass Institute, leading research on the economics of postsecondary training programs. An education economist with 22 years of experience, he develops solutions to improve student access, completion, and affordability outcomes. Carlo began as a senior analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office and later co-founded an education analytics firm. He previously served as VP of Research at CampusLogic and VP of Analytics at Strada Education Network. He earned his bachelor's degree at Eastern Michigan University and his Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University. Carlo is frequently quoted in media outlets and speaks at educational conferences.
Kara D. Freeman is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), a nonprofit professional organization representing chief administrative and financial officers at more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities. A strategic leader with more than three decades of experience in both for-profit and nonprofit management, she joined NACUBO in 2023 after serving as Senior Vice President and Operating Officer of the American Council on Education (ACE). She serves on the board of directors for Discover Engineering (DiscoverE) and currently chairs its finance, audit, and budget committee. Previously, she was a board member at EDUCAUSE; the Technology Advisory Council for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); The Training Source, Inc.; and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Information Systems department. Kara earned a bachelor's degree in information systems from UMBC and an MBA from The George Washington University. She also holds a Certified Association Executive credential from ASAE.
Kathy Hargis is the Associate Vice President of Risk Management and Compliance for Lipscomb University, a position she has held since its inception in 2005. In her current role, she oversees the enterprise risk management duties for the university along with emergency management, business continuity planning, environmental health and safety, Title IX compliance, and international security and safety. Hargis served as President of the University Risk Management & Insurance Association (URMIA) in 2017 and has been a member of URMIA's Board of Directors since 2010. In October 2018, Hargis received the Distinguished Risk Manager (DRM) award from URMIA. The award is presented to longstanding URMIA members in recognition of their professional accomplishments and leadership in higher education risk management, as well as their extraordinary contributions to the association. Hargis is a highly sought-after speaker on risk management and compliance issues. She earned her bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Western Kentucky University and holds an MBA with a specialization in conflict management from Lipscomb University.
Lawrence M. Zacarese is the Vice President for Enterprise Risk Management and Chief Security Officer at Stony Brook University. Larry has more than 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors, overseeing and managing multiple complex organizations. He provides executive leadership, expertise, and strategic guidance to the Stony Brook community on enterprise risk management, environmental health and safety, emergency management, business continuity, mobility and parking services, sustainability, crisis communications, and public safety.
Hillary Pettegrew, Esq. is a Senior Risk Management Counsel for United Educators (UE). Her areas of expertise include employment law, Title IX, and study abroad issues. Before joining the Risk Research team, she practiced employment law and handled UE education liability claims.
Nakeschi Watkins is the Director of Risk Management and Insurance at Cornell University, where she leads enterprise-wide risk management and financing strategies for the university including Weill Cornell Medicine. With over 17 years of experience, she oversees risk identification, evaluation, and mitigation while fostering collaborative partnerships across departments. Ms. Watkins served on the Board of Directors for the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) New York Chapter and is an active member of the University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA). Nakeschi earned her B.S. in Commerce and Business Administration from the University of Alabama and has also served 12 years in the United States Armed Forces.
Contribute Strategic Insights to Our Next Edition!
We seek thought leaders and industry experts who shape conversations about institutional risk and resilience. Check our Magazine Editorial Guidelines and then connect with us to explore how your expertise may be featured to help advance the industry's understanding of emerging risks and opportunities.
Read Previous Issues of HigherEdRisk
Don't miss any of our articles from past issues below.