GEM Horizons- Graduate Enrollment Management Pulse Check _LP Graphic-1

About the GEM Horizons Webinar Series

The GEM Horizons webinar series is a product of the NAGAP-Liaison partnership, delivering insights into the graduate enrollment management (GEM) landscape. Drawing on NAGAP's deep expertise and Liaison's holistic approach to higher education technology, the series focuses on building a shared perspective within the GEM community of current trends. Join us to learn tactics for navigating the present and future complexities of graduate enrollment.

About this webinar

Graduate Enrollment Management Pulse Check

Every fall, everyone in graduate enrollment management asks the same questions: How’s everyone else doing? Are applications up? Are international numbers bouncing back? Are we finally getting some stability in our pipeline, or are we dealing with a new normal? 

The Liaison team recently conducted a survey of graduate enrollment leaders to find out. The signals are strong, and they tell a story about a field that’s adapting, improvising, and maybe even getting a little scrappy again. 

In this session, we walk through what the data says—and where it doesn’t line up with the national headlines. We talk about what the trends mean for real people doing the work: how programs are managing pipeline shifts, staff turnover, and those endless “are-we-on-target?” conversations. 

We explore what the numbers reveal, what they might be hinting at for the next cycle, and how graduate enrollment leaders can translate insight into action as we head toward 2026. 

Together, we can shape the future of higher education!

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Hosted By:

Headshot Stephen Taylor

Stephen Taylor
Vice President, Graduate Enrollment Strategy, Liaison

Steve joined the Liaison team in 2020 after almost 20 years in higher education administration. Leading teams and driving innovation at schools like Harvard Business School and ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business, Steve’s experience has focused on the intersection of people, process, and systems as drivers of smart growth. His most recent school position was as Associate Dean for Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business, where he led the unit responsible for all graduate business programs. He holds undergraduate degrees in General Studies and Information Systems and graduate degrees in Business Administration and Philosophy. 

Headshots 2025_Jay Murray

Jay Murray
Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, West Connecticut State University

Jay is the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Western Connecticut State University. With over thirty years of experience in higher education, he has worked in all aspects of admissions and enrollment, including strategic planning, marketing, and multicultural and international recruitment.

Headshots 2025_Leslie Dickerson

Leslie Dickerson
Executive Director of Admissions and Enrollment, Montana Technological University

Leslie Dickerson is Montana Tech’s Executive Director of Admissions and Enrollment. She began her career as an admissions counselor at the Montana Tech College of Technology (now Highlands College). Dickerson moved to Enrollment Services in 2008 where she served as the Director and then Registrar. She began her current role in 2019. Dickerson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography & Regional Planning from Eastern Oregon University and a master’s in public administration from the University of Montana.

Featuring:

Headshots 2025_Kelly Sugrue

Kelly Sugrue

Client Success Director
Liaison

Headshots 2025_Bill

Bill Heffelfinger

Director of Graduate Admissions
Old Dominion University

Headshots 2025_Leslie Dickerson

Leslie Dickerson
Executive Director of Admissions and Enrollment, Montana Technological University

Leslie Dickerson is Montana Tech’s Executive Director of Admissions and Enrollment. She began her career as an admissions counselor at the Montana Tech College of Technology (now Highlands College). Dickerson moved to Enrollment Services in 2008 where she served as the Director and then Registrar. She began her current role in 2019. Dickerson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography & Regional Planning from Eastern Oregon University and a master’s in public administration from the University of Montana.

Liaison’s GradCAS platform is trusted by leading institutions such as:

Carnegie Mellon University
Howard University
Marist
Temple University