Transfer Nation Talks

This special podcast crossover episode was recorded live at the first-ever convening of The Assembly, AACRAO's conference on learning mobility, held in Arlington, Virginia, in July 2026. Host Heather Adams joined Dr. Loida González, conference director and host of the Transfer Tea podcast, to moderate a plenary panel featuring three transfer students from DC-area universities. Two transferred from New Jersey community colleges to The George Washington University, and one transferred from GW to Georgetown University.

This conversation challenges us to see transfer beyond policies, processes, and data—and through the eyes of the students experiencing it. The panelists talk about the parts of the transfer process that slowed them down and the people who helped them through it, and they offer concrete suggestions that practitioners can take back to their own campuses. Because transfer students aren’t just participants in our systems. They are experts in how those systems are experienced. 

Guests

• Dr. Loida González, Acting Director of Advising and Retention at Texas A&M University–Central Texas; Host, Transfer Tea: An AACRAO Podcast; Conference Director, The Assembly
• Darianny Bautista, 2026 graduate of The George Washington University; transferred from Bergen Community College
• Daria Grishina, student, Georgetown University; transferred from The George Washington University
• Naomi Long, student, The George Washington University; transferred from Brookdale Community College

For more information about AACROA’s The Assembly, visit the event webpage: https://www.aacrao.org/the-assembly/

You can also learn more about and listen to previous episodes of Loida’s Transfer Tea podcast: https://www.aacrao.org/resources-publications/resource-library/podcasts/transfer-tea/ 

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation

July is Transfer Professionals Month, and we are bringing you a special episode to close out a month of celebrating the transfer champions working as advisors, staff, faculty, administrators, researchers, and the other higher ed professionals who serve and support transfer students.

In this episode, you’ll hear a conversation between two #TransferPros, Jamie Blanch and Campbell Keele. Both Jamie and Campbell are incredible transfer champions who were awarded the Transfer Champion-Rising Star award in 2024 from our beloved former home the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS). They talk about their experiences as transfer students, what drew them to work in transfer students, and how they center transfer students in the work they do now.

Get ready for a thoughtful, energizing conversation about impact, advocacy, and the people working behind the scenes to help transfer students succeed. It's the perfect way to close out a month dedicated to recognizing the transfer community's biggest champions. 

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation

A new national report names what a lot of us already know: the way higher education evaluates prior learning was not built for the volume, variety, or complexity of today's learners.

In today's episode, host Dr. Heather Adams sits down with Juana Sánchez, who facilitated the LEARN Commission on behalf of Sova and AACRAO, and Sarah Muller, assistant registrar for transfer credit at The Ohio State University and a LEARN Commissioner. They talk about what the Commission found, what its recommendations look like inside day-to-day work, and what it means to be an agent of change from within your own sphere of influence.

If you've ever had to explain a credit decision and wished your answer could be better, this conversation is for you.

Disclosure: Heather Adams works with Sova, which co-convened the LEARN Commission along with AACRAO. Episode producer Emily Kittrell served as a LEARN Commissioner. 

The work of the LEARN Commission is part of the Beyond Transfer initiative and is made possible with the generous support of the Ascendium Education Group.

Guests

• Juana Sánchez — Beyond Transfer Director at Sova; led the LEARN Commission. 
• Sarah Muller — Assistant Registrar for Transfer Credit at The Ohio State University; LEARN Commissioner. 

Resources 

• The LEARN Commission - about, final report, and green papers
• The Assembly, July 19-21, 2026 (Arlington, VA)  
• The Ohio State University Transfer Credit Hub
• Transfer Credit Ohio (state-level) 
  • Ohio Transfer 36
  • Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs)
• Imperial Valley College Institutional Dashboards 

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation

When the news broke that NISTS would be integrated into the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (NRC), the transfer community had questions — and understandably so. In this episode, host Heather Adams talks with Dr. Kate Lehman, NRC Executive Director, about how the integration came together, how she and her team are thinking about transfer's place within the NRC's broader mission, and what she's hearing and learning as she gets deeper into the work. For anyone still orienting to what this change means for the field, or simply wanting to get to know Kate better, this is a good place to start. 

• Visit the NRC's webpage to stay up to date on events and other professional development and research opportunities, including new transfer-focused work!  
• Learn more about Dr. Kate Lehman's background and academic interests
• Explore the selection criteria for the NRC's new transfer-focused annual awards:
  • Bonita C. Jacobs Transfer Impact Award
  • Outstanding Transfer Champion Award
  • National Transfer Student Ambassador Program

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation

April is #CommunityCollegeMonth! To celebrate, Caitlyn Potter Glaser joins host Heather Adams to dive into NBC’s beloved comedy Community—one of the rare TV shows centered on a community college and its students. Drawing on Heather’s lived experience as a community college student and Caitlyn’s analysis of higher‑education scholarship, we unpack Season 1 as a story full of heart, irreverent wit, and—at times—troubling jokes at the expense of our favorite study group.

Together, we ask: Why does pop culture about higher education matter? Whose stories are told on screen—and whose are not? Does Community genuinely celebrate community college students, mock them…or both? And what might the show look like if it premiered in 2026? So grab some popcorn and join us for a thoughtful, funny conversation about representation, higher education, and what stories we’re still waiting to see on TV.

 Community was created by Dan Harmon and aired on NBC from 2009–2014, and then on Yahoo! Screen in 2015. It is the work of Krasnoff Foster Productions and NBC Productions. 

Want more representation in your pop culture? As mentioned in this episode, check out the Catalyst Awards for first-gen and non-traditional learner representation in media.

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation

An honor society for community college students—what’s not to like? In this episode, Caitlyn Potter Glaser chats with Emily Gora, College Relations Coordinator with Phi Theta Kappa International Society. They discuss who PTK students are and how the society provides essential resources for community college leaders and transfer professionals. Did you know that PTK has been the official honor society for two-year colleges since 1929? Amazing!

The folks at PTK have been busy putting together new programs and resources that help transfer professionals serve their cohorts more effectively. Emily gives us the scoop on the Direct Admissions program and PTK Connect, which helps smooth the way in the transfer journey. We also dive into the new professional development webinar series specifically designed for transfer admissions counselors. 

Whether you are looking for updates on virtual college fairs or want to better understand the "transfer student heart," this conversation offers a clear roadmap for what is next in the field.

PTK Catalyst 2026 Don’t forget that PTK Catalyst is coming up March 26-28, 2026, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. This is the biggest event of the year for this community and there is still time to join. Find more information and registration details on the PTK Events page.

About our guest: Emily Gora is the College Relations Coordinator at Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, dedicated to helping students and higher education professionals find the connections they need to succeed. With over ten years of experience in Transfer Recruitment across two-year and four-year institutions, she brings a deep understanding of the student journey and a genuine passion for opening doors. Through her work with PTK's College Relations Department, Emily cultivates strong transfer partnerships with four-year colleges and creates opportunities for institutions and Phi Theta Kappa members to meaningfully connect, turning ambition into achievement, one relationship at a time.

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation

What do faculty really think about transfer students and transfer policies? This episode explores that question through anonymous responses from nearly 4,000 CUNY faculty surveyed in 2021. Dr. Lexa Logue, who led the research, joins host Heather Adams and Emily Kittrell from NISTS to unpack what faculty said when given anonymity to speak candidly. Volunteer readers share direct quotes—some affirming, some negative, and some offering solutions. We examine the data honestly to identify where the system needs to change. Content note: This episode includes blunt language and deficit framing about community college faculty and students.

Special note:
Please help us send a huge THANK YOU to all the amazing volunteers who contributed their time and voices to this episode. You're awesome, and your clips sound fantastic! We couldn't have completed this special project without you. 💙💚💛

Want to read the quotes for yourself?
You can access a PDF of the episode transcript or dive into the full response database linked below. 
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For more information about the publications and resources mentioned during this episode, visit: 

• Logue, A. W., Rabinowitz, V., Oka, Y., Yoo, N., Torres, R., Gentsch, K., & Wutchiett, D. (2025). Faculty characteristics and views: Implications for vertical transfer. Journal of Postsecondary Student Success, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss138304 
• Faculty Quotes Dataset (includes all responses to the open-ended questions to the faculty survey) 
• CUNY Transfer Explorer (T-Rex) 
• National Transfer Explorer 
• Related CUNY A2B (Associate’s to Bachelor’s Degree Transfer) research publications
• Dr. Logue’s website 

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation

Math requirements create persistent barriers on the transfer path, but how exactly do they block student progress? In this episode, we explore "A Complex Equation: Confronting Math Obstacles on the Transfer Path," a new report from Just Equations.

Authors Pamela Burdman, Robin Hale, and Jenn BeVard join host Heather Adams to discuss their research revealing how math anxiety, complex requirements, and scheduling challenges create a "Gate, Maze, and Pace" that particularly impacts STEM transfer students. The conversation explores why these barriers persist despite good intentions, examines fundamental policy tensions that make reform difficult, and offers practical recommendations for improving transfer success. 

Click the links to learn more!

• Just Equations  
  
  
• Read the "Complex Equation" Report 
  
  
• Meet the Authors: 
  • Pamela Burdman, Executive Director  
  • Alexis Robin Hale, Research Fellow
  • Jenn BeVard, Director of Operations and Programs

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation

As fall term launches across the country, transfer students are once again navigating the complex journey from one institution to another. But what if our current approaches to supporting these transitions are too narrow?

In this timely episode, host Heather Adams sits down with Drs. Dallin George Young (University of Georgia) and Bryce D. Bunting (Brigham Young University), authors of Rethinking Student Transitions: How Community, Participation, and Becoming Can Help Higher Education Deliver on its Promise. Both transfer students themselves, these researchers challenge the traditional "adjustment" model that places the burden of transition squarely on students' shoulders.

Instead, they introduce a powerful new framework centered on three key concepts: Community, Participation, and Becoming. The approach offers both theoretical grounding and practical insights for reimagining how we design experiences, policies, and support systems that honor transfer students' complexity and potential.

The conversation spans everything from rethinking "checklist" engagement models to designing meaningful classroom experiences that draw on transfer students' rich backgrounds. Dallin and Bryce share thought-provoking perspectives on academic advising conversations, faculty development, and collaboration between sending and receiving institutions—all through the lens of seeing transitions as opportunities for growth rather than problems to be managed.

This episode offers fresh perspectives for anyone working with transfer students, challenging listeners to transform how they think about transitions from problems to be solved into opportunities for profound growth and becoming.

Perfect timing for the start of term, this conversation will reshape how you approach every transfer student walking through your doors this fall.

--- --- ---

Additional Links: 

Buy the Rethinking Transitions book! 

Watch Dallin and Bryce's Lunch & Learn webinar with the National Resource Center to learn more about community, participation, and becoming! 

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation

Brew your favorite cup because you do not want to miss this one! In this exciting episode, Heather chats with Loida Gonzalez Utley, host of AACRAO's Transfer Tea podcast and co-chair of the upcoming AACRAO Technology & Transfer Summit! Together, they spill the tea on everything you can expect at the event – a must-attend convening for anyone passionate about transfer, mobility, and innovation in higher ed.

From bold conversations on AI and equity, to tools that can help institutions better serve transfer students, Loida and Heather give us an insider’s scoop on sessions, networking, and why this summit is a game-changer for transfer professionals everywhere. 

*The AACRAO Technology and Transfer 2025: A Learning Mobility Summit will be held IN PERSON at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA (across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.) 

Tech and Transfer 2025 Registration Link

AACRAO's Transfer Tea Podcast

Heather Adams, Ed.D.
Director, Special Initiatives at SOVA
Founder & CEO of Transfer Nation

Loida González Utley
Director of Recruitment & Enrollment Services at A&M- Central Texas
Co-Chair of AACRAO’s Technology and Transfer Summit

Show Credits
Host | Dr. Heather Adams
Producers | Rhian Waterberg, Emily Kittrell, Caitlyn Potter Glaser
Sound Editing | Abraham Urias 

Keep talking with Transfer Nation
Website: www.transfernation.com
IG: @WeAreTransferNation
LinkedIn: Transfer Nation Page
TikTok: @TransferNation
FB Group: Transfer Nation
Email: [email protected]

Talk soon!
#TransferPride #TransferSuccess #TransferChampion #TNTalks #TransferNation